Marked by Death (The Godhunter, Book 4) (18 page)

“I’m sorry but I seem to have lost my appetite,” I looked at Anubis and inclined my head. “I’ll be in your bedroom.” I started to walk away, hoping he wouldn’t stop me.

“
Our
bedroom,” was all he said, it made me pause for a moment but I didn’t look back. I walked out the door.

Before I reached the Hall of Two Truths, I heard Re say in a strong, clear voice, “If you don’t go after her, you’re a fool
and
a bastard.”

I quickened my pace; I didn’t want Anubis to chase me. I just wanted to be alone for a few blessed minutes with my sorrow. I entered the hall, the frescoes blurring as I raced by, and headed down to Anubis’ room. If I could make it to the bathroom, I could at least shut the door against him.

But as I entered the room, I felt his hand slide on my arm. My composure broke and I cried out violently as I tried to pull away from him. He just took my other arm and pulled me against his chest, sending an order to relax into my body. My body obeyed but my mind didn’t.

“
I hate you,” I ground out.

“
I know,” he sounded so tired, I couldn’t help looking up.

His face was creased with worry and regret, his eyes filled with something too soft and tender for me to look at. I didn’t want to play this game anymore. I wanted to go home and hold my cat, make love to my wolf, and feel the connection with my lions again.

“I know,” he repeated and I wondered briefly if it was in answer to my thoughts. “I can’t let you go, Miw-sher.”

His hand wiped at my eyes, where the tracks of my tears had no doubt left black streaks. Carefully, he cleaned them away and took the circlet from my head, tossing it to the floor. He spread his fingers through my hair, stroking it with long, fluid motions that helped slow my breath, before he lowered his lips to mine and made it race again.

“No,” I pulled my mouth from his. “Don’t ask this of me  now.”

“
I’m not asking,” he pulled my face back to his and I felt my heart drop at the tenderness in what I’d expected to be a harsh kiss.

I felt his hands at my shoulders, undoing the golden clasps, and the material fell to my waist. His shirt felt rough against my chest as he slid down me to kneel at my feet. I looked down at him in confusion; usually he wanted me on my knees. Anubis had never knelt for me.

Keeping his rainbow obsidian eyes on me, he took the tip of one breast into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue. I trembled and automatically clasped him to me. I wanted to scream, to deny him and everything he made me feel but I wasn’t strong enough to break his spell.

His hands found the hooks at the back of my dress and in moments it was a puddle around my feet. He sat back on his heels so he could look over me, following his gaze with his hands, marking a path of desire over my skin.

“You said you surrendered,” he whispered and rose up to his knees again. “Will you hold true to that or do you deny me now?”

I gasped as his magic retreated in a rush, leaving me free to fight. My first thought was to back away, hit him, claw him, but then I remembered the prize I was fighting for and what Ma’at had claimed my best weapons were. Maybe she was right after all. Maybe the moment laid before me was a turning point in the battle and it all rested on what I did there.

So instead of stepping back, I stepped forward. I spread my hands through his hair and held his face. I let him see the fear and the acceptance because otherwise my capitulation would ring false and I needed him to believe it without looking too closely, without searching my mind.

“
I’ll hold true to it,” I let my voice slide over him like warm rain and watched with satisfaction as his eyes closed and he groaned. “I surrender,” I bent my face to his and sealed my lies with a kiss.

When I lifted my head it was to find him staring back at me with a look of pure bliss. His arms tightened and he pressed his face into my stomach. I held him as I stared into the full length mirror beside us. My face in the reflection was cold determination, my body nude but proudly held, and there he was, the God of Death, at my feet like an acolyte, clinging to me and worshiping me with his hands, as he knelt in a puddle of blood red silk.

It felt like a premonition.

Chapter Twenty

He was having a party, a freakin’ party, and I was supposed to dress up pretty and play hostess…with my big gold chain dangling from my neck. Great, just great. What the hell was I supposed to talk about with his friends? “Hi, I’m Vervain, the Godhunter and Anubis’ captive, don’t mind the big chain, it’s just my leash. Yeah, he treats me like a dog. Canapé?”

“
You look beautiful,” Anubis laid his hands on my bare shoulders.

“
Thank you,” I smoothed down the opalescent folds of my gown. It was layers upon layers of sheer, iridescent silk and it clung and shimmered with every step.

“
Are you ready?” He took the end of my chain and hooked it onto his belt. It was obvious, poking out of his tux like a neon sign screaming
Look, I captured the Godhunter
. Great, this wasn’t going to be at all humiliating.

“
Sure,” I took a deep breath and took the arm he offered.

We took a series of corridors to the vast ballroom, with its mirrored walls and werejackals in livery like it was Versailles. The room was full with mingling gods, banquet tables overflowing with food, servants bearing trays of drinks, and a live orchestra.

“You really don’t like going with the whole Egyptian theme, do you?” I looked up at him as we entered.

He laughed, loud and hard, and everyone stopped what they were doing to stare. Shit, why did this always happen to me? Note to self, don’t make otherwise stoic gods, laugh in the middle of a party full of people you don’t know. Yes, it’s happened before.

“I try not to be predictable,” his eyes retained most of his laughter as he escorted me through the staring guests.

“
Anubis,” a black man came up to us with a solemn woman in tow.

Now when I say he was black, I don’t mean African-American, Jamaican, or any other dark-skinned race, I mean his skin was black like onyx. So was his hair, for that matter. The only bit of color to him was in his gray eyes, dark gray thankfully or they would’ve melted into the whites and made him look even creepier.

