Death and Desire (Love in Cairo #1)

Chapter Eleven

D arkness surrounded her with a thick veil of midnight smoke. Violet held her ground, even as her legs threatened to give out beneath her.

“What the...” The thieves looked at each other in confusion before they too were engulfed by the strange substance.

It swirled around them, thick as a river’s current, but the force barely ruffled her hair. A gentle breeze brushed her cheek, soft as a lover’s caress, as they were all plunged into darkness.

Choked screams echoed in the maelstrom, followed by silence. Slowly, the shadows receded, and sunlight pierced the hazy fog surrounding her.

Violet blinked, her eyes adjusting to the shifting light. She jumped at the sight of her three attackers on the stone at her feet. She shoved the tip of her shoe into the burly man’s arm, but there was no response.

Are they dead? She swallowed bile building in the back of her throat.

“Not dead, although they deserve to be.”

The dread flowing through her spiked at the sound of his voice. When she looked up, the last vestiges of spiraling shadows centered around Khalid as he stepped closer to survey the unconscious men lying in the alley. His unreadable expression was fixed in contemplation.

“You saved me. Again.”

Khalid’s dark eyes met hers, flashing gold in a narrow shaft of sunlight. “Did you think I would abandon you?”

“Well...no...I mean, I hoped...but after...” She sighed, unable to form words into a coherent explanation. She remembered how she’d treated him, her anger at his invasion of her mind, her personal sphere. And yet, somehow, she’d known he wouldn’t be far out of reach should she need him. How could she show gratitude without looking foolish? Thankfully, he saved her the effort.

“Come then.” He extended his hand toward the mouth of the alley. “Let us return to your friends.”

She stepped over the defeated thieves and past Khalid. His scent, warm and inviting, threaded with spice, wafted around her. He wore the dark suit he favored in this form. Anyone passing him on the street would see a protector, a man not to be trifled with. But now, in the light of day, after everything he’ revealed, it was difficult not to see the powerful immortal beneath the human facade.

Violet quickened her pace as he fell into step behind her. Her skin prickled with awareness of his presence. Every breath caught in her chest as they wove through the maze of buildings.

Finally, she stopped.

He came alongside her. “Is something wrong?”

She studied his face, searching for a trace of condescension for her reckless behavior, but he remained neutral, as if carved from stone.

Violet frowned.

“Perhaps you should lead the way,” she said, pushing aside her nagging questions. “I lose all sense of direction here.”

Khalid inclined his head and took the lead.

Speak your mind. The soothing cadence of his voice filled the overflowing cavern of her mind.

Violet huffed. I told you not to read my thoughts.

I do not have to read your thoughts to know what plagues them.

With a scoff, she crossed her arms and scowled at his broad back. He turned to the left, leading her down a vaguely familiar street. The lively sounds of conversation and laughter drifted through the air, growing louder with each step. The bazaar was just ahead.

Before they reached the market, Khalid stopped, blocking her path. Slowly, he turned.

Biting her lip, she stifled the words rising to her lips, his intimidating gaze pinning her in place.

“While you are in Egypt, you are under my protection. No harm will come to you. This is my vow.” His eyes darkened. “But from this point forward, I will not allow you to place yourself in danger.”

Fury replaced the conflicting emotions curling in her chest. Part of her wanted to push back, tell him she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but it was obviously a lie considering the events of the past thirty minutes. She snapped her mouth closed and glared at him, carefully choosing a defense. Nothing came.

He was her defense. Her protector. As much as it pained her to admit it, she could embrace his aid or she could fight it. Both would prove a struggle, but which would grant her the most freedom?

“Must everything be a demand from you?” she asked, shifting the topic from her behavior to his.

“Must you fight me every step of the way?”

Toe to toe, each held their ground, locked in thick tension, a battle of wills.

Inhaling a deep breath, Violet wrangled her composure. “If we are to continue in this manner, I propose an accord.”

Khalid straightened, folding his arms across his chest. “Your terms?”

“ Ask me. Do not demand. I’m not a disobedient child to be chided or a dog to be led on a leash.”

The corner of his mouth twitched. “Very well.”

“I will allow your company if you promise not to enter my mind without permission.”

“A reasonable request.” He nodded. “If you wish to converse in that manner, say my name...my true name.”

Anubis. The moment the name crossed her mind, she felt his gentle caress against her senses.

Violet swayed, her heart beating faster. “Absolutely none of whatever that was.”

He shrugged.

“Oh, and one final request.” She attempted to sound confident. “Do not tell anyone what just transpired. My...lapse in judgment remains between us.”

“Of course.” Khalid inclined his head in acknowledgment.

Violet held out her hand. “Then we have an agreement.”

His hand engulfed hers. Sparks ignited beneath her skin at the contact, similar to the night they’d met on the dance floor. Knowing who he was— what he was—made the simple handshake more powerful. He was a god. An immortal in human form.

What in the devil was she thinking?

A soft brush of silk caressed her ankles. Violet jumped, dropping Khalid’s hand. She glared at the feline intruder.

“You again?” She scowled, dropping down to gather the cat in her arms. It went willingly, nestling into her chest and purring loudly. “This is all your fault, you know,” she murmured.

A low growl emanated from the man next to her. Violet pulled her gaze from the cat and laughed at the visible dislike etched on Khalid’s face. Not a scowl so much as an expression of passionate distaste.

“Ah, yes, cats and the Netherworld. I remember now.” Violet allowed herself a chuckle at his obvious discomfort. “Not a fan of the feline persuasion, are you?”

“We should return to your friends.” Khalid turned his back on her and entered the bazaar.

Violet marveled at the dramatic shift in his demeanor. She scratched behind the cat’s ears and cradled it to her chest as she followed him. For a creature so...even-tempered, seeing such a strong emotional reaction from him left her stunned. She wondered what other emotions he buried beneath the surface. In revealing one, he revealed a depth beneath his calm exterior—one she now longed to explore more thoroughly.

They wove quickly through the crowd. Ahead, Violet spotted David’s familiar brown mop of hair. Beside him stood Isaac and a bewildered Dina. She lifted her arm and waved. Dina spotted her first, and her confusion melted into relief.

Khalid stood beside her when they reached the trio.

“Where in the devil did you disappear to?” Isaac whirled on her. He raked a hand through his tousled hair. “We thought...well, it doesn’t matter what we thought. Good thing Khalid found you.”

“I made a new friend,” Violet said by way of excuse. “She led me down an alley, and I got turned around.”

“Hello, sweet thing.” Isaac gathered the cat into his arms before glaring at her. “I’m glad you’re all right. Father would have been furious if something happened to you.”

“Then it’s good he hired Khalid to protect me, isn’t it?” She glanced up at her bodyguard, a god masquerading as a man, and nearly snorted with laughter. “No one in their right mind would dare cross him.”

His unamused stare made her breath catch, and the laugh died in her throat.

“Shall we return to the hotