by Lisa Kessler
“You don’t think we should show her first, just to be sure?” Lori asked. Zafrina pulled her attention off the flowers and returned them to Lori. Her fingertips brushed the inside of Lori’s wrist and their eyes met.
She’s stunning.
Hearing Lori’s thoughts almost made Zafrina smile. Perhaps she would tell the mortal about shielding her mind after all.
Lori pressed her lips together and broke eye contact, taking a step back. “After waiting two lifetimes to finally get married, I don’t want to be the one to screw it up for her.”
Edie nudged her friend. “Kate will love it because you put it together for her.”
Zafrina nodded slowly. “You know her better than I do.”
The two women followed Zafrina’s gaze into the living room. “Gretchen’s going to be all right, isn’t she?”
“I will do my best to ensure she is.”
Edie glanced Zafrina’s way. “It’s good to see her smile.”
“I’ve got to get home.” Lori hesitated. Edie will expect a hug. I’d have to hug both of them. I don’t know Zafrina well enough to get physical. Do I? I’m probably overthinking everything.
Lori was also cautious. Probably wise.
“Good night.” Zafrina exited the kitchen, her gaze locked on Lori’s. Was the mortal afraid or entranced? She’d been careful not to mesmerize either of them. Strange…
She left the two women behind for their goodbyes and sat on the couch, watching the couples waltzing. Her heightened senses picked up the unborn child’s strong heartbeat, while joy radiated from their faces. Love, hope, and the last chance for the survival of their race.
With their existence on the line, love might be their greatest weapon against the fear and chaos.
…
Muriah passed the day watching television and working on her laptop. She sent emails to three of her contacts in Egypt, letting them know she would be arriving in Cairo soon and to be on the lookout for artifacts containing any mention of Apep. She also dangled the carrot of a customer traveling with her who was willing to pay top dollar for the relics.
Stretching, she heard movement inside the bathroom and tried not to notice the way her heart skipped. She rolled her eyes. He might be what she wanted, but he was not what she needed. The red front door of The Dimension’s Den filled her head, and she did her best to cling to it.
Issa came out of the bathroom. “Thank you for the blanket.”
She shrugged, hoping she looked flippant. “No biggie.”
He came out and started dressing. “We have a flight?”
“Yes. We’re flying out of LaGuardia on the private jet in a little over an hour.” She packed up her laptop and slipped it into the bag with the codex. “I emailed my contacts in Egypt. You’re now my client willing to pay plenty for any artifacts related to Apep.”
“And you will touch them to find the right vessel to contain him?”
She put her bag over her shoulder. “I’ll try to read the hieroglyphics first, but yeah, I’ll probably need to touch them.”
In all her life, she’d never talked with anyone about her psychometry. Not even her mother or Lukas knew, although Muriah was pretty sure her mother suspected.
She stared at her shoes.
Issa caught her chin, bumping her gaze up to his eyes. “You dread touching them.”
He said it so bluntly that she bristled. “I thought you couldn’t get inside my head.”
“I do not need to hear your thoughts. I have lived long enough to recognize that expression.”
She tugged the straps of her bag higher up on her shoulder. “We’ve got a plane to catch. We’ll have plenty of time to talk then.”
“You’re right.” He took her hand. “But I will not forget.”
After a very short taxi ride, they entered the airport, breezed through the first class security line, and headed to the terminal. They were shuttled out to the plane on a golf cart. The commercial planes looked huge from this vantage point, like gigantic dinosaurs.
With the jet straight ahead, the driver stopped. “Need help with your bags?”
“Nah, we’ve got it.” Muriah smiled, slipping the driver a tip. “Thank you.”
He nodded. “Have a safe trip.”
As he drove away into the darkness, Muriah turned toward the plane. A man stepped out of the shadows. A man with living tattoos slithering up his forearms. Issa stepped in front of her, blocking her view.
“Apep. Finally, you show your face.”
