Chapter Ten

“You’ll come with me?” He couched the words carefully and was rewarded with her confused look.

“Where to?” She lay on her back, staring at the ceiling, though her head was turned toward him. She appeared like a siren, with her billowing hair fanned out on his pillow. Her lips were still swollen from his kisses, and she’d tugged the sheet up to cover her nakedness in a very maidenly fashion. He fought and lost the urge to grin.

He realized he hadn’t shared the information about the page. It left him lightheaded. “Professor Junat met with Kharisma and me tonight. He believes the paper is a page from a book dealing with the Lost Queen’s Pyramids and was going back to the university to check. It seems as though I may have to pay a visit to Egypt.”

She frowned but remained quiet as he continued.

“I had Kharisma chasing down a Professor Anderson, who is an expert with hieroglyphs from the same area as the book. She is with the university on a limited tenure contract. Hopefully we should be on our way within a day or two. We’re running out of time.”

She looked thoughtful and bit her lip. “I’d love to, but I don’t have a passport or anything.”

He laughed, which drew a questioning glance from her.

“You don’t need a passport. As a member of a nest, we just need a letter of passage from me and Cressida. We can arrange that this evening.”

“Oh. Is that one of those ‘reciprocal government arrangement things’ vampires have with the human government?”

There is still so much she needs to learn about nests. It occurred to him that the basics of vampire government, their relationship with humans and rules were unknown to her. Perhaps, once things settled, he could ask someone to talk to her. School her in their ways. Maybe Kharisma. Or maybe Hope.

“Yeah something like that.” He cupped her face, marveling at the softness of her skin. She leaned into his caress, nuzzling against his hand. Satisfaction filled him. The woman of his dreams was here, in his arms. Perhaps the Gods are finally smiling on me. Maybe I can get this right.

Sleepiness was creeping like a fog through his body and he dragged her close against him, snuggling her in the crook of his arm. “Now sleep, houbi.”

A soft giggle filled the air. “What does that mean?”

He snickered, about all he could manage in his restful state. “It means we should sleep.”

“Not that. The other word. Hoobee?”

“It’s houbi, and means my love.”

She became very still and quiet. He thought she might have drifted off to sleep. “Is that correct?” Her voice sounded strangled and not for the first time, he wished that it was simple to deal with their relationship. Right now he wished that they were both human so that these entanglements and restrictions between them would disappear. So they could be together freely.

“It is true. I do love you. Bahebek.”

She sighed, and he grimaced at the sound. “What’s wrong with that?”

Celina rolled onto her side. “Saying the words doesn’t fix this mess between us. All we can say for certain is at least one heart is likely to be broken.” The despair in her voice clawed at his insides, stripping away his sense of well-being.

“I’ll do anything to keep us together. You know that, don’t you, Celina? Anything.”

She nodded, snuffling a little, then yawned. He stroked her hair, realizing that nothing could be done right now. “Sleep. We need rest and to be honest, I don’t think we can fix any of this in one day. We have to find a way around it.”

He’d already considered the simplest way to move forward with their problem and examined it. He could turn her. But there wasn’t time to broach the subject, to explain everything. Not with them only having a week to find out the meaning of the prophecy. If they chose that option, it could only happen with her agreement.

Turning took time. Long nights and days for the transition to take place, planning. He would need to seek permission from the Council. She’d need to learn to deal with the hunger and training to feed without damaging a host, or killing them. No, it was better that he consider all the pitfalls, find a time when they could discuss it logically. Calmly. He had time to gain her acceptance and approval.

He congratulated himself on his plan as he dozed off.

* * * *

Professor Anderson turned out to be a wiry older woman, with a no-nonsense exterior. She was clad in an old-fashioned tweed suit and wore traditional metal-rimmed glasses. She felt vaguely familiar to Celina, though as hard as she thought, she couldn’t place her.

It could have been her turn of phrase or her piercing gaze. But even as she searched her memory, Javed ushered her up the stairs and into the private jet where it waited on the dark airstrip.

