Soul Unleashed (Key to the Cursed Book 4) (9 page)

The entire legion stood along the banks of the
serpentine river, fortifying the golden gates. Asar lowered his staff into the
water. With a recited prayer, a ripple formed and shot out across the river to
the other side.

Kamen positioned himself ahead of Asar, ready to
defend him if necessary. The waters parted and revealed a large braided rope.
The warriors filed into the water on either side and hoisted the towline. In
cadence the dark warriors pulled the massive weight. The rope grew taut and
more warriors joined to muscle the enormous boat tethered to the end.

The wooden funerary Mesektet emerged from the
menacing fog in the distance. The white canopy torn from its mast flapped in
the wind. Blackness scored deep into the fossilized wood, a testament to the
terrible battles waged night after night for millenniums.

“I do not like this,” Kamen grumbled.

“We do not have to like it, brother. It is a
necessary evil.”

“I will kill him, if he dare speak to you ill.”

“Relax. Set has been waiting for this a long time.
As have I.”

Kamen narrowed his eyes on his brother. “You knew
this would come to pass?”

“Set’s message was all but clear when he stopped
arriving at the gates. He knew I would call upon him eventually. He means to
blackmail us, of that I am certain.”

Kamen stared at the approaching boat. “He will use
Kit against us?”

Asar grabbed Kamen’s shoulders. “Set’s scheming
started prior to Kit. Prior to Kendra and Bakari. The moment the reven curse
was broken and all those souls arrived along his shores, Set knew he had the
upper hand. Do not think I did not notice the look in your eyes at the meeting.
You know as well as I, the gates are our weakness. Set knows it too.”

“Set’s sentence prohibits him from joining with
Apep.” But, Set was resourceful, if not cunning.

“He does not need to join Apep to force our hand.
Set not bringing the souls to the gates, only makes Apep stronger.”

“What do you think he wants?”

“We shall soon find out.” Asar turned back to the gates
and waved the warriors from the towline. He lifted his staff, allowing the
water to reclaim the riverbed.

The current guided the boat the remaining distance
and slowed to a stop, inches from the gate’s dock.

Kamen’s muscles tensed, sensing his twin on the
other side of the scrolled iron. Silence fell across the warriors.

“Show yourself,” Asar commanded.

Set emerged from behind the tattered canopy.
“
Before
him stands the serpent god, called Set. The great Lord Asar and twelve amikhiu
gods take hold of the towline and draw the god in his boat through the body of
the serpent and bringing him out at his mouth
.
” Set rapped the wooden
oar on the deck of the boat. “It is a rare treat, Asar,” Set said, yet his eyes
remained locked on Kamen.

Kamen held his twin’s stare. Set’s hair hung in
long knotted dreds down past his hips. Links that should be bound through Set’s
wrists, hung free on the oar. The boat’s master was no longer tethered to his
boat.

Once the larger and stronger twin, Set had
dominated Kamen in their childhood. That was then. Kamen’s fear of Set died the
day Asar forgave him. Set held no power over him.

“Set,” Asar said in return.

“Brother.” Set’s black eyes shifted to Asar. “To
what do I hold this pleasure?”

“Why have you not brought the souls to their
resting place?”

Set ignored Asar’s question and returned his
attention back to Kamen. “Is this how Asar treats his prisoners? I appear to
have received the short end of the judgment.”

Kamen stepped forward, only to be blocked by
Asar’s forearm.

“I ask you again, Set, where are the souls?”

“Souls?” A large grin spread across Set’s face.
“Or soul?”

“Kamen!” Asar hollered a second too late.

Kamen growled and launched himself at the gate. He
reached through and grasped his brother by the throat and slammed Set into the
iron. “Where is she?”

Set laughed. “She? You will need to be more
specific.”

Asar grabbed Kamen’s arm. “Release him.”

“He knows where she is.”

“I will not tell you again.”

Kamen tightened his grip for a moment and then
shoved Set away.

Asar hustled Kamen back along the dock. “Damn it,
get ahold of yourself.”

Kamen eyed Set’s smug look, which only infuriated
him more. Asar planted a heavy hand on his chest. “Don’t.”

“You have trained him well,” Set called out.

