Dark Fates (A Paranormal Anthology)(41)

For me. For us. She heard Tariq in her mind and felt his love for her and the baby.

She heard gasps around her and looked down, only to see her hand glowing. She opened it to see herself clutching a small vial of neon green fluid.

“Nice.” Lowe gave her a thumbs-up. Then seeing it, she frowned. “Crap. I brought a smaller container with me. No biggie.” She stepped forward, and Tariq nodded at Chig to let her pass. Lowe held out her hand. “Please?”

Eden looked at Tariq, who smiled and said, “We do not need it. We have an eternity of love to keep us strong.”

“That’s so sweet.” Lowe seemed moved, until she gagged. “Seriously. While I’m young, people.” She motioned for Eden to give her the vial.

Eden let it go, and it felt as if she’d lost a piece of herself, which was odd. But then the relief of not holding the burden relaxed her.

Lowe transferred the contents into a small metal cylinder, which shouldn’t have been big enough to contain the liquid but did. She pocketed it. The empty vial was now completely clear, no trace of the liquid remaining. “I need one of you to make an identical looking sample.”

Mbizi nodded, muttered an incantation under his breath, and the vial filled with a similarly colored liquid.

“Nice.” Lowe seemed impressed. “Eden, I need a drop of your blood. A small drop,” she said quickly when Tariq growled. “Just so the smell is the same.”

Eden took a small knife from Mbizi and pricked her finger, letting a drop of blood enter the vial. Lowe took it, swirled the contents around then handed it Mbizi.

“Okay, magic man. Now imbue it with something that will smell a bit like Set. Could be anything.”

Tariq smiled, and Eden was glad he’d never given her that look because its menace made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. “Use a drop of my blood. After all, his curse is in me.”

After Tariq added his drop, Mbizi stirred the contents and whispered something that made the lights in the room flicker.

“And…done.” Mbizi nodded. “It should feel like the real thing.”

“What will it do?” Lowe asked.

“Well, it’ll give whoever drinks it one hell of a buzz, as well as turn them into an exact replica of Set for all of an hour. Think of the fun in that.”

Lowe grinned. “I like it.” She gripped the vial tight. “Well, I’m off then. I’ll try to lead some of these *s away with it, pretend I had it all along. I’d rather no one knew I’d been here and helped you. I mean, I didn’t really help. I’m just here to steal the vial and all.” Lowe crossed her arms, looking defensive.

And so young. Though the valkyrie had to be old as dirt, she had the appearance of a young woman no older than Eden.

“Good luck, Lowe. And thanks.” Eden smiled.

“You too. For the Elixir that never existed. It was always a fake—if you get my meaning. Best of luck on the puppy.”

Tariq scowled. “Lowe…”

She laughed and followed Chig out of the room.

Leaving Eden, Tariq, and the others to face the hordes now inside the lower level of the warehouse, trapped on the ground floor by some macabre spell currently leeching the interlopers of blood.

She glanced away from the monitors, queasy at the screams and blood all over the place.

Tariq hugged her in his massive arms, his strength soothing.

And then a voice booming with power spoke from directly behind them and spoiled her relief.

“Ah, Tariq. My son, what have you done?”



Tariq cringed. Anubis didn’t sound pleased. Turning, he saw his god looked as he did in the tomb paintings, meaning he’d appeared as such for Eden’s sake. Anubis normally wore his mortal form, looking curiously human, if overlarge. Today he had the head of a jackal, his chest bare but for a gold collar, a linen shendyt—a kilt wrapped around his waist and secured by a serpentine belt—and armbands, anklets, and bracelets made of turquoise, gold, and deep-set emeralds.

Eden gasped and clung to Tariq, cutting off his circulation. “Anubis,” she whispered.

His god glanced at her from a height a good several feet larger than Tariq’s own. When Anubis increased his size so large, he was in a mood to accept nothing less than the brutal truth. A truth Tariq could not give.

Anubis glanced around at the others, who had dropped to their knees. Tariq would have as well, but Eden wouldn’t let him go. Just as the god opened his mouth to speak, his gaze caught on the monitors.

“Ah, mortal technology.” Anubis watched and listened to the horrifying terror from below. “I sense your work here, Mbizi.”

“Yes, My Lord.” Mbizi kept his gaze to the floor.

“You should not have had to increase my own shields. Curious.” Anubis looked at each of the monitors.

Tariq noticed the Dogs leaving and wondered if Set had called them away, Anubis had warned them back, or they’d somehow spotted Lowe. Chig took that moment to return, but he wasn’t alone.

Set, as large as Anubis and looking just as annoyed, held the warrior by the throat. He threw Chig against the wall, and the warrior lay bleeding from his ears and mouth, unmoving.

Anubis frowned. “That was unnecessary.” He narrowed his gaze on Chig. Chig’s neck cracked, and the blood vanished. The warrior opened his eyes and stared in puzzlement at the room.