Muriah peeked around her protector, waiting for a chance to get to the jet. Apep tipped his head side to side, and his lips curled into a twisted grin. “You have something I need, and I have no intention of returning to Egypt to retrieve it.”
“We have a problem.” Issa’s voice lowered to a menacing snarl. “Because I have no intention of allowing you anywhere near that codex. Back away. Now.”
“You cannot order me around.” Apep laughed, his eyes narrowing. “You are no god to me.”
“I am also not a mortal you can toy with. Move or be moved. Your choice.”
“Give me the woman, and I will leave you in peace.”
“Never.”
Something was happening to Apep’s eyes. They were getting lighter, like…storm clouds?
“Then I will end you and take her.”
Apep didn’t make a move to attack, but heat radiated from Issa’s body. Muriah frowned. He hadn’t fed yet. Suddenly, the air around her sparked with energy, and the hair on her arms rose to stand on end.
“What’s happening?”
“Get ready to run to the plane.” His voice sounded labored, like he spoke through gritted teeth. “Tell the pilot to start the engine.” Issa took a step closer to Apep.
“I’m not leaving you behind.”
He looked at her over his shoulder. His eyes were bright crimson, and the air wavered around him like heat rising from the pavement. “Please, Muriah.”
It had to be bad. He said please.
His focus shifted back to Apep. “I am hard to kill.” He took another step forward and reached behind him for her hand. He gave it a squeeze. “Now. Run.”
…
Muriah didn’t hesitate. Thank the gods.
She raced toward the airplane. Apep turned to pursue her, and the searing pain from his gaze finally released Issa from its grip. He shifted his form in an instant, the massive black jaguar leaping into action, pursuing his prey.
Apep wasn’t human. He was the Egyptian God of Chaos, cursed by his peers and trapped in a body of flesh. Killing him would be impossible, but maiming him would slow him down. He’d have to heal the wounds before he could pursue them. Hopefully, it would be long enough to get the plane off the ground.
Just as Muriah hit the stairs to the jet, the jungle cat tackled Apep. Razor-sharp claws dug into Apep’s back, dragging him to the ground. He buried his teeth into Apep’s upper thigh, his jaws clamping onto the bone and severing the artery. Rich blood swamped Issa’s senses, filling him with raw power unlike anything he’d ever tasted. The jaguar sank into a frenzy, feeding on the open flesh.
The plane engines fired up, snapping Issa out of the delirium. Apep howled in pain, the heat of the chaos in his gaze singeing the fur on Issa’s face. The jungle cat resisted relinquishing his prey. Issa struggled within, forcing his spirit animal back from the fallen menace.
Using his preternatural speed, Issa charged into the plane.
…
Muriah screamed when a giant black jaguar, dripping with blood, leaped inside the plane with her. “Oh shit.”
The cat paced the area, but made no move to approach her. The copilot came out of the cockpit to close the cabin door and froze. “What the hell? Jesus. Holy shit. We can’t take off with that… How did it get on the plane?”
Muriah peered out the open door. Apep writhed on the pavement in a pool of blood. His leg was severed, but he pulled it close, as if it would magically reattach and heal.
She looked at the large jaguar again and let out a sigh of relief. “Just close the door. He won’t hurt you. We need to take off. Now.”
“There’s no way.”
“I swear you’re safe. We need to leave. Seriously.”
“We didn’t get warned about transporting livestock to another country. They won’t let you in anyway.”
Muriah rolled her eyes. “Just close it so we can take off. I’ll explain when we’re in the air.”
Suddenly, the man turned toward the jaguar and went silent. Could Issa get inside people’s heads even while he was in animal form? Without further protest, the pilot went to the cabin door, retracted the steps, and activated the airlock. He walked toward the cockpit and hesitated. “Keep this door clear.”
“No worries.”
Once the copilot closed the cockpit, she turned to the large cat and whispered, “Issa? Can you understand me? It’s you in there, right?”
