Nikolas (14 page)

After a few hours of research, she put her laptop aside, set the alarm on her clock, and closed her eyes. Hopefully she would get some rest before it was time to get up.

Nikolas hated airplanes, but it was the quickest way to Luxor. If he had traveled by train, he’d have probably jumped at some point during the ten hour trip. The first available flight had been at five a.m. Even though he had to wait until the following morning to travel, flying would get him to Luxor before the overnight train arrived. Before he left, he had gone to the manager of the hotel and paid a large sum of money to switch rooms as well as have his privacy protected. Whoever had Sophia knew which room he was in. If they knew that, they could possible break in and take his equipment. That just wouldn’t do.

Before time to leave for the airport, he researched as much as he could about the Valley of the Queens. While he wasn’t one hundred percent certain that’s where the clue intended Sophia to go, it was the most logical. The second part of the clue was confusing. Everything Nik read about the last pharaoh stated Cleopatra’s burial spot had never been found.

Still, visiting the first part of the clue was better than sitting idly by and worrying about his mate. Nik mentally kicked himself in the ass for not grabbing Sophia when he had the chance. Even if she was dressed as an old woman, his shifter knew who she was, and his body had reacted immediately. If Sophia truly was in the hands of her followers, he had no idea how to proceed in finding her. The second best thing he could do was locate her parents. If by some small chance she wasn’t really being held captive, she would more than likely be following the clue. Either way, he could not sit idly by hoping he ran into her or her captors again.

The airport had been crowded and his flight was delayed. Instead of arriving at six as scheduled, it was now almost eight a.m. He couldn’t check into a hotel that early, and there were no tours of the tombs scheduled for a couple of hours. Even though it wasn’t technically allowed, Nik decided to take a look around the ancient burial caverns by himself. Before the apocalypse, tourists could purchase a ticket and visit certain areas of the site unguided. Immediately after the apocalypse, the tombs were taken over by rebels. Now, the rebels had moved on to less populated areas of the country. The once thriving tourist area was just now rebuilding itself.

Nik found his way to the ferry and traveled across the river. Once he arrived, he made his way to an open-air market where he purchased a scarf and sunglasses. Even though he was a Gargoyle and the elements wouldn’t affect him, he wanted to blend in as much as possible. Instead of finding a taxi, he briefly considered renting a camel. If he were to travel by animal, he would have more freedom in where he went. As soon as he neared the roped off area, he realized his idea was ludicrous. The first camel he neared spit at him. The animal sensed the beast within Nik and wanted no part of being around him. Even though Nikolas tried soothing the four-legged beast, it wasn’t working.

The man working the rental area came forward, grabbing hold of the camel’s harness. He spoke to Nik while trying to calm the animal, “He is a feisty one. We will find one more suitable to your needs. Fifty pounds and we’ll get you saddled up.”

As badly as Nik wanted to travel by camel, he knew it would be a headache. “I have changed my mind, but thank you.”

“Forty pounds. We get you a girl. She will not be feisty. Yes?”

The man was insistent; Nik gave him that. “Let me see this non-feisty girl you speak of. Then we’ll talk money.” He highly doubted even the most docile animal the man had would put up with a Gargoyle on its back.

“Yes, yes. Wait here.” The man disappeared only to return a few minutes later with a smaller animal.

Nik held his hand out to the female, and she sniffed his hand. When she didn’t spit on him, he felt this one might be okay. When he took a step closer, she remained calm. Okay, he could do this. “Thirty pounds,” he told the handler.

“Forty,” the man countered.

“Twenty-five,” Nik said. He wouldn’t be bullied when a taxi would be so much easier.

“Thirty,” the man relented.

“Deal.” Nik pulled the correct currency out of his pocket and handed it over to the man. He watched as the camel was adorned with a blanket, saddle, and the mouthpiece. Nik was glad to see stirrups were attached. He stuck his left foot in the slot and hoisted himself up onto the animal’s back. Before he was settled, the creature took off across the sand. All Nik could do was hold on.

Nik used the strength in his thighs to stay seated on the runaway animal. The din of laughter and yells of people in the market floated over the air as he tried to grab onto the reins. When he finally managed to snag them, he wrapped his hands around the leather straps and pulled back. The camel didn’t come close to slowing down. At that point, Nik had no other choice than to ride it out. He was still too close to civilization to phase and fly off the animal’s back.

He tried talking to the camel, soothing her with soft words. He yelled. He smacked her on the rump. Nik wouldn’t hurt the animal, but damn if he wasn’t irritated. It was his fault for thinking she would be okay with a beast riding her back. The bouncing was doing a number on his nuts. He braced his feet against the stirrups, giving his balls a rest. When the camel finally slowed to a walk, Nik sat back and studied the scenery. He couldn’t see his original destination since it was down in a valley, but he knew the direction he needed to be going in. If he and his ride went too much farther, he was going to miss his opportunity to visit the tombs before the tours started.

Nik pulled the reins to the east, hoping she would follow his directions. “Please go that way. I need to visit the tombs, and I really don’t want to walk that far. Besides, I don’t want to have to pay for a lost camel.”

