Caress The Dark God [Scions of the Ankh 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (14 page)

Tessa looked up at the two occupants that she knew for a fact weren’t human. Both looked down at her then at each other. Now Tessa was aware that they
did
speak to each other mentally. There was no telling what they were saying. Especially Torian, er, Anubis. That was going to take some getting used to. Was she just supposed to start calling him Anubis? Tessa sat up, feeling much better. Hathor and Anubis both looked down on her with concern. However, as soon as she made eye contact with him, he averted his eyes, and his face went expressionless, cold. She deserved that; she’d known she hurt his feelings when they returned.

It wasn’t even him. As soon as she awoke she could feel the stiffness in her legs. The first thought that rushed to her brain was that she’d been dead. She was a corpse; something dead that had been brought back to life. When Anubis had reached for her, she drew back in shame. Not wanting him to touch her, she’d felt somehow … unclean. No, that wasn’t the word. She’d felt unnatural. How could she make him understand? Just when she thought to try talking to him mentally like he’d shown her, he phased out of the room, with his cold expression. Tessa lost her bravado, so instead she turned her attention to Hathor.

“What is it that I’m supposed to know?” Tessa asked as she sat up slowly in bed. Her eyes lingered for just a moment on the place Anubis had been. She needed to talk to him and explain. Hathor walked to the other side of the bed and perched on the chair next to it. She seemed to concentrate on Tessa for a moment before she decided to speak.

“You’ve hurt him.” The disapproval in her tone was hard.

Tessa let out a frustrated breath. She already knew that. “I didn’t mean to,” Tessa began as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and faced Hathor. “I just reacted badly.” She wiggled her toes, more for something to do than anything else.

“He has risked much to save you.”

“I don’t know why,” Tessa whispered, the realization that she’d been dead freshly overwhelming her.

“I think you know why.” Hathor sat back on the chair and elegantly crossed her legs. “I know this is all new to you. I even understand that as a human all of this,” a graceful flick of her hand encompassed the room, “that has been revealed to you is frightening and confusing.” She leaned forward, her beautiful face an impressive piece of disfavor. “But even humans should appreciate and understand when a sacrifice has been made for them.”

Now Tessa felt lower than dirt. Hathor was right. It would appear that she was ungrateful. She wasn’t, but right now she didn’t feel like having this conversation with Hathor. “I know you care for him, but I don’t wish to discuss this. Now, can you answer my question?”

Hathor looked at her. A small smile flirted at the corners of her mouth. “Very well. It is not my place to impart such information. I believe you will need to ask Anubis. Meanwhile, I would suggest you get some more rest.”

“What’s going on?”

“My husband and others are gathering as we speak. The traveler that killed you,” Tessa winced as the mention of her killer reminded her she had died, “has caused much havoc. He must be stopped at all costs. There is a meeting and I am late.”

“Wait.” Tessa stood up, noting she was feeling much better. “I would like to help. What can I do?”

“I am not sure you are up to it.” Hathor smiled, her face settling into a more pleasant expression.

“I feel much better. Please, I need to do something or I’ll go crazy.”

“Very well. You may attend the meeting.” Hathor smiled and Tessa briefly wondered what she was up to.

* * * *

“Oh, my god!” Tessa squealed as soon as she saw Rene. Tessa ran to her, hugging the other woman for dear life. Tessa broke the hug and looked Rene over. Something was definitely different about her. Her face was the same and yet it seemed so much more beautiful. Rene laughed and Tessa was surprised at the sound. In truth, she didn’t think she’d ever heard the woman laugh before.

“Hello, Tessa,” Rene responded warmly, giving her another quick hug before both women stepped back to peruse the other. “I thought you had left days ago. Imagine my surprise when Hathor told me you were still here.”

“So you know about …?” Tessa looked Rene over more closely. There was a difference about her. She carried herself much more regally, more gracefully. When Rene nodded in affirmation, Tessa’s eyebrow went up in surprise. Apparently she was the only one who didn’t know what was going on. “You seem to be handling it well,” Tessa remarked. It was then a tall, gorgeous man stepped up behind Rene. His white hair was neatly pulled back in a braid that rested on his shoulder. Armbands complimented the sculpted perfection of his body and Tessa guessed this man had a lot to do with how well Rene was handling this “alternate lifestyle.”

“Meet my mate, Ralabos.” Tessa thought Rene’s terminology a bit odd, but so was everything else.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Tessa.” His lilting, exotic tone matched the others’ accents, but there was something different about Ralabos. No doubt Anubis breathed power, but this man pulsed with it. Tessa could hardly keep from staring at him. Not that she was attracted to Ralabos, but his sheer presence was almost overwhelming.

Tessa nodded, unable to speak as the reality of the situation hit her yet again. She was not dealing with humans. She had no idea what they were exactly, but they were powerful. Even though Rene seemed at home with them, she was changed. Tessa wondered if Rene had died as well and if Ralabos had saved her, changing her into something … indefinable, unnatural.

“Well, if you are done ogling another’s mate, shall we begin?” Anubis’s voice cut through her musings and Tessa’s eyes immediately searched the room until she saw him standing in the shadows, blending in. “Thoth, you will update everyone?” He crossed the room fluidly, seeming to glide among the shadows. Rene shot him a look and Anubis looked at her for a moment before he looked away. Could it be that Rene could speak through her mind as well?

Thoth motioned for everyone to sit at the polished wood table that claimed the room. It was a table that was equal in size on all sides. Thoth and Hathor sat on one side. Ralabos and Rene sat across from them. Tessa and Anubis were left standing, and all eyes were averted, as if the others were trying to pretend not to notice the tension between the two of them. Tessa cleared her throat and shuffled into the nearest seat. Anubis sat across from her. Tessa kept her eyes trained on anything but the dark man across from her. Even as he sat down, the urge to be by his side was suffocating. She dug her nails in the palms of her hands to keep from getting up and walking around the table.

