Soul Unleashed (Key to the Cursed Book 4) (6 page)

Lilly shook her head. “I can’t find anything on
him. If he is consorting with Apep, it is happening very covertly.”

“Did you find anything in Chicago?” Kendra asked.

Kit clenched her jaw. She should have been there.

“They knew we were coming. Cleared out seconds
before we got there.”

“The trail?” Kamen broke his silence.

“Too many to follow. The ones we did track were
dead ends,” Bakari replied.

“And, Nebt?” Kamen asked.

“We did find spell ingredients, so I assume she
too was there at some time,” Asar answered and leaned back as the servant
cleared his plate.

“So what is next?” Kit asked.

“Tying up loose ends.” Asar leveled his stare at
Kit and then slid his gaze to the end of the table where Kamen sat. “Until the
Council abolishes the ancient law over us, our hands are tied. If you feel up
to it Kit, the Nehebkau has more initiates that need to be ordained. Kamen will
escort you.”

“If I’m not needed elsewhere, that’s fine.” It was
her only ride out of Aaru and a far better option than being here at the
palace.

“It is nice to have you back at the table, Kit.”
Asar smiled and then squeezed Lilly’s hand.

“Sure, anytime.” She pushed up from her seat,
wanting nothing more than to run from the room. They didn’t have to say a word.
Their facial expressions voiced their impatience with her. She was a loose end
that needed tightening.

Once out of the room, she covered the cramp in her
stomach. It was more painful full than empty.

“Are you okay?”

Kit jumped at the sound of Kamen’s voice.
Embarrassed, she stammered for the right words. “I ate a bit too much.”

“We can delay, if you need.”

Kit furrowed her brows and stared at Kamen.
Despite his words of concern, he barely looked at her and stood several feet
away. Like two strangers passing on a train, each giving the other a wide berth.
“Listen, I don’t know how much of an ass I made out of myself last night. Did I
do something I should be apologizing for?”

“No.” He stared at her, his eyes darker than
usual. His expression flat.

Swallowing her uneasiness, she met his stare.
“Thank you for taking care of me.”

He nodded.

“Okay, glad that’s all straight.” Not really. The
vibe between them was all off. Her doing, she was sure. She owed him an apology
for saying she hated him. It was so far from the truth. A truth she fought
every day.

Kamen held out his hand, signaling he was ready to
transport them.

The uneasiness returned as she reached out. Her
fingertips tingled as she slid her hand into his palm. Staring into his dark
eyes, she knew things from this point forward would be different and not for
the better.

Kamen promised himself he could do this for Asar,
but the moment Kit grasped his hand and their energies mixed—desire burned in
his veins as hot as the merciless sun for a woman he could not have. The beast
clawed at his reserves, which were minimal at best. His nerves were on edge.
Sounds too loud. Smells too pungent. Especially, the bouquet of roses floating
through his senses as they traveled between the realms. The craving to hold her
was unbearable.

His brother had far too much faith in his resolve.

Solidifying the energy flowing through him, he set
Kit on her feet. She waivered as she always did when they traveled. He grabbed
her waist and hit bare flesh between her halter top and waistband. He held her
only long enough for her to get reoriented to the bunker deep beneath the
warehouse.

He retracted his now cold black hand. The
temperature shifted in his cells, plummeting to frigid temperatures. Ice cooled
and slowed the blood in his veins. The transition left a dull ache in his skull
and bones.

Kit rubbed her arms, smoothing away the goose bumps.
“I’ll never get used to that.”

She stared at him in the dim lighting with her
lips pressed into a thin line. “I didn’t mean what I said yesterday. I know you
are just trying to protect me.”

“There is no need to apologize,” Kamen said and
turned towards the door.

“Wait.” Kit grasped his arm but released him
quickly. “I do need to apologize. I’ve been acting like a real bitch, and I
just want you to know—it’s not you, it’s just…” she paused.

The quickening of her pulse drew him dangerously
closer. Not once had she ever opened up to him.

“I’ve never been without my sisters. Now, I barely
see them, and when I do, my mother is there. I don’t mean to take it out on
you.” Biting her bottom lip, she stared up at him. “You are a good man—god, I
mean.”

She lifted up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
“Thank you.”

He froze, struck by her words. Surprised they
could mean so much. A part of him longed for things to be good between them. Maybe
then the beast in his chest would settle, giving them the chance to explore the
sexual tension between them. He stared after her as she exited the door, not
wanting her to leave, but knowing she should.

“Kit.”

She looked over her shoulder, her blue eyes
measuring him.

“Wait up.” Clamping down on his emotions, he
strode past her and up the steps. That life was a dream, he reminded himself.
This was a job, his charge to protect her. Fantasies of her would distracted
him from his objective of keeping her safe.

