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…Their mouths crashed together, teeth and tongues. Baz loved the taste of Kellan mixed with the wine and spices the man ate for dinner. Within minutes, he had Kellan pressed to the couch, nibbling along his chin while he struggled to undo Kellan’s pants. There wouldn’t be any fucking tonight, but nothing had been said about him sucking Kellan off. As far as he was concerned, tonight was all about Kellan. Baz would get his turn later. Kellan’s thin cock sprang out of his pants as soon as Baz unzipped them and freed it from his underwear. He fisted the column of flesh and pumped hard and quick. “Shit.” Kellan groaned, stretching his hands above his head and lifting his hips up with each stroke. “You look so pretty lying sprawled like that with my hand wrapped around your cock,” he whispered in Kellan’s ear as he stroked up and twisted his hand over the head of Kellan’s shaft. Pre-cum leaked from Kellan’s slit, and Baz lifted his hand to lick it from his palm. It tasted fine, but he knew Kellan’s cum would taste even better. He slid down the couch, pushing Kellan’s shirttails out of the way and swallowed the man’s dick all the way to the back of his throat. “Fuck!” Kellan shouted, one hand twisting hard in Baz’s hair, while the other flailed over the back of the couch. Baz winced at the strength of Kellan tugging on his hair, but the pain wasn’t enough to distract him from what he really wanted to do, which was basically suck Kellan’s brains out through his cock…

ALSO BY T. A. CHASE Allergies Be The Air For You Bitter Creek’s Redemption Duncan’s World Freaks In Love Nick Of Time Nowhere Diner: Finding Love Soothe The Burn

BASTET BY T. A. CHASE

AMBER Q UILL PRESS, LLC http://www.AmberQuill.com

BASTET AN AMBER QUILL PRESS BOOK This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. Amber Quill Press, LLC http://www.AmberQuill.com All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review. Copyright © 2010 by T. A. Chase ISBN 978-1-60272-697-0 Cover Art © 2010 Trace Edward Zaber

Layout and Formatting provided by: Elemental Alchemy

PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Thank you to all my readers who support me with each book I write. Without you, I’d be writing to an empty space, trying to fill it with my words.

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PROLOGUE Bastet stood, shoulders back and eyes peering coldly at the priest. “What have you done to me, priest?” “He didn’t do it, warrior. I did.” The chilly voice echoed through the sanctuary, causing the priest to drop to his knees and press his forehead to the floor. Bastet wasn’t the type of man to bow before anyone. “Who are you?” He glanced around. A shape danced in the flames of the altar and his mouth dropped open as the goddess Bast appeared before him. His knees buckled and he knelt, paying homage to one of the gods. “You kneel now, but seconds ago, you defied all thought of bowing before anyone.” “I did not know who spoke, my lady. I am your most humble 1

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servant.” Her laugh skated down his spine like the coolest water. “There is not a humble bone in your body, my warrior, but that is good. I do not need a servant. I need someone who will fight for me and this planet we live on.” “My lady?” He tilted his head slightly so he could look at her. “You will join the other warriors my brothers and sisters have chosen. Together you will protect this earth from destruction and, though you share no blood connection, you will rely on them like they were family.” The goddess strolled from one end of the altar to the other, her movements smooth and elegant. “I will do whatever you ask of me, my lady.” He would because one didn’t make a promise to a goddess lightly. “You will do it for as long as this world needs you. Your life is now tied to the life of the earth.” She whirled to stare at him. “One more thing—you must never tell anyone about your mission or your warrior-brothers. The powers I have given you will keep you hidden from non-believers.” Before he could ask any more questions, the goddess disappeared, and the priest muttered a prayer. Bastet stood, grabbed the priest by the collar, and snarled at him. “What did she mean by powers?”

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CHAPTER 1 Staring out over the New York City skyline from his penthouse, Sterling’s blood soared. Soon all of this would be his. All his long lifetime of searching would be over and he could claim his rightful place as God among the weak men surrounding him. He rested his hand on the cool glass, ignoring the age spots and wrinkles that spoke of the only opponent he’d never be able to defeat. Time marched ever onward, taking with it his strength, but not his intelligence or ruthless pursuit of eternal life. Reflections of the people behind him moved across the window. Sterling ignored them as he always did. They were unimportant, except for how he could use them to become stronger and richer. One day he would destroy them all for the pathetic 3

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hangers-on that they were. It was only a matter of time before someone discovered where the Warriors had hidden the spell. When that happened, he would be there to take it and create a new world order with him as its ruler. *

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The flickering lights warned Kellan the library was going to close in five minutes. He tucked away his papers and returned the reference books to the librarian. Pausing at the top of the stairs, he zipped up his jacket and flipped up his collar before taking the steps two at a time. Brisk autumn air whispered around his ears and teased his dark curls. Kellan shivered. He should have grabbed his thicker jacket when he left the apartment earlier that day, but the shining sun had fooled him into thinking they had a few more days of Indian summer left. Leaves danced around his feet as he strolled to the bus stop. Twilight danced along the edges of the campus square, lending darkness to corners and alcoves. He shivered again, knowing it was his imagination making him think someone watched him from one of those hidden recesses. Checking his watch, Kellan saw that he had a few minutes before the bus arrived. He sat on the bench and tugged out his journal. So much information crammed into his brain. He needed to organize it or he’d end up forgetting it. Some facts weren’t worth the paper they were written on, but others would help him with his thesis. His hand shook slightly. While researching ancient Egyptian 4

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religions, he’d found reference to an obscure cult named the Earth Warriors. None of the other books he looked at mentioned the cult, but every instinct Kellan had screamed that he needed to find more out about it. He would do some looking online to see if anyone had ever heard of them. “Hello.” Kellan jumped when a low voice spoke above him. Peeking through dark curls, he almost swallowed his tongue at the sight of the man standing in front of him. The stranger towered over him and it wasn’t just because Kellan was sitting. Long dark hair brushed the man’s broad shoulders and those black eyes gave the man a mysterious air. “H-Hello?” Kellan cringed inside at the stutter. “Is anyone sitting next to you?” The man gestured to the open area beside Kellan on the bench. “N-No.” He inhaled deeply. No point in being nervous. The man wasn’t interested in him. The only reason he spoke to Kellan was to be polite. “May I sit?” Kellan nodded. “Go ahead.” He grabbed his backpack off the bench, setting it on the ground between his feet. The man sat, leaned back, and crossed his legs. Kellan scribbled down some dates, but his handwriting was shaky and he knew he wasn’t able to ignore the man sitting next to him. A gentle breeze smelling like Christmas drifted past him and he relaxed. True night slipped through the campus. Kellan tucked his journal away and wrapped his arms around his waist. “Do you go to college here?” The man’s voice startled him. He’d almost forgotten he was there. 5

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“Yes, I’m a graduate student.” His fingers found a hole in his jeans and he plucked at it, unable to bring himself to meet the man’s gaze. “You must be smart. I was never able to continue my education.” A hint of disappointment colored the man’s words. Kellan blushed, but shook his head. “I don’t know about being smart, but I like to learn. Can you read?” “Yes.” “Then you can always continue your learning. The library is open to everyone, even if you don’t have a card to check books out.” He pointed back in the direction of the Harvard library. “True. What are you studying here?” Was the man really interested or was he just making small talk? Kellan gave a mental shrug. It didn’t matter. Talking to the man would help Kellan gain confidence to talk to other people. His shyness often lead to him hiding in corners at parties or the bars, being ignored while more out-going guys got picked up. Before the new semester started, he’d made a vow that he’d try to be more open to new experiences and he couldn’t get much more new than having a gorgeous stranger talk to him at the bus stop. “I’m getting a doctorate in ancient religions. Mostly about obscure Egyptian religions during the time of the Pharaohs. There were so many that have been forgotten throughout the years. ” Kellan bit his lip to stop the words from spilling out. He was an introvert at heart, but get him talking about his passion and he turned into a chatterbox. The man stiffened slightly, but before he could ask another question, the bus turned the corner, brakes squealing. “Here’s the bus.” He stood and scooped up his backpack. The dark man shot to his feet. “I forgot something. I’ll have to 6

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catch the next bus.” Kellan blinked in surprise. “Okay. Well, it was nice talking to you.” He started climbing on the bus and he swore he heard the man say, “We’ll meet again soon, Kellan.” When he reached his seat, he glanced out the window. No one stood at the bus stop. Kellan looked in both directions, but there wasn’t a person in sight. Weird. The man must have left in a hurry. Kellan settled in his seat, ready for the twenty-minute ride to his apartment. Stepping off the bus, Kellan glanced up just as the street lamp at the corner sputtered out, plunging him into darkness. He hunched over and hurried toward the older townhouse a block from the stop. He rented the top floor from the Bosleys, a great older couple who were always inviting him down for dinner and Monday night football. Mrs. B didn’t think he ate enough, so she’d run upstairs with plates of cookies or pies she’d just baked. He never complained since he didn’t have any family of his own. Kellan’s parents had died when he was eight, dooming him to live the rest of his childhood in foster homes. Some were good. Others sucked, but he endured it until he turned eighteen and graduated with a full-ride scholarship to Boston College, then he moved on to Harvard for his doctoral work, managing to survive on scholarship money. A car horn honked, and he jumped. Silly, but he’d never grown out of being afraid of the dark. In his subconscious, he accepted that bad things happened in the dark. Hell, he’d seen some bad shit while living in the foster system, yet he survived and that was the important part. No point dwelling on the past. He only did that when he was alone in his bedroom, watching the shadows crawl 7

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across his floor. Faint footsteps caught his attention, seeming to come from behind him. He sped up, and the sound kept pace with him. Was it someone thinking to rob him? Boy, would they be shocked. He was a poor college student. Nothing more expensive than an iPod in his backpack, though his books had cost him a small fortune. Rustling filled the air like pant legs rubbing together. Someone was following him. Not having steadiness of nerves to begin with, Kellan broke. By the time he got to the outside set of stairs leading up to his door, he was running. Kellan dashed up the stairs and unlocked his door. He slammed it shut and leaned against it, chest heaving. Opening it a crack, he peered out. No one walked along the sidewalk or stood at the bottom of his stairs. He shut the door and locked it, chuckling slightly. He was an idiot. Getting scared over nothing. Kellan slipped his backpack off his shoulders and onto the floor, pushing it out of the way with his foot as he wandered down the hallway into his kitchen. The phone rang just as he opened the refrigerator. Leaning over, he snagged it from the base and tucked it between his ear and shoulder. “Hey, Mrs. B., I’m home.” “Yes, I know, Kellan. I heard you thundering up the stairs. Is there something wrong?” He ducked his head. “Sorry about that. My imagination got the best of me.” Her soft chuckle held understanding. “No problem, dear. Just wanted to make sure. Oh, I left some leftover meatloaf and potatoes in your refrigerator, plus some biscuits in the microwave.” “Awesome. Thanks, Mrs. B. I appreciate it lots.” He grabbed 8

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the aluminum-covered plate and bumped the door shut with his hip. “You’re too skinny, Kellan. I’m just doing my best to fatten you up.” A low murmur sounded in the background. “Mr. B. says your friend stopped by again today. He’s probably wondering where you are.” “Oh, cool. I got caught up in some research at the library. I’ll run down to see him after I eat.” He removed the covering before popping the plate in the microwave. Mrs. B. whispered, “I left a plate of food for him as well.” “You’re a great lady, Mrs. B.” The microwave beeped. “Have to go and eat while it’s hot.” “Have a good night, Kellan, and call if you need anything.” “Will do. Sleep well.” He pushed the OFF button and set the phone on the counter before pulling out the meatloaf and starting to eat. Moaning, he savored the explosion of flavors on his tongue. God had smiled on him the day he answered the rental ad in the newspaper. Kellan practically licked the plate clean. After leaving it in the sink, he returned to the refrigerator where he found another smaller plate. He just reached the door when a yowl arose from the backyard. “Hang on, you pig. I’m not here to serve you.” He elbowed his apartment door until it was open only a crack and headed down the stairs, where a skinny black cat glared at him from the top of one of the garbage cans. “Here you go, your highness.” With a flourish, he set the plate of meat scraps on the ground. The cat swatted his head as he stood up. Thankfully, the stray 9

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didn’t use his claws. Kellan eased away, knowing the cat wouldn’t eat if he stood too close. The feline landed on his feet without a hitch and stalked toward the food. Kellan sat on the bottom step and, bracing his elbows on his knees, watched the cat eat. Even though the stray looked like he was starving, he ate with dignity and a regal bearing. “Still a king, if a rather ragged one, aren’t you?” He never tried to touch the feline. Getting sliced by the cat’s claws wasn’t an experience he wanted. As aloof as the cat was, it never seemed to mind Kellan’s presence. “I talked to a guy tonight.” The cat’s tail twitched, and Kellan took it as a good sign to continue. “God, he was gorgeous. Dark hair and eyes. Big, too.” He sighed, resting his chin in his hands. The cat flicked an ear back at him. “I know. It was crazy, but he seemed interested. Or at least interested enough to ask me questions. I mean, he could’ve just sat there and not said anything to me.” After he cleaned the plate, the cat settled back on his haunches and washed his face. “Of course, I didn’t tell him my name, so I doubt I’ll ever see him again.” Kellan laughed. “A guy like that doesn’t look twice at a skinny nerd like me.” “Mreow,” the cat agreed. “I found something in the books tonight. Just a little mention, but I think I’m on the right track. There was a cult in Egypt centuries ago called the Earth Warriors.” He stopped. Something in the cat’s posture made Kellan think he was really listening to him. The cat stared at him with gold, 10

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unblinking eyes. Before he could say anything else, the animal shot to its feet and raced off. Kellan picked up the plate and wandered back upstairs. He placed the plate in the sink with the other one and grabbed his backpack from the hallway. There was still time that night to do some research on the ’net. See if anyone else had heard about the cult. He glanced outside once and smiled. His feline friend would be all right for the night. At least he had gotten a good meal instead of mice.

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CHAPTER 2 A black cat trotted down an alley to where it dead-ended into an empty lot. He sat, studying the surrounding area before moving out from the cover of the abandoned warehouses. As he emerged, a falcon swooped down and landed in front of him. A soft hiss announced the cat’s annoyance and he crouched, ears back and tail lashing from side to side. The falcon screeched once and a shimmering veil enfolded them. When the veil lifted, two men stood where the cat and falcon had once been. Golden- skinned and dark-eyed, they might have been twins, though they shared no family blood. Warriors in every move and look. “Was our brother’s instinct right, Bastet?” The falcon man spoke. 12

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“Yes.” Bastet nodded as he paced. “The young man named Kellan has discovered something about us.” “What does he know?” Bastet shrugged, shoving his hands through his shoulder-length hair. “I don’t know. He was simply chatting to the stray cat he feeds. Just a small mention.” “You’ve only made contact with him in your animal form? Amum said you must get closer to this mortal.” The other man tilted his head like a bird studying its prey. “I’ve talked to him at a bus stop at the university. As the cat, I can get closer to him, but I must act like a cat. I can’t trot into his apartment like it was my own. He has not invited me in.” Bastet whirled to face his brother. “Horus, you may be one of the oldest of us, but don’t tell me how to handle my mission. We’ve been doing this for centuries, and I know what I’m doing.” Horus snorted. “I know that, Bastet, but things might move quicker than we hoped. You might need to change your timetable. Amum says that Sterling is getting restless. Evil stirs in that man and it is awakening. If what you say about Kellan is true, Sterling will come in search of him. You must be ready to protect Kellan, but always remember our other reasons for existing. Sterling must never find the spell.” Shooting his hand out, Bastet twisted his fist into the front of Horus’s shirt and jerked the other man closer to him. “Don’t tell me what I have to do, Horus. I know my job and I won’t let our brothers down.” Instead of striking out as would be the reaction of his animal, Horus held his hands out to show he meant Bastet no harm. “What is wrong, Bastet? You are agitated about more than Sterling.” Horus smiled. “Could you be attracted to your charge? 13

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I’ve seen him, and he is rather attractive.” Bastet pushed Horus away and started pacing again, his hands clenching and unclenching. “Leave Kellan alone. He’s none of your concern.” “Of course he isn’t. I have my own mission to complete, but it doesn’t mean I can’t have a little fun on the side.” Horus jumped back as Bastet swung at him. A smug grin crossed Horus’s face as he leapt into the air and shifted on the wing. The falcon cried down to the cat on the ground. ::Nothing says you can’t enjoy Kellan while you protect him, brother.:: The cat’s irritated yowl filled the night air. ::You should’ve been the feline, Horus, since you have the morals of an alley cat. Kellan is off-limits to all of you.:: Re-tracing his steps, the cat made his way through the city to end up at the bottom of Kellan’s stairs. He sat, staring up at the door leading to Kellan’s apartment. ::Kellan is not off-limits to you, brother. He could easily worm his way into your heart and that’s what you’re afraid of. More than dealing with Sterling and his ilk. You’re afraid of one slender, frail mortal.:: Isis’s voice danced in his head. Bastet scratched behind his ear and curled his lip to show his disdain. ::I fear no mortal.:: Isis laughed. ::I can read more than your mind, Bastet, and your heart tells me otherwise. The earth currents are changing. Things are beginning to build, and I fear we might not be ready for what is to come.:: The hair on the back of the cat’s back stood straight up. When Isis, the one they looked at to lead them, admitted to being afraid, things were going to hell in a hand basket. 14

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::What does Sekhmet say?:: Isis sighed. ::I haven’t been able to get a hold of Sekhmet. He has been silent for years now, and I’m worried about him.:: He wasn’t sure whether he should be worried or not yet. Isis and Sekhmet were the oldest of the warriors and because of that, they were the de facto leaders. Yet Sekhmet suffered from fits of melancholy, which would drive him to disappear for years at a time. None of the others worried as much as Isis did about those disappearances. Maybe he feared that one day Sekhmet wouldn’t come back. ::He will be here when we need him, Isis. Sekhmet always comes through for us in the end.:: ::I know.:: Isis gave a mental shake of his head. ::Now, go and find some way to stay with Kellan as much as possible. We have to know how much the mortal knows and who has told about us.:: A full body shake and Bastet slunk up the stairs to the landing in front of Kellan’s door. The cat didn’t want to scratch at the door and beg entrance. There were invisible chains attached to entering Kellan’s home and the cat didn’t want to be tied to anyone, human or otherwise. Yet Bastet overruled the survival instincts of his animal and raised a paw. “Mreow.” Scratch. Scratch. “Mreow.” The door opened and Kellan stared down at him. “What do you want?” Resting on his haunches, Bastet met Kellan’s gaze with as pitiful a look as possible and meowed again. At that same moment, thunder rumbled and rain started falling. Kellan’s hazel eyes widened and he stepped back, gesturing to the inside of the apartment. “Come in. We certainly don’t want you getting wet.” 15

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Bastet rose and stepped toward the threshold, pausing for a second before he entered. The moment his paw touched inside of Kellan’s apartment, things would change, and Bastet wasn’t sure if they would be for the better. “Are you coming in or not?” Kellan knelt next to the door, holding out his hand. The intriguing scent that had drawn him to Kellan in the first place wafted by Bastet’s nose and his decision was made. He strolled into the place like he owned it, and Kellan laughed while shutting the door. *

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The darkest hour of night hung like a dark velvet curtain over Cambridge, and Bastet stood in the doorway of Kellan’s bedroom, studying the younger man. Kellan lay curled on his side, embracing a pillow tight to his chest. A frown marred Kellan’s forehead, and Bastet wondered if he was dreaming. What dreams could a man like Kellan have? They couldn’t be as bad as Bastet’s were, when he allowed himself to sleep. Turning away from the tempting sight, Bastet strolled to the dining room, where Kellan had left his laptop up and running. He sat and stared at the screen. Technology had changed so much during Bastet’s time. He remembered how magical electricity seemed when it arrived to light streets and parlors. Then the telephone and television. Now people didn’t even have to leave their houses if they didn’t want to. A computer brought the world to them without them having to lift a finger. He shook his head. He was hesitating, simply because he didn’t want to invade Kellan’s privacy. He’d spent the evening prowling 16

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Kellan’s apartment and investigating every nook and cranny. Nothing showed up to make him think Sterling had found Kellan yet, but it was only a matter of time before the man would come looking for Kellan, especially if Kellan really did find something about the Earth Warriors. After letting him in, Kellan had spent most of the night typing and mumbling to himself while shuffling through some papers. Bastet left him alone, knowing he’d be able to go through Kellan’s stuff after he’d gone to bed. Jiggling the mouse, Bastet “woke” the computer and brought up the files for Kellan’s dissertation. He scanned through most of them. It was an interesting topic, but he didn’t have time to read it. There was one specific item he looked for. Ah-ha. Got it. He read the short paragraph. Kellan had noted he’d been searching for more information on a different Egyptian cult when he came across a one-sentence mention to an even more mysterious cult called the Earth Warriors. I have read vague references to a cult of immortal warriors charged by the Egyptian gods to protect the earth from destruction. Having those references supported by another source makes me believe it might be more than rumor. I’ll set up an appointment with Professor Balla to discuss this new direction in my research. Shit. He and his brothers thought they had gotten all the books that might have mentioned them, even in passing, but it looked like there might be more out there. Well, there were scrolls and tablets hidden deep in the archives in Egypt and in the Vatican, but no one, not even Sterling, had discovered those yet. All the books the Warriors gathered, they took to their own archives hidden away in 17

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the temple where they were created. Anubis’s suggestion that they burn everything ran through Bastet’s mind. It had been good advice, except Isis and Sekhmet couldn’t bring themselves to destroy precious knowledge, even if they didn’t want anyone else to have it. After clicking on Kellan’s internet connection, Bastet waited for the browser to load. He drummed his fingers on the table, eyes narrowed as he gazed out the window into the night. What to do about Kellan? The bright young man might be persistent enough to dig up more information and lead Sterling to the spell. That couldn’t happen, no matter how attached Bastet had become to Kellan over the months he’d watched him. The browser opened and he checked the history, along with Kellan’s bookmarks. There was an Egyptian history forum listed, so Bastet clicked on that. When the page appeared, his heart sank. Kellan had posted a question, asking anyone on the forum if they’d heard about the Earth Warriors. The forum was one of many Sterling had set up to keep abreast of current Egyptian finds and news. Sterling had to know by now that Kellan was asking questions. The man might think Kellan knew more than he was saying. Not good. He fought the urge to bundle Kellan up and cart him off to someplace safe. He snorted. There wasn’t anywhere safe from Sterling or the man’s money. They’d been lucky so far in hiding their library, but Bastet had the feeling it would only be a matter of time before they would have to move that again. All they could do now was to protect Kellan as best they could. Maybe they could use Kellan’s research as bait, luring Sterling out of his shadow world, and they could end his threat once and for all. 18

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Using Kellan as bait wasn’t to Bastet’s liking, but over the centuries, he’d learned to do what needed to be done without worrying about the consequences. His mission was the most important thing, and the continued secrecy of the Warriors. His inner cat agreed with that sentiment, but Bastet’s human side balked at causing Kellan any harm. Bastet shut the laptop off and wandered back to Kellan’s bedroom. He shifted, jumped up on the bed, and curled up next to Kellan’s head on the pillow. He rubbed his chin along Kellan’s jaw before resting his head on his paws and closing his eyes. The morning would come soon enough. He would talk to his brothers and their decision could change the course of Kellan’s life. *

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“Sir, there was a development in that matter you told me to keep an eye on.” Sterling glanced up from the inventory sheets he’d been going over. “Which matter?” One of his assistants shifted from foot to foot. “The Egyptian one, sir.” He held out two sheets of paper and Sterling gestured for him to leave them on his desk. “Thank you.” Dismissed, the assistant practically ran from the room. None of the people who worked for Sterling relished having to deal with him, and Sterling wanted it to stay that way. They meant nothing to him and he would get rid of them soon enough. He picked up the papers and read them, a cruel smile curling his lips. Shooting to his feet, he dropped the papers and moved to 19

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the windows. The Paris skyline shone like Christmas lights, bright and twinkling. Finally, someone might have found what Sterling was looking for. His hands shook with excitement, but he didn’t let himself hope too much. Too many failures lent a jaded air to his emotions. The cell phone in his pocket rang. “Sterling,” he barked. “Sir, you needed me?” How did the man know when Sterling had a job for him? Sterling had just thought about the man two seconds before the phone rang. “Yes. I want you to go to Cambridge, Massachusetts, and find out all you can about a Kellan Largant. He’s a graduate student at Harvard.” “Yes, sir, and when I do, what do you want me to do?” The cold voice skated over Sterling’s spine and if he had understood what fear felt like, he would have been drowning in it. The man on the other end of the line was a monster; Sterling had no doubt of that. “At the moment, just gather the information for me. I’ll make a decision after I’m better informed.” “Certainly, sir. I’ll call you when I have what you want.” The phone went dead and Sterling shook his head, tossing it on the desk. A power surge darkened the city for a moment and Sterling grinned. Was that a sign of things to come?

