Soul Reborn (Key to the Cursed Book 1)

by Jean Murray

  Lilly swallowed against the sudden tightness in her throat. Whatever Nebt had meant to convey, Lilly heard, he used her. She turned away to hide the welling of tears in her eyes. “So, none of this is real?”

  Nebt grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to turn. She cupped Lilly’s tear stained cheeks in her hands. “On the contrary, there is something special he sees in you. He wants to feel the emotions with you. Desperately! You have conquered his attention, something we have not been able to do for years. But I must warn you, his vengeance for this goddess runs deep. He is blinded by his hatred and the need for revenge against those involved in his suffering. And I stress everyone. I only say this, as I do not want you to get hurt.”

  Lilly wiped back her tears. Nebt’s message rang loud and clear. Asar’s hit list would include her and her family if he discovered their connection with the goddess’ release. “What if I seek his revenge for him? How do I get his soul back?” Maybe then he would have the capacity to forgive her.

  Nebt glanced down the long stone corridor and spoke barely above a whisper. “Now is not the time to discuss this. I will bring you the information you seek.”

  CHAPTER sixteen

  “So, since when do you play with your food,” Inpu asked, rolling the tie of his robe around in his fingers.

  Asar scowled. “She is not food.”

  “She looks delicious enough to eat.”

  A low growl escaped Asar’s lips.

  Inpu held up his hands. “Just kidding, my friend. I am just curious about your intentions with a human female. A Nehebkau huntress, no less. Does Nehebkau know his spells are being used in the human world?”

  “I do not know if he does, and I honestly do not care.” Asar walked to his desk. He poured two cups of wine.

  “What about the girl? Where does she fit in with Kepi?”

  “Do not speak that name out loud!” Asar snarled.

  “I take it you do not want to talk about it?”

  Asar ran a hand through his hair. He was not sure what the hell he was doing.

  “Your ex will go after Lilly once she learns you are connected.”

  Asar took a slow sip of his drink. “Kepi is afraid of her.”

  “What?” Inpu’s eyes widened. “I have never known the cold odjit to fear anything. How do you know?”

  Asar absently rubbed the silver scar in his side. He did not want to acknowledge his hatred blinded him to Kepi’s attack. “Lilly split her head in half, and Kepi ran.”

  “For the love of Isis!” Inpu clapped his hands. “I wish I was there to see that. Now, I know why you are enamored with the girl.”

  Asar glowered. “I am not. I have no capacity to be.”

  Inpu huffed. “Asar, in the entire time I have known you—and that is a very long time—you have never brought a servant to your home as a guest.”

  “She is not my servant.”

  “She is not? Then why does she carry your mark?”

  Asar clutched the back of his neck where all his tension had settled. As a condition of their deal, he forced Lilly to agree to be his servant. But after what had just happened between the two of them, he found it impossible to think of her as such. His conflicted thoughts only made his head and neck pain worse. “Can we please talk about something else?”

  Inpu slapped him on the back. “Very well. Let us go for a walk.”

  Asar and Inpu walked around the corner to where the two women sat deep in conversation, like old friends. This surprised Asar. Nebt rarely embraced someone so quickly, especially a woman he was involved with. He learned the hard way to trust in her judgment. Nebt warned him about Kepi the minute she laid eyes on her.

  Lilly straightened her gown. Jealousy burned through Asar’s senses when Inpu sat down next to his huntress. Only Nebt’s approach kept him calm. As the powerful Goddess of the Underworld and his counsel, Nebt did her best to manage his not so pleasant mood swings. Not to mention the additional burden of his duties she shouldered due to his compromised state. A force to be reckoned with on her own, others rarely challenged her, even Inpu.

  She hugged Asar and whispered, “I like her. Lilly has a very pure soul.” His cousin kissed his cheek and turned him so that his eyes naturally fell on Lilly. “Are you going back tonight?”

  Asar sighed. Part of him wanted to stay right here with Lilly in his bed, but he had to stay focused. “Yes.”

