Soul Unbound (Key to the Cursed Book 3) (16 page)

Siya registered the broad chest and muscular arms
encircling her body. Bomani had molded his legs against her bare thighs and
cinched his hand across her waist. Otherwise, his muscles were completely
relaxed, the only indication he was still sleeping. He had no distinct scent,
just the light scent of soap tickling her nose. During the night, their body
temperatures equilibrated—his warming, hers cooling.

His heart did not beat, but the flow of blood
hummed through his veins. It soothed her, like a melody. Last night for the
first time, she did not suffer alone. All those many years of hiding when
things went dark. The pain and suffering, Bomani had taken it all away in one
night. She was not fully together, mentally or physically, but in a better
place than twelve hours ago.

The few times she laid with Theris, she never
stayed after sex. In fact she hated herself each time her weakness got the best
of her. A stab of guilt renewed her pain. She should have never crossed that
proverbial line with Bomani, but right now she wanted nothing else. Selfish as
it was, she nestled deeper into the crook of his arm.

She reveled in the solidness of his body. Not to
mention the large erection growing against her hip. She dared not move or risk
losing the seconds, minutes or hours wrapped in contentment. Harshness awaited
her beyond the doors of this room. The reality of her world would not change if
she lingered a few minutes longer.

Bomani’s thumb trailed across her ribcage. Her
breath caught in her throat. Had he been awake this whole time? Heat bloomed at
the point of his touch. She closed her eyes, willing her body not to respond.
He exhaled a cool breath against her ear, leaving goose bumps along the path.

“Sorry, I am used to waking up alone,” Bomani
whispered but made no movement to shift away from her. His fingers continued their
exotic dance along her skin.

Alone? Siya knew the Commander would have his pick
of women assigned to the legions. Khalfani had until she came along. Like her,
maybe Bomani preferred to be alone. She leaned her head against his chest.

“You must think me crazed.” She could not bear to
look him in the eyes. Gods, what had she been thinking. “You need to get as far
away from me as possible.”

His full hand slid against her jaw and lifted her
face to meet his golden gaze. “I am where I was meant to be.”

For now, she thought. She closed her eyes, unable
to face his scrutiny. Tears welled beneath her lids. “I should go check on the
boys,” she said, wanting to escape her embarrassment.

He turned, shifting the mattress in such a way he
consumed more of her body into his. His large hand slid to the small of her
back and cinched her against him. “They can wait.”

Face to face, she could not hide from his gaze.
With just a thin shirt and panties, there was little separating her from his
bare torso. The more their skin touched the hotter her blood pulsed. “I am
better. Focused. You do not need to worry,” she lied.

He pinned her with those golden eyes. “
You
can wait. The world is not going anywhere. You can save it in another hour.”

“Hour?”

He smirked.

“Listen, Bomani. I do not think—”

He silenced her with his thumb pressed to her
lips. “Relax.” Despite his brush off, his thumb lingered a moment longer than
casual interference. He broke his contact and tucked his arm along his side
while he rubbed her back with his other hand. “I get that you do not want me.”

“That is not what I said.”

“So, you do want me?” His dark brows arched.

“Yes,” she heard herself say out loud. “But, you
should not want me.”

His eyes darkened and his thumb found her lips
again. He narrowed the space between them. “That is for me to decide,” he
whispered and sealed her in a kiss that blurred the reasons why they should
not. Energy flooded her, shoving away the darkness with each loving brush of
his mouth and tongue against her.

His kiss still burned with the same amount of
passion, but it was gentle and persistent, coaxing her broken body to life. She
darted her tongue into his mouth and tangled it with his. He groaned and
gripped her flesh tighter.

Heat flushed through her body and settled between
her legs. She squeezed them together, loving the tingles of pleasure. Liquid
fire pooled and the ache intensified. He grasped the back of her knee and
pulled her leg over his, so her core rested against his muscled thigh. His palm
kneaded her ass and rubbed her heat against him.

He broke their kiss and taunted her with nips down
her neck. “You smell so good.” He ground his arousal against her abdomen. “Do
you have any doubts about how much I want you?”

His words sent more heat flooding down below. Her
arousal delectably moistened her panties with each rub of his thigh. She
reached for him, but he caught her hand before she could grasp his cock. “You
are weak, remember.”

Weak? She was jelly. Shifting her onto her back, he
traced his fingers down her sternum. In aching anticipation her nipples rose higher
the farther he plunged between her breasts. He consumed the sensitive peak and
set off a firestorm of pleasure. With her fingers dug into his hair, she arched
up against his mouth and bit back the moan threatening to escape.

He smiled before turning his attention to her
other breast. “Bomani,” she hissed, trying desperately to be quiet.

Continuing his descent, his fingertips snaked down
her abdomen and gently brushed the outside of her panties. Overwhelmed by the
explosion of sensation, she snapped her thighs closed and trapped his hand
against the ache between her legs. She was at his mercy, and parting her thighs,
he forced his hand deeper. “Save your energy for what counts,” he said, looking
down at her.

“We shouldn’t.” She gasped as he parted the edge
of the fabric and slid his fingers against her cleft.

“Our bodies say we should, and I am sure as shit
not going to argue with it.” He closed his eyes and hissed out a breath as he
dipped into her wetness.

She panted in long heavy breaths, barely able to
fight the burn his fingers spread through her core. He delved into her channel,
coaxing her to spread her legs wider. She lifted her hips, seeking his skilled
touch.

The burn intensified with the pressure of his
fingers inside her and the swirl of his thumb against her clitoris. Her entire
body stiffened before exploding in a glorious rapture. Her core clenched again
and again, and he silenced her screams with an erotic kiss.

She slowly floated back down and reclaimed her
body. Taking a slow deep breath, the delicious smell of semen filled her
senses. She blinked and looked up at Bomani.

Both of his brows arched. “
Isis
, that was
intense. I think I need another pair of pants,” he chuckled.

She bit her lower lip, trying to suppress her
smile. A side effect of the bond, perhaps.

He kissed her again. “I like this look much better.”

“Thank you,” she said and touched his chest.
Unable to resist, she traced the legion brand. Being this close to him, she
sensed the energy running across his skin.

Different. Stronger. Darker.

“I am here because I want to be, Siya. I want you
to know that.”

“I do. I am sorry. You were not meant to see
that,” she said, her eyes straying to her arm. She rubbed her forehead. “It is
the only pain I can control.”

“Next time you feel that way, I will gladly
distract you.” He leaned down and nuzzled her breast.

The spark ignited by his mere suggestion. His gaze
held a brightness, one she had not seen until now. She believed if she fell for
him, he would distract her from
all
her pain. “I am sure it will be
legendary.”

He pulled her tight to his side. “So now what?”

“We go after the book.”

He frowned. “I guess you are right.”

Neither of them moved to action. She felt
energized, but the thought of facing her father turned her stomach. She had the
issue of Theris’ disappearance. “When did you realize you were different from
the others?” she asked, not ready to face her problems.

“It was the year I assumed command,” he said
quietly. “I was forbidden to tell anyone. I guess it does not matter now.”

The pain in his voice drew her in closer. She
rested her hand on his waist. “I will not speak of anything you tell me. You
know that, right?”

“I know.” He pushed the hair back from her face
and tucked it behind her ear.

“You do not embrace it, do you? The other half of
yourself.”

“No.”

“Why?” She thought of her own struggles between
the light and darkness. At war with each other, each demanding to be in
control. If she ignored one too long it would force itself free whether she
wanted it or not.

“I watched as my gods exploited their powers. I
never saw any good come of it.”

Siya could not blame him. Warriors were all about
honor. He probably saw it as cheating. She rose up on her elbow. “Trust me when
I say, it is not good to separate yourself. I used my darker gift for so many
years. When the war was over, I had no release. It took me a long time to
realize my lighter side was just as important. Provided balance to my life,
although it does not seem to be working as of late.” She scratched her head.

“I may be the reason,” he said with furrowed
brows.

“Hardly.” She thought of all he had done to save
her.

“I fed from you. Been feeding from you,” he
blurted and ran his finger over his symbol on her chest.

She stared at him, dumbfounded. “I think I would
have remembered or at least felt it on some level.”

“On the beach.
Isis
, now. It is always your
energy I crave. It comes to me, even when I do not ask for it.”

“Oh.” She was not sure what to say to his
admission. The memories were fuzzy, but she did remember the heaviness of her
limbs and the warmth. “How do I taste?” she asked, aroused her energy flowed
through his body and was feeding his soul.

His gaze came to rest on her lips. His dark energy
surged against her skin, stirring her yearning for him. “I could have hurt you.
Could be still hurting,” he said and cleared his throat.