The cat stopped its pacing and met her gaze. Her pulse raced. The jaguar had Issa’s dark eyes.
She approached it tentatively, her hand outstretched in case it wanted to smell her first. The jaguar took a step closer and sniffed her fingertips before dipping its head beneath her hand. She stroked the top. His black fur was sleek, and a smile spread across her lips.
“You’re gorgeous.”
She got closer and frowned. The hair on one side of his face was burned. “Did Apep do this?”
The jaguar pulled free of her grasp and backed away.
“I’m guessing you’re still inside, and you can understand me, right?”
The cat chuffed in answer.
“Your spirit animal is really impressive.” She slowed her breathing, coaxing the adrenaline out of her bloodstream.
The jaguar swished its tail as the air around it shifted, distorting the image of the jaguar. Suddenly, Issa stood before her, fully clothed.
Muriah rubbed her eyes. She couldn’t help it. “I’ve seen Lukas as an owl, but I’ve never seen him actually shift. It’s so…” Her brain hiccuped, trying to understand what her eyes had just seen. “So fast. Does it hurt? How did you get your clothes?” She pressed her lips together to keep from peppering him with even more questions. “Sorry. I…”
“There is no pain when my spirit animal comes forward, unless I resist the change.” Issa came forward and took her hand. “And the moment the cat comes forward, my human form is…” He searched for the word. “…waiting. I return the same as the moment I shifted. My clothes never left me.”
“Like suspended animation?”
He stared out the window as the plane rolled away, leaving Apep behind. He met her eyes again. “I do not know that term.”
“Never mind, it doesn’t matter.” She noticed his cheeks were drawn and the side of his face blistered. She helped him to a seat and sat down next to him. “He burned you? How?”
“I am not certain. He has the power to create chaos. It did something to my skin. Hot. It burned from inside.”
“Why didn’t you take his heart like the guy last night? Why did you shift?”
Issa tipped his head, popping his neck. “Because Apep is a god trapped in a body of flesh, remember? Since he cannot be killed, I maimed him. He will heal, but it will take time. Enough for us to get off the ground.”
The plane turned and came to a stop at the end of the runway. “Can I help you? Your face looks like it hurts.”
“It does.” He sat back on the couch as the plane accelerated down the runway. “My blood is already working to heal it.”
Once the plane left the ground, Muriah glanced his way. “Another long plane ride… Ready for more questions?”
Chapter Sixteen
Issa tensed. “Questions?”
“Like we did on the way to New York.” She smiled, and he could refuse her nothing. He prayed she never discovered her power over him. “I’ll start. Did you force that copilot to cooperate?”
“Yes.”
“Even when you’re in animal form, you can control people’s minds?”
“Yes.” He glanced toward the door, listening to the pilots’ minds. He’d been sure the copilot would have no memory of a jaguar in the plane. The man would remember Issa in his human form as Muriah’s companion to Cairo. But it didn’t hurt to be watchful. Satisfied, he focused his attention back on her. “Our minds are still aware within the animal’s body. It is slightly more complicated in animal form, but as long as I make eye contact with them, I can manipulate their thoughts.”
He left out that the infusion of the blood from the God of Chaos gave him the extra power to force the pilot to turn around and meet his eyes. Issa crossed his arms. “My turn.”
She stiffened in her seat. “All right.”
“Why do you consider your gift to be a curse?”
“Remind me not to play this game with you anymore.” She glanced out the window. “It hurts. When I touch something really old, the images flood my head, and I can’t control them. As more and more flow in, my head feels like it’s being compressed in a vise.” She hesitated and finally met his eyes again. “I’ve started having nosebleeds, and sometimes I black out. That’s why I always wait until I’m safe and alone in my house.”
He took her hand. “If you have to touch the vessels, I will keep watch. I wish I could shield you from the pain.”
She pressed her lips together, then gave his hand a squeeze. “Your face is better.”
