Chapter Twenty-Nine

Issa pulled in a slow breath as the memory of the previous night wounded him all over again, seeping through his bones, his bloodstream, and finally, stabbing his heart. He didn’t want to open his eyes. He ached for his memories to be nothing more than a nightmarish dream.

Already Kane and Colin reached for his thoughts. Issa shielded his mind. When he’d reached out the night before, he thought he was ending his tortured existence. Now that the decision to persevere had been made, he had no desire to share his torment, and he most definitely did not want to talk about it.

He rose to his feet, steeling himself as best he could. He had to bury her body.

Forcing himself to look down at the bed, he frowned. Her clothes and the bed sheets were covered in vomit and waste. Over the years, he had drained many criminals, drinking until their bodies were empty of blood. But he’d never seen this happen to them. He’d also never coveted their bodies while he slept. Perhaps after he left them behind, this befell their corpses as well.

Carefully, he lifted her from the filth and laid her on the ground. Digging through their supplies, he found three unopened water bottles. He brought them over and tenderly removed her clothes, washing her cool, pale skin clean. After drying her, he retrieved the silk dress he had purchased for her at the market. Bloody tears burned his eyes. Even in death, she radiated a wild, untamable beauty.

Clearing his throat, heart burning in his chest, he carried her toward the stairs. After taking two steps, he stopped abruptly.

He waited. Was his mind playing tricks on him? He could have sworn… Then he heard it again. A heartbeat. Afraid to hope, he brushed a tender kiss to her forehead and whispered her name.

She pulled in a deep breath and opened her eyes. “Is it done? Did it work?”

Issa threw his head back and laughed, tears streaming down his face. Meeting her gaze, he nodded. “Apep is contained in the clay vessel.” He shook his head, still not comprehending she was awake. “I thought I lost you.”

Her hand caressed his cheek, her full lips curving at the corners. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

He kissed her tenderly. “For that, I am eternally grateful.” He carried her up the rest of the stairs, taking two at a time until they stood under the starlit sky. “Look around you, take in the night. Is it different now?”

Muriah stilled for a moment. “You can put me down.”

He didn’t want to. He never wanted to stop touching her, but he complied with her wishes and carefully placed her feet on the ground. Muriah took two steps away from him and turned around in a circle slowly.

She finally faced him with a contagious grin on her face. “I can see everything. And…oh God…I can hear animals burrowing in the sand. And I smell…” She peered down the steps.

Issa took her hand, walking her away from the opening to the tomb. “Your body emptied itself of the remaining humanity in order to be reborn. You are a Night Walker now.”

Her gaze moved slowly up his bare torso. “What did he do to you?”

Issa had forgotten about the burns and cracked skin. His body already worked to repair the wounds, but without fresh blood, the process slowed. “I will heal after I feed.”

“We should find you some blood. Does it hurt?”

His attention had been so focused on her, he hadn’t paid any mind to his injuries. He twisted slightly and grimaced. “Not really.”

“Liar.” She took his hand. “We should get back to Cairo so you can heal up.” Suddenly, her eyes sparkled like the stars above them. “Wait, I almost forgot.”

She vanished and returned to his side with the Egyptian vase, the cell phone, and one of his shirts. He raised a brow, trying not to smile. “I thought you hate the ‘Night Walker speed thing.’”

The sound of her laughter warmed him all over. “It’s different if I can do it myself.”

He took the shirt and slipped his arms inside, buttoning it quickly. His gaze never strayed from her. He never dreamed she could be more beautiful, but with his ancient blood flowing in her veins, Muriah’s dark eyes shimmered with power, and the soft waves of her hair shined even in the dim light of the moon.

Tentatively, he reached out to her with his mind. Can you hear me?

Her jaw slackened for a moment as she nodded. You hear me, too? Without drinking from me?

Taking her hand, his heart pounded. My brother Kane shares a private mental path with his mate because he was her maker. Now I am yours.

So the others still won’t hear me?

I do not know. When we get back to San Diego, we will find out. He glanced at the vase in her hands. Her bare hands.

…

You are holding the vase without gloves.

Muriah gasped and almost dropped the relic. Issa was suddenly right beside her, his hand supporting the weight underneath. She met his eyes. “Are my powers gone?”

“I do not know.” He kept his grip on the vase. “Try to open your mind. The path for your abilities may be different now that you are no longer mortal.”

She exhaled, controlling her breathing, and closed her eyes as she touched the vase again. Nothing happened. Most of her life, she’d wished she were normal without any psychic curse, so the irony of the disappointment welling in her gut didn’t escape her.

Her powers were gone.

Issa’s voice whispered through her mind. Open yourself mentally to the relic as you do with me.

At first, she had no idea what he meant, but gradually, she pictured the vase and wondered where it had been. Suddenly, historical images flashed through her mind in an onslaught of visuals. She braced herself for the pain, the vise around her skull to tighten, but it never came.

She opened her eyes. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Issa set the vase on the sand beside them and cupped her cheek in his large hand. “Now you control your gift instead of it controlling you.”

She nuzzled into his caress. “None of this would be possible without you.”

He chuckled and kissed her lips slowly. “This was all your idea.”

His voice sounded even richer with her enhanced hearing. She caught herself wondering what else might be even better. As if that were possible.

Issa deepened the kiss, his tongue tangling slowly with hers as his mental voice growled, I have never known a greater temptation.

She hummed into the kiss. Let’s get rid of Apep, then our clothes.

