Soul Unleashed (Key to the Cursed Book 4) (19 page)

Pressing her palms to his chest, she increased her
rhythm. She gasped as he grew harder inside, lengthening his reach. Grasping
her breast he brushed his rough thumbs against her nipples. Arching back, she
drove him deeper.

Each thrust caused him to moan. This was how she
wanted her last moments with him. Pleasure threatened to burst, and not wanting
it to end, she slowed. He grasped her hips and jerked her forward, deepening
his penetration. Her orgasm erupted, long and powerful. She arched back and
screamed with each spasm.

As she drifted down from her high, Kamen rolled
her onto her back and unleashed his desire. Unforgiving, he crushed her mouth,
consuming her completely. Orange embers burned with intensity in his gaze. Wild
and dangerous. She may have thought she was in control, but Kamen would always
dominate her and leave her begging for more.

With each penetration, she gasped. Deeper. Harder.
Her entire body trembled, letting her know all that preceded was mere foreplay.
His muscles rippled under her fingers as she dug into his skin. Trembling
turned to shaking, her core burned as energy tightened and coiled to the point
she thought she would explode.

Kamen growled and tightened his grip. “Kitten.”

“Yes, now,” Kit yelled and thrashed beneath him.
“God, Kamen now.”

His entire body stiffened as he burst inside her.
Shrapnel of dark energy ignited the flames in her core, boiling her pleasure
over into pure ecstasy.

He shouted and jerked as he orgasmed again with
her. Pinning his elbows in the sand, he collapsed. Kit panted against his neck,
too exhausted to move. His body shook against hers so, she worried he might
retreat to the chamber. She fingered through his hair. “Are you okay?”

He kissed her neck. “Yes.”

Despite his assurances, his body still trembled
and he had yet to look at her. Something had happened when they blacked out.
Things felt amazing but slightly off. “Are we okay?”

He lifted his head and brushed his thumbs against
her cheeks. “Yes.”

“Good.”

His dark stare analyzed her. He shook his head.

“What?”

“Come on…” he shifted up to stand, keeping her
tight to his hips.

“Where exactly are we going?” With him supporting
her weight in his hands, she reached out and snagged the discarded garments.

“A quick shower and bed.”

“Bed?” The last thing she wanted to do was sleep.

He grinned wickedly. “Bed. Floor. Shower. I have
millenniums to make up in the next twelve hours. I am sure as fuck not going to
waste it.”

Twelve hours. Kit forced her uneasiness away in a
deep part of her soul. Now was not the time to be reminded about the war. Kamen
and she deserved every minute of this, however short. She loved him—that would
never change.

Beads of water trailed down Kit’s spine, tracking
along the scar left by the snake. She arched back into him as he entered her
from behind. Her legs trembled with each thrust. He had been brutal and
unrelenting, but for the love of the gods he could not get enough of Kit’s
climatic screams.

One more,
he promised himself before he
lost himself completely. He forced away his worry about the missing time. The
beast had taken control of him. What happened after was anyone’s guess, but
since waking, the beast was silent as if it never existed. Kamen did not want
to ponder
why,
for it would return and enact its vengeance. It always
had.

In the meantime he would make the most of his time
with Kit. Her pleas pulled him back to the moment.

She squirmed against his chest. “You’re killing
me.”

He kissed the deep curve of her neck. “Want me to
put you out of your misery?”

“Yes.”

He slipped his warm fingers around and caressed
her swollen clitoris, granting her wish. He slowed his thrust to match the lazy
torturous swirls. She gasped and rocked against him in a slow but beautiful
rhythm.

His groin tightened into a heavy ache as the
pressure built with each moan and gasp. A small amount of his seed spilled into
her. He grunted, forcing himself to wait for her. He forced himself deeper and
danced his fingers fast across her. Her channel clenched him tightly, caressing
his head and shaft in its grip.

He cursed, unable to hold on. Growling, he grasped
her hips with both hands and drove into her. His orgasm exploded and ignited a
cascade of energy through his entire body. She screamed as his energy
penetrated her, setting off a series of orgasms.

Kamen pulled her to his chest and sat down on the
shower floor with her in his lap. It would be a few minutes before he could
pull out of her.

She groaned and rolled her head to the side. “I
think you destroyed me.”

He tipped his head back on the stone wall and
smiled, contentment flowing through him. “I think I destroyed myself.”

He ran his hand down over her long black hair
draped against her shoulder. For so long he had wondered the smoothness of it.
Softer. Shinier now that she had transitioned, more beautiful than he ever
thought possible.

