honor. She forced her eyes
away and focused on the energy surrounding her. The youngling could be
anywhere.
Sticking to the alleys, she snaked her way through
the city. She paused at the next street. The hairs on the back of her neck
stood on end as her eyes gravitated to the end of the empty alley. The light
scent of decay carried in the air. The bitterness burned her nose. Similar to her
father’s, but more sulfuric.
She narrowed her eyes and scanned from street to
rooftop. The energy and scent was familiar in a way that put a chill to her
bones. Loosening the saber at her waist, she stepped forward.
A chill tickled the back of her neck. She whipped
around and grabbed the figure stalking her. Her hand wrapped around the thick neck
of her wayward warrior.
“It is best not to sneak up on me unless you want
your throat slit,” she growled. She relaxed her fingers but did not remove her
grasp. She shoved him into the closest doorway.
A jumble of emotions filtered through her. Anger,
frustration—warmth. “What in duat are you doing?” She glared up at him.
“I am out for a walk. What are you doing?” His
deep rich voice washed over her.
Out for a walk ? It was the worst lie she
had ever heard, but then again maybe that was his point. She shoved him up
against the door one last time and released him. “What I am doing is none of
your concern.”
His gaze swept over her face and then settled on
her lips. “We share the neighborhood, so yeah, it is my business.”
“I was here first.” She tipped her chin up in
mocking stubbornness.
His mouth twitched into a half-smile. “How do you
know I was not here first?”
“Fine. You tell me why you are here, and I will
share what I am doing,” she said and stowed her weapon. If he wanted to play,
she was game.
His mouth thinned to a grim line.
“That is what I thought. You do not want to share,
then stop asking questions.”
A low growl rumbled in his chest. The air around him
chilled to the point her breath vaporized in a white cloud.
She stepped back, surprised by his sudden
aggression and regretting the fact she armed him with one of her blades. Snaring
her wrist, he whipped her back into the doorway.
“Do not make a sound,” he hissed in her ear.
The coldness around him dropped further. She
jerked her wrist away, but he pinned her against the door.
“Shh…” His cold breath skimmed across her neck.
Dark energy filled the street, along with smell of
rotten eggs. She had been so distracted by their verbal folly, she failed to
monitor the source. Bomani’s body shifted, camouflaging her and her powers. She
met his gaze, and he turned just enough to look over his shoulder.
A group of humans swaggered up the alleyway. Each
member wore a red bandana in various locations. The prickling on her neck
increased until it was on the verge of painful, and she locked her gaze on one
particular human. Dark eyes and black hair, the man walked in the back of the
pack. Where the others slouched with their hoods forward, this male’s hood was
down. His gaze shifted right and left.
She traced Bomani’s beltline to the weapon at his
waist.
His large hand stayed her from pulling it free.
“No.”
The man stopped and looked over his shoulder.
Siya’s skin crawled as she stared at the so called human. Its black oily gaze
swept over their location before he joined back up with his friends.
Bomani held her taut until the group rounded the
corner. The coldness receded, but Siya remained pinned against the door. “I
think they are gone,” she said with a glare.
He stepped back just enough to put a few inches
between them. “Care to explain what that was?”
“I do not know.” It was not the first time she
felt that amount of evil. She just did not want to admit the truth.
He placed two fingers on her chin and tipped her
head up. “Sekhmet?”
She winced at the sound of her given name. At one
time she was that person, but that was then. She jerked her head
away and focused on the energy surrounding her. The youngling could be
anywhere.
Sticking to the alleys, she snaked her way through
the city. She paused at the next street. The hairs on the back of her neck
stood on end as her eyes gravitated to the end of the empty alley. The light
scent of decay carried in the air. The bitterness burned her nose. Similar to her
father’s, but more sulfuric.
She narrowed her eyes and scanned from street to
rooftop. The energy and scent was familiar in a way that put a chill to her
bones. Loosening the saber at her waist, she stepped forward.
A chill tickled the back of her neck. She whipped
around and grabbed the figure stalking her. Her hand wrapped around the thick neck
of her wayward warrior.
“It is best not to sneak up on me unless you want
your throat slit,” she growled. She relaxed her fingers but did not remove her
grasp. She shoved him into the closest doorway.
A jumble of emotions filtered through her. Anger,
frustration—warmth. “What in duat are you doing?” She glared up at him.
“I am out for a walk. What are you doing?” His
deep rich voice washed over her.
Out for a walk ? It was the worst lie she
had ever heard, but then again maybe that was his point. She shoved him up
against the door one last time and released him. “What I am doing is none of
your concern.”
His gaze swept over her face and then settled on
her lips. “We share the neighborhood, so yeah, it is my business.”
“I was here first.” She tipped her chin up in
mocking stubbornness.
His mouth twitched into a half-smile. “How do you
know I was not here first?”
“Fine. You tell me why you are here, and I will
share what I am doing,” she said and stowed her weapon. If he wanted to play,
she was game.
His mouth thinned to a grim line.
“That is what I thought. You do not want to share,
then stop asking questions.”
A low growl rumbled in his chest. The air around him
chilled to the point her breath vaporized in a white cloud.
She stepped back, surprised by his sudden
aggression and regretting the fact she armed him with one of her blades. Snaring
her wrist, he whipped her back into the doorway.
“Do not make a sound,” he hissed in her ear.
The coldness around him dropped further. She
jerked her wrist away, but he pinned her against the door.
“Shh…” His cold breath skimmed across her neck.
Dark energy filled the street, along with smell of
rotten eggs. She had been so distracted by their verbal folly, she failed to
monitor the source. Bomani’s body shifted, camouflaging her and her powers. She
met his gaze, and he turned just enough to look over his shoulder.
A group of humans swaggered up the alleyway. Each
member wore a red bandana in various locations. The prickling on her neck
increased until it was on the verge of painful, and she locked her gaze on one
particular human. Dark eyes and black hair, the man walked in the back of the
pack. Where the others slouched with their hoods forward, this male’s hood was
down. His gaze shifted right and left.
She traced Bomani’s beltline to the weapon at his
waist.
His large hand stayed her from pulling it free.
“No.”
The man stopped and looked over his shoulder.
Siya’s skin crawled as she stared at the so called human. Its black oily gaze
swept over their location before he joined back up with his friends.
Bomani held her taut until the group rounded the
corner. The coldness receded, but Siya remained pinned against the door. “I
think they are gone,” she said with a glare.
He stepped back just enough to put a few inches
between them. “Care to explain what that was?”
“I do not know.” It was not the first time she
felt that amount of evil. She just did not want to admit the truth.
He placed two fingers on her chin and tipped her
head up. “Sekhmet?”
She winced at the sound of her given name. At one
time she was that person, but that was then. She jerked her head
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