His lips trailed down her neck, making her knees rubbery. “I love the way you think.”

Muriah pulled out the cell phone and called Agent Bale to set up a meeting. She watched Issa’s back while she made the arrangements. Issa looked up at the starry night sky while the wind blew through the silky black curls of his hair like invisible fingers. The angles of his face, his broad shoulders, trim waist, every part of him called to her.

She finished the call, and he turned, his heated gaze locked on hers. Primal heat smoldered low in her belly. Hers. Issa wasn’t just a convenient friend with benefits. He was steadfast at her side. She wanted to pinch herself to be sure she was awake.

He crossed to her and bent to retrieve the vase. “Where are we meeting him?”

“At the safe house in one hour.”

He took her hand with an almost mischievous smile. If a Mayan God could be adorable, he’d just achieved it.

Issa tipped his head back, laughing, and finally met her eyes. “I have never, since the dawn of mankind, been adorable.”

She shrugged, nudging him with her hip as they walked through the sand. “So you say, but I call it as I see it.” Grinning up at him, she slid her hand into his. “What were you being mischievous about?”

“Is that what you thought you saw?”

“I know what I saw… And how come you can keep secrets, but you hear every thought in my head?”

“Because I know when to shield my thoughts.”

“More for me to learn?”

He nodded. “But in answer to your question, I reached out to my brothers, Kane and Colin. When I told them I’d made another, they had many questions. I invited them to meet us in San Diego. They may be at Calisto’s home before we are.”

“You know Lukas is not going to be happy about this, right? He’s still not a fan of no sunshine and immortality in general.”

Issa shrugged. “When he realizes that we had no choice, he will understand.” He brought her hand up to his lips, kissing her knuckles. “And if he chooses to remain angry with me, I can bear it.” He stopped walking. “I hope you will not grow to regret your choice.”

She stared up into his dark eyes. Would she miss the sunshine and the taste of ice cream? Probably. But she was no longer on death’s to-do list. The cancer that stole her mother would never be able to touch her. Her family’s legacy would continue. Forever.

Muriah shook her head slowly. “It’s easy right now to say I won’t miss the sun, but if having it meant not having you, I’d choose you in a heartbeat.”

He brushed a kiss to her forehead, the wisdom in his gaze betraying his true age. “I will remind you of that when the time comes.” Straightening, he rolled his shoulders and released her hand with a spark in his eyes. “Ready to run?”

…

They reached the safe house in less than five minutes. Muriah had no concept of how many miles they had covered, but it was difficult not to check for some sort of superhero cape hanging off her back.

Issa held the vessel containing Apep’s spirit while she rapped her knuckles against the door. Agent Bale cracked it open, his hand on the butt of his gun. He stared at her for a moment and frowned before unlatching the security chain and opening the door. When she stepped inside, Agent Bale’s voice boomed in her head with legal codes. It was her turn to frown. She rubbed her temple, and Issa’s deep baritone cut through the wall of sound.

Picture a sturdy wall of brick. Use that barrier to surround your mind.

She tried not to focus on how or why it might work, and visualized a tall brick wall as Agent Bale offered chairs around the kitchen table. The more she focused, the more Agent Bale’s voice faded until she barely heard it anymore.

Tentatively, she reached out to Issa. Can you still hear me?

He sat in the chair beside her, never taking his eyes off of the government agent. Yes.

Has he always made that much silent noise?

She thought Issa almost smiled, but it vanished just as quickly. Yes. It is how mortals shield their thoughts from us. I cannot reach his true thoughts. All I hear is the constant repetition.

Annoying.

Issa rubbed his brow, stealing a glance her way. Extremely.

Agent Bale interrupted the conversation he couldn’t hear. “Muriah, you’re…different.”

Issa straightened beside her. Under the table, she brought her hand to rest on his thigh. I can handle this.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean your eyes are like his now. What happened?”

She pushed the vase toward him. “Here’s Apep, just like we discussed. In order to bind his spirit to the vessel, we needed a life in trade for a life. A sacrifice. I was the only mortal available for the job.”

“So this change wasn’t against your will?” His gaze shifted to Issa.

Issa crossed his arms, power radiating from his stiff stature. “Is it so difficult to believe a human might desire immortality?”

“No. But we know you are the god of sacrifice for your people. I don’t think they’re always given a choice in the matter.” Agent Bale shifted his focus to the vase. “It’s my job to protect Americans from paranormal threats. Ms. La Deaux falls under that jurisdiction.”

Issa laughed, but danger brewed in his eyes. “And what would you have done if this change had been against her will?”

“Enough.” Muriah put her hands up, hoping to shut down the testosterone fest building around her. It apparently made no difference if a male was mortal or immortal, pissing contests still abounded. “We just came to drop that off. I’m fine, and you’d better take good care of that bottle. If Apep ever escapes, his wrath isn’t going to be pleasant.”

“We have a storage facility with multiple fail-safes. He won’t get out.”

Issa glared at the agent before turning for the door. Muriah started to follow and stopped. Slowly, she turned toward Agent Bale. “One more thing…”

The agent met her eyes. “Before you start wondering if Issa is holding me hostage or something, I happen to love him.” Surprise flashed on the man’s face for a moment before his trained mask of indifference slid back into place. “And if you simply write him off as the god of sacrifice and nothing more, then you are way off the mark. He’s got more courage, integrity, and heart than anyone I’ve ever met.”

Both men were momentarily speechless. Muriah took Issa’s hand and smiled up at him. “Let’s go home.”