He had nothing to offer her, yet here she was,
curled against his chest. Beneath his muscle and bone, beat a heart he’d feared
he had lost. He supposed on some level he had all those many years ago. Could
he be that male? The one deserving of her.

He did not know the answer but would make it his
mission to honor her.

She turned and snuggled against his chest. Gone
was the pain he had always lived with, replaced by an unfamiliar sensation of
warmth and need.

“Did you know we would end up together?” he asked
against her neck.

She exhaled a long breath and looked up at him.
“Yes. Do you hate me?”

He brushed the hair from her cheek. She had fought
him every step of the way. Taunted him for reasons he could only guess. An
attraction long since denied. “Never.”

“I’m sorry for what I put you through.”

“Do not speak of it. I was not any better.”

“Guess we deserve each other,” she said with a sly
grin.

“Yes.” He believed it. Both outcasts on some
level.

She turned in his lap and touched the hieroglyphic
on his chest. “I’m glad we found each other.” A hint of sadness colored her
words.

His heart clenched knowing in a few hours their
lives would change even more than they had already. He rose to his feet,
cradling her against his chest. She needed to rest. Asar’s deadline to report
was fast approaching. Soon the palace would become a fortress full of warriors
dressed for battle.

“I’m not tired,” Kit said on a yawn.

Ignoring her obvious lie, he laid them both onto
the soft mattress.

“I don’t want to sleep.” She frowned and stared up
at the ceiling.

“You won’t be alone,” he said and pulled her
tighter against his body. “I will watch over you.”

Tears shimmered in her eyes and she quickly looked
away. Her sadness rippled across the bond.

Kamen grasped her chin and turned her to meet his
gaze. “I will never leave you.”

* * *

Kit believed Kamen’s words with all her heart. His
commitment to her reverberated across that invisible line. He would never leave
her. But, she would need to leave him. It was the only way to ensure they could
defeat Apep. Her mother was right—she needed to bring her father and the other
cursed souls home to Aaru.

Kamen could not follow. He was needed on the
frontlines to fight Apep’s army and kept far away from the Dark Lord’s castle
in Duat. For it was there in her dreams, Kamen would die. And that, she could
never let happen.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, just overwhelmed I guess.” Kit kissed
his lips.

Kamen narrowed his gaze. “Are you sure?”

She nodded and hugged him tight. “I am here. That is
enough for me.”

The scent of bacon and eggs roused Kit from her
sleep. Standing shirtless with low slung black pants, Kamen held an enormous
tray of breakfast foods. Kit stretched her arms over head and smiled. It was
the little things.

She crawled to the edge of the bed and picked off
a slice of bacon. The salty meat crunched in her mouth. “Mmm.”

Satisfaction curled the edge of his lip. “Sit.”

She leaned up against the headboard in the middle
of the bed and patted the spot next to her. “How did you know I was starved?”

He sat and placed the tray across her lap. “Your
growling stomach woke me up.”

“Funny,” she said and stuffed eggs into her mouth.
“God, this is so good.”

His eyes traveled over her face and then down her
body. “Are you sore?”

She ached in all the right places. The good kind
of ache that left an indelible memory of great sex. She grinned and leaned her
head against his shoulder. “God yes.”

Grasping her hand, he traced the lines on her palm
while she stuffed in more food with the other. Filling her fork, she gave him
the next bite. “Want more?” she offered.

He shook his head. “I am fine. Finish, I will just
watch.”

Always difficult to read, she assessed his
expression. A mix of curiosity and disbelief. Realization settled in. He had
never woken up with a female like this before, sharing breakfast in his bed
after an amazing night of love making. She wished she could give him many more,
but everything hinged on them winning the war. All the more reason to do what
she needed to do to finish Apep once and for all.

She wiped her mouth with the napkin and pushed the
tray away. Straddling his hips, she rubbed her full belly. “Thank you.”

He brushed his thumb across her lips, dabbing a
spot she missed. “Do you want more?”

“More of what?” she asked with a smirk.

His fingers trailed down her neck to her
collarbone and then brushed her peaked nipple. She inhaled sharply. God, she
wanted him all over again to the point they would never leave this bed. “A
whole lot more of that.”

A low purr rumbled in his chest. “Sadly, it will
have to wait. Your sisters are waiting for you.”

Kit groaned and rolled off of Kamen. “I don’t want
to go to the Council. A bunch of tight nosed hypocrites.”

