Soul Unbound (Key to the Cursed Book 3) (25 page)

“I do not mean any disrespect and hope to return
frequently, but my place is with her and our child.”

“Your place is with me, your brother and uncle. We
have lost too many in this war. I will not lose you too.”

Bomani met his father’s intense gaze. “We will not
win this war without the younglings. Their limits need to be tested. Siya and I
can train them to be an asset in the fight. And if Menthu is using them, we
need to move faster and harder. He already has Nebt on his side and now Thoth.”

Asar looked to Bakari. “And you have nothing to
say about this?”

“Kendra and I would like to help with the
younglings.”

Asar bit out a ripe curse. “Of all times I want
you two to disagree, you are in cahoots. What about the legion?”

“With your permission, I will remain in Command
and conduct patrols in the human realm.”

“
Isis
, what you are asking is impossible.
The Council barely cleared enough votes to exonerate Bomani and Siya.”

Bomani stepped forward. “We are asking for your
consideration. You created me to be
more
than a warrior. Let me prove
that to you.”

“You have already proven yourself.”

“Then let me prove it to myself.”

Asar exhaled a long cold breath and glanced from
Bomani to Bakari. “For blood and honor,” he held out his hand.

Bomani grasped his father’s forearm and squeezed in
the traditional warrior handshake. Bakari joined them. “For blood and honor.”

Siya clamped her hand over her abdomen to silence
the pride of lions roaring in her stomach. Any louder and she would wake the
entire palace. Bomani had already been to the kitchen twice before he left with
Bakari. She stretched her hand out to Bomani’s side of the bed, hating that the
sheets were cold and empty.

She rolled off the bed, threw on a pair of linen
pants and shirt. Another grumble broke the silence of the room. She covered her
belly bump with her palm.

“Be patient,” she soothed and headed towards the
door. It had only been a few months and already her stomach was protruding with
the growing baby in her womb. Soon, she would be wearing Bomani’s pants.

Not wanting to think about the changes in her
center of gravity, she stepped out into the hallway. The line of six guardians,
three on each side, stepped in cadence. “How’s it going?” she said, sensing the
awkwardness. She had turned into a type of celebrity since the news of the baby
spread through the realm. The first warrior offspring.

Asar insisted, no commanded, she have twenty-four
hour protection. To say she was annoyed by the arrangement was an
understatement, but who was going to argue with the Lord who put the fate of
the Pantheons on the line to save her ass. Certainly not her.

The lead guardian opened the door to the service
area and kitchen. The smell of the evening meal still filled the air and
knotted her stomach. “I will take it from here.” She did not need six pairs of
eyes staring at her while she scarfed down a side of beef.

Remembering the large roast, her mouth watered.
She pushed through the door and headed straight for the walk-in icebox.

The sound of female laughter echoed from the
adjacent room. Siya paused and leaned her head around the corner. The three
demi-gods sat on a blanket on the floor with a stash of food in the center.
Wine, cheese, meat—heaven.

“Hey, come join us,” Lilly called and waved her
hand, beckoning Siya forward.

“I did not mean to disturb your meal.” Siya
shifted on her feet. Being around males all her life, she was not sure what to
say without coming off too harsh.

Kendra shifted over and patted the space next to
her. “We took everything, so if you want food have a seat.”

Siya hesitated. If she sat, she would have to
converse. She received a swift kick to her belly. She nodded and consumed the
space next to Kendra, despite the awkward sense she did not belong.

Kit poured a glass of water and handed it to Siya.
Kendra handed her a plate and napkin.

“Thanks.” She nodded and took a big gulp.

“Hope you don’t think us too savage, but we eat
with our fingers,” Kit said and leaned back along the sandstone wall.

“What are you doing here?” Siya asked since she
had seen all three at dinner.

“Taking a break,” Lilly said, mid-chew.

“Sneaking away.” Kendra giggled.

“If you have not noticed yet, the
boys
are
a bit intense.” Kit groaned.

Siya grunted her agreement. Bomani had been more
overbearing than usual. Most of his antics were adorable, but when he refused
to let her train with the younglings she had to draw the line. His surrender
did not come without a severe scowl and sulking. 

“This is our safe haven. Where we can talk about
things other than war.” Lilly raised her glass and sipped the red wine.

“Amen,” Kit and Kendra said in unison.

