Soul Unleashed (Key to the Cursed Book 4) (15 page)

Kamen hid in the chamber not wanting to see Kit,
let alone knowing when and where her transition would take place. He lay on the
cold floor barely able to move, consuming more souls than he should have.

No one had ever unraveled him so completely. Gods,
the taste of her was still on his lips. Her rose color scent had penetrated his
soul. Heat burned his cold body at the thought of her taking him to the brink
and over into the chasm of ecstasy. The powerful orgasm rocked him to the very
core of his being. He had never given a female power over him for fear of
losing control. The incident in the shower proved his fears. He could not make
love to her without shifting. What kind of life would that be?

There had been blood to pay for his act. The beast
rose to claim her, sharp and sure. He barely got down the steps and into the
chamber before it tore open his flesh. Fresh claw marks scored the wall of the
entrance as it fought to get out. The beast refused to relinquish its hold, for
how long, Kamen could not gauge, but long enough for Kit’s transition to be
complete. She was better off bonded to another. He would spend his days in the
shadows longing for her as he always had or stay locked in his chamber.
Imprisoned was his preference because the urge to kill the bastard who marked
Kit overwhelmed him.

“And, you think I am the one with issues,” Inpu
said from the far shadows of the chamber. Fresh blood dripped from the priest’s
fingertips.

Consumed by his pain, he’d failed to notice Inpu’s
entrance. “This is the last place you should make a house call, Priest.” Kamen
rolled onto his hands and feet. The chamber was no place for anyone but the
beast or those with a death wish.

“Like I said before, I really don’t give a shit.”

“Then why are you here.”

Inpu walked forward with a scroll and clear vial
in his hands. “How is Kit?”

Kamen leaned his head against the stone floor.
Even the mere mention of her name caused dagger-like pain in his chest. “I have
taken your advice, Priest. I am staying away.”

“She has transitioned. But not by you?” Inpu asked
with a significant amount of astonishment.

So, it was done.

Kamen suppressed his groan in favor of glaring at the
priest. Why did everyone assume he could? Both Inpu and Asar knew Kamen’s
limitations. Inpu had warned him to stay clear.

The priest looked down at the items in his hands.
“Well, I have some bad news. It was all for not.”

“What are you saying?” Kamen growled, his
impatience with the priest’s intrusion at its end.

“She can sleep with a thousand gods, and it will
not save her.”

Kamen surged up and grabbed Inpu by the throat.
“Do not test me,” Kamen snarled. His entire body shook with rage at the picture
Inpu placed in his head.

Yet even as Kamen tightened his grip, Inpu did not
flinch. “There is only one entity that can consume evil.”

“It cannot happen. The beast will destroy her. I
cannot control it.”

“It is your fear the beast senses.”

“I fear for her life.”

“Fear for her life or yours?”

“Mine?” Kamen released the priest, thinking him
mad. Kamen had accepted his path and what he had to become. He shouldered the
burden without a second thought. Inpu had lost his mind if he thought Kamen was
afraid to be with Kit. It was all he thought about. He had weighed the risks
over and over, and there was only one acceptable outcome. Kit would be happier
with someone else.

“I do not know why I wasted my time. For her sake
I hope you figure it out soon.” Inpu shoved the scroll and vial into Kamen’s
hands. The god walked towards the door and inserted his hand into the latch.

The large stone rolled away, revealing the passage
way to Kamen’s room.

Kamen raised his arm to shield his eyes from the
piercing light.

Inpu turned and looked at Kamen. “Maybe it is time
we both stopped hiding.”

“What is this?” Kamen asked, holding up the vial
and scroll, knowing Inpu would not have left his room unless it was necessary.

“Freedom.”

Kamen unrolled the parchment, the paper cracking
under the stress. It was written in the old language. Words about the origins
of Ammut, the Devourer. The very beast sharing a piece, if not all of Kamen’s
soul.

