Sphinx Transformed (The Sphinx Warriors Series Book 3)

by Christine Murphy

  Her nails could rip the skin from his arms but everything about him suppressed that desire to rip and tear. Her only desire was to protect and be near him.

  “Joshua are you sure about that? Look what she did to Arik, dude.”

  Alexandria hissed at another large male with spiked black hair whom she could see out of the corner of her eye.

  “Yes, I have her. Now back the fuck up.” Yes, this was Joshua and somewhere in her messed up mind she recognized him. Alexandria’s full attention was pulled back to Joshua both by his hands and his voice.

  “Alexandria, stop struggling. I have you if you’ll let me.”

  His expression was still so sad. She wondered how she could make him happy. Wanted to make him happy.

  “Yes, have me,” she whispered while pushing her hips up against him. Ecstasy was what hummed within her beating down the darkness when she heard the breath rush from his lips at her actions.

  Her pleasure didn’t last though from the next words he spoke.

  “Alexandria I want you to promise me you won’t fight. Jenny is going to give you something so you can rest.”

  The image of the dripping syringe overshadowed everything else. Alexandria struggled to see behind her but couldn’t because Joshua held her securely from moving her head.

  “No, stay with me. Look at me, Alexandria. Know I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. No matter what has happened on the other side of the Gate, I will not let anything happen to you here. Tell me you understand.”

  Understand? How could she understand? Her body was shaking like a leaf. She had a death grip on Joshua’s arms. Plus, all she could imagine was Turin jabbing in the needle, twisting it, and ripping it back out.

  “No…no hurt?” She stammered and bit down on her lip hard to focus on the pain. “Promise!” She demanded.

  “I promise, Alexandria.” Spoken with so much conviction, she believed him. His eyes told her of his promises and everything he couldn’t say. This man was hers. No, this Warrior was hers. Holding on for dear life as the fears tried to consume her, she focused on his bluish silver eyes. Alexandria knew the moment she would feel the sting of the needle because of the flash of something powerful in the depths of them. A power of something she couldn’t quite understand but knew he would keep her safe.

  Still she jumped when the needle entered and the sedative was pushed into her system. Hissing, she didn’t feel a burn but the darkness reared its hateful head anyway. Closing her eyes, Alexandria didn’t want to see the damage she would do to the handsome Joshua if she failed in keeping it at bay. She held tight to his forearms and could hear herself hissing. One more time she looked up at him and saw the helplessness written on his face, the need to try and help her. She fought for a few seconds more, hoping the feeling overcoming her was unconsciousness and not the vengeful hate of the Wraith consuming her and then darkness descended

  The last thing she knew was being surrounded by Joshua’s strong arms and his pledge, “I won’t leave you, Lexi.”

  Chapter Three

  Sitting in the straight back medical chair, Joshua ran his fingertips across his forearm where Alexandria had been holding on so hard her nails had dug in. Of course, she could have done a lot more damage, but he had watched her fight against the impulse before passing out from the sedative. It had been one hell of a struggle for her though. For both of them. His system was still jacked up from the stress of keeping the other Warriors from taking her down. Breathing deeply, he was still trying to get his Life Power back under control. The small amount of pain from the nail marks brought clarity to his thoughts and how messed up his Alexandria really was.

  Still, he was proud of her and the steel determination she had shown to control the Wraith-like behaviors transformed within her. It had been unnerving, watching the black of her irises fade to her dark blue and then back to black again. In the end, there was nothing he could do but watch her succumb to the sedation and collapse in his arms.

  When the other Warriors had stepped closer to assist him, he had snarled at them. Not having to be told twice, they all had backed off. They would know now he had deep feelings for her even if she was part Wraith. Joshua knew he had no choice but to admit it to himself, too. At first, he might have been protecting her, but over the years watching her grow up and go through the things she had had to, he had developed deep feelings for her. How deep he didn’t know, but he really didn’t want to delve into it at the moment. He just wanted her to wake up.

  “How much longer, Jenny? Are you sure it wasn’t too much?” Joshua needed to know Alexandria was okay.

