Soul Unleashed (Key to the Cursed Book 4) (20 page)

Kamen waited for Kit to enter the Council Building.
The ache in his chest worsened with each step she took away from him. Restless
beneath his skin, the beast did not make their separation any easier. She
wanted him to be there and he couldn’t.

His thoughts drifted back to the Nehebkau temple.
He hadn’t been able to be by her side then either, and his absence resulted in
her abduction. He had lost her, a pain worse than any curse could inflict. He
fisted his black hands and forced them into the sunlight. Smoke curled up from
his skin. Wishful thinking on his part.

Dematerializing, he shifted through the realms and
appeared in the palace. Heavy breathing and the scent of blood had him charging
down the hallway.

Siya stood hunched over, clutching one hand on the
veranda wall and the other around her abdomen.

Kamen slowed and searched for Bomani. “Do you need
assistance?”

“Can you deliver a baby?”

He frowned. “No.”

“Then your assistance is not needed.” She blew out
a breath and straightened. “If this is just getting started, I can’t wait to see
what is to come.”

“I will get Bomani.”

She snagged his arm, her grasp no less strong. “I
want you there, when the baby is born.” Panic flickered in the War goddess’
light green eyes.

The beast surged, setting an ache in his spine. He
forced it away and stared at Bomani’s mate. “I am not sure you want me there.” If
Siya transitioned to her demon state, he had no idea what the beast would do.
He was uncertain to the state of the baby, and maybe that was Siya’s concern as
well. “I will get Bomani.” Pulling his arm free, he stepped back.

He dematerialized and reappeared in the warrior
training arena. Bomani and Dennu, the young Creation god, were sparring. Fifty
younglings surrounded the pair, each matched with a dark warrior of equal size
and skill. Formidable foes and unlikely allies. Siya and Bomani’s adopted brood
of Creation orphans joined the Underworld not long ago, filling Aaru with an
amazing amount of living energy. A shadow of what it once was when souls passed
into the afterlife.

Heads turned as Kamen prowled forward,
interrupting the training session.

His nephew lowered his sword. “Uncle.”

“It is time.”

“Time?”

Kamen raised his brows. “The baby.”

Dennu motioned to the others. “Siya is having her
baby.” The group scattered, stowing their weapons and charging down the beach
towards the palace.

“Baby,” Bomani repeated with a shake of his head.
“The baby is not due until the eclipse. That is two days from now.”

“Siya needs you.” He grabbed Bomani by the bicep
and dematerialized before his nephew could protest.

He solidified back on the polished sandstone and
pushed Bomani towards Siya.

“
Siya
,” Bomani said, rushing forward
through the throngs of younglings to support his mate through another
contraction. “Why did you not call for me?”

“The boys needed to continue their training,” she
replied through gritted teeth. The scent of blood filtered in the air.

“Where is Lilly?” he asked, scooping her up.

“They are at the Council.” Kamen met Siya’s
painful stare.

A rumble shook the palace beneath Kamen’s feet. It
ended as soon as it had begun, but Kamen feared it heralded more of what was to
come.

“What in
duat
was that?” Bomani asked,
pulling Siya closer to his chest.

“Get Siya settled. Dennu, remain to assist Bomani.
Everyone armed and on alert.”

Sin, Bakari’s lead warrior, ran down the hall.
“Did you feel that?”

Kamen grabbed Bomani’s bicep. “Get her
comfortable. The younglings will provide you security and assistance.”

Bomani nodded and whisked Siya to their room,
followed by five of the largest Creations.

“Sin, I want one platoon to search every room of
the palace. Make sure everyone is okay and ready to evacuate if needed. All
others down to the gate. Nothing is to get through.”

“What about the dungeon?”

Kamen grabbed the hinge of the door as another
quake rolled through the ground beneath their feet. “I will take care of the
dungeon. Make sure the legion is reinforcing that gate. Kill anything that
crosses.”

Sin nodded and shouted out to the group of
warriors. “Alpha team search the palace. Bravo, Charlie and Delta down to the
gates. Fall out.”

Kamen charged down the sandstone corridor. He
reached out through the blood bond to his master. He only hoped Asar got the
message. If Aaru was under attack, the Creations would be next. His thoughts
drifted to Kit. He filtered his emotions so as not to alarm her. The draw to
protect her choked him, but he had to make sure Aaru was safe in Asar’s
absence.