Asar glared at Set. “Be grateful I stepped in,
next time do not count on it.” Asar held out his hand and muttered a prayer.
The metal gates groaned and opened wide enough for a security team to pass.
Bomani and Bakari carried venom laden wrist and leg irons and bound Set.

Asar remained between Kamen and the security team
escorting Set.

“I need you at my side with Set. If you cannot
hold it together, tell me now.”

“I am fine,” Kamen lied. He was holding on by a
thin thread. Dread was churning in his gut. Kit was in trouble and he could do
nothing. Helplessness reminded him of when the beast was in control. Something
he despised and worse, feared.

“Search the boat and then meet me in the
interrogation room.”

Kamen nodded. He forced his eyes to the Mesektet.
A glimmer of hope forced his legs along the dock. He grabbed the bow of the
ship and leaped onto the deck. Wooden benches lined up port to starboard. All
empty for some time.

Dried blood coated the sidewall along the oar
mount. Based on the wounds at Set’s wrists, the oar’s shackles were ripped
away. An impossible task since the shackles were bound by a spell. A spell that
could only be broken by the Book of the Dead.

“Nebt,” Kamen hissed. If Nebt had reached out to
Set, there was no telling how much information their brother had gained about
the Carrigan sisters. Or, what she may have offered him in exchange for his
allegiance.

He continued aft. A pile of blankets lay on the
floor. He knelt down and dug through the wool material. Kit’s scent was nowhere
to be found
.

Circling, he retraced his steps in the hopes of
finding even minuscule evidence she was alive. The entire boat was covered in
gray dust. Larger debris piled in the corners. He picked up a few pieces and
ground them in his palm. Black soot colored the pads of his fingertips. Fire, a
huge one, considering the amount of ash covering the boat.

A whiff of bitterness stopped him in his tracks.
Kamen leaned over the edge on the port side. He grasped the rope and pulled it
up onto the deck. Although there was nothing visible on the line, the faint
stench of death permeated the rope. He tracked the scent to the location where
Set’s blood stained the deck. The scent matched Nebt’s.

He had witnessed Nebt’s cruelty towards Inpu, her
husband, and then Siya. Tearing their souls in half for the sheer pleasure of
inflicting pain. Apep would do far worse, if he found Kit.

Kamen stared at the oar leaning against the
railing. He palmed the worn area of the wood. The vessel shifted away from the
dock and pulled at the metal anchor. He released his grip and the boat eased
back into place.

His gaze shifted over the open water before he
dematerialized to the interrogation room. He had wasted enough time. Set would
tell him what he needed to know. Warriors scattered out of Kamen’s way as he
stalked the length of the black stone catacombs. Bakari stood on the inside of
the bars with his Mevt daggers palmed in his hands. As Kamen approached, his
nephew nodded to the guards to open the door to the antechamber.

“Has he said anything?” Kamen asked.

“No.” His nephew eyed Set. “I always imagined him
larger than he is.”

Kamen agreed. The legend with renowned cruelty
looked weathered and broken since being stripped of his powers. For so long
Kamen was forced to look up to the asshole. Now it was Set staring up at him.
However he appeared, Set was far from nebulous. He could not be underestimated
or trusted, not after years of battling Apep night after night. His brother was
just as lethal and cunning as the day he was banished. “Do not get complacent.
Set is a ruthless bastard.”

“Father told me. Do not worry, I have no problem
terminating his sorry ass if the need should arise.”

Kamen slapped Bakari on the back. “That makes two
of us.”

Asar turned to greet Kamen. “Anything?”

“Nebt definitely paid him a visit. Broke the spell
to release him.”

“She used the book to travel between the realms?”

“I imagine so. The question is what did she offer
Set? And, did he agree?”

“No better time to find out.” Asar searched
Kamen’s face. “Are you up for this? I need him alive long enough for us to get
the information we need.”

Kamen exhaled a long breath. “Let us make this
quick.”

Asar placed the key in the lock and opened the
inner chamber. Kamen followed Asar with Bakari a short step behind.

“Quite the welcoming party.” Set leveled his gaze
at each one of them in passing.

