Shadow of the Sheikh (12 page)

“Why are they dressed so differently?” she whispered to Shahin, focusing on the trivial details so she wouldn't have to think about the big picture of what was happening.

He glanced down at her, then back at the crowd, as though he'd never noticed before. “We were all born in different times. I suppose we wear what we're most comfortable in. There are no rules.”

Fascinating.

She suddenly noticed a tall, stern-looking man
standing in the middle of the crowd. He had on splendid robes of shining black with a sash of crimson spanning his trim waist. Most of the people were peering out at her with curiosity, but this man had a distinct frown on his handsome face.

Omigod. It must be him.
The vampire.

“My lord,” Shahin said with a formal bow, confirming her guess. He touched her shoulder and she found herself going down on her knees under a power other than her own. “You must kneel before your lord and master, Seth-Aziz, Guardian of Darkness and high priest to Set-Sutekh, Lord of the Night Sky.”

She wasn't sure what protocol demanded when meeting a demigod, but she took a stab at it, inclining her head nervously. “It's an honor to meet you. I'm Gemma Haliday.”

His eyes narrowed and he glanced at a woman standing next to him. She had flame-red hair and a youthful, kind face. She gave her head a small shake. He didn't look pleased, but he turned back and spoke to Shahin. “Does this woman come willingly?”

“Yes, my lord. She is willing.”

Wait. Willing to do what?

Shahin strode through the gate, leaving her on her knees and on her own.

“Very well.” Seth-Aziz raised his hands to her, palms up, and said in a voice loud enough for all to
hear, “If you would join us, Gemma Haliday, and become one of the
shemsu
, the immortal followers of Set-Sutekh, rise now and walk through the portal.”

She blinked.

Hold on.

Join
us? Become
immortal?
Shahin hadn't said anything about any of
that
. She freely admitted to a healthy professional curiosity about Khepesh, as well as being personally intrigued by the possibilities and implications of its existence and what it could mean for her. But join? Before she knew what she was getting herself into? And for how long…?

And wasn't he being just a
load
of help now, returning a blank stare to her anxious gaze? Why was he acting so damn aloof? Was he still mad at her for warning Joss? Or had he tired of her in his bed already and simply lured her here to be rid of her?

She pressed her lips together.

Well, screw him.

And screw this whole ridiculous situation. Enough was enough.

She got to her feet, formed her lips into a cordial smile for the high priest and announced, “I don't. Freaking.
Think
so.”

Then she took a deep breath, spun on a heel and started to run.

S
hahin stared impassively after the woman and muttered an oath.

Beside him, he heard Seth-Aziz sigh. “Well, so much for willing.”

“She panicked. She just needs a little more convincing, my lord,” Shahin said.

Seth grunted. “Sekhmet's teeth, what
is
it about these accursed Haliday women that makes them so damned defiant?”

Nephtys frowned. “Can't she see this is for her own good? Does she
want
to be turned into a
shabti
and spend the rest of eternity as a servant with no mind of her own?”

“I haven't actually told her about that part yet,” Shahin confessed. “I'd hoped to avoid threats.”

Seth rolled his eyes. “And how's
that
working for you?”

It was Shahin's turn to sigh. “Not terribly well.”

The crowd around them stirred and started murmuring curiously, wondering what would happen next. But no one left.

“You should fetch her back before she gets too lost,” Nephtys urged.

“Yes,” Shahin said but he didn't move.

“Any luck finding Josslyn?” Seth asked.

“Not yet. As you see, Gemma is being very stubborn. I suggested this meeting with you to convince her that her sister would like you.”

Seth's brows shot up. “A unique approach.”

“It was worth a shot. I guess I forgot to mention she must be willing to become one of the
shemsu
to enter Khepesh.”

“Another small detail, admittedly,” Seth said sardonically.

Shahin considered. “Perhaps a bribe is in order.”

“I thought you'd already offered her your body,” Nephtys muttered.

Shahin made a face at her. “My lady is very amusing, indeed. No, I was thinking of her mother.
Before she fled, Gillian discovered evidence in the library that Haru-Re took their mother captive twenty years ago. The family has thought all these years that Isobelle Haliday is dead, but I would be willing to bet she is still alive.”

“And no doubt living at Petru as a
shabti
,” Nephtys reminded him. “I don't know that finding out one's mother has been kidnapped and robbed of her personality is exactly the best way to endear Gemma to life as an immortal.”

