Touch of the Fire God [Scions of the Ankh 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) (10 page)

“Yes, do you know him well?” She was surprised at the accuracy of his question. And what was with the fascination with the meaning of her name?

“Yes, very well. I’ve been out of town, as I frequently am, and it seems I’ve stayed much too long this time.” This he seemed to murmur to himself.

“Yes, well how is it that a morgue owner knows Jonathan Thoth, Mr. Nubis?”

“Please call me Torian. This isn’t exactly a morgue, Dr. Selkis. It’s the last place, if you will indulge the phrasing, for patients who reside in my hospice.”

“Hospice? This isn’t the city morgue?” Rene asked in confusion. Why would Jonathan send her to this place? Perhaps he was mistaken in where the body was being housed. “I was told this is the place where Franklin’s body was being kept. Have I been running around here for days trying to locate a body that isn’t even here?” Rene was exasperated. “No wonder that woman had no idea who I was talking about!”

Rene leaned back in the chair and covered her eyes with her hands, trying to center her nerves. Something was wrong here.

“Dr. Selkis, there has been some miscommunication. The city morgue is about ten miles from here. I could see to your transportation if you like.”

Torian’s shrewd eyes appraised her; he had no idea why Thoth was still deceiving the woman, but he was not going to be the one to tell this angry female she’d been lied to repeatedly.

“A number so I can call would suffice.”

“As you wish, I’ll have Gale locate that for you. Meanwhile, is there anything I can do for you?”

“Some water, please,” Rene replied huskily, her throat suddenly going dry. She sensed him. She felt a very angry presence coming for her. It was ridiculous, but the feeling was there.

Torian suddenly stood as if he, too, felt something. He glanced around, looking dangerous and ready to strike. But when she caught his gaze, he smiled, barely, and tried to appear relaxed.

“Is there something wrong, Torian? You look worried.”

“Does Jonathan know you’re here alone?” Torian asked, going to the window and peering carefully out. His voice took on the same caveman tone as Ralabos’.

“He’s not my keeper. But no, I had to sort of sneak out.”

With that his head whipped around, and his look pinned her mid-sentence. Immediately, she went on the defensive, “His brother Ralabos was being less than charming and ...”

“Ralabos is awake?” He seemed intensely interested in her answer.

Awake? What an odd phrasing. “He just came back, at least according to Jonathan’s wife, Anaise. It seems he’d been gone a while, but that’s neither here nor there.” Rene stopped her babbling, wondering why she was telling this man so much. She had just met him, and she was blabbering worse than the old crazy woman who came into her clinic looking for free handouts of Valium.

“You shouldn’t be out alone. It is too dangerous,” Nubis, reprimanded her. Did all the males in this part of the world simply order the women about and dictate their comings and goings?

“Mr. Nubis, I’ve already went these rounds with Ralabos, and I refuse to do it again. If you would just call me a cab and give me the number to the morgue, I can get on with my day.”

But he just stood next to the window, his black eyes darting about, scanning for God knew what. There were several moments of painful silence before he spoke again, and Rene began to wonder if perhaps Mr. Torian A. Nubis was slightly off his rocker.

“I’ll see that you get home safely.”

“That’s really not necessary.”

“I insist. I’ll have Gale fax you all the information you need. Right now we must get you back on Jonathan’s property. Danger is very near.”

Rene barely caught the end of the sentence, but she had heard enough to know he was paranoid and crazy, and there was no way she was going anywhere with him. She stood and was about to announce her intentions of leaving under her own authority when he turned at the same time, catching her in his gaze.

“I know what’s going on in that head of yours, Dr. Selkis. I’m sorry to do this, but you will thank me later—or maybe not.”

“Do what?” Rene felt her heart speed up, wondering if she could make it out the door before he grabbed her.

To her horror, he seemed to come at her in slow motion. His eyes were totally black, and she sensed an unearthly dark power about him. As he moved closer, she saw that black and gray swirling tornados resided where his pupils used to be. Rene wanted to scream, but the terror was so gripping that her voice locked in her throat.

“Sleep now.” he cooed to her warmly, and Rene found herself slipping into a dark, deep sleep. The last thing she was conscious of was Torian Nubis catching her before she fell.

* * * *

Ralabos flew as fast as inhumanly possible. He could feel her terror. She was alone and afraid and in danger. He cursed himself and wondered if he could have handled the situation better.

She was, after all, human right now, and humans were prone to irrational behavior. She wasn’t ready. He could feel it; she just wasn’t ready for what awaited her. He locked in on her exact location before her mind went dark. He knew that in seconds he would be by her side, but right now the seconds seemed like a millennia ...

With great ease, he transformed from raptor to an impressive, substantial mass of muscle and immediately materialized inside the dark room. A figure hovered over Rene and laid her on the leather couch. Rage filled Ralabos, and a roiling ball of fire appeared in his hands.

“Is this how you treat a comrade, Ralabos?” The figure turned. Though there was no smile on his face, the expression was always quite clear to Ralabos.

“Anubis.” It was a simple recognition, followed by pangs of relief.

“I am sorry I frightened her,” Anubis replied. “She is strong-willed, and I could not risk her heading out alone. Seth is near. I can feel it.”

“Thank you. You are correct. Thoth has a protective spell surrounding his home. We must go there quickly. While Seth poses little threat to you and me, Rene is in human form and can easily be killed.”

Anubis nodded solemnly. “You must fulfill the requirements to bring her back, before Seth gets to her. Time has not lessened his insanity and lust for revenge. Protect what is yours.”

“I sense that you are still alone, Anubis. I thank you for setting aside the search for a mate to assure the return of mine. When this is over, you must promise me that you will search for her.”

