Immortal Dynasty (16 page)

Pain crossed Bakari’s features. He closed his eyes, and for a moment he just stood there as if in meditation. “Your grandfather kept pointing out the signs. I encouraged him, and did not think about the consequences. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” Darius noted Bakhari’s questioning glance toward Shaila. “I tried to sneak in and rescue Papa Shadi. I discovered her by accident. The medallion triggered her resurrection.”

“You mentioned a ransom.” Bakari leaned back heavily into a high-backed chair. “Considering the prophecy, I’m betting Lilith wants the amulet.”

“Jackpot.”

Bakari gave Shaila a stern look. “Has he been told why it is so important that the amulet be kept away from Lilith?”

“Yes, but will somebody please tell me why she wants it? And while you’re at it, tell me why my grandfather should be sacrificed in order to keep it from her.” A rage built within Darius so fast, he started to choke.

Leaning across the desk, Bakari placed a hand over Darius’ clenched fist. “There is much that you need to hear. Your grandfather has known the risks involved. You must listen.”

Darius felt a strange calm flowing into him from Bakari’s hand. Following the man’s lead, Darius lifted his gaze toward Shaila, ready to listen to information that had not been shared with him previously.
 
Another friggin’ notch on the negative side of her
unpredictability
chart.

“I was entrusted by my mother to guard the amulet. It contains the astral spirit of the child spawned by Lilith and Apophis. Should Therion ever be reunited with this amulet, he will regain all of his dark Anunnaki powers. All of them.”

A myriad of emotions passed through him. Some, even he did not understand.
Deceived
was one he recognized instantly. She’d held this back from him, when she’d known he needed it to save his grandfather.
She knows where it is.

“What power do you fear the most?”

“We fear his ability to release Apophis from his imprisonment. An evil triad, such as Lilith, Therion, and Apophis…” Shaila sounded breathless from the very thought of such a disaster. “It would mean the end for this planet, and all that is on it. If Apophis were to be freed, it would begin the
Age of Awakening
, when all of the dead are resurrected to annihilate the living, and when darkness would prevail over light. He will not leave this planet until every soul has been beaten down into submission.”

“Is that all?” He tried to sound sarcastic, but he couldn’t quite get there. As angry as he was, he knew his grandfather believed every word of the prophecy. He could easily see his grandfather doing everything he could to save the world.

Bakari returned to his search of his desk, pulling open drawers and rummaging through cubbyholes. Finally, he sighed with relief. “May I show you something?”

In his hand rested a small gold box with a simple painted cartouche of Sekhmet and another symbol that Darius was not familiar with.

“May I?” Darius accepted the box, cradling it in one hand. It was lighter than he would have guessed. The gold exterior made it look heavier.

“The symbol is referred to as the
seven arrows of Sekhmet
. But the real treasure is inside the box, of course.”

As he opened the box, Darius whistled appreciatively as he viewed the beautiful ring resting on coal black silk cloth. A red ruby nestled in the center of a round sun disk, with thin wings stretching out from either side to wrap around a king’s finger.

Shaila’s voice shook with sadness when she spoke. “It was the ring of the pharaoh Akhenaten. Queen Nefertiti wore it briefly after his death, when she assumed the throne. She wore it until the day she was murdered.” A single tear slid down her cheek before she could wipe it away. “The ring now belongs to the son of Nefertiti. He would be the rightful heir to the throne of Egypt.”

“If there was a throne.” He kept the sarcasm to a minimum. “That’s the child you seek, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Shaila rubbed her eyes, searching for the memories locked away in her mind for thousands of sun cycles. “It is time to find the child. Time to raise and train him as Shadiki foresaw.”

“Time?” Darius looked skeptical. “I think we’re out of time for that.”

She ignored his tone. “I need time as well to find others of my kind. We will need their strength. Barkari, who is left here?”

Bakari shook his head. “There are a few, but they are scattered across the world. They have made new lives for themselves.”

“What of Seth?” Shaila held her breath, knowing how important her uncle, the Lord of Command, would be to their success. As the true father of Nefertiti’s son, he would move the heavens and the earth to find his child.

“He has not been seen in many decades. Papa Shadi has a crazy notion that Seth’s been hibernating inside the Sphinx.” Bakari twirled his forefinger around his ear.

“Well, if this child is supposed to be a messiah to your own kind, wouldn’t they come running to help out?” Darius returned the ring to the box.

“Some might. I have slept through too many ages to know how the Anunnaki feel at this time. Most were not interested in the plight of the weaker species that shared this planet, and many used your kind as slaves and consorts.”

“What about you? How did you treat our kind?”

Dark shadows hid his eyes from her, but she sensed the accusation bubbling just under the surface. She had to bury a quick burst of her own ire that this man could think of her as abusive. “I have always believed that the humans deserved to exist without interference from us.”

“That’s easy for you to say now, when you’re weak and not in control anymore.” Darius moved into her personal space.

“Do you doubt my sincerity?” She refused to cower. Instead, she stood to her full height, putting her eyes just barely below his.

“No. I don’t doubt that you wish to help, but I do question your true beliefs.”

“Which ones, exactly?”

“The ones which say your kind are better than our kind. I have heard you several times refer to us as the
weaker species
. Tell me how you really feel, sweetheart.”

There was absolutely no mistaking the sarcasm in his voice. He was judging her again. When had she ever been so judged by a human?
Never.

“I am sorry to have offended you, Darius, but if anyone has a right to be angry, I do. I cannot deny that in many respects I do view humans as being weaker than my kind, but not in the manner you are thinking. It is not an air of superiority.”

“Enlighten me.”

“That is exactly what I mean. I spent many sun cycles teaching human warriors and kings to reach their full power, to free themselves and nurture all that this good earth provides for you. Do you not understand? Our species are so similar. You have much of the same capacities to use your energies as we do. But time and again, you let the judgment of others interfere in your belief of the sacred skills we taught you.”

“Now you sound like Papa Shadi.”

“Shadiki understood the power you have, but he despaired that greed would prevent humans from passing on that knowledge. Indeed, the human kings often kept the knowledge to themselves, wanting to be seen as gods on earth. My kind is no more god-like than yours, but your ancestors were easily led astray.”

“So, humans are like lambs,” his voice held a bitter edge, “easily led.”

“Yes, Darius. Humans are so easy to convince that they are unworthy. But it was not the Anunnaki who imposed those ideas. You can thank your own kind for that. It was humans who began to squash the teachings and who nurtured the false energies of greed and judgment.”

“Then, why help us? Why help such a faulty species?”

 
“Because I have always been in awe of the human spirit. Even in the darkest of circumstances, humans cling to an emotion we have little understanding of…hope. And even when I believe it is misdirected, the very existence of that emotion makes your kind strong.” Instinctively, she placed her palm over his heart.

“Men like your grandfather taught me what hope meant. That it is something worth fighting for. It is exactly what inspired me to leap through time frozen in a statue, trusting in an old man’s visions. I trust that destiny brought me here for a reason, and I will not fail. I cannot fail.”

Nearly choking on the intensity of her own emotions, she felt his hands on her shoulders pulling her into his chest. His muscles tensed and flexed under her cheek with his own conflicting emotions. She closed her eyes, absorbing strength from him.

“Darius, it will take more than physical strength to defeat Lilith.” Bakari spoke with the deep conviction of experience.

“Well, nature seems to have selected
my
species to have survived all this time.” A twinkle returned to his dark eyes. “Maybe our mental strength is pretty tough after all. We don’t need to be stronger. We need to be smarter.”

* * *

Darius winced as lightning slashed in the distance. The thunder boomed over a sea as turbulent as his heart. The northeastern storm had been gathering its forces off shore for days, waiting for its moment to besiege the coastline. Not unlike the forces gathered around his life.

They needed to return to the city very soon, before the winds would be too strong to ride in. Darius stood at the wall encircling Bakari’s property, watching the waves lap up the sand along the shore below.

Bakari brought him a drink. He wished the spicy burn of the liquor could numb his pain along with his throat.

“What have I stumbled into?”

“An ancient secret, my friend.”

“Why have we not known that you exist?”