Shahin winced inwardly. For three-hundred years he had insisted to himself and anyone else who brought up the subject that his family was lost to him forever, and the best way to deal with his horrendous loss was to forget them completely.

It hadn't worked. He would never forget them or their fates. Never.

“Perhaps,” he conceded. “But when all is said and done, I'd rather my own sister were still alive, even if living her life as a
shabti
. I still have hope of meeting my mother again, though I know she will not recognize her only son. But just seeing her would ease my heart.”

Nephtys met his gaze sympathetically. “You're right, of course. Anything is better than never seeing your loved ones again.”

Seth shot her a sharp glance, held it for a millisecond, then turned to him. “Go to your
woman, Shahin. Talk some sense into her. But I grow impatient. I'll expect word from you before nightfall.”

Shahin inclined his head. “I am your humble servant, my lord.”

Then he strode out to find Gemma and stop her from sealing herself into an unhappy fate that would please no one.

Least of all himself.

 

It didn't take Shahin long to locate Gemma. She had gotten completely turned around in the pitch blackness of the access tunnels, as he'd known she would, and had doubled back on herself. One must be an initiate of the Guardian of Secrets and Darkness to find one's way through the stygian labyrinth of the hidden desert entrance to Khepesh Palace.

He heard her muttering from yards away.

“I swear to God, I will
never
do anything impetuous ever again. And just freaking
shoot
me if I ever look at another tall, dark, handsome stranger.”

Despite everything, he felt himself smile and halted, letting her rant. “This is
so
not happening. I am just having one long, very weird nightma—”

Suddenly her grumbling stopped in mid-word
and he heard her suck in a breath. The air around him shivered.

There was another curse. Then, “There's no use hiding from me, Shahin,” she ground out. “I can feel you lurking out there.”

Again, waves of shivers came from her, rolling over his skin with a tingling sensation, which was strange. He'd never had a mortal's energy reach out to him before.

He waved a hand and a wall torch sprang to life. Gemma stood in the middle of the tunnel rubbing her hands up and down her arms. She took an involuntary step backward.

“I'm not going back there,” she said curtly, her spine going pike straight. “You said I must go to Khepesh of my own free will, but not that I would have to join the cult to do so.”

He tipped his head at her. “What did you think it meant?” he asked, feeling an edge of impatience. “Did you really think that after you entered the secret gateway of the palace we could ever let you go again? You
must
join us,
kalila
. Or…”

“Or what?”

He pressed his lips together. “You would not like the alternative.”

“And what is that?”

His irritation got the better of him. “To become a
shabti
,” he bit out.

She looked taken aback. “One of those blue faience figurines they find by the thousands in ancient Egyptian tombs?”

“In essence,” he affirmed, “except alive. A
shabti
is a person who has been robbed of his or her will and individual personality, and exists but to serve his or her master. In this case, Seth-Aziz.”

It was like he had physically struck her. “That's horrible! You
do
that to people?”

He shook his head. “Not at Khepesh. Not anymore, other than as a very last resort, if there is no other way to ensure the safety of our people. We would far rather have someone who has learned our secrets become one of the
shemsu
, a valuable member of our community. We abhor the practice of slaves.”

“But if I refuse to join of my own free will, that's what will happen?”

He wasn't going to lie, and anyway, it was best she knew the truth. “Yes,” he said. Perhaps knowing the consequence of refusal would finally bring her into line.

Naturally, it didn't.

Anger washed across her face. “Nice of you to tell me
before
I learned your secrets.”

“It wouldn't have mattered. I've explained all of this. We are your destiny, Gemma, one way or the other. I'd hoped you wouldn't see it as a bad fate.
That you might choose to…to be with me, all on your own.”

The words were out before he could stop them. By the cock of Min!
Be
with him? Had he lost his mind?

Luckily, she thought so, too. “Be with you? For how long?”

“As long as I wish to keep you,” he snapped.

Her face told what she thought of that. But she tried logic rather than emotion.

“Regardless, you can't expect me to abandon my life in America. I have friends, a job, responsibilities. I can't just disappear and leave them.”

“You can and you will. Of course you'll have to write letters, explaining that you've decided to remain in Egypt.” He schooled his impatience and took a step toward her, driven by some urge he didn't understand. “You could say you've met a man and fallen in love and he asked you to stay.”

