Touch of the Fire God [Scions of the Ankh 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) (4 page)

“Are you all right, Dr. Selkis?” Jonathan asked, peering at her over his papers.

If Rene didn’t know any better, she would swear he was smiling. Rene nodded, not sure if she could trust her voice yet. Her throat felt dry and scratchy. She got up on shaky legs, determined to reach the small drink and snack cart without falling flat on her face.

She’d never been so grateful to attain a small goal as she was right now. Relief flowed through her as she leaned heavily on the metal cart that was wisely bolted to the floor. She reached down for the second shelf on the cart, when the necklace the old woman had given her swung merrily from her neck.

Rene straightened slowly, taking a deep breath, the bottle of water forgotten for the moment.

She had put the necklace in her purse; Ralabos had put it around her neck. But Ralabos was a dream. She scolded herself he did not exist. Yet something about the name seemed familiar. Perhaps she had heard the name before? No. A name like that was not common. She’d never heard of it until now. The necklace grew warm on her skin as it settled between her breasts.

“Are you sure you’re feeling well?” Jonathan’s voice sounded from just behind, spooking her and causing her to yelp.

What is it with men who move without sound? She looked at Jonathan with what she was sure was a sickly, pathetic smile. “I’m fine, Jonathan, just a bad dream.”

“Was it?” His eyebrow shot up in challenge.

Just like that, Rene was irritated. How dare he question her? It was her dream, after all. He had a smug look that she didn’t like.

“Yes,” she snapped at him. “It’s over now. I just need a moment.” Rene put her hand to her forehead.

Damn it! She hated being out of control. “I’m sorry, I haven’t been sleeping well. Please just give me a moment.”

Jonathan bowed his head slightly in deference and went back to his seat. Something about him wasn’t quite right.

An hour later, with much silence in between, Jonathan told her quietly that they would be landing soon. Rene nodded, grateful to be getting some fresh air soon.

Jonathan shuffled all of his papers back into his briefcase, and fifteen minutes later the plane landed smoothly in Cairo.

Rene finally felt something of her old self.
Dr. Selkis, woman in control
, she chanted to herself.

Jonathan went before her, of course. His manners were impeccable. He wanted to be able to help her down and probably protect her from assassination, she thought wryly. She still hadn’t gotten that safety comment from her mind.

As she descended the stairs, something thick seemed to permeate the air. Not smoke or smog or anything that could be seen with the human eye, yet it felt as if something was waiting in the very air itself.

Rene shook herself mentally. She had to get hold of herself. Ever since she had started having dreams of Ralabos, everything seemed to have a shadow, a purpose, or a double meaning.

Jonathan reached the concourse first, then reached up to guide her down.

The moment her black-heeled feet hit the ground, a deafening crack rent the air. Rene could only liken it to a sonic boom. The ground roiled under her feet; she thought she was smack in the middle of an earthquake. In defense, she covered her ears, but it was too late. The sound happened so quickly, she wondered if she had heard it at all. Then the ground rested as if suddenly commanded to do so.

“Did you hear that? Feel that?” she asked Jonathan, grabbing his arm and digging her nails into his suit jacket.

“To what do you refer?” he asked, neutrally looking down at the beautiful, but clearly disturbed woman. A moment later, Rene abruptly released his arm.

“It was nothing. I’m just a little more tired than usual.”

Jonathan smiled at the woman and led her to the waiting car. Most certainly he had heard and felt the disturbance. It was meant to wake the dead or near-dead—he mused to himself.

She had heard the spell working, which could only mean one thing. He had finally found her, the one he had been waiting and searching for. She had finally come home.

The old one would be awake now and most anxious to see her. Finally, Jonathan felt as if he could repay the debt he owed his old friend.

* * * *

The fissure groaned and protested, but yielded to the greater power. Ralabos immediately stopped the Earth’s unrest, lest he cause damage and death to the natives. He opened his eyes, taking in the last scenery he had seen before his deep slumber. Little had changed in this land. It still appeared remote and barren.

As he stepped out of the huge crevice, dirt and earthen debris cascaded onto his body. Within seconds, however, he was free and clean of it. She had come; now he would go to her.

His storm gray eyes that could see both this world and the realm of sorcery and magick detected a thick ribbon of color.

Ralabos smiled. His friend had not failed him. It was a spell to lead him where he was awaited. Immediately another spell activated. Information tumbled into his brain at lightning speed. Basic things he needed to know about this new world whirled around in his head—laws, customs, even a new basic language. Thoth had been most thorough and helpful.

His body began to thin until it became a light, foggy vapor, which reshaped itself into the form of a large hawk.

He took to the air, his powerful wings beating slowly, yet with such power that they propelled him forward at an alarming speed.

* * * *

The ride from the airport through Cairo was a blur. His name kept pulsing in her mind. Ralabos. Ralabos. Ralabos.

Rene knew she should have been taking in the sights of Cairo. Even in darkness, what she did manage to see was beautiful.

Jonathan seemed unnaturally preoccupied, only giving her an occasional look before retreating to his thoughts. Rene’s heart beat fast. She felt terrified. Of what, she did not know. This was only supposed to be a simple trip to make burial arrangements for Franklin and tend to his estate.

However, Rene could not keep her mind from pointing out there was something amiss. Everything about this place seemed familiar and yet not. Even Jonathan. She had just met him, yet she felt she knew him in a way. It was the most unsettling thing her mind had ever encountered.

“We’re here.” Jonathan’s voice cut through her musings.

Startled, she looked out the window and realized they were well outside the limits of Cairo. A huge mansion stared at her. It seemed to have lights burning in every window. Apparently, Jonathan had enough money to be the only house on the block—for miles.

