by Zoe Forward
Kira whispered, “Must’ve been a painful drive. I’m sorry. I don’t understand who would bring a .22 to a gunfight, but at least we should be thankful because anything larger would have ripped you to shreds. We’ve got to get them out of you. I’ve never done this before. So, I might need some pointers.”
“The previous akhrian drew them to the skin and out before healing anything major. About as much fun coming out as going in.”
“It hurts? I won’t let it hurt you, but if it does, you’ve got to let me know. I can drug you or something.”
“No drugs.”
“Okay. I need for you to strip down to your birthday suit for this one, though, so I can see what I’m doing. How about if we step into the bathroom for a few minutes.”
Christian shook his head. “I don’t think so. We go into that bathroom alone and Ashor returns…he’ll go apeshit. Jump to all the wrong conclusions. I’d really prefer to avoid that side of him.”
“You look like you could take him. He’s really not that scary.”
“You obviously haven’t seen him when he actually loses it. These little hiccups you’ve caused are entertaining. But, darling, I have seen him when he loses it.”
“You need help. Come on, let’s go.”
“You don’t believe me? About forty years ago, we were in Scotland because some idiot summoned a Scottish daemon, which are among the wiliest of the bunch. Bitter, evil bastards. It wreaked havoc on a town before we got there. Lots of dead. The thing kicked my ass right off, and Ethan’s as well. Ashor was pissed because it dislocated his shoulder and broke his wrist. I’m fairly certain it was his fighting arm. At that point, I was sure we were goners. But Ashor got that scary smile on his face, the one that means he’s about to dish out some major kick ass. Then, he single-handedly kicked the shit out of that daemon. With one functional arm. Now that was scary. I prefer to stay on the good side of him.”
Kira giggled. “I don’t think he would possibly get that angry. I could tell him. Then when he arrives, he won’t be surprised.” She tapped her head in meaning.
Christian nodded tightly. “Fine. But tell him this is strictly professional and your idea. Me naked…shit, this is a bad plan.”
Ashor, I’m going into the bathroom privately with Christian to remove some bullets. I’d prefer not to do it in public. He’s afraid you’re going to be upset about this.
Ashor’s voice filled her head. Tell the little perv to keep his hands to himself and keep the charm turned off. Where exactly are these bullets?
She replied, Patient confidentiality. But I am going to have to see parts of him unclothed. Trust me, he’s adequately terrified of you to prefer staying in pain, which I won’t allow. Said something about a daemon in Scotland forty years ago?
Laughter filled her head and then he said, Always pays to scare the newbie into respect.
She turned to Christian and smiled. “He’s cool. Instructed you to keep the charm turned off.”
By the time they emerged from the bathroom, the plane was well in the air and on its way back to Jacksonville. Christian strolled to the front beneath the curious gazes of the others.
As Christian poured himself a scotch from the minibar, Eric couldn’t resist asking, “So, where did they get you? Was it somewhere that might impact your extracurricular activities?”
Christian took a sip of scotch and said, “Nope, I’ve got myself a great doctor. All patched up and ready for action.”
Kira slipped into the empty seat beside Ashor and laid her head against his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready to hear what Markus did to save your life. Where is he?”
“He wanted to stay in New York because he’s meeting Kane later today. The two of them should be able to fend for themselves.”
“What happened with Nate? He’s floating on cloud nine.”
She patted the amulet. “It let me know he needed to learn to use what he’s got.”
“Apparently, you impressed Nate and Eric.”
“The amulet is pushing me to go up front to Javen. He needs some help. He’s in a pretty bad mood, though. I’m not sure if his foul mood is because he broke his ass or he’s ticked off at me for encouraging you to pry him away from his nemesis.”
Ashor smiled. The action lit his whole face. Her heart went mushy.
“Broke his ass? As in he broke his tailbone?” A deep laugh escaped him, a sound Kira had never heard before. The infectious sound made her laugh.
“Yep.”
“Then I’m sure Javen is pissed since Djoser didn’t just kick his ass, he broke it.” Ashor roared even harder in laughter.
Loving this carefree aspect of Ashor, Kira leaned toward him and tangled her hands in his bound hair, drawing his head toward her and whispered, “Just a taste.”
Her lips latched onto his. She sucked and licked at his tongue, sparring with his, striving for control. He didn’t give it to her. Yet, she fought dirty. She ran a light touch down his chest and abdomen, and over his arousal. His muscles trembled beneath her fingers.
“You play with fire, sweetheart,” he whispered as he kissed the side of her neck.
“Perhaps a bit.” The energy zinging between them screamed at her to finish what she’d started. “I’ve got to go up front.”
****
Kira closed the door to the cockpit behind her and sat in the copilot seat beside a dour-faced Javen. He focused straight ahead and didn’t acknowledge her presence.
“Are you mad at me for asking Ashor to remove you from the fight?”
“As long as the reason Ashor specified is true, then not particularly.”
“Then, are you in a bad mood because of the…” She giggled and said, “Pain in your butt?” Then she laughed outright, unable to resist. With tears of mirth streaming down her face she choked out, “I’m so sorry, Javen.”