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CHAPTER 3 Kellan wrinkled his nose and shifted. Sharp needle-like pricks continued to abuse his scalp. Rolling on his back, he opened his eyes to see the black stray he’d welcomed into his apartment curled up on the pillow next to him. The cat’s paws were extended and his claws peeked out like he’d been interrupted. “What are you doing?” he muttered as he climbed out of bed, rubbing his head and glaring at the cat. “Mreow.” The cat stood and stretched. He swore the feline glanced at the clock, which drew Kellan’s attention to it. “Fuck.” Overslept again. He snatched up some relatively clean jeans, a T-shirt, and some underwear before racing into the bathroom for a 21

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quick shower. After dressing, he packed his laptop and papers into his backpack and headed toward the door. The cat watched the whole thing with rather intense interest, but Kellan figured it was just waiting for him to open the door since it dashed out in front of him like the apartment was on fire. “You’re welcome and you can always come back,” Kellan called as the cat’s tail twitched once and the feline disappeared into the alley. “Silly thing.” The hiss of brakes shot through Kellan and he rocketed down the street to where the bus had just come to a stop. He climbed on board and dropped into a seat with a huge sigh. “Oversleep again, Kellan?” Bob, one of the regulars, grinned at him. “Yeah. I was up late last night working on my paper.” He stifled a yawn and rubbed his eyes while setting his backpack on the floor between his feet. “You know you should really get out more.” He turned to look at Marissa, a skinny twenty-something who worked at the university in one of the admin offices. She handed him a Styrofoam cup with steaming coffee in it. He inhaled the aromatic scents of freshly brewed coffee with just a hint of honey. “Thanks. How would getting out more help me with oversleeping? I’d think it’d encourage the problem.” She rolled her eyes at him. “I don’t mean during the week, Kellan, though meeting friends for dinner instead of doing research at the library until all hours of the night might be fun. I mean going out on the weekends, like on a date.” Blushing, he ducked his head, and Bob laughed. “You got someone in mind for him, Marissa?” Bob winked at 22

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Kellan. “Yes, actually I do. He’s really sweet and good-looking as well.” She leaned over to rest her hand on his arm. “I think you’d get along great with him.” Terror widened Kellan’s eyes and he shook his head. Blind dates never worked out for him. His inability to make small talk created uncomfortable situations, and his dates never called for a second one. Hell, it had taken almost six months before he talked to Bob and Marissa on the bus. Even then, both of them had had to initiate the conversation. He’d spent most of the bus ride with his head buried in a book. Now, through their persistence, they would chat about their evenings and work instead of sitting quietly, existing in their own worlds. “I’m not interested in dating anyone right now, Marissa. My doctorate is taking up so much of my time.” He tried to think of reasons why he couldn’t go out with her friend. Maybe he should make up a boyfriend. Disappointment seeded Marissa’s sigh. “All right. I’ll let you off the hook at the moment, but don’t think I won’t try to get you to at least go to a club with us some weekend.” He could do a club. With the huge crowd of people, if he got uncomfortable, he could leave without Marissa knowing and explain that he’d gotten sick or something later. “All right. I can do that.” Compromise was a beautiful thing. The bus jerked to a halt at their stop. Marissa waved good-bye to Bob, and Kellan nodded toward the man as he climbed off behind her. “You have time for lunch today?” Kellan asked before Marissa 23

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could get too far away. “Yes. Usual spot. Usual time.” She gestured vaguely in his direction as she strolled away. “Great.” Turning, he ran face first into someone’s chest. “Ompf.” “I’m sorry.” He staggered back and he probably would have fallen, if two large hands hadn’t grabbed his arms to hold him up until he caught his balance. Something in the deep voice made him frown as he looked up. Holy shit! It was the man from the bus stop the night before. His brain ran away with his tongue. “Are you stalking me?” he blurted. Horrified, he clapped his hand over his mouth and stepped back from the man. The stranger tilted his head, and an image of his cat popped into Kellan’s head. The cat had made the same gesture while listening to Kellan. “No. I have an appointment with Professor Balla in the history department.” The man smiled. “It’s just my luck to run into you again.” The bright white smile did something to Kellan’s insides and turned his knees to mush. He pressed his hand to his stomach, breathing deep to settle his nerves. Damn, the man smelled good. Christmas. The stranger smelled like Christmas, which happened to be Kellan’s favorite time of the year. “Ummm…the history department offices are in this direction.” He nodded across the square. “You wouldn’t happen to be going that way, would you?” Kellan hesitated. As attractive as the man was, he didn’t know anything about him. Now Kellan knew he didn’t inspire men to 24

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stalk him, but still the impossible could happen. “I’m sorry. My name is Baz Bakari.” Baz held his hand out to Kellan. “Kellan Largant. Baz?” “It’s a family name.” Baz settled his hand at the small of Kellan’s back, urging him to lead the way. “Are you Egyptian? Both your names sound Egyptian.” He hitched his backpack over his right shoulder, strangely hoping it wouldn’t dislodge Baz’s hand. “I was originally born in Egypt, but have not been back to my mother country in decades.” The hint of loss in Baz’s voice caused Kellan to lean against the bigger man for a moment, offering comfort the best he could. Baz eased closer, and Kellan had the craziest sense of safety wash over him. “Would you join me for lunch, Kellan?” Disappointment shot through Kellan, though he wasn’t sure why. “I’m sorry. I already have plans for lunch.” Baz frowned for a moment, then a small smile crossed his face. “How about dinner? My business will keep me on campus all day.” Kellan shivered slightly while nodding. “Dinner sounds great.” What was he doing? He never accepted dates with strangers, especially after only talking to the man twice. Yet some buried instinct told him Baz would never hurt him. “I’ll meet you at the bus stop at six tonight?” “Sure.” Kellan pulled out his cell phone and set an alarm to remind him. He looked up to see Baz studying him. “It’s so I don’t forget. Sometimes I get caught up in an interesting piece of research and lose track of time.” “Then I would come and hunt you down.” Baz leaned down 25

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and brushed a kiss over Kellan’s cheek. “Until tonight, Kellan.” Kellan pressed his fingers to his cheek where the heat from Baz’s lips seemed to linger. “Tonight,” he whispered, watching the other man stalk off, his black hair gleaming in the morning sun. *

*

*

The last burst of sunshine bathed the campus square and Kellan fidgeted with his watch. God, he was a dork. It was fifteen minutes before six. He’d been sitting near the bus stop since five-thirty. Did that make him desperate? He shook his head and settled back against the tree he stood under. He’d missed the day when they handed out all the charming moves for getting guys to like him. Either too eager or too shy. There never seemed to be a happy medium for Kellan. Hopefully, Baz wouldn’t figure it out until after dinner. That would give Kellan some fond memories to keep him busy on the lonely winter nights. “Kellan?” Looking up, he saw Marissa approaching. Damn. He’d hoped she would be working late, so he and Baz could be gone before she arrived at the stop. “Hey, Marissa.” He smiled weakly at her. She looked around, excitement making her tremble slightly. “He’s not here yet?” “No, but he still has twelve minutes.” He checked his watch. “I’m early.” “Probably a good thing. Don’t want you to get caught up on some dusty old book and miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime.” 26

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He rolled his eyes. “Don’t exaggerate, Marissa. I hardly think it’s a chance of a lifetime.” “I’m wounded. You don’t think our date could be a lifechanging experience for you?” Baz’s teasing comment made both of them jump. Kellan whirled, heart racing. Baz stood on the other side of the tree, one hand behind his back. “Oh, my,” Marissa whispered as Baz stepped out into the pool of light cast by the nearest streetlight. Kellan echoed her sentiment silently. Somehow, Baz looked even more gorgeous with his hair tied back and dressed in a tailored suit. Had he been wearing it this morning when he ran into Kellan? “Who is your friend?” Baz smiled at Marissa. “Uh…this is Marissa. Marissa, this is Baz Bakari.” Baz took Marissa’s hand in his and lifted it to his lips, kissing it before letting go and stepping closer to Kellan. Marissa blushed and giggled. Kellan grinned because he knew how Marissa felt. There was something very elegant and old-world about Baz. The bus hissed to a stop next to them. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Marissa.” Kellan nudged her gently, figuring she’d probably stay there staring at Baz forever. “What?” She shot a look at the bus. “Oh, right. Have to go. It was nice meeting you, Mr. Bakari.” “Please, call me Baz. I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again.” Baz bowed slightly, his dark eyes gleaming. She giggled again before rushing onto the bus. Kellan watched her flop into a window seat and wave to them. He waved back, trying not to jump when Baz rested his hand at the base of his spine. 27

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“You’ve made a conquest,” Kellan joked as they strolled in the direction of the visitors’ parking lot closest to the square. Usually he didn’t like people touching him, but the warmth of Baz’s hand eased him in a way that he’d never felt before. “Good. She’s your friend, and I want your friends to like me.” Baz leaned down and nuzzled Kellan’s ear. “But I do believe there’s another conquest I wish to make that is far more important than Marissa.” Shivers trailed over Kellan’s body from the hot breath washing over his ear, and it landed in his groin. Inhaling didn’t do anything to calm Kellan’s nerves. Baz’s marvelous scent filled his nose, and Kellan whimpered. He tensed, not used to being the center of such intense focus. “Mmm…” Baz practically purred his appreciation. “Do you make that noise when someone is loving you?” Kellan bit his lip and looked away. “I’m sorry. Am I making you uncomfortable?” Baz put a few inches between them, not overwhelming Kellan with his presence. “You’re just so sexy, and I’m having a hard time just not kissing you right here.” Holy shit! Kellan’s flesh was going to burn to a crisp if he blushed any harder. He tripped over a crack in the sidewalk, and Baz caught him up in his arms to keep him from falling. Kellan clutched at Baz’s biceps, staring up at the man whose body cradled him close. Their eyes met, and Baz groaned when Kellan licked his lips. “I meant to wait until after dinner, but you’re a temptation I can’t seem to resist.” Before Kellan could ask what Baz meant, the man bent and took Kellan’s lips, like Kellan was the pot of gold at the end of the 28

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rainbow and Baz was a gold-crazed leprechaun. At the first sweep of Baz’s tongue into his mouth, Kellan’s brain short-circuited. He didn’t care that they were in the middle of the university’s campus with hundreds of people strolling by at any given time. He slid his hands up over Baz’s broad shoulders to tangle his fingers in the man’s hair. Baz moaned as he slid one hand down to grasp Kellan’s ass and tug him closer. Kellan’s eyes rolled back in his head when their erections introduced themselves. Jesus! Baz was big everywhere or else lust was blowing everything out of proportion. “Get a room, you two,” someone called. Kellan broke away from Baz with a gasp, stepping back and pressing his fingers to his swollen lips. Baz’s chest heaved once, and Kellan watched as the older man brought himself back under control. “I’m sorry,” Baz apologized, bowing slightly and, with a flourish, revealing a single red rose that he held in his hand. Taking the rose in a trembling hand, Kellan frowned. “Sorry for what?” “For wanting to taste you so badly that I forgot where we were.” Baz gestured to the people streaming around them. “Oh, okay.” Kellan tried not to sound relieved. Baz smiled softly. “I’m not sorry for kissing you. I’ve wanted to do that since we first met. I had planned on taking you to a romantic dinner and showing you my sophisticated side, but instead I jumped your bones like any college kid.” Chuckling, Kellan picked up his backpack from where he’d dropped it while they kissed. Baz took it from him and slung it over his own shoulder before offering Kellan his arm. Their kiss made him far more comfortable with Baz than he’d been with any 29

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other guy he’d gone out with over the years. “You don’t have to wine and dine me, you know. I’m a pretty simple guy.” Kellan slipped his hand into the crook of Baz’s arm. “There’ll be times when we go for a picnic and have hot dogs in the park, but for our first date, I wanted to impress you, so you’ll look favorably on a second date.” “I don’t think that’ll be an issue.” Kellan looked down at his jeans and T-shirt. “Am I dressed all right for dinner?” “Where we are going, they won’t say anything because you’re with me.” The confidence in Baz’s voice made Kellan’s heart skip a beat. He’d always been a sucker for arrogant men, but Baz’s arrogance didn’t seem to come from self-centeredness. Baz knew what he wanted and knew he had the ability to get it. Kellan couldn’t help but feel thrilled to know he was something Baz was willing to expend energy on. “Okay.” He relaxed, accepting Baz’s lead for now. Then he couldn’t help asking, “You’ll want to go out with me again?” Baz pulled him to a stop and cupped his cheek with one longfingered, elegant hand. His dark gaze caressed Kellan’s face. “Yes, I’ve had the feeling since we met that I’d want to spend all my time with you once I got to know you.” “I hope I don’t disappoint you,” he admitted, twirling the rose in his hands. “You could never disappoint me, Kellan.” The certainty in Baz’s voice settled Kellan’s worries for the moment and he decided to let Baz pamper him, even if in the end, it didn’t work out. He decided he deserved to be treated like a precious treasure once in his life. 30

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CHAPTER 4 Baz gently guided Kellan to his car. He heard the sharp intake of the man’s breath when he spotted the vehicle. A dark green Jaguar XJ crouched in the parking lot, looking sleek and expensive. Baz didn’t care about the money. After living centuries, money came to have no meaning. He’d gone several lifetimes poor and starving, discovering that being in feline form was easier than being human. Then other lifetimes were heaven on earth in many ways. There were money, cars, and lovers if he wanted them. This lifetime was one of the good ones. He opened the door for Kellan and waited until the younger man was all the way in before shutting it. Making his way around the front of the car, he heard the scream of a falcon, drawing his attention to a tree not far from where the Jag was parked. Horus 31

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was keeping an eye on him. Baz waved a hand, telling his brother to stay away. Kellan smiled at him as he slipped behind the steering wheel, and Baz didn’t stop to think. He ran his fingers through Kellan’s curls, cupping the back of his head and drawing him closer. Their lips met in a soft kiss. Baz didn’t try to take it any deeper or make it hotter than it already was. No matter what his brothers told him about staying close to Kellan in case he found the book or to keep Sterling from harming him had nothing to do with the reason Baz wished to spend time with Kellan. Something in the shy young mortal touched a part of Baz’s heart that he’d thought buried long ago. A part he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted uncovered. Easing away, he rubbed his thumb over Kellan’s swollen bottom lip. “You’re like the finest dessert, not good for me in so many ways, but far too tempting for me to care.” “You’re very charming, and I’m sure flattery has achieved wonderful results for you over the years.” Kellan blushed, not sounding like he believed Baz. Baz nodded. “While I admit to flattering people to get what I want from time to time, I would never lie to you about anything, most especially my feelings for you.” “How can you have any feelings for me? We just met last night for a few minutes. You can’t have any idea what I’m like or even if we’ll go together.” Kellan sat back, hands entwined and resting in his lap. Studying the other man, Baz noticed the insecure tilt of Kellan’s head. Could Kellan truly not see what a marvelous treat he was? The humans in Kellan’s life were idiots if they’d never shown him how wonderful the man was. Baz decided that for as 32

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long as he was given, he’d prove to Kellan that everything he said was true. ::Noble words, brother, but our lifetimes are far longer than a mortal’s. He will die like all the others.:: Amum spoke true words, but Baz was getting lonely. Shutting himself away from the touch and companionship of another simply because that person would die seemed to him like the coward’s way out. He’d tried it before and ended up falling in love without meaning to. Baz had decided several years ago that he would love whenever the opportunity presented itself. Pain was inevitable either way, so why not be happy for as long as the relationship lasted? ::Ah, and none of us are cowards, Bastet. Do as your heart tells you, and we’ll all protect the one your heart chooses.:: ::Thank you, Amum.:: “I believe in fate. It was our destiny to meet at the bus stop last night and again this morning.” Kellan frowned. “You truly believe that some whim of the universe set us in place to meet each other? That it wasn’t some random coincidence?” “I don’t believe in coincidences, Kellan. The universe, in all her glory, has plans for each of us who call her home. She would never steer us wrong in the course of our lives.” Baz started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. “Where are we going to dinner?” Kellan changed the subject, and Baz let him. Being young and mortal, Kellan would never live long enough to understand completely what Baz had come to learn over his long life. Everything happened for a reason. He might not be able to see what it was at the moment, but at some point in the future, the 33

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purpose would be revealed to him, even if he weren’t happy about whatever it ended up being. “I arranged for a private dinner at my hotel.” Kellan stiffened, and Baz reached out, resting his hand on Kellan’s knee. “I won’t take advantage of you. I simply wish to have an uninterrupted meal where we can talk without waiters or others listening in.” Baz reassured him. “Rushing into bed with you might be what my body wants, but the rest of me knows that getting to know you before we sleep together will make the experience so much more beautiful when it happens.” “When?” He turned his head, hiding his smile. Obviously, his soon-to-be lover didn’t want him to assume anything. And that was true. He shouldn’t assume Kellan would like him enough to share his body with him. Of course, Baz knew he could seduce him into his bed, but Baz wanted it to be Kellan’s choice. “I should’ve said if it happens. I know you’re not easy, Kellan. You must be wooed, and I plan on doing just that to prove my good intentions.” “I’m not sure taking me to bed can be classified as good intentions.” Kellan grinned, giving him a teasing wink. “Trust me, honey. My intentions are very good.” Kellan’s cheeks went bright red, and Baz couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to embarrass you.” He squeezed Kellan’s thigh. Shaking his head, Kellan covered Baz’s hand with his. “Don’t apologize. I’m just not used to a man like you.” “All the men around here are idiots,” he muttered. 34

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“You’re kidding, right? This is Harvard. I don’t think they allow idiots through the hallowed doors.” “They’re idiots if they don’t know what a gem you are and haven’t tried to snatch you up themselves. I’ll take advantage of their lack of mental abilities.” Baz signaled the right turn needed to pull up in front of the hotel. “Prepare to be wined and dined, Mr. Largant, and maybe at the end of the night, I’ll show you some of my intentions. You can tell me whether they are good or not.” *

*

*

Kellan fell back against the cushions of the couch and giggled. Baz grinned and settled next to the younger man. God, Kellan was a lightweight. Two glasses of wine, and the man couldn’t put together a coherent sentence. It was kind of cute. “I shouldn’t have let you pour me that second glass of wine,” Kellan mumbled, rolling his head over to look at Baz. “What a great way to make a good impression.” “You don’t need to impress me, Kellan. I like you all ready, and you’re cute when you’re drunk.” Kellan grimaced. “Ugh! No man wants a gorgeous stud like you to think he’s cute.” Baz reached out and stroked his thumb over Kellan’s pouty bottom lip. “My dear man, I find you cute and disarmingly sexy all at the same time.” With a wicked grin, Kellan sucked on Baz’s thumb, teasing along the length of it with his tongue and teeth. Baz shuddered as all the blood in his head rushed straight south to fill his cock. “You’re making it very hard to be a gentleman.” Baz growled softly as Kellan started sliding his thumb in and out of his mouth. 35

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Kellan slipped Baz’s thumb out and smiled. “Maybe I don’t want you to be a gentleman. Maybe I want you to fuck me.” The wide-eyed, “oh, my God” look on Kellan’s face told Baz the man hadn’t meant to say that. Seemed like his control over his mouth disappeared with the wine. He grasped Kellan’s hips and dragged the slender man into his lap. Kellan ended up straddling him, rocking their erections together. “Oh, my.” Kellan moaned, his head dropping back, offering Baz access to his neck. “Mmm…” Baz purred, licking a line along Kellan’s jugular to the sensitive spot behind Kellan’s ear, stroking it with his tongue. He hummed as Kellan ran his fingers through his hair, petting him like he was a cat. Baz slid his hands down and cupped Kellan’s firm ass. Kellan wrapped around him, all arms and legs. Their mouths crashed together, teeth and tongues. Baz loved the taste of Kellan mixed with the wine and spices the man ate for dinner. Within minutes, he had Kellan pressed to the couch, nibbling along his chin while he struggled to undo Kellan’s pants. There wouldn’t be any fucking tonight, but nothing had been said about him sucking Kellan off. As far as he was concerned, tonight was all about Kellan. Baz would get his turn later. Kellan’s thin cock sprang out of his pants as soon as Baz unzipped them and freed it from his underwear. He fisted the column of flesh and pumped hard and quick. “Shit.” Kellan groaned, stretching his hands above his head and lifting his hips up with each stroke. “You look so pretty lying sprawled like that with my hand wrapped around your cock,” he whispered in Kellan’s ear as he stroked up and twisted his hand over the head of Kellan’s shaft. 36

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Pre-cum leaked from Kellan’s slit, and Baz lifted his hand to lick it from his palm. It tasted fine, but he knew Kellan’s cum would taste even better. He slid down the couch, pushing Kellan’s shirttails out of the way and swallowed the man’s dick all the way to the back of his throat. “Fuck!” Kellan shouted, one hand twisting hard in Baz’s hair, while the other flailed over the back of the couch. Baz winced at the strength of Kellan tugging on his hair, but the pain wasn’t enough to distract him from what he really wanted to do, which was basically suck Kellan’s brains out through his cock. He started with licks to the vein pulsing along the underside of the shaft. Teasing nips to the head and balls drove Kellan crazy and had the man writhing on the couch, almost to the point of dumping Baz onto the floor. Baz braced himself and began the sucking, slipping his hand between Kellan’s legs to fondle his balls and caress the skin behind Kellan’s sac. “Please, Baz,” Kellan pleaded. Nodding slightly to let Kellan know he could come whenever he wanted, Baz continued to do all he could to drive the younger man crazy. Kellan thumped him on the shoulder seconds before flooding his mouth with his cum. “Baz…Baz…oh, my God, your mouth is incredible,” Kellan babbled as he spilled every drop down Baz’s throat. He drank it, loving the salty bitter taste and realizing he was going to have to taste it again soon. Kellan twitched once before collapsing back into the cushions, chest heaving. Baz licked his softening cock clean and placed a gentle kiss to the crown as he eased away. “Baz.” 37

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“Hush, honey.” Baz patted Kellan’s hip. “I’m just getting us more comfortable.” Stripping them both, he settled them on the couch, Kellan lying on top of him and his arms embracing Kellan. He ran his fingers down Kellan’s back, testing the softness of the man’s skin. “Are you all right?” Kellan slipped his hand down Baz’s stomach to cradle Baz’s balls in his palm. “I can help you with that.” “I’m fine. This was for you, Kellan. Anyway, when I fuck you, I want you all here, not drunk. I want you to remember everything about that moment.” “Okay,” Kellan murmured, his voice sleepy and slurring his words. “Sleep, love. I’ll hold you safe.” Baz smoothed his hands over Kellan’s shoulders, relaxing any tension left so Kellan could sleep. “Don’t let me sleep too long?” Kellan asked. “I won’t. Sweet dreams.” He stared up at the ceiling, listening to Kellan’s soft snores, and wondered what the hell he was doing. Amum and Isis didn’t mean this when they told him to get close to Kellan. *

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Sterling took the phone his assistant held out to him. “Yes?” “I’m here.” He grimaced, glad the speaker wasn’t in the room with him, so he could show his distaste without worrying about pissing the man off. “Good. Have you found him yet?” “No. He’s not in his apartment, but I bugged the place. We’ll know when he’s here and what he’s doing while he’s here.” The 38

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man sniffed slightly. “Are you okay? You’re not getting sick, are you?” “No. This kid must have a cat. I’m allergic to them.” “Whatever. Just get me everything you can on Largant. I want to know if we’ll need to bring him in.” “Yes, sir.” There was no respect in those words. Why did he deal with a cold-hearted bastard like that man? He was good at his job and merciless if needed was why.