“The beast was conjured by the tears of the
creators.” Inpu nodded to the vial. “Ammut was unleashed upon the world,
erasing the imperfect products of evolution. A balance in the chaos. A clean
slate, as it were for man. The gods needed something to control their new
children. A single drop of the creators’ tears was placed into each vessel. A
part of Ammut lives in each soul. For us, it’s called
ba
. For man, a
consciousness of good and evil, passed on for generations.”

Kamen leaned against the stone wall, unable to
fully process the significance of Inpu’s history lesson. “So what does this
have to do with Kit?”

“Nothing. It has to do with you.”

“Priest, you are making my head ache.”

“It is time to release the beast. Stop controlling
it.”

“You
have
gone mad.”

“Perhaps, but if the gods trusted the beast enough
to devour men’s sins, then why would it harm the woman you love? You are not
afraid of the beast, Kamen, your fear resides in the fact Kit may love you
back.”

Kamen shook his head. It could not be that simple.

“You are the remedy, Kamen. For Kit. For Apep.”

Kamen stared at Inpu, confounded by his words. The
beast was not some blessing bestowed upon Kamen. It was a rabid feral animal,
his punishment for betraying Asar. “I do not understand your twisted words.”

Annoyance contorted Inpu’s expression. “I do not
have time nor the patience for this.” The priest walked midway up the steps.
His form shimmered as he readied to dematerialize.

“Where are you going?”

The priest glanced over his shoulder with sorrow
filled eyes. “To visit my wife.”

Inpu had the same look Kit had given Kamen the
night she stayed in his bed. A defeated acceptance. The priest was no match for
Nebt. Not in his current condition, yet Kamen could not force the priest to
stay. “May the gods be with you on your journey.”

“Pray the gods do not follow me.” Inpu
dematerialized into the shadows, leaving Kamen to stew over his words.

Release Ammut? Asar had built this very chamber to
contain the beast. Now, Inpu wanted him to set it free. He stared at the open
door and the steps leading up to his room and then to the palace. It was
madness to think the beast would not destroy it all.

He fingered the vial in his hand. Could he tell
Kit the news that he was the cure all along? Gods, would she ever be able to
forgive him?

A cascade of spasms sent him to his knees, a stark
reminder of the damage the beast inflicted on his body. He crawled up the steps
and dragged himself into the shower. Exhausted and emotionally drained, he sat
under the running water. How many times before had he done this? Yet this time
hurt deeper and harder than any other. He barely remembered washing.

He searched for the parchment and vial, not
certain he had the forethought to place it somewhere safe. He sighed, seeing it
on the sink countertop. A blessing, but a little too late.

Trust the beast? Give up his control? Kamen shook
his head. Without it there was too much uncertainty. A wildness he feared but
also craved. A longing to be free and unencumbered by his curse. Kit tempted
that side of him, eroding his control like winds against the sphinx.

Could he trust Ammut enough not to hurt Kit? Was
he strong enough to try? He closed his eyes, willing the battering questions
away and praying for his strength to return.

“Kamen.” Kit’s voice roused him from his stupor.
She stood in the doorway, her eyes wide as she stared at him sitting on the
floor of the shower. Bitterness swirled amongst her floral scent. Gods, Inpu
was right. Her transition had not stopped the infection. The days Kamen had
spent in the chamber only allowed the evil to dig its claws in deeper. If she
did not hate him before, she would now.

* * *

“You can kill me for intruding later,” she said
and stalked towards him. Damn him for looking so utterly helpless when she
wanted to ream him a good one. She latched under his arm and hoisted him to his
feet but not without significant trouble. Either he was resisting or so weak he
couldn’t support his own weight. Despite being on his feet, most of the weight
shifted to her. She stumbled into the sink and knocked a crystal vial into the
bowl. She steadied herself before shuffling out the door.

His heavy body pressed into hers, pinning her to
the bed. She kept her eyes forward and tried to ignore the fact that he was
completely naked. Breathless, she shifted her weight and flopped him on the
mattress. Sweat beaded on her forehead from the exertion. She hefted the
equivalent of tree trunks onto the mattress.

