Caress The Dark God [Scions of the Ankh 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (18 page)

Teremun’s head snapped to the side from the impact. As he turned to face Anubis, he was already positioning his jaw back into place. Anubis hit him again, but this time Teremun was quicker, catching his fist in one hand and squeezing. Anubis could feel bones breaking but he paid them no heed as he head butted the hybrid, making him release his hand and stumble back. Quickly Anubis advanced on him, hitting and never letting up. It did not escape Anubis’s attention that Teremun was not nearly as strong as he used to be.
Tessa
.

The blows came faster as Anubis remembered the sound of her body hitting the tree. The way Teremun had kicked her away like an unwanted pet. His madness was now bordering on out of control as he placed a kick in the center of Teremun’s chest. The hybrid reeled back. The sharp branch of a tree went clean through his shoulder. Teremun hissed as he reached back, breaking off the branch before he pulled it from his shoulder. Anubis took the opportunity to phase forward, once again bringing the funnel with him to imprison the creature. As Anubis slammed into him, shock went through him as he kept Teremun in a confined embrace, draining him of energy.

Despite the pain, despite knowing what was happening to his body, he held on. As soon as he deemed Teremun weak enough he let go, the funnel enveloping him, trapping him. He stepped back, watching as every so often he got a glimpse of the diamond-shaped eyes as they looked at him from inside the funnel. The funnel would keep Teremun for a long time. Anubis looked down in shock at the branch that was embedded in his side. It had been coated with Teremun’s blood. But it wasn’t blood. What flowed through Teremon’s veins was in actuality venom. Anubis pulled the branch out as he called the others to finish the plan.

“Anubis,” Tessa was at his side now. She had no idea how she healed, and didn’t care. “You’re hurt. Let me take care of you.” She whispered as he collapsed to his knees. But Anubis somehow backed away from her. He couldn’t afford to touch her with the venom running through him. Still new to her powers, she could accidentally siphon it from him and poison herself. She was safe and that was all that mattered. He phased out just before he collapsed.

“Where did he go?” Tessa clawed at the ground where Anubis had been just a moment before. “No, no, no, no,” she chanted to herself as she looked around, hoping he hadn’t made it far. “Stubborn ass, where are you?” she yelled at her surroundings.

“Tessa, what is the matter?” Rene’s voice cut in as she put her arms around Tessa, forcing her to stand.

“He’s gone. I have to find him.” Tessa gripped Rene’s forearm. “Take me to him. You can do that, can’t you?”

“I don’t know where he is.” Rene closed her eyes a second, then shook her head. “He won’t let me locate him.”

“There is no telling where he is.” Thoth came from behind them and gave Tessa a gentle squeeze at her shoulder. “When he is ready, he will return.”

That was it? Tessa looked at them all. Thoth, Rene, Ralabos, Hathor and Ma’at went about their work. Ralabos conjured up a small ball of flame, his hands going around it without actually touching it. The ball got larger and larger. She looked at Rene, who held hands with Ma’at, their eyes closed as they chanted. Thoth had a thick volume in his hand and he began to read aloud from it in a strange tongue. Anubis had already been forgotten. Anger welled up fast as she looked at them. Did it not matter to them that he was not here?

This was his life, Tessa realized. They were so used to him being the
Dark One
that no one really worried about him. They counted on him and yet seemed to discount him the moment he was no longer of use. Her eyes fell to Teremun, who had now sunk down low in the funnel. The fact that it was still going meant that wherever he was, Anubis was still helping. He was depleting his energy to save everyone but himself.

A large boom rent the air, followed by a tearing sound. Tessa looked up to see a dark hole hanging in midair. It looked as if someone had painted a black spot and left it there. Even though it was pitch black, there seemed to be a swirling motion inside of it. Dark purple ribbons made it easier to see and Tessa realized she was looking at some sort of tunnel. She looked at the others. The ball of fire was gone from Ralabos’s hands, and Tessa knew he was responsible for the rip in the atmosphere. “Hurry, Ma’at, get him inside,” Hathor encouraged. Thoth continued to read as Hathor, Rene and Ralabos took up the chant.