Celina shook her head as she took her seat. Who knew that the Council had a jet for just these types of situation?

She snorted at her private thoughts. As if she knew much about nests and the Council anyway. She still hadn’t even managed to get a handle on the Conclave Paramount and her responsibilities to them.

Her stomach wobbled a little as the young attendant came over to them and gave instructions about the belts, emergency situations and where to find all the amenities. She curled her fingers into the arms of her chair. The seats resembled large armchairs, but with seatbelts, as the whine of engines filled the air, keeping her mind busy.

Javed frowned at her. “Are you okay?”

She felt like a fool now. “I’ve never flown before.” She cringed at little, realizing her words must’ve surprised him.

He grinned at her, crinkling his eyes. Obviously he’d not thought of that, she assumed. Then he winked at her. “Then we’ll have to make it memorable.”

She chanced a look at Professor Anderson, but she was engrossed in some dry tome she’d brought with her. Celina blushed deeply, realizing what he meant.

“Uh, is it safe?” She leaned forward to whisper to Javed. “I mean… Can you actually do that on a plane? I’ve read about it.” Her skin burned hotter, and she gulped.

“There’s only one way to find out.”

She was both scandalized and intrigued. “But what about…?” She indicated with her head to the professor.

“I don’t think she’ll be too worried.”

“We shouldn’t.” Celina shook her head, and he beamed.

“Well, if you’re sure. Since we can now get up and walk about.”

Celina glanced out of the window. “We’re in the air? When did that happen?”

“While we were talking.” His tone was imbued with amusement.

She fumbled with the buckle and he reached over, placing his hand over hers. “Let me help.” Javed lifted the clip and it released.

Celina breathed deeply, pushing away the ever present arousal. “Maybe you could show me about?” Breathlessness overtook her, but she was keen to see everything possible. He took her hand and indicated toward the back of the plane. The two bedrooms were comfortable but by no means luxurious. “I thought they’d be bigger.”

He snorted “No. This isn’t a status ride. It’s more about getting us to places quickly and safely.”

She understood what he meant. After all, they wouldn’t want to be flying a commercial airline during the day. He’d burn to death, from what she understood.

A small meeting room sat at the very back. She noticed there was room for ten. “How do you fit that many in here?”

“We use it on the tarmac for meetings when we are visiting other zones. It gives us a neutral venue.” Celina pondered his words as they headed back to the main sitting area. The hostess was placing a platter of nibbles on the table for the humans and decanting a drink for Javed from a bottle.

“How long should the flight take?” She popped a small canapé into her mouth, savoring the taste. “Hmm. We should do this more often.”

“Fly?”

“No. Get the food catered in.”

Javed snickered at her comment as Professor Anderson wandered over to join them.

“I do hope I don’t seem rude. I was doing some research on the site we will be visiting. It seems the tomb of a younger pharaoh’s sister might be the one you are searching for. It’s a little out of the way but has the most fascinating hieroglyphs.”

She held the book out and Javed inspected the color plates. “I don’t—”

“Not to worry, when we get there I can explain what you are seeing.” Her tone was absent as she glanced back at the pictures.

Celina frowned. Something about the whole situation was skewed. A sense of uneasiness filled her, but she shrugged it away.

The flight wasn’t long. They touched down several hours before dawn.

“Do we go straight there?” Celina’s voice sounded strained, as they climbed into a waiting car.

Javed shook his head. “No. We don’t have enough time. We’re to be met by a guard from a local nest and they have arranged secure accommodation for us.”

Celina stared at Professor Anderson. “Will she be staying with us?”

“Yes. But she will remain with the nestlings.” She frowned but he smiled again. “I gave orders that you were to stay with me.”

* * * *

The evening air was redolent with scents and sounds that called to Celina while Javed ushered her into the waiting vehicle. “We must hurry, the helicopter is waiting to take us to the location. We can be back on the plane and heading home before sunrise.” His words were terse, and Celina noted the concern and worry on his face.