Once she got him situated and covered, she glared
down at him. “Don’t think this is going to get you out of trouble.”

He blinked, his eyes remaining unfocused. His skin
was so cold, like in the human realm, but he shivered uncontrollably. Kit dug
through his bureau, pulled out two more blankets, and piled them on.

At the hearth, she loaded in several logs onto the
fire. The room’s temperature spiked, creating a fine layer of sweat against her
skin. Despite the extra warmth, he trembled.

No matter how furious she was with him, she hated
seeing him like this. Not her guardian. He was supposed to be the strong one,
fortifying her with strength she didn’t have. Maybe he did need saving as
Kendra suggested.

Flustered, she sat down next to him. He turned his
head away. “I know you don’t want me here, but too bad. It’s the least I can
do.” She slouched against the headboard. Regardless of his absence and refusal
to be part of her transition, she owed him.

His wet hair clung to his neck and cheek. She ran
her fingers through its length. The black locks were surprisingly soft and had
a slight wave.

Kamen shuddered, but the trembling lessened under
her touch. Hours had passed with her just petting his head. Her fingers cramped
into a ball. When she stopped, the trembling returned. “Shit, Kamen. How often
does this happen to you?” she asked, knowing he wouldn’t answer. “And, you do
this alone?”

She slid her hand under the covers and touched his
chest. It was still ice cold. “I don’t know what else to do.” She hopped off
the mattress and paced the foot of the bed. Why was she doing this? It was
killing her being here, knowing…she swallowed and wrapped her arms around her
waist. She stepped towards the door, tears rolling down her cheeks. A muffled
groan halted her.

She loved him.

Wiping her cheeks dry, she returned to his side,
stripped off her leather uniform and slipped under the covers. She inhaled
sharply when she came in contact with cold skin. Shifting his arm to his chest,
she pulled up tight against him. A low growl escaped his throat. Warning or not,
she draped her naked body against his. She reached across and pulled his other
hand to his chest, just as she saw him sleep. She heard his teeth grind
together. His eyes flickered with an orange flame behind the blackness. “Get over
yourself,” she growled.

Ignoring him, she tightened her arm around him. “I
may not know a lot about you, Kamen, but I understand keeping people at a
distance. Trust me, I’ve been doing it most of my life, but at least I know
when to let someone in now and again. Geez, if I hadn’t reached out to you,
think of where I would of have ended up.” She sighed. “You can shut me out
later. Just accept this, I’m not asking for anything.”

He exhaled a heavy breath and relaxed a little
under her touch. The shaking stopped within a few minutes. Kit absently traced
the scattering of hair on his chest with her fingertip. His perfect skin
stretched taut against his large pectoral muscles.

Unless showing impatience or disgust, Underworld
gods didn’t breathe, so his chest remained perfectly still. No heartbeat pulsed
under her fingertips, yet he had blood that flowed through his body. It took
some getting used to.

Such fierce power under her touch, but it remained
leashed until needed. It was this very chest she had clung to and cried her
tears. Her fear had blunted her experience in Duat and subsequent rescue, but
she remembered how protected she felt. Safe, just as she did now.

The sensation scared her as much as it soothed
her. She had such little control over her life—today was no exception. How much
of Kamen’s life was controlled? He was at Asar’s beck and call. Why, when Kamen
could shut anyone down? She had never seen him hanging out at the warrior hall
or with any of the women assigned there. He lived a solitary life. The question
was why? What was he hiding from her? Were they so different? Not likely.

Kamen shifted, the first movement in hours. He
grasped her hand and flattened her palm over his heart.

Your welcome
, she thought but didn’t speak.
His body temperature had risen to almost normal. Too warm, she shifted up and
threw off the two extra blankets. She looked at him resting comfortably. Now
would be the time she should go.

She paused, indecisive. His brown eyes met hers,
his soul almost reachable. Despite all that had happened, she returned back to
his side. Strange how comforted she felt.

Maybe they both needed saving.