A melancholy look darkened Anubis’ face. “I do not know if I even want to any longer, old friend. I have lived long and alone, and I am weary now. My life has been in dedication to this honorable friend. I will promise only to see to her return. Beyond that ...”

Anubis bowed low and returned to the window. There was no need to tell Ralabos that he planned on ending his existence when this was all over. He was tired and feared the worst—there was no one for him.

No mate was promised to them; it was through sheer turn of events and many travels that their kind found a mate. No one had kept his attention long enough outside of the bed to ease his loneliness. “I can keep Seth busy long enough to aid your leave.”

“I will erase the memory of what you have done.”

“I do not think that is wise.” An abrupt silence followed. “Ralabos, she must come to the understanding that we are not human and, technically, neither is she. The sooner she understands this, the sooner we can bring her back.

“And Thoth must be honest with her; she came here looking for Franklin—that is what put her in danger. She must be told, my friend. And soon. Can you risk another incident such as this?”

Ralabos studied his old friend for a moment. “You are right. Thoth has been occupied with protecting the estate and keeping her on it, but we will take care of this. I believe we were just hoping to give her more time to adjust.”

With that he gingerly lifted Rene from the sofa and held her to his chest. “Until then ...” With Rene cuddled close to him, Ralabos disappeared.

“And now I can have a little fun,” Anubis remarked, waving his hand purposefully and capturing the barest trace essence of Rene and amplifying it, using it to lure Seth to him.

* * * *

Rene was hard-pressed to remember the last time she hadn’t awakened to a pounding heartbeat. Ever since she came in contact with these people, her life had been taking a turn for the absurd.

She opened her eyes, anxious to see where she was. She sat up and gaped. It couldn’t be—but it was! The room she had dreamt about with Ralabos. There were pillows strewn everywhere, and the sconces adorned the wall; she knew this place. It was real after all.

“All of it is real,” Ralabos whispered in her ear. Rene jumped, clearly taken aback by the fact that he was lying next to her. So quiet and still, so unnatural.

“You’re doing that thing again,” she stammered, scrambling to get out of the mass of pillows.

“What would that be?” he queried, quirking up that eyebrow of his and making her wish she hadn’t gotten up at all, but had remained curled up next to him.

“I swear you’re reading my mind,” she shot back.

“I am. I can do that with humans.” He let the statement hang in the air, waiting for her to take flight as she usually did when things got a little uncomfortable. Anubis was right; they needed to make her see.

“Are you saying you’re not human?”
This poor man
, Rene thought. As crazy as he was gorgeous, it seemed quite a waste.

“Even you have your doubts, don’t you, little one?” he taunted her. “You know those were not dreams of you and me. Those nights we spent together, beau deesse, were actually happening.”

“I have no idea what you mean,” Rene whispered, her heart pounding. First Torian Nubis and now this. Oh God, that thing with his eyes, that was not human.

She was tired, that was all, and obviously she’d fainted and...

“You don’t really believe that, do you?” Ralabos asked, reading her mind with no intention of hiding it.

“My God, you can read my mind!” She looked stricken as she realized he must have read some of her raunchier thoughts about him. A quick look at his smug face confirmed it. “This whole time, you’ve been violating me,” she stammered, letting the anger replace her fear. “How dare you? That’s cheating.” Cheating? That sounded lame to even her ears.

“It’s my right.” He shrugged his shoulders as he sat back, relaxing on the mounds of pillows.

“Your right? You asshole!” Rene declared. “But I bet you knew I was going to call you that, right?”

“Of course.” He smiled, sending chills through her, and Rene had the distinct impression that he knew his effect on her. Then it occurred to her that he had had knowledge of her attraction to him all along, yet he had never used that knowledge against her, had never taken advantage of her.

“I only want what you want to give me, my sweet,” he said while looking at her, wanton in his display of sexual appeal. “But you’re avoiding the issue. You were remembering something,” he said, directing her thoughts back to Anubis.

“His eyes. They ... I don’t know. They were frightening.” She sat down on a stack of pillows a safe distance from the sex machine. Ralabos decided to allow her a false sense of security—for now. “I think he put me to sleep somehow.”

“He did,” Ralabos confirmed.

“What is he?” she asked, more to herself than him.

“A traveler,” Ralabos answered simply. “One of many.”

“One of many?” she repeated rhetorically, deciding to indulge him. “He seemed dangerous.”

“He can be, when necessary. However, he would never hurt a human. You need not be afraid of him.”

“What of you?” she asked. “You can read minds and show up in my dreams, it seems, at will. Are you one of these ‘travelers’ as well?” Rene held her breath because, right now, she didn’t know which thing she wanted more, for him to be crazy or an inhuman being. Ralabos, however, was slow to answer her as he managed his response.

“Are you aware of the history of the Egyptian gods?” he asked carefully.

“Yes, Isis, Osiris, Anubis.” Rene stopped, her mind threatening her to make a connection it knew there was no going back from. “Wait a minute, Jonathan Thoth.”

She idly rubbed her hands together in thought. “Torian A. Nubis,” she said softly to herself. “Anaise Hathor,” she finished. Perhaps the whole lot of them were crazy.

“I’m remembering something,” she murmured to herself. Ralabos remained completely still and silent, not wanting to disturb this important revelation.

“In college I had this ... Thoth was the god of wisdom and writing. Hathor was the goddess of uhm ... love and joy. Anubis, let’s see ... he had the jackal thing. He was god of the dead.”

She snapped her fingers as she remembered. And then it happened, the domino effect, as all things began to fall into place.

The book, the visions, now she remembered where she had seen Torian and why Jonathan had seemed familiar to her. He, too, had been in her dreams. She looked at Ralabos.

“Then who would that make you, Ralabos? I have never heard of you.”

“Sad to say, little one, I am quite a familiar ‘god’ in the history of these people.”