by Faith Gibson
Chapter Thirteen
Sophia thought New Atlanta’s library was large. It was nothing compared to the one she was hiding out in. The building boasted seven stories that held millions of books. It was almost closing time, and Sophia hoped the security guards bypassed the bathrooms on their final walkthroughs. She prayed their security system didn’t have infrared lights or motion detectors. She hadn’t had the chance to check it all out before she ducked into the small room.
She sat quietly as the minutes ticked by, one slow second at a time. When she was certain the building was closed down, only then did she step out of the cramped stall she had been waiting in. Sophia pulled her laptop from her backpack and plugged it in. She couldn’t believe there was an outlet in the women’s restroom, but she was thankful for it. Her first order of business was to hack into the library’s system and check out the security situation. Unfortunately, it was coded in Egyptian. She could either stay put until morning when the library reopened, or she could take a chance on getting caught. If she was caught, she could say she was in the restroom when the building closed. It would be the truth, and she should be able to talk her way out of getting into too much trouble.
Sophia had never been one to sit idly by, so she decided she’d take her chances. She stowed her laptop in her backpack and slung it across her shoulders. She grabbed her larger bag and headed toward the floor where she could research books on Cleopatra. The note she’d been given indicated she should go to the last Pharaoh’s resting place. Her followers also intended she have the Cleopatra Disk. Both those clues had her believing her parents were being held somewhere that had to do with the Queen.
Several hours passed, and Sophia could barely hold her eyes open. She knew if she lay down for a nap, she would definitely be found by someone when the library reopened. She remained standing so she wouldn’t be tempted to close her eyes. When none of the previous books gave her any indication where Cleopatra could be, she decided to read up on Marc Antony. When that offered no help, Sophia decided to stop speculating and follow the clue she had been given.
Since the first part of the note instructed her to go to the Valley of the Queens, that is where she would start. It might be a lost cause, but it was better than twiddling her thumbs while her followers got closer. She once again pulled her laptop out of her backpack and decided on the best way to start her journey.
If she had been smart, Sophia would have figured all this out and taken the train overnight. She would have been able to sleep so that when she arrived, she would be ready to go. As it were, she was still going to sleep during the trip, but it was going to screw up her schedule. She booked her trip, and before making her way to the train station, Sophia donned her Clara disguise. She prayed the men who had followed her the night before had given up on her location and would be nowhere near the library when she left.
Sophia packed all her things and waited until the building opened for business. She gave the staff twenty minutes to get in place before emerging from the restroom. During the night, she had made note of where all the exits were, and which ones were the least used. The one on the bottom floor on the west side of the building opened to a one-way street. That was the exit she used and strode directly to the taxi she had arranged for a few minutes prior.
Since a train to Luxor was only available leaving from Giza, it took longer than Sophia expected to arrive at the station and get boarded. She had read there could be delays, but she preferred the longer commute so she could rest. An hour later, Sophia was on the train, sitting safely in her private sleeping compartment. She had passed through an extensive security checkpoint, much more so than any airport she’d been in. She locked the door and pulled the shade on both the door and the window. She didn’t wait for the train to move before she lay down on the small bunk and allowed herself to rest.
A knocking woke Sophia. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. When the knocking continued, Sophia realized it was coming from her door. She rose from the bed and took the few steps necessary to cross the small compartment. When she opened the door, a guard was standing there. “Can I help you?” she asked.
“We’ve arrived, Miss. You are the only passenger on the train.”
“I’m sorry. I fell asleep. Let me get my things.” Sophia couldn’t believe she’d slept the whole time. She really needed to pee, but the man standing at her door didn’t look like he wanted to wait on her to take care of personal business. She grabbed her still packed bags and followed him down the hallway. Every few steps he glanced over his shoulder. After about the twentieth time, it started freaking her out.