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CHAPTER 5 Kellan dropped into the seat next to Marissa and nodded his thanks as she pushed a grande mocha latte in his hands. He breathed in the wonderful scent. “Have a late night?” Her eyebrows shot up. He nodded, but sipped his latte instead of answering her. No point in encouraging her voyeurism. “Are you going out again?” “Whoa. Did you have a date last night, Kellan?” Bob grinned. Before he could say anything, Marissa jumped in. “Yes, he did, and with a gorgeous hunk.” Bob clapped him on the shoulder. “Good for you, Kellan.” Blushing, he fought the urge to duck his head. He had nothing to be embarrassed about. Well, he guessed he did, but his friends 40

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didn’t know about his getting drunk. The person he had to apologize to about that was Baz. He frowned into his latte. How had he gotten home? Kellan didn’t remember much after the amazing blowjob Baz had given him. Wow…talk about sucking his brains out through his cock. Kellan had never experienced that until last night. Had Baz been a gentleman in not insisting Kellan return the favor? Or had the man been disgusted by the fact Kellan was three sheets to the wind after two glasses of wine? “So are you going to see him again?” Marissa bumped his shoulder with hers to get his attention. “He took my number. We didn’t set anything up officially.” He took a sip of the hot liquid and swallowed before shooting Marissa an anxious glance. “That doesn’t mean he isn’t interested, does it?” Would a man not interested in seeing him again perform oral sex and not take what Kellan offered him? He wasn’t about to ask Marissa that. She thought for a minute. “No. I think him taking your number was a good sign.” “He dropped you off at your apartment, right? He didn’t make you take a taxi?” Bob interjected. “No, he drove me home.” I think. He wasn’t about to say anything about not remembering much after the incident on the couch. Marissa would never let him live it down, and Bob really didn’t want to know all the details of Kellan’s date. “Then he knows where to find you and how to get a hold of you. It’s up to him if he wants to take you out again.” Kellan’s phone rang before he could say anything else. Digging it out of his backpack, he checked the number. It was one he 41

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recognized. “Hey, Professor Balla.” “Good morning, Kellan. I was wondering if you had time to stop by my office before your classes this morning.” “Certainly, sir. I found another mention about the Earth Warrior cult yesterday. I planned on dropping by to see you this afternoon anyway.” Professor Balla was the leading authority on ancient Egyptian cults at Harvard and he was Kellan’s mentor. They had discussed Kellan’s findings the day before, and Balla had told Kellan he’d talk to some of his contacts in Egypt. “Wonderful. How soon can you be here?” “I’m just getting to campus. I can be there in ten minutes.” He glanced at his watch, making sure he’d be able to make it in that time. “I look forward to seeing you. Just come on in when you get here.” Professor Balla hung up. Kellan ended the call and slipped his phone back in his bag. Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he nodded to Bob as he stood to get off. “Have a good day at work, Bob.” “You, too, Kellan, and congratulations on the date.” Bob winked at him. “Thanks.” He followed Marissa off the bus, saying good-bye to the driver as well. Was it odd that his closest friends were people he met on the bus? Except for Marissa, he didn’t have any other contact with them outside that vehicle. “Lunch today?” Marissa asked as she headed toward her building. 42

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“How about I stop by? I’m not sure if I’ll have time for lunch today.” “Sure. See you whenever.” She waved at him and disappeared through the door. Trotting across the square, he made it to the professor’s office with a minute to spare. He pushed open the door and stepped in. “Made it on time, Professor. I think that’s a first for me.” “You’re getting better at it, Kellan,” Professor Balla teased. Deep laughter caught Kellan by surprise and he looked up to see Baz sitting in a chair in front of the professor’s desk. He didn’t quite manage to cover up his surprise. Baz winked and stood, holding his hand out. “It’s good to see you again, Kellan.” “You as well, Baz.” They shook hands, and if their touch lingered a little longer than necessary, Professor Balla didn’t seem to notice. “So you’ve met Mr. Bakari already?” “Ummm…yeah.” Kellan blushed at just how well acquainted they were. “We bumped into one another on campus and Kellan was gracious enough to have dinner with me last night. I had no idea he was the brilliant student you had told me about earlier in the day.” Baz gestured for Kellan to sit. Sitting, Kellan dropped his backpack on the floor next to his chair and said, “You told him I was brilliant?” Professor Balla chuckled. “Don’t get a swelled head, Kellan. You are brilliant, but you need a little polishing before we send you out into the real world.” The head on his shoulders wasn’t in danger of swelling, but the one between his legs dismissed that warning the minute he saw 43

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Baz. He shifted slightly, hoping neither man noticed. “The reason I wanted you to meet with me, Kellan, is because Mr. Bakari will be in town for several months on other business, but he has graciously offered to help you with your research. Even though it isn’t what he makes his living doing, he actually is one of the foremost experts on ancient Egyptian religions. He might be able to give you some insight on the Earth Warrior cult you’ve found reference to.” Kellan studied Baz, so he noticed the small wince when Balla mentioned the Earth Warriors. Was there something about that particular cult that Baz knew? Baz checked his watch and stood. “I’m afraid I have a business appointment.” After standing, Kellan bent to pick up his backpack and nodded to Professor Balla. “I have to get to class, Professor.” “Certainly, Kellan. I’m sure you and Mr. Bakari can work out times to meet and discuss what you’ve found.” Balla turned his attention to the papers in front of him, effectively dismissing them both. Kellan smiled up nervously at Baz as they left the professor’s office. They walked down the hallway and out of the building in silence. Baz stopped on the ground one step below him and turned, cupping Kellan’s face with his rough hands. “I’ve wanted to do this since you entered Balla’s office,” Baz murmured right before he kissed Kellan. Gripping Baz’s biceps, Kellan opened to Baz’s insistent tongue, allowing him to sweep in and stroke along his teeth. He moaned low in the back of his throat, leaning forward into Baz, resting against the man’s broad chest. One of Baz’s hands slipped into the curls at the nape of Kellan’s neck and flexed. The little 44

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burst of pain shot to Kellan’s groin and his cock stiffened even more, making him ache. “Fags,” someone muttered as a group of students pushed past them on the steps. Quick as lightning, Baz let go of Kellan and grabbed one of the boys, yanking him up on his toes as Baz snarled at him. “I suggest you keep your bigoted opinions to yourself,” Baz practically purred the words. “Or you might find a fag who’ll beat your ass.” “Baz, let’s go.” Kellan squeezed his lover’s shoulder and moved away. Baz gave the young man a hard shake before releasing him. He turned and offered his hand to Kellan. “I’ll escort you to your class.” “What about your meeting?” He took Baz’s hand with a secret thrill that everyone would see him with such a gorgeous and sophisticated man. He checked Baz out from the corner of his eye. The older man wore a tailored, double-breasted suit, probably by some designer whose name Kellan didn’t know. All he did know was that it looked expensive, and Baz definitely wore it to its best advantage. His white dress shirt looked like linen and his bright blue tie was probably silk. All in all, the image Baz created with his suit and his dark hair tied back spoke of power and elegance, like a black panther. Kellan’s mind skipped to his own little black cat. The stray wasn’t around when he left for school this morning, so he left some food out for it, hoping it was okay. “They can wait for me. I can’t have lunch today, but maybe we could meet sometime this afternoon. Professor Balla didn’t tell me 45

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much about your research, and I’d love to hear about it. I’m interested in this cult you’ve found mention of.” “The Earth Warriors?” This time Baz’s wince was obvious. “Yes.” “Why do you do that when I mention the cult?” Kellan tugged Baz to a stop before one of the lecture halls. “Do what?” Baz stared off into the distance. “Wince whenever the Earth Warriors are mentioned.” Baz must have kept control of his facial expressions because Kellan didn’t see any reaction that time. Silence filled the air around them while Baz seemed to be thinking. “There are legends surrounding that particular cult that makes any intelligent person think twice before digging deeper into their history.” “Legends? Like a mummy’s curse or something?” Kellan dropped his pack and started digging through it. “What are you doing?” Baz asked, obviously curious in spite of himself. “I want to write this down. Legends and curses interest me because of the superstitions created from them.” He crowed as he found a pen and yanked out his notebook. Sitting on the short cement wall surrounding the building, he flipped through the pages to find an empty one. “So what kinds of legends exist around this cult?” Chuckling, Baz shook his head. “We don’t have time to talk about it right now, Kellan. I have my meeting, and you have class.” Kellan pouted. “But this would help with my thesis.” “I know it will.” Baz brushed a lock of hair away from Kellan’s face. “We’ll meet this afternoon when I’ll try to answer some of your questions.” 46

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With a sigh, Kellan nodded. “Okay. I guess I can wait that long.” “Just remember the old saying—curiosity killed the cat. There are some things, Kellan, it’s best never to know, for the good of all mankind.” With those cryptic words, Baz brushed a kiss over Kellan’s cheek before strolling away. “Call me,” he yelled after the man, who acknowledged him with a wave. Tucking his notebook and pen away, he thought about Baz’s last words. A shiver tracked down his spine at that statement. Were there really things out there that mankind would be better off not knowing? What could be so dangerous people would hide the truth rather than let the rest of humanity know it? He didn’t believe in hiding anything. Informing the populace was the best way to have a safe and prepared society. There were no secrets so damning and explosive that they needed to be hidden away. Baz was just kidding, making light of all those curses found around the pyramids and mummies, and being Egyptian, he could make it seem even scarier. Kellan dashed into the building, arriving at his class with only the excitement of knowing he’d be seeing Baz later in his mind. The thought of any kind of danger being involved with his doctoral thesis never crossed his brain. This wasn’t Indiana Jones, and he definitely wasn’t Harrison Ford. *

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The man caught the door before it shut behind the college student he’d been following. He kept close without actually 47

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looking like he was stalking the kid. He’d gotten some pictures of the man who’d kissed his mark because something told him that the man would be a problem in the future if he stuck around. He didn’t know who the guy was, but every inch of the kid’s lover spoke of training that didn’t come from sitting behind a desk all his life. He’d have Sterling get his other contacts to work on identifying the dark-haired man. Slipping in behind a group of students, he found a seat in the back of the room and sat, studying Kellan and settling in for a long day.

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CHAPTER 6 Students burst from the building and Baz cringed. When had college students gotten so young? Or was he just getting old? Shaking his head, he snorted silently. He was an idiot. Of course, he was getting older. Hell, he was centuries older than all the people on the campus. He stood and studied the wave of bodies flowing around the area. Kellan came out and Baz’s heart skipped a beat. Frowning, he rubbed his chest, not happy about that reaction. He didn’t want to feel anything for Kellan. ::Little late for that, brother.:: Horus’ words held a smirk. ::I fear you’re right.:: ::There should be no fear in what you feel for the young man. We have lived too long and seen too much to isolate ourselves from 49

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the mortals. If we do, we become like Sekhmet.:: Horus’ words held sadness. Baz waved at Kellan and watched him approach while thinking about Sekhmet. One of the oldest warriors, Sekhmet had seen so much carnage in his true lifetime that he began retreating from interacting with others even before the priests tricked him. Now he stayed away from the world as much as he could, choosing only to appear when the Earth needed him the most. A movement caught Baz’ attention and he noticed a man slipping through the crowd, in seemingly random progress, but the stranger’s gaze was locked on Kellan. Something in the way the man dodged around people alerted Baz, and he moved to intercept him before he reached Kellan. Kellan’s bright smile dimmed slightly as Baz skirted around him and tripped into the man reaching for Kellan’s backpack. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I’m a klutz.” Baz hung onto the man’s arm, gripping it tightly as he pushed the stranger away from Kellan. “I hope I didn’t injure you or anything.” Cold blue eyes glared at him. “No harm done.” “Good because I’d hate to have hurt you for no reason.” He bared his teeth in a tight smile. The stranger stiffened and sneezed. “Sorry. I’m going to be late for my next class.” “Of course. I hope you have a nice day.” Baz let go when the man tugged against his grip. Without taking his gaze from the retreating man’s back, Baz reached out and snagged Kellan, tucking him under his arm and close to his side. “What was all that about?” Kellan didn’t fight him, but he didn’t sound happy. 50

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“I’m not sure.” Baz looked down at Kellan. “Something told me he was going to make trouble for you. I thought I’d step in before that happened.” “I doubt he was going to do anything to me. Why would he?” Kellan shrugged. “Unless he was going to steal my bag, but I’m a college student. I don’t have anything important in it.” Baz didn’t have a good feeling about the incident and he wasn’t willing to dismiss it as easily as Kellan was, but now wasn’t the time to deal with it. He smiled at Kellan. “Maybe he wanted your phone number and I didn’t want him to have it. I tend to be possessive of my treasures.” He leaned over and brushed a kiss over Kellan’s cheek. “How have your classes been so far today?” Kellan eyed him for a minute, seeming unsure about Baz’s explanation. Shaking his head, he shrugged. “They were fine. The class that I actually have to pass was interesting. The other two, I’m a teacher’s assistant in, so I sort of teach the class while the professor sits back and reads the newspaper.” Baz urged Kellan in the opposite direction of the stranger and chuckled. “Sounds like your day has been as exciting as mine.” “What do you do?” Kellan ducked his head and blushed. “I forgot to ask you last night.” “We were busy learning other things about each other.” Baz gestured toward the parking lot where he’d left his car. “Shall we go and get some coffee while we continue our conversation?” “Okay.” He settled Kellan in the passenger seat and headed toward his side of the car. The feeling of someone boring holes into his back caused him to pause and glance around. Blue eyes met his and a silent challenge issued. If he’d been in his cat form, he’d be 51

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hissing. ::Sterling has sent someone to find out what Kellan knows.:: ::We knew it was only a matter of time before Sterling found out about what Kellan has discovered. You need to find out just how much the young man knows. His survival could be directly linked to that knowledge.:: Amum sounded distracted. ::I know my job, Amum. I’ll get the information we need.:: Baz inclined his head toward the enemy before opening the door and slipping behind the wheel. He started the car and pulled out of his spot. “Tell me about your research. Professor Balla wasn’t very specific about what you might need from me.” Kellan shifted so he was looking at Baz. “I’m studying ancient Egyptian religious cults. It’s quite fascinating to discover all the different cults and even some obscure ones I’ve never even heard mentioned, like the Earth Warriors.” Gritting his teeth to refrain from wincing, Baz took a breath before saying, “The Earth Warriors? What have you found out about them?” “Not much.” Kellan unzipped his backpack and yanked out a ragged notebook. “I was doing research into a death cult dedicated to Anubis when I came across a couple of sentences talking about another cult.” “And how do you know this cult is the Earth Warriors?” Baz wanted to swallow his tongue after asking. His reluctance to discuss the Earth Warriors was triggered by some part of the original spell cast on him all those thousands of years ago. The sound of flipping pages filled the car as Kellan searched through his notebook. Baz gripped the steering wheel hard enough to turn his knuckles white. How had any book that held even a hint 52

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of the Earth Warriors survived? Throughout the centuries, he and his brothers had destroyed any book that alluded to them. Where had this one come from? “Oh, here it is. Let’s see, it said, ‘Many believed the legends of the Earth Warriors—that when the earth was in peril, the warriors would rise to save her at all costs.’” Fuck. Baz resisted the urge to slam his fist against the dashboard. That was more than most books had on them. “Do you suppose they’re like that cartoon Captain Planet?” “What?” He shot a quick glance at Kellan. “Didn’t you ever see that show, Captain Planet? This group of kids went around the world helping out people who were having environmental trouble. Then, when the bad guy did something really terrible, they joined their rings together to create Captain Planet, who went and saved the world again.” “Never saw it.” Baz never watched much TV. When he didn’t have to be human, he spent a lot of time as a cat. “Figured you were too old for that.” “Too old?” Another glance at Kellan showed him Kellan’s cheeks were bright red, and he realized the younger man hadn’t meant it the way it came out. “I just meant that you were probably doing other things instead of watching cartoons when it was on.” He chuckled. “Nice recovery.” Kellan laughed with him. “Thanks. Maybe that’s why I don’t have a lot of dates. My mouth doesn’t always listen to my brain. It can be a bit embarrassing.” Reaching over, he patted Kellan’s knee. “Don’t worry, Kellan. 53

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I’ll put up with just about anything to spend time with you.” “Thanks,” Kellan whispered. Baz steeled himself and asked, “What do you think about the Earth Warriors?” There was a pause on the other side of the car. “I’m not sure, but why does it seems like you’re going to get sick every time we mention it?” What should he say? There wasn’t any way he could tell Kellan the truth. First of all, the spell wouldn’t allow him. Second, Kellan wouldn’t believe him. Not that Baz would blame him for his disbelief. Little hard to accept the guy you’re dating is centuriesold and part of a secret cult. That the black stray cat he’d welcomed into his apartment was really the same as the man who sucked him off the other night. “There are curses involved with so many Egyptian myths.” He stopped at a red light and looked at Kellan. The wrinkles marring Kellan’s forehead told Baz the man was puzzled. “Do you seriously believe in curses?” Hell, yes, Baz believed in curses, considering his very presence on the earth had more to do with a curse than with anything good. “My nature and my experiences tell me that curses can be real, whether you believe in them or not. I think because of my heritage, I’m inclined to accept they exist.” Kellan grunted, and Baz hid his smile. Kellan Largant struck him as a man who wouldn’t let anything silly like a curse or two deter him from finding the truth. “If there is a curse on the Earth Warrior cult, what is it? Have you heard what it is?” Kellan waved his hand wildly. “Or is it the same as most other curses? If you disturb the Warriors, death and pain will follow you to the grave.” 54

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Accelerating through the light, Baz checked his rearview mirror and a sensation of being followed hit him. If it was the guy from the campus, how had he gotten behind them so fast? ::I will check it out.:: Horus volunteered. ::Thank you.:: His brothers would be around to help if things escalated, but Baz didn’t think they would. It was too early. Sterling would wait until Kellan had dug deeper and discovered more about the Warriors. Once Kellan could lead Sterling to where the scroll was hidden, he’d only have Kellan watched. ::If one of Sterling’s men is here, I bet they have searched his apartment.:: ::I will go and look around. They might have bugged it as well. If so, I will let you know, but won’t remove any of the listening devices. We can’t let them know we know they are here.:: Thoth, one of his other brothers, spoke up. ::You just keep your eye on Largant. He is the reason Sterling is showing himself.:: ::You’re right, Thoth. It’s good to have you here.:: ::We’ll all be here before long, I believe.:: Thoth’s presence left his mind. “Here we are.” He found a parking spot close to the coffee shop. After turning off the car and climbing out, he waited for Kellan to join him before crossing the street to the café. They ordered their drinks and settled at an out-of-the-way table. Kellan returned his notebook to his backpack. Baz met Kellan’s gaze as the other man studied him. “Yes?” “How are you going to help me with my research? I can tell you’re reluctant to talk about the cult. That makes it hard to find 55

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out anything.” Leaning back in his chair, Baz stretched and searched the crowd while he thought about what to say. He couldn’t be completely honest with Kellan, but he had a feeling the usual lies he told wouldn’t work with this young man. “Here’s the thing. One of the legends attached to the Earth Warriors is that whoever finds their birthplace will be granted eternal life.” Kellan shook his head. “There’s always something like that with these myths.” He ran his finger around the lip of his cup and nodded. “You’re right, and there are also men who believe in those legends. Some of those men are very powerful and very rich, who would stop at nothing to obtain that which they believe is real.” “So your reluctance to talk about it stems from the fact there might be people out there who will kill for the information?” Kellan chuckled. “This isn’t a movie, Baz. I’m not Indiana Jones searching for the Holy Grail.” “Of course, you’re not. You’re much cuter than Harrison Ford.” Baz winked at Kellan, but continued in a more serious tone. “It doesn’t matter whether you believe in the spell or not. It only matters what they believe in, and I’ve seen men kill for a lot less than eternal life.” “Wait. What do you mean by birthplace? Wouldn’t Egypt be their birthplace?” “I’m talking about the actual temple the priest used who created the Earth Warriors.”

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CHAPTER 7 “A temple? Are you serious?” Kellan leaned back in his chair as he thought about the implications of Baz’s statement. Baz met his gaze over the rim of his cup as the man took a sip of coffee. After setting the cup down, he asked, “Why do you sound surprised at that?” Kellan shrugged. “I guess I figured they’d found all the temples and burial sites there were to find in Egypt.” “No, the sand and time have hidden more than anyone can imagine. Some of them are hidden in plain sight as well.” Something in the tone of Baz’s voice alerted Kellan. “Do you know where the temple of the Earth Warriors is?” “Oh, no. I couldn’t even begin to guess where it might’ve been.” 57

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His quick denial didn’t sit right with Kellan. “I’m not sure I believe you.” Tension stiffened Baz’s shoulders and he didn’t meet Kellan’s eyes as he said, “What makes you say that?” “Are you usually this bad at lying? Because I’m not sure how you manage to do any business deals if you can’t keep a poker face.” “Shit.” Baz scrubbed his hand over his face and glared down at the table for a moment. “Come on. I need to walk.” “Ummm…okay.” Kellan drained his coffee. He grabbed his backpack before following Baz out of the café. He could tell Baz shortened his stride so he could keep up. Something told him that Baz was angry, but whether it was at him or not, Kellan didn’t know. After a block of silence, Kellan stopped and bent over, trying to catch his breath. Baz came to a halt a few strides ahead and turned to look at Kellan. “Are we in a hurry to get somewhere? Is that why you’re running?” “I’m not running. You’ve just got short legs.” Baz caressed the back of Kellan’s head. “I’m sorry. I got caught up in my thoughts and forgot.” “No problem.” Kellan straightened, but didn’t move. “Tell me what’s going on. I’m getting the feeling there’s something else happening that you’re not telling me and it has to do with the Earth Warriors.” Baz stared off into the slowly darkening twilight. “It does.” Several minutes of silence passed, and Kellan cleared his throat, drawing Baz’s attention back to him. “Are you going to tell me more?” 58

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“Can’t you just let it go at that and turn your research to some other cult? I’m sure I could give you some interesting information on a little-known Anubis cult.” Kellan shook his head. “Sorry. You’ve gotten my interest and now, like a cat, I have to investigate.” The cat reference made Baz smile slightly, but the humor disappeared as he cupped Kellan’s face and lifted it so their eyes met. “Even if I tell you that digging any deeper into the Warriors could get you killed or worse?” “What’s worse than being killed?” “Trust me. There are things worse than death, and you don’t want to experience any of them.” Baz rubbed his thumb over Kellan’s bottom lip. “I find that I don’t want to contemplate you getting hurt over such a silly thing.” “If it’s so silly, why won’t you talk to me about it?” He yanked free of Baz’s hands and paced a few steps away before turning to face the man. “I can take care of myself. I don’t need a bodyguard.” Baz stared heavenward and seemed to gather his patience or something. “I know you can take care of yourself against ordinary people, but the men who will come after you are different. They’re powerful and rich, believing they’re above the law, and they won’t be punished for their actions. Men like these have existed throughout history, constantly searching for that one elusive item.” “Which is?” “Eternal life.” Baz tucked his hands in the pockets of his dress pants, pulling the fabric taunt over his groin and distracting Kellan with a hint of the erection hidden by the clothes. Kellan jerked his gaze away to study a storefront across the 59

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street. “Right. Eternal life doesn’t exist. There’s no elixir or spell that would give any man that kind of immortality.” “They believe there is and they’ve killed to find it.” “Who is this mysterious ‘they’? The Illuminati or something like that?” Kellan shook his head. “I don’t believe that. It’s an urban legend.” Baz shrugged. “I don’t know about the Illuminati. I’ve never dealt with them, so you might be right about their existence. The group of men I’ve been in contact with have been around since the Pharaohs, if not before then. They pass their knowledge from father to son, hoping that one day they’ll find the spell to grant them eternal life. Not realizing how much of a curse it is to live forever.” Kellan wanted to comment on that statement, but chose to ignore it in the interest of dragging more information out of Baz. “But how does it tie into the Earth Warriors?” Ducking his head, Baz spoke to the sidewalk. “As I said before, there’s a legend attributed to the Warriors, that whoever finds their birthplace will find eternal life.” “Fine. Who are the Earth Warriors, though? What makes them special compared to the hundreds, if not thousands, of other cults throughout Egyptian history?” Kellan held up his hand to stop Baz from talking. “Try not to lie to me or treat me like I’m an idiot. Was our whole meeting a set-up, so you could warn me away from my research?” Oppressive silence filled the air between them with only passing traffic noise interrupting briefly before fading away. Kellan shoved his trembling hands into his jacket pockets. Disappointment rolled through him as he waited to hear what Baz had to say. They had only met the other day and yet he already 60

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knew that whatever answer he got from Baz was going to hurt. “Yes.” Kellan nodded and turned, ready to walk away. Baz grabbed his arm and tugged him close to him. He kept his gaze on the concrete at their feet. He didn’t want to see the pity or anything that might be showing in Baz’s eyes. “Before you slink off like an abused cat, you need to let me explain. After that, you can do whatever you want.” Baz paused. “Whatever you want within reason. Even if you decide you can’t forgive me for what I chose to do, I’ll still be keeping an eye out for you.” “I can take care of myself,” Kellan insisted. “Under normal circumstances, I don’t doubt you’d be able to protect yourself just fine, but these aren’t normal. The man after you is very powerful and ruthless. He’ll stop at nothing in order to get what he wants.” “What does he want? I don’t have anything.” Kellan held his hands up. “I’m just a doctoral student. It’s not like I’m Einstein or something with the secret of the universe.” Baz shook his head and glanced around. Spotting a bench, he dragged Kellan over to it and pushed him down on it. “Hey.” Kellan started to stand. Resting his hands on Kellan’s shoulders, Baz looked at him. “Just keep an open mind. What I’m going to tell you could get me beaten within an inch of my life by my brothers.” Kellan frowned. “They don’t sound much like brothers to me if they’ll do that for talking to me.” “They won’t object to me talking to you. What they will protest is what I’m going to tell you. No mortal is supposed to know this. And we aren’t brothers by blood, but by experience.” Baz paced in 61

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front of him, hands stuffed in his pants and shoulders hunched. “If it’s supposed to be a secret, then why are you telling me?” His question stopped Baz in his tracks. The older man stared at him in silence for a moment. “Because you need to know the true danger you’re in, Kellan, and I want you to know that I care for you. You’re not just a job or a means to an end for me.” “And you think by telling me things you shouldn’t that I’ll believe you?” He inquired. Baz shrugged. “I don’t really know. This has never come up before. I’ve usually been able to ignore my feelings and do what needed to be done.” A sudden thought shot through Kellan’s mind. “Wait. You’re not an assassin or something like that, are you?” “If I was and you were my target, I certainly wouldn’t tell you about it. That’s not the way a successful assassin works, my dear.” Baz gave a soft chuckle. “My tale might be more unbelievable than that.” “So try me, and I’ll let you if my imagination can stretch that far.” He leaned back against the bench and crossed his arms, not willing to let Baz off the hook. Shifting from foot to foot, Baz stared off down the street for a moment, probably gathering his thoughts. Kellan had a twinge of guilt because he could tell it was difficult for Baz, maybe because Baz was afraid of what Kellan would think of him when he was done. Why would a man like Baz be worried about what Kellan thought of him? Kellan wasn’t anyone important, just a poor college student who was socially inept. “Baz?” Baz started like he’d forgotten about Kellan sitting there. “Yes?” 62

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“Are you going to talk or just stand there?” “I’m thinking,” Baz mumbled. “About what?” “How to say all of this without making you think I’m crazy?” Kellan laughed. “I don’t think anything you say will work. I’m bound to think you’re crazy.” “True.” Baz took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders. “The Earth Warriors are real.” “Of course, they were real. Most of the Egyptian cults were real at one time. It probably fell out of popularity when its believers died off or became absorbed by other cults.” “There were no followers of the Earth Warriors. It wasn’t a cult where one man claimed to be a god and others followed him. The Warriors were created to protect the earth from destruction.” “By whom?” Baz shrugged. “I always assumed the earth was in the most danger from mortals.” “That’s the second time you used the word ‘mortal.’ What do you mean by that?” Kellan could almost hear Baz’s teeth grinding together. He coughed to cover up his smile. God, it was like pulling out the man’s fingernails to get him to talk about this. “I’ll explain my usage of that word in a moment.” “Okay.” He settled and wiggled to find a comfortable spot on the bench. He waved a hand at Baz. “Go on.” “Yes, your highness.” Baz rolled his eyes. “The Warriors weren’t created to further any priest’s reputation or any god’s for that matter. They were created to keep the planet safe. A priest saw a vision of the earth exploding into flames and feared that all the 63

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future held was destruction and the end of the human race.” He watched Baz pace, hands in pockets and face scrunched into a thoughtful frown. “He prayed to all of the Egyptian gods and goddesses, asking for their help in saving this world. They answered and so seven warriors were created.” “Which deities?” “Bastet, Horus, Isis, Amum, Anubis, Sekhmet and Thoth were the deities who responded. Each warrior was granted eternal life for as long as the earth needed him or her. They were also granted the ability to change their shape to correspond with the animal most recognizable to their deity.” Screeching came from the top of one building closest to them. Kellan shot a glance up to see a bird perched on the ledge of the roof and he had the odd feeling it was peering down at them. Baz hissed, surprising Kellan. Staring over at the other man, he saw Baz looking up at the bird. Baz hissed again, and the bird seemed to respond with another screech. “Are you talking to that bird?” “It’s not a bird. It’s a pain in the ass.”