“All the more important you explore this side of
yourself and learn to control it,” she replied, trying to stay focused on the
topic instead of the thought of his full lips against her mouth and body.

“I do not know.”

Resolved in her decision, she shifted and
straddled his hips. “You want Nebt?”

He rubbed his hands up her thighs and grasped her
hips. “Who?”

“Focus warrior.” She laughed, truly laughed.

“Um, that is a bit impossible right now.”

She inhaled sharply as his cock hardened and pressed
against her, so sinfully. She jabbed his chest. “You are stalling.”

“Procrastination, not a bad way to spend our
time.” He shifted his hips and rubbed against her.

She bit her lower lip to stifle her curse. He
accused her of seducing him when he was more skilled than she. “No, but you
will not beat her without using your powers. It is the only way.”

He released her hips and folded his hands behind
his head. “I do not know where to start.”

“Well, you ended up in the right bed. I will teach
you,” Siya said, energized with the possibility of tutoring him. She could
repay him for all he had done for her.

Bomani frowned.

A renewed sense of purpose flashed through her
body as it once had so long ago. She stripped off her shirt and threw it to the
floor. Slipping away before he could snag her, she turned on the shower.
“Com’on warrior, I will not break.” At least not for a few hours, she thought
sadly but did not dare voice it.

His hungry eyes tracked her. He kicked off his pants
and pursued her into the water. “That I have no doubt.”

Bomani paced the dark quarters, hating it was still
daylight and Siya was on the other side of the damn door. He had tried to look
out the blinds and about scarred his retinas. He was a prisoner in his own
skin. His only saving grace—he could sense her emotions through the bond, which
had grown much stronger than the day before. It was little comfort. She had
left content and cheerful and now agitation tainted her energy.

She could not trust anyone. And they were going on
this quest to find his powers? She must think it was damn important. It
irritated him with all his skill as a warrior it still was not good enough. How
could he embrace a side of himself he hated?

He rubbed the back of his neck, attempting to hold
himself back from busting down the door. He stilled to the smell of lilacs and
vanilla. His soul drew on her energy. He closed off his soul, but her energy
still found its way around his barriers.

Would he ever be able to shake this addiction for
the female? If she had her way and broke the bond, he would need to find a way
to leave and never look back.

Siya opened the door and smiled. “Ready?”

The energy hummed between them the minute those
green eyes met his. Nope. He was hooked. “I cannot go out. Or did you forget?”
He stepped into the shadows to avoid the light streaming through the open door.

“You do not need to worry. Do you trust me?” Her
eyes softened and she held out her hand.

“Yes.”

“My intentions will not cause you harm, even in
the sun.”

He closed the distance between them, even as the
rays warned him off. She stepped forward, meeting him half way. “Where are we
going?”

“You will not need those.” She pointed to the
blades on his chest. “I want to show you something.”

She relieved him of his swords and chest straps.
“My turn to drive,” she said and grasped his hands. For a brief moment their
essences mixed in an exotic dance, solid yet fluid.

They reappeared under a heavy shaded tree. The
sunlight filtered through the canopy. Bomani cursed and jerked back. “Crazy
female. I said I trusted you.”

Her grip tightened on his hands, and she shoved
him against the trunk of the massive oak. Its enormous width completely covered
his back. “You can trust me.” She laughed.

Squinting his eyes against the rays of light, he
pulled his energy inward to escape.

“Stop fighting me,” she growled, anchoring him in
place with the crush of her body.

He refused to abandon five thousand years of
instinct when it came to his curse. “Damn it. Let me go.”

Humans milled about them, their argument drawing
several glances and stares. Siya cursed and smashed her lips against his. The
struggle left his body with the hard press of her mouth. His muscles relaxed,
completely vexed by the taste of vanilla and the scent of flowers. She pulled
away and exhaled a staggered breath. “Sorry, you were attracting too much
attention.” Her eyes scanned his face. Her pink tongue licked her lips. “Now,
are you in any pain?”

He blinked. Unable to speak, his senses were overcome
by the hard press of her breasts against his chest and the curve of her body
against his hips and legs. Gods, he was in trouble.

“Are you in pain?” she asked again, her eyes still
scanning his face. He stared out over a grassy field, bright with sun. Although
the light danced against his skin, no pain assaulted him.

