Caress The Dark God [Scions of the Ankh 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (7 page)

“Torian, I have nothing to offer you. I will stay and help with this medical emergency, but then I’m leaving. I can’t be anyone’s plaything ever again.” Anubis was shocked at the hurt that echoed in her words. She exited the shower, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around herself. “I don’t know what I was thinking.” She grabbed another towel and began to blot at her hair. “This shouldn’t have happened.”

“I don’t think of you as a plaything.” Anubis was out of the shower as quickly as he could without causing her alarm. He wasn’t letting her get away from him this easily. “I want to—”

“I want to stop this before it goes any further.”

Anubis?
Jonathan’s voice entered his mind again.

I will be but a moment
. He laid a hand on Tessa’s shoulder. “Fair enough. I need you here right now, Tessa. But I am warning you, this isn’t over. You want me and yet you try to deny it.”

“I don’t need this in my life right now.” She backed away to the door. “I can’t deal with entanglements right now. Even casual ones.”

She left the bathroom and Anubis let her go. For now. Casual, indeed, he thought as he mentally dressed. Nothing he did was casual. Every move had a purpose. Tessa had awakened something in him that had been dead a long time: The desire to enjoy what life had to offer. Once he set his sights on prey, it was as good as caught. Tessa just didn’t know it yet.

* * * *

“What have you found?” Anubis was still frustrated from the incident in his shower. He hoped Thoth had a good reason for interrupting him. Thoth raised an eyebrow at his agitated tone, but didn’t comment on it.

“While going over records, I found a possibility.” Thoth picked up a heavy tome filled with records from ancient times to present. “From what you described to me, it reminded me of Apep’s power somewhat.”

“He’s been imprisoned for thousands of years.” Anubis wrinkled his brow in curiosity. “He’s no longer able to feed off anything.”

“Correct. The priests who perform the ritual believe it keeps him just outside their realm. They are usually very dependable. This year however I received no confirmation from my sources that the ritual had been completed. I did not think it that important and thought to look into it at a later date. However I became otherwise distracted by Ralabos and his reawakening.”

“Yes, but the humans don’t have the power to hold him at bay. It’s just a ritual that we gave the people to make them feel safe and empowered. He caused them great harm.”

“Are you aware that humans today join cults that cause them harm?” Jonathan ran a hand through his hair.

Anubis stroked his chin in thought. “It is one of the oddities I have found among the race. What is your point?”

“The priests that usually perform the rituals have a website.” Jonathan retrieved his laptop and set it on the desk in front of Anubis. “Instead of keeping him at bay, a cult has developed to worship him. The priests decided to try another approach at controlling Apep. According to this website, they offered him a gift instead of trying to imprison him.”

“Which is why they didn’t report the ritual.” Anubis got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“Correct, and look at when it took place.”

Quickly Anubis scanned the screen. “They did it during the one time of year when the veils separating the different realms are at their weakest.”

“It’s possible that with the right knowledge they could have let something out, or in.” Thoth plopped in a nearby leather chair. “It’s worth investigating. I’m leaving within the hour. The priests know enough about the old ways to have stumbled upon something.”

“I will never understand many of the things humans do.” Anubis shook his head. “I will investigate the casino deaths.”

“And what do you plan to do with Dr. Michaels?” Thoth grinned.

“Everything I can,” Anubis answered as he phased out of the office.

He crawled out of the hole, his tongue darting out to scent the air. The sun was not at its strongest, which was good, for he had no intention of sleeping the day away. There was too much to be done, lots of preparation. Teremun stretched his tall frame as hunger pains gnawed at him. It was time to feed. Feeding
him
took all of his strength and then some. It would not be too much longer, however, before the Great One would have enough energy to arrive, and Teremun would have enough to usher him into this world.

He detected the familiar coppery-sweet scent of human blood. Just to be sure, his tongue shot out again, and this time it was bathed in even more of the intoxicating scent. Teremun began to follow the trail. In a short time, it led him to a small family of three, picnicking.
How sweet
, Teremun thought mockingly to himself as a dark-haired toddler ran after the disk the human male threw. It landed at Teremun’s feet and he picked it up. The child stopped just short of him and reached out her chubby arms for the disk. Teremun picked her up as well and began to walk towards the child’s parents. The mother smiled. The smile wavered as he got closer. “Thank you, I’ll take Femi now,” she said nervously.

Teremun looked at the mother, mildly surprised that her human intuition had targeted him for the danger that he was. It didn’t matter. “No, I think I’ll keep her,” he responded with a dark smile.

* * * *

She jumped at the sharp rap on the door, even though she’d been expecting his knock. Tessa smoothed her sweaty palms on the skirt of the long summer cotton dress. The lavender color of the dress meshed well against her skin tone. Her hair was drawn back in a high ponytail. This was her all-business hairdo. She kept saying that to herself as she went to answer the door.

There he stood, every bit of tall, dark and gorgeous. This time he was dressed in dark linen pants and a crisp white shirt. His hair was combed back, giving him a barely tamed look. She had the sudden desire to muss up his hair and see what he looked like all the way wild.

“Are you ready?” His thick exotic accent wound around her, and she had to mentally add two more beams of steal to her spine. Tessa stepped quickly out of the room, almost pushing him back. She’d already ascertained that enclosed private environments were not conducive with her will not to let him further seduce her.

“I am. Where are we going?”

“Casino.”

It was the last answered she expected. Tessa looked at him sharply. “Why the casino?”

Torian put his hand at the small of her back and began to steer her toward, well, she didn’t know where. The warmth of his hand was seeping through the cotton dress. She wanted to arch her back like a cat and have him rub her all over.

