Jude; The Fallen (The Fallen Series, Book 2) (21 page)

Sanjeev said nothing as she pulled the door open to allow Alex entry. “The mistress is upstairs.” She shut the door behind him and moved to guide him to the stairs.

“I remember the way.”

Her lips tightened, and she looked him over with a thorough rake of knowing eyes. Sanjeev breathed out in a small huff before nodding. Her slippers whispered softly on the tile as she left him alone.

Alex ascended the stairs and found himself in front of Khemrhy’s door. He knocked twice and waited for a reply.

“Come.”

She sat in a high-backed chair at the far end of the bedroom. Khemrhy placed the book she was reading on the little table next to her, and untucked her feet, letting them rest gently on the carpet.

“I wondered how long it would take for you to come to me.” He didn’t like the assumption in her words, even if there was no malice behind them.

“What made you so sure I would come?” he asked.

“Because I know you. I know what you are.”

He snorted on a laugh. “Pull the other one, it’s got bells.” Khemhry rolled her eyes and gave a dismissive shake of her head. He paused, waiting for her to say something. When it was obvious she planned to remain silent, he said, “I guess I’m supposed to ask. What am I, then?”

Her hands folded in her lap, the delicate fingers lacing together as she smiled. “A father.”

“Then you know why I’m here.”

“Of course I do. I know many things.” She gestured to the chair on the opposite side of the table. “Sit. We shall talk.”

He shook his head. He’d already wasted enough time, and talking through his issues at the moment turned his stomach. “No. I don’t want to talk.”

“Not even a little?” Her face was gentle and soft, in that innate way of mothers.

“I have to go. I can’t fight it.” The words felt hollow on his tongue. “I told myself I couldn’t go at first, and that felt right, but now—“

“But now you have to go,” she finished. “And you know what going back means.”

He shifted on his feet, feeling restless in his own skin. Khemhry had a way of doing that to people. Whenever he was in her presence, he found it irritating, like there wasn’t anything he could hide from her. She had a way of drawing out the things he pushed to the back of his mind, things he didn’t want anyone else to know. Not even Coriander. It had to be some sort of divine by-product. But Khemrhy hadn’t been truly divine in a long time.

“I’m going to die.”

“Everyone does.”

“Don’t,” he snarled, raking a frustrated hand through his hair. “Don’t give me platitudes. You know what I’m facing.”

Her eyes flashed and she unfolded her hands to rest them on the arms of the chair. “Watch your tongue.”

“Then don’t talk down to me. If nothing else, I deserve a little of your respect for what I’m about to do.” The knot in his gut twisted, and he wanted to close his eyes against the sensation. Too many emotions were coming at him at once, assailing him from all sides, making it harder and harder to stand upright.

Khemrhy stood up, her tiny hands clenched into fists. “If you think I’m going to stop you, you’re mistaken. You forget this is a path of which I am not afraid. Death does not frighten me.”

“Well, it scares the hell out of me.”

She laughed, and the tension eased out of her body. “Oh, Alex,” she said softly. “You’ve faced far worse than death in your life. How you’ve managed to stay alive this long is a mystery even to me.”

“Danger, yes. I can live with danger. A narrow miss near the Strait of Gibraltar, a pair of two-faced dealers in Lisbon, and getting unwittingly involved in a turf war in Morocco. That I can handle. This—” He let out a low breath. “I know I’m not coming back. What if—“

“No ‘what ifs’. There is only ‘what will be’.” She came forward and took his hand, squeezing with gentle pressure. “There is this life. And the next. How or when we get there is not for us to decide.”

He felt himself trembling, and was surprised to feel the smaller woman curl her arms around his waist. She was warm and soft and comforting. “Will they be alright?” It came out less manly than he intended, more broken and scared. Khemrhy squeezed tighter in reassurance.

“Ashtiru will be fine. She is young and is far more resilient.”

“And Cori?”

Khemhry stepped back and placed a hand on his chest. “Coriander will do as she has always done.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“No, it isn’t. You want to know if she’s going to miss you. If she’s going to regret not loving you the way you love her.” Her eyes were sad and understanding. “And the answer is yes, she will miss you. No, she will regret nothing.”

Alex nodded, the truth stinging even though he already knew the answer. “Will he make her happy?” he asked, knowing full well the goddess knew exactly who he meant.

Khemrhy’s smile was sly and full of motherly love. “If he doesn’t, he will answer to me. But it seems as though you’ve already given him your blessing.”

“I have.”

Her eyebrow arched and she tilted head her to the side. “Then what are you waiting for?”

The words resonated in his chest as he spoke. “You are Death. I’m waiting for yours.”

Khemrhy sighed, running a hand through her hair as she turned from Alex and went to the door. Her shoulders felt heavy as she reached for the doorknob, a mild flutter of panic racing through to her heart. She shoved the feeling to the back of her mind and entered.

The room was truly endless, and black as pitch. Sand whispered beneath her feet as she walked to a wall and pulled a cloak, dark as a starless night, from a peg. Everything died, she reminded herself as she pinned the cloak at her throat. Alex was strong. The truth in his heart had been weighed ages ago, and if he was feeling the calling now, then it meant he was ready. Whether or not he wanted to accept it. It was not her place to judge. It was her place to guide. The blessing was all she had to give. And she would give it freely and without prejudice. As always, death remained the ultimate equalizer. It cared not for rich or poor, weak or powerful. She was faithful. She would do her duty. It was up to Alex to accomplish the rest. Power flared to life as she raised the hood over her head, and turned and left the room.

