“That’s terrible.”
“Enki held compassion for it and begged Ninmah, my beloved mother, to take care of Kur. She agreed and did her best to help the creature. Unfortunately, even the Earth-Mother Goddess couldn’t correct or change the defects in its genealogy. She summoned servants in a small village to watch over it for the rest of its days.”
Dagan’s pacing and intensity filled her with a sense of unease. She grabbed his arm and the static charge voltage of a bug zapper surged through her body, making the hair on her arms stand up. She jumped back. It surprised him as well.
“Was it awful?” she whispered while shaking her hand to get feeling back in her fingers.
He moved away. “Over time, Kur responded in small ways to those who cared for him. Being self-aware, he knew the story of his origin. Although able to function to a small degree, he hated his existence.
“One day a young woman brought food to his room. He had been contemplating revenge against Enki. His rage turned on the girl and he drained her life force which in turn made him stronger, more powerful than he had ever been before.”
“He liked it.”
Dagan nodded. “So much so that he murdered the entire village.”
“Oh my God.” Reese wrapped her arms around her body as if to stave off the evil.
“Kur went on a rampage and killed many across the land. Before the gods could stop him, he kidnapped the Goddess Ereshkigal and escaped to the Underworld.”
Entranced, yet still unsure about the sanity of this ordeal, Reese aptly listened to the fascinating story.
“The teachings I’ve had were that An, the sky god and Enlil ordered Ereshkigal to the Underworld to be Queen of the House of Death.”
He sighed. “There have been numerous attempts over the centuries to get her back, but none have been successful. He holds her deep in the bowels of the Underworld. We have no proof that she lives, but the Goddess Inanna will not give up hope.”
“This is all interesting to be sure, but what does it have to do with me, a twenty-first century archeologist?”
Dagan caressed her cheek with his fingers. He fought the increasing urges to explore the contours of her face, the nuances of her body. “Enki’s blood flows within you. The power of it pulls at Kur, who is still bent on revenge.”
Reese shivered. A small whimper left her lips and Dagan pulled her into his arms.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll protect you.”
“Will he stop?”
“No.”
“Then how will you protect me?” She glided away from him. “You can’t be with me for the rest of my life and he lives on forever.”
“As do I.”
Reese shook her head. “I must learn more about Kur and those creatures. I want to know everything.”
Dagan ran his fingers through his hair. Would she ever stop with the questions?
“Look.” He held up a hand to cease her litany. “It’s been a long day. I’m sure you’d like to get some rest and I’m beat. How about saving the interrogation until the morning?”
Her disappointment washed him with a gush of guilt, but it would pass.
Her eyes were like the lapis lazuli that swirled around the city of his birth. Her unique scent radiated from her skin and mixed with her sex, invading his superior and heightened senses. He closed the distance between them. His body burned with the
fury
.
Quick as lightning, he slid his hand under her hair, grabbed the nape of her neck and pulled her lips to his. She moaned.
Reese broke the kiss. “Stop.”
He did, but it took great restraint. In an attempt to calm the storm erupting in the cells of his body, Dagan inhaled through his nose, exhaled through his mouth and bore holes in the wall behind where Reese stood.
Reese readjusted her clothing, which had twisted in his embrace. “I don’t even know you. I’ve let you in my home, although why is anyone’s guess, and you fill my head with fairytales.” She pointed a finger at him. “Despite how intrigued I might be, it doesn’t give you an open invitation to take liberties.”
Nervous energy ignited her.
“You’ll leave when the seal is broken, or whatever.” She paced the area behind the sofa. “And—” She stopped and narrowed her eyes. “Don’t you dare touch me again. Are we clear?”
He leaned his shoulder against the doorjamb and crossed his arms. “I agree. We should not touch again. It could be catastrophic.” More for him than her, especially if his people found out.
“Good,” she said and marched off toward the bedroom.
Dagan roamed the house checking doors, windows and any other possible entries into the home before settling uncomfortably on the floor with a pillow and blanket Reese had thrown at him.
He hadn’t slept and all his senses were on alert so he knew when she’d re-entered the room.
“What happens tomorrow?” She looked at the clock on mantel. “I mean today.”
“The seal will disappear at sunrise and I will hunt.”
“Hunt?”
He sighed. Obviously, his hope for peace until morning was short-lived. He rolled to his side and propped his cheek on his upturned palm. “I will search out Kur’s minions, his watchdogs. They’ll either be sent back to the Underworld or destroyed so they can do you no harm.”
She shivered. “What will I be doing while you’re hunting?”
“You’ll stay here and I’ll seal the house again. You’re safe as long as you’re inside.”
She lifted her brow and her voice. “Uh, no, and I’ll go so far as to say, hell no. I can’t stay here forever and I won’t. I’m meeting my team Monday to start work on a proposal.”
The determined glint in her eyes told him she was serious and that made him angry. “And what will you do if the death squad manages to get to you and I’m not around?”
In the dim lighting, he watched her shift from one foot to the other and imagined the wheels turning in her mind.
“I’ll do what I have to.” Reese rolled her shoulders. “Besides, you can’t be sure how long they’ve been here. For all we know, I’ve been watched for weeks.”
“Not likely.”
Planting her hands on her hips she said, “How can you be so sure?”
He sat up. “Because I would have felt them and been here as well. Kur sends the
galla
to different breaks on the timeline to search out descendants of the gods. They must have happened on this point in time and sensed your presence.”