His meeting with the master of the local nest had imparted information he wasn’t happy about.

Celina shrugged. Not for the first time, she was glad she’d packed jeans and a cool shirt. The air was close, with heavy clouds building. If she didn’t know better, a storm was brewing. It wasn’t something she looked forward to in a helicopter.

“What if… What if there’s a storm?”

Javed glanced out over the horizon. “Not yet. It’s coming but a few hours away.”

Their transport was dark and sleek, carrying a body of guards who immediately ushered the three into the center. The engines whined and whipped up the sand into the air. They donned the helmets as they’d been instructed. Before she had even strapped in, the helicopter was lifting off the ground and moving over the desert sands.

“Javed, is everything okay?” She placed her hand on his, as he watched her. Fine lines of strain were evident around his mouth and eyes.

“Everything will be fine. There’ve just been some strangers seen around the pyramid in the last week. Abdullah had his people guarding it since we made contact.”

His tone was dismissive, but after the intimacies she had shared with him, she knew there was more to the story. It was clear he wasn’t going to share his concerns with her. Whether it was because they were surrounded by others or another reason, she didn’t want to consider.

So she waited in silence, twining her fingers around his as the Egyptian nestling brought the chopper down. She marveled at the sites. The view illuminated by strong lighting awed her. She couldn’t contain her gasp of wonder. “It’s amazing.”

He smiled at her. “Yes, I guess it is. I’ve been here before. Long ago.”

She stared at him, surprised. “You’ve been here before? How long ago?”

This time his grin held little warmth. “Three hundred years, give or take.”

She gulped. Way to make a girl remember his age.

Javed gripped her hands and they followed the professor and guards to a small entrance at the rear of the pyramid site. “We will go in this way. It’s more private and it will take us directly to the room where Professor Anderson thinks we’ll find the information we need.”

Celina kept pace. They descended down a narrow stone stairway. She breathed deeply, staring at the walls that were marked here and there with what she assumed was a mix of ancient and more recent graffiti.

Once underground, the passage became a long corridor. It was well lit but unmarked, yet the professor strode along the passage quickly. Her actions calmed some of Celina’s nerves. She’d seen the amount of stone and sand above and thoughts of them crashing down on her head nearly overwhelmed her. What would it be like to be buried in here? She couldn’t contain a shudder, but though Javed queried her convulsive movement silently with a raised eyebrow, he said nothing.

They came to an entrance and the professor stopped. “In here.”

They entered a small, but ornately carved and painted room. The colors on the wall were still vibrant and Celina marveled at the tones. When she gasped, the sound echoed.

Professor Anderson laughed out loud, the sound reverberating. “Yes. Just as I remembered.” She started with the north side first, scrutinizing everything carefully before shaking her head. “Not this one.” She inspected the next surface just as carefully but, as before, she turned away. The third side stopped her.

The professor pointed to a single row of glyphs. “Here. This is where the secret is hidden.” She sat down on the stone floor then took out a notepad and tablet device, before she began drawing the pictures and making notations.

Javed and Celina waited in silence as she kept working. The air grew close and a little dust filled the air. Celina felt excitement well inside her. She wanted to ask what the professor had learned, but one quick glance at Javed, who silently shook his head, told her that it wasn’t the time or place. So she waited, scuffing at the sandy floors with her feet and listening to the sounds of scuttling bugs.

Eventually, the professor stood, dusted off her skirt and faced them. “I have what we need.”

They hurried back through the corridors and up the stairs, along the sands and into the helicopter. It was only when they were back in the air that Celina had enough breath to ask, “Why are we hurrying? And what did she find?” She was tired and struggled to comprehend their actions.

“We can discuss it on the way home.” His words were final and Celina frowned. Why come all this way, if not to learn what was written on the walls? But then, it really wasn’t her place to ask, she reminded herself. Instead, Celina gave in to the tiredness that had dragged at her in the last few days. She placed her head on Javed’s shoulder and dozed off.