Javen flushed. “It’s a tad uncomfortable.”
Kira stopped laughing, realizing it wasn’t a joke for him. She said sincerely, “You poor thing.” She repaired the deep lacerations that covered his body and the dislocated coccyx bone. Once finished she asked him, “Any better?”
“Yes. And I must say Ethan was right when he said your healing approach is different than any of the previous akhrians.”
“What? Am I not doing it right or something?”
“No, I think perhaps they weren’t doing it right. You’re much better at this.”
“Well, thanks. Don’t get all gushy on me, though. You’ve got to preserve your image as the uptight warrior.”
“I am not uptight.”
“Maybe it’s the accent that creates the perception, then.” She smiled.
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “You’re going to be good for Ashor. Now there’s one to talk about being uptight. Likes following the rules. Poor guy’s had a stick rammed up his ass for about fifty years.”
“What do you think our chances are of coming out okay when we meet your gods?”
“For you? Pretty good. For Ashor? Piss poor. He has screwed up a lot recently.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Green date palms and mud-brick buildings flew past the SUV. The lushness of the Siwa Oasis surprised Kira. She had assumed Egypt was just desert.
“Damned tourists,” Javen grumbled. He honked at a slow-moving bus before stomping the gas for a screeching pass.
Ashor asked Eric, “Did Julie take the decision to move to Louisiana okay?”
“She knows safety comes first. I just hope she doesn’t overdo it packing and push herself into labor. Scott seems psyched about installing security upgrades to the new place.”
Many miles later and at least twenty minutes from any evidence of human life, they pulled onto a well-kept, but unmarked dirt road. Another five or six miles passed before a high-tech metal gate blocked their progress. Formal Egyptian guards greeted the car and required they answer two password riddles before proceeding. Aside from this, th
ere were no any obvious security measures.
Four unremarkable mud-brick dwellings sat within the gated area. She followed the guys into a rustic temple.
Once inside, Ethan and Christian remained at the entrance while the others swept the building for people.
“All clear. Close it,” Ashor ordered.
Ethan triggered the entrance door’s ancient, yet intricate, locking mechanism. Opening the metal-reinforced, two-foot-thick doors from the outside would require an explosive.
Ashor leaned on an elevated statue of a man with a ram’s head made of a tarnished golden metal until it shifted. Beneath, stone stairs disappeared into darkness.
Ethan handed out flashlights from a pack. Once they’d all descended, the entry closed eerily on its own with a forbidding hiss. In silence, they wound through a complex maze of tunnels for what Kira gauged to be a half hour.
Pictographs and carvings decorated walls that were wide enough not to make a claustrophobic person feel closed in. At the end of the labyrinth, they emerged into a spacious circular chamber. Javen lit a series of sconces, illuminating a colorful chamber lined by alabaster stone statues.
Ashor said, “Time to give me the amulet. The goddess will want to examine it when she appears.”
She handed it over.
He pointed at the entrance. “Stand against the wall. Be sure to avoid the symbol on the floor.” He pointed to the blue stone Scimitar triangle inlay. “When we summon Ma’at try not to stare her in the face. She considers that rude.
“We’ll get through this,” he reassured, but his aura churned.
But can we live with the outcome?
We must.
The guys took positions at the edges of the floor symbol. Before Ashor took his place, he laid the amulet on an elevated stone pedestal at the opposite end of the chamber. Each magus knelt and together they chanted in an unfamiliar language. The words were musical and lyrical, similar to the chanting of Buddhist monks. After a few minutes, a small upside-down tornado appeared at the center of the floor. Dust swirled. Uneasy, she pressed tight to the wall. The chanting continued.
Her ears clogged from the barometric changes. A loud humming noise pounded in her head, causing her to fall to her knees. Abruptly, everything stopped.
The guys kept their heads bowed and remained on their knees.
A tall, unearthly beautiful female figure materialized into the middle of the symbol. Long dark hair moved against her bronze skin as if it were a separate being. She wore an ankle-length golden dress of an almost sheer material. A thin leather band encircled her head adorned with a single large feather.
With perfect English, the goddess asked, “To what purpose have you summoned my presence?”
Like she doesn’t know, thought Kira.
Careful. She knows your thoughts, warned Ashor.
Ashor said, “We seek guidance in a matter of great concern.” Kira noticed he kept his gaze averted.
“Speak.”
“We need to know if Kira Hardy is the new akhrian. I believe she is also my senariai. We are not sure one person can be both and have no precedent upon which to proceed.” There was a tremor when he hit the last part.
“Do you have the Anukrati amulet?”
“Yes.”
The goddess strode majestically to the altar. She picked up the amulet and smiled. “Come forward, Kira Hardy. You may be able to help my magi understand what has transpired.”
I can help? Kira moved toward the regal entity, careful to stare below her face. Ma’at’s enormous power simultaneously terrified and intrigued her.
“Tell me, Kira, what did your mother request of me at the moment before her death?”
“She prayed to the goddess, which I assume is you, to endow her daughter everything within her.”
The goddess nodded. “Your mother appealed to us days before her demise. What did your mother have within her aside from her diminutive power to heal?”