She flicked her wrist as if swatting a gnat. “Regardless, how do I explain you to my colleagues? A big, dark Sumerian warrior following me everywhere I go?” She shook her head. “Oh, don’t worry about him. He’s my bodyguard to save me from the evil Lord of Hell, nothing to be concerned about.”
The tone of his voice hardened. “Lord of Hell? He would probably like that title.” Dagan glanced toward the window. “I should get ready, dawn will break soon.” He shifted to his hands and knees before unrolling his body to a standing position.
“Right,” she murmured.
Dagan zipped his pants and sat to put his boots on.
“Are you awake yet?”
Pyre’s voice echoed in his head.
“You know I’m awake
.
”
He walked past the window and saw the sun just breaking the horizon. “
What do you
want?”
Pyre chuckled.
“Did you get up on the wrong side of the woman?”
“Is there a wrong side to a woman?”
Dagan asked.
He looked at his ruined shirt and tossed it in the trash. Since the seal was no longer in place, he held his hand out, palm up, and a new shirt materialized.
“Not that I have found.”
“Pyre, I’m in no mood. Kindly tell me what you want,”
he said as he slipped the new shirt on.
“What are your plans? The seal will break when sunlight hits it.”
“That happened five minutes ago. I’m readying myself now.”
“What will you do with the female?”
So Flame had spoken to him.
“What can I do with her
?
She can’t stay locked away forever
.
”
Although he wished it were so.
“Do you need help?”
“So far Rufus and I have been handling it. I’ll call if I need you.”
The
galla
and Kur he could handle. It was the human female that turned him inside out.
When Reese came back down the hall dressed in tight jeans, a yellow turtleneck and Winnie the Pooh sweatshirt, he swallowed hard. He fought every urge to tell her not to go out. She would do what she damn well pleased whether he wanted it or not.
Stubborn
.
“So what are your plans for today?”
“I have some errands to run.” She pulled her purse up from the floor, checked her wallet to see how much money she had, then dug deeper for the car keys.
He stayed silent.
“What, no argument from the big bad warrior about how I should stay inside and lock all the doors?”
“It would do no good,” he said in a strained voice.
“Damn straight, fella.”
She didn’t dare look at him. She wanted to rush into his arms and beg him to keep her safe, but she wouldn’t do that either.
“Be careful.”
That stopped her. She turned to him narrowing suspicious eyes. “Be careful? Is that all you’re going to say?”
“No.” He stalked toward her.
Here it comes.
“Now that you know what’s going on, you have to remain alert. You need to keep your eyes open.”
“Don’t worry, Dagan. I will be aware of everything going on around me, and I’m taking this.” She held up a Bowie knife.
“By all the gods,” he swore and grabbed the knife by the handle. “You’re going to cut yourself.” He laid it on the table and scowled at her. “Where the hell did you get that? It’s not a toy.”
“Look, buster.” She poked her finger into his chest. “I’m not a three year old. I know it’s not a toy. My cousin uses it when he comes here to hang out and go fishing. I am perfectly capable of handling the thing.”
He gave her that “you’re crazy” look—sideways. It pissed her off more that he thought she needed to be coddled. Did she want to know Sumerian gods were running around on Earth? No. Did she want to know her name was on some demon from the Underworld’s hit list? No. But she damn well wouldn’t be going out without some protection.
She sheathed the knife and settled it in the bottom of her purse. Grabbing her coat and scarf, she said, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do.” She moved past Dagan on her way out the door. “Don’t forget to lock up.”
He growled or yelled or both, but the closing door muffled the sound, so she couldn’t be sure.
Dagan threw open the door. “Dammit, Reese. Get your ass back here.”
“No.” She kept walking toward her car without looking back.
He caught up to her as she opened the door. “Look at me,” he said, tugging the sleeve on her coat to stop her.
She sighed. “What?”
Dagan brushed a stray hair from her cheek with the gentlest touch. “Be careful.”
“You said that already.”
The barest of smiles flickered. “You’re very irritating.”
“So are you.” She looked up into those incredible eyes of his and got lost in their concern. “I’ll be careful, Dagan.”
He rubbed his thumb over her lips and she hoped he would kiss her again. Instead, he dropped his hand and took a step back. His eyes bore holes into her while she loaded herself into the car and started the engine. He raised his hand in farewell then shattered into twinkling lights.
Reese put her hand over her mouth and closed her eyes. How would she get through this? With her car warmed up, she pulled out of the drive and headed to her father’s house.
Dagan reappeared in Rufus’s car.
Rufus put his hand over his heart. “Whoa, holy hell, Dagan. I wish you’d warn me when you’re going to do that.”
“Follow her, but don’t let her see you.”
“Not too keen on the whole bodyguard thing, huh?”
Dagan gritted his teeth. “No.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be on her like shit on a shingle.”
“What?”
“Never mind. I’m on the case.”
Dagan nodded and disappeared.
Chapter Nine
The forty-minute drive gave Reese time to think over what to say to her father. Should she try to reason this out with him? Should she tell him the truth about the last two days in her life?
Definitely not.
She would approach him with the idea of a client party as a thank you to all their loyal customers. Maybe if he got into the planning of it like he used to, it would bring him out of the long depression.
She drove down the quiet neighborhood street and pulled into 1112 Hickory Drive. It looked like Scott, the local teenager she’d hired to shovel the drive and sidewalk had already been there.