you should know me better than that.”
“You’re right.” Khefar sighed in exasperation. “I apologize. It’s just that—”
“Ma’at wasn’t there,” she cut in irritably. “In the version at the Congress Center, Ma’at wasn’t personified as she was in our vision. The scale had a baboon figurine atop it, not a statuette of Ma’at.”
“And Isis stood behind Osiris, not in front of us near the scales,” Khefar added. “It’s not the same.”
“No, it’s a good representation based on the Book of the Dead buried with the scribe Ani.” Kira rubbed her arms. “But there was something about it. I can’t really explain it, but it was off somehow.”
“Shadow?”
“I don’t know. Since we were all closed in together, I was shielding at maximum. Once I got over my shock of seeing the Hall of Judgment in 3-D, I got the sense of something sleeping, waiting.”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“No.” She rubbed her arms again, thinking about the dreams she’d been having since Cairo. Dreams of Chaos, of growing Shadow, of making choices that would change everything.
“Are you all right?”
“Yeah. Shielding like that wipes me out.”
“Liar.”
She glanced at him again. “You didn’t even have to think about that, did you?”
He shrugged. “As you say, I don’t know you as well as I will, but I am a good observer.”
“That you are.” She settled back into the seat, her arms folded across her chest. Being in his car no longer bothered her since she’d tried to read it shortly after they’d returned from overseas. She didn’t feel guilty about doing it behind his back either—she had to have some way of learning more about the man she’d let into her home and her bed. Unfortunately all she’d gotten was the impression of miles and miles of asphalt. Boring. “At least now I know why you do it.”
“Do what?”
“Look at me when you think I’m not looking.”
“I like looking at you. You’re good to look at.”
She shook her head, not that he could see it. “It’s not that kind of look.”
“What kind of look do you think it is?”
“The kind that makes you wonder if I’m dangerous. If I’ve gone over to Shadow. The kind where you’re wondering how long it’s going to be before you have to pull your dagger against me.”
“Oh.” He paused. “That look.”
“Yeah. That look.” She fisted her hands. “I’m not in danger of slipping.”
“If you were, would you know?”
“I’d know.” She hoped liked hell that she would, if only so she could choose the way she’d be taken out.
“Would you? You’ve changed, Kira. You can’t deny that. We spent nearly three days behind the Veil. You had to channel Light and Shadow to get us out of Set’s temple alive. It was hard for you to let that power go. I’ve got to believe it was just as hard for the power to let you go too.”
It was. Channeling both Light and Shadow felt the way being thrown into a blender must feel. She’d felt the power, beautiful, delicious power, and was instantly addicted. She wanted more of it. If she allowed herself, she’d go searching for it, taking it wherever she could get it. Reason enough not to think about it.
“You don’t know me well enough to know if I’ve changed. Maybe I’ve always been this bitchy.”
“I didn’t say anything about you being bitchy,” he said in his reasonable tone that was beginning to get on her nerves. Maybe she was PMS-ing. “What I am saying is that power affects people. Everyone, no matter who it is. Gods, hybrids, humans—they’re either scared of it and try to shut it down, or they crave it and want more of it.”
He paused at a stop sign. “You don’t seem afraid.”
The man was too observant for her peace of mind. Not that she’d had a lot of peace in, like, ever, but still … “I can handle it.”
“I never said you couldn’t,” he said, so sincerely it made her wince. “Doesn’t mean that I’m not going to
“You’re right.” Khefar sighed in exasperation. “I apologize. It’s just that—”
“Ma’at wasn’t there,” she cut in irritably. “In the version at the Congress Center, Ma’at wasn’t personified as she was in our vision. The scale had a baboon figurine atop it, not a statuette of Ma’at.”
“And Isis stood behind Osiris, not in front of us near the scales,” Khefar added. “It’s not the same.”
“No, it’s a good representation based on the Book of the Dead buried with the scribe Ani.” Kira rubbed her arms. “But there was something about it. I can’t really explain it, but it was off somehow.”
“Shadow?”
“I don’t know. Since we were all closed in together, I was shielding at maximum. Once I got over my shock of seeing the Hall of Judgment in 3-D, I got the sense of something sleeping, waiting.”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“No.” She rubbed her arms again, thinking about the dreams she’d been having since Cairo. Dreams of Chaos, of growing Shadow, of making choices that would change everything.
“Are you all right?”
“Yeah. Shielding like that wipes me out.”
“Liar.”
She glanced at him again. “You didn’t even have to think about that, did you?”
He shrugged. “As you say, I don’t know you as well as I will, but I am a good observer.”
“That you are.” She settled back into the seat, her arms folded across her chest. Being in his car no longer bothered her since she’d tried to read it shortly after they’d returned from overseas. She didn’t feel guilty about doing it behind his back either—she had to have some way of learning more about the man she’d let into her home and her bed. Unfortunately all she’d gotten was the impression of miles and miles of asphalt. Boring. “At least now I know why you do it.”
“Do what?”
“Look at me when you think I’m not looking.”
“I like looking at you. You’re good to look at.”
She shook her head, not that he could see it. “It’s not that kind of look.”
“What kind of look do you think it is?”
“The kind that makes you wonder if I’m dangerous. If I’ve gone over to Shadow. The kind where you’re wondering how long it’s going to be before you have to pull your dagger against me.”
“Oh.” He paused. “That look.”
“Yeah. That look.” She fisted her hands. “I’m not in danger of slipping.”
“If you were, would you know?”
“I’d know.” She hoped liked hell that she would, if only so she could choose the way she’d be taken out.
“Would you? You’ve changed, Kira. You can’t deny that. We spent nearly three days behind the Veil. You had to channel Light and Shadow to get us out of Set’s temple alive. It was hard for you to let that power go. I’ve got to believe it was just as hard for the power to let you go too.”
It was. Channeling both Light and Shadow felt the way being thrown into a blender must feel. She’d felt the power, beautiful, delicious power, and was instantly addicted. She wanted more of it. If she allowed herself, she’d go searching for it, taking it wherever she could get it. Reason enough not to think about it.
“You don’t know me well enough to know if I’ve changed. Maybe I’ve always been this bitchy.”
“I didn’t say anything about you being bitchy,” he said in his reasonable tone that was beginning to get on her nerves. Maybe she was PMS-ing. “What I am saying is that power affects people. Everyone, no matter who it is. Gods, hybrids, humans—they’re either scared of it and try to shut it down, or they crave it and want more of it.”
He paused at a stop sign. “You don’t seem afraid.”
The man was too observant for her peace of mind. Not that she’d had a lot of peace in, like, ever, but still … “I can handle it.”
“I never said you couldn’t,” he said, so sincerely it made her wince. “Doesn’t mean that I’m not going to
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