Kamen woke with a start, startled to find Kit still
asleep at his side. He inhaled slightly at the sight of her. Her normal rosy
cheeks were pale. The brilliant shine to her ebony hair blunted and darkness
outlined her closed eyes. The beast stirred in his chest. The craving for her
had not lessened a bit.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly and her brows
bunched together. She whimpered and pulled the covers tighter to her chest. Her
eyes flicked back and forth beneath her closed lids. Dreaming, he realized, and
not pleasant by the grimace on her face.

He leaned over her and brushed his fingers against
her temple. “Easy,” he soothed, hoping to break her nightmare.

“No,” she gasped and lashed out at the air.

“Kit,” he shook her gently.

She arched against the mattress and struggled
against an unknown force. She scratched at her throat, leaving long welts
against her skin.

He grasped her wrists, only to have her struggle
harder. Tears rolled from the corners of her closed eyes. Her pleading turned
to screams.

“Kitten,” he hollered and pinned her to the bed,
fearing she would hurt herself. Her eyes snapped open and she screamed again.

She blinked and finally focused on his face.
“Kamen,” she choked.

He released her wrists and cupped her face.
“Kitten.”

She closed her eyes again and pressed her palm to
her forehead. Pain creased her brow. He opened his soul and drew on her energy,
focusing on the sharp sourness. Along with it came her beautiful rose scent,
both imprinting deep in his soul.

She opened her eyes, relief relaxing her features.
“Thank you, you didn’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I did.” He owed her more than just absorbing
her pain. She had done more in one night than anyone had done for him in his
lifetime, even after how poorly he’d treated her. He leaned back, giving her
some space and gathering the courage to tell her Inpu’s information. “I am
sorry,” he paused and devoured her blue gaze. “I only want to protect you.”

“I wanted it to be you,” she said, swallowing when
her voice cracked.

Kamen’s heart shattered with the pain dripping
from her words. He would never forgive himself for failing her. He rolled onto
his back and stared at the spell scrolled in the ceiling. He had wanted to be
the one. Now, she was bonded to another, forever out of his reach. Gods decreed
fate and apparently wanted to torture him.

“You have nothing to say?” She sat up. The sheet
dropped around her bare waist.

Kamen forced his eyes to remain on the etched
ceiling. He could not look, lest he kill the bastard whose symbols graced her
chest.

“Damn it, look at me.” Her voice rose to a shrill.
When he refused, she hit him in the chest. “God, you are stubborn. Don’t you
get it?” She pounced on him, pinning him to the mattress. She glared down at
him. “I’m in love with you.”

He exhaled a staggered breath. She might as well
have slapped him for how startled he was at her words. Stunned, his gaze
drifted to her chest—bare of any markings. Her soul remained unbound. He opened
his mouth, but no words came. Gods, Inpu was right, her words scared him. He
was not worthy of her love and was not sure if he ever would be. He wanted to
voice his doubt of her feelings, but Kit never sugar coated anything.

“Give me a reason to stay—please,” she pleaded.

Frozen in a battle that could not be won, Kamen
could only stare at her with wide eyes.

A frown creased her lips, and she slid off the bed
to the floor. She grabbed clothes, not bothering to put them on and stalked to
the door. Kamen leapt across the room and grabbed her around the waist. He
yanked her back against his chest. “Do not misunderstand, Kitten. My soul will
be forever and always yours.” He brushed his lips against her pounding pulse. A
faint scent of another male was present on her skin. A scent he longed to
replace with his own.

“Then, why are you pushing me away? God, why did
you make me sleep with someone else?”

“It is complicated.”

“Complicated? That’s your excuse.” She barked a
laugh. Her skin flushed hot and she struggled against his hold. “Damn it, let
go of me.”

“You deserve better than to be bonded to a
criminal.”

 “What?” She stilled and turned to look over her
shoulder. Doubt flickered in her eyes.

“I am the Devourer, not by birth, but a condition
of my sentence.”

“Christ, you can’t even lie well.” She shoved at
his arms pinning her against him.

“Asar can confirm this, if you do not believe me.”