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CHAPTER 8 Baz glared up at Horus perched on the ledge of a building overlooking the bench where Kellan sat. ::You can’t tell him anything, Bastet. It’s against the rules.:: Horus screeched and flapped his wings in agitation. ::I have to tell him something. He isn’t like other humans. He’s smart, and I can’t put him off with lies.:: ::Of course you can.:: He sighed and rubbed his eyes when Amum joined in. ::You don’t understand. If I don’t tell him something he believes and can accept, he’ll walk away, and we’ll lose every chance we have to keep him and our secret safe. Sterling has already sent a man to harm Kellan.:: ::We know all of this, but we also know there are some secrets no mortal is meant to know, Bastet. He won’t believe you if you tell 65

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him who you are.:: Shooting a glance over at Kellan, who stared at him expectantly, Baz snorted silently. ::Who said anything about telling him I’m one of the Warriors? All I have to do is say I’ve done a lot of off-the-grid research on the Warriors. That’s why I know all this shit, but I don’t know why the bad guys haven’t gotten to me yet.:: Horus tilted his head almost upside down. ::And you think he’ll accept that answer?:: ::Well, he certainly isn’t going to jump to the conclusion I’m thousands of years old and can shift into a cat. Come on, gentlemen. Kellan’s smart and being smart means he looks for realistic explanations. He’s not thinking shape shifter, no matter how many movies come out about werewolves.:: ::True.:: Amum agreed. ::Sometimes, intelligent rational people are the easiest to fool because they don’t accept the answer that’s staring them in the face. Since it isn’t rational that people can turn into animals.:: “Hello? I’m still here, you know. Are you done arguing with the bird?” He looked at Kellan who gestured to Horus. “It’s not a bird. It’s a falcon.” “Well, whatever it is, are you done? I’m still not convinced you’ve told me everything you know.” Kellan stared at him with narrowed eyes. Horus launched off the building and dove to skim over Kellan’s head. With a flick of his tail at Baz, he flew away, and Baz was never happier to see the back feathers of his brother. “What do you do for a living?” “I’m in the import-export business. I deal with antiques, 66

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antiquities, and collectibles.” Kellan tensed. “Black market stuff?” Baz chuckled. “No. I deal with legitimate dealers and buyers. Mostly museums who wish to add to their collections with authentic items.” “Really? Because in the movies, aren’t the smugglers and drug dealers always in the import-export business?” “I think you watch too much TV, young man.” Baz shook his head. “I’m considered one of the foremost experts on Egyptian antiquities, though Egypt has stopped allowing any sale of newly found items. There are still items found in museums that need documentation or identification. That’s when I get called in as a consultant.” Kellan’s gaze swept over him, and Baz clenched his hands in his pockets, trying to ignore the heat and lust flaring in Kellan’s eyes. “Looks like you do a good business.” He shrugged, not caring about the money. “The money is nice, but I enjoy being able to do what my heart loves. My ancestors lived in Egypt and I’m a native son. I like to help others understand the complicated society that was ancient Egypt.” Suspicion mingled with desire in Kellan’s expression. “This burning desire is why you know so much about the Earth Warriors? Why haven’t the bad guys come after you?” The scar running along Baz’s lower back throbbed in response to Kellan’s question. Baz pulled his shirt out of his pants and turned, lifting his jacket out of the way as well. “They have.” “Oh, shit.” Baz jumped when Kellan’s cool fingers traced the length of the scar. Closing his eyes, he absorbed the caring evident in the gentle 67

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touch. No one had touched him like that in decades. Of course, after losing yet another lover to old age and death decades ago, Baz had never willingly risked his heart again, so it was easy to push someone away. The warmth emanating from Kellan’s body soaked through Baz’s clothes and he had the scariest feeling he wouldn’t be able to push Kellan away when Sterling was dealt with. He had followed Kellan for months before he ever made contact with him. No one thought anything about a stray cat wandering the streets and alleys. Even before talking to him as a human, Baz had found Kellan to be caring and beautiful. After swinging around, he gathered Kellan in his arms and tugged him tight against him. He crushed their lips together, demanding Kellan open to him. The slender man didn’t fight, simply melted into his embrace and opened like a flower to the sun. Their tongues dueled in a sensual give and take, licking and teasing. He slid his hands down to cradle Kellan’s ass, while Kellan wrapped a leg around his thigh and rocked their erections together as best he could. He bit Kellan’s bottom lip before moving on to nibble along his chin, searching for the sensitive spot behind the man’s ear. A soft moan filled the air, along with a honk from a passing car. They broke apart, chests heaving and cocks hard. Baz cupped Kellan’s cheek, hoping he looked as sincere as he felt. “You have every right to be angry with me, but I want…” He shook his head. “No, I need you to know that, while there are several reasons why I approached you, the most important one was I was attracted to you. I still am and if you had no knowledge of the Earth Warriors, I’d still be begging you to come back to my hotel with me right now.” 68

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Kellan nuzzled into Baz’s palm while studying him. It was like he searched for something in Baz’s eyes. When his bright smile broke over his face and he nodded, Baz realized he must have found what he needed. “Let’s go.” He picked up Kellan’s backpack, and they returned to Baz’s car. Before he started the car, he met Kellan’s gaze. “We’ll talk more about everything else later. Right now, I want to be inside of you so badly.” “Maybe we should take a taxi to the hotel,” Kellan teased. “Maybe we should.” Baz winked as he started the car and pulled out into the street, trying to figure out the fastest way to the hotel from where they were. *

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They tripped into the hotel room. Baz barely managed to get the door shut and Kellan pinned against it without falling on his ass. Thank the gods for cat-like reflexes was the last thought he allowed himself before he let lust and need swamp him. All his blood raced to his groin, drawing a moan from him as his cock hardened. Kellan dropped his head back, giving Baz access to his throat. Baz nibbled along the jugular vein down to where Kellan’s heartbeat pounded in the small triangle at the base of his neck. He licked and sucked while tugging Kellan’s shirt from his pants. Sliding his hands up Kellan’s back, he traced the bumps of the man’s spine as he went. He broke off the kiss long enough to yank the shirt over Kellan’s head and, as he swooped in for another kiss, he dropped it 69

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to the floor. Plundering Kellan’s coffee-flavored mouth, Baz cradled the back of the man’s head and grasped his ass in a firm grip, grinding their erections together. “God,” Kellan gasped as he tore his mouth away from Baz’s. Trailing kisses over Kellan’s face, he made his way to Kellan’s ear and bit down on his earlobe. The slender man arched off the door. “Shit. Do that one more time and I’ll probably cream my jeans.” Baz eased away. “I don’t want that. I want you to come on my cock.” Turning, he glanced around, trying to get his brain to function enough to think. The large couch caught his eye. He snatched Kellan’s hand up in his and pulled Kellan behind him. “Wait. What are you doing?” Kellan stumbled along. After stopping by the couch, he faced Kellan and patted his ass. “Strip and assume the position. I have to get the stuff out of the bedroom. I want you naked by the time I get back.” “Which position?” Kellan mumbled as Baz strolled off. “Whichever one you like best,” Baz shot over his shoulder as he entered the bedroom. He dug through his travel bag and grinned in triumph when he found the bottle of slick he’d packed. He picked it up, along with the box of condoms he’d brought at a store earlier that day. There had been no doubt in his mind he’d be having Kellan in his bed before the next day. Of course, he hadn’t figured on telling the man he had ulterior motives for talking to him. Pausing, he stared down at the bedspread and thought about how lucky he was that Kellan hadn’t walked away from him. Kellan had allowed him to explain himself, even if he hadn’t told him the entire truth. He didn’t think Kellan was ready for shape shifters and to find out his lover could turn into a cat. 70

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“Hey, you coming out any time or do I just get to kneel here with my bare ass in the air?” Kellan’s voice drifted in from the living room. “That sounds promising.” He stalked from the bedroom and stopped, almost swallowing his tongue at the sight of Kellan kneeling on the couch, forearms resting on the back of the furniture and his tight, pert ass displayed beautifully to Baz’s gaze. His clothes hit the floor as he raced across the room and dropped the box of condoms and slick on the couch next to Kellan. He knelt, putting Kellan’s ass at the perfect height. He slapped Kellan on the hip. “Get one of those rubbers out, honey, while I get you ready for me.” “Okay.” Kellan shuddered, reacting to the growl in Baz’s voice. After grabbing the lube, Baz popped the top and squirted some of the cool liquid on his fingers. He rubbed them together to warm it up before he spread Kellan’s cheeks and ghosted his fingers over Kellan’s puckered opening. “Wow.” Kellan jumped and, bracing his hands on the couch, pushed his ass back, begging for Baz’s touch. As much as Baz’s cock demanded he move faster to get it inside Kellan, Baz didn’t want to hurt his lover, so he took his time stretching the ring of muscles. He slipped his fingers in, one at time, until Kellan’s ass welcomed three of them without Kellan tensing with pain. He smiled as Kellan rocked back, fucking himself on Baz’s fingers. “What a pretty sight,” he purred, leaning down to lick and nibbled one of Kellan’s cheeks. 71

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The next push in, one of his knuckles hit Kellan’s gland and goose bumps rose along Kellan’s spine. “Right there. Do it again,” Kellan demanded. “Oh, I think I have a better way to insure I nail that spot every time. Hand me a condom.” Removing his fingers brought a whimper of protest from Kellan, but the other man reached his hand back, an opened foil packet nestled in his palm. “Good boy.” Baz took the rubber and marked Kellan’s other ass cheek with his teeth as a reward. “I can’t think straight when you do that,” Kellan mumbled, resting his head on his hands. “That’s the point. I don’t want you thinking. I want you feeling.” The latex rolled down over Baz’s cock and he coated it with lube before standing and placing the head of his prick at Kellan’s hole. He trailed his hands over Kellan’s back and down to grip his hips. “Are you ready, baby?” Kellan sighed and nodded. “Fuck me already, Baz. I can’t take it anymore.” “Yes, sir.” Without warning or hesitation, Baz shoved his dick as deep into Kellan as he could get. His balls slapped the back of Kellan’s thighs. “Shit!” Kellan’s shout filled the hotel room. Baz froze, managing to keep control until Kellan showed he was ready for Baz to ream his ass. There was no going gentle or slow anymore. Baz wanted Kellan and now that he was inside 72

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Kellan’s hot channel, he was going to take the man until Kellan screamed his name. The tension drained from Kellan’s body and he shifted slightly, giving Baz the signal he was looking for. Baz pulled out and slammed back in, driving a grunt out of Kellan. Soon the air filled with pants and grunts, scented with sweat and sex. Reaching around with one hand, he found Kellan’s shaft, fisted it and started pumping into with his own thrusts. He wanted Kellan jumping over the edge with him. There was no way he was leaving Kellan behind when it came to pleasure. “God, right there.” “Harder.” “Faster.” Kellan babbled, and Baz found the man’s rambling sexy. He did as Kellan demanded, fucking him hard and fast, speeding them along their journey to where ultimate bliss waited just over the cliff. “Coming.” Kellan’s words came just as he did, spilling his cum over Baz’s hand and the towel Kellan must have put there while Baz was in the bedroom. Baz stroked in and out two more times before the vise-like grip of Kellan’s inner muscles massaged his climax from him. Buried balls deep inside Kellan, he threw his head back and froze, flooding the condom with his own cum. His throaty growl sounded over their harsh breathing. He collapsed over his lover when Kellan’s tremors drained the last drop from him. He purred in Kellan’s ear while nuzzling the sweaty curls at the nape of Kellan’s neck. Kellan shivered and whispered, “This probably wasn’t a good idea.” 73

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CHAPTER 9 Baz froze, and Kellan winced. Damn, he hadn’t meant to say that out loud. Yet it was the truth. He shouldn’t have fallen into bed, or couch, with Baz until the man had told him everything he knew, not just bits and pieces. He bit back the moan as Baz pulled out and shivered as Baz’s heat disappeared from around him. Resisting the urge to slap his forehead, Kellan took a deep breath and started to climb off the couch. A rough cloth swiping at his thighs stopped him. He glanced over his shoulder to see Baz sitting next to him with a washcloth, cleaning him off. He blushed, but let Baz continue. After he finished, Baz returned the cloth to the bathroom before coming back to offer Kellan a hand. “I thought discussing this in bed would be more comfortable.” 74

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He hesitated. Wouldn’t cuddling in bed be just as bad as having sex with Baz? Baz’s steady gaze eased his questions a little. It wasn’t like the man had lied to him. When Kellan asked, Baz admitted there were other reasons than just attraction that brought them together. Baz also confessed that even without the Earth Warriors connection, he would have pursued Kellan. Okay, so Kellan didn’t quite believe that, but he was willing to accept it for now. Taking Baz’s hand, Kellan let Baz pull him to his feet and they made their way to the bedroom. He glanced around the suite, as it was the first time he’d really got a chance to look at it. “Nice to see there’s more to this suite than just the couch,” he commented as Baz pushed open the bedroom door and gestured for him to go ahead. “Well, maybe if you weren’t so tempting, I’d get us past the living room.” He rolled his eyes at the compliment and squeaked when Baz pinched his ass. “What was that for?” He rubbed the offended piece of flesh. “I can tell you aren’t taking me seriously.” They climbed under the covers, and Kellan rolled on his side to look at Baz. “It’s not that I don’t take you seriously. It’s simply that I have a problem believing a gorgeous, wealthy, intelligent, and sexy guy like you would be tempted by a skinny-ass kid like me.” “Aren’t sexy and gorgeous the same thing?” Baz winked and smiled. “I’ve been around long enough to know me telling you how hot I think you are will only go so far. I’ll just have to keep showing you how much I want you. Maybe then it’ll sink in that I’m not feeding you a line to get what I want from you.” 75

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“And how are you going to show me?” He couldn’t resist asking. Baz grabbed one of his hands and wrapped it around his erection. “By fucking you as often as I can.” He stroked his hand up and down Baz’s cock, drawing a low growl from his lover. “I could get behind that. Or in front of that. However you want me.” Baz’s heavy-lidded gaze met his, and Kellan swore he was going to burst into flames. To distract himself for the moment, he dropped his gaze to study Baz’s chest. He’d always been too caught up in lust and need to really look at the man. Scars crisscrossed Baz’s chest. Some were faint white lines. Others were jagged, red, and raised. He removed his hand from Baz’s shaft to trace the length of one particularly bad injury, running the entire width of Baz’s stomach. “This one looks like it hurt,” he murmured. Sucking in his stomach at Kellan’s touch, Baz nodded. “It did.” The clipped tone of Baz’s voice told Kellan his lover didn’t want to talk about it, but Kellan couldn’t stop from asking, “How did it happen?” A soft sigh lifted Baz’s chest. “Before I became what I am now, I was a warrior. Defended my country against those who would harm her. I got caught by the enemy, and they tortured me to find out information about my unit and any military secrets I might know.” “Were you like in the Egyptian special forces or something?” Kellan moved his finger to a scar on Baz’s hip. Baz chuckled harshly. “You could say that. I can’t really talk about that. Too many top secret missions and shit like that.” He could understand that. “What made you leave the military?” 76

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“I’m no longer paid by the military and the Egyptian government, but I still help them out when I’m needed. It’s not something I can walk away from, even if I wanted to. It’s part of my life.” The loyalty evident in Baz’s words impressed Kellan. To give up so much blood, to which Baz’s scars were testaments, showed a dedication to country Kellan had never encountered before. “The Earth Warriors are an important part of Egyptian heritage.” Baz stared up at the ceiling. “The people I work with have done their best to keep anyone from finding out about the Warriors over centuries.” “You don’t want what they stand for exploited by corrupt rich men who don’t understand the true historical significance of the cult.” Kellan worked it out in his head. Baz nodded. “That’s true, but also, there’s a history of violence associated with this cult. I would do all I could to keep you from being dragged into the fight.” A shiver of excitement danced down Kellan’s spine. “It’s just like the Illuminati.” “Only the Warriors are trying to save the world from destruction. They aren’t hiding out, consolidating their power to take over the world and destroy everything in their path.” Baz entwined their hands and rested them on his chest. “So many things are going wrong in the world today. Not just wars and famine. There’s global warming and mass extinction like we’ve never seen before in history. If something isn’t done about that, the world could very well tear itself apart, and where would humans be if that happened?” “Dead, I guess.” He shrugged. “Are you one of the Warriors?” Before Baz could answer that question, Kellan started asking 77

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more. “How long have you been part of this? How many Warriors are there? Is it like a family thing, passed from father to son? If you have to dedicate yourself to one of the deities, which one did you take?” His mind raced with more questions than his mouth could ask at once. “Are you done?” Baz raised an eyebrow. Kellan opened his mouth to ask another, but decided against that. Propping his head up with his hand, he nodded. “I can’t tell you much. Most of what the Warriors do and are is shrouded by mystery.” “But if you’re part of them, why don’t you know?” He snapped his mouth shut when Baz looked at him. “Sorry.” “I’ve been involved with them all of my life. In a way you could say it’s a calling like the priesthood, only without the celibacy.” He winked at Kellan. “Thank God for that.” “Yes.” Baz’s gaze drifted off to the corner of the room. What was his lover thinking about? Was he remembering other lovers? Kellan didn’t want to think about the other men who might have shared Baz’s bed before they met. Being jealous was silly. Considering how gorgeous and rich Baz was, it would have been weird if he hadn’t slept with anyone before Kellan. “There are seven of us to serve seven gods. I chose Bastet, or more appropriately, she chose me.” “She chose you? Do you really believe in them and think they take any interest in us?” Baz eyed him. “You don’t believe in a higher power that has a vested interest in what happens to humans?” “It’s not that I don’t believe in God or Allah, or any of the 78

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other gods. I guess I just have a harder time believing that ancient Egyptian gods are still involved in our lives.” “You’d be surprised. Sometimes the ancient gods have more of a presence in our world because they’re closer to the earth than our modern gods. The gods worshipped today care about their people, not about the earth they live on.” Baz closed his eyes and sighed. “Can you change shape?” He knew it was a silly question because there was no such thing as shape shifters, no matter what the movies and books said. It was a physical impossibility, though he enjoyed a good werewolf movie as much as the next person. “What do you think?” “Scientifically, it’s not possible, but I guess if gods are involved, anything is possible.” He smirked, willing to accept the myth with a grain of salt, but knowing there were small kernels of truth hidden within the fanciful stories. Baz trailed a finger down over Kellan’s nose to rest on his lips. “Don’t mock anything you don’t fully understand, Kellan. There are more things in heaven and earth…” “Now you’re quoting Shakespeare to me.” Kellan licked Baz’s finger, sucking it in to stroke his tongue along the length, and drawing a moan from his lover. “Don’t you like Shakespeare? The man had the quotation right, though. Keep your mind open to that which you can’t see or can’t be proved with hard evidence.” Baz closed his eyes as Kellan took two of his fingers in his mouth. “Are you done with this conversation?” He let Baz’s fingers slip from his lips. “I think I am at the moment.” As he crawled onto Baz, he dug around for the condoms and 79

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grinned when he found one of the foil packets. While he opened it, Baz worked his fingers into Kellan’s ass, still stretched from their last encounter. “Oh.” He moaned and pushed back, taking Baz in as far as he could. “Give me the rubber,” Baz ordered. Kellan handed it over without arguing, rocking back and shivering when Baz’s knuckles hit his gland. Baz removing his fingers forced a low whimper of protest from Kellan. “Need to get the condom on. Don’t worry. I’ll be back with something a little bigger than my fingers, baby.” Baz spit in his hand and reached forward to pump Kellan’s cock once. Kellan slowly impaled himself on Baz’s shaft, breathing deep as Baz filled his inner channel. His head fell back and his groan joined Baz’s when his ass hit the hair around the base of Baz’s prick. He covered Baz’s hands that rested on his hips and began to move, up and down, squeezing Baz’s length with each stroke. What started out slowly sped up until sweat poured down Kellan’s chest and their breathing filled the room like a train rushing by. Changing the angle of his hips, stars burst in Kellan’s vision when the head of Baz’s cock rubbed against Kellan’s sweet spot every time. Balls drew close to his body and pressure built along his spine, pooling at the small of his back. His own prick throbbed with the need to explode and spill all of his cum onto Baz’s stomach. “Baz,” he forced out between clenched teeth. “Come on my cock. Let me see how much I drive you crazy.” With a heave of his body, Baz flipped them over, not losing a beat in their rhythm of retreat and advance. The sex became harder 80

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and faster. He gripped Baz’s shoulders, gasping for air as Baz reamed his ass. God, he would feel this tomorrow. That thought sent him over the edge. White pearly ropes of cum shot from his cock, coating his abs and chest. “Shit,” Baz shouted, slamming into Kellan one last time before freezing. Kellan ran his hands over Baz’s trembling arms as his lover jerked, filling the condom. They folded into a pile of sweaty arms and legs, Kellan’s cum sealing their bodies together as Baz softened and slid out of Kellan. “I’ll be back,” Baz murmured a few minutes later as he climbed from the bed to stroll to the bathroom. Closing his eyes, Kellan breathed deeply. His lungs filled with the scent of sex and man. This is crazy, he thought. He had no real reason to trust Baz, yet he did, in that deep, solid way of knowing Baz would never hurt him and would give his own life to keep Kellan safe. Yep, certifiably insane.

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CHAPTER 10 Baz sat outside Kellan’s apartment after dropping him off. It was early morning and Kellan had to get ready to go to school. Baz had lied and told Kellan he had several meetings during the day, but they arranged to meet up at Kellan’s place that evening. “Are you crazy?” He jumped as Horus pounded on the window and yelled. “Get in here.” He unlocked the doors and waved for his brother to join him in the car. Horus slid in and glared at him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Baz slid down in his seat, putting his sunglasses on before gripping the steering wheel. “I’m keeping an eye on Kellan. He won’t notice me following him and this way, I can check to see if 82

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anyone is tailing him.” Horus punched him in the arm. “That’s not what I’m talking about, and you know it.” Rubbing his arm, he snarled at Horus who didn’t seem scared by it. “I had to tell him something. He’s not stupid, Horus. By letting him think I work for the Warriors, he’s more likely to allow me to stay close to him.” “Kellan now knows more about us than anyone since the death of the priest who created us. That’s not keeping him safe.” “I didn’t tell him anything important. He doesn’t know where the temple is or that the original Warriors are still alive. Kellan doesn’t believe in the shape shifting. He sees us as a mere myth to help a dying civilization believe they won’t be forgotten.” Baz watched Kellan race down the outside stairs from his apartment, set a bowl down, and head out to the bus stop. “Kellan is part of academia. They aren’t given to flights of fancy or accepting anyone’s story on faith alone.” They fell silent as Kellan climbed on the bus along with three other people, one of whom Bastet thought he recognized. “Shit. The guy from the campus yesterday just got on the bus with Kellan.” He slammed his hand on the wheel. “I can’t get on there with him. I told him I’d be in meetings all day.” ::I’ll do it.:: Thoth joined in. ::I can get to the next stop before the bus does. I’ll get on and keep an eye on your man, Bastet.:: ::Thank you, Thoth. We’ll be following the bus, so inform us if there are any problems.:: He started the vehicle and pulled into traffic a few cars behind the bus. ::I will. Also, I searched the human’s apartment. There were bugs, but I left them in place. We don’t want to give them any more reasons to think we’re on to them. As long as you keep Kellan at 83

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your hotel, Bastet, we should be able to keep Sterling’s knowledge at a minimum.:: Baz sent Thoth a mental nod, though he wasn’t completely sure it would work. Kellan wasn’t going to stop doing research on the Warriors simply because Baz told him it was dangerous. Either Baz would have to steer Kellan in a less volatile direction or he would have to wipe Kellan’s memory clean and leave. For the first time, Baz didn’t like the second choice. Leaving had been the easiest thing for him to do for so many centuries. In the beginning, his heart had taken a beating from falling in love and then losing his lover to old age while he never changed and had no chance of dying. Eventually he learned how to live in the moment and not give his heart to anyone. ::It’s hard to keep caring.:: He bit his lip to keep from gasping out loud. Sekhmet rarely spoke to any of them except Isis anymore. The oldest of the Warriors, Sekhmet chose to remove himself from the everyday interaction with the mortals. No one, except for Isis, knew where he hid. ::Yes, sir. It is very hard when they continue to die and I continue to live.:: ::It won’t always be like this, Bastet. You must have faith that our mission will no longer be needed soon.:: Horus stared out the window at the bus, causing Baz to think Sekhmet must only be talking to him. ::What happens to us if your prophecy comes true? Do we get to live a normal life or do we turn to dust like the mummies they’ve found in the Valley of the Kings?:: A mental shrug reached him. ::I don’t know, Bastet, but in my heart, I hope our deities will allow us a full life where we’ll die at 84

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the end of it, instead of this non-ending limbo we are in.:: Tears welled in his eyes at the sadness in Sekhmet’s voice. He knew their oldest brother was subject to fits of depression so deep Sekhmet would disappear from their lives for years on end. Only Isis had the nerve to approach him when he was in one of those moods. Isis’s wolf form was the only one strong enough to take on Sekhmet’s lion. “Thoth’s on the bus,” Horus informed Baz. “Thanks.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “What if we were to bring Kellan all the way in?” Sekhmet’s presence in Baz’s mind faded and he realized he wouldn’t be getting any advice from him about what to do with Kellan. “All the way in? What are you talking about? Giving him access to our archives? Allowing the first mortal since the priest to know about us?” Horus looked horrified at the thought. “Yes. Our own archives are a mess. We bring things we find and dump them with no rhyme or reason to it.” He snapped his fingers. “Which reminds me, I have to grab that book Kellan found the mention of us in.” “You could just rip out that page.” He rolled his eyes at Horus’s suggestion. “And get my ass chewed out by Sekhmet and Isis about destroying books? You know that’s why we’ve never burned any of the scrolls like Anubis wanted. Isis and Sekhmet still remember how much knowledge was lost when the Great Library at Alexandria burned. They won’t risk losing any more, even if it is to keep the Warriors’ secret.” They both fell silent as they remembered the terrible day when fire consumed the library. They had managed to save as many scrolls and tablets as they could, but so much of ancient history 85