When they reached the exit, the man stood in front of the door and eyed Sophia up and down. One side of his lip snarled as he asked, “What’s a beautiful woman doing traveling alone?” He pulled a strand of her hair between his fingertips, raising it to his nose. He closed his eyes as he inhaled. “Ah, honeysuckle.” If it had been Nikolas, she’d have been flattered. Instead, she was scared. She was crazy for traveling alone in a foreign land where she had no back up. Why had she not waited until Nik was with her?
Instead of showing fear, Sophia drew on her shifter strength and stood up straight. Her claws were ready to break through if she needed to use them. “I’m not alone. The rest of my family chose to ride separately so I could get some rest. They are probably wondering where I am, so if you’ll excuse me,” she said as she stepped toward the door. He didn’t move out of the way, so when she walked past him, their bodies touched. Sophia could sense the evil inside the man.
Right before she descended the steps to the platform, the guard said, “I’d watch your back if I were you.”
Sophia didn’t give him the opportunity to say anything further. She hurried down the platform toward the exit. She found the taxi stand and waited among the other travelers for her turn. When she was seated, she told the driver to take her to the Luxor Embassy Hotel. It was a nice hotel that catered to tourists. Once Clara was checked in, Sophia ordered room service. She had missed breakfast and lunch on the train while she was asleep.
The first thing she was going to do when she got back to the States was to binge on junk food. The food in Egypt was not what she was accustomed to, but it gave her nourishment if nothing else. While she was eating, she decided to schedule a tour of the Valley of the Queens with a guided group. This going off alone was nerve wracking.
Sophia was going to have a hard time sleeping since she’d slept all day on the train. It was nearing nine, and she was wide awake. She ate her supper, unpacked her things, and decided to take a bath. She rarely took the time to luxuriate in the tub, but she had plenty of time to relax and think. As the water filled the oversized Jacuzzi, she allowed her thoughts to stray to her mate. Nik still hadn’t called. Eventually he’d see the red blinking light on his hotel room phone.
She piled her long hair on top of her head and lowered herself into the water. She turned the jets on and let the massaging bubbles do their job. She tried not to think of her parents and what they were going through. She did think about why someone would take them. It was time Sophia called JoJo and asked him if he had any clues. She would wait until after the tour tomorrow to see if she came up with any clues on her own as to their whereabouts. She also needed to give him the number to the burner phone she was using.
Sophia closed her eyes and let the hum of the tub soothe her spirit. Too many faces ran through her mind, the latest and most disturbing was the man from the train. If she had been fully human, she doubted she’d have felt the evil intentions coming from him. Too often, bad people ended up in roles where they were supposed to protect people. She was thankful she had gotten away from him unscathed. If her mate had been there, the man wouldn’t have even dared to look at her.
Picking up her phone for the hundredth time, there was still no word from Nik. She trusted he was safe; he was a Gargoyle after all. Now that she knew he was in Egypt, she had no doubt he would accept the mate bond. When she first found out about the fates a
nd how they chose mates for the Gargoyles, she balked at the idea of not being able to pick who you spend eternity with. Once shifters were mated, it was a decision that lasted a lifetime. Who were the fates to think they knew best? But after seeing mates together with her own eyes, Sophia became a believer. Fated mates might sound like something out of a fairy tale, but she couldn’t wait to start a life with Nikolas. Having watched him all this time had been hard.
Other than Jonas, Gargoyles of other Clans had never mated with humans that she was aware of. Now, the King was mated to the chief of police and the cat was out of the bag, so to speak. Sophia had been the one to put the cat in the bag in the form of JoJo’s journal. She had gotten tired of waiting on Nikolas or one of his Clan to figure it all out. When Tessa asked her how the journal got into the library, Sophia skated around the truth. Eventually she would tell her cousin what she’d done, but for now, it was her secret.
When the water lost its heat, Sophia drained the tub and dried off. She opened her computer and researched the Valley of the Queens. She booked a tour so she would be among other people. It didn’t mean she wouldn’t wander off on her own to explore some of the more secluded areas. If her parents were anywhere in the ancient tunnels, she’d find them.