“I like my privacy,” he commented, as if reading her thoughts.

“No doubt,” she responded, allowing Jonathan to help her out of the car. Her eyes tried to take in the mansion as a whole, but it was impossible. Two huge Egyptian cat sculptures sat proudly on either side of the stairs leading to the front door. Bushes were cut into beautiful shapes that Rene couldn’t even begin to name. The faint sound of water caught in her ears, and she was willing to guess that a huge fountain gurgled somewhere in the back of the house.

She felt like Alice in Wonderland. She gaped, but couldn’t help it; the place was unreal. Jonathan, bless him, was being polite not to out and out laugh, but every now and then she saw a small smirk escape. She supposed she did look like a fish, her mouth opening and closing with every new wonder as Jonathan led her inside the house and into a gorgeous sitting room.

“She’s here,” a throaty female voice called out as Jonathan made sure Rene was comfortably seated on a sofa that had more pillows on it than Bed Bath & Beyond had in its entire store.

Rene looked toward the door through which she had just entered and saw a tall, statuesque woman with the blackest, glossiest, most meticulously plaited hair hanging down and swinging wildly side-to-side as she rushed into the room.

She was dressed in a simple, floral, form-fitting sundress that showed off her perfect, voluptuous figure. Her mouth, with just a touch of lip gloss, was in a perfect moue as she stared at Rene.

“Oh Jonathan, she is beautiful, isn’t she?” the woman cooed. Rene blushed; coming from this gorgeous creature who barely wore a lick of makeup, this was quite the compliment.

“Rene, this is my wife, Anaise Hathor.” Jonathan would, of course, have a wife that looked like she had stepped off the same magazine page that he had.

“Hello, Anaise.” Rene smiled as she was about to stand to formally shake the hand of her hostess. Anaise looked appalled.

“Please, no, really, that’s not necessary. You have had a long trip. Is there anything I can get for you?”

Rene shook her head as Anaise sat on the sofa next to her, a trace of sweet perfume following her movements. She adjusted a few pillows until she was comfortable, then pointedly stared at Rene.

“It is uncanny,” Anaise seemed to murmur to herself.

“Excuse me?” Rene questioned, not sure she had heard her.

“I didn’t know what to expect when I found out you were coming, but I never expected you to look so ...” She let the word dangle while she searched.

“Beautiful,” Jonathan supplied graciously. “Excuse Anaise, she sometimes speaks without thinking.” Rene detected a note of reprimand in Jonathan’s voice.

“Please remember, dear, Rene is here to take care of arrangements for Franklin Summit.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Anaise quickly acknowledged. “I am sorry about your loss. He was a kind man. We’ve known him a long time.”

Of course, it did not go unnoticed that she looked about the same age as Jonathan. Franklin would have never had friends so young. Rene made a point to question them about that later.

“Jonathan, your brother has returned.” Anaise smiled. It only made her more gorgeous; the woman looked like a goddess.

“Has he now?” Jonathan smirked openly. “And not a second wasted, I’d be willing to bet.”

“You have a brother?” Rene asked. The information only reminded her that she knew so little about these people, and yet she had jumped on a plane and come halfway across the world to be a guest in their home.

“Yes, he’s actually a lifelong friend to us, but we call him brother.”

“What is his name?” Rene asked, trying to learn more about the people she would be visiting with for the next few days.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure move. Rene was certain no one was there before, or perhaps she was just too tired to have noticed. But it came out of the farthest shadows in the room, where light did not penetrate as much.

It was a tall, imposing figure, with catlike grace. Then he made it into the soft light of the room. His long, white, plaited hair looked like a thick rope as it swayed side to side when he walked.

He wore a gray tunic with short sleeves and matching gray linen pants that fit loosely, but with every step, the outline of his muscled legs could be seen. She stared into the breathtaking face, and the stormy gray eyes pinned her where she sat.

“Ralabos,” he said simply.

The jet lag, the apprehension, the sleepless nights, and now her dream man standing in the flesh. Rene briefly wondered if the other occupants in the room saw him too, before darkness claimed her.

“Are you trying to kill her?” Jonathan mused as he poured himself a few fingers of brandy. While his kind did not need sustenance, on occasion they dabbled for the sake of appearance, and he had acquired a liking for the fiery liquid.

He poured Ralabos a glass, sure his long-sleeping friend would take to it as well. He pushed the contents into Ralabos’s stiff fingers.

“You must take this slow, my friend. The people of this age, well, let’s just say they are not very accepting of
unusual
talents.”

“She’s mine!” Ralabos slammed the quickly-emptied glass down on the desk in the den. Jonathan smiled in approval.

“I am not disputing that, my friend,” Jonathan said smoothly, quite used to his temper and thoroughly undaunted by it. “But we have to do this slowly. Too much too soon could cause her to bolt.”

“She would not get far.” Ralabos grunted, strolling around the room to think. Jonathan tried another approach.

“You will frighten her.”

Ralabos whirled to stare at his friend.

“That’s right, my friend. She will be frightened of you. You would have waited all this time for nothing. If she doesn’t accept you and her situation willingly, you can’t have her completely.”

“She cannot remain mortal. It is too dangerous,” Ralabos beseeched his friend. “How do you suggest I go about this task?”

“You know her far better than I in this instance. Trust your instincts, but don’t push too strongly.”

Jonathan plopped in the overstuffed chair while unbuttoning his shirt. “The women in this day and age are completely different from what you knew.”

“How did you find her?” Ralabos asked, eyeing the shirt warily.

“Part spell, part human technology,” Jonathan answered smugly.

“Explain yourself.”

“I sent out a spell the moment she was lost to us, eons ago. About twenty years ago, the spell came back reporting five possibilities.”