  Jenny walked over to the medical cell where Alexandria was confined. She leaned up against the clear Plexiglas door and traced one of the ventilation holes. “She’ll be fine. The dosage was high, but the Wraith DNA in her is making her resistant to the normal dosage. That’s why she woke up and took us all by surprise.”

  Joshua sat back in the chair and ran his hands through his loose hair. “Is there anything we can do for her?”

  “Yes. Perhaps. I’m working on a combination of suppressants which should work on her Wraith behavior. I’m hoping the suppressant will bring our Alexandria back to the surface and keep the Wraith at bay. If anyone can figure out how to reverse what was done is her. To keep her semi-lucid, it’s going to be a careful balance of enough to keep the Wraith down but Alexandria conscious. I’ll need to give her the injection every night.”

  Joshua crossed his arms across his chest sighing deeply. “What a fucking mess. There has to be some way to fix her. I hope you’re right, Jenny, and she can figure it out.”

  A timer buzzed across the room somewhere. Jenny glanced over to the table with the burners, beakers, and bottles of pharmacological powders and liquids she had been combining. “That would be the completion of my suppressant. All we can do now is wait until she wakes up and then figure out a way to get the first batch into her system.”

  Watching Jenny walk away, Joshua clenched his hands together. The waiting was killing him. Not to mention Khenti Michael’s constant checking on his sister and telling him to go get some rest. There was no way he was budging. He had promised Alexandria he was going to stay with her and he meant it. Trying to gain her trust in her current state was going to be a challenge, but for her, he would do anything. Now he knew the hell Michael and Jacob went through over their women.

  “How you hangin’ in there, Warrior? You look like shit.” Joshua glanced up to see Warren, ex-Guardian Elite in his white lab coat. Tall and muscled, the man looked like he could take down anything. Sometimes it was hard to remember he was still healing from a disabling injury. As usual, Warren was popping a couple of white pills in his mouth. Instead of drinking water to wash them down, he just crunched them and swallowed dry.

  “A hell of a lot better than you. Still eating the drugs like candy, I see.” Joshua pointed to the painkiller and uppers Warren had to take for injuries he had sustained during one of the battles. The man had a significant scar across the bridge of his nose and across his cheek. His arm had been so mangled it was no longer usable and hung by his side, but he was an expert at drug combinations so Jenny had put him to work in medical. It was lucky too because without Alexandria and her specialized Powers of healing, the medical staff had to explore other options.

  “Hey, don’t knock it. The drugs keep the pain at bay so I can concentrate and the uppers keep me from being depressed and hacking off this useless arm. Besides, my knowledge may just save our doc’s life.”

  Joshua couldn’t argue with him about that particular truth. “Yeah, I gotta give you credit for your skills with drugs and I’ll owe you big if you can bring her back.” By the Ancient’s, he prayed Lexi would come back to him. His pulse raced at the thought of her being physically with him but never having her sweet smile gifted to him again. He glanced away from Warren avoiding eye contact. Dealing with his inner conflict and emotions wasn’t something he wanted revealed to another male. Warren must have fe
lt the vibe, because he turned away mumbling about needing to check on his work.

  Looking back at the marks on his arms, he wondered how much longer he was going to be able to stay by Alexandria’s side before Michael ordered him to go rest. He would have to refuse and that would open a whole mess of questions. Being second to the Khenti gave him a little breathing room, but even that would end eventually and his behavior questioned.

  A soft moan caught his attention. He glanced over to where Alexandria lay on a low cot with nothing but a pillow and single sheet. Even that simple bedding could be dangerous if she tried to use it as a weapon. Not to mention she still could reflex her black Element into a Power Sword. Joshua wasn’t sure how Turin had managed not only to change her but her once silver Element to cold shiny black.

  Joshua stood up and moved to the Plexiglas watching her closely. Alexandria appeared to be fighting the sedation, her head tossed back and forth, her forehead drawn in concentration. “It’s okay Alexandria, I’m here. I stayed just for you.” If only he could do something for her.

