Soul Unbound (Key to the Cursed Book 3) (23 page)

“Siya?”

She laid her head on his chest and sobbed.

He lay down on the soft covers and pulled her into
his chest. “Did I hurt you?” he asked, his voice filled with concern. “Do you need
to talk about what happened at the bunker?”

“No,” she whimpered and clasped her chest. His
mark had darkened to a deep black. Darker than even before the spell Nebt had
cast. The cold chill had been driven away by their lovemaking. So, what in
duat
was wrong with her?

“Ka’ti, look at me.”

Bomani’s gentle prodding forced her to meet his
gaze. A smile curled up one side of his mouth. “I love you.”

“I know.” She could not find the voice to speak
the words for how she was feeling.

Scared. Overwhelmed. Unfit.

She grabbed his hand and slid it down just below
her navel. Inside life had begun. Lilly had confirmed it, despite Siya’s
adamant disbelief. A miniscule flicker of light. The beginning of a soul.

He palmed her flat belly. His smile grew into a
ridiculous grin. “It is true. Our baby.”

The amount of satisfaction in his voice surprised
her. Did he want a child who would share her demon blood? “I will not know what
to do. I was not made to raise a child, Bomani.”

“I and about fifty younglings would beg to differ.
We will figure it out together.”

“War is no place for raising a child.” What could
Mother be thinking? With her own parent’s history, Siya was the last female in
the Pantheon who should be pregnant. She could think of three other available
females who would be better at mothering than her.

“Maybe it is exactly what this war needs,” Bomani
said and rested back on his elbow. He rubbed her belly in a circle. The
sensation was oddly soothing.

“A baby?” She shook her head.

“Faith. Hope. Love.” He shrugged.

“Perhaps,” she said and covered his hand with
hers. She could not feel what Lilly saw within her body. She sensed her own
liable emotions. At least her crying fit was abated for the moment. Gods, she
was not ready for this. “Do not leave me,” she said again, gripping his thick
arm.

He traced the black glyph on her chest. “You are
stuck with me now.”

“Bomani.” She gasped and pointed to his legion
crest on the left side of his chest. Inside the brand was the glyph of a lion.
Her mark.

“I guess it is official.” Bomani barked a laugh.

“Are you sure you want this? Want me?” Siya
blurted out, unable to filter her thoughts. In her right mind, she would never
ask such a thing. Gods, what had that spell done to her?

His fingers circled her belly button and then
traveled up her breastbone. Heat bloomed in the wake of his touch. “When the
warehouse collapsed, I thought death had found me. There was one name I called
out.” He nuzzled her neck and kissed just behind her ear. “Make no mistake, I
am exactly where I want to be.”

She opened her neck to him. His teeth nipped her
bounding pulse. “Yes,” she groaned. He shifted over her and slipped between her
legs. The tip of his cock teased her with the precision grind of his hips.

He kissed the column of her neck, the tips of his
fangs grazing her skin. A small prick, enough to draw blood. Although it could
be no more than a drop, his mouth danced across her skin. The demon inside her
woke from its stasis. Her gums burned and her mouth filled with long incisors.

He dipped his head down to her breast and
enveloped her nipple. The seductive swirl of his tongue and nip of his teeth
had her arching up off the bed again. She slipped her fingers through his hair
and gripped him tight. He sucked harder, sending volts of pleasure to her core.

She hissed through her clamped teeth. Her thirst
that had been silent roared to life. He taunted her darker side, no doubt to
prove his point. She dug her fingers into the flesh of his back.

“Exactly where I want to be,” he groaned and
thrust his full shaft deep inside her.

Her channel clenched him in rhythmic waves. She
gasped and tightened her legs around his waist. Fast and deep, he drove into
her. Her entire body quaked with desire. She pulled him down and found the
curve of his neck. The temptation to taste him was too much to bear.

His pace quickened and his entire body contracted
beneath her fingertips. He pulled her tighter against his throat. “Take from me
while I come inside you,” he groaned. Her core began to burn as some of his
seed spilled into her.

She traced her tongue just between the
scarification tattoos on his neck. He cursed and gritted his teeth. His entire
body shook, his control about to unravel. She clamped her mouth around his neck
and thrust her hips upward. Blood rushed into her mouth and her insides burst
in an explosion of pleasure.

He roared, following her into the abyss of
ecstasy. His pleasure reverberated through his blood. He tasted so rich against
her tongue. She drew on him one last time before releasing him.