“How are you doing this?” he asked, astounded. The
cool air caressed his skin. The days were warmer than the nights. The leaves
over their heads were a bright red and covered the ground at their feet. With
the breeze the leaves rustled and floated across the park. The human faces
carried joy, as if the daylight chased their cares and troubles away.

“I am a Protector god. Was once.” Her furrowed
brows, drew his attention back to her face. She masked her distress and smiled.
“We were given the power to lift the curse for short periods, to transport
Underworld messengers, visitors, prisoners.” She shrugged. “I just need to
maintain the contact, like a circuit.” She stepped back and lifted their joined
hands.

He preferred the press of her body against his
than the air now filling the space. Realization tightened his gut. “Do all
Protector gods have this gift?” he asked without looking at her.

“Yes.”

Gods, Bast knew damn well, but waited for him to
walk right into her web. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing the thought out of
his head. Siya quickly swapped her grip and gazed upon the grassy park. A
searing pain zapped his exposed skin but vanished the minute she reconnected
their hands. She stood close, her back a fraction of an inch from his chest.

Laughter brought his attention up. A mother with
two small children ran about the grass. The youngest tripped and fell. Crying
sounded from the young babe’s mouth. The woman picked the child up and cradled
it to her chest. Soon a squeal of laughter replaced the tears.

“There is more to humanity than what you have seen
at night,” she said in a low voice infused with warmth. He followed her gaze to
a couple sitting on a bench. The male pulled out a small box and dropped to his
knee. The woman covered her gaping mouth with her hands. Tears welled in the
female’s eyes before the male slipped a ring on her finger. On the far side of
the park young men threw a disk in the air while young girls giggled from an
adjacent picnic table. Smiles shown on all of their faces.

“I come here when I need to be reminded.”

Bomani focused his gaze on Siya’s face. Her eyes
brightened, the shadows underneath them disappeared, replaced by a slight
crease at the corner when she smiled. Her beauty and grin grew with every burst
of laughter.

“Is this why you go to the diner?” he asked
against her ear.

Those intelligent green eyes pegged him. He
thought she would deny it based on the look on her face, but she nodded. “They
are good people with pure hearts struggling like me to find what is right with
the world. They have more reason to turn their backs on humanity, but they do
not. They fight for it in the face of poverty and hard times. How can I, a god,
turn my back on them?”

How indeed? His gaze wandered over her face. Such
a complex female. Honorable. Beautiful. Deadly. He was not sure the order of
those qualities, but it made her all the more desirable. Not that she was short
on attributes in the first place. Her eyes strayed to his lips and then turned
back to face the frolicking humans. He tracked her sharp cheekbone, the brush
of her long eyelashes against her cheeks when she blinked. The twitch of her
lips when she spied the children. He shifted so his chest touched her back.

She glanced at him from the side. “Care for your
first lesson?” She stepped back until she molded into him. “Hold here. Do not
let go or you will regret it,” she said, slipping his hands to her flat
stomach.

He grasped her slim but solid waist. She tilted
her head so he looked over her shoulder. Her aura filled his lungs.

“We have to be careful not to draw too much of it
in. Understand?”

He nodded but honestly did not hear the words. The
press of her body distracted him from everything else around him. She leaned
her head on his shoulder, her mouth close enough for him to capture.

“Close your eyes,” she whispered.

He complied. Hell, he would have streaked naked
through the sun if she asked.

“Listen.”

The blare of the nearby traffic irritated his
senses. He scrunched his eyes. “What am I supposed to hear exactly?”

“Focus on your power, warrior.

“Oh, that?”

She jabbed him in the side.

He grunted.

“If you are not going to take this seriously, we
can just go back.”

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her
tight to his chest. “Powers, right.”

She settled back against him again. “You absorb
energy, but have you ever taken the time to hear it?”

He opened his eyes. “Hear it?” In all his years he
never heard
life
. It was just a food source and a means to bolster his
strength. “I am not much of a conversationalist.”

“No kidding.”

He could get used to her sarcasm, especially if it
came with the smile. How did she find the means to feel such positive energy
after all that had happened to her? After he had found her the way he did,
harming herself to silence the pain. “Let us just get on with this,” he
grumbled and closed his eyes. He tugged her hips against him, frustrated and
exhilarated by this entire situation developing between them.

“Relax.” Her voice softened to almost a whisper.
She rubbed her hands up and down his arms. “Breathe.”

“I do not need too.”

“Just do it,” she growled.