“Father,” Anubis shook his hand and I almost snorted. Go figure Mr. Creepy was Anubis' dear ol’ Dad. He turned to the woman and her face brightened for a second as he kissed her cheek. “Mother, how are you?”

“
Well, thank you,” she spoke softly but her voice carried, like voices do through fog, sounding as if someone were right beside you even though no one’s there at all. Great, Mr. Creepy and Mrs. Spooky. No wonder Anubis was fucked up, just look at his parents.

“
This is Vervain,” he brought me forward and I raised a brow in surprise. I got to meet the parents? Can you say awkward?

The man took my hand and shook it, while his stormy eyes seemed to swirl and the air around us crackled with electricity. I knew that smell. I knew that power. It was like Thor’s and it filled me with a horrible ache for my ex-lover. The man cocked his head to the side as he studied me.

“The Godhunter?”

“
Yep, that’s me. So, you do storms, huh?”

“
It’s one of my talents,” his eyes narrowed. “How did you…”

“
You’re projecting, dear,” Anubis’ Mom pushed his Dad back gently and pulled me into an embrace. Whoa, wasn’t expecting that. “Welcome to Duat, Vervain.”

“
Thank you,” I looked into her sad eyes and wanted to cry. “Duat?” I whispered to Anubis in his head.

“
It’s the proper name for the Egyptian Underworld,” he answered back.

Well damn, all this time and I didn't even know the name of my prison.

“I am Nephthys,” she waved a hand at her husband, “and this is Set. He gets a little moody but who am I to judge. Please pay him no mind.”

“
It’s alright, I’ve dated a storm god before,” I smiled, surprised to find myself genuinely liking the woman.

The way she made me feel, made much more sense after discovering her identity. Nephthys was the Goddess of Mourning. Poor thing, it was her job to make people feel sad. Set was a god of chaos and adversity but he was also the Lord of the Northern Sky, thus the stormy eyes and Thor smell.

“Yes, you were with Thor, correct?” Set was a little on the sharp side and I almost flinched from his tone.

“
Father, please,” Anubis gathered me closer to his side.

“
What? She’s the Godhunter, not your wife. Am I supposed to be cordial to your prisoner? You have her chained to your belt for fuck’s sake.”

“
Set!” Nephthys scolded as she slapped his arm.

“
What?” He looked at her like she’d gone nuts.

“
She is my prisoner, yes,” Anubis’ jaw clenched and I noticed that the other guests were listening intently. The way they’d treat me all depended on what came out of his mouth next, “but she is a honored prisoner and I expect you as well as everyone else,” he swung his gaze around the room, “to give her the same respect that you’d afford me.”

“
Let us be clear here,” Set frowned like he didn’t enjoy misunderstandings. “She’s not your wife and you’re asking us all to treat her as such?”

“
Who knows what she may yet become,” I stiffened in his arms and he pulled me even closer to place a lingering kiss on my lips.

I kissed him back, more for the show of it than anything else, as my stomach clenched in fear. What the hell did that mean? He said I’d be here forever but he never mentioned anything about marriage. This was getting more and more ridiculous.

I heard a low murmuring go around the room and relaxed. Maybe it was all just for show and he was saying those things to be sure no one treated me badly. It was actually kind of sweet. Ahhh! Captor, jailor, rapist, I needed to keep reminding myself.

“
As you like,” Set backed away with a deep frown, taking his wife with him.

“
Your mother seems very nice,” I let Anubis escort me around and took a drink from a passing waiter.

“
She has a kind heart,” he kissed my cheek.

“
Thank you for that.”

“
For the kiss?” His eyes lit up and he stopped to pull me against him. “How about another?”

“
No,” I slapped at him teasingly, “for defending me. I wasn’t sure what to expect tonight. Thank you for saving me from the jibes.”

“
Your punishment is for me to decide,” his face was a breath away from mine and he made the word punishment sound sexy, kinky even. “I won’t allow anyone else to harm you.”

Then he was kissing me again and I was overwhelmed with the dumbest feeling of romance. Can you believe it? Freakin’ Stockholm’s Syndrome, I was falling for my abductor. No, pull back! Danger Will Robinson, danger! Iceberg ahead, Captain! Warning bells were clanging and still I kissed him back, enjoying the soft feel of his lips on mine without his manipulation of my body.

I enjoyed the way his hands stroked me, while his lower arms kept me close. I enjoyed his scent, sweet incense and dark magic. I enjoyed the play of his tongue on mine and I enjoyed the way we were making everyone gasp and murmur. I almost laughed when he finally pulled back.

Then I saw his eyes.

Oil slicks covered with shifting lights… jewel tones only. He was lusting heavy and he wasn’t my lover, he wasn’t my boyfriend, he was my captor. I nearly jerked in shock. What the hell was I thinking?

“
I think it’s my turn to thank you, Miw-sher,” he whispered. “I’ll thank you even more later.”

Before I could say anything else, we were onto the next guest, who gave me grudging respect, as ordered. I shook hands, smiled, and played hostess as best as I could, chained to Anubis’ belt. I was suddenly thankful for that chain, for the heavy reminder that this was not a gentleman no matter how much Ma’at believed him to be and I was not there by choice.

“May I dance with Vervain?” Re caught us at the perfect moment, while Anubis was deep in conversation with another god.

Anubis narrowed his gaze on Re but making another scene in front of his guests didn’t seem to be high on his list of priorities. “Of course,” he unhooked the chain from his belt and handed it to Re.

I was mortified.

“
Thank you,” Re inclined his head to Anubis, turned to me, and with a great flourish, presented me the chain. “Lady Vervain, I would dance with you only if you will it. May I have this dance?”