“You have to promise not to tell Bomani.” Lilly
leaned in with a serious expression on her face. “Our little secret.”

“They do not ask where you are going?” Siya asked,
perplexed. It was not as if Kendra and Lilly could hide from their mated males.
Nor she from Bomani. If he wanted to find her all he had to do was follow the
bond.

“We tell them we are going to paint our nails.
They want nothing to do with that.” Lilly laughed.

“Well, I actually do.” Kit pulled out a small red
bottle from her pocket.

Kendra and Lilly swooned over the red liquid.
Taken aback with the female chatter and camaraderie Siya could only sit and
watch. They did not pressure her to join them but continued on with talking
about books, movies and music. It was as if the world around them had stopped.
No war, no curse, no death.

Siya realized an amazing amount of energy had
manifested in the room. Warmth. Laughter. Love. These women cared about each
other. Something Siya had never experienced in her own life. Drawn to it, she
leaned in.

“So what does it feel like to have a baby growing
inside you?” Kendra asked with widened brown eyes.

Siya laid her hand on the round protrusion. “I am
not sure how to describe it.”

“Would you mind if I touched your baby belly?”
Kendra asked, smiling up at her.

Siya was at a loss of words. Besides Bomani, no
one else dared touch her. She stared at these three human demi-gods. Not once
did they look upon her with trepidation or disgust as others did.

“Sure.” Siya heard herself saying.

Lilly crawled across the blanket and sat next to
Kendra. “Can I do it too?”

Siya smiled, enjoying the attention, even though
it was not directed at her. The baby rolled when their hands made contact.

“Oh my gods, that was cool.” Kendra jumped when
the baby made contact with her palm.

“Kit, you’ve got to feel this,” Lilly said.

Kit hung back, shaking her head.

“Come on. It won’t bite,” Lilly teased.

Kit cocked her brow. “We are talking about an
Underworld baby.”

“True.” Lilly laughed harder.

Kit groaned and dropped to her knee. “Damn it, let
me touch it.”

Siya inhaled sharply when Kit’s palm contacted her
stomach. The baby stilled and living energy flowed through her womb between the
women’s palms and the baby inside. A connection of sorts. Similar energies
joining into one wave.

“I think she likes us,” Kit said with a smile, but
then quickly removed her hand.

“My bet is a boy,” Lilly countered.

Siya raised her gaze. Four underworld males stood
with their arms crossed over their chests. “Ah, we have company.”

“Busted.” Kit pouted.

Despite the intrusion, Lilly and Kendra jumped up
and joined their males. Kamen hung back outside. Bomani came over and sat next
to Siya on the floor. “Having fun?”

“Honestly—yes. How was the tavern?”

“Like old times.” Bomani met his brother’s gaze
briefly and returned his attention to Siya. “I am glad to see you out of the
room,” he said and pulled her into his lap.

Siya analyzed her mate and sent feelers out through
their bond. Instead of the recent edginess, she sensed a level of peace. Whatever
burden he had been carrying these last days was lifted. She discarded her
suspicions in favor of snuggling deeper into his chest.

“I told my father we were going back.”

“Gods, what did he say?” Siya’s gaze gravitated to
Asar.

“He does not want us to go but understands the
importance. Bakari and Kendra will help us.”

Siya swallowed against the tightness in her
throat. “They would do that for us?”

“They all would.” Bomani nodded his head towards
the group.

Never in her life had she been so welcomed or
loved. Asar grabbed Lilly and kissed her, unrestrained in his appreciation of
his wife. Bakari leaned over and nuzzled Kendra’s hair. Despite the women’s
deceit, the males only laughed and teased their mates. Kamen leaned on the door
jam and followed Kit with his gaze as she flitted among the others. In fact,
all the tension that had filled the palace was gone.

“Is this what it feels like?” Siya asked, staring
at the couples.

“Does what feel like?”

Siya met Bomani’s golden gaze. “Family.”

“Yes, and soon we will have our own to add.” He
smiled and rubbed her belly.

Siya blinked away the dampness in her eyes and
kissed Bomani. She had found where she belonged. It was better than she ever
imagined it to be.

The beginning and the end.

Four thousand years had passed since Siya walked
through the grand arching gates and rainbow bridge of the Creation Pantheon.
The Council’s brilliant white dome loomed ahead. She shifted through the crowd
with her marked forearms tucked neatly in her sleeves. A few of the males
glanced her way. She smiled and nodded her greeting. No familiar faces. All of
them calm, no anxiety or fear.