He rolled onto his side and traced the line down
her sternum. “I will not argue that fact. However, today’s decision may lift
the Underworld curse and commit Creation forces in the war.”

It won’t help, she thought. “Maybe we can sneak
off and have sex on the Chancellor’s desk.”

“I will not be going.”

She sat up. “Not going?”

“Someone needs to stay back and watch Aaru.”

Narrowing her eyes, she knew there was more to it.
If the bond was good for one thing, it was sensing when he wasn’t quite telling
the whole truth. “They won’t let you come, will they?”

He exhaled a long breath and shifted off the bed.
“Come, let us get you ready,” he said and walked into the bathroom.

“Damn it.” She jumped off the bed and followed
him.

“It is how things will be, Kit.” He held a white
silk gown with gold filigree.

“It’s not fair.” She pouted and crossed her hands
over her bare breasts.

Frowning, he said nothing.

“What is that?” Kit curled her mouth in disgust.

“A Councilman’s dress.” He pulled it from the
hanger and motioned her forward.

“I am not going to wear it.”

Ignoring her protest, he settled it over her head.
The cool silky material caressed her skin, covering her chest but leaving her
arms exposed. Unlike the dresses she had seen Lilly and Kendra wear, this one
lacked the deep plunging neckline.

Either this was Kamen’s way of keeping her assets
covered or his mark on her chest. “Is this really necessary?” She pointed to
the fabric.

“Yes.” He glared at her, warning her not to go
there.

A warning she ignored. “I told you before, Kamen.
I don’t care what they think.”

He steamed a breath out his nose and stared at the
floor. “I know you don’t. As far as they know, Aten was responsible for your
transition. Apep must not know you are mated to me, so you can sniff out those
influenced by the Dark Lord.”

“Chancellor Thoth?”

“Him most of all, but there may be others.”

She stepped into his arms. “I don’t want to go
without you.” He had always been at her side, watching over her.

“I do not like it either, but I will always be
with you.” He touched her mark on his chest. “As you are with me.”

She sighed and stepped back, grumpy with the task
at hand. “Fine.”

“Do not be angry with me, Kit.”

“I’m not angry with you.” She was angry at the
Creation Pantheon. With Asar for doing this to Kamen.

His brow softened and he cupped her cheek. “If it
wasn’t for Asar’s decision, I would be in Duat.”

“I know.” Despite the truth, it wasn’t any easier to
swallow. “You deserve better than this.” He may have accepted his fate, but Kit
would never tolerate anyone treating him any differently.

He tipped her head back and forced her to meet his
stare. “You will need to accept this as I have. Asar gave me another chance of
life. To choose a different path. An opportunity to be with you.”

God, when he put it that way it made her feel sick
to her stomach. Had he been condemned, just as Set, they would have been on
different sides, maybe even enemies. But watching him suffer after leaving the
chamber and knowing night after night he went back for more despite the pain,
made her chest ache. So long he had been alone and now they were finally
together, only to know it would be taken away.

Blowing out a heavy breath, she hugged him. “Give
me a minute to fix my hair and I’ll be out.”

“Okay.” He kissed the top of her head and stepped
back.

She turned towards the mirror and twisted her hair
up into a bun. After she heard the outer door close, she sagged against the
sink, overcome by the weight of what was to come. She worried not about the
Council. The war would be lost with or without their help. She needed a plan
and quickly. How to get to Apep before the eclipse?

She cranked on the faucet. A
clink
drew her
attention to the bowl. “What the hell?” She picked a crystal vial out of the
water. Lifting it up to the light, she inspected the clear liquid shimmering
inside. Realizing she had seen this vial once before in her dreams, her breath
caught in her throat. Only a flash, she didn’t understand its significance.
What was Kamen doing with this?

Straightening, she tucked it into the slim pocket
of her gown. Her mother would know and maybe even have an idea how to get to
Apep and bring the cursed souls home. After her last trip through Duat, it was
unlikely Kamen, her sisters and even Asar would let her go on this suicide
mission. But there was one god who could get her there and back. The question
was, would she take that risk of trusting Set? Well, trust was not quite the
word she would use with Kamen’s brother, more like risk making a deal. But,
what would motivate Set to go up against Apep?

She had little time to figure it out.
Straightening her gown, she exited to meet up with her sisters. Kamen stood by
Asar in a private conversation while Lilly and Kendra nervously waited for her
arrival.

“Kit.” Kendra motioned her over.

“Hi.” Kit joined the group.