He reached up to touch his cheek. “Apep’s blood.”
“You drank his blood?” She frowned. “It didn’t poison you?”
He smirked with a gleam in his eyes. “Is that your question?”
“I’m impressed.” She thought about it. “Okay, yeah, that’s my question.”
“His body is flesh. The blood lust overtook the jaguar’s senses. I was not poisoned, but his blood infused me with more power than any mortal’s ever has.”
“You liked it.”
He did. But he also worried that admitting it would make him more of a monster in her eyes. He shouldn’t care. But he did. “You talk often of your mother. Tell me about your father.”
Muriah sighed. “Can I take a pass?”
“You made the rules.” He settled back into the couch. “I remember no pass.”
“Fine.” She swallowed, and her voice dropped a couple of notches. “My mother could communicate with the dead. It freaked him out. He left us.” She crossed her arms and shifted. “Next question. You said something about love before. That you’d never risk your heart again.”
“You did not finish answering my question.”
“You asked about my father, and I told you, end of story.”
He rubbed his chin, struggling to find the best way to learn more about her. First, he would have to answer her question. “The woman you met as Kate. She has lived more than a single lifetime. In my world, she was Ch’en, the goddess of the moon. She cared about our people and their welfare and, unlike me and my brothers, she moved among the mortals, getting involved in their lives and in their culture.
Her passion for them intrigued me, and I found her beauty striking. A light glowed inside of her that drew me in. I considered her a friend, but yearned for more. Before I realized it, my heart was hers, but she had no use for it.”
He stopped. There was no reason to share how the story ended. The memory of taking Ch’en’s life was his own burden to bear. He’d never shared it with anyone.
“Does Kate remember you?”
“I believe it is my turn to question now.”
“Fine.” She almost smiled. “Ask away.”
“How long ago did your father leave?”
“Wow.” She ran her hands up her arms like she’d caught a chill. “You don’t let up, do you?”
He was tempted to choose another question, but remained silent and waited.
She stared at the floor while she spoke. “He left when I was four. The only memory I have of him is a flash of him holding me up and sp
inning me around. The rest of the room loses focus, and all I see is his face. We’re laughing, and he says, ‘You’re my world.’” She wiped her nose, her eyes welling up with tears. “But he still walked away. It was all bullshit.”
She got up, wrapping her arms tightly around herself as she paced the floor. “My mom tried to be strong for the both of us, but I’d hear noises at night and sneak out of my room… She’d be at the table with a picture of my father, weeping into her hands.” She lowered her arms, but kept the distance between them. “I used to hate him for breaking her heart, and then I promised myself that would never happen to me. I’d never give a man that power over me.”
The hurt was plain in Muriah’s eyes, and the desire to find her father and cause him pain swelled inside Issa’s chest. Only a sad excuse for a man would abandon his child.
“May I tell you something?”
“Sure.” She shrugged, wiping her nose.
“Sit?” He gestured to the spot beside him on the couch. She hesitated for a moment, but finally sat beside him. Issa took her hand. “He was weak. He did not deserve you or your mother.” She rolled her eyes, wiping at a stray tear before it ran down her cheek. He waited for her to meet his gaze. “I have been loyal to a world who no longer remembers me. I continue to live, to protect it, because it needs me. And I will never abandon you. If you need me, I will be there.”
A single tear escaped from the corner of her eye, but she made no attempt to dry it. “You can control minds, live forever, move faster than I can see…why would I matter to you?”
He reached over to catch the tear, caressing her cheek. “Because you have awakened something inside me. From the moment we met, you challenged me to be more than my title.” He brushed a tender kiss to her forehead. “You are stubborn, reckless, headstrong, and the greatest temptation I have ever known.”
She leaned closer to him, her lips caressing his. He gathered her into his arms without breaking the kiss. Her body fit perfectly against his. He slid his fingers into her silky hair. She caught his lower lip, her teeth grazing his skin until his fangs lengthened.