  Nebt nodded. “Ah, there it is.”

  Asar followed his cousin’s gesture. Lilly’s smile grew when she made eye contact.

  “That is for you, cousin.”

  “What?” Asar stared at Nebt.

  “Happiness. It is the reason you brought her here, is it not?”

  “Perhaps. I am not sure what I am doing,” Asar admitted, rubbing his jaw.

  “It is surprising she can find the means to smile with the burden she carries in her soul.”

  Asar narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

  “Lilly carries the belief she is responsible for the reven outbreak in her world. Guilt drives her. It is her greatest fault, leading her to make decisions not in her best interest. She would rather sacrifice herself than live with the knowledge she did not do everything in her power to correct the wrong done.”

  “That is ludicrous,” Asar said, but the words caught in his throat. It made sense. Lilly never asked him to protect her, only her sisters. She agreed to his terms, even though it would mean a life of servitude and separation from her family.

  But he could not fathom why she would blame herself for the revens.

  “I have never met a human with such genuine loyalty to the ones she loves. I hope, cousin, you do not hurt her in the pursuit of your revenge. She is strong, but not invincible.”

  “Kepi will face my retribution. I will take back what she has stolen from me.”

  “Even if that means losing Lilly?” Nebt turned to look at him. “You know you could grow a new soul on the love Lilly has for you.”

  “It is not the same.” Asar’s chest burned. He was not ready to let go of his hatred. Not until everyone involved was dead, and his son was back in his care.

  “Is revenge so important to you?”

  “You would do the same if it was you or Inpu. My son is imprisoned because of Kepi. I will not be able to bring him back until I recover everything she has taken. I will destroy her.”

  His rage returned tenfold. Time would not erase what had been done to him. Not even Lilly would be able to destroy his hatred.

  He would not let her.

  * * *

  The two deities departed, leaving Lilly and Asar alone in an uncomfortable silence. She shifted from foot to foot, trying to think of something to say. Despite how intimate they’d been, she didn’t know much about him, but the stress on his face was unmistakable.

  Lilly peeked up at him. “I know we have to go soon, but there is one thing left I would like to do, if you will humor me.”

  Asar nodded and followed a few steps behind. She walked to the edge of the sand where the water lapped teasingly along the shore. He stood silently with his hands at his side. Lilly ignored his behavior, and lay down on the cool beach to look up at the stars. Curiosity flashed in his eyes. His head tilted upward toward the sky.

  “Join me,” Lilly said, patting the sand next to her. His jaw and fists clenched, but she propped herself up on her elbows and gave him a pleading look. “Please?”

  Asar sat next to her but refused to lie down. Lilly sighed and turned her attention back to the stars. She missed being able to do this.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” When he didn’t answer, she continued. “My father use to take us on his digs. Even after a hard day at work, he would always make time for me and my sisters at night. He would teach us the constellations, and then quiz us later.” The fresh pain silenced her for several moments. “I pray for the day that my sisters and I can lay and look up at the stars again.”

  “Where is your father?”

&n
bsp; Lilly bit the inside of her cheek. She needed to choose her words carefully. “He’s dead.” A minor truth. Her father died five years ago, kind of. Staving off the urge to cry, she turned her attention back to the stars. “It’s just Kit, Kendra and I.”

  Asar leaned back on his elbow and rolled onto his side next to her.

  Lilly couldn’t meet his gaze, afraid he’d see the truth. There were so many things she needed to tell him, but if she told him too much, he would know. That she was responsible for the goddess and the revens. For his suffering.

  Guilt twisted in her gut. He would never forgive her—of that, she was certain.

  Asar reached out and touched the mark on her chest with his fingertips. “I will take great care of you here. You have nothing to fear.” His voice sounded flat and void of any emotion.

  Thankfully, he misinterpreted the source of her emotions, but it didn’t reduce the pain. With a fake smile she hid the agony of his words. Caught between the love for her sisters and the guilt of her mistake.