  For several minutes, she tossed and thrashed on the cot, her hair tangling around her, but then she quieted. The stillness didn’t last long. Suddenly she sat up looking around her with terror in her expression. She flipped onto the floor and then scooted backwards until she was jammed up into the back corner of the cell. Huddled in a tight ball, her arms around her legs, she rocked back and forth. Joshua’s heart broke as he listened to the high-pitched whine coming from her. His Alexandria was lost in terror.

  Leaning against the Plexiglas, he tried to catch her attention. “Alexandria. Look at me. You’re fine now. You’re safe. I’m right here.” He pleaded with her in desperation. Joshua just didn’t know what to do to help her.

  Watching her scan her surroundings, he saw none of his Alexandria within the tormented woman curled on the floor. Her eyes were black as midnight, but unlike the flat dead eyes of Wraith, hers had a slight luster to them. Joshua observed her restless actions not sure what to do. After a few moments, she flung her hands out in front of her as if trying to push something away and then her expression changed. The Wraith surfaced in her. There was no mistaking the snarl on her features of the Wraith persona as it took over. The darkness within her even had the nerve to shriek at him. She closed her eyes and fisted her hands in her dark black hair hissing under her breath. Yes, his Alexandria was still in there fighting.

  Slowly, so he wouldn’t startle her, he squatted down next to the clear cell door. He placed his palm flat against the Plexiglas and spoke to her softly. “Lexi, fight for me. I know you’re in there.” When she didn’t acknowledge him, he said more sternly. “Damn it, woman. Stop ignoring me and fight!”

  He wasn’t sure what to expect or if he would even be able to get through to her. They had always had a special connection even when they were younger. All he could do was hope it was still there. And perhaps the connection was.

  Alexandria’s eyes snapped opened and focused completely on him. She tilted her head to the side and slid her tongue slowly across her lower lip. Lifting her hand to her lips, she traced the path her tongue had taken with her fingertips. Closing her eyes, those fingers traced down the side of her throat, down her collar bone, and over her breast. Joshua focused in on the small sensual actions of her hand. His chest tightened and his fatigues became tight against the heavy erection her actions had enticed in him. Every inch of his body was suddenly on fire with need. Warrior get a grip. She’s in trouble. Stop thinking with your cock.

  Joshua just watched her, wondering what she was going to do next. Her behavior was completely bizarre, as if she had multiple personalities. A frightened child, an insane demon, a sensual creature. Right now, she was the sensual creature crawling across the floor on her hands and knees, slowly making her way over to where he squatted. Finally reaching him, she tried to touch his hand through the Plexiglas with hers. When she couldn’t, she came up on her knees bracing against the clear door with her hands. She rubbed the side of her head against the door where his hand rested.

  To his surprise and pleasure, Alexandria purred. By the Ancients, she had actually purred. He called over his shoulder, “Jenny, I’m pretty damn sure she’s purring. I thought there was no sign of her Sphinx.”

  Jenny came back over to where he was squatted. “There wasn’t. I double checked the DNA reading and there wasn’t much of anything. Perhaps there’s something deeper that survived.”

  Alexandria threw herself back from the contact with the door upon Jenny’s approach. She shrieked furiously. Back-peddling across the floor crab style, she hissed all the way back into the original corner she had started out in. Once she was curled back into a ball, Alexandria shrieked again and covered her face with her hands. Joshua’s inner Sphinx snarled at the loss of Alexandria’s closeness and the presence of the Wraith in her again. “Fuck!” He shouted surging to his feet. He paced away from the cell door trying to bring the unruly surge of Power back under control that swirled within him.

  As soon as he had moved away, the shrieking stopped and he was sure Alexandria would be rocking in the corner again. He heard a low moan coming from her. Joshua turned back to the cell and ran his hands through his tangled hair. Yes, she was sitting there rocking again like she was catatonic. “Damn it, Lexi.” His Power spun furiously from the yoyo effect of her second-by-second personality change.