Ma’at closed her eyes. A wind that seemed to only belong to Ma’at blew around her, making her long strands of hair seem like snakes slithering in the wind. Tessa had had enough of snakes. Slowly the funnel traveled towards the swirling black and purple tunnel. Tessa’s heart skipped when she saw the funnel begin to hiccup. It was weakening. Was Anubis dying somewhere? “We have to find him!” she yelled to the others. They ignored her as they went about their task. “Don’t you see? Anubis is severely hurt; he can’t keep the funnel going. Without him, Teremun will be free!”

Hathor’s chanting faltered. She looked at Tessa as understanding dawned. She broke away from the others and came to Tessa. “He has told you that you share a portion of his powers, yes?” Impatient to find Anubis Tessa nodded. “We need you to strengthen this funnel. It has to hold until we can get him completely inside.” They both looked at the funnel and it stuttered again. Teremun stood up as he realized his confines were weakening. His eyes flicked green and stayed that way. He was preparing, Tessa realized, to fight his way out.

“I don’t know how.” Tessa tried to keep calm. She was torn. Her hands went to the necklace Anubis had given her.
You can leave. The necklace around your neck gives you the power to do so.
She could try to connect to Anubis and find him, or she could stay and help. If Teremun broke free, Anubis would have fought for nothing. On the other hand, Anubis was somewhere fatally wounded and in need of help. She didn’t want to lose him. She thought of what Anubis would do; giving, unselfish Anubis. He had spent his life protecting others. The price he paid for that was to be forever alone.

“Please, Tessa,” Hathor begged. “I know what goes on inside your heart. Please. I feel for him as well.”

Tessa’s eyes bore into Hathor’s. “All of you have a very funny way of showing it. I will help, because I know it is what Anubis would want me to do. He will not have suffered in vain. Tell me what to do.”

“I know that you are angry with us. Use that anger and focus the energy on the hybrid.”

Tessa took a deep breath. Slowly the funnel moved towards the tear. Hathor took her place beside the others and began to chant again.
So this is what Thoth meant when he said they had to get Teremun inside before Apep could get through.
It was a slow process. She closed her eyes and thought of her anger at the others, at Anubis for leaving her and not letting her help him. Then she opened them and saw the funnel began to pick up speed. Ma’at smiled, but did not open her eyes. The funnel’s progress faltered less and Teremun hissed at Tessa. She ignored him. He mattered little to her; she wanted to get this over with so she could find Anubis.

A series of hisses seemed to come from everywhere. Tessa looked at the funnel and realized where the sounds were coming from. The one they called Apep. A sound like thunder cracked the air in a very familiar synchronization. Tessa realized with horror what it was. It was the familiar cadence of footsteps. Dear gods, how big was Apep?

“You must hurry!” Hathor encouraged her. “He comes.”

No problem. No pressure. As her anxiety built the tunnel began to falter as it had before. She channeled everything she had into the makeshift prison. However, the speed in which it traveled towards the tear in the atmosphere was agonizingly slow. She could see Ma’at’s intense concentration.

Ralabos broke away from the group. His hands reached towards the mouth of the tear and a white stream of energy flowed from his hands. For a second Tessa panicked — his energy would only feed the monster! But as she looked closer she could see the air waver from the heat. He was putting a heat shield in place to hinder Apep’s emergence.

Tessa ground her teeth as she tried to help. Her anger was dissipating, replaced by fear. Fear was not an effective energy motivator. She tried another tactic. She thought of Anubis, the way he touched her. The way his fingers caused a slow burn over her entire body as he caressed her. Her mind flashed to Anubis behind her, pumping into and bringing her to unheard of heights of pleasure. The tunnel regained its sturdiness and began to move faster towards the mouth. Something black lashed out of the hole, and the smell of burning meat permeated the air. It took a minute for Tessa to realize it had been a forked tongue. Several tongues followed, but as soon as they touched the shield, they shied away.