The large iron gates of the dungeon remained
intact, but the iron bolts entering the stone appeared twisted. Kamen pulled
the key from his pocket, unlocked the barrier and delved into the black
labyrinth of stone. The home of the damned burned his senses. Evil consumed
every inch of this place. Kamen needed to ensure none escaped, especially one
in particular. Set always made good on his promises and would not stop until he
made Kamen suffer. His brother knew there was only one thing that could truly
hurt Kamen. The only thing that meant the world to him. Thankfully, she was far
from Set’s reach at the moment.

He slowed as he approached the last corridor. Here
only the worst of the damned were housed until their execution. The hardest of
metals was four times as thick and buried in tons of stone the full
circumference of the cell. Formidable in its own right, a spell made the prison
impenetrable. But Kamen would not chance even one fracture or splinter of stone
or steel. His brother would not be leaving this cell.

“Coming to check on me, brother?” Set asked from
the dark shadows beyond the barrier.

Kamen ignored Set’s taunt and surveyed every
square inch of metal. Thankfully, everything was intact. The rumble shook
through the stone and rained debris down upon Kamen’s head. If it was any
heavier, it could weaken the structure.

“So it begins.” Set rose from the bench and moved
towards the bars.

“We knew this time would come, even then.” Kamen
met his brother’s stare.

“So what is the plan to save the world?” Set
swirled his finger in the air.

Kamen huffed. “You must be mad, if you think I
would share one damn piece of information with you. As soon as this is over,
you will be sent back to Duat to continue to serve your mandate to Asar. And,
if you fail, you will answer to me.”

Satisfied that the cell would hold, Kamen trudged
towards the exit.

“She will betray you, Kamen, just as all women do.
And, do not be so sure of your place in this world. Soon, the balance of power
will shift, and when it does, I will be there to watch you burn.”

“Now is not the time to overreact,” Chancellor
Thoth said, placating the concerned stares. The all white marble chamber
amplified the murmurs within the Council Chamber loud enough it was giving Kit
a headache.

“We must react or all will be lost. Apep will make
his move when the earth blights out the light of the moon. Darkness will
consume the homeland of Egypt in less than a few days when the Underworld and
the Creation powers are at their weakest. We all knew the Dark Lord could not
be detained indefinitely. We knew this day would come again.”

“I do not need a history lesson, Asar. The Council
fully understands the significance of the anniversary of your brothers’
betrayal. It divided the Pantheon. But, there have been many lunar eclipses
since Apep’s fall. Millenniums have passed without incident. Tomorrow will be
like all the others. I see no reason to raise the Creation Army at this time.”
Heads nodded in agreement to Thoth’s statement.

“Apep was responsible for Set and Kamen’s acts,
long before the war. The Dark Lord was responsible for the reven curse and the
siravants poisoning humans. We have spilled the black blood of Apep for the
last five years. The threat is real. The brink of war is now upon us.”

“Kepi was responsible for the reven curse and she
has been disposed of. The curse has been broken and is no longer spreading. The
issue has been contained, and as far as the siravants, they too were banished
to Duat long ago.”

Asar barked a laugh. “No siravants, really?” He
turned to Bast who sat to the right hand of the Chancellor. “Do you have
anything to say about that, Bast?”

Kit held her breath, knowing Bast couldn’t deny
the attack at the warehouse when Menthu, the God of War, and six siravant
killed two Protectors and left only her as a witness.

Bast opened her mouth to speak.

Thoth answered for the goddess. “Bast has fully
briefed me on the incident. Menthu was responsible for her injuries.”

“And, Meti and Haru?” Asar met Thoth’s stare.

Bomani had saved the two Protector gods’ souls
from a siravant. It was becoming clear to Kit, Thoth had not briefed the
Council on the demise of the Protector gods at siravant hands.

“What happened to Meti and Haru is unfortunate. Nor
are they here to testify to your claims.”

“My word is not good enough?” Asar growled.

Silence fell on the chamber.

Kit gnawed on her gum, irritated and bored with
all the banter. Precious time was ticking away as these gods discussed the
relevance of signs of Apep’s rising. They had no appreciation for what the
revens had done to decimate the human realm, not to mention her family. The
innumerable cursed humans she had to terminate. The smell of death. The
nightmares. The presence of siravants, Apep’s minions, spreading disease and
evil in the world, wasn’t enough? They had not even gotten to the part of
lifting the curse.

Aloof and self-righteous bastards, the lot of
them.

Shifting in her seat, she restrained herself from
storming out of the chamber. Siya warned them not to push the Creations. If the
change were to happen, they had to come to their own conclusion.
Let the
bureaucratic process take place.
On any other day that would be fine, but
with Apep breathing down their necks, this process had to be expedited.