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was lost and some of Baz’s brothers hadn’t recovered from the tragedy. The Warriors’ personal library rivaled that of the Vatican, especially for housing rare and controversial books. “You want to make your boyfriend our librarian?” Horus snorted. “Don’t you think he’d want to be more than a glorified archivist?” Baz continued following the bus, trying not to give in to the urge to punch Horus. He wouldn’t stoop to his brother’s level. “I think if we give him the choice, he’d jump at the chance to spend hours reading books and scrolls that haven’t seen the light of day since the first pharaohs were young.” “He is a curious young thing, much like a cat. Maybe that’s why you get along so well.” Horus glanced over at Baz with a smirk. “Just once, do you think you could keep your mouth shut?” Baz mumbled. “I need to call a meeting.” Horus stiffened, and Baz could feel his other brothers listening in his head. “A meeting? Shit, not about Kellan. Dude, he’s a nice piece of ass, but he’s not worth shaking up our whole existence for.” Horus almost pleaded with him. ::We don’t even know if he’ll continue on his path or if you can convince him to look elsewhere.:: Anubis spoke up. ::Rushing into any sort of decision could put all of us at risk, Bastet.:: Amum chimed in. Thoth couldn’t resist adding his two cents either. ::Horus is right. Kellan is a nice piece of ass, but you have to think with your head, not your dick. It’s not just your life you’re risking by bringing him into the fold. We must stay a secret and apart from 86

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the mortal world.:: Of course, Sekhmet and Isis stayed out of the argument, and it was their opinions Baz wanted most of all. Stopping at a red light, Baz rubbed his temples and sighed. Maybe they were right. Maybe he was just enamored by Kellan and the heat of their lovemaking. Could he be letting his cock think for him for the first time since he became a Warrior? He pulled the car to the curb and watched Kellan climb off the bus. Thoth and Sterling’s man were right behind him. He smiled grimly at the way Thoth bumped into the other man, sending him stumbling. Thoth said something to the man, probably warning him that Kellan had other people looking out for him. Thoth joined them in the car after watching Kellan get settled in at school. “The guy following him is definitely one of Sterling’s guys. I think I’ve seen him before in Los Angeles when that whole museum exhibit thing blew up.” “Shit,” Baz and Horus said together. “Sterling must think Kellan’s got something good. He’s sending in the big guns,” Horus muttered. Baz nodded. “I’ll have to get the name of the book, so one of you can go and take it from the library. We can’t risk other people finding it.” “How are you going to do that?” Thoth asked from the backseat. “I’m meeting Kellan tonight for dinner. I’ll ask him about the book then. As soon as I find out the name, Horus, you go and get it.” He looked at Thoth in the rearview mirror. “Would you be able to keep an eye on Kellan for me? Check on him once in a while until he leaves school.” Thoth nodded. “I can do that. Sterling’s man didn’t follow your 87

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boy into the building, though I don’t doubt he knows where he studies. Kellan’s cubicle is right by a window. No one will notice a hawk flying past.” “Thanks.” “That’s what we’re here for, to keep each other safe, along with the world.” Thoth squeezed his shoulder before slipping out of the car. “What are you going to do?” Horus had gotten out and he leaned in through the open passenger window. “I do actually have a meeting I need to get to. A museum needs my help authenticating an Egyptian vase. Unfortunately, if it is original and not a copy, they’ll probably have to return it to the Egyptian government.” Baz shook his head. “It’s amazing how many things were stolen from our country and taken elsewhere.” “The worst thing is all those precious, irreplaceable objects are in private collections and will never see the light of day again.” Baz thought of the magnificent golden scarab beetle that had graced the sarcophagus of a minor Egyptian royal. It disappeared sometime in the eighteen hundreds. There were hints of it resurfacing during the nineteen-twenties, but it disappeared again before he and his brothers could find it. There were as many legends about that beetle as there were about the Warriors. “Someday, maybe all of her treasures can be returned to her…and the other ancient civilizations looted over the centuries.” Horus tapped the car door. “I’ll let you get to your meeting. I think I’ll go to the library and look around myself. Maybe I can find what we’re looking for without you needing to grill your lover.” Baz waved and pulled out into traffic, heading downtown to the museum and his meeting. He mulled over the thought of demanding a meeting of his brothers. No matter what any of them 88

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said, they did need someone to catalogue their archives and collection. For they also bought or stole as many artifacts as they could, returning them to Egyptian soil. Some they weren’t able to return to the government and those stayed in their own personal storage house. The ones they could give back, they did so anonymously. No point in having a spotlight shone on their secret society. *

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“This young man you sent me after seems to have somebody watching out for him.” Sterling snarled. “How is that possible? He’s a college student. No one should be paying any attention to him.” “I’ve spotted two men around him all ready. One in an expensive Italian suit, reeking of money and power. The other wasn’t as nicely dressed, but he still smelled the same.” “Smelled the same?” “Yeah. They smell like Christmas.” He rose to his feet and strolled over to the window. Could the Warriors have found the Largant boy? If so, and if they were keeping such a close watch on him, it meant he’d discovered something important. “You must kidnap him.” “Yes, sir.” A dial tone crashed into his ear and he chuckled as he hung up. God, he loved a man who obeyed orders without asking questions.

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CHAPTER 11 Kellan only taught half a day, so after he finished, he headed back to the library. He wanted to see if there was any more mention about the Warriors in any of the other books. The Egyptian books were part of a small private collection donated to the library by an anonymous donor back in the early 1920s. No one knew why he chose to give the tomes to the university. The day was cool, but sunny, and Kellan enjoyed the chance to stroll down the walkways, daydreaming. As his eyes wandered over the crowds of students, he thought about Baz. At least now his decision wouldn’t be led by his cock. Every time he was around Baz, all it seemed he could think about was getting the man in bed. Should he be happy that Baz didn’t lie to him about why they’d met? Baz wanted the information Kellan had, in addition to Kellan 90

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himself, and that couldn’t be all bad, could it? Maybe he needed to stop by and talk to Marissa about the whole thing. Relationships weren’t Kellan’s area of expertise since he hadn’t had a serious one for over two years. It wasn’t as if he was a complete novice to the whole “getting to know” a person, but his shyness didn’t help his chances. He pulled out his phone and punched in Marissa’s number. Leaning against the corner of a building, he watched people walk past while he waited for her to answer. “Kellan. What’s up?” A grin split his face at Marissa’s bubbly greeting. “Not much. Just got done teaching for the day. Are you available for lunch?” “Ooh, are you going to dish about that god of a man you’ve been seeing?” He laughed. “I need to talk to someone about him, but it’s probably not going to be as detailed as you want.” “Where’s the fun in that? I wanted to hear about every kiss and other things.” He heard the pout in her voice. “You know I don’t kiss and tell, but I might be convinced to spill a moment or two, although it better be a good bribe.” He pushed away from the building and slipped into the crowd.. “Hmmm….a good bribe? Let me think.” Kellan could imagine Marissa tapping one long blood-red fingernail against her chin. “I’ve got it. Lunch at O’Reilly’s on me.” “I think you know me too well. I’ll meet you there in ten minutes.” “Okay.” Marissa hung up. He hit the end button and tucked the phone back in his pocket, 91

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already imagining the delicious taste of O’Reilly’s corned beef sandwich. His phone rang while he strolled down the sidewalk. “Hello?” “Hello, Kellan.” Kellan’s heart skipped a beat at the deep whiskey smooth tone of Baz’s voice. Would he ever get used to hearing the man say his name? “Hey, Baz, how are your meetings going?” “Rather exciting actually, which is a good thing. I’m sure that what they have is a canopic burial jar from around 650 BC. I’m not sure who it was for, but I’m sure it’s authentic.” Baz sounded pleased with himself. “How’s work going for you?” “Oh, I only had to go in for a half day. I’m meeting Marissa for lunch before heading to the library to do some more research.” Baz coughed and muttered something under his breath. “Are you okay?” After looking both ways, Kellan crossed the street and continued in the direction of O’Reilly’s. “Yes, I’m fine. Just wishing I didn’t have to work all day. I’d pick you up and take you back to my hotel room. We could find some way to waste the afternoon away.” While Kellan’s cock thought that was a great idea, his mind spoke up and warned him that he had some thinking to do about Baz. Of course, that didn’t include never seeing the guy again, but it might end up not talking to him about Kellan’s research. “While that sounds like a wonderful idea, I have to work on my dissertation, and you need to do what you were brought here for.” He stumbled as someone ran into him from behind. “Ompf.” “Are you all right?” “I’m cool, man. Someone just ran into me. The sidewalk’s a little crowded today is all.” 92

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He eased off to the side, standing in the opening of an alleyway where he could see Marissa approach the pub. “If you’re sure.” Baz paused for a second before continuing, “Would you be available for dinner tonight?” “Sure,” Kellan accepted without giving his head a chance to protest. “But why don’t you come over to my apartment and I’ll cook us something?” “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a home-cooked meal. I’d be happy to accept. What time would you like me there?” Running through what he wanted to accomplish at the library, he said, “Be there around seven. That should give me enough time to do a little digging and still get back in time to get dinner started.” “Seven, it is.” A voice muttered in the background, and Baz answered it. “We should get off the phone. I don’t want to interrupt your meeting and I see my friend heading my way.” He stepped out and waved, getting Marissa’s attention. “You never could be an interruption, Kellan.” Baz’s words stroked over him and his prick stiffened. He moaned silently, wishing he could adjust himself, but Marissa’s eagle eye would pick that up right away and he’d never hear the end of it. “Are you hard?” “God, don’t lower your voice any more or I just might cream my jeans right here.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm his body. “I can’t sit through lunch with a boner, man. Marissa would tease me mercilessly.” “I think I’d like to meet your friend.” Baz chuckled. “I’ll let you go and I’ll see you tonight at seven. If you need anything, 93

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don’t hesitate to call me.” He whispered, “Good-bye,” and hung up before Marissa got to him. “Flushed cheeks. Trembling hands.” She checked out his crotch. “Erection. It must’ve been Stud Man on the phone.” “Tell me again why I consider you my best friend?” He covered his face with his hands and groaned. *

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Kellan’s phone vibrated and he checked the time. Five o’clock. Good thing he’d set the alarm to go off or he’d still be buried deep in the fascinating books of the private collection. He shut his notebook and stuck it in his backpack. Then he carried the few books he’d requested back to the reference librarian, thanking her for her help. Strolling out of the building, he smiled. It had been a productive day and even his talk with Marissa had gone well. After she finished teasing him, they’d settled into a serious discussion. Of course, he knew her advice would be to continue seeing Baz, but her reasoning was sound. As long as he still trusted Baz, where was the trouble? It wasn’t like Baz had lied to him. Once confronted, the man came clean about why he initially hung around Kellan. She also pointed out Baz had said even if he hadn’t had the Warriors as a reason, he would have asked Kellan out anyway. That got Baz brownie points for sure. It helped that the sex was amazing, but no matter how Marissa cajoled and pouted, he didn’t give her any details. Some things a man had to keep private. He pulled out his phone and dialed Baz’s number. 94

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“Hello, Kellan.” Shivers ran over his body and Kellan’s cock stiffened immediately. “God, I wish I knew how you did it,” he mumbled, sitting on the bench at the bus stop. “Did what?” Baz asked, though the tone of his voice told Kellan he knew what Kellan meant. “Get me all hot and bothered by just saying my name.” He hated admitting how easily Baz could affect him, but there wasn’t any reason to lie, except not to make himself sound like a slut. “Years of practice, though I’ll confess I like saying your name best of all.” Horns honked in the background, and Kellan frowned. “Are you in your car?” Baz chuckled. “Yes, I’m on my way to the hotel to change before I come over to your place.” “Oh, just be careful. I wanted to know, is there anything you don’t like to eat?” “Brussels sprouts.” For some reason, Baz’s answer surprised him. “Really?” “Why do you sound shocked? Am I not allowed to hate a vegetable?” He laughed. “Sure, you are. I just never thought there’d be anything.” “Well, I’m not fond of broccoli either, but I’d eat that sooner than I would Brussels sprouts.” The bus hissed to a stop in front of Kellan. “Just a sec. I have to get on the bus.” He pinned the phone between his cheek and shoulder so he could flash his transit pass and carry his backpack at the same 95

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time. After finding a seat, he shoved his bag under his feet and sat back. “Okay. Ready for the exciting journey that is public transportation.” He shifted slightly, trying to ignore the man who sat so close next to him. “I’m going home and checking what I’ve got there. I might have to run to the store to get some things.” “Call me and I can pick them up on my way to your place. Well, as long as they aren’t those nasty green vegetables.” Happiness settled deep in his chest when he joined Baz in laughing. As strange as it might have seemed, he didn’t remember laughing with any of his other boyfriends. Maybe it was simply that he was older and he realized things didn’t need to be so serious all the time. Not everything was life or death. Some things could be silly. “Great. I’ll see you at seven then.” “Seven it is, sweetheart.” Baz hung up while Kellan was trying to adjust to that endearment. Punching the end button, he dropped his phone into his lap and stared out the window. God, he should have asked Marissa if he was crazy to become so attached to a man so soon after meeting him, yet it wasn’t out of the ordinary for Kellan to do so. He tended to fall in love quickly, though he’d tended to get his heart broken a lot as well. He shook his head, not wanting to think about their relationship coming to an end. It would at some point because Baz would go back to wherever he lived, and Kellan would continue working on his thesis. The thought of his doctorate brought to mind the new information he’d gathered from the books that afternoon. Should he tell Baz he might have figured out where the Warriors’ temple 96

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was? He had to put together clues from several of the accounts. Whoever donated the books was interested in the legend of the golden scarab beetle more than the Warriors, but the two myths overlapped at some points. Obviously, Baz knew where the temple was, but were his warnings about other powerful men wanting that knowledge true? Or had he just been trying to scare Kellan away from discovering anything more about the cult? To be on the safe side, Kellan hadn’t written his idea of the location of the temple down, just stored it away in his head. Didn’t want to take a risk in case the bad guys decided to steal his notebooks, not that he wanted his research taken. It would take him months to recreate the information, and he didn’t have that kind of time. The bus stopped at his corner and he pushed past the man sitting next to him to climb off. Making his way down the street, he let his mind wander about what to make for dinner. He wasn’t sure what he had in his kitchen. Most of the time, he relied on Mrs. B to make him something to eat and leave it for him. Kellan didn’t notice the footsteps until they were on top of him and someone grabbed his arm. “Hey!” He yanked on his arm, trying to get free. “You’re coming with me.” Looking up into cold black eyes, Kellan decided that resisting might not be good for his health. “Okay. Just let go of my arm. You’re cutting off the circulation to my hand.” The man let go, but shoved the barrel of a gun into the small of Kellan’s back. “There’s a car two spots up. Get in and slide over to the driver’s seat. You’re driving us to New York.” “Dude, do you have a death wish? I haven’t driven in years.” 97

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Pain exploded between his shoulder blades from where the man punched him. Getting smart with the guy clearly wasn’t a good idea. He did as his kidnapper told him and as he pulled away from the curb, the man pulled out a phone. *

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“Mr. Sterling, your associate is on line one.” His secretary’s bland voice came over the intercom. He jerked up the receiver and punched the button for the line. “Yes?” “We’re on our way.”

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CHAPTER 12 “Where is he?” Hands clenched, Baz paced the empty lot. If he’d been in his cat form, his ears would have been pinned to his head, his fur standing on end, and his tail lashing in rage. “Someone took the kitty’s toy,” Horus teased as he changed shape. After launching himself, he pinned Horus to the ground, one hand wrapped tight around his brother’s throat before the last feather faded away from Horus’s body. “Kellan is no one’s toy.” The words were little more than a hiss as he slammed Horus’s head against the ground. Horus shoved him, but he wouldn’t let go. Soon they were rolling around, throwing punches and swearing at each other. He 99

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heard voices and yelling while his anger and fear for Kellan worked itself out. Eventually, they lay on their backs, gasping, and Baz stared up at the star-filled sky. Please, Bastet, protect Kellan. He doesn’t understand how dangerous life can be. Silence met his plea and he wasn’t sure if the goddess even cared about Kellan. “Are you done?” Hearing Thoth’s voice, Baz shot to his feet and grabbed Thoth’s shirt, yanking him onto his toes. “Where the fuck were you?” He shook Thoth. “You were supposed to be watching him.” “How was I to know he only worked half a day? Besides, Horus was supposed to be following him from the library.” Baz tossed Thoth from him and threw his arms up in the air. “Kellan is one small human. How could he have slipped past centuries-old warriors?” Stalking around the lot, he ran his hand through his hair. “Damn it. I should’ve stayed with him. I could’ve convinced him to call in sick and we could’ve spent the day together. But, no, I had to let my curiosity get the better of me. I left him alone, knowing Sterling had sent someone after him.” “I have the books Kellan looked at today.” Anubis arrived, carrying a bag full of books. “I thought you were doing that.” Baz glared at Horus. Horus shrugged. “I had something else to do.” Grinding his teeth, Baz managed to keep from attacking Horus again. “What are we waiting for?” He whirled to look at his brothers. 100

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“We know Sterling has taken Kellan. Whoever that man was following him must’ve grabbed him and they have to be on their way to New York. We should be heading there ourselves.” “I’ve already called our pilot. The plane will be ready for us when we get to the airport.” Amum stepped out of the alley, hands on his hips, and frowning at the disheveled appearance of Baz and Horus. “What have you been doing? Rolling around in the dirt?” “Horus said something Bastet didn’t like,” Thoth commented. “And that’s new in what way? Horus is, by his very nature, annoying.” Amum strolled over to Baz and gripped his shoulder. “Kellan will be fine. Sterling won’t start torturing him until all other avenues fail to get him the information he wants.” “Your comforting sucks,” Baz pointed out. “I know, but it’s the truth. Sekhmet is keeping an eye on Sterling. He’ll let us know when Kellan arrives there.” Baz’s worry eased only slightly. Sekhmet wouldn’t interfere with anything that happened between Sterling and Kellan, unless it looked like Kellan would tell the man what he wanted to know. Then Sekhmet would just as soon kill Kellan as save him. ::Human life has become expendable to Sekhmet.:: Isis’s voice echoed in Baz’s head. ::It always has been. We’ll get there before he has to make that choice.:: Baz had to believe that with all his heart because he didn’t want to think about Kellan being tortured or dying. “Let’s go. While we’re in the air, we can go through these books and see if there’s anything else in them we need to worry about.” Anubis held up the bag. “How did you get them out of the library?” Thoth asked as they headed to the car. 101

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“I knocked out the nice young man who helped me, deactivated the security tags in the books, and walked out the front door. I have to say, they are some very interesting journals. It would be fascinating to discover how the writers found out about us.” Anubis slid in the passenger seat, leaving Thoth, Amum, and Horus crowded into the back. Baz merged into traffic sedately, aware speeding could get him a ticket and cause a delay they didn’t have time for. He halflistened to the chatter going on around him while he paid attention to the street in front of him. “Bastet, do you think Kellan knows where our temple is?” Horus’s quiet question drew him into the conversation. “If the answer lies in one of those books, I have no doubt Kellan knows where it is.” He smiled. “Kellan’s intelligent and as curious as a cat.” “I was afraid of that,” Amum murmured. “If Sterling gets even a hint Kellan knows something, he could resort to extreme measures sooner than usual.” Baz closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath. “Seriously, you suck at reassuring people.” “You’re a warrior, Bastet. You know what war is like, and this is war of the most serious kind. Unfortunately, innocents get hurt during wars, no matter how hard we try to keep them out of the line of fire.” Amum patted his shoulder. He did know that, but he’d never been so emotionally connected to one of the innocents. “There’s still time. We know around what time Kellan was taken and we have an idea of how long it would take them to get to New York, if they drove.” Baz caught Thoth shaking his head in the rear view mirror. 102

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“What is it?” “That doesn’t make sense. Why would they drive to New York? Sterling would want Kellan as soon as possible. Wouldn’t he have set up a jet for them?” “What do we really know about the man Sterling sent after Kellan?” Baz tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “Nothing that I’ve heard has been good, but most of it could simply be conjecture and rumors. If it’s the man I’m thinking of, he’s been involved in several other kidnappings for Sterling,” Anubis muttered, head bent over one of the books. “Okay, you need to work on your uplifting, meaningless talk because you all could depress a clown." He shook his head. *

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“We’re in trouble.” Horus spoke up a half hour later as their plane flew toward New York City. “I didn’t want to hear that.” Baz pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, grinding them in to relieve the strain from reading very small print in bad lighting. Also, it helped to work out some frustration. Amum moved to sit next to Horus. “What did you find?” Horus held up the book he was reading. “A map that shows the exact location of our temple in relation to the pyramids at Giza.” “Holy shit!” Thoth grabbed the book from Horus and held it closer to one of the overhead lights. “You’ve got to be kidding. How did we let a map get away from us?” “Who were these men that they could get this information without alerting us?” Horus scrubbed his hand over his head, ruffling his hair in the process. 103

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“They had something to do with the golden scarab, remember?” Baz jogged their memories, even though he wasn’t interested in finding out how a map got into the book. He had more pressing issues—like saving Kellan from being tortured to death. After that, maybe he’d find time to freak out about the map. “But the golden scarab was a legend, wasn’t it? I don’t recall anyone actually finding it or we’d have noticed immortal vampires wandering around the world.” Anubis bumped Baz’s shoulder as he flopped into the seat next to him. “Who’s to say it wasn’t found and destroyed before it could fulfill the prophecy written for it?” He shrugged. “I don’t really care at the moment, guys. Can we focus on the important thing here, like how are we going to get Kellan away from Sterling?” Thoth closed the book and tucked it away in the bag before sitting across the aisle from them. Baz looked up to see all of them staring at him. “What?” All their gazes went to Amum, who sighed and shook his head. “You know Kellan knows this information now. He had to have found it in the books.” “Yes.” He wasn’t stupid. “What do you think will happen if we save Kellan from Sterling? We still have to deal with his knowledge. We can’t let him wander the world with that kind of information in his head. He’d be a target for other men like Sterling.” He wanted to jump to his feet and pace, but a cramped jet wasn’t the best place to have a nervous breakdown, which was where he was headed if his brothers didn’t stop stating the obvious to him. “I’m not stupid,” he repeated, this time aloud. “I know we’d 104

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have to deal with Kellan, but let’s get him out alive first, then we’ll worry about what he might know.” Silence greeted him and when he looked at them, none of them met his gaze. “You’re not seriously thinking about leaving him to Sterling, are you?” Baz’s voice cracked on the last word as his anger started to overwhelm him. “Of course not. It would be too risky.” Anubis stated. Baz gripped the armrests and breathed deeply, clenching his teeth to keep from snarling at all of them. It wasn’t their fault, and he knew it. They were doing what they had always done. Protect the Warriors at all costs along with the continued preservation of the earth. None of them had ever fallen in love with someone involved with one of their missions. He shook his head mentally. It would figure that he’d be the one who made that slip-up. ::You were always a rebel. Have to do things differently than the rest of us.:: He grinned at Isis’s comment and relaxed slightly. Isis was the one warrior who wouldn’t condone killing Kellan, no matter what kind of secrets he knew. ::Of course, I wouldn’t. We cannot become like the humans who kill simply for the sake of killing. I would never suggest killing anyone. We can erase his memories if it comes to that.:: Tension eased out of Baz’s shoulders. As much as he didn’t like erasing anyone’s memories, it was preferable to spilling innocent blood. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Has anyone had any contact with Sekhmet? Do we know if Kellan has reached Sterling or even where he’s at along the way?” They shook their heads, and he frowned. Baz wondered why 105

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the lion shifter chose not to communicate with them at this point in the mission. “Fasten your seat belts, gentlemen. We are making our final approach into La Guardia Airport,” the pilot announced as the plane banked. ::I’ll get directions to Sterling from Sekhmet.:: ::Is Sekhmet all right, Isis?:: ::He is as he always was, Bastet. Alone and stubborn.:: There was an undercurrent to Isis’s words that Baz wasn’t going to touch with a ten-foot pole. Whatever went on between Isis and Sekhmet was none of Baz’s business. ::He will be around to help if we need him?:: He had to ask. Baz received a mental shrug from Isis and that was all. “As mysterious and enigmatic as the Sphinx, both of them,” he muttered. “Who?” “Never mind. Isis is getting where we can find Sterling from Sekhmet. Once we get there, we’ll figure out our next move.” “I can work with that.” Horus nodded, settling back in his seat for the landing. Baz glanced out the window at the ground rushing up at them. There were promises he wanted to give Kellan. Promises he’d never made any other person since before he became immortal. Well, he’d make those vows after shaking the younger man for not being more careful and heeding Baz’s warnings. Hold on, Kellan. I’ll be there soon and you’ll be safe.