  Lilly touched his face softly. “I know you will. Thank you for bringing me here. I promise to behave myself.”

  CHAPTER seventeen

  “Everything okay?” Lilly asked.

  She leaned over and picked up her weapons belt. Even with her back turned, the burn of his glare penetrated her soul. They were strangers again, their intimacy left behind in Aaru.

  When he didn’t answer, she continued. “I’m going over to the museum to check in with Kit and Kendra.”

  She finished buckling her belt and turned to leave. He stepped in her path and held out his hand, indicating he would transport them. She tried to hide the flush when she touched him, but he didn’t seem to notice.

  The tunnel room faded to black. She squinted against the brightness of the museum basement.

  Kit raked a suspicious gaze over her. “Where the hell have you been?”

  Thankfully, Asar’s mark of ownership remained hidden beneath her vest. Lilly avoiding Kit’s eye contact and walked into the office to check on Kendra. Kit had this innate ability to tell when someone had sex. It felt more like a one night stand, considering Asar wouldn’t give her the time of day now.

  What would a god like Asar want with a human, anyway? Especially, after he learned the truth of her involvement in the goddess’ release? Up to this point, she forced the thought out of her head, but her guilt weighed heavy on her heart since she had given herself to him.

  “What’s the latest?” Lilly asked, trying to distract herself, but failing miserably. She jumped when Kit bumped into her, as she spread a map out across the table.

  “Viper scouts detected a new location. No connection with the other sites. It may be where the goddess retreated. Local authorities started curfews and quarantined the area. The reven count should be low since they caught it so quickly.”

  Lilly swiped her palm across the map. “It’s worth investigating. We can enter from the east.”

  “Game on!”

  “I’ll be right back, gotta hit the bathroom.” Lilly removed her belt and walked to the restroom, hoping Asar wouldn’t follow. The whisper in her head could be none other than the Underworld goddess. Before she closed the door, she glanced back to make sure Asar remained in his position on the wall.

  “Nebt?” she whispered, turning in circles.

  A chill skimmed across her skin and Nebt appeared in her dark form. The goddess held a black finger to her lips. Out of her pocket she pulled an elaborate knife with intricate carvings and hieroglyphics on the handle. In her other hand she clasped a parchment with ancient prayers.

  “Kendra will need to help you. The goddess must be subdued first for the ritual to be performed. Asar’s heart must remain intact, and placed in the ritual jar that you found. You will need to bring it to me, so that we can join it to him. Do you understand?”

  “Yes.”

  “I will call Kendra back here. She will be with you momentarily.” Nebt disappeared as quickly as she arrived.

  Lilly walked into one of the stalls and flushed the toilet in case anyone was listening and then washed her hands.

  Kendra rushed into the bathroom, threw open the stall door and knelt in front of the porcelain. Her auburn covered head leaned forward in the commode. “That’s funny.” She stood up and turned around. “I swear I was about to blow chunks.”

  Lilly placed her hand over her sister’s mouth and signaled her to remain quiet. “I need your help,” she whispered. “We need to retrieve Asar’s heart from the goddess with these and the container.” She handed her the parchment. “Can you do this?”

  Kendra read over the ancient hieroglyphic prayer and nodded.

  “You must not say anything to Asar. Be persistent about going tonight and bring the jar with you.” Lilly glanced at the door and flushed the toilet again. “Wash your hands and follow me out.”

  Kendra’s academy award winning performance secured her position on the expedition. They were on their way. Due to the daylight, Asar and Kamen transported to the closest sewer system.

  Lilly slid into the driver’s seat of the van she commandeered from the fortress. The vehicle had reinforced bullet proof glass and fortified steel doors. If things turned ugly, she wanted to be able to throw Kendra into an impenetrable refuge. It could withstand a small blast.

