Unleashed (Guardians of Anubis - Book 1)

10 Chapter 8

Dage started to run, picking up her sweet scent amidst the stenches that drifted and clogged up Brown. Following it, he came to where it started to disappear.

Brown City Park, he read the steel placard hanging crooked on a rotting pole. He looked around not understanding why her scent would end up in the park. The park was filthy with overgrown grass, shrubs and trees. Overturned and overflowing bins dotted the area. Homeless people and drug addicts lived there and slept on old wooden benches.

She hadn’t looked homeless, Dage thought. He remembered her radiance and the clothes she had worn. She was very beautiful and alluring. He hadn’t been able to resist her.    

 Dage walked around the park following her scent, coming to a stop where it went cold. He looked around not sure how her scent could disappear there. He stood face to face with a statue of a sphinx. Its arms were outspread as though in welcome. The grey stone of the statue was luminous, and it rippled like a shimmering curtain.

 His beast rose slightly pushing him forward. It was seeing a world he couldn’t see. With Mafka, Dage had travelled far and wide, but he’d never seen anything like this. And he didn’t know if he could trust it. The walls and chains of Otome were still fresh in his mind. He trusted nothing in this world.

The beast calmly receded. It was complacent within him, giving him time to adjust to everything that was happening around him. Something it hasn’t done before, until her. Dage stared at the statue. Curiously he extended his right hand, and he watched his fingers disappeared through the stone.

The need to be with her suddenly became intense. It was now or never. Giving his beast free reign he let it guide him to her. 

Zaya was in a panic. That look in his eyes when she had walked to the door of the basement had been piercing. He had looked deep within her, and probed. He’d been searching for something: knowledge, the reasons behind their connections, anything to explain the need that churned within him. And that was reason enough to push him to come for her.  

Zaya rushed blindly through the secret door that led into the voluminous black walls of Kemet.

The castle was built to resemble a flat pyramid that was surrounded by a defensive wall. Inside there was a courtyard full of tall marble pillars that created passageways flanked by gardens. But instead of the dreary brown stone typical of Egyptian Pyramids the outside walls of Kemet were constructed from a black stone found only in their kingdom. It was a sturdy and glossy rock that withstood the weathering effects of time by absorbing moisture from the environment and producing a gooey like substance on the surface that crystalized to form its glossy appearance.  The inside walls of Kemet were painted in a rainbow of colours that a lent a different atmosphere to every room. Its beauty never failed to take Zaya’s breath away. She was proud of her home. But tonight there wasn’t any pleasure to be had at the sight of it, as she thought of the mess she had made. It was a mess even she couldn’t fix it.   

This was bad. Where will she go? Where would she hide?

Oh Anubis! What have I done? She’ll never out run him for long. He’ll find her anywhere.

“Zaya, there you are,” Mondune said as a form of greeting.  Zaya gasped in surprise as he appeared out of nowhere. In her haste she’d walked into the middle of something unaware. She blinked taking in her surroundings. She was standing in the great hall. Lit candles were strategically placed, creating a warm glow that vibrated with magick. Usually candles in the castle were used when the magi and warlocks wanted to channel magick. Zaya frantically cast her eyes around her. What was going on? The answer came to her in waves of shock.

Mondune seemed was to be holding court; some of the members of the high council were present, sitting in a semi-circle facing the empty throne – a chair made of gold and decorated with scarab shaped rubies. Behind it stood two human-size statues of Anubis holding the divine sceptre.

Their presence could only mean one thing. This night couldn’t get any worse, Zaya thought, wishing to be anywhere else but here.

Mal appeared with a silk robe that Mondune kept in the hallway closet for moments like these.

Zaya looked at her human clothes and the disapproving eyes of the members of the high council. She blanched and reached for the proffered robe. Mal bowed low and took his leave.

 “We’ve been waiting for you.” Mondune came to a stop in front her. His eyes took her in missing nothing. His brotherly concern showed on his strong face. “There is much to discuss concerning the fate of Kemet. But perhaps that can wait until you clean up.”

“Clean up?”  

 “You have plaster all over you. Where have you been?”

Zaya bit her tongue nervously. This was not happening. Mondune could not know what she’s been up to. Worse thing was Zaya couldn’t lie to save her life. As she tried to think of something to say, Nila walked into the great hall carrying one of the large volumes containing the history of the guardians. She seemed to be sifting through the book by touch, utterly absorbed in her task.

 Zaya hoped she’ll see how distressed she was. Mondune couldn’t know she’d gone searching for her brother, released her lure, met up with a demon and got herself mated in the process.  

“Did you find it?” Nila asked not looking up from the book. Zaya breathed a sigh of relief.

“No,” Zaya played along.

“I told you so. It’s a mess down in the dungeon. It’s not as it used to be when we were kids,” Nila continued.

“What were you looking for down there?” Mondune asked surprised.

Zaya bit her lip. She tried to think of something and nothing came. Goodness, she couldn’t lie.