“This can be as pleasant or painful as you like,
brother
.”
Asar slammed the chair down in front of Set and sat to face him. Kamen
positioned himself behind Asar, so he could look his brother in the eyes. If
Set lied, Kamen would know it.

“I have given myself up freely. There is no need
for animosity during our long overdue family reunion.”

“Cut the bullshit, Set. You have obviously broken
your mandate. I want to know why, and do not give me some sorry ass excuse. It
will make this a lot easier if you just lay it all out on the table.”

Set huffed. “You have not changed a bit, big
brother, even the dead version of you lacks the decency for idle conversation.”

“We are not here to hash out the past. I want to
know what is going on in Duat.”

“A storm is brewing. But you already know that,
don’t you? It is interesting you know, watching from the other side. Waves of
dead flooding the banks, and I wonder, has the world fallen into chaos. After
all this time, what does it look like with all the carnage that is arriving on
my shores?

“We are not here for a history lesson. Why have
you broken your mandate?”

“I did not ask to be released, if that is what you
are asking.” Set raised his arms, displaying the ragged wounds.

“We know Nebt is responsible.” Kamen moved
forward, impatient with his twin. “What did she ask in exchange?”

“Nothing actually, except maybe an opportunity,”
Set smiled, “to see you suffer.”

Kamen’s vision bled orange, fury of the beast
within. “It is you who will suffer if the human is not returned to us,” Kamen
snarled.

“Nebt did say you fancied the lass. Hair black as
midnight. Eyes blue as the sea. Body…” Set whistled.

“Where is she?” Kamen’s bellow rattled the room.

“Your call was poorly timed.” Set turned to Asar.
“She was on the shore not far from my boat.”

Asar stood and stepped between Kamen and Set. “Kit
is alive?”

“I thought her name was Katherine, huh.” Set
tapped his finger on his chin.

“Tell us what you know.” Kamen fisted his hands,
barely able to hold himself together.

“She is alive—for now. Flowers are delicate, you
know, and will wither without the sun.”

“Stop talking riddles, and get to the point,” Asar
snapped.

Set sighed as if this whole encounter bored him.
“Apep has made ready the path to the human realm, scorching the hallowed field
of reeds with his foul breath. And, if you must know brother, I have not
arrived to the gates because there are no souls to deliver. Apep consumes them
before they can even reach the waters. There is
nothing
to deliver, my
dear brother.”

“So you just sat back and watched the destruction
of souls? I’d say that violates your penance.”

“I do not remember interfering in the souls
journey or preventing war as part of my mandate. An oversight on your part
perhaps.” Set smiled smugly.

“He’s lying.” Kamen knew his brother too well not
to pick up on the tick in the corner of his eye.

“Which part?” Set leveled his stare on Kamen.

“All of it,” Kamen growled.

“Here’s a truth. You are dying to dip your dick
into that cunt but were too much of a pussy to do it. Apep will be sure to make
up for your shortcomings.”

Asar exhaled a breath and stepped out of Kamen’s
way. “Now for that, you will pay.”

Kamen slammed his fist into Set’s jaw. His
brother’s head snapped back into the black stone he was sitting against. “Watch
your words, or I will rip the lungs from your chest.” Set’s wide eyes reflected
the orange glow of Kamen’s fury. Kamen shoved his twin against the wall with
his forearm thrust against his throat.

“My, how you have changed,” Set sneered.

“A fact you will remember.” Kamen pushed off and
stepped back. “You will answer your Lord with the truth, if you want even a
chance to live the next few minutes.”

Set spat blood onto the floor next to Kamen’s
feet. “You would be doing me a favor.”

“Really? Considering the alternative?” Asar
interjected. “Your soul is condemned, the only thing keeping you from Apep’s
hall of horrors is the fact that I have shown you mercy.”

“Mercy? Is that what you call it, Kamen?”

There were moments Kamen agreed with Set, but he
knew Asar’s intentions were selfless and he would honor his choice, no matter
the pain Kamen endured these past centuries. “Just rewards.”

“Whatever you say.”

“The souls?”

“They scattered during the attack. Most are cursed
and not worth saving.”

“That is for me to judge.” Asar sat back down in
the chair. “Is Jonathan Carrigan among them?”

“I do not know the man by name, but he shows up on
the banks, searching for Katherine.”