“This is bullshit,” she mumbled and received a hot
warning stare from Lilly. “That’s what it is. Thoth is flat out lying. Making
this out to be a figment of our imagination.”

Lilly leaned into her ear. “He has the power to
lift the curse. We need to let this process play out.”

“Still bullshit. Menthu can walk through that door
any minute and slaughter all of them.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” Kit said and slouched back in her seat
with her arms crossed over her chest. She narrowed her eyes on the Chancellor.
A traitor according to their sources. The god looked like a shriveled bird with
a long curved nose, thin lips and short legs. If Kamen was here, he could shift
through the scents and see if the Chancellor was compromised. She usually had a
sixth sense about people. The god had his own agenda that was certain, but
whose side was he hitting for was the question. Nebt had gained their trust
only to turn a death blade on her sister. Trust was a delicate thread these
days.

Her thoughts drifted back to Kamen. The warmth she
had left with had faded, replaced by a dull ache. Lilly and Kendra had the same
symptoms when they were separated from their mates. The longer the separation,
the stronger the ache would grow. Only when they found each other again would
the pain dissipate. The draw to be with him only added to her agitation. Their
time together was slipping away while she sat here listening to—bullshit.

She refocused back on the conversation between
Thoth and Asar, only to find they were arguing about the same god damn thing.
She groaned, loud enough it turned a few heads.

Lilly whipped her head around. “Please, don’t make
a scene.”

Kit narrowed her eyes at her sister, tempted to
jump out of her seat and run around screaming. Her ass hurt from sitting on
marble for god knew how many hours when she could be wrapped up in Kamen’s arm
making love in their bed. “A scene. Oh, you haven’t seen me at my worst.”

Lilly’s eyes widened. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“Be afraid, very afraid,” Kit growled.

Kendra chewed on her lip that had curled up into a
smile.

Asar cleared his throat and stared at Kit.
“Perhaps we need to take a short break from our discussions. Refreshments?”

Thoth glanced from Asar to Kit and back.
“Certainly. Please forgive me ladies, I am not attuned to human limitations.”

“Limitations?” Kit stood and confronted the
Chancellor. Okay, she didn’t care what side this guy was on, he was an asshole.

“Kit.” Asar held out his hand and directed her
down the aisle and out the door.

Furious, Kit stalked out the receiving door and
into the hallway. “This is taking way too long. We should be back in Aaru, not
here quibbling over things that happened thousands of years ago. The war is
here. It’s now.”

Asar ran a hand through his hair. “I do not
disagree with you, but you must show the Council respect. Especially when we
need their assistance in this war.”

Despite Lilly’s warning glare, Kit pursued,
knowing she was challenging a god that could take her life with a mere thought.
Sister-in-law or not, she was crossing a line no one dared to test. “That is
where you are wrong. It is they who need the Underworld.
They
need
us
.
They need
you
, not the other way around.” She knew from her dreams the
Creations ran when they needed them most.

The air around her chilled. Asar’s eyes darkened.
“
Again,
I do not disagree with you, but we need the curse lifted in
order to battle Apep. This is the way of the Pantheons. You cannot change
millions of years of history.”

Lilly grabbed Kit’s arm. “Asar is right. Like it
or not, we have to think of the Pantheon.”

“What does it matter anyway? They will not lift
the curse on Kamen.”

“Kamen knows and understands that fact, as should
you.” Asar turned and opened the door back to the chamber. “I will move
discussions along as fast as I can.”

“In a rush?” Thoth asked, appearing in the
doorway. He stepped through and settled his eyes on Kit. His blue eyes measured
her. “I meant no disrespect, my lady. I apologize for being unsympathetic to
the changes you must be going through. I imagine it is not easy for a human to
adjust to the transition. So much power flowing through those veins—unsettling
I am sure.” The insincerity dripped from the god’s apology, nothing short of
condescending.

“Come, let me find you a place to rest.” Thoth
moved forward, but Asar stepped between the god and Kit.

“Kit is not going anywhere.”

“You dare insult me with your lack of trust?”

“Consider it a life lesson,” Asar said, glaring
down at the god.

“Ten minutes time and you will have your demi-god
back.”

“What is it you want with her?”

“Just a few questions is all that I require for
the ancient records, nothing more. If you allow it, I perhaps could persuade
the Council to consider your request on a temporary basis.”

Asar measured Kit. “You can ask your questions in
my presence.”

“I will meet with him,” Kit blurted out.

“May I speak with you alone?” Asar glared at Kit.