* * * *

Javed frowned, concerned by the exhaustion he could see on Celina’s face. Deep blue bruising had formed under her eyes, and the skin of her cheeks was chalky white. There wasn’t much he could do right now, but when they got home he’d be sure to get Kharisma to check her over.

He turned away and headed for the cabin. Professor Anderson waited for him, her brow furrowed as he sat himself down opposite her. Every blind had been dropped to keep the sun out of the living area. He was uncomfortable traveling during the day—the primeval pull of sleep called—but he had things to do before he could curl around Celina’s body and take his own rest.

“Have you discovered anything?” She glanced up. He felt a shimmer ripple through him. This woman had power he hadn’t sensed before. For a moment the predator inside him roared. He pushed it back down and waited.

“Well, yes and no.” With a single finger, the professor pushed the metal bridge of her glasses higher up before exhaling dramatically. “It depends on exactly what you want to know.”

“I need to know where I can find the prophecy.” He couldn’t control the small hint of frustration.

She smiled. “Well, that’s actually really simple.” She turned the tablet device to face him. He realized she had photographed the carvings on the wall. “See this?” She pointed to a particularly long sample of glyphs.

“Yeah.”

“At the beginning there were four of them. Four with the power of Gods. Four Gods the Egyptians bowed down to.” He understood what she meant, but was unsure as to the importance of her words.

“There were also three women—High Priestesses, if you will. They came to the Princess, told her of their fears, but she was smitten by one of the Gods. Yet another wanted her.”

She muttered again to herself as she peered down to the notebook, flicking through pages. “His name isn’t clear. But what is is that she rebuffed his advances. The Priestesses had warned the Princess. But she continued to ignore them, taking one of the others as her lover. He died. He was murdered before the child of their union could be born. There is no record of the fate of the child, only that it was born. It was a girl child. Here, we can see that the vengeful God came searching for her. He claimed that the child was evil and had to die. Unable to find the child, he killed the Princess. Tore out her throat and bathed in her blood.”

The professor shrugged, her face pale, and his uneasiness grew.

“There is one small hint if you check here.” She pointed to another spot. “There is a scroll, given to the strongest and oldest. It gives instructions on how to defeat the evil God. It was given to one of her protectors, placed there on the Princess’ demand. Find that and you will find the truth. From what I am seeing here, that is the key to your prophecy.”

Javed’s mind whirled. The oldest. The strongest. That would now be Cressida. Their overlord, Caridad, had utilized her in the centuries past as her personal warrior and guard, until Cressida had petitioned for her own nest. No one was actually sure how old Cressida was. In fact, he wasn’t even sure that was her original name. Over the years many vampires had changed their names to hide the fact that they didn’t age. They just passed their items onto their heir, which was always them, in another guise.

He needed to contact Cressida, but she would be asleep. It was noon at home, he calculated, glancing at his watch. Right now there wasn’t much else he could do.

He stood, and turned back to the sleeping cabin. He needed to think everything over.

“Professor, if you would excuse me. I will retire.”

The professor inclined her head. “Of course. The daytime must be extremely draining for you.”

He avoided her comment, instead peering at her. “Please, make yourself comfortable. There is a sleeping room available for your use.”

“Thank you, Master Javed, but I do not require that at this time. If I need anything, I will ask the stewardess.”

He bowed low and left her.

He closed the door to the cabin where Celina slept, setting the security lock on it. Thoughts crowded his mind. A child was born. The child of a God? Was there such a thing? Eight hundred years ago he would have said yes. Back then his faith had been firm. He had never heard of vampires or others—just the scourge of the Christian Knights.

Over the years his fundamental beliefs had wavered and fallen away as he’d seen and participated in battle after battle, each one stealing another bit of his soul until he’d felt empty inside.

He stripped off his clothes, folding them neatly and placing them on the chair in the corner. “Unlike the rest of my clothes since Celina came into my life.”