Alex watched with teary eyes, feeling the blue nimbus of light pulse in recognition as the goddess Khemrhryia stepped out of the room. She was tiny, so easily unnoticed as she drifted to him. Her hand was cool where it cupped his cheek, her thumb soft as it brushed a stray tear.

The goddess’s voice was a whisper when she spoke. “We all hear the Creator at two times. When we are born, he welcomes us into the world and out of the chaos, and when we are to die.” A faint buzzing sounded in his ears, and he felt his body shudder under an unknown weight. Her hand lowered and heaviness crept into her tone. “I shall miss you, my friend.”

Chapter Twelve

Jude blinked into the sunlight, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the glare. A rough poke to his back got his attention.

“Here,” Coriander said, thrusting a pair of sunglasses into his hands. “I realize they’re not nearly as imposing as those damn Gargoyles that Dom wears, but they’re functional at least. The sand can be blinding even when the sun’s not overhead.”

“I’m no stranger to sand, love,” he said, putting the glasses on. “I’ve been around long enough to see cities sprout up from the desert itself.” Jude snorted. “Not nearly as colorful as it used to be.” He raised his chin and looked out over the sprawling dunes. “I seem to remember a lot more blue. And aurochs.” He smiled and tilted his head. “Seen any aurochs in your adventures?”

Coriander’s lips pursed in a glaring pout. “Really? You want to date yourself with an extinct species of cattle and a demoted Wonder of the World? You know how I feel about these things. It would hurt less if you stabbed me or something.”

"I don't see why me taking a couple of pot-shots at the Ishtar Gate has you in such an uproar. It's not like I wasn't there when it went up or anything," Jude protested. "I distinctly remember disliking Assyria for some reason."

Coriander frowned, and damned if the little furrows in her brow didn't go straight to his gut and start burning.

"Babylon," she bit out through clenched teeth.

Jude smiled, enjoying the pleasant sensation of basking in her irritation. He waved a dismissive hand in the air. "Whatever. Assyria, Babylon, Sumer. It's all the same. Oppressively hot with a side of sand and unrest."

She hefted her pack higher on her shoulder and walked on, blatantly ignoring him. He followed her to the edge of the square as it fanned out into more dunes and asphalt-covered byways. He watched as her arm sailed in the air to flag down a passing truck. It slowed to a halt, and she jogged over to lean in the passenger window, speaking rapidly to the driver. Coriander turned back and waved him over, flashing a bright smile.

“We’re in luck. They’re headed to Luxor and will be happy to drop us in Amarna.” She reached into the pocket of her cargo pants and pulled out a wad of cash, slipping it to the man in the passenger seat. He counted it briefly and motioned for her to get in. “Come on,” Coriander called. “Hop in.”

Jude climbed in behind her and settled down. She popped a tiny arm over the side and rapped twice on the side of the truck. The ancient vehicle groaned as the driver put it in gear and they sped off, Coriander’s laughter ringing in his ears.

The bustle of Cairo melted away under a shimmer of heat in the distance, giving way to the stark desolation of high, empty dunes. Memories poured back into his brain, desperate and hateful, and Jude had to close his eyes behind the shades to get his world to stop spinning.

“You need this,” Coriander called out over the wind, slapping a tube in his hand. “I realize that while you’re all golden and gorgeous, without sunscreen, even you will burn, pretty boy.”

She had a pool of white goo in her other hand and was rubbing it vigorously on the pale expanses of her exposed skin. Rather than argue with her, he flipped the cap open and squirted a palmful in his hand. As he finished applying the cream, he rubbed the excess off on his pants, only to find her beaming back at him with something else in her hands. She leaned up and jerked the baseball cap onto his head. He pulled the sunglasses down and glared at her.

She shrugged, smirking. “Scalp burn is a bitch,” she said with cheer as she pulled another one from the pack and put it on, pulling her ponytail through the back.

Even with the heat, the wind was sharp and biting, and she snuggled closer into the crook of his arm. “Relax,” she said. “We’ll be there in a few hours. In the meantime, enjoy the scenery.”

Jude rolled his eyes and pressed a kiss to her hat-covered head. She hooked an arm through his, and he settled back with a sigh. Soaking up these next few hours on the open road would probably be as close to intimate as they would get for the foreseeable future. He cleared his head and allowed himself to be lost in the desert.

His eyelids fluttered open as the truck shuddered to a stop. Coriander stirred next to him, reaching up to place a soft kiss on his cheek.

“We’re here, sleepyhead. Did I lose you to the desert already?”

Jude grunted as he grabbed their bags and climbed out of the bed of the truck. She hopped down after him and headed around to the driver’s side door, offering him her thanks and a hearty handshake. Jude held up a hand to shield his nose from the kick-up of sand as the truck rolled off down the road. As the dust settled, he could see the outskirts of the city ahead, flanked in the distance by the outcropping of ruins and tumbling monoliths.