The edges of his mouth twitched into a smile. Her
frustration made him chuckle. He breathed in deeply. His chest rubbed against
her back. He turned into her neck and exhaled. The shiver coursed down her
spine and resonated through his grip on her waist.

“Better?” She cleared her throat.

The heat against his chest intensified. “Much.”

“Quiet your mind and body. Focus inward.”

His mind was quiet. His body, not so much.

“Open yourself, if you have to, focus on my
energy. I can buffer it. Do not absorb the energy, just listen.”

“Okay.” He was not sure what that meant, but he
opened his power and searched for living energy. Plentiful, it was hard to
focus on just one. In the chaos of the competing signatures, he found hers.
Warm and smooth, it was hard not to taste just a little.

A throb sounded in his ears. Regular and even,
Siya’s heartbeat washed over him. It unsettled him, the feelings she stirred in
his chest. Nor did he trust himself not to hurt her. Forcing another breath, he
nestled against her neck, unable to resist the contact nor the deep hunger
burning in his chest.

“Listen,” she whispered breathlessly.

He would rather chase her energy. Selfishly he
probed deeper and slipped closer to the source. She arched back into him. He
slipped his hand up her shirt just underneath her breasts.

“Bomani,” she gasped. “This is not the time.”

He knew what he wanted. His power wrapped around
her soul. Her darker side resonated with him the minute their energies touched.
The lighter side burned his senses. The pounding in his ears gave way to a
melody, like crystals vibrating with the passing breeze. Struck by its beauty
he paused, soaking it into his soul. His whole body cloaked in warm bliss.

Siya squirmed against him. “Stop.”

Coldness slammed against his hold. Unwilling to
give up what he had found, he tightened his grip on her with a shocking amount
of possessiveness. Images of her memories flashed in his head.

“Stop!” Siya yelled. He slammed back into the tree
with the thrust of her legs. She shifted their energies and dematerialized.
When he solidified she broke his hold and stumbled forward in the darkened
room. “Let go.” She gasped and clutched her left chest.

The agony of her face forced his reluctance away.
He closed the connection and felt the sear of pain when he did so. Was he
destined to hurt every female in his life? “This was a bad idea.”

“Bomani.” She grasped his arm.

He looked down, hating himself for getting so
caught up in her. What in
duat
was he doing anyway?

“Listen, you did not know.” She touched his chest.
“You have your father’s gift.”

“And which one is that?” He could not help but
sound irritated.

“To take a soul.”

He stared at her, not sure if he heard her correctly.
Yes, Asar judged souls before granting them access to the underworld. Bomani
had stood guard through many trials. He never asked how his father knew a soul
was worthy. Why would his father give him this gift? Bomani frowned, realizing he
would never be able to ask.

“You will need to be careful.”

“Did I hurt you?” he asked. His eyes roamed her
face, looking for any indication of instability or weakness.

“My soul is not a place you should be,” she said,
looking everywhere but in his eyes.

He stepped away, so her hand slipped off of his
chest. She distracted him so easily. “Can I use it against Nebt?”

“You must not.”

“What good is a gift that I cannot use?” Bomani
growled.

She pursued him. “Never ever do it, Bomani. You
would carry her soul within yours. Only the Devourer can consume the evil held
within. Not even your father would dare such a thing. This is why the Mevt
daggers exist.”

The Mevt daggers belonged to his brother Bakari.
Asar was the judge. Bakari, the executioner. The god of death had the power to
kill gods with a mere slice of the blade to a god’s heart. The dagger’s spell
would separate the god’s power from his soul. Kamen, Bomani’s uncle, had the
horrible chore of consuming the condemned soul. Once the process was complete,
the god’s spirit was banished to Duat. “How do you know so much about this
anyway?” Very few knew of the secrets of the Underworld.

“I made it my business to know.” She scratched the
scarab mark on her neck.

Her statement brought him back to the stark
reality of their situation. It would be in Siya’s nature to know her enemy.
This was what awaited her, if Bast ever got her hands on her.

“You have a great power, but promise me you will
not touch Nebt or my father’s souls.”

Or yours,
he mused, considering how hard
she had fought him. He crossed his arms over his chest. He was not giving up
his sole weapon against Nebt.

“Promise me,” she demanded.

Even in the dark her eyes paled to the lightest
green. He had seen the blight clouding the otherwise brilliance of her soul. He
sensed her fear when he got close to it. Memories he had almost seen. “Tell me
what you are hiding and you have my word.”