She stared at him, her eyes suddenly shuttered by wary uncertainty. “Are you?” she blurted out. “Asking me to stay?”

He came partially to his senses and took another step toward her. “Have
you?
Fallen in love?”

She licked her lips. He felt another tingle wash across his skin. “Don't be ridiculous. I barely know you, Shahin.”

She was lying
, which explained why his harsh
words had hurt her earlier. The trouble was, he didn't know if he really meant them. Bored? He couldn't ever imagine being bored by this woman.

And that scared the hell out of him. How could this have happened to either of them so quickly?

“That's not an answer,” he said.

“It's the only one you're getting,” she said and turned to walk away.

He closed the distance between them, spun her around and slapped his hands on the wall to either side of her shoulders, trapping her. “You don't seem to understand.
Life as you knew it before is over.
I'm trying to make this transition as easy for you as I can, offering you something else instead. Something we can both enjoy, together.”

“What about
my
wishes? And the wishes of my sister?”

“It was
you
who sought
me
out, Gemma,” he reminded her tersely. “As for your sister, that was not my decision.”

She glared at him. “Just following orders?”

“Not about you.” And wasn't that the truth. He gripped her chin and kissed her. Hard. She resisted at first but couldn't hold out against the power of their attraction. She melted into him.

He wrapped his arms around her and broke the kiss. “I want you with me, Gemma.” For the long or short term, it didn't matter. All that mattered now
was that he possessed her. “I'll do my best to make you happy.”

He felt her fingers curl into his
bisht
. “But only if I join your cult.”

Mithra's
balls
she was stubborn!

“We are
not
a cult,” he ground out. “Yes, we serve Set-Sutekh but not as fanatics. You can keep your convictions if you but serve him, too.”

“How can you expect me to be happy spending eternity serving a god I don't believe in?” she argued.

He could see her inner struggle, but it was so unnecessary.

“Don't you?” he asked. “Do you not believe in the darkness of the night sky and the strength of the wind in your face, and the truth that chaos rules the world? Even your Western mathematicians bow to the Lord of Chaos with their theories of the universe.”

“Not exactly,” she said, objecting to his characterization.

“
Yes,
exactly,” he persuaded. “We don't worship Set-Sutekh as an idol or even as a being, but we revere him as a symbol for the aspects of the world over which he rules. I told you, I am a Christian and I believe in one God. But I also believe there are many facets to that God and the limitless universe
of His Creation. We at Khepesh serve one small part of the Unknowable Whole, that's all.”

She shook her head. “But wind, darkness and chaos? Even if I completely understood what you are saying, I would not choose to serve those aspects.”

He smiled and let her slip away from his embrace. “Without darkness there is no light. Without chaos, no order. They are two halves of one coin,
kalila
. To honor the one half is to honor the other equally, and to be in awe of the amazing rightness of God's Great Plan.”

She gazed up at him for several heartbeats, digesting all that. He could see she was beginning to understand his philosophy of acceptance. “You are a wise man, Sheikh Shahin Aswadi,” she said at length.

“I have had a long time to ponder such things,” he allowed. “And intelligent, thoughtful people to discuss them with over the years. I look forward to doing so with you.”

“A
very
wise man,” she continued, almost unhappily, “to tempt me with the prospect of interesting philosophical discussions, on top of your flawless body.”

His smile curved. “I generally like to be on top, but in your case I could be persuaded to make an exception.”

Her serious expression eased and a mutual thrum of electricity hummed through their bodies. About this, at least, they shared the same beliefs.

“You also have a very one-track mind.”

He shrugged eloquently. “I am a man.” But he sensed he had won her over. “Seth-Aziz awaits us,
kalila
. Will you come and meet him now?”

She swallowed. “I need to know you won't leave me.”

For the first time, he didn't feel the need to hedge his answer. “I won't leave you alone. I swear.”

Just as long as she didn't have betrayal on her mind. A small but necessary qualification.

“What will happen to me?” she asked, pulling him out of his sudden cascading doubts.

He refocused. “Nothing today,” he assured her. “You must be taught our ways, and there are rituals to be organized. For now, your word is enough. But I must warn you, to break a promise to the demigod means death.”

She drew in a calming breath and nodded. “I understand.”

“Are you ready?”

“No, I'm terrified.”

He took her hands in his and kissed them. “I promise, in the future you'll be glad for this day.”

“I hope so,” she whispered. “I truly hope so.”