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CHAPTER 13 His kidnapper grunted as Kellan slammed on the brakes yet again. He glared at Snake, the nickname he’d secretly given the man because his eyes were as flat as a snake’s. “I told you I haven’t driven in like forever. Don’t grunt at me.” Snake’s eyebrows rose. “Are you seriously bitching at me?” “I’m scared, annoyed, and frustrated. I’m sorry if you can’t handle it.” Kellan admitted silently that talking back to Snake, who was holding a gun on him, wasn’t the smartest thing, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. His white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel didn’t change, even when they were stopped. He stared straight ahead. A harsh chuckle filled the car, causing Kellan to jump. He shot 107

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a glance over at Snake. The man stared at him with reluctant respect. “Welcome to the joys of driving, kid. You’ve got guts. I’ll give you that.” “Where are we going?” “Obviously we’re heading for New York.” A phone rang and it wasn’t Kellan’s. Snake shifted his gun to his left hand and pulled out his phone. He grimaced as he checked the caller ID. Flipping open the phone, he growled out, “We’re on our way.” “Someone’s impatient,” Kellan muttered as he pressed on the gas pedal. Snake rolled his eyes at Kellan. “I don’t fly. I told you that when you hired me. Too hard to get guns through airport security nowadays.” “Damn those terrorists for making your kidnapping career more difficult,” Kellan said, loudly enough for Snake to hear him. The man leaned over and poked him with the barrel of the gun. “I’ll call you when we’re close.” After tucking the phone away, Snake switched hands again and rested his shoulder against the door while looking at Kellan. “You’re pushing your luck.” “What are you going to do? Kill me?” He shook his head. “I don’t think so. I must have something your boss wants, so you can’t kill me yet.” “What’s stopping me from killing you right now and taking your notes to the man?” “Well, first of all, I’m driving. Killing me right at this moment could end up killing you. Besides, how do you know that everything I know is in my notes? Maybe I don’t know anything or 108

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maybe I was smart enough to listen to Baz when he warned me about crazy people like you and I didn’t write anything down.” “Who the hell is Baz?” Snake sounded interested. “Was he the guy I saw you with on campus yesterday?” “You’ve been following me?” Why did that shock him? God, he was going to have to start paying attention to his surroundings better. He’d had no idea anyone was keeping track of him. “I wouldn’t be a very successful kidnapper if I didn’t learn every movement my prey made.” Snake nudged Kellan’s arm. “Who is he?” “Just a guy I met,” he mumbled, not wanting to tell the man anything. Snake laughed. “Right. Some strange man tells you that somebody might try to kidnap you for information you might or might not have, and you believed him. Tell me another one, kid.” Kellan threw a glance over his shoulder before pulling into the passing lane. “I’m not sure who Baz is, but something tells me you could end up regretting that you took this job.” “I’ve regretted this job since I got the first call from the bastard.” Snake rubbed his forehead. “Then why do it? Why not let me go?” Kellan waved a hand. “Tell him I got away somehow.” “He’s not going to believe that and, besides, my reputation wouldn’t survive if it got out that some skinny college kid escaped me.” “Great. I got kidnapped by an egotistical psycho.” Snake sighed. “Kid, I’m not psycho. I do this because I’m good at it and I can make a hell of a lot more money than doing anything legal. Tell me, who is Baz?” Kellan shook his head again. “I’m not going to tell you 109

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anything. You’ll just tell your boss, and I want him to work for whatever he can get out of me.” “I hope you have a high tolerance for pain because his guys can get pretty nasty when they want to.” “You’re not one of his men?” “No.” Snake looked out the window for a second. “I’m no one’s man. I do the retrieval part. He’s got other guys who get into the breaking of bones and slicing of flesh.” Kellan’s stomach rolled at the thought of being tortured. He didn’t think he’d be able to deal with that very well. Baz had better save his ass. If not, at least he had a night or two of mind-blowing sex to take to his grave. “Bastet Bakari is a very wealthy man who owns an importexport business based in London. He also consults with museums and universities on Egyptian antiquities.” Tensing, Kellan gritted his teeth for a moment. “If you already knew that, why did you ask me?” “Just wanted to see what you’d share with me.” Snake tapped Kellan’s thigh with the gun. “Don’t drive so fast. Take the next exit and see if you can find us some fast food place to grab something to eat.” Surprise made Kellan swerve slightly. “You’re going to feed me my last meal? How considerate, but won’t your boss get mad if we take much longer to get to wherever we’re going?” “He’s not important.” Snake checked his watch. “There’s another deadline I’m trying to hit here.” “What? If you get me to whomever in ten hours, you win like a million dollars or something.” Kellan heaved a sigh. “I don’t understand you.” “You don’t have to understand me. Just know I’m the guy with 110

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the gun and I’m in control.” “Really? Because it certainly seems like the man paying you should be the one in charge.” Snake eyed him. “You need to get a grip and not talk back. I could care less what you say to me. I’ve heard it all and nothing pisses me off anymore. The guy I’m taking you to, he’s not so understanding or laid back. He’ll cut out your tongue if you smart mouth him too much.” “How would I be able to tell him the information he wants without a tongue?” “You’ll still have at least one of your hands. You can write it down for him.” Okay, so maybe taking Snake’s advice would be the best thing, but Kellan didn’t want to be a wimp about it. He had a feeling Baz wouldn’t let any threat make him talk if he wasn’t supposed to. Damn it, Baz. You’d better be on your way to save my skinny ass because if I die, I’ll come back and haunt you. “Do you really think Bastet will come to save you?” Snake’s question seemed causal, but Kellan didn’t think anything the man did was causal. “He’ll come, even if it’s to make sure I don’t tell your boss whatever I might know.” Kellan hoped Baz would come because he cared about him, not just to ensure he didn’t spill his guts to whoever the bad guy was. “What’s your boss’s name? Why does he want me?” The man snorted. “I don’t know his name. I try not to get that familiar with my clients. And why he wants you, you’ll figure out when he gets a hold of you.” Rolling his eyes, Kellan pulled to a hesitating stop next to the drive-in speaker. “Pull my other leg. You don’t strike me as the 111

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type of criminal who just takes any job for the right amount of money. I’m sure you do a lot of research into the person hiring you.” “Order.” Kellan placed their order and drove to the pick-up window where he handed the pimply- faced kid money his kidnapper gave him. The kid’s eyes were wide. “Overheard what I said, huh?” The kid nodded. “Well, just remember, if you’re thinking about starting a life of crime, always thoroughly investigate the person who wants to hire you. Never know who might try to screw you over.” Kellan grinned as the kid held out the bags of food with shaking hands. “That was mean. How do you know I won’t go back and kill the kid because he knows I’m a criminal?” Snake dug through the bag, laying the gun on his thigh within reach. “Please. The kid’s going to convince himself that I was just kidding about the whole life of crime thing, plus you’re not the kind of criminal who kills fast food people.” “Oh, really? And what kind of criminal do I happen to be?” He took the pop the man offered him and sipped before answering. “You’re the type who has better things to do than terrorize some poor teenager.” “Like deliver my kidnap victim to the man paying me a lot of money to get him there?” “Right.” Grunting, Snake pulled out a hamburger and unwrapped it for Kellan. “God, how have you survived with such a smart-assed mouth and a Polly Anna outlook?” Having not driven for several years, Kellan wasn’t entirely sure 112

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he was coordinated enough to eat, drink, and drive all at the same time. Snake grabbed the pop before it slipped from Kellan’s fingers and shoved the hamburger into its place. “Kid, I’m going to be royally pissed if you kill us before we get to New York.” “Another question. Why don’t you fly? And if you don’t fly, why did this mysterious man hire you in the first place?” Kellan shook his head. “I mean, Baz has money. I’m sure he could charter a plane and land in New York before we get there. Your boss is going to be furious if Baz rescues me and he doesn’t get to torture me.” “That’s my problem. Not yours. Just get us to the city in one piece. We’ll work out the logistics when we get there.” Why should he worry about what was going to happen in the city? God, it was hard enough to concentrate on driving while going seventy-five miles an hour on the freeway. He shoved the panicked thoughts about the future to the back of his head. Once the car stopped moving, he’d try to work out an escape plan then. His phone rang, and both of them glanced at it. He met Snake’s gaze with a quick uplift of his eyebrows before turning his attention back to the road. “I hate cell phones,” Snake muttered as he picked up Kellan’s phone and answered it. “Yes?” Kellan tensed when he heard the low laugh Snake issued. Who was the man talking to? “You’re the infamous Baz, huh? I saw you, but it’s nice to be able to talk to you.” “Baz, you better be coming to get me. Snake, here, is relatively normal for a psychotic kidnapper, but I don’t want to spend any more time than I have to with him,” Kellan yelled. 113

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Snake covered the speaker of the phone and glared at Kellan. “Do you mind? I’m trying to have a conversation with your boyfriend. And what the hell kind of name is Snake?” “God, you can try the patience of a saint, man. It’s the name I give the bad guy who hijacks me at gunpoint. Give me the phone.” He held out a hand while keeping a death grip on the steering wheel with the other. “Fine.” Snake slapped the phone in Kellan’s hand. “You can tell him anything you want. It’s not like he’s going to be able to find us once we get to our destination.” “Baz?” “Kellan.” Just his name being said in Baz’s deep accented voice calmed his nerves. “We’re on our way to rescue you. He hasn’t hurt you, has he?” “Aside from wanting to throw me out of the car at times, he hasn’t touched a hair on my head.” Kellan shot a look at Snake, who watched him through narrowed eyes. “Are you flying?” “Yes. We’ve just landed.” A muffled voice spoke in the background. “We?” He wished Snake wasn’t right next to him. He didn’t want to give away any advantage Baz might have. “My brothers are with me. Well, all but two of them. I’m not sure if those two will show up or not. They’re kind of loners.” Baz babbled, and Kellan frowned. He didn’t know Baz very well, but he never thought of the man as a babbler. “Everything okay with you?” “Yes. We’re just working out some logistics.” “I can’t tell you anything about where we’re going. We just hit the city limits, and Snake hasn’t told me where to go next.” 114

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“Shit, you’re driving?” Baz sounded frightened by that fact. “Yeah. Crazy bastard made me drive. I haven’t driven in years, but I got us here in one piece.” “Enough love chatter.” Snake yanked the phone from Kellan and spoke to Baz. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing you soon.” He shut off the phone and tossed it into the back seat. Kellan stopped at a red light and turned to meet Snake’s cold eyes. “We’ll be seeing him?” “Fine. You’ll be seeing him. I don’t plan on hanging around once I dump you off at the drop site. The idiot already paid me, so there’s no reason for me to stick around.” “Oh, great. The man who hires my kidnapping is obviously a complete moron. That doesn’t bode well for me.” Snake patted Kellan’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, kid. Maybe that Egyptian goddess your boyfriend’s named after will help you out and you’ll land on your feet like a cat.”

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CHAPTER 14 Horns honked as Baz cut across traffic and pulled up to the valet parking at the Waldorf Hotel. He ignored his brothers’ glares as he tossed the keys to the parking attendant and headed into the lobby. After stalking across the main floor, he approached the elevators and hit the up button as the others caught up with him. “Christ, man, you’ve got to slow down.” Horus panted, leaning on the wall beside Baz. “Wearing yourself out isn’t going to help Kellan.” “Where is he?” Baz stared at the reflective surface of the doors, studying the people milling around behind him. “He isn’t here, that’s for sure.” Anubis strolled up. “I checked with the front desk. No one’s asked for the key to the suite since last week.” 116

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“Are you kidding me?” Baz shoved his hands through his hair. “Sekhmet took a fine time to flake out on us. How are we supposed to find Kellan if Sekhmet hasn’t been watching Sterling?” Amum chuckled. “Sterling hasn’t moved since he arrived in New York City. Sekhmet told Isis that Sterling is in the penthouse suite at the Ritz-Carlton Central Park. We know where the guy with Kellan is taking him.” “Do you really believe Sterling’s going to have Kellan taken to the Ritz, where Sterling will proceed to torture him? The RitzCarlton isn’t the place you torture people. He must own warehouses or something in a different part of the city.” Baz practically dove in the car when the doors opened. The others filed in behind him, and he clenched his hands at their patronizing looks. Shit, he hated them giving him those looks. He knew he was being an ass, but he couldn’t help worrying something would happen to Kellan before he got to him. He didn’t want his lover to suffer any kind of pain because of him. “Once we get Kellan back, what are we going to do about him?” Thoth didn’t look at him. Baz shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not ready to cross that bridge yet. Let’s focus on rescuing him first.” The elevator doors opened, and he pushed through to the hallway, where he paused. “It’s this way.” Anubis bumped his shoulder as he went past. “I set up this suite for Sekhmet to crash in when he wasn’t keeping an eye on Sterling.” They entered the suite and it was empty. No sign of their brother anywhere. It looked like Sekhmet had never even stayed there. “Where the fuck did he go?” Baz dropped onto the couch and 117

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hung his head, staring at the carpet between his feet. ::Sekhmet says he left some things for you.:: Isis informed Baz. ::Where did he leave it?:: ::Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to tell me that. Search for it. I believe you still have a little time before Kellan is delivered to Sterling.:: Baz narrowed his eyes, suspicion stirring in him. ::How do you know that?:: ::It doesn’t matter. Just find whatever Sekhmet left you.:: Isis’s presence left his head, and Baz shot to his feet. “Sekhmet left us some information. We have to find it.” Several minutes went by as they searched the rooms, looking under furniture and in drawers. Finally, Thoth shouted and held up a folder he’d found tucked in the desk. Baz snatched it out of his hand, sat at the desk, and opened it. “Holy shit! Sekhmet’s the man.” Amum whistled as Baz shuffled through blueprints of a warehouse down by the docks. “At least we know where the kidnapper’s taking him.” “Let’s go. We should be in place before Sterling and his goons show up.” Baz rolled the prints up and stood. After he turned, he noticed the others weren’t moving to join him at the door. “What?” Horus gestured to him and the others. “We really aren’t going to storm a warehouse and rescue your boyfriend dressed like Wall Street execs, are we?” “You’re doing this on purpose. You can’t resist shopping while you’re in New York.” He wanted to argue, but Horus was right. If it came down to a fight, Armani suits and Italian dress shoes weren’t his first choice 118

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of apparel to wear. “Seriously, we’re going shopping while Kellan could already be in Sterling’s hands?” “He’s not. Isn’t that what Isis told you? We have time, and we’re not going shopping. There should be clothes already here for each of us.” Horus headed toward the bedroom. “This better not take long.” Baz unbuttoned his suit coat and slipped it off, tossing it over the back of the couch. Twenty minutes later, they left, dressed in jeans, long sleeve Tshirts, and boots. Anubis glanced at each of them as they stood in the elevator. “Gods, we look like a biker gang.” Baz doubled-checked his 9 mm before tucking it at the small of his back. He slipped on his leather jacket to cover it. “We should have had you get us some motorcycles to drive around town on. Terrorize the city folk.” The reassuring weight of the gun at his waist relaxed him along with the sound of his brothers’ laughter. He’d been acting like a bastard since he’d figured out Kellan had been kidnapped. Calming down was the only way he’d be able to help his lover when they found him. Rushing into any situation without first assessing it could kill Kellan just as quickly as Sterling could. He trusted his brothers to help him, not only because it was their lives on the line as well. Mostly he counted on them because they cared for him and knew how much Kellan had come to mean to him. As Earth Warriors, they had been through so much together over the centuries. No matter how much he wanted to strangle Horus at times, he knew when it came down to it, Horus would give his life for him, just as Baz would die for Horus if asked, though dying had never been an option for them because of the 119

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curse. ::That’s what being brothers means, Bastet. You trust them because, in the end, they’ve never let you down. Sekhmet has done what he could to get you what you needed to save Kellan. Anything more is beyond his abilities at the moment.:: ::Tell him thank you from me, Isis. I hope we can all be together soon.:: Isis’s well wishes flooded Baz and he straightened his shoulders. As the elevator doors opened, he stepped out, flanked by the other Warriors. It was time to save the dude in distress and stop a mad-man from gaining immortality. All in a day’s work for them. Thirty minutes later, they stood in the alley across from Sterling’s warehouse. Crouching down in the middle of his brothers, Baz rolled out the blueprints and pointed to the entrances. “I’ll go in the front door. The rest of you take a door or window. We’ll move once everyone is in position. Sekhmet marked where Sterling will be holding Kellan. Converge on that room once you’re in.” He stood, folded the papers and tucked them inside his jacket. Meeting each of his brothers’ gazes, he nodded. They were armed to the teeth, enough bullets to take down a small army, though he didn’t think they would need it. Something told him that Sterling arrogantly believed no one would challenge him over Kellan. Well, the man had a lesson to learn because Baz planned to do more than challenge him. Sterling was going down at Baz’s hand if he’d touched Kellan. If not, he just might let one of his brothers do the honors. “Remember, we get Kellan out first before we deal with Sterling. Kellan and his backpack are the most important things in 120

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this rescue mission.” Horus slapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Baz. We’ll get your boy toy without any scratches and take down the bad guy as well.” As much as he wanted to punch Horus, they didn’t have time for a brotherly squabble. He shook his head and gestured for them to leave. His brothers disappeared into the shadows in silence. He sent one last prayer to Bastet for Kellan’s safety and left the alley. Keeping low, he dodged from car to car, trying to keep the vehicles between him and the warehouse. Baz pulled his gun from where it sat at the small of his back, keeping the barrel down, but ready. As he made it through the gate and up to the door, he noticed there were three cars parked at the side of the building. One was a nondescript rental sedan. The other two were high end SUVs. Those would be Sterling’s. ::Sterling and his goons are here. Be careful making entry.:: ::We always are.:: Thoth’s reply held a serious tone. Baz shrugged mentally. His brothers were just as capable and highly trained as he was to do missions like this, but for the first time, the person they were rescuing mattered to him and he didn’t want anything screwed up. “It’s about damn time you got here.” Whirling around, he aimed his gun at the man emerging from the shadows around the Dumpsters closest to the front door. He blinked as the man stepped under one of the dim street lamps and he saw it was the guy he’d spotted at the campus. “What the fuck is going on here?” Baz didn’t relax. This could be an ambush. He didn’t rest his eyes on the stranger in front of him. He opened all his senses to sounds and scents around him. “I’ve been waiting for you. Took your own damn sweet time 121

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getting here.” The man shook his head. “After everything I did to ensure we didn’t get here too fast.” “You’re Snake?” “That’s what your boyfriend calls me. It’s as good name as any for now.” Snake shrugged, his hands tucked in his pockets. “Get your hands out of your pockets and tell me what you’re talking about. Why are you still here? I thought you’d dump Kellan and hightail it away from this place.” Baz gestured to Snake. “Dude, I’m not an idiot. You’ve already showed me yours. I’m not going to show you mine. Just trust me that I’m not interested in hurting you. Hell, if I was, I’d have shot your ass when you snuck up here.” Snake pulled a cigarette out and lit it, showing his hands, but not what was in his pockets. “How many guys does Sterling have in there?” Snake squinted as the smoke rose from the cigarette. “Three, but I didn’t go inside, so I have no idea if there are more. And Sterling isn’t there. He’s letting others do his dirty work.” It was something. Baz sent the information to his brothers and got confirmation that all were in place. “Hey, before you bust in there like the Lone Ranger saving the town or whatever it is you’re doing, I have a message for Sekhmet.” Baz froze. “Who?” Snake waved his cigarette in Baz’s general direction. “Don’t act all innocent. It doesn’t look good on you.” He took a single step toward Snake, and the man held up his hands, but didn’t back away. “What do you know about us?” “I know enough not to want that kid in there to get his ass whipped by Sterling, plus Sekhmet paid me more than that old 122

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bastard did to make sure you had a better chance at getting him before shit happened.” ::Sekhmet, what kind of deal did you make with the devil?:: ::Better the devil you know, Bastet.:: Sekhmet’s response made Baz jump. “What message do you want me to tell him?” Baz eyed the door next to him. Now that Snake no longer presented a threat, at least at the moment, he was eager to get inside and find Kellan. “Tell him, he owes me big. If word gets out that I doublecrossed a client, my reputation is toast. Let him know I’ll be collecting on that debt.” “But he paid you to do it,” Baz protested. “Doesn’t matter. He still owes me. He’ll know what I’m talking about.” Snake tossed the cigarette away before turning and disappearing into the night. ::What the fuck is taking you so long, Baz?:: Horus’s voice shot impatiently through Baz’s mind. ::Just dealing with some unfinished business. I hope it doesn’t come back to bite us.:: ::I’ll take care of him. Just do your job.:: Sekhmet’s voice echoed around Baz’s head, but the lack of reaction from the others warned him that his brother didn’t speak to them. ::You and I have to talk when this is done,:: he warned Sekhmet. A disbelieving tone tainted Sekhmet’s words. ::Do we really, Bastet?:: Okay, so he knew they would never discuss what Snake told Baz, but just once Baz would like Sekhmet to treat him like a grown-up and not some pesky little brother. 123

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::Go in now. Try to do it as quietly as possible and we’ll all meet at the room where Kellan’s being held.:: Baz told the others. He tried the door and it opened noiselessly. Well, someone’s ass was going to get chewed for poor security, if that person survived the coming encounter. Grinning, he crept in like the cat he was, on the hunt for his prey.

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CHAPTER 15 A single light bulb shone in Kellan’s face and he squinted, trying to see past the glaring brightness to the men standing beyond it. He’d have shielded his eyes, but they’d tied his arms to the chair he sat in. Fear sizzled in his veins and every instinct told him he had been better off with Snake. His kidnapper wasn’t interested in hurting him. A survival urge he didn’t know he had informed him that the men who held him now wouldn’t have a problem torturing or even killing him. “Dude, couldn’t you have come up with a more original setup? Come on…this is like something out of a gangster movie. Only I think you’re supposed to be government agents or something.” “How do you know we’re not?” A voice drifted in from behind 125

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him. He chuckled, doing his damnedest to disguise his fear. “Government agents don’t hire other people to do their kidnapping. They’re highly trained for that sort of thing.” “Hmmm…you might have a point there.” One of the shades strolled closer, and Kellan winced as the scarred visage of the older man appeared in his field of vision. This was a man who didn’t give a shit about anyone except himself. Cringing, Kellan couldn’t get away when the man reached out to tilt his head back. “You haven’t asked why you’re here. I find that curious.” What could he say? He knew why he was tied to a chair in a relatively empty room. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out he had information they wanted or, at least, they thought he knew something they wanted. Maybe he should have listened to Baz when he told him that men would go to extraordinary lengths to discover things hidden for centuries. “Could it be because you’ve been in contact with one of the Warriors? Have they finally broken their oath and told a mortal about their mission?” Broken an oath? Kellan didn’t know if Baz had done that or not, but Kellan probably wasn’t supposed to know all he did know about them. He shrugged, not jerking away from Scar or showing any weakness. It would only be a matter of time before they got around to torture, and when that happened, he’d break. Kellan held no illusions about his inner strength. He wasn’t superhuman or immortal. Holding out against the pain wasn’t an option. He could only hope Baz arrived before he turned into a sniveling wimp. He cocked an eyebrow. “One of the Warriors? I have no clue what you’re talking about.” 126

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Scar slapped his cheek gently, but the implied strength drew a shudder from Kellan. “Of course, you don’t. How did you make it to Harvard and post-graduate work when you’re obviously stupid? We’ve done our homework, Mr. Largant.” “So you know my name and what I’m doing research on.” He shrugged. “Big deal. Doesn’t mean you know anything else.” “We know that your lover, Bastet Bakari, has lived hundreds of lives under different names. He hasn’t mentioned the fact he isn’t a descendent of one of the original Warriors. He is one of them. Reborn into immortality by the prayers of a priest and the whim of a goddess.” Kellan managed an incredulous laugh, even though his heart sank. As an intelligent and rational human, he shouldn’t be listening to what the man said. Being immortal wasn’t possible, though there were people who seemed to live forever, like Dick Clark. Those were just good genes. Yet he remembered how Baz spoke of the Warriors and how he seemed to know so much about a long dead cult. “Immortality is a myth, along with anything else rampant in paranormal circles these days.” “It doesn’t matter to my employer whether you believe your lover is the Earth Warrior, Bastet. He’s only interested in the information you’ve gathered about the cult and the whereabouts of the Warriors’ temple.” Putting on a puzzled face, Kellan wrinkled his forehead as he thought. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. You’ve got my backpack. Check my notes. I only found a small mention of them in a research book. Nothing about a temple or where it might be. Maybe you should go to the library and check the book out.” 127

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Another shadow shifted and the rustle of papers hit his ears. So, they were looking through his pack. Thank God, he hadn’t written the new facts down anywhere. Maybe all those warnings Baz shot at him had sunk in without him realizing it. “We tried that, but somehow that entire personal collection of journals has disappeared.” Scar folded his arms in front of his chest and stared down at Kellan. “Imagine our surprise when we discovered them missing.” “No shit? Wow, that was quick,” he muttered. “Yes, it was, making my employer think there might’ve been something more than a small paragraph in those journals. My instinct, which is well-honed, tells me you know what we’re talking about and you’ll give it up to us eventually. You just need to figure out how much pain you wish to endure first.” “Take your best shot, bastard. I’m not saying a word.” Okay, so antagonizing the man holding his life in his hands might not have been a good idea, but Kellan wasn’t going to give up the information without making Scar work for it. Even if it meant Kellan received a beating in return. Scar shook his head. “Why must everyone prove how tough they are?” Turning, he gestured to someone beyond the light. Kellan took a deep breath, steadying his nerves and stomach. Whatever happened in the next few minutes was going to hurt, but he had to buy time until Baz got there. Baz had said he was coming, and Kellan chose to believe him. “Hang him from the hook.” Fuck, that didn’t sound promising. Two other men appeared and untied him from the chair, jerking him to his feet and dragging him over to the center of the room. His wrists were tied together 128

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and a thick chain threaded through the rope. One of the men pulled a large metal hook down from the ceiling and the other wrapped the chain around the hook. They lifted him up until he rested on the very tips of his toes. “I’m not going to lie to you since you’re such a smart man. This is going to hurt and only get worse until you tell my employer what he wants to know.” Scar stood in front of him and cracked his knuckles. Screwing up his courage, Kellan spit at the man. “Do your worse, asshole. I’ll take everything you dish out.” Scar’s eyes went flat, and Kellan steeled himself. This was going to fucking hurt. Should he close his eyes? Seeing the first punch might make him tense with anticipation, which could make it hurt even more. God, what was the right procedure for taking a beating? When the first punch landed, he gasped. Who had hit him? Scar stood in front of him, arms crossed, studying him like he was a particularly interesting bug under his microscope. “Your employer can’t do his own dirty work, huh, Scar?” The man’s eyebrow shot up and a slight grin tipped the corner of his mouth. “Scar? What am I? The bad guy in a Disney movie?” Totally unprepared for that comment, Kellan eyed the thug. “You actually know a Disney movie?” Scar shrugged. “My daughter watches them all the time.” Another blow landed, and Kellan rocked slightly on his toes. Damn, if they kept hitting him in the kidneys, he would be pissing blood for weeks once Baz saved him. “There’s something very creepy about you having children,” he gasped out. “Are you afraid to hurt your delicate little hands?” Without warning, Scar slammed his fist into Kellan’s stomach, 129