He lifted the heavy iron doors and allowed her to
pass. The bright lights of the hanger hurt his eyes. Weaving around the large
iron birds, he followed Kit to the far door leading to the temple. Staying
close, he scanned the workers and the heavy machinery.

She paused at the door, allowing him to pass
through to assess the hallway before she entered. A first. An apology and now
this? Her compliance suddenly made him uneasy. Was it another game she was
playing?

He admonished himself for so quickly assuming the
worst. Admittedly, he had a hard time trusting others, but he did not want to
think the worst of Kit. Her sincerity had been real. And, it took courage for
her to say those things to him.

As he rounded the corner to the temple, the stench
of venom carried in the air. Realizing he had to watch—again—his mood darkened.

He stared in through the glass. Eight women lay
strapped to the altars. Thankfully, this was his last. Once this ceremony was
complete and Kit was back in Aaru, he would relinquish his duties to Bakari.

Guilt flickered deep in his soul. He had not told
Kit of his resignation. Perhaps she had already been told and that was why her
behavior had changed. He steamed out a breath. She would be relieved to hear
the news because this amnesty would not last long between them. At least that was
what he told himself to ease his guilt.

The priestess bowed and handed Kit the scroll.
Unrolling the paper, she read off the list of names. “How many more after this
group?”

“Six.”

Kamen suppressed a groan. It was going to be a
long day. He rolled his shoulders to relieve the ache in his spine. While Kit
enjoyed her time away from the palace, he wanted to remain within its walls.

“Six groups. That’s forty-eight for today—not
bad.”

“No, Madame. I mean six women.”

“When are the other ceremonies scheduled?”

“They’re not. There are only six initiates left,
along with these eight.”

“What happened to the hundred we signed on last
month?”

“Since the reven curse has been broken, most are
returning back to their lives, trying to start over again.”

Kit pressed her hand to her forehead and looked
Kamen in the eyes. “Fourteen is not enough.”

“No, it is not.” Kamen knew well that Menthu’s
forces were abundant. It would take three huntresses per soldier to bring his
army down. Not to mention Nehebkaus were no match for a siravant. “We will have
to maximize weaponry. I will speak to Asar when we return.”

“Yeah,” Kit said and stared at the list of names.
“Well, let’s get these girls saddled up before they leave too.” She turned her
back to Kamen and walked towards the temple door. “Katherine Carrigan,” she
spoke into the security keypad. The panel beeped and the hydraulic motor slid
the vacuum sealed door. It closed behind her and released the other door.

Kamen stepped up to the glass. The undulating mass
of snakes weaved away as Kit entered the main chamber and then closed it behind
her. She smiled at the women and greeted each one personally. Kamen knew her
too well not to know the sadness she was hiding behind the mask.

After chanting the spell, she walked up to the closest
female. He admired her grace and pose. She glanced up and met his gaze. He
should look away, but something in her eyes held him. He would miss the deep
blue hues.

Forcing his eyes away, he stepped back from the
glass. He tuned out the women’s screams, wanting nothing more than to rip the
snakes from their spines to stop their cries of pain. Stop Kit’s pain. He
fisted his hands and forced his focus elsewhere.

The priestess placed the scrolls back within the
shrine. His attention was drawn to the sentry standing by the door. Her eyes
tracked him as he moved back along the wall. He stopped, surprised by the
human’s boldness. Sifting through the scents in the air, he searched for the
telltale sour stench, but found none. He waited for her to look away, but she
held his gaze. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he turned to
confront what he feared was a siravant in human’s clothing.

The sentry bared ragged teeth and launched itself
at the priestess. Red blood splattered across the floor along with the woman’s head.
The second sentry charged Kamen and knocked him to the ground. Rolling to his
feet, he slammed his fist into the female’s face and launched her back against
the far wall. The sentry’s flesh split open, spilling black putrid blood and
filling the hall with fetid odor. It tore away at its skin and revealed the
gray disfigured body hiding beneath. The gargoyle-like creature bellowed and
unfurled its wings.

Kamen charged the temple and activated the door.
It closed behind him just as the siravant slammed its head into the barrier. A
small fracture burst its surface, but the five inch glass held. Apep’s minion
had made a tactical error in transforming before entering the temple. The locking
mechanism required voice recognition.

Kit’s scream jerked his gaze through the second
door to her wide panicked eyes. She lurched back from the altar, only to be
jerked forward, tethered by the female. The woman’s skin split up the spine
revealing ash colored leather scales. The siravant morphed and stretched its
wings to the ceiling of the chamber. It remained restrained but not for long.

Kit palmed her katana from her belt and severed
the arm holding her tight. She turned and yanked at the other women’s restraints.

The second door rolled open and spilled vipers
towards Kamen’s feet. He leapt and landed on the clear cement next to Kit.