After a few hours of research, she put her laptop aside, set the alarm on her clock, and closed her eyes. Hopefully she would get some rest before it was time to get up.
Nikolas hated airplanes, but it was the quickest way to Luxor. If he had traveled by train, he’d have probably jumped at some point during the ten hour trip. The first available flight had been at five a.m. Even though he had to wait until the following morning to travel, flying would get him to Luxor before the overnight train arrived. Before he left, he had gone to the manager of the hotel and paid a large sum of money to switch rooms as well as have his privacy protected. Whoever had Sophia knew which room he was in. If they knew that, they could possible break in and take his equipment. That just wouldn’t do.
Before time to leave for the airport, he researched as much as he could about the Valley of the Queens. While he wasn’t one hundred percent certain that’s where the clue intended Sophia to go, it was the most logical. The second part of the clue was confusing. Everything Nik read about the last pharaoh stated Cleopatra’s burial spot had never been found.
Still, visiting the first part of the clue was better than sitting idly by and worrying about his mate. Nik mentally kicked himself in the ass for not grabbing Sophia when he had the chance. Even if she was dressed as an old woman, his shifter knew who she was, and his body had reacted immediately. If Sophia truly was in the hands of her followers, he had no idea how to proceed in finding her. The second best thing he could do was locate her parents. If by some small chance she wasn’t really being held captive, she would more than likely be following the clue. Either way, he could not sit idly by hoping he ran into her or her captors again.
The airport had been crowded and his flight was delayed. Instead of arriving at six as scheduled, it was now almost eight a.m. He couldn’t check into a hotel that early, and there were no tours of the tombs scheduled for a couple of hours. Even though it wasn’t technically allowed, Nik decided to take a look around the ancient burial caverns by himself. Before the apocalypse, tourists could purchase a ticket and visit certain areas of the site unguided. Immediately after the apocalypse, the tombs were taken over by rebels. Now, the rebels had moved on to less populated areas of the country. The once thriving tourist area was just now rebuilding itself.
Nik found his way to the ferry and traveled across the river. Once he arrived, he made his way to an open-air market where he purchased a scarf and sunglasses. Even though he was a Gargoyle and the elements wouldn’t affect him, he wanted to blend in as much as possible. Instead of finding a taxi, he briefly considered renting a camel. If he were to travel by animal, he would have more freedom in where he went. As soon as he neared the roped off area, he realized his idea was ludicrous. The first camel he neared spit at him. The animal sensed the beast within Nik and wanted no part of being around him. Even though Nikolas tried soothing the four-legged beast, it wasn’t working.
The man working the rental area came forward, grabbing hold of the camel’s harness. He spoke to Nik while trying to calm the animal, “He is a feisty one. We will find one more suitable to your needs. Fifty pounds and we’ll get you saddled up.”
As badly as Nik wanted to travel by camel, he knew it would be a headache. “I have changed my mind, but thank you.”
“Forty pounds. We get you a girl. She will not be feisty. Yes?”
The man was insistent; Nik gave him that. “Let me see this non-feisty girl you speak of. Then we’ll talk money.” He highly doubted even the most docile animal the man had would put up with a Gargoyle on its back.
“Yes, yes. Wait here.” The man disappeared only to return a few minutes later with a smaller animal.
Nik held his hand out to the female, and she sniffed his hand. When she didn’t spit on him, he felt this one might be okay. When he took a step closer, she remained calm. Okay, he could do this. “Thirty pounds,” he told the handler.
“Forty,” the man countered.
“Twenty-five,” Nik said. He wouldn’t be bullied when a taxi would be so much easier.
“Thirty,” the man relented.
“Deal.” Nik pulled the correct currency out of his pocket and handed it over to the man. He watched as the camel was adorned with a blanket, saddle, and the mouthpiece. Nik was glad to see stirrups were attached. He stuck his left foot in the slot and hoisted himself up onto the animal’s back. Before he was settled, the creature took off across the sand. All Nik could do was hold on.
Chapter Fourteen
Nik used the strength in his thighs to stay seated on the runaway animal. The din of laughter and yells of people in the market floated over the air as he tried to grab onto the reins. When he finally managed to snag them, he wrapped his hands around the leather straps and pulled back. The camel didn’t come close to slowing down. At that point, Nik had no other choice than to ride it out. He was still too close to civilization to phase and fly off the animal’s back.
He tried talking to the camel, soothing her with soft words. He yelled. He smacked her on the rump. Nik wouldn’t hurt the animal, but damn if he wasn’t irritated. It was his fault for thinking she would be okay with a beast riding her back. The bouncing was doing a number on his nuts. He braced his feet against the stirrups, giving his balls a rest. When the camel finally slowed to a walk, Nik sat back and studied the scenery. He couldn’t see his original destination since it was down in a valley, but he knew the direction he needed to be going in. If he and his ride went too much farther, he was going to miss his opportunity to visit the tombs before the tours started.
Nik pulled the reins to the east, hoping she would follow his directions. “Please go that way. I need to visit the tombs, and I really don’t want to walk that far. Besides, I don’t want to have to pay for a lost camel.”
She completely ignored him and continued walking the direction she wanted. “Fuck my life. I’m talking to a camel,” Nik said to the sand. As if she agreed, she jerked her head forward and moaned, or made whatever sound a camel makes. She continued sassing him for at least thirty seconds. When she stopped, he chastised her, “Seriously? You have no reason to complain. I’m not the one who took off across the fucking sand with no thought to my passenger’s well-being. That was all you, Bessie.”
Obviously, the animal didn’t like the name he chose for her. She took off at a trot again, sending Nik farther away from where he needed to be. He shouted to the heavens, “Really? A little help here?” When he received no answer from the gods, he had a choice to make – either ride it out or jump. He could remove himself without harm, but what would he do about the camel? Would she return to her owner, or continue on her journey? Fuck it; Nik decided to bail. She was better equipped to be alone in the desert than he was. He took a look around
to make sure nobody had decided on a last minute rescue effort. When he saw no one, he removed his shirt before calling forth his wings. Nik phased and lifted himself off the animal’s back.
He landed on the sand and retracted his wings. Nik shook his head as the camel stopped running and turned around. She let out another loud moan. “Don’t yell at me, you mangy beast,” Nik shouted as he turned back toward the tombs and began walking.
Tours started every two hours. Sophia figured she could ditch the first tour over halfway in, do a little reconnaissance on her own, and join the next tour. She removed the scarf from her head and stuffed it in her bag. She placed herself in the middle of the families as they descended into the corridors. Even though there were almost a hundred tombs in this location, the tours were only allowed to see a handful. During the night, she had studied as many maps as possible of the popular tombs as well as those that were blocked off. Nefertari’s was the most popular, and she wasn’t going to miss seeing it.
Sophia was in awe of the beautiful colors and pictures on the walls of the tomb. She would love the opportunity to come back when she could study them at length. It never ceased to amaze her how so many different theories regarding the gods and afterlife were still in existence. As she stood and gazed upon one of the images of the ancient queen, Sophia smiled as she hoped to herself that Nefertari had been mummified appropriately and her spirit had passed the test to be transformed into another body. Gargoyles knew what immortal life was like. The half-bloods encountered an extended life once mated. Maybe reincarnation was just a different version of immortality.
When she realized she was alone, Sophia decided it was an excellent opportunity to look around. She followed a corridor away from the voices of the tour group. She allowed herself to go as far as her eyesight could take her. She reached out with her shifter senses, listening for any indication of life farther into the tombs. She stood still and calmed her breathing so she was in tune with her surroundings. Scratching came from a few feet in front of her. It wasn’t like something being raked over a stone wall. It was closer to something being dragged. A thud reverberated through the corridor to her left. The air behind her grew warmer. The hair on her neck stood as if she’d passed her hand over an electrical current.