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and Kellan retched, wishing he could bend over to ease the pain, but that’s why they had hung him from the ceiling like a side of beef. Scar backhanded him causally once before stepping back. “We won’t be hitting you in the face. It’s hard for people to tell us what we want to know if their lips are swollen and their face is pulverized.” “Well, thank God for small favors then. Good to know you won’t mess up my good looks,” he muttered, working through the pain. Scar shook his head and a searing pain cut across Kellan’s back as he heard the crack of a whip. He cried out, not expecting that kind of pain. “If you’d just tell me what my employer wants to know.” Scar leaned forward and grinned at him. “He doesn’t have to be here because he knows I’ll eventually get what he wants from you.” Shit, should big, scarred thugs smell like baby powder? That random thought scurried across Kellan’s mind. “What’s he interested in knowing?” Kellan swayed in the cold air of the room, his back stinging, stomach and face aching. “Maybe we can reach a deal.” Scar didn’t answer, just twisted the front of Kellan’s shirt in his hand and yanked, ripping it from Kellan’s chest. “The only deal we’ll be reaching is you spilling your guts and us killing you quickly instead of letting you bleed out on the floor.” He shook his head. “You’re going to kill me anyway. There’s no incentive for me to tell you what I might know. You’re not a very good negotiator, Scar. You should always hold something back to give me a reason for telling you everything.” Tapping his knuckles against Kellan’s chin, Scar winked. 130

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“You’re a smart kid. You knew there wasn’t any way you were getting out of here alive. It’s just a matter of how you’ll suffer before we’re done.” Two quick strikes across his lower back made him scream and tears welled in his eyes. He bit his tongue to keep from begging for them to stop. It wouldn’t work, plus it would make whoever was wielding the whip proud of his ability to make a man snivel. Taking a deep breath, he calmed his heartbeat enough to meet Scar’s eyes. “He wants to know about the Earth Warriors.” A smug smile crossed Scar’s face, and Kellan knew the man was thinking Kellan had caved rather easily. “Yes, but he thinks you know where the Warriors’ temple is. That is really the information he needs.” “Yeah, because he’s a fucking crazy old man looking for a way to cheat death.” Kellan laughed harshly. “He must be unbelievably rich since I can’t see you working for a delusional man except for money.” Scar shrugged. “Money is the only reason to work for anyone. It can solve a lot of problems and since I have no conscience, I don’t mind doing his dirty work.” “That’s good because he’s probably so feeble, he couldn’t lift his arm to torture his victims.” Kellan’s body arched as the lash fell and fireworks went off behind his eyes when the overwhelming pain ricocheted through his nerve endings. Warm liquid trickled down his back informing Kellan that some of the welts were deep enough to slice flesh. He hoped Baz liked scars because he wasn’t going to get out of this without gaining a few. “It doesn’t matter. Enough of this chatter. Tell me where the temple is located.” 131

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Kellan closed his eyes and let his head hang forward. Oh, he knew he’d be telling them anything they wanted to know if Baz didn’t get there soon, but he was going to make them work for it. He had no idea how much time passed while the whip marked his back, but soon he moved in time with the lashes. A loud crash and shouting voices brought him from the place he’d gone to and, lifting his head, he blinked. Light flooded the room, no longer just from the single bulb. As his vision cleared, he spied Baz standing inside the door, gun trained on Scar. There were other men and shouts. Sounds of fighting reached his ears, but he didn’t look away from Baz and Scar. “So, Warrior, you’ve come to save him. I guess Sterling was right. The kid did know something far more important than the fact you exist.” Baz’s nostrils flared as rage burst in his eyes. Snarling, Baz gestured for Scar to move out of the way. “Get over to the wall.” “Why? You’re going to kill me anyway.” Scar whirled and, as the first crack of gunfire sounded, all the air fled Kellan’s lungs when something slammed into his chest. Glancing down, he saw blood begin to flow from the hole in his body. More gunfire and Scar slumped to the ground. Baz ignored the dead man as he leapt over him to embrace Kellan. Lifting him up, Baz took his weight while another man worked to get Kellan’s arms free. “It’s about time you showed up. What the hell took you so long?” Baz’s dark eyes held fear and guilt. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” the big man kept muttering. 132

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His arm felt like a dead weight, but he managed to lay his hand against Baz’s cheek. “You’re here now and that’s all that matters. You’re safe. I didn’t tell the bastards anything.” “Hush.” Baz took the pads of fabric that seemed to appear out of thin air and pressed them hard to Kellan’s chest. “The ambulance is on its way.” “One more thing.” He stared into those deep scared eyes and smiled. “I love you.” Darkness swamped him, and he willing gave in to it, running from the agony burning through him.

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CHAPTER 16 “No.” Baz gathered Kellan’s limp body in his arms. “No. No. Fucking hell, no!” His brothers cringed as his shouts ricocheted around the room. “You can’t fucking die, Kellan. I’m not going to let you. You’re not leaving me here alone. If you die on me, I’m going to kick your ass.” “Stop, Bastet.” Horus grabbed his shoulders, trying to get him to stop shaking Kellan. “You’re not helping him by shaking all his blood out of him.” “Horus!” Amum sounded annoyed. “Go help Anubis search the bodies.” “I was just pointing out…” Horus’s voice trailed off as he moved away. 134

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Amum knelt next to Baz, laying his hand on his arm. “The ambulance is on its way. Press this to his chest and help me bandage it, so we can get him outside.” He nodded. Having something to do kept his mind from shattering. He pressed one folded shirt to Kellan’s chest, while Amum shoved another pad to Kellan’s back. They wrapped a blanket as tightly as they could around him. “I’m going to kill Sterling.” It was a statement of fact. He would search out the heartless bastard and cut his heart out like he’d done to Baz. “We’ll figure out where he is and we’ll deal with him, but we’ll do it together, Bastet. No going rogue on this.” He glared at Thoth. “How would you feel if it was someone you loved who is dying in your arms?” “Don’t start with me. I’ve been where you are. I’ve held a woman I loved more than my life in my arms and watched her die, while I could do nothing to save her.” Thoth’s words struck Baz and he grimaced. He wanted to hold his brother to ease his sorrow. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that.” “Of course not. I don’t talk about it.” Thoth peered at Kellan’s face. “Just understand that I do know what you’re feeling.” Kellan moaned, and Baz froze, not wanting to cause his lover any more pain than he already was experiencing. His arms shook, hatred of Sterling and his men blazing in his heart. “He’s unconscious and that’s a good thing.” Thoth tapped the back of Baz’s head. Baz climbed to his feet, holding Kellan gently as he followed Amum out of the warehouse. Wetness soaked through his shirt. Glancing down, he saw the blood seeping from the bandages. “Amum, how far out is the ambulance?” 135

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His brothers gathered around him. He drew a deep breath, staring down at Kellan’s face and trying hard not to fall apart. Now wasn’t the time to have a breakdown. “It’s about five minutes out.” Amum motioned to the others. “You better get out of here. Bastet will accompany Kellan to the hospital. I’ll stay here and talk to the police.” “We’ll meet up at the hospital.” Thoth stroked his hand over Kellan’s hair before patting Baz’s shoulder. The others repeated Thoth’s gesture and headed toward the back of the warehouse. Baz appreciated their support. He had the terrible feeling he’d need them before the night was through. The ambulance’s arrival startled him as the siren wailed, bouncing through the empty streets and warehouses. He’d been studying Kellan, remembering Kellan’s last words. Gods, he’d never told Kellan how much he cared for him. Of course, they’d only met a few days ago. Love at first sight wasn’t real, or at least he’d never experienced it before looking into Kellan’s eyes. “Bastet, the paramedics need to look at Kellan,” Amum interrupted his thoughts. Blinking, he focused on the two men in front of him. He nodded, setting Kellan on the gurney they’d removed from the vehicle. Baz stood by Kellan’s head, staying out of the way of the EMTs while they worked to stabilize the man he loved. Why hadn’t he told Kellan he loved him? ::Because you never expected him to get shot.:: Isis’s comment drifted across Baz’s mind. ::I wasn’t fast enough to save him. They beat him, Isis. All because some crazy man fears death.:: ::It’s a fate we all share, Bastet, but there’ll time for that later. 136

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Center your thoughts on Kellan. He’ll sense them and your presence will ease him.:: “Sir, are you riding with us?” the older EMT asked as they started toward the emergency vehicle. “Yes.” He glanced around for Amum. Surrounded by police officers, his brother caught his gaze and nodded. “I’ll meet you at the hospital. I’ll go over what happened with the police first.” “Thank you.” Baz waited to climb in until after the EMTs loaded Kellan. He sat where he could see Kellan’s face, but stay out of the EMTs’ way. He sensed their urgency, even though their movements weren’t rushed or frantic. Asking how Kellan was rested on his tongue, but he didn’t want to know if the outcome was already decided. One of the paramedics—his badge read Juan—met Baz’s eyes. “I won’t lie to you, man. He’s bleeding out, and I don’t have the equipment to stop it. We’re barely managing to keep him stable.” Baz grimaced, images of other battles fought and other wounded bodies popped into his head. “I understand. Just do your best and I’ll pray it’s enough.” Juan smiled slightly and went back to work on Kellan. Baz slid his hand in his pocket, fingering the small cat statue he carried with him. His silent prayer melded with those of his brothers, and again he drew strength from them. More centuries than he wanted to count bound them together, and if Kellan died, they would have to pull him from the abyss. Continuing without Kellan wasn’t an option any more for Baz. Was this how Sekhmet felt at times? Like the weight of years bent his shoulders and crushed his soul? 137

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::Yes.:: Sekhmet’s voice startled him. ::Kellan will not die, Bastet. His destiny will take him on a different path.:: ::Have you seen this?:: Only emptiness greeted his question. He snorted silently. Just like Sekhmet to do a drive-by prophecy without explaining anything. Still, he’d cling to Sekhmet’s words because his brother was never wrong. The organized chaos at the hospital converged on them when they arrived. The doctors and nurses whisked Kellan off behind some doors, and Baz remained outside, longing to stay with him, but understanding he’d only be in the way. Another nurse escorted him to a waiting room where she handed him some forms to fill out. Thank the gods, he’d learned everything there was to know about Kellan when they figured out he could be important to their cause. He filled them out with a shaking hand, not his usual strong penmanship. He put down his name for family contact and billing information. It was the least he could do since it was his fault that he hadn’t gotten to Kellan any sooner. The receptionist smiled and told him a nurse would be down to take him up to the surgery waiting room. Standing by the windows, he stared out into the courtyard, not seeing anything except Kellan’s pale face and hearing his whispered words, “I love you.” What had he done to deserve the love of that man? Nothing but lie and involve him in things beyond his understanding. He rested his hand on the cold glass. “Come with me, sir.” Refocusing, he noticed Thoth and his other brothers standing 138

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around him with a nurse in the doorway. Amum strolled in with a police officer in tow. Baz didn’t argue as they all followed the nurse up to the surgery floor, where they crowded into the waiting room. His brothers wandered off, getting coffee or just chatting amongst themselves while the police officer questioned Baz. Amum stayed with him, feeding Baz the right answers via their mental link, so their stories would coordinate. “Well, that’s all I’ll need for now, Mr. Bakari. I’ve got your number along with Mr. Anhelos, if we need anything else.” The officer stood, tucked his notepad in his pocket, and said, “I’ll pray that your friend makes it.” “Thank you, officer.” Baz shook his hand, and Amum walked with the man to the door. “Here, have some coffee. It’s going to be a long night.” Thoth handed him a Styrofoam cup filled with steaming liquid. “I’m not sure my stomach can handle it.” He grimaced as he caught sight of his bloodstained shirt. “It’s going to suck sitting here with his blood all over me.” “That’s where I come in.” Horus stalked up, carrying a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. “I took the liberty of stopping at the hotel before coming here.” “Only you would think about clothes at a time like this.” There was no bite in Baz’s words. He took the hand Horus offered him and let him pull him to his feet. “You want to look your best when you get to see Kellan after his surgery.” Horus winked at him. “There’s a bathroom just down the corridor. You can clean up and change in there.” Letting Horus steer him down the hallway to the bathroom, Baz appreciated his brother’s optimistic outlook. He clung to the idea 139

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he would be seeing Kellan soon. He stopped in the doorway of the bathroom and looked at Horus. “When Kellan can leave the hospital, I’m taking him home.” Horus nodded. “Of course.” They both knew Baz didn’t mean Kellan’s home. He meant their home on the moors of Scotland, where they had moved centuries before, trying to draw attention away from the temple in Egypt. It was where their archives were stored. Maybe Kellan could start cataloguing it while he recovered. “You’ll have to discuss that with the others,” Horus pointed out before shoving Baz into the room and shutting the door. Baz stripped off his clothes and washed Kellan’s blood from his hands. After dressing, he stared at himself in the mirror over the sink. His dark eyes looked haunted and he cringed at the fear lurking beneath the surface. He slipped the statue of Bastet into his pants pocket before heading out to the room where his brothers hovered. He couldn’t fight the smile as he stood, watching the nurses studying the group of handsome men. Anubis and Thoth flirted shamelessly with the nurse at the desk, while Horus and Amum sat, heads together, talking about something. Baz figured their conversation was probably about him and his impending breakdown. He tightened his grip around the cat statue. No breaking down yet. Kellan still needed him to be strong, even if he wasn’t in the same room with his love. ::Find the chapel.:: All the others stood, so Baz knew Isis spoke to all of them. Anubis asked the young lady, and she gladly gave him directions. ::All of you must go.:: Baz didn’t want to risk not being around if the doctor came out to talk to him. 140

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::It will be some time before Kellan is out of surgery, Bastet. You’ll be back in the room by then.:: He nodded, even though Isis couldn’t see him. The five of them filed out, following Anubis as he led them to the chapel on the first floor of the hospital. Each of them picked a pew and knelt, resting their clasped hands on the pew in front of them and lowering their heads. ::There are no sacrifices to offer, though I believe enough of Kellan’s blood has been spilled to count. Each of you pray to your god or goddess. We have given up much in our service to them. It is time they give something back to us.:: Tension stiffened Baz’s shoulders. He’d never heard Isis sound like that. One didn’t demand anything from a deity. One could only ask and hope they answered. He’d never prayed in a Christian temple before. ::It doesn’t matter where you are when you pray, Bastet. It doesn’t matter what god the building belongs to. As long as your heart is pure and your wishes unselfish, they will hear you.:: Unselfish? There wasn’t any way his prayers would be unselfish. Baz wanted Kellan to live because he would dry up and wither away without him. There would be no point in living without the younger man in his life and bed. Baz closed his eyes and prayed like he’d never prayed before, petitioning his goddess for her intervention in the crisis going on at the hospital. Guide the surgeon’s hands to save Kellan’s life because, by saving him, you save me.

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CHAPTER 17 What the hell was that beeping? Kellan struggled to open his eyes. Was that his alarm clock? Was he late for class? Fuck. Why couldn’t he open his eyes? He tried to lift his arm and pain shot through his entire body, centering in his chest. Holy Christ! A whimper escaped his throat and he imagined swallowing burning embers wouldn’t hurt as bad. “Hush, love. It’s okay.” Why did that voice sound familiar? Frustration caused him to jerk, trying to sit up or to get his fucking body to move in some way that told him it was responding to his thoughts. “No, Kellan. Stop. Don’t tear open your stitches.” 142

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A warm, heavy hand rested on his shoulder and pressed down slightly. He stopped moving. The voice spoke to him softly, whispering in his ear as his heartbeat slowed and he rubbed his cheek over the top of the unknown hand. “How is Mr. Largant?” The cheery female voice shook him. He jumped slightly, not expecting to hear someone else. “He’s awake. Just having a problem adjusting to everything. I think his eyelids are stuck together.” “Quite possible. Here’s a cloth. Wipe his eyes carefully and he should be able to get them open.” Kellan sighed as the warm, moist cloth swiped over his face. For some reason, it was like a layer of weight was lifted from him. “Okay, love, try opening your eyes now.” His eyes popped open and he blinked up into a pair of beautiful dark eyes that he remembered staring into as his blood spilled from his chest. His hand shot to his chest and he cringed as he felt the heavy bandage wrapped around his shoulder and ribs. “How about a little bit of ice?” The rattle of ice in a glass made him glance over to where a nurse stood, holding a plastic glass. He nodded eagerly, as parched as the desert during a drought. Baz took the ice from her and dug a few chips out, spooning them into Kellan’s gaping mouth. God, he must look like a fledgling, unable to feed himself. Cold ice melted into cool water before trickling down his throat. He gestured to Baz for more. “Only a few more. We don’t want to make him sick.” Baz gave him a little smile, but listened to the nurse. Kellan didn’t care. He just wanted to be able to talk. He had to know what the hell happened to him. 143

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He sucked in a breath, getting ready to say something, and a fit of coughing hit him. Kellan’s eyes rolled in his head as the violent coughing spell caused pain to rocket through him. Baz laid a hand on the left side of Kellan’s chest while supporting his back. Kellan leaned forward, gasping for air and wrapping his fingers around Baz’s wrist. “Take it easy, Kellan, or I’m going to get kicked out of here,” Baz murmured in his ear. “Are you okay, Mr. Largant?” Nodding, he waved at the nurse. She shot him a narrow-eyed stare, like she was gauging his honesty. He was fine, even though it felt like there were knives carving pieces of his flesh from his back and thighs. “I’m going to get the doctor. Just make sure he doesn’t over do anything, Mr. Bakari.” “Yes, ma’am.” Kellan waited until she left the room before he twisted to place his lips on Baz’s. The older man moaned, but didn’t take the kiss any deeper. His restraint annoyed Kellan, and he gripped Baz’s shoulders, trying to bring him closer. Baz pulled away and shook his head. “Oh, no, sweetheart. We need to be careful, and you’re not ready for anything. Not for a while.” Falling back onto the mattress wasn’t an option because of his back, so he crossed his arms the best he could and pouted. A sudden thought hit him. “What the hell am I doing here? I thought I was dying.” “You were, but your surgeons are the best in the world. They managed to keep you alive long enough to stitch you up. Now we have to worry about infection, but at least you won’t bleed out.” 144

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Baz scrubbed his hand over his face, and Kellan saw the fear lying deep inside Baz’s eyes. “I’m sorry.” “For what?” Baz stared at him like he was crazy. “I wasn’t expecting Scar to shoot me. I figured I could last long enough for you to rescue me.” He shrugged, staring down at his hands. “I guess I was wrong.” “Hell, no.” Baz dropped to his knees next to the bed and clasped his hands, pressing them to his forehead. “It’s my fault. I didn’t shoot him fast enough. I should’ve known he’d try to shoot you, but I really thought he’d try taking me out first.” Arguing over whose fault it was struck Kellan as hilarious. He started laughing, causing Baz to rock back on his heels and eye him as if he was crazy. “I’m sorry. It just hit me we were arguing over whose fault it was I got shot. Scar was the bastard who shot me, so I’m laying all the blame on him.” He paused. “Well, not all of the blame. Some of it needs to go to the guy who hired him.” “Sterling.” Baz snarled. “How long have I been here?” He settled back against a pillow Baz shoved behind him. “You’ve been out for two days. The doctors told me it was okay since you lost so much blood. They’d start to worry if you didn’t regain consciousness after two days.” Baz put his hand on Kellan’s thigh. “You’ve been here since I was shot?” “I’m not leaving your side until you’re ready to go home. Then you’re coming home with me to Scotland.” “Scotland? You’re from Egypt, but you live in Scotland.” He didn’t know why that struck him as strange. 145

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“My brothers and I hid in the moors of Scotland from our enemies, keeping them from finding out our secrets.” Kellan watched Baz when he asked, “Brothers? How many do you have? What kind of secrets do you keep?” “I have six other brothers and our secrets are thousands of years old.” “Does it have anything to do with the Earth Warriors?” Uneasiness stole over him. Baz nodded. “Yes.” “Am I going to want to know who you really are?” Baz swallowed and picked at the sheet covering Kellan’s knee. “I’m not sure. I hope you still love me enough to listen before you throw my ass out of this room.” Kellan couldn’t help laughing. “Dude, look at me. Do you really think I’m up to tossing you out of my room?” “You wouldn’t have to do it physically. All you would have to do is order me and I’d leave.” Taking a deep breath, Kellan straightened his shoulders and steeled himself. “All right. Tell me.” “My brothers and I are the Earth Warriors spoken about in the book you read. We were cursed by our Egyptian deities to immortality for as long as the earth needs us.” Kellan stared, his mouth open like a fish. “You’re shitting me?” Baz cringed like he was hearing something other than Kellan. A thud sounded from the window, and Baz ducked. When Kellan glanced over at it, there was a bird perched on the ledge outside, pecking the glass with its beak. “Isn’t that a falcon?” He studied it for a second, and it tilted its head, looking back at him. “Why does it look familiar?” “Yes. It looks familiar because you’ve seen him before.” Baz 146

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stood, stalked over to the window and drew the curtain closed. “I have? When?” “The night I told you about why I talked to you.” “What’s he doing here? Is he following you around?” Kellan stopped. “We’ve gotten off topic here.” “Actually, no, we haven’t. That falcon is one of my brothers, Horus.” Kellan rolled his eyes. “Now you’re messing with me. How can a falcon be your brother?” Baz didn’t return to his seat on the bed. He paced from one end of the room to the other, rubbing the back of his neck. “Don’t you remember? When the deities granted the priest’s plea, they cursed their warriors with the ability to shift their shape.” “Wait a minute. Are you supposed to be telling me this? I mean, I can’t think you go around blabbing this secret all over the place.” Another thud hit the window. “No, I’m not supposed to tell you. That’s what Horus is trying to stop me from doing.” “What will happen now that you’ve told me your deepest darkest secrets? Will the world explode or will you disappear in a puff of smoke?” Baz chuckled. “Maybe if you believed me, it would, but since I can tell you think I’m completely crazy, breaking my oath doesn’t matter.” Kellan ran his fingers over the rough hospital blanket covering his legs. How did Baz know he was humoring him? What else could he do? It wasn’t like he had a drop-dead gorgeous man who fucked like a machine tell him he was over a thousand years old and could shape shift. Strange things like that didn’t happen to 147

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guys like Kellan. “Hey, who is your deity?” “Bastet.” Baz pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Kellan. Their fingers brushed and an electric shock danced along his arm, heading to his groin. Heck, if he wasn’t so loaded up on painkillers, he might have gotten an erection. He held the small cat statue up in the air, letting the light bounce off it. The black obsidian stone was highly polished, but it looked more like someone spent a lot of time running their fingers along the curves of the cat. Amber eyes gleamed at him and he juggled the little piece of stone when the cat winked at him. He tossed it back to Baz and rubbed his eyes. Damn. He needed to cut back on the drugs. They were making him see things. He gave Baz a narrow-eyed glance. “You wouldn’t happen to be a cat?” Baz ducked his head and that was the only answer Kellan needed. “You’ve been hanging around my backyard,” he accused. Holding up his hand, Baz countered, “You don’t believe I can change my shape. Why are you accusing me of something you don’t believe I can do?” Kellan waved away the question. “I’m high on painkillers, man. I have the right not to make sense. Show me.” “Change into a cat right here in the hospital? I’m already getting chewed out for talking to you. Imagine how my brothers are going to kick my ass if I shift in front of you.” Baz closed his eyes and sighed. “I’m sorry I even said anything to you.” “Why did you? Tell me, I mean. You could’ve fobbed me off with some lie and I wouldn’t have known any better.” “Because I’m fucking sick of lying to you,” Baz shouted. 148

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Kellan leaned back against the pillows and held up his hands. “Okay. Well, I guess I should be glad you’re done lying to me, but I’m still not sure I can believe you.” “See, that’s it. I knew you wouldn’t believe me. You’re an intellectual. You need proof, but I can’t change here. What if your nurse walks in and sees me? She catches me as a cat, I get carted off to the animal shelter, and I never hear the end of it when Horus comes to bail me out.” Baz froze, his head thrown back and eyes closed. What was going on? It was like Baz was about to have a breakdown, but something halted him right before he could really get started. “Fine. I’ll do it, but if he freaks out and I end up in the animal shelter, I blame you,” Baz muttered. “Who are you talking to?” Baz shook his head and, before Kellan’s unbelieving eyes, he shifted into a ragged, thin black alley cat. A rather familiar looking cat that sat in the middle of the hospital room, tail wrapped around his feet, staring at Kellan with a rather resigned expression. “Holy shit!” The door opened and the cat dashed into the bathroom as the nurse strolled in. Kellan watched the bathroom door shut before turning to look at the nurse. “Your doctor’s on his way up to check you out.” She looked around. “Where’s your handsome friend? Young man, you are a lucky guy. That man hasn’t left your side since you came in.” His chuckle was weak as he stared at the bathroom. Water ran, then Baz stepped out, fully clothed and no longer sporting fur. “Oh, there you are.” She winked and then sneezed. “Bless you.” Both of them spoke. 149

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She sneezed again and again. “Oh, my goodness, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say there was a cat in the room with us.” Kellan choked, and Baz turned to face the window, pressing his hand to his mouth with shoulders shaking.