Lilly assessed her from head to toe. “I take it
things worked out between you and Kamen,” she asked with her eyebrow raised.

Kit failed to suppress her grin. “Yes.”

Lilly blew out a breath. “I’m glad. We weren’t
sure what was going to happen.”

“Sorry to cause you to worry. We just had to work
things out.”

“He seems happy,” Kendra said with a smile.

“He does?” Kit asked, surprised. She had a
horrible time reading him. Maybe that would change with time.

“Yeah, he does.” Lilly squeezed Kit’s hand.

Kamen, happy?

Kit looked up to find Kamen watching her. His
thick black hair brushed his large shoulders and dusted his brows. She did not
have to hide her interest or feign annoyance. He was hers. The thought warmed
her heart and quickened her pulse.

Siya waddled up to the group. Her belly appeared
to grow even farther overnight. “A Creation delegation will meet you at the
gate to allow for your safe passage.”

“Time to go,” Asar motioned to Bakari.

Kamen stepped back along the veranda wall. “Call
if you need me.”

“Let us hope it does not come to that.” Asar shook
Kamen’s hand.

Kamen pulled Kit to the side. “That goes for you,
too. If you get in trouble, beast or otherwise, reach out to me through the
bond. I will come for you.”

“I will.”

Kamen was the first to back away. “Godsspeed.”

Lilly reached for Kit’s hand and the entire room
shifted. Her body became lighter than air, shifting weightlessly through the
realms, absent of Kamen. For all the craziness in her life, he was her rock.
Predictable. Stable. When she was anything but.

A wave of dizziness passed through her when her
form returned solid. Beneath her feet glittered an iridescent rainbow of
colors. Translucent but solid, the bridge stretched for a mile beyond an
enormous and intricate gate, not unlike the one separating Aaru from Duat.

White twisted spires pierced the veil of large
fluffy clouds in the bright blue sky. A large white dome with a sun disc at its
peak filled the center of the floating city. Kit grabbed Lilly to steady
herself, overwhelmed by the sheer beauty. They had always transported directly
to the Council Chambers and were never allowed out beyond the doors. Now that
the gates were closed, it forced them to come to the front door. And, what a
door.

“Let us see if our cousins held up their promise.”
Asar extended his hand from the shadows. The Underworld Lord’s skin remained
its rich olive tone, and didn’t blister in the sun.

“It seems they have,” Bakari said and stepped onto
the bridge next to Kendra. The colors brightened to gold beneath their feet.

“For how long?” Asar grasped Lilly’s hand and
kissed it.

“We shall see, love.” Lilly kissed him back.

Kit frowned, knowing Kamen would never be allowed
by her side. Not in this realm. “Let’s get this over with.” She stalked towards
the gate. “Does this thing have a doorbell?” She ran her fingers over the metal,
and it groaned and slid open. “Ah, I thought this was supposed to be locked,”
Kit said and looked over her shoulder to Asar.

“They are. It takes Creation blood to open them.”
Asar entered the gap in the gate. “Although I would have expected sentries.”

“Siya said the security was lax.” Lilly followed
Asar.

“I do not like it,” Bakari said, pulling his Mevt
daggers free.

“Put them away, son. We do not want them to
perceive us as a threat.”

“We are not the enemy,” Bakari growled but stowed
his weapons.

“No, we aren’t,” Kit agreed.

“That may be, but I am not willing to lose this
opportunity.” Asar grabbed the gate and shifted it back into place until the
locking mechanism engaged. “Everyone sticks together.” He shifted his gaze to
Kit. “I promised Kamen I would watch over you.”

“I appreciate that.” Kit walked along the bridge
and stared over the edge. The thick clouds filled the void below, like a fluffy
mattress you could fall into.

Kit turned back to the gate. She might be
Creation, but she belonged to the darkness. She narrowed her eyes on the
shadows beyond the gate. Kamen stood at the dividing line between the realms, his
skin black and cold, unlike his brothers. Kit grabbed the gate, wanting nothing
more than to go to him.

“Let us go,” Asar called behind her.

She hesitated, knowing where she belonged.

“Go, Kitten. I will be here waiting.”

“I know.” In her heart she knew he would wait
because she wanted him to, but Aaru needed protection. Siya and the baby. The
younglings. Their home.

She released the metal. With each step she
wondered whether they would ever be rid of the barriers between them.

Their only chance resided in the Council’s decision
and disrupting Apep’s plan. A long shot, but worth fighting for.