  With the small amount of rest he had been able to get, his Life Power level had increased slightly anyway. He now had enough energy in his system not to feel like he was going to fall over at any minute. On the plus side, he could fight again if needed, but on the minus side, it was going to be difficult controlling his Power especially with the stress of seeing her like this.

  “There has to be something we can do for her. What’s the next step?” He gruffly demanded of Jenny.

  Jenny fidgeted moving back slightly. He guessed the behavior of Alexandria was unnerving to her as well. “The suppressant is completed. I have it in my lab coat pocket so she can’t see it. I saw her reaction to injections before and didn’t want to get her wound up. I’m not sure how we’re going to give it to her. Just her touch could take someone down.”

  Joshua pinned Jenny with his stare. He knew she wouldn’t like what he was going to tell her, but he wouldn’t be taking no for an answer. “That’s why you’re going to give it to me, lock me in with her, and get your instruments ready to see if the injection works.”

  Gasping, Jenny sputtered, “You can’t, Warrior. She could kill you. We should sedate her, strap her down, and deliver it to her safely for us and her. If needed I can get some of the other Warriors to assist. I’m sure Michael would help with his sister.”

  “You will not tie her down again or have anyone else see her go through the suppression!” Joshua bellowed at her. Seeing Jenny cringe under his fury, he sighed, lowering his voice. “Look, I’m sorry, but you damn well know she doesn’t want to be seen like this. I don’t think I can handle having anyone else touch her either, and Michael is already stressed out with Stormy in the condition she’s in. There’s no point in putting him through more.”

  “I know, Warrior. The past few weeks have been rough on all of us.” Jenny glanced at Alexandria still in the corner rocking again and making strange little noises. “You care for her and that’s the only reason why I’m agreeing to this.” As soon as Jenny took the syringe out of her pocket, Joshua grabbed it palming it so Alexandria wouldn’t see and go into a new round of freaking out.

  Slipping the metal syringe into his fatigue pants pocket, Joshua approached the cell door. “Alright, I’m ready when you are.”

  “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. I just hope you know what you’re doing.” Stepping up to the cell door, Jenny tapped a combination into the key pad on the wall. Silently, the Plexiglas door slid open just wide enough to allow Joshua entry.

  “I do. I’m doing this for the Lexi I lo…” his throat closed up and he looked down at Alexandria on the
floor. Was that what he was feeling? Was it love which was causing him to be twisted up and out of control? Taking a deep breath he mumbled, “You better get your monitors ready.”

  Slowly, he moved further into the cell, his hands out by his sides trying not to look threatening. Difficult to do being over six foot and packed with muscles, but hey, he was doing his best. As soon as he was inside the cell, Jenny sealed him in. Sealed him in with an unpredictable woman who was part Wraith. Nothing like throwing yourself in with the lioness.

  Joshua took a few more steps into the cell until he was about half way in. He stopped his forward progression when Alexandria stopped rocking and looked up at him. Her eyes were still the color of midnight coal, no reflection, no soul in their depths. She hissed between her teeth and slowly slid up the wall until she was standing in the corner. He wasn’t sure what to expect, this gorgeous woman he had known for so long, now with a dark side which could destroy so easily.

  One thing he knew, though, he still cared for her and he trusted she wouldn’t harm him. He was betting his life on her. Slowly Joshua reached out to her with one hand, “Alexandria, come to me. It’ll be alright. I can make you better. I know you won’t hurt me.”

  She gave him a seductively killer smile sending the rest of the blood to his already hard erection. Lifting her arms above her head she slowly stretched and murmured, “Don’t need better. Already there.” She dropped her arms and prowled forward two tiny steps. “Your Life Power is low. Agitated. Will only be an appetizer.”

  Keep her talking. Gotta reach Alexandria in that mess somewhere. “Listen to my voice Alexandria. I can help you. Jenny made a suppressant. Let me give it to you. Let me try and bring you back.” Joshua watched her closely. He didn’t think the mention of another injection was going over well. Alexandria’s eyes narrowed on him, her fingers curling like she was contemplating striking out at him. She took two more steps closer to him, this time with aggression.