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CHAPTER 18 Furious tapping sounded against the window. Baz didn’t make a move toward the curtains. He knew who it was since he also heard Horus’s voice in his head. ::What the hell are you doing, Bastet?:: ::Telling Kellan the truth.:: He shrugged. It was obvious what he was doing. ::You’re going to get us in trouble.:: Turning slightly so he could eavesdrop on the conversation Kellan and the nurse were having, he snorted silently. ::The only person getting in trouble will be me, and what’s the worst they can do to me?:: ::They can kill you, man, and take out the rest of us at the same time.:: 151

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He shook his head slightly. ::They won’t do that, Horus. You’re worried about nothing.:: ::You took an oath not to tell anyone about us, yet here you are spilling your guts to a nice piece of ass.:: Baz stiffened, a low growl rumbling in his throat. Kellan glanced over at him and he managed a pained smile. He didn’t want his lover to think his anger was focused on him. ::Kellan suffered torture because of us, Horus. He has every right to know why and who we are.:: ::It was because of his own curiosity that he came under scrutiny from Sterling. What do you think the deities are going to do, now that Kellan knows about us?:: ::All I know is he’s been through enough. Maybe they’ll wipe his memory clean of this whole adventure. Maybe they’ll ignore him like they have so many others.:: Baz rubbed his chest. ::All I know is I can’t ignore him. He’s everything to me and means more than an oath I took.:: Stunned silence met his declaration, and he winced at the thought of what might be going through the heads of the deities, and most of all, his patron goddess Bastet. He wouldn’t retract what he said. He meant every word of it and if his true feelings got him killed, then he didn’t care. Exhaustion hit him, bowing his shoulders and turning his legs into rubber. He stumbled to a chair and sank into it, bracing his hands on his knees and letting his head hang. “The doctor will be here in a few minutes, Mr. Largant.” The nurse patted Baz on the shoulder as she went past. He smiled weakly in acknowledgement. “Are you okay?” Kellan asked when she’d left the room. “I should ask you the same thing.” He glanced over at Kellan. 152

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“You’re the one who saw me transform into a cat.” Kellan smirked. “How do I know it was real and not the drugs I’m on?” “I’m not doing it again. I’m not some circus performer to shift at your whim.” Baz leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. “What do we do now? If I believe what you’re telling me is true.” “At the moment, my brothers and I will guard you. While one of us is here, the others will be planning how to go after Sterling. Also, I’ll see how the deities react to me breaking my oath.” “I can’t go home, can I?” Kellan’s voice held sadness. Opening his eyes, Baz met his lover’s gaze and shook his head. “I’m sorry. It isn’t safe for you to be on your own. Partly because of your wounds, but also because you know where our temple is located, and Sterling believes that with all his heart. You have a target on your back now.” “But—” Kellan protested. Baz held up his hand. “Don’t try to deny that you know. We took the journals from the library and read them on the way here. Somehow, whoever wrote the journals found the exact location of our temple and wrote it down. We’re hoping you were the only one who read them since they were donated.” Kellan frowned. “They were pretty dusty when I started reading them. Did you steal them?” Nodding, Baz stood and paced beside Kellan’s bed. “Yes. What else were we supposed to do, Kellan? We couldn’t risk letting another person find the information.” “That seems a little extreme, man.” “We didn’t burn them in a bonfire or anything, though some of my brothers think that’s the best way to get rid of the stuff.” 153

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Kellan gasped in horror. “You can’t burn books. That’s like Nazism or something.” He chuckled. “I know, which is why we don’t destroy them. We keep them in a private library at our estate in Scotland.” ::Holy shit! You’re going all out, aren’t you? No sense of selfpreservation left.:: They both looked up when Horus stormed into the room. “Okay, brother, that’s enough. Any more of this spilling your guts shit and we’re all going to turn into dust.” Horus crossed his arms in front of his chest and eyed Baz. “Oh, this is one of your brothers. Which one are you?” “He happens to be the pain in the ass bird that pounded on the window earlier. Kellan, meet my brother, Horus.” Baz introduced them. Kellan’s eyes lit up. “Wow…you can turn into a bird?” “A falcon. There’s a difference.” “You all have feathers and fly.” Baz dismissed Horus’s insulted statement. “Horus, this is Kellan Largant.” “I know who he is, Bastet. Thoth and the others are waiting for you down in the cafeteria.” He didn’t want to go and have a family meeting. The gleam in Horus’s eyes made him nervous. Leaving his lover with his brother didn’t sit well with him. He kissed Kellan’s cheek before grabbing Horus’s arm and dragging his brother out to the corridor. “Don’t frighten him,” he demanded. “Now would I do that?” Horus blinked innocently at him. Baz grabbed Horus by the throat and pinned him to the wall. “I mean it, Horus. Don’t you do anything to him. He’s been through enough, and I don’t want to lose him.” Horus glared at him, but didn’t say anything. 154

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“Let him go, Bastet.” Anubis strolled down the hallway. “I swear, if he does something to scare Kellan away or make him leave me, I’ll kill him.” “That won’t happen. Horus will mind his tongue, unlike you, I might add.” Baz let go of Horus and stepped back. After shoving Baz farther away, Horus rubbed his neck. “What the hell? I’m not the one who broke his promise. Do you really think I’m going to risk my life blabbing all about our group?” Horus gestured to the room where Kellan lay. “I know you like him, but you have other people to consider here. If something happens to you, what are we going to do? We need you to balance us out.” Baz shook his head and took off after Anubis. Balance meant everything to their brotherhood. It was the entire reason they existed—to help keep the world in balance—but he couldn’t do it anymore. He didn’t have the energy to spend his life watching out for other people. He’d lost interest in the world around him. All he knew was that Kellan made him laugh and care about things again. Kellan brought him alive, and he wasn’t going to let go of those feelings. They entered the cafeteria a few minutes later, and Baz spotted his other brothers gathered around a table in the corner. No one seemed to be paying them any attention. Anubis joined them, but Baz detoured to get a cup of coffee, trying to delay the inevitable. As he walked over to them, he studied the men he’d cared for during the centuries. Anubis, Thoth, and Amum still looked the same, though the weight of time and loneliness shone wearily in their eyes. “Isis and Sekhmet not joining in on the ass chewing?” he 155

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quipped as he sat next to Anubis. “Sekhmet is unavailable at the moment, though I’m sure he’ll voice his opinion if needed.” They all shot to their feet and whirled around. Isis strolled across the room toward them. When Isis appeared, it was almost like time stopped and his presence sucked all the air out of the room. Tall and blond, Isis would have made a beautiful woman, if he chose to dress like it. There was something very androgynous about him, but out of all of them, he was by far the most gorgeous. “I see you got bored with being a brunet,” Anubis commented, as Isis gestured for them to sit. “I often get bored with what I see in the mirror.” Isis’s voice held no accent and ran smoothly over Baz’s nerves, calming him without effort. “We’re here to discuss what to do about Kellan and Sterling, not my beauty habits.” Baz tensed, knowing what his brothers would say. “We know what must be done, Isis. Kellan’s mind must be wiped clean of all knowledge of us. After he gets out of the hospital, he’ll return to his life at Harvard, and we can continue our mission.” Amum shrugged. “Our deities will help us with that.” A protest tore at Baz’s throat. There was no way he’d allow the erasure of all the memories in Kellan’s mind. He wasn’t going to lose the man he’d fallen in love with. Isis laid a hand on Baz’s arm. “The gods have spoken, Amum. By allowing Kellan to survive the torture and surgery, the gods have shown their approval, or possibly their indifference. The fact they didn’t strike Bastet dead for telling Kellan the truth about us means something as well.” Baz wanted to believe, with all his heart, it meant they were happy with Kellan’s presence in his life. Yet he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe the gods weren’t interested in their lives anymore 156

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and hadn’t been in hundreds of years. “So we just welcome Kellan into the fold with open arms?” Frowning, Anubis leaned back in his chair. “I’m not sure that’s wise.” “It doesn’t matter what you think, Anubis.” Isis shot his brother a glare. “Kellan has been given approval by the gods.” ::Oh, I say he has.:: Horus’s amused thought hit them all at once. Baz was on his feet and racing toward the elevator with his brothers at his heels. The only one not in the car with them was Isis, but he had his own way of getting around. They made their way to Kellan’s hospital room sedately, trying not to be noticeably in a hurry. As they entered the room, they saw Horus bent over Kellan’s bed, staring at the man’s chest. Baz snarled, grabbed Horus’s shoulder, and jerked him away from Kellan. “Stay away from him.” “Whoa. Wait a minute.” Horus held his hands up. “You’ve got to see this.” Kellan tugged the sheet down farther, and all the brothers stared, except Isis, who folded his arms and rested a hip against the windowsill. “Does this mean I get to join the club?” Kellan joked. A large outline of a cat appeared burned into Kellan’s flesh between his pectoral muscles. Baz fought the urge to reach out and trace it. “Does it hurt?” He did stroke a hand over Kellan’s shoulder. “Nah. I didn’t even realize it was there until Horus pointed it out.” Kellan grabbed Baz’s hand to keep him from going after his brother. “It wasn’t like he was doing anything to me, Baz. I sat up 157

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and the sheet slid down. He noticed the cat’s ears.” “It looks like Bastet, at least, approves of you.” Isis shifted, drawing Kellan’s gaze. Kellan’s mouth dropped open and a spurt of jealousy hit Baz. He’d never felt that way about any of the people he cared for in the past. This time he wanted to cover Kellan up and demand the others leave the room. “Who are you?” “I’m Isis, one of Bastet’s brothers.” Isis bowed slightly. “You will be traveling with us to Scotland as soon as you are released from the hospital.” “But what about my degree?” Kellan clutched at Baz’s hand, obviously needing some reassurance. “You can transfer to the University of Edinburgh.” Baz glanced at Isis. “Seems like someone has it all figured out.” “Your suggestion of Kellan becoming our archivist was a good idea. Sekhmet and I discussed it and we believe Kellan will be a good addition to our group.” Isis smiled at Kellan. “I look forward to talking to you more later when you come to Scotland.” They blinked and Isis was gone. Baz sighed. Just like his brother to drop a bomb and leave, letting the others hash it out amongst themselves. “They decided?” Amum mumbled. “What are we? Children to be told what’s going to happen?” Grinning, Baz leaned forward to brush a kiss over Kellan’s cheek. “You’re coming to live with me. I know it’ll be a change, but are you willing to give it a try?” Kellan threaded his fingers through Baz’s hair and pulled him closer, to the point their lips touched. “I don’t have a choice. I’m 158

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quite fond of you, and it seems you’ll take my heart with me when you leave.” “But I’d leave mine behind in your care,” he whispered before inching closer and kissing Kellan like his very life depended on it.

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CHAPTER 19 Fingers drumming on the sheets, Kellan stared at the man sitting in the chair next to his bed, calmly reading a newspaper. “Which one are you?” Okay, so his attitude sucked, but he was bored, restless, and in pain. He’d been in the hospital for two weeks and he wanted out. The man folded the paper and set it in his lap, resting his hand on top of it. “I’m Anubis.” “Ah. If I remember my Egyptian deities, you would turn into a jackal, right?” Anubis tilted his head slightly, his dark blue eyes studying Kellan. “Something in your tone suggests you don’t believe we can shift our shape.” He shrugged. “Baz hasn’t changed for me since I first woke up. 160

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How do I know it wasn’t the drugs messing with my mind?” “Are you on any drugs right now?” Kellan shook his head. In a blink of his eye, a jackal’s head appeared where Anubis’s human head had been. Kellan gasped and stared at the man in front of him. Before he could get over the shock, Anubis returned to his former shape. “Wow,” Kellan mumbled. “So you’re Anubis and you turn into a jackal. Baz turns into a cat, which makes sense since Bastet is often depicted with a cat’s head. Horus is a falcon. Would Thoth be a hawk?” “Yes. Amum is a cheetah. Sekhmet is a lion, and Isis is a wolf.” “Cheetah makes sense,” Kellan muttered, “as does the lion, but why a wolf for Isis? She’s often shown as a woman wearing a head dress, a throne with cow horns, or a sycamore tree.” “What good does a throne with cow horns or a tree do when you’re in the middle of a battle? The goddess chose to give Isis a form that would help us when we had to fight, which throughout the centuries we’ve had to do quite frequently.” Anubis shuddered, settling his clothes back around him. “Do you believe now?” “I guess, but why hasn’t Baz shifted since the first time he showed me?” The raised eyebrow said that Kellan was crazy for asking the question. “It could be that you’ve been in the hospital for the past two weeks, which makes it difficult for us to keep our secrets if your nurses can wander in and out.” Anubis gathered the paper and stood, brushing the wrinkles from his suit. “Where’s Baz?” That was the real question he had wanted to 161

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ask from the beginning, but he didn’t want to seem needy. “Hmmm…I was wondering when you’d ask.” Anubis grinned and winked. “Shit. I’m pathetic, aren’t I?” He ducked his head and plucked at his blankets. He didn’t hear Anubis move, so he jumped when Anubis laid a hand on his shoulder. None of the other men touched him, aside from Baz. It was like they didn’t know what to do with him now that he’d joined their merry band. It was the first friendly gesture he’d gotten. “You’re not pathetic. My brother, Bastet, is the same, always eager to be with you instead of fulfilling his duties.” Anubis stroked a thumb over Kellan’s jaw. “So you’re not upset he told me and that I seem to be moving in with you all?” Anubis shrugged. “It doesn’t matter what I think or feel. The gods have spoken, along with Isis, and we tend not to challenge Isis when he speaks.” “Isis? He was the big blond who showed up with the rest of you when Horus discovered my brand?” Kellan remembered how his jaw had dropped at the sight of the gorgeous man. “Yes. He and Sekhmet are the oldest of us, and when one of them speaks, we tend to listen. They’re closest to our deities.” Anubis glanced at his watch. “Bastet should be arriving soon. He’s been arranging your move to Scotland, making sure your apartment is packed up and your classes switched over to the university at Edinburgh.” Kellan straightened as a thought hit him. “That Sterling guy won’t go after Mr. and Mrs. B., will he?” Anubis shook his head. “No, we’ve done our best to let Sterling 162

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know they and your friend, Marissa, had nothing to do with any of this. He’ll stay away from them.” Kellan relaxed as Anubis reassured him. It was important not to get his landlords in trouble with a psycho intent on finding the secret to immortality. It wasn’t their fault Kellan couldn’t keep his nose out of other people’s business. “What are you going to do about Sterling? Shouldn’t you go and teach him a lesson?” “At the moment, we’re falling back and regrouping. Maybe Sterling won’t try anything else. Maybe he’s just going to try something different. We’re prepared for whatever he chooses to do next, but he’s disappeared, and we want to get you to Scotland before we go in search of him.” Not meeting Anubis’s gaze, Kellan said, “What if I don’t want to go to Scotland?” “Why wouldn’t you want to go? You’ll be surrounded by five gorgeous men and ancient books full of Egyptian secrets. What more could you ask for?” Anubis smirked. “Only five? I thought there were seven of you.” “Oh, well, Isis and Sekhmet don’t spend much time with the rest of us.” Anubis shrugged. “How many books?” Kellan’s mind raced at the thought of that. “I should’ve known the books would get you more excited than the guys.” Baz strolled in, coat folded over his arm and a duffle bag in his other hand. “He seemed a little disappointed there wouldn’t be seven men at his beck-and-call in Scotland.” Anubis gave Baz a quick hug before leaving. “I’ll go grab Thoth and Horus. We’ll make sure the plane’s ready to go.” 163

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“Thanks.” Baz set his burdens down and came over to the bed, where he greeted Kellan with a long and deep kiss. By the time their lips parted, Kellan was flushed and panting. He whimpered when Baz pulled away to sit next to him on the bed. “Were you harassing Anubis about coming with us to Scotland?” Kellan rested his hand on Baz’s hard thigh, stroking his fingers along the seam of Baz’s pants. “Just a little. I mean I just met you and, suddenly, you’re whisking me off to Scotland where I’ll have all my dreams come true. It’s kind of got a fairy tale feel to it.” “I don’t remember any of the fairy tales I read involving torture and being shot, but, hell, I never did get the whole point of those stories.” Baz grinned. “Listen, it’ll take time to get used to it. I don’t want to leave you, so it’s either you come to Scotland with me and become our archivist, or we live in Cambridge, always looking over our shoulders for Sterling.” He stared into Baz’s dark eyes and saw all the emotions the older man never gave voice to—fear, rage, and an overwhelming love. It was all the things Baz didn’t say that convinced Kellan going with his lover to Scotland was the only thing he could do to make his world perfect. “When do we leave?” Relief shone in Baz’s eyes for a moment before the man smiled and squeezed Kellan’s hand. “As soon as the doctor gets here to give you your release papers. I’ve already told them you’d be getting the best care money can buy in Scotland while you’re recovering.” Baz stood and moved over to the bag he’d set on the chair. “I brought you a change of clothes and some shoes. The rest of your stuff has 164

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already been packed and is on its way to our home.” “Our home,” Kellan repeated. How long had he wished to hear another man say that to him? He just never thought he’d be shot and whipped before it happened. He held out a hand to Baz. “What can I do for you, love?” “Unless you’re willing to lock the door, I don’t think we can do what I really want here in the hospital.” Baz laughed and shook his finger at Kellan. “That isn’t something we’ll be doing until the doctors say you are completely healed. I won’t risk hurting you just to have a little relief.” “Ah…have a case of blue balls, do you?” He licked his lips and eyed the bulge in Baz’s pants. The low groan meeting his ears made him smile. Kellan glanced up to find Baz glaring at him. “What?” “Don’t tease me, Kellan. You’re not in any condition for me to do what I want to do to you.” Baz stalked to the bed and loomed over him, growling softly in his throat. “Trust me, the minute the doctor gives me the okay, you’ll be on your back with my cock in your ass faster than you’ll be able to blink.” Kellan’s cock filled at the memory of how it felt to have Baz fucking him. He moaned, and Baz’s evil grin told him the man knew exactly what he was doing to Kellan. The doctor bustled in, causing Baz to step back and out of the way. Within an hour, Kellan was dressed and wheeled out of the hospital to Baz’s waiting car. He didn’t protest as Baz helped him into the passenger seat and buckled his seatbelt for him. He hated the fact so little activity exhausted him. He sighed as Baz slipped behind the steering wheel. Baz reached over to cup his cheek in his hand and brush a 165

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quick kiss over his lips. “Don’t worry. It’ll get better. You just have to take it easy for a while. I think once we get you to our archives, you’ll be in heaven and won’t want to do anything for years, except go through all those books.” “I can think of one thing I’ll never get tired of doing, and that’s having sex with you.” He kissed Baz’s palm. “Good, since that’s the one thing I’m not going to stop.” Baz settled back in his seat and turned the car on. “Let’s get to the airport.” Nodding, Kellan closed his eyes, trusting in Baz to get them safely to where they needed to go. “How many books do you all have?” Baz snorted. “I have no idea. We started collecting them before the library at Alexandria burned. Some of them are the only copies in existence in the world. There are a lot of secrets in those books.” “Like where the Holy Grail is hidden?” Now that would be cool to discover. “It might be there, though my own opinion is that the Holy Grail isn’t what people think it is.” Baz laid his hand on Kellan’s thigh. “All sorts of secrets that you won’t be able to share with the world.” “Why not? Do you know how many people would love to have their questions answered? Like where was Atlantis really located? Does Bigfoot really exist?” “Atlantis was located in the Mediterranean Sea. I have no clue what Bigfoot is or if it exists. And no, people don’t want those questions answered because it would take away the mystery of it. Where is the magic if you know where Atlantis was or that it even really existed? People like to make up stories and believe those. I’ve found that reality can destroy the beauty of the unknown.” 166

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“You’re right.” Kellan paused. “Wait a minute. You know where Atlantis is.” He opened his eyes to stare at Baz. His lover shrugged. “I know where it was located for real. There are maps and scrolls documenting the Atlanteans’ presence, but I never met one or visited the island.” Kellan frowned and turned his gaze to look out the window. “It’s sad to think they’re all gone and no one will ever know the truth about them. Just speculation and legends.” “Oh, they aren’t gone. I know of two Atlanteans who survived.” Whipping his head around, Kellan gaped at Baz. “You’re kidding?” Baz shook his head. “No. I believe they live in Salem at the moment. Of course, I’ve never met them or talked to them. I just know that they’re still alive.” “I can’t believe it. Next you’ll be telling me the Easter Bunny and leprechauns are real.” He dropped his head in his hands and chuckled. “Don’t be ridiculous. There’s no such thing as the Easter Bunny.” His laughter caught in his throat when he realized Baz hadn’t denied the existence of leprechauns. Shit! “My little analytical brain can’t handle all this news.” Baz squeezed Kellan’s knee. “‘There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.’ Just remember that and you’ll survive your first days in our archives.” “Great, an ancient Egyptian warrior quoting Shakespeare.” He flopped back in his seat and winced as his back protested the movement. “Who knew that talking to a stranger on the bus stop 167

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bench would lead me to fall down the rabbit’s hole?” “It’ll get more marvelous before you become too blasé about the whole thing.” Baz patted his knee. “Why don’t you rest your eyes for a little bit? Traffic’s pretty heavy, so it’ll take us longer to get to the airport.” “Okay,” he murmured and closed his eyes again, trying not to think that each mile was bringing him closer to the biggest move of his life. Baz shook him awake what seemed a minute later, and he blinked, focusing on his lover leaning over him to unhook his seatbelt. Without thinking, he brought their lips together in a deep kiss, swiping his tongue into Baz’s mouth and stroking Baz’s teeth. “Stop it, you two. God, I can only be glad that Kellan’s still too beat up for you to join the Mile High Club.” They broke apart, and Baz glared at Horus, who stood behind them with a smirk on his handsome face. Kellan’s cheeks warmed and he flipped Horus the finger as Baz helped him out of the car. Horus grabbed their bags from the trunk and led the way through the airport to where private flights checked in. Kellan followed slowly, resting some of his weight on Baz’s arm wrapped around his waist. Checking in went quickly, giving him no time to second-guess his decision. Soon they made their way up the stairs to the cabin of the jet. The others were already there, sitting and chatting amongst themselves. The brothers nodded at him, but didn’t give away any of their thoughts on his joining their little band. Kellan took a seat across the aisle from Anubis and hooked his seatbelt again. Baz helped Horus store their luggage before taking his place next to Kellan. He stared out the window as the jet taxied down the runaway, the buildings getting smaller. He pressed his 168

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hand to the glass for a second. “Are you regretting coming with me?” Baz asked softly in his ear. Turning, he touched his cool hand to Baz’s warm skin and shook his head. “All I need is right here in my hand. Everything else is details.” Love shone in Baz’s eyes, and Kellan knew that he was about to take off on the adventure of a lifetime with the man.

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EPILOGUE Standing in the highest room of the manor, Isis watched as Baz helped Kellan from the car and up the steps. He smiled at the laughter drifting in on the brisk Scottish breeze. All of his comrades sounded happy for a change. A pair of strong tanned arms encircled his waist and he shifted his weight to rest against the man standing behind him. “One down and four more to go,” Sekhmet muttered in his ear. “Isn’t Cupid a Greek legend?” He chuckled. “Yes, but sometimes he needs help, and who better to encourage love than someone who knows these men.” “You know them better than they know themselves.” Sekhmet nuzzled the soft spot behind Isis’s ear. “I’ve had centuries to learn them. It’s time they all find joy in 170

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their lives instead of duty and loneliness. It’s time the gods gave us something back for all our service.” Isis turned to slip his arms up around Sekhmet’s shoulders. He tilted his head, giving his lover access to his neck and shuddered as Sekhmet scraped his teeth along Isis’s jugular. “One would never know you were such a romantic at heart, sweetheart.” He didn’t think he was, just knew that living forever only got easier when someone else held your heart and gave you theirs in return. He sighed silently as Sekhmet broke from their embrace and took his hand, leading him back to their bed. Staring at the man he loved, Isis’s heart broke a little. Sekhmet cared for Isis deeply, he knew that, but there had been no words of love between them. Sekhmet came and went, never giving any notice about when he would return, leaving Isis wondering if he’d ever see the man again. Yes, he had fought to allow Kellan to become a part of their group when he saw how much Bastet loved the human. It wasn’t an option to wipe Kellan’s memories and destroy his brother’s world. It was worth any price Isis had to pay and he would, if he were ever asked. Baz’s time with Kellan would be limited by the mortal’s lifespan anyway. Sekhmet crawled onto the bed and held out a hand. “We should join them,” Isis protested, but he put his hand in Sekhmet’s, allowing the other man to pull him down on top of him. “I won’t be joining them, and they don’t know you are here.” He frowned, but wiped it off his face before Sekhmet saw it. It had been several years since Sekhmet had spent any time with any of the warriors except Isis. “Our brothers miss you,” he murmured, arching his back as 171

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Sekhmet sucked on one of his nipples. Sekhmet grunted and that was the last of the discussion as Isis lost himself in the arms of his lover. Two hours later, he jerked awake, aware within seconds of his solitary occupation of the room. Sekhmet had left again, without warning or a note. Isis shoved his hair out of his face and stood. He heard a door slam, reminding him that the others had returned to their estate. Time to get dressed and greet them. In addition, he had to decide which one of the four remaining brothers was ripe for love. Maybe Anubis. The cold, shut-down warrior needed someone to shake up his organized life. After getting dressed, Isis went downstairs and paused in the living room where his band of brothers gathered with Kellan, staring at the TV. A picture of Sterling on the screen drew his attention. “Billionaire Gaston Sterling was found dead in his New York penthouse early this morning. An autopsy will be needed to confirm cause of death, though rumors are circulating that it was murder and Sterling had been poisoned.” ::The venom of the asp is a potent thing, my love.:: Sekhmet’s voice danced in his mind.

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T. A. CHASE

T. A. Chase lives a life without boundaries. Being fascinated by life and how different we all are, he writes about the things that make us unique. He finds beauty in all kinds of love and enjoys sharing those insights. He lives in the Midwest with his partner of twelve years. When he isn’t writing, he’s watching movies, reading and living life to the fullest. *

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Don’t miss Freaks In Love by T. A. Chase, available at AmberAllure.com! James lives in Triad City, working for the West Side Crime Association and hiding a secret that could get him killed. When his boss and the other associations’ leaders are assassinated, James has no choice but to return to the one place he never wanted to see again—Freak Town. Yet saving the life of the one friend he has in Triad City might be worth risking it all. Magpie can’t believe he’s been shot and his boss assassinated. Waking up shortly afterward, he discovers he’s in Freak Town where all the mutants live. Nuclear radiation from the war has changed some people into creatures. Wigging out because his

friend, James, is one of the Freaks seems sensible to Magpie. Falling in love doesn’t. Together, the two men must find a way to survive the revolution being planned by the Freaks. Getting out of Triad City is the only way, but will Magpie stand beside James to save himself? Or will he lose his heart to a Freak, proving that the heart loves where it wants instead of where it’s wise?

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