“We need to save them,” she cried and yanked at
the initiate’s strap.

“Do not fight me on this.” Kamen jerked her towards
him, scanning for a way to escape. The spell on the room inhibited his ability
to dematerialize. The only way out was through the doors.

“No.” She struggled against his hold.

“You are too important to lose.” Gun fire and
explosions rocked the building. “
Isis
, the whole building is under
attack.”

“Help them—please.” Tears edged her eyes.

Kamen cursed and scanned the room. The demon on
the altar thrashed against the restraints. They had only seconds before it
would be free.

“Get it done,” he growled against his better
judgment. Pulling the katana from her hands, he turned to face the siravant,
careful to avoid the writhing caldron of serpents.

He leapt and landed
on the back of the siravant. Fisting the blade he shoved it in through the base
of its skull. Black blood burst from the wound. The stench suffocated the small
temple. Kit herded the seven women into the farthest corner of the room.

Pain and fire
scored along his flesh. Kamen knocked away the copperhead latched onto him, but
the damage had already been done. Venom filtered through his system weakening
his strength and power. “We need to leave now.”

The door burst
behind him. Shards of glass penetrated Kamen’s skin. The siravant descended
upon him with claws raking his back. The females scattered out of his reach,
opening themselves to be picked off by the demon. Kamen launched himself at Kit
and wrapped her in his arms. The second attack hit deeper, knocking them both
to the ground.

Kit’s horrified
eyes stared up at him as his blood flowed over his shoulders and dripped down
onto her face and chest. He vision dimmed, blurring her features. Failing her
was not an option. She was too important for the Pantheon.

Too important to
him.

He dared pull on
the energy in her soul to bolster his powers in the hope of escaping. Shoving
up, he pulled her with him.

The siravant’s
large jaws clamped down on his shoulder and threw him across the room. Both he
and Kit crashed into the altar. The impact knocked Kamen’s hold. Righting
himself, he snagged Kit’s hand and shoved her towards the door. “Run. I will be
right behind you.”

Kamen turned his
back to her and slashed at the siravant.

Kit froze. “Kamen.”

“Run. Now.”

The siravant
descended onto Kamen and speared him through both sides. He grunted as ribs and
bones cracked from the force. The katana clattered to the ground. He released
his control to the beast, but even the raging animal inside failed to come
forth. If not for the burn of venom through his system, Kamen would heal
quickly, but the poison robbed him of his powers with every minute that passed.
“Run!”

Kit lunged for the
sword on the ground and thrust it into the siravant’s neck. A deafening scream
echoed in the small space. The demon fell backwards, ripping its talons from
Kamen’s chest.

Unable to support
his weight Kamen collapsed to his knees.

“Get up.” Kit
grabbed and pulled, but her hands slipped with all the blood covering his skin.
“I’m not leaving here without you.”

“You must run and
hide. There are more coming.” He could not fight until the venom was cleared
from his system. She was better off leaving him.

“Get up,” Kit screamed
at him.

“Stubborn woman,”
Kamen growled, knowing if he did not get moving she would remain. He stumbled
to his feet.

Pulling his arm
around her shoulder, she guided him out the temple. Another rumble shook the
building. Stone cracked and rained chunks down upon their heads. “I cannot
transport us out.” He leaned against the wall and covered the wound seeping
blood.

“You’re not
healing. God, you were bitten, weren’t you?”

“I will be fine.”
He ground his teeth and forced his legs towards the nearest exit. Screams
sounded in the distance and slowed Kit’s strides.

“They’re killing
the women.”

Kamen tightened his
grip on her hand and pulled harder. He could not worry about the others, just
her at the moment. He needed to get her out onto the street. The crowded and
bustling of the city would conceal Kit at least until he could get help. He
shoved through one door after another, his strength leaving him with every step
towards freedom. They had been so worried about Aaru and the gates, they never
considered the attack would target the Nehebkau.

He stopped at the
bottom of the stairwell. At the top light filtered through the edges of the
door. Even from this distance he sensed the burn against his skin. He pushed
her forward. “Go.”

She jogged up half
way and stopped. “What about you?”

“I’ll be fine.” But
as soon as he said it, a wave of stench hit him from behind. He pivoted and
readied himself to fight. Nebt stood before him in her flowing black gown to
match her skin. Wounds on her forearms oozed black blood. Her eyes rimmed with
red. “Cousin.” Nebt sneered.

“Nebt,” Kamen
growled. The beast roared to life, giving Kamen the energy he needed to block
the blow of Nebt’s dagger but failed to dodge the onslaught of siravants.

The siravant
grasped Kit’s legs and pulled her back down the steps. Kamen lunged and grasped
her hand, tightening to the point her bones might crack.