Javed lifted the sheet and crawled under, frowning once more. Celina didn’t move. He reminded himself that he would talk to Kharisma about that. It felt unnatural. He tugged her closer, welcoming the warmth of her body, and closed his eyes.

* * * *

The plane circled the airstrip as dusk fell. Celina was pleased to be home. Traveling was exciting, but there was nothing quite like her own bed, especially when she was feeling as tired as now.

She smothered a yawn. “We’ll head home first?”

Javed held her hand, and she shivered. He was a truly inventive lover. Her body still tingled from the way he’d woken her, his desire urgent. Her face flamed. She could see that he knew what she was thinking about, in the way his gaze settled on her body. The hooded desire was present in his eyes. Her body had reacted as it always did, the pulse of passion beginning to throb once more. She saw the flare of his nostrils and knew he could tell.

When he glanced away, she felt the break of the sensual connection between them. It left her feeling empty.

“Yes. There are things that need to be done before we head over to Cressida’s estate. Papers that must be signed and I have a meeting with Daniel.” He frowned a little. “He was very quick to transfer to the nest.”

Celina snickered quietly. “Maybe the restrictions of other nests got in the way of his romantic inclinations?” Instead of lightening Javed’s mood, though, her words were met by a deeper frown.

The plane landed with a soft bump and Celina gazed out of the window. The familiar sights of the city entranced her. “And so we’re home.” The air temperature in the cabin dipped. Her warm breath on the window fogged it up and she felt a childish urge to draw a heart. The thought passed quickly as she heard Javed unfasten his seatbelt.

The plane taxied to a halt outside the large hangar and the professor collected her bag. “It’s been a fascinating trip, Master Javed. Celina, I hope we get to meet again someday.”

The door was opened as the steps were wheeled into place. Celina clutched her bag on her shoulder. Javed squeezed her hand as she clambered down the metal stairs. The big, black car he seemed to prefer waited on the tarmac. She climbed in before him.

The trip to the nest was silent. Javed looked out of the window. She didn’t doubt that there was a lot on his mind. He hadn’t yet told her what conclusions Professor Anderson had come up with. Instead, she concentrated on the list of things Bertha had told her to practice.

In the last few days, each time she had searched for her magic, it had been pale, insubstantial. Her stomach jittered thinking that she might have somehow used it all up or damaged it. So much had occurred in a short period of time and she had no frame of reference.

They entered the grounds, sweeping up the pebbled drive, and the house shone like a beacon in the dark night.

Groups of people milled around, arms waving urgently. It was clear something negative had occurred in their absence. She chanced a quick glance at Javed—his face was set in lines of anger as he leaned forward, his eyes shining the golden color she had learned to fear. “Javed?”

Her voice shook and she extended her hand toward him.

“Stay here.”

The words were implacable—icy cold. She shivered.

He left the car and surged forward. Kharisma met him halfway, her face drawn. Celina gripped the arm of the car seat, wanting to be there. She needed to know what had happened.

When Javed did turn back, she saw an unfathomable emotion in his gaze. It captured her attention, freezing her bones. The news was bad. It was clear in the set of his shoulders.

Celina shook as he made his way toward her. She opened the door and climbed out. “What is it, Javed? What’s wrong?”

His eyes were now full of sorrow, and she felt it like a punch in the gut. “I’m so sorry, Celina.”

“What happened? Just tell me?” She gripped his arm painfully.

“Tonight the nest was attacked. Whoever it was took Bertha.” He swept Celina into his arms just as his words hit home.

Bertha! Her mentor and first friend in this new world. “How?”

“Someone rang. Whoever they were pretended to be you. They said you needed her at the airport. It was just on dusk. They took her by force as she was heading for her car.”

“No! That can’t be true.” She pulled away as denial coursed hot through her veins. “We’ll find her. They can’t have her. She’s my friend.”

“We will. We’ll find her and bring her home.” But no matter what Javed said now, Bertha was still alone. In the hands of our enemies.