He rolled and collapsed onto his back, pulling her
with him so she lay across this chest. “Do not doubt me,” he said, cupping her
face in his large hands.

“Never again.” She kissed him. His blood mingled
with her own, sending a surge of energy through her body.

Faint whispers echoed in her head, so quiet she
thought she imagined them. “Do you hear that?” Siya asked, lifting her head and
scanning the room. Bomani sat up with her in his lap.

“What am I listening for?”

The whispers came again, along with a stirring in her
belly. She looked down and covered the location with her palm.

Life quaked deep within her.

“Is everything okay?” Bomani asked, alarm
elevating his voice.

Registering the change in her body, she blinked.
Had Bomani’s blood or the bonding released it somehow?

“Siya?”

“Everything is okay.” She hugged Bomani, uncertain
of the truth. They were safe for the moment, but they had yet to face Asar and
the Creation Pantheon.

Judgment
would
be made.

She prayed the ancient prophecy of a child born of
both worlds was enough to save them.

Bomani tracked Siya as she prowled from one end of
the room to the other. Her agitation had grown over the past hour. Confined to
the room, all they could do was sit and wait for Asar to return from the
Creation Council.

Bakari had been kind enough to send food,
including extra portions. Siya conceded to eating a few bites of roast and
potatoes. Stressed by the dark spell and worse, Siya’s torture, the baby would
need nourishment beyond Bomani’s blood she had consumed during their
lovemaking.

He was relieved to see the small aura growing
around her abdomen. His reaction to the news startled him on several levels.
Now that it was certain, the anticipation and worry was killing him.

“What is taking so long?” Siya growled.

Bomani rose from the couch and blocked her path.
“My father will not give us up without a fight.” Or at least he hoped.

“Is he willing to go to war over us? Even he will
not risk that, not now.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “Can he remove my
mark?”

Bomani shrugged. “Only my father has the power to
absolve the exiler’s mark. The question is, will he?”

She leaned her head against his chest.

He pulled her tight and ran his hand down her
back. “I do not like this waiting any more than you.”

“Are the younglings okay?”

“They are playing soccer with the warriors,”
Bomani said with a chuckle. He pulled back and looked her in the eyes. “You did
the right thing by sending them here.” Siya’s decision had been the kick in the
ass he needed to face his problems. Not that he had much choice in the matter
wearing five thousand pounds of concrete.

“I wish to thank your brother. He had no
obligation to me.”

Bomani nodded his agreement. Bakari had no
obligation to him either, especially after what had transpired between them.
Bomani never had relied on his brother more than he had these nights. “Bakari
and I have never had common ground.”

“And Kendra?”

He stared down at their now joined hands. “Another
convenient excuse to hate him.”

“I do not blame you for falling for her. She is
beautiful and kind. Powerful too, for such a small female,” Siya confessed.

He searched Siya’s eyes for any jealousy but found
only sincere appreciation. “Kendra is special. They all are.”

“The black-headed female has not transitioned, has
she?”

Bomani pulled Siya over to the chaise to sit down.
“Kit has never embraced who she is to become. I’m not sure she ever will. Kamen
has his hands full.”

“Kamen?” Her spine stiffened. “He is here?”

“Yes.” Bomani narrowed his eyes, uncertain why he
sensed increased tension at the mention of his uncle.

A loud knock sounded at the door. Bomani jerked to
his feet and moved between Siya and the door, his posturing motivated by pure
instinctual drive.

“I am pregnant, not broken. Although that is
probably the sweetest thing anyone has done.” She kissed his cheek and pushed
past him.

The knock sounded again and then the door swung
open. Kamen’s enormous frame filled the doorway. A low rumble sounded in Siya’s
chest.

Kamen’s expression was nothing but stoic, as usual.
“Time to go.”

“Where?” Bomani grabbed Siya’s arm, uncomfortable
with the way she was glaring at Kamen.

“The Chamber Room.” Kamen’s eyes shifted to Siya.
“Sekhmet.”

“Kamen. Surprised to see you,
here
.”

Bomani jerked his head from Siya to Kamen. “You
two know each other?”

“Let us go,” Kamen barked and turned out into the
hall.

“Siya?”

Her green eyes met his. “Remember what I told you about
Set killing Asar. He did not do it alone. Last time I saw Kamen was during the
war when I accepted his surrender and put him in shackles.” Siya walked
forward, not waiting for Bomani to catch up.

“What?”

“What is he doing here?” Siya asked, her eyes
never leaving Kamen’s back.

“Kamen is the Devourer.”