  Truthfully, she worried more about the local criminal activity than the revens. The building was located in the seedier part of the city—the perfect place for the goddess to hide and find unwilling human victims. Money provided safety, and this suburb had very little resources compared to the business districts. Lilly maneuvered through the densely packed streets, barely pausing for red lights. Harder to hit a moving target. Gang members, drug dealers, and prostitutes flashed by the van’s windows. Hits and transactions were completed in plain view—often breaking out into turf wars—as people dashed to get to work with their heads low. Everything was compressed into a small window of time. A slave to the rotation of the earth, some of them reacted violently while others tried to live normally among the chaos.

  There wasn’t anything normal about it in Lilly’s point of view. Social anarchy ruled. Lilly fingered the automatic weapon on her lap. Swords were great against revens, but not humans toting guns.

  The palpable tension made the sisters unusually quiet on the trip.

  Kit sat in the passenger seat with her booted foot on the dashboard. “I don’t like this. We’ve got a lot of revens to kill as it is. How the hell are we going to perform this little side surgery without the men in black noticing? Captain Death rarely leaves your side.”

  Lilly had convinced her sisters that returning Asar’s heart was only way to recover the key, which wasn’t far from the truth. There was a reason both she and Asar felt the key’s presence in that room. She racked her brain thinking of places Kepi would hide a key. The most likely place seemed to be inside her, possibly the same location as his heart. The goddess would be able to keep track of both pieces, and keep them hidden.

  “Lil!”

  Lilly glanced at her sister. “What?”

  “How are we going to perform this little ritual without Mr. Deity knowing?”

  Focusing back on the road, Lilly answered, “We create a light barrier. Place shape charges around the chamber. The goddess can withstand the sunlight for a short duration enough for us to get it out of her. The pain will do her good.”

  “He’s going to be pissed you kept him out of this.”

  “No, we’re fulfilling our part of the deal. He gets the key and his heart. The gates will be closed and we move onto the next step.” She drove the van through the quarantine tape draped across the building’s parking lot.

  “And what’s that exactly?” Kendra leaned forward with fear in her eyes.

  “Entombing the goddess for eternity,” Lilly said, throwing the van into park.

  “Oh, that’s all.” Kendra wiped the sweat from her brow. “No pressure, huh?”

  She turned to her li
ttle sister. “I have faith in you. You can do this.”

  Kendra flopped back in her seat. “I don’t even know if the ritual for humans will work on a goddess. I’m sure the excerpt from the Book of the Dead is only the beginning. We need Asar’s input on this. Why are you keeping this from him anyway?”

  “Because he would never let me do it. His only motivation is revenge. Once he gets what he wants he’ll be gone, leaving us to fend for ourselves.” Lilly opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle. Her booted feet hit the hard asphalt of the abandoned parking lot next to the target building. The area had been quarantined earlier in the day, every house evacuated within a three block radius. With the sun at its highest point in the sky, she raised her hand to shield her eyes from the glare.

  Kit followed her out and stood in the way. “So what if we are on our own? We’ve been on our own for the past five years. What’s the time crunch here? Why are you pushing this before we’re ready?”

  Lilly walked around her sister. “We may have only one shot at this. Do you want the reven thing to continue?”

  Kit grabbed Lilly’s arm. “Wait a minute. There’s something you’re not telling us. You’ve been avoiding me since you got back, and Kamen’s as informative as a rock. Where were you? Did Asar do or say something to you that has you pushing this?”

  Lilly stopped, furious her sisters were dragging their feet. “Kit, let’s end this.”

  Kit grabbed her by the shoulders. “I know that look in your eyes. Something happened between the two of you. I see the way he looks at you and you at him. I’m not stupid. You slept with him, didn’t you?”

  Lilly hissed. She hated she was so easy to read, especially by Kit. “So, what if I did? It doesn’t change what needs to be done here.” She shrugged out of her sister’s grasp and walked a few steps away.

  Kendra’s eyes widened. “You slept with an Egyptian god? Well… I guess her dry spell is over.”

  Lilly and Kit sounded off in unison. “Shut up, Kendra.”