She completely ignored him and continued walking the direction she wanted. “Fuck my life. I’m talking to a camel,” Nik said to the sand. As if she agreed, she jerked her head forward and moaned, or made whatever sound a camel makes. She continued sassing him for at least thirty seconds. When she stopped, he chastised her, “Seriously? You have no reason to complain. I’m not the one who took off across the fucking sand with no thought to my passenger’s well-being. That was all you, Bessie.”

Obviously, the animal didn’t like the name he chose for her. She took off at a trot again, sending Nik farther away from where he needed to be. He shouted to the heavens, “Really? A little help here?” When he received no answer from the gods, he had a choice to make – either ride it out or jump. He could remove himself without harm, but what would he do about the camel? Would she return to her owner, or continue on her journey? Fuck it; Nik decided to bail. She was better equipped to be alone in the desert than he was. He took a look around to make sure nobody had decided on a last minute rescue effort. When he saw no one, he removed his shirt before calling forth his wings. Nik phased and lifted himself off the animal’s back.

He landed on the sand and retracted his wings. Nik shook his head as the camel stopped running and turned around. She let out another loud moan. “Don’t yell at me, you mangy beast,” Nik shouted as he turned back toward the tombs and began walking.

Tours started every two hours. Sophia figured she could ditch the first tour over halfway in, do a little reconnaissance on her own, and join the next tour. She removed the scarf from her head and stuffed it in her bag. She placed herself in the middle of the families as they descended into the corridors. Even though there were almost a hundred tombs in this location, the tours were only allowed to see a handful. During the night, she had studied as many maps as possible of the popular tombs as well as those that were blocked off. Nefertari’s was the most popular, and she wasn’t going to miss seeing it.

Sophia was in awe of the beautiful colors and pictures on the walls of the tomb. She would love the opportunity to come back when she could study them at length. It never ceased to amaze her how so many different theories regarding the gods and afterlife were still in existence. As she stood and gazed upon one of the images of the ancient queen, Sophia smiled as she hoped to herself that Nefertari had been mummified appropriately and her spirit had passed the test to be transformed into another body. Gargoyles knew what immortal life was like. The half-bloods encountered an extended life once mated. Maybe reincarnation was just a different version of immortality.

When she realized she was alone, Sophia decided it was an excellent opportunity to look around. She followed a corridor away from the voices of the tour group. She allowed herself to go as far as her eyesight could take her. She reached out with her shifter senses, listening for any indication of life farther into the tombs. She stood still and calmed her breathing so she was in tune with her surroundings. Scratching came from a few feet in front of her. It wasn’t like something being raked over a stone wall. It was closer to something being dragged. A thud reverberated through the corridor to her left. The air behind her grew warmer. The hair on her neck stood as if she’d passed her hand over an electrical current.

“I warned you to watch your back,” a familiar voice spoke in her ear. Sophia turned to run, but a large hand grabbed her shoulder, pulling her backwards. The guard from the train clamped his hand over her mouth and pushed her against the cold, hard wall of the tomb. “I’m going to enjoy this,” he seethed into her ear as one of his hands found its way under the hem of her shirt. She struggled to get free, but he tightened his grip. Sophia allowed herself to become dead weight. She slid to the floor, landing harshly on her hip. The man cursed and grasped a handful of her hair, attempting to drag her across the floor. Refusing to be a victim, Sophia called forth her claws and swiped at the man’s arm. He let go of her hair long enough for her to find her feet.

“You bitch,” he growled. The glint of a knife came toward her face. She jerked her head backwards. The blade grazed her jaw instead of cutting a path across her neck as she was certain he intended.

“You really don’t want to do this,” she warned him.

“Oh, I assure you, I definitely want to do this. You smell too sweet and are way too beautiful for your own good. I intend to have a taste of you.” He stepped forward but instead of his hand finding purchase, he found his wrist cut and bleeding. “What the fuck?” he howled. The man lunged for Sophia, and without thinking, she slashed across his throat. The knife he was holding plunged into her side, and they went down to the floor together. She cried out as the pain registered, but she had bigger problems to worry about. Like the two hundred pound guard lying on top of her bleeding out. Gurgling sounds came from his throat as he tried to staunch the blood flow with his hands.

Sophia used her half-blood strength to roll the man off of her. She crab walked backwards until she hit a wall. She placed one hand over her mouth and the other over the cut in her side. Between the man she was sure was dead and her own wound, the rich coppery smell was nauseating. Her fingers were wet and doing no good against the cut. She felt around on the floor until she found her bag she had lost in the scuffle. Sophia removed the scarf and placed it against her skin. She needed to get up and get help, but her head felt woozy. She would rest a few minutes and regain her strength.

Bright lights made her head hurt worse. Sophia was being lifted off the ground and placed on a stretcher. Why was she being carried, and why did her body ache so badly? She couldn’t see the man at her head, so she focused on the one at her feet. He was dressed similar to the guard she had encountered on the train. The guard. He had attacked her in the tunnel. Oh gods, she had killed him. She had killed a man, and now she was being hauled off. She tried to find her voice to tell them it was an accident, but the words wouldn’t come.

When they reached the mouth of the tomb, police vehicles and a couple of ambulances were waiting. She couldn’t understand what was being said. Too many people were talking at one time. An angry man strode to her and got in her face. He began yelling questions at her, but before she could answer, her world turned black.