“You and Asar are so close. What could you have
possibly done to deserve suffering the way you did last night? God, please tell
me it isn’t like that every night? Why would he ever do that to you?”
Disbelief, but also concern, laced her blue eyes.

She was more concerned about his suffering than
him being a criminal? This was going to take a while to explain. Not to mention
they were both completely naked, and it was making it difficult to focus. He
pulled a shirt from the bureau and placed it over her head. Acutely aware of
her eyes traveling downward, he shoved his legs through a pair of pants.
“Come.” Grabbing her hand, he pulled her into the bathroom and opened the
secret door to the chamber.

She paused at the threshold. Goose bumps rose on
her skin as the opening filtered cold damp air into the room. “What’s down
there?” she asked and stepped back.

Her heart hammered in his ears. Could she sense
the souls? Or, was it the infection? “Are you okay?”

She nodded and tightened the grip on his hand.
“Please tell me this will all make sense.”

“You asked once, where I go.”

She swallowed and followed him down the black
stairwell to the chamber’s stone. “I have to return here to devourer the souls
not worthy for the afterlife.” He met her gaze in the darkness.

“God, they lock you in?” she gasped.

“I lock myself in, Kit. For everyone’s safety.”

She laid her hand on the stone door. “Alone?”

“Yes.”

“How do you stand it?”

The scent of her tears compelled him to pull her
closer. He did not want her pity but understanding of why he wanted a better
life for her. Why he let another male touch her the way he dreamed about. “It
is my duty, my punishment. This is
my
life, Kitten.”

She broke from his grasp and ran up the steps. He
trudged up after her, hating he hurt her, even if it was the truth. He found
her sitting at the edge of the stone tub. She wiped her cheeks of her tears.

“What did you do to deserve this?” She clasped her
hands in her lap and stared at him across the sandstone room.

He hesitated, not wanting her to know that part of
himself. As far as Kamen was concerned that male was destroyed long ago. He
struggled every day to become something more. “I helped my twin, Set, to kill
Asar.”

She stared at him for a long moment, her face
blank. “So there is truth to the legend?”

“Yes.”

“Set is the god on the boat. He is your brother.”
She leaned her elbows on her knees and covered her face with her hands.

“This is who I am.” He could not bring himself to
tell her of the beast, at least not yet. She had already lost all the color in
her face at his admission. He feared she would pass out if she heard any more.
He took a few steps towards her and knelt down. “I should have told you
sooner.”

“How long has it been?”

“Since the ancient war.”

“And, how long ago was that exactly?”

“Four thousand years.”

She sucked in a breath and held it, so long he
reached out and touched her. Tears welled in her eyes and she threw her arms
around his neck. “None of that matters.”

He sighed and pulled her into his embrace. It
mattered to him. He did not want her to be shunned as he was by the other gods.
She was the daughter of the Mother Goddess, ruler of the Creation Pantheon.
Royalty. The Council would revolt if they found out Kit bonded with the likes
of him.

He pulled her back. “You don’t know what you are
saying or what it would mean to be bonded to me, assuming we even could.”

“I don’t have much time here to debate this. I
don’t give a damn what anyone else thinks. Nothing you say is going to convince
me otherwise. For once, stop trying to control the situation and just kiss me.”
A flare of anger replaced the sorrow in her eyes.

She brushed her palms against his bare chest. A
multitude of electric shocks penetrated his skin and cascaded warmth through
his body. He curled into her, a slave to her caress. Her fingers tracked along
his shoulders and neck. He was playing a dangerous game, not unlike in the
shower. “I do not want to hurt you,” he groaned as she tracked her hands down
his back and pressed her body against his.

“I’m not unfamiliar with pain.” She nipped his
ear.

“That is not what I mean,” he said hoarsely.

She pulled back, annoyance clearly written on her
face. “What else? Spill it because you have five seconds before I rip your
clothes off.”

Her arousal filled his senses. The desire to mark
her burned through his cells.

“One.” Her fingers strayed to the tie on his
pants. “Two.” She slowly pulled the string.