What was that thing? Some sort of manlike serpent? Tessa shuddered. She forced her mind back to Anubis. She wanted to see her Anubis. She loved him. For the first time, Tessa was finally okay with admitting she had fallen for the Dark One. She loved him more than anything else. The love swelled inside of her chest, so strong she thought she would burst. The energy she brought forth sent the funnel so fast towards the tear, Ralabos barely had time to retract it to let their prisoner through. A hairsbreadth later, Thoth closed the rip in the veil. He snapped the book shut in relief. The others laughed in nervous relief. Ma’at bowed her head in acknowledgement of Tessa’s help.

Tessa didn’t have time for that. She didn’t know how to use the charm, but she would try. She reached with her mind, searching for that familiar pathway that was unique to Anubis. Panic set in as she received no signal. Then a thought occurred to her. What was the saying? Birds of a feather flock together. She and Anubis were now of the same breed. Was she not a Dark One as well, even if only partially? Did she not share some of his abilities? Tessa centered herself; if she couldn’t find him with her mind perhaps she could connect to him through their shared power. Tessa wasn’t prepared for the way her body jolted and seemed to pass through viscous atmosphere. The whole experience lasted maybe a few seconds, but Tessa felt a little ill from her travel.

It only took a moment for her to realize where she was. It was where she’d gotten to know her Dark One. She was in the land of the dead, in the bedroom they had shared. She saw Anubis, his body sprawled haphazardly across the unkempt bed. She ran to him, a cry in her throat. His chest was still torn open and he barely breathed. As she examined him, she saw a hole in his side that oozed an oily black liquid.

Tears streamed down Tessa’s face. He had told her she had no control over her powers. That she could drain energy without meaning to. Tessa was hesitant about what to do. Then she did the only thing she could think of. She summoned her friend.

Rene appeared by her side. The moment her eyes laid on Anubis, a gasp escaped her throat.

“I don’t know what you can do, Rene, but I know you are no hybrid like me. You are one of them. Tell me, what do I do to heal him?” Tessa could hear the roughness of her voice. She was trying not to break down. She needed to be strong for Anubis.

“You are a hybrid and you share his power. Share your energy.”

“I don’t know how. What is wrong with you people, asking me to do things I’ve never done before?” Frustration dripped from her words.

“Look at him, Tessa. If he were the one who drained the other hybrid’s power, he would have healed himself.”

“But he did,” Tessa protested.

“But who drained the bulk of it?”

Tessa paused. It had been her. She had been determined not to let that thing kill Anubis. Even if it cost her life. She had grabbed Teremun about the ankle and visualized taking energy from him. The power had surged through her, healing her broken back. It had also weakened Teremun enough for Anubis to finish the job. “I can do this,” Tessa said to herself.

“Yes, you can,” Rene encouraged her. “You have energy to spare.” Then Rene left.

Her quick departure annoyed Tessa. What was with these
travelers
anyway? How could they be so self-absorbed?

Tessa focused as she laid her hand on his abdomen. His skin was burning hot. Tessa almost jerked her hand away. She imagined the energy flowing from her into Anubis. Nothing happened. Tessa concentrated harder and still she felt none of the energy leave her body. Anubis stopped breathing altogether.
No!
Tessa screamed in her mind. He couldn’t die. She had finally found love and she wasn’t about to let death take it away from her. It was the second time death had interrupted her life.
Live, dammit!
As her love and fear for Anubis swirled inside her, Tessa could feel tingles along her spine. They traveled to her shoulder and down her arm, through her fingers. The tingles turned into the feeling of an army of fire ants following the same path. Is this what it felt like to Anubis when he ‘fed’ her? Did it hurt him this way?

Tessa ignored the pain and watched as his muscles began to knit themselves together. The temperature of his body decreased. Seconds passed and both punctures in his chest closed. Tessa could now feel her body becoming tired, but she continued to pass Anubis energy. She examined the injury to his side. The black oil-like substance spurted forth in waves, soiling the bed linen. The wound began to close. Tessa breathed a sigh of relief as she slumped to the floor, her hand still on Anubis as she rested her sweaty forehead against the mattress. She needed to rest for just a moment. Now that she was sure he would live, Tessa let her eyes flutter closed in exhaustion. She welcomed the void of darkness.