Despite the guardian escorts pushing them from
behind, Siya jerked to a stop. “Soul-eater? Is that your father’s idea of
penance?” Her face paled.

Bomani stared at his uncle. He never knew the
history behind Kamen’s position. He had been the Devourer as long as Bomani
could remember.

“We are so screwed.” She grabbed his hand and
continued with the procession. Bakari waited for them at the grand staircase to
the Chamber. Two sets of shackles dangled from his hands.

“Sorry, we need to follow protocol on this one,”
Bakari said with a frown. He opened the first set of cuffs. The barbs had been
shaved down to blunt ends. “Siya.”

Siya lay her wrists in the metal links.

Bomani was grateful Bakari had not dipped Siya’s
cuffs in venom. He found his dipped but again lacking the biting barbs.

“Just do not get me in trouble.” Bakari winked.

“Thank you.” Bomani nodded his appreciation. “I
hope father was not too harsh on you for helping me.”

“He has not spoken to me. I have been summoned,
just as you and Siya have,” Bakari said, eyeing Kamen. “Kendra and her sisters
are already in the chamber.”

“Before the divine judges?” Bomani inhaled
sharply.

“This is a private trial,” Kamen said and pointed
up the steps.

“What does that mean?” Siya asked, her eyes wide.

“We will find out soon enough.” Bakari walked up
the steps.

Bomani followed and wondered if his father had
heard his prayers for forgiveness. The gold doors swung open to a room he had
been in several thousand times before. It seemed larger and more foreboding
than he remembered. Then again, during that time he was not the one handcuffed
and on trial.

Large sandstone columns ran down both sides,
supporting an enormous arched dome with gold leaf paintings of their ancestors.
From the upper balconies white marble seats lined either side of the great
hall. Thrones for the forty-two divine judges. All empty, thankfully, but it did
not loosen the knot in Bomani’s gut.

Asar waited at the front of the chamber, seated in
an enormous gold chair. He wore his long black robe with gold embroidery down
the edges. The only things missing were the gold crown and the Lord’s signature
crook and flail.

Siya’s wide eyes met his.

“It will be okay,” Bomani said, trying to reassure
her, but felt his confidence falter. With bound wrists he reached out to grasp
her hands but was blocked by the guardian.

“Keep moving.”

Bomani along with Siya were directed to a circle
engraved in the floor at the foot of Asar. Lilly, Kit and Kendra sat in chairs
just to the right, but no less in the spotlight. The women fidgeted in their
seats.

“Kneel,” Asar barked.

Bomani dropped to his knees under the weight of
his father’s scorn. A heavy chain bolted to the floor was raised and secured to
the hinge of his cuffs. Siya knelt and stared at the floor, her fear clearly
etched on her face.

“Bakari, to your knees.”

Bakari dropped next to Bomani. His brother gave
him a sideward glance before staring forward.

The full weight of his father’s power bore down on
Bomani. Coldness crept across the floor until it wrapped around him. His
father’s fury matched no other. Bomani’s sins were one thing, but the others
only wanted to help.

Siya’s trembling fingers snaked through his, only
worsening his sense of dread. An echo of the pain of her exiler mark flared through
the bond with each step Asar took towards them.

“I knew this day would come. Prepared for it.
Wanted it to be over.” Siya turned to meet Bomani’s gaze. “Gods, I do not want
it to end.”

Bomani tightened his grip on her hand and then
released it. He would not let his father take her from him. Damn the
consequences, Bomani reared up to block his father only to get yanked back down
by the chains. The metal groaned as he thrust his arms up.

Bakari grabbed Bomani’s shoulder. “Stop, he will
not hurt her.”

“He cannot have her.” Bomani thrashed against his
bonds. The shackles tore into his wrists. Blood dripped onto the sandstone and
the scent of venom filled the air.

Siya grabbed his hands. “Bomani, settle. Please,
you are hurting yourself.”

“I will not live without you.” Bomani gasped, his
chest burning with fire.

“Son,” Asar said and grasped Bomani’s shoulder.

“If she goes, I offer my soul too.” Bomani
shuddered under his father’s heavy hand. Never once had Asar ever called him,
son
.
The stakes must be dire.

“Do not mistake, I
am
furious with you.
Your choices, as of late, have been abysmal, resulting in dire consequences
that,” Asar paused and looked at Kendra’s scar, “have irreparably wounded this
family. Worse, the enemy now has the means to break the barriers between the
realms.”