Oblivious and disconnected from the despair in the
human realm.

Despite her annoyance, she kept her face placid
and unaffected by the dichotomy. Her feet never wavered from her path, one
committed to memory over the long years. Bast’s quarters were located in the
spires to the north, visible on the horizon. She walked unencumbered, now a
free woman. She had the Carrigan sisters and Asar to thank after they pleaded
Siya’s case to the Council. In the end it was her unborn child who saved her.
No one dared defy the ancients’ prophecy.

She soaked in the warm rays of the sun. The bright
star shined in this realm twenty-four hours a day. Only the amount of light
varied from glaring bright white to twilight, but never black. This was by
design. An unwelcoming environment for any Underworlder who dared cross without
invitation.

Entering the temple, she sprinted up the spiral
staircase running the interior of the spire. A symbol of the elite, the spire
was home to the Protector gods. She paused outside the first of four heavy
wooden doors. She ran her fingertips over the screw holes that once held the
gold metal marker on the door. She gripped the door handle.

Locked.

Sensing no other energies, she closed her eyes and
kinetically released the locking mechanism. After all this time, they had not
changed the combination. They probably never believed she would ever come back
to her living quarters.

The door swung open revealing the sterile
interior. Not so much as a picture or sentimental trinket. Just how she left
it.

Absent and cold.

She shivered, hating how empty everything appeared
now. She knew she was withdrawn and anti-social, but seeing it with new eyes
disturbed her. She could no longer relate to that part of her life. Her exile,
the younglings, Bomani and the life growing inside of her had changed
everything. A blessing on many levels. She backed out of the room, saying a
final goodbye to her former life.

Siya hustled past Meti and Haru’s rooms. The gods’
souls had been extracted from Bomani’s and were waiting for new hosts. The gods
would see another day. Bast had staked her claim on the most spacious and
finely appointed accommodations, and as expected, was too arrogant to lock her
door. Siya walked into the center of the room.

Fresh flowers adorned every available space. The
floral scent set an ache in Siya’s temple. Lace and silk adorned the overly
feminine four poster bed. Intricate iron weaved the canopy into a crown of
flowers and vines. Bright sunlight cast red, blue and yellow rays through the stain
glass windows filling the entire circumference of the room.

Siya fingered the hairbrush and black eyeliner for
Bast’s signature cat eyes. She had no need for such things. Her eyes darted to
a large bureau on the opposing wall. Stalking over, she pulled the doors open.

The silver blades flashed in the light of the room.
That’s more like it.
She found one redeeming quality of Bast—her weapons
collection. Sadly, most of them had not seen battle, except maybe to stab
someone in the back. Without disturbing the cache, she left one door ajar.

She sat in the chair with a clear view of the
door. The heavy scent of flowers would mask her scent enough Bast would not be
the wiser until she shut herself into the room. She leaned back, reveling in
the comfort of the overstuffed chair. She eyed the bed but decided that would
be pushing it.

For the first time in a long time she crossed her
legs. What was it about these gowns that infused her with femininity when she
usually had none? The dress was airy and open, revealing more skin than she had
grown accustomed to. Then again, she had no weapons to hide. She felt oddly
bare. Her hands fell naturally over her round belly.

The click of the tumblers drew her gaze to the
door. She inhaled a breath, forced her muscles to relax and plastered a fake
smile on her face.

Bast shoved the door shut and paused, her eyes
targeting the partially cracked bureau. The cat goddess whirled around and
gasped. “Sekhmet!”

Siya smiled broader at Bast’s horrified
expression. “Hello, Bast.”

Bast’s momentary surprise evaporated, and in its
wake came a defensive posturing. “Are you here to kill me?” she asked with a
profound hiss.

“Now why would I want to do that?” Siya smirked
when Bast flinched.

“All I have to do is yell for the guards. I will
have you thrown in the dungeon for this intrusion.” Bast’s eyes strayed to the
cracked bureau.

Siya rolled her eyes, so over her royal catness.
“Give it a rest. I am glad to see you have made a full recovery.” Siya stood
and stared down upon her former guardian. She turned and walked to the bank of
stained glass windows.

“How did you get in here?” Bast demanded.

