Used for the execution of criminals, it signifies the
power over life and death.”
Her shoulders melted
as the pain dissolved under his touch. The cold chill against her skin ceased when
he pulled his hand away. She turned around to face him. With her arms crossed over
her chest, she leaned her bottom against the table.
“Appropriate,
seeing as I kill revens for a living, and we just added a convicted goddess to
the list.”
“Fate, perhaps.” Asar
touched his pectoral necklaces hidden under his tunic.
Lilly followed the
motion to his chest. “May I see them?” she asked. Surprise fluctuated in his
eyes, but then he untied the tunic in the front and pulled back the edges. Honed
out of well chiseled muscle his chest spanned above a six pack abdomen. His
dark skin entirely smooth and devoid of hair held tautly against the bulk of
muscle. The locations she had come in contact were lighter in color. His linen
pants hung dangerously low against his hips, just above his pubic bone. Lilly
glanced away when heat flushed her face. It took all her strength to refocus on
the necklaces.
The three gold
ropes lay at the broadest part of his chest. She recognized the lion and the
moon pendent. The second, a ram’s head. The third, a crown with a crook and
flail. With her lower lip pulled between her teeth she slowly extended her
fingertips to touch the three medallions.
She searched his
expression for any displeasure, but it remained placid. He at least wasn’t
offended by her curiosity and touch. She withdrew her hand, and saw a cast of
disappointment in his eyes despite his emotionless face.
“You left it there
for me to find,” she said, astounded. “Did you know it would bring you here?”
“Your youngest
sister has not been initiated into the Nehebkau. Why?”
His blatant disregard
of her question, only confirmed her suspicions. Damn if she didn’t walk right
into his plans. “I wouldn’t let her. It’s much too dangerous.”
“But you let your
other sister.”
“Kit can handle
herself,” she quipped.
“Do you know what
they say about Nehebkau?” Asar asked, as he walked around the table.
“He was the God of Protection,”
Lilly said, tracking him with her eyes. He circled her like a predator testing
his prey.
“He is the God
of Protection, both in life and in the afterlife. The ancient Egyptians depicted
him in the form of a snake with a human body. He joins the Ka , the soul,
to the body.”
“Well, then Mother
picked the right god to represent us. I just hope the revens we kill eventually
find peace.”
Asar narrowed his
eyes on her. “Mother? Your mother?”
“No. It’s a term
we, Nehebkau, use for our leader. She believed in the curse, and used Nehebkau’s
spell to create hunters to combat the revens. Mother believes we can find a talisman
to cure those afflicted.” Lilly looked directly at the pectoral necklace, the
very one she placed around his neck.
“What of your
natural mother?”
Lilly glanced away
and shrugged. “It’s always been our father and us. She left when we were very
young.”
Despite her
efforts, she couldn’t keep the pain out of her voice, which made her feel even
more vulnerable— a sensation that never sat well with her. Her pain turned to bitterness.
“I don’t see the relevance to this discussion. Does it really matter what kind
of snake I have implanted in my body? It gives me the strength to protect what
I love. Why are you even interested in my family?”
He moved closer, and
placed his hands on the table on either side of her hips. With no means of
escape, she leaned back, but he closed the space.
“Your reasons for
joining the Nehebkau reveal the character of your soul. It is no coincidence
the asp was chosen for you. It was chosen for you by the gods. As you said, we
want the same thing. To protect what we love. The gods have decided to cross
our paths, our fates. It is important we succeed. You are not the only one that
has family at
power over life and death.”
Her shoulders melted
as the pain dissolved under his touch. The cold chill against her skin ceased when
he pulled his hand away. She turned around to face him. With her arms crossed over
her chest, she leaned her bottom against the table.
“Appropriate,
seeing as I kill revens for a living, and we just added a convicted goddess to
the list.”
“Fate, perhaps.” Asar
touched his pectoral necklaces hidden under his tunic.
Lilly followed the
motion to his chest. “May I see them?” she asked. Surprise fluctuated in his
eyes, but then he untied the tunic in the front and pulled back the edges. Honed
out of well chiseled muscle his chest spanned above a six pack abdomen. His
dark skin entirely smooth and devoid of hair held tautly against the bulk of
muscle. The locations she had come in contact were lighter in color. His linen
pants hung dangerously low against his hips, just above his pubic bone. Lilly
glanced away when heat flushed her face. It took all her strength to refocus on
the necklaces.
The three gold
ropes lay at the broadest part of his chest. She recognized the lion and the
moon pendent. The second, a ram’s head. The third, a crown with a crook and
flail. With her lower lip pulled between her teeth she slowly extended her
fingertips to touch the three medallions.
She searched his
expression for any displeasure, but it remained placid. He at least wasn’t
offended by her curiosity and touch. She withdrew her hand, and saw a cast of
disappointment in his eyes despite his emotionless face.
“You left it there
for me to find,” she said, astounded. “Did you know it would bring you here?”
“Your youngest
sister has not been initiated into the Nehebkau. Why?”
His blatant disregard
of her question, only confirmed her suspicions. Damn if she didn’t walk right
into his plans. “I wouldn’t let her. It’s much too dangerous.”
“But you let your
other sister.”
“Kit can handle
herself,” she quipped.
“Do you know what
they say about Nehebkau?” Asar asked, as he walked around the table.
“He was the God of Protection,”
Lilly said, tracking him with her eyes. He circled her like a predator testing
his prey.
“He is the God
of Protection, both in life and in the afterlife. The ancient Egyptians depicted
him in the form of a snake with a human body. He joins the Ka , the soul,
to the body.”
“Well, then Mother
picked the right god to represent us. I just hope the revens we kill eventually
find peace.”
Asar narrowed his
eyes on her. “Mother? Your mother?”
“No. It’s a term
we, Nehebkau, use for our leader. She believed in the curse, and used Nehebkau’s
spell to create hunters to combat the revens. Mother believes we can find a talisman
to cure those afflicted.” Lilly looked directly at the pectoral necklace, the
very one she placed around his neck.
“What of your
natural mother?”
Lilly glanced away
and shrugged. “It’s always been our father and us. She left when we were very
young.”
Despite her
efforts, she couldn’t keep the pain out of her voice, which made her feel even
more vulnerable— a sensation that never sat well with her. Her pain turned to bitterness.
“I don’t see the relevance to this discussion. Does it really matter what kind
of snake I have implanted in my body? It gives me the strength to protect what
I love. Why are you even interested in my family?”
He moved closer, and
placed his hands on the table on either side of her hips. With no means of
escape, she leaned back, but he closed the space.
“Your reasons for
joining the Nehebkau reveal the character of your soul. It is no coincidence
the asp was chosen for you. It was chosen for you by the gods. As you said, we
want the same thing. To protect what we love. The gods have decided to cross
our paths, our fates. It is important we succeed. You are not the only one that
has family at
Similar Books
