Page 58 of Death and Desire

Violet closed her eyes at the first strangled cry. A smile curved her lips.

James’s grip loosened before disappearing completely. “What the devil—?”

A gust of wind brushed past her. Opening her eyes, she tried to focus in the shrouded dark. Thick like ink, the darkness swirled around them. She saw nothing beyond specks of lingering light burned into her vision before they too vanished completely.

More shouts. Scuffling. The scratch of leather on stone and sand. Choked gasps echoing through the dark.

Then silence.

“Who...where are you?” James asked, his voice deceptively calm. Too calm. “Show yourself.”

Once the light returns, run,Anubis whispered into her thoughts.Don’t look back.

Confidence infused her. Violet braced herself, readying for the moment to break free.

Slowly, the inky dark receded, fading slowly, swirling like smoke against a midnight sky. When the first shaft of sunlight pierced through, she spotted the narrow passageway...and a body lying near it. Without hesitation, she darted to the exit, praying Anubis would distract James long enough for her to escape.

The moment she reached the archway, deep laughter filled the chamber. Her feet dug into the floor, bringing her to a stop.

The laughter was coming from the corridor in front of her, not the chamber behind her.

Violet scrambled back as the smoke coalesced into a pillar of ebony flesh and fury.Anubis.His golden eyes fixed on her before shifting to the corridor and narrowing.

“How quaint.” A deep, melodic voice wove around them. “You found a pet.”

Anubis growled, pulling Violet to his side. “I should have known.”

Confusion filled her, until the unseen foe stepped into the chamber. His flame-colored hair shimmered in thick waves around his face. His green eyes fixed on her before shifting to Anubis.

“By what right have you come, Seth?”

Seth.Who was Seth? Another immortal?Then she remembered the stories—Seth killed his brother, Osiris, and Anubis hunted him down. She gasped at the realization. Their rivalry and animosity were mythical and legendary. She clung to Anubis’s arm, her fingers stark and pale against his black skin. Why was he here? What could he possibly want withher?

“Am I not free to roam these lands as you are?” Seth regarded Anubis carefully before allowing his gaze to drift casually over her. “Such glorious bounty hidden in these ancient sands.”

“You are free to roam all of Egypt.” Another low growl rumbled from deep within Anubis’s throat. “But you will nottouchwhat belongs to me.”

“Thismortalis under your protection.” A sinister smile curved Seth’s lip. “How interesting.”

Violet regarded the two gods with equal measures of fascination and trepidation. Why were they fighting overher?She vaguely remembered reading about the tension between Anubis and Seth, but the stories weren’t an affirmation of their history, merely an interpretation. The two deities stood a few feet apart, locked in silent battle. Her attention drifted to James, standing behind Seth. The man who betrayed her.

As if sensing her attention, James turned in her direction, his eyes blazing with glorified intent. She squared her shoulders, standing taller beside Anubis, allowing his power to imbue her with confidence.

“If only you’d trusted me,” James said with a sigh. “This confrontation could have been avoided.”

“What did he promise you? Riches? Power? Influence?” Violet snarled, wishing she had her derringer to remind him she was not to be trifled with. “Youusedme.”

He shrugged. “You possessed somethinghewanted.”

“So you sold me out?” Violet seethed. “You dirty, rotten bastard.”

“He did as I commanded, and in doing so, I will reward him handsomely.” A weighted silence filled the chamber at Seth’s revelation.

Violet inhaled sharply. “You sold your soul.”

“I offered my services in exchange for something more valuable than gold or power.” James sneered at her, standing tall beside his master.

“What could possibly be more valuable?” Violet’s question burned with sarcasm as her blood boiled.

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