She nodded and followed the Lord of the Underworld
down the hall. He turned to her when they were around the corner. “I made a
promise to Kamen to keep you safe. I do not trust the Chancellor. His soul is
unreadable, which causes me great concern. If anything happened to you…”

“This is important to the Pantheon. Maybe I can
find out what he is up to and in the process lift the ban.”

“I do not have a good feeling about it.”

“We both know Thoth will drag this out until you
agree. We have very little time. We need this.”

“Kamen will not take kindly to you getting hurt.”

“I faced the beast, remember, and survived. I
think I can handle the ostrich.” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder in the
direction of the Chancellor.

The edges of Asar’s lip circled up. “Ostrich?
Never thought of that one, but it fits.” He stepped back. “Thoth is almost as
old as I am. Very intelligent and cunning. Be careful not to agree to anything.
A simple word could bind you to something you do not want.”

“Ammut will keep me safe.” Kit tapped her heart.

Asar’s eyes softened. “I was worried how your
bonding to Kamen might affect you. To be honest, I am surprised the beast seems
very content.”

“Kamen said the same thing.”

Asar steamed out a breath. “Ten minutes, not a
second more.”

“Thank you.” Kit followed Asar back to the group.

“You get ten minutes, Thoth. And so help me if you
go back on your word.”

“Shall we.” Thoth smiled and held out his hand,
guiding Kit to his personal chambers.

Kit entered the gleaming ornate office. She ran
her fingertip along the gold desk and stopped next to an open text with a gold
quill. Black hieroglyphics spanned the parchment and stopped in the middle of
the page. The scribe, the librarian to the Pantheon. Author of the sacred
texts, she reminded herself.

“So, do you make this stuff up as you go along? Or
do you actually write about the events that have come to pass?”

“Please do not touch that, my dear,” Thoth stated when
she picked up the quill and ran her fingers over the plume.

She brought the soft feathers to her nose. A
floral scent filled her senses. “So this is how you write what gods decree?”
She set the quill down and continued to survey the bookcase filled to the
ceiling.

Thoth shifted the pen back into its original
position. “Yes.”

“Do you record the decree or what happens as a
result?”

He tracked her procession around the room. “I
thought it was I who was to ask the questions.”

Kit stopped and faced him. “Sorry, I’m just so
fascinated by your role in this. I apologize if my curiosity makes you
uncomfortable.”

His gaze drifted down the front of her and paused
where the slit in her gown exposed her long leg. “You are an enigma. So unlike
your mother.”

Sensing the Chancellor’s attraction to her to the
point of arousal, she smiled. Creepy, but something she could use against him.
“My mother and I have little in common.” In fact, Kit had made it her mission
to be as dissimilar to her mother as possible, something she would have to get
over if they were to make amends.

“So you have questions of me, Chancellor Thoth.”
She sauntered up to the god and stopped just within his personal space.
Filtering through the different scents, she detected no foul odors that would
indicate he was compromised. She reminded herself that Nebt had fooled everyone,
and she was in deep with Apep.

He stared her in the eyes. “Yes.” He looked away
and cleared his throat. “Your mother has taken a great risk siring you.”

Kit exhaled a long breath and sat down in the
closest chair. “Siring demi-gods is illegal, I know.”

“I have little concern over her breaching the law
or your sisters.”

“You don’t like me,” she said out loud.

“You are a great risk,” he said matter-of-factly.

She crossed her legs, allowing her gown to slide
free to expose her entire leg up to her thigh. “A great risk to whom? You or
Apep?” Or both, she surmised.

He sat on the edge of his desk, quiet for several
minutes. Uncomfortable with his silence, she resisted the urge to shift in her
chair.

“You’re ten minutes are almost up, Chancellor.”
She bounced her crossed leg in time with the seconds ticking by without his
questions being asked or answered.

“You are a risk to everyone.” He rose and moved to
the wall and grabbed a book from the shelf. “You have no idea how powerful you
are, do you?” he asked, returning with the book.

She frowned, not liking what he was insinuating.
“If you brought me in here to insult me, you have succeeded.” Furious, she rose
from her chair.

“The sacred books were never meant to be together.
Too powerful, they were separated. Your mother was foolish to do what she has
done.”

“What are you saying?” Kit snapped, annoyed how
ten minutes could take so long.

Thoth glared at her. “The Demotic text was given
to Asar. The Creation text to an unnamed warrior. The third your mother hid in
a place unknown to anyone. We already know Nebt has defected and taken the Demotic
text. Apep just needs to find the third, and he will break free of his prison.”

“And, you think I know where the third text is?”
Kit laughed. “If that is the question you wanted answered, I’m sorry, but you
are going to be disappointed.” She moved to the door.