His cock tightened to an unbearable ache. He
searched for the words to describe the beast that stirred beneath his skin. She
reached for the other tie and grazed his erection. His entire body jerked at
the sensation.

“Three.” The knot loosened and his pants dipped at
his waist. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips.

“I cannot do this.” He tightened his grip on her
hips.

“Four, you are running out of time.” She pulled
her shirt over her head. Her taut nipples drew his gaze. Words, right. She
inched his pants off his hips. The fabric slid down his legs to the floor. She
pressed her body against his, trapping his erection between them. “Five,” she
said in a husky voice against his lips.

He captured her mouth and pulled her into a deep
kiss. Arousal surged through his body. He slid his hand down to her ass and
picked her up. Her long legs cinched his waist. The heat of her core pressed
against him.

He carried her to the bedroom and lay her down on
the mattress, pinning his arms and knees on either side of her. “I am not some
toy that you can play with then put away. There will be no running from my
bed,” he warned, his voice rough.

“I would not do that, not to you.” She pressed her
lips into a thin line and stared him straight in the eyes.

He leaned in so their faces were mere inches
apart. “I can smell your fear. You do not want this.”

“I might be afraid, Kamen, but I never said
anything about not wanting you. I’m scared because I do, and I’ll lose you
because I don’t know how to handle us and everything else that is going on with
me.”

His next retort caught in his throat. She needed
his seed, his bond to save her. Without saying as much, her eyes revealed the
knowledge that her transition did not lessen Apep’s hold on her. The fine
threads of his defense started to unravel. She had taken her reluctance to
transitioning off the table. Nor could he ignore Inpu’s words. Kamen just needed
to hold it together for her.

“Being with me is complicated. I am not like other
males.”

“I’ve seen you. All of you.”

Not all, he thought. “When we bond, you will carry
my burden. My shame.”

“Who’s fearful now?” She grunted. “Have you ever
tried to be with someone?”

Since the change, she was the first to ever
penetrate his life. To think of the amount of time she had spent with him the
past day. He would never forget the incredible warmth she had given him while
his body cleansed itself. He had been so cold. Her touch was like fire. His
hands itched to be on her body, feeling those curves that had hugged so closely
to his.

She was right about one thing. It scared the hell
out of him.

Her fingers touched his chest and he flinched. Her
hand trembled ever so slightly. “I’m tired of being alone. I have seen this for
some time now but didn’t understand the dream. I was so scared. I ran when I
should have stopped to see what was right in front of me.”

Her soft lips brushed his and he groaned. Still
weakened, it shot through him unregulated. “You are so beautiful,” he whispered
across her lips. He placed weight on one hand and grabbed behind her neck. His
back ached with a vengeance, but the beast was sluggish from overindulging on
evil souls.

His craving for her would never be sated. It
burned in his gut like fire. The fact that she was reciprocating even stoked
the inferno. A combination of fear and desire rolled out of her in strong
waves.

“You will need to submit to me,” he said, knowing
he needed to dominate her to mark her as his own. One of the many
complications. A fighter by nature, she would have difficulty accepting the
subordinate role. “And I meant what I said before, you will not be able to run.
Once I am inside you, we will be locked together even after I orgasm. At least
until I can control my desire for you, which will be considerably difficult.”

He grazed his lips and teeth up her neck and
stopped at her ear. “Do you still think being with me is worth it?”

Her panted breaths fell like warm water across his
skin as he prepared himself for her refusal. A part of him still expected her
rejection. She never stayed more than five minutes in a man’s bed.

“Worth everything.” Her hands slid down his chest
and abdomen, tracing the lines of his muscles. She slipped her leg up his inner
thigh, pressing against his erection and testicles.

Pleasure shot up the length of him. He slipped his
hand from her neck and grasped the round curve of her ass to pull her tighter
against him. “Forgive me.”

She clasped her arms around his neck and wrapped
her legs around his waist. The extra weight shifted him forward and pressed her
into the mattress.