Asar shoved Bomani back down to his knees, his
fury gaining momentum. “What am I supposed to do with that? You have placed me
in a position where I have no choice but to punish you. There are laws, some we
do not agree with but none the less must abide by. As for your mate…” Asar
released Bomani and shifted to stand in front of Siya.

“Bast states you were responsible for Khalfani’s
demise. Is this true?”

“I am.” Her voice was surprisingly strong, despite
the tremor resonating through the bond.

“You had a relationship with my Commander during
the war.”

“Yes.”

“Did anyone else know?”

“I do not know. Perhaps. Khalfani was not supposed
to be there. I had released the legion and was returning to the base camp. The
flames billowed above the tree line. I did not think anything of it as the
fires were set prior to our departure to burn the bodies. When I crested the
ridge, I could hear him screaming.” Siya bowed her head. “I did not know it was
Khalfani until I extinguished the flames.”

“It was Theris you saw in Khalfani’s memories?”
Asar turned to Bomani.

Bomani nodded, sensing Siya’s pain. “My memories
of his are fragmented, but Khalfani feared for Siya’s life. Theris was waiting
for him.”

“The god you engaged at the warehouse?”

“Yes.”

“He has the gift of fire and you did not suspect
him, Sekhmet?”

Siya raised her eyes and met Asar’s scrutinizing
stare. “Theris left with me after the fires were set. We had said our goodbyes
at the bridge to the Creation realm. He defended me at the hearing, left his
life with the Creations to be my Second.”

“Theris was there,” Bomani said and squeezed Siya’s
hand.

“I did not know.”

“He may have had help.” Asar paced the path of
stone.

“Menthu,” Bomani replied. “Theris confessed before
the building collapsed that Menthu put him up to it. Menthu wanted to test his
daughter. Isolate her from the Creations.”

Asar ran his hand through his hair and cursed
under his breath. “Gods, I never thought it would come to this.” He turned to
Siya. “Your mark was placed outside the walls of this chamber and will not be
recognized.”

Tears formed in Siya’s eyes. “Thank you.”

“Do not thank me, yet. Your freedom will be
restricted to the palace, and you will be under the protection of my guardians.
I will not risk the life of my grandchild, not when the scales have been tipped
in the favor of the enemy. After the child’s birth, you will be indentured to
me until which time I release you. Is that understood, Sekhmet?”

“Yes, Lord.”

“As for the rest of you, you disobeyed my orders
and took extraordinary risks. It happened to work out in our favor,
this
time.
Do not ever do that again without consulting me. I am solely responsible for
this realm and the lives it protects. Losing any of you is not an option.”

“What about the Creation Council?” Bakari asked.

“The Council is devastated from the loss of Haru
and Meti. I have simply delayed their request.” Asar’s hardened gaze narrowed
in on Bomani. “Laws have been broken and will need to be answered.”

Bomani nodded, knowing he would pay any price to
save the Underworld from disgrace, especially after all he had done to add to
the problem. “What if I said, Haru and Meti are not lost?” Bomani met his
father’s stare.

Siya turned to look at him as well. “What do you
mean?”

Bomani had been so consumed with ensuring Siya’s well-being,
the other two lives in his chest were no more than an afterthought.

Asar placed his palm over Bomani’s legion brand.
His father’s eyes widened. “
Isis
, Bomani.”

“It happened when I killed a siravant.” Bomani
remembered drawing the surrounding energy in the last efforts to overpower his
foe. The sudden surge of power had overwhelmed him, but in the heat of battle
he did not have time to focus on the energy.

“My gods, you captured their souls?” Siya reached
for him.

“This may help your cause with the Council, but
you will still need to answer to me,” Asar said with a stern look.

Bomani exhaled a heavy breath. He would take
anything at this point. “Just tell me what I need to do.”

“We all make mistakes, son. Trust me when I say it
is your actions after those mistakes that matter. I hope you never know the fear
as I did, when you left.”

“I have no excuses to give. I am sorry, father.”
Bomani hung his head. Gods, he had made such a mess of things.

“Have I asked too much?”

“No, never.” Nothing Bomani was not willing to
give. His eyes came to rest on Siya. He just wanted more.

Asar followed his gaze. “Your future is yours,
Bomani. I only ask you be a better father than I and learn from your mistakes.”

“I would not want my life any different.” Bomani
glanced at his brother. “If not for family, I would have never saved Siya.”

“Perhaps miracles do exist if you and Bakari are
getting along.” Asar shook his head. “Release them. We will talk later about
your penance, Bomani. In the meantime, we have two souls to deliver to the
Creation Pantheon.”