“She was pregnant.”
“With your brother. The future akhrian. By this request, she bequeathed you this responsibility. We had prearranged for you to be senariai to the Prime to ensure his survival. Of course, Shai mucked about in our plans because he was upset at Thoth over…The details are unimportant. Bestowing both responsibilities upon you created a unique conflict.”
The goddess turned to the magi who remained kneeling, but instead of bowed heads, they all stared at Kira. “We have never considered a woman as akhrian out of concern it might create a dilemma should an unbound magus develop non-bonded deeper urges. The others remains in disagreement on this point. Magi, would you accept this woman to be your akhrian? You need not speak, but think your responses to me.”
Kira held her breath during the solemn silence.
Ma’at sucked in air. Her dark eyes darted to Kira.
She realized she was staring at the goddess’s face, and quickly averted her gaze.
“My magi have chosen you to be their akhrian. Never has any candidate received such unsolicited devotion. They will not accept another healer, which means you will serve as their akhrian.”
No! Kira screamed silently. Fear squeezed her chest so tightly that breathing became difficult. Ashor’s face conveyed no emotion, but his eyes blazed despair. If she accepted, it would be impossible. To be near him, but never again with him…not possible. She’d bet they couldn’t make it a day. But did she dare go up against a goddess?
“I would be honored to serve in such a capacity, but…” She drew a deep breath into her lungs against the press of dread. “I cannot sever my connection with Ashor. He—”
“Please don’t punish her for what was my weakness” Ashor interrupted.
The goddess smiled. “I know you fight to deny what you have with this woman, Ashor. And would continue to do so. Honorable, but pointless. Your soul was bound to hers a very long time ago. It cannot be undone. You did nothing that we can condemn, at least with regards to Kira.” She threw him a piercing scowl. “We are not in agreement on the human killings. But your father has spoken and marked you protected.” Her eyes narrowed as she pointed at the Eye of Horus on his wrist. “Let this be a warning. Tread carefully in the future.”
“That was my father?”
Ma’at sighed. “I forget that none of you here have memory of past lives. You were all chosen to be eternal magi not only for your battle skills, but also for your status as a deity’s offspring in your original lifetime.”
“We’re the children of gods? I am the son of Horus?” Ashor asked, his hand going to his wrist tat.
“Of course.”
The goddess refocused her attention on Kira. “My warriors accept you as senariai to Ashor Vlahos. Yet, they choose you above all others to serve as their healer. They understand you may show partiality toward him in a situation in which he and another may be in need of your assistance. If he dies, then they lose you as well.” She nodded as if to conclude the discussion.
The goddess returned to the center of the magi and commanded, “Then, let us to the akhrian ceremony.”
Kira assumed this meant it was okay for her to be both.
“Kira Hardy, come forward. You have been chosen by the gods of the Kingdom of Osiris to serve as the akhrian for the years of your life, relinquishing your position only upon death. In this you are charged with the care of the Scimitar magi to ensure their health so they may continue to protect the Human Realm from the evils that should not have crossed. You are to be guided by my amulet. You will bring to me for indoctrination the new magi when their souls return to this world. Do you accept this charge?”
“Yes,” Kira said.
The goddess continued, “To declare your commitment, please kneel and vow upon your soul you will perform your tasks as the akhrian as herein proclaimed and in performing you will protect the secrets of the magi unto your death.”
Kira kneeled before the goddess and bowed her head. “Yes. I vow that I will perform my responsibilities as the akhrian as you descri
bed. I swear to protect their secrets to my grave.”
The goddess placed the amulet around her neck. “Then with this amulet may your charge be fulfilled.” The power of the amulet pounded through her. It felt right.
The goddess smiled as she moved out of the circle toward the altar. “Ashor Vlahos, if you have accepted your senariai and desire to renew the bonds of eternity, please rise and approach.”
Ashor rose and came to stand in front of the goddess.
The goddess then turned to Kira. “Kira Hardy, if you have accepted the bond of senariai to Ashor Vlahos, please rise and approach.”
Kira rose as well and went to stand beside Ashor. The goddess clasped each of their hands in one of hers, bringing them forward. At the touch, Kira sensed purity and harmony from the deity.
The goddess placed their hands together and said, “It is then that these two souls are reunited and once again bound in spirit.” The goddess lifted their clasped hands to her lips and kissed them.
She leaned close to Kira to whisper low so no other could hear, “As a senariai, you are not restricted to a normal human lifespan as were previous akhrians. We must allow this so your magus can live. You are, however, susceptible to mortal wounds. Unlike other senariai, there is no akhrian to heal you. Your magus can help, but only to a certain extent. I but caution you of your vulnerability.”
Kira nodded.
Ma’at addressed all. “As you have discovered, a daemon walks amongst the humans. Dispatch Djoser not only for his nature, but also for the knowledge he must not spread further within this realm. Take the sword of Neith that rests on the far wall to aid you in dispatching this being. The magi that can wield the power of this sword can kill this daemon permanently in this time without relinquishing his soul to lock him in the Middle Realm.”
The goddess disappeared.
“What did she say to you?” Ashor asked.