“Because mankind would destroy us. I know it sounds like a cliché to you, but humans would fear us, lock us up, and study us.”

“Yet, I am supposed to believe that you’re here to help us? To save us?”

“There is so much to tell you about the past, Darius.”

“Well, I’m a little busy at the moment for a history lesson.”

“Papa Shadi has been waiting for the right time.”

“I know now that he’s a part of this, but how much? Just exactly how long have you known Papa Shadi?” Darius feared he already knew the answer. He had felt it his whole life that his grandfather was different.

Shaila appeared. “Actually, Shadiki and Bakari are more different from me…than from you. They were both born human. I gave Shadiki, my priest, the gift of life. You carry it with you now.” She pointed toward the medallion. “Over four thousand sun cycles ago, I used the
Eye of Ra
medallion to gift Shadiki a’Mahg with an energy force that would extend his life indefinitely.”

Darius looked at Bakari, who shrugged. “I am half Anunnaki, which is why I do not wear a medallion.”

Darius walked slowly back toward the door leading into the study, shivering from the bite of the ocean winds.

“What of my mother? She was human, right?” He dropped onto the end of the couch.

Bakari chuckled. “The energy from the medallion does not pass on. Your grandfather, cranky old mage that he is, has fathered many children in his long lifetime. Yes, Darius. You have a few relatives out there.”

“Why didn’t he tell me?”

“He isn’t the fathering type, and I’m sure you know that. His fondness for you is unique. He couldn’t let you suffer the same fate as your mother. She let drugs and booze claim her life, but you were different.”

“I was a grimy little street punk.”

“You survived. Adapted. He respected that. So, he took a step he never had before. He accepted the role of raising you. He polished up your clothes, taught you to speak properly, and channeled your talents in a better direction.”

Indeed. Where would he be today if Papa Shadi hadn’t taken him in? Jail, most likely. Darius wasn’t a dirty street thief anymore. He spoke four languages, and he’d honed his skills to be the best antiquities retrieval specialist in the world.

“So my grandfather is over four thousand years old? That’s one helluva gene pool.” He massaged the back of his head and neck. The damned knot was back again. “Why did you give him this gift, Shaila?”

“Because he saved my life.” Shaila joined him on the leather couch. “I was in a battle against Apophis. His powers are older and darker, which gave him a significant advantage over me. Hundreds of human soldiers already lay dead on the battlefield. I had arrived too late to fight with them. A bold priest brought us both beer, trying to appeal to us to end the battle. He had laced Apophis’ drink with an herb to make him sleep.”

“Couldn’t you have flashed out of there?”

“A warrior does not abandon the battle.” Shaila pounded the air to emphasize her opinion. “I wanted to defeat Apophis, but I had lost too much blood to heal myself. I was dying. My energy was fading. Shadiki carried me to my temple and cared for me.”

Darius felt a strange pressure in his chest. He shifted, trying to ease the tightness. “My choice is clear. I have to get Papa Shadi back, and he needs this.” He fisted the medallion and kissed it.

Bakari drew a hand across his goatee. “Do you have a plan?”

“More like a sketchy idea.”

“When are you going to put this sketchy idea into action?”

“Tomorrow night.” Darius smiled at Shaila. “We’ve been invited to Lilith’s party.”

Bakari laughed. “Reckless boy. When you need me, count me in. Now go. Get home before the storm hits. It is a dark storm. The darkness brings many souls above ground.”

“Do I need to keep garlic by my doors and windows?”

Bakari avoided the sarcasm. “They aren’t vampires, but you still wouldn’t want to invite them in.”

“Papa Shadi must have known they were around. What did he do to protect himself? I’ve noticed that they will not enter my house. We were chased last night, but they didn’t even try to break through the door.”

“I helped him carve a protective spell into a wall in his private study. As long as it remains intact, the house is sacred ground.” Bakari nodded toward Shaila. “The spell might also be protecting your spirit from being felt by Lilith.”

“That’s okay, Bakari. Since my awakening was,” Shaila looked hesitantly in Darius’ direction, “accidental, I have not connected with my astral spirit. I am weak without that connection.”