“I walked, just like Menthu will do if you do not
secure those gates. The security here is lax.” Siya had passed several small
security groups and not one stopped her. She might be free of her exiler mark,
but she was a stranger, a questionable threat. Of course her father would not
be so discrete. His soldiers, the equivalent of large Minotaurs, would level
the place. Not to mention, the siravants would ensure a bloody massacre.

“What do you want, Sekhmet?”

“I need your help,” Siya said on a forced breath.
She glanced over her shoulder and met Bast’s brilliant green eyes outlined in
smoky black eyeliner. “There are younglings who need to be found.”

“Younglings?” Bast asked with her chin raised and
her lips pursed tight.

Siya turned fully around and glared at the
goddess. “Do not test me, Bast. I have very little patience for your charades. You
have seen first-hand what my father is capable of. The younglings belong under
Creation protection. It is your mandate to protect all of the Mother Goddess’
descendants.”

“Apparently, not all of them,” Bast mumbled and
stalked over to her bureau. She yanked open the doors, performed a quick
inventory and then slammed the wood shut.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Siya asked, wondering
if she was speaking of the demi-gods. The thought of the Mother Goddess’
children under the care of the Underworld had to be burning Bast’s hide. Not to
mention Lilly, Kit and Kendra had caught the ear of the Council enough they had
pardoned Siya, surprisingly so, if the Chancellor was linked to Apep. But Asar
had commanded Siya not to reveal the information until they could corroborate
Theris’ claim.

“Nothing.” Bast waved her hand in dismissal. “As
for the younglings, I have no record of their births.”

“There are no records.” Siya crossed her arms over
her chest. “They need protection. It is no longer safe.”

Bast fingered through her hair. “They must have
records.”

“I am done with your foolery,” Siya snapped, her
booming voice raddling the windows. She forced her shoulders to relax. “There
are more to be found. If Menthu finds even one, you know what he will do.”
Youngling blood had regenerative powers. If her father fed on one, he would be
even more difficult to kill. Worse was the fact the younglings could be
infected with Apep’s blood.

“I cannot help you.”

“Do not let your hatred of me put the Pantheon at
risk.”

Bast’s eyes strayed to Siya’s belly. “You dare
invade the Pantheon with a list of demands. You have no rights. No Pantheon. No
power here.”

“You are right. I have no rights or power, but you
are mistaken about one thing. I do have a Pantheon and a family to protect.”

“Do not fool yourself, Sekhmet. You do not belong
to them, no more than you did us. Your child will be no different,” Bast scoffed.

“Nice try, but I am not falling for it.” Siya
exhaled a breath and with it her anger. Staring upon Bast, she realized all the
glamor was nothing more than a disguise, hiding the bitter ugliness. “You of
all people know what Menthu and the siravants are capable of destroying. Now is
the time to set aside our differences and unite under one flag.”

Bast folded her arms over her chest. The scars may
have healed, but Siya could see the haunted look in her eyes. Fear fueled
Bast’s hatred and avoidance of the inevitable. “At least close the gates.”

“Get out,” Bast snapped, her elegant features
darkening.

“Find the younglings. Mother has seen a need to
bring them to this world.” The Creation Pantheon, however dysfunctional, could
provide more than a rack to sleep upon and food from a can. Asar’s realm was
overextended already with the fifty offspring. It was time for the Creations to
accept their roll in this war. In the meantime, Siya and Bomani would continue
their search for the young gods.

Not waiting for Bast’s retort, Siya exited the
door and started down the steps. She breached the opening and tipped her face
towards the sun. A sense of warmth and well-being washed through her. Unencumbered
with hiding her identity, she walked with her hieroglyphics exposed for all to
see. The
Destroyer
had returned home for an official goodbye. With her
head held high she met the startled gazes and hushed whispers. She was her
mother’s daughter. She felt no shame now, only truth.

The fine gold flecks of the bridge glistened under
her feet. This realm was heavenly. A part of her would miss it, but the reward
on the other side was far too great. She passed through the gates and entered
the seam between immortal planes. The iron groaned as the enormous gold doors
swung shut behind her.

Siya turned her back on the Creation realm,
knowing she would never return. Bomani waited for her in the shadows, like a
beacon among the darkness. She stepped forward into his arms and the warm
golden glow of his gaze.

Never again would she be alone.

Her child would know what love and family truly
meant. Love
had
conquered all and she gladly surrendered her soul to it.