“The latest victims were at the casino. Because the local hospitals and my hospice are filled, triage had to be set up at the casino. There is a shortage of medical help. I’ve already called the person in charge and they are expecting you. Just so you know, Cairo has been quarantined. There is no projected time when the quarantine will be lifted.”

Tessa figured as much. It was just her luck to get caught in some sort of epidemic. Quickly she counted her blessings, as all the people affected by the illness surely were having a tougher time. She was determined to find out what was going on. “I’m not worried about that for now. I had vacation leave piled up high anyway.”

“It is a shame you are spending your vacation in this manner.”

“I would say it could be worse, but I won’t.” Tessa laughed.

“Perhaps later, time will permit me to show you Egypt has much in the way of pleasure to offer.”

His tone was suggestive and by the sideways look he gave her she knew without a doubt he intended a double meaning. Tessa thought the best course of action was to not respond at all. In fact, that was her whole plan of action. Even during the car ride, she kept her lips tightly clamped. A few times he tried to engage her in conversation, but Tessa was firm. If she didn’t talk to him, he couldn’t wreck havoc on her senses and then subsequently seduce her with the ease of a warm knife through butter.

Instead, Tessa chose to look at the beautiful scenery unfolding before her. Since Anaise and Jonathan’s home was on the outskirts of Cairo, there were spots of natural land that were beautiful. When Tessa started to question Torian about the name of the property they were passing, she noticed he had a dark look upon his face.

The car began to slow down alongside a copse of trees. Tessa suspected Torian wasn’t mentally in the vehicle with her anymore. He seemed distracted and agitated. “Stay here.” His tone was crisp and with any other person Tessa suspected it would have brooked no argument.

Tessa was immediately annoyed with his tone. “What’s the matter?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then I guess I get to go.”

Torian looked at her with a scowl. Tessa quirked up one eyebrow in challenge. He could just give in now or waste precious time arguing with her. “On the condition that if there is any danger you will do what I ask without question.” Tessa opened her mouth to protest, then recognized that he wasn’t budging on that particular request. She nodded her agreement.

As soon as the car stopped, Torian was out of the car. He seemed to be looking for something. Tessa got out and immediately a feeling of ill will washed over her. It was as if an entity of evil blanketed the area. She shivered and Torian looked at her questioningly. She gave him a shrug and began to follow him. As they made their way through the trees, the stronger the sensation of evil. Torian glanced back at her periodically, but he seemed preoccupied. Then he stopped suddenly, causing Tessa to slam into him.

“Go back to the car and lock the doors.” His voice held a strange note. Tessa forgot about their deal as impulse took over and she stepped around Torian. Up ahead, quite clearly, she could see that three bodies littered the ground.

“Oh my god!” Tessa gasped, going for the bodies. Torian grabbed her by the arm, stopping her.

“Go back to the car.”

“No. They might be alive. I can help.”

“They’re dead.”

“How do you know that?” Tessa wrenched her arm free. “I’m a doctor, don’t ask me to go against that.”

She didn’t wait for his answer as she rushed towards the bodies. Instinct made her go to the smallest body first. Tessa had seen death before, but the sight of a child dying or dead always shook her. It was a little girl. Her dark hair was fanned about her wildly on the ground. Her face had a serene expression. Almost. If not for the small tears of blood that had leaked out the corners of her eyes and her ears, she appeared to be at peace. Tessa forbid the tears gathering in her eyes to fall. She gently put a hand to the little girl’s neck, wishing for a pulse. Finding none, Tessa swallowed over the lump in her throat as she rose and checked what must have been the little girl’s parents. Torian was right. They were all dead.

She undid the man’s shirt and looked at his chest. There was no visible mark, at least, not at first. Tessa watched in awe as the now-familiar mark began to embed itself on the skin of his chest. “That’s impossible,” Tessa breathed to herself. She rushed to the woman and pulled up her shirt. The mark was already half formed and becoming darker. “Torian, look at this.”

But she didn’t need to call him, he was already standing over her and kneeled to be eye level with her. “It is the same mark the others bear.” He gently took her by the elbow and rose, pulling her with him. “We have to get this family to their loved ones.” At his words, Tessa’s eyes strayed over to the body of the little girl. She was just a child. As Tessa stared, tears ran unchecked down her cheeks. Her vision blurred until she could no longer see the child. Within moments, Torian had gathered her against his chest as Tessa tried to get herself together.

With tenderness, he kissed her on the top of her head. The gesture was so thoughtful Tessa sighed as her arms wrapped around him. More than ever, she wanted to find out what was happening to these people. She sniffed and pulled away, slightly embarrassed by her actions. “Sorry, that was unprofessional of me.”

“That was very humane of you.” Torian used a thumb to wipe the remaining tears from her eyes. “Being a doctor does not mean you have to deny yourself emotion.” He smiled. “One should never get used to death.” The last part he seemed to say more to himself. “Please, Tessa, go to the car and wait for me. I’ll call the local police.” He took out his cell phone.

Tessa looked at him and wondered just for a second how much more to him there was than his good looks. He genuinely seemed to care what happened to these people. More than that, he had so effortlessly comforted her.

As Tessa made her way back to the car, a chill went down her spine. She looked around, sure someone was following her, but when she turned no one was there. She shook her head. She was just freaking herself out now. Tessa saw the car just yards ahead when that feeling came over her again. This time she was determined not to turn around and kowtow to her imagination. That is, until the area around her suddenly fell deathly quiet. Tessa swallowed hard and turned slowly.

A tall man stood directly behind her. He had long, thick braids that went past his shoulders. His eyes were a curious green and she did a double take as they seemed to flicker and become slitted like that of a snake. He just stood there with a curious expression on his face.