Why not?
she thought to herself.
Why not go around the table and show him you did not reject him?
Tessa looked up to see him scowling at her and all her newfound confidence melted. To do that would cause a scene because without a doubt he would reject her. She would simply have to get him alone later and try to explain. In the meantime, she tried valiantly to keep her concentration on the matter at hand.

“Ma’at would like everyone to know she is to be included in this battle. She is otherwise engaged at the moment, but will be here tonight.” Everyone bowed their heads briefly in respect at the mention of the name. Tessa wondered who Ma’at was to command such respect. “I haven’t been able to contact any others as of yet,” Thoth continued. “Meanwhile, I will catch everyone up on what is happening. I believe the killer is the essence of Apep, a form of a son. There is only one reason why he would aid in such a creature existing.” Thoth leaned back in his plush leather chair.

“He is trying to break through.” Ralabos trained his storm-gray eyes on everyone in the room. “It will take every one of us to stop this. He must not get through.”

“I agree.” Anubis rested his arms on the table and steepled his fingers under his chin as he spoke. “I have seen this creature and I have witnessed what he can do. He feeds off souls, and uses it as energy. I believe he is gathering enough energy to puncture a small hold through the veils separating Apep from this realm.” Tessa shivered as she thought about how the life had been sucked from her. She felt as if she were suffocating and burning at the same time.

“We have to figure out where he intends to carry out this plan.” Thoth tapped his fingernail lightly on the table. “That is, if I’m right. I would rather we find him first and dispose of him, but there is no way to know when he’ll strike next. We’ll always be just a step behind him.”

“His eyes,” Tessa said softly, as she remembered the way they flickered.

“What about them?” Rene reached out and laid her hand gently on Tessa’s shoulder.

“Strange, they looked like the eyes of a reptile for just a second.” Tessa could see him in front of her and the memories began to flood her mind. The realization rearing its ugly head stole her breath. She had
died
. Died. The thing they were discussing was what killed her. “He suffocated me from the inside…” Tessa wasn’t sure if she was speaking out loud or in her head any longer. “It burned.” Tessa’s eyes clouded over. “Oh, my god, he killed me!” Tessa stood, making the chair scrape loudly against the floor. She needed air. She needed to breathe.

“Tessa, calm down.” Rene tried to soothe her and stood as well.

“No.” Tessa began to back away as the panic consumed her. Yes, she had known she had died. But deep down somewhere she had been hoping it wasn’t real. It was a dream still. But this was no dream. Reality smacked her hard. She began to back away from the table, her eyes searching frantically for a way out. She knew she was out of control and yet she couldn’t help it. The memories surfaced, washing her away in a storm of terror. She ran for the door, but a dark shape intercepted and her world became blurry.

She knew the feel of his arms, his scent as it washed over her. He cradled her to him and Tessa closed her eyes as the tears fell. “I’m so sorry, love,” he whispered in her ear. “I should have known.” Tessa clung to him as she tried to get the image of the attack out of her mind. She felt herself being lowered onto something soft, but she didn’t care. Tessa nestled closer to Anubis, feeding off the sense of safety he instilled in her. “It’s over, Tessa. You’re safe with me in my domain.” His voice was hypnotic and calming in her ear.

His voice calmed her and within a few minutes she stopped her hysterics. The abated hysterics left shame in its path. She’d acted like a crazy person.
You acted the way one should who has been through death
. His words in her head put her at ease more than they shocked her. Out of all the things that had been happening to her lately, this way of communicating was one of the few things she welcomed.

I could have handled it better. I deal with death. I am a doctor, after all.

How many doctors die and come back to life?

Tessa loved the light teasing in his voice. She owed him an apology and an explanation. “I should have taken into account this would be hard for you to handle so quickly. You owe me neither,” he said out loud.

“I didn’t reject you.”

“I know that now. You have had some difficult things to deal with in such a short period of time. It is I who owe you an apology. I should have told you sooner.”

“Hmm.” Tessa considered it a moment. “True, but you saved me, so you have brownie points.”

“Brownie points?” Tessa giggled at the way his accent made the phrase seem foreign. “What are brownie points?”

“It’s a girl thing. Forget it.”

“I’ve much to tell you, Tessa.”

“Yes, you do. Let’s start off with, what am I?”

Anubis pushed her back on the soft bedding so he could look into her eyes. “You are a hybrid. Something wonderful. But you do realize you are no longer completely human?”

Tessa swallowed as she looked into his dark eyes. “I gathered that. I am a hybrid of what you are and human.” Tessa mulled that over. “How will this change my life?”

“I don’t know.”

It took a second for Tessa to realize he’d said exactly what she thought he had said. She bolted up and pointed a finger at him. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”

Anubis sighed heavily as he encased her finger with his hand. He then brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. Tessa swallowed as shivers raced from the spot his sensual lips had been. “I have no idea what you are capable of doing. I don’t even know how long your life span will be. One thing for sure, it will be longer than that of an average human. There is another thing.” He paused so dramatically that Tessa knew it was a major development. “You can no longer consume food.”

“What?” Tessa wrinkled her brow.

“Think about it, love. When was the last time you had
organic
food?”

Tessa squinted as she pondered what he meant by organic food. Her mind raced trying to point out to him that she had eaten regular food. But every time she had tried … “Am I some sort of vampire?”

Anubis stared at her for a heartbeat before he threw his head back and laughed. Tessa loved the deep rich sound and even giggled from the infection of his laugh. “No, love, you are not a vampire,” he said, composing himself. “Though I must say you are not far off.”

“Is this the thing you and Hathor were discussing?”

“Precisely.”