Dark Fates (A Paranormal Anthology)(38)

“I, well, this is so incredible.”

“I know. We have nothing but time to learn each other. I only ask you to give me a chance. I love you.”

She looked scared, and he couldn’t blame her.

“I will never force from you that which you would hold back. We will take things between us slowly.” Time to tell her another hard truth. “I fear that perhaps in my zeal to connect with you last night, I mated you. I had not meant to, but I cannot be sorry it happened.” He moved his hand from her knee to her soft palm and gripped her tight.

“Mated. What does that mean, exactly?” Her hands were cold, so he took them in his and kissed them, warming them with his breath.

“It means I will never stray from you. You are my life. My duty is to you first, Anubis second.”

She stared at him. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

She chewed her lip. “I’ve never had anyone be with me like that.”

“Love you like that. Because I do.” He stared into her eyes, willing her to believe it. “You said you have no family here. No close friends either?”

“I have some friends.” She sighed. “But no, no one close. I like my life, but it’s nothing special, I guess.”

“You are more than special. And now you have a family and friends who will care for you. Me and my brethren. We are your family.”

“Oh, Tariq. I just don’t know…”

“Accept my truth, even if you do not yet know your own.”

She watched him, her eyes troubled. When she finally nodded, he let out a sigh of relief. “Thank Anubis.”

“About that… You’ve lived for a long time. How long exactly?”

He shrugged. Time ran differently in Duat. “Two thousand years? Yet the Underworld’s concept of time and the mortal world are different, so I cannot be sure. Perhaps twice that?”

She gaped at him. “You’re an old man.”

He chuckled.

“But Tariq, I’m human. I’ll have maybe another sixty years, if I’m lucky.”

“You have lived many lifetimes, never aware of any other except through dreams. But now you’ll have me to remind you. Once Anubis hears of Set’s treachery, you can be by my side, in Duat or here. We will have many lifetimes together.”

“You mean, like this?” She looked at them. “Won’t I get old?”

“You will stay as you are from the moment Anubis kisses you. The power in you, from my heart and your dreaming, will stay. I know this is much to ask, but will you accept your place by my side? At least think about it?”

“I’ll do nothing but think about it. But how are you going to tell Anubis about Set if that spell is over you and the others?”

“That presents a problem,” he admitted. “But nothing we cannot work out. Together we are strong, habibti.” He kissed her, his heart so full he thought he might burst. Their problems seemed insurmountable, but with Eden at his side, they could move mountains.

Mbizi raced into the room. “Tariq, we have a problem.”



Tariq stood, but no way was Eden letting her “beloved” go anywhere without her. She had his heart, and though it made no sense at all, somehow he had hers too. She loved the big guy, though she couldn’t have said what his favorite food was, whether he slept on the left side or the right, or whether he preferred cats to dogs. Head of a jackal—probably dogs.

Crazy seemed to be her middle name lately.

“I’m coming with you, so don’t even think about telling me to stay behind.”

He frowned but tugged her by the hand with him. They followed Mbizi down a long hall into what looked like a large war room. Maps of the city, colored pins, and terrain replicas littered several tables.

Tariq gave her a quick introduction to his men. The handsome one who’d tried to brainwash her was Hasani, the mischievous guy who’d been first in the shower was Asim. Mbizi and Manu looked alike but apparently weren’t brothers, and Chig—short for Chigaru—seemed busy interrogating a beautiful woman wearing a sneer.

“Okay, I think I understand what the Elixir is,” Mbizi was saying. “From what Lowe mentioned I—”

“Lowe?” she interrupted.

“The beautiful elf over there. Or should I say valkyrie? They all look alike to me,” Hasani explained with a smile. The woman flipped him the finger, and he laughed. “Isn’t she cute? I caught her giving some Dogs the slip a few blocks over, and what do you know? She’s trying to convince me someone on our team cheated, is about to get a sure-death, and that Anubis is disqualified from the games.”

Mbizi groaned. “Yeah, there’s that.”

Lowe tried to walk around Chig, but he wouldn’t let her pass.

Eden stared at the woman. She was tall but slender, with honey-brown hair and bright blue eyes that couldn’t possibly be real. Her hair shifted, and Eden swore she saw pointed ears. “Wait. Elf? Valkyrie? You mean, like Odin’s handmaidens?”

“Totally not a handmaiden, and not Odin’s either.” Lowe snorted and gave Eden a onceover. “So you’re the one who’s sending Anubis into a timeout. Not bad. You have pretty big balls for a human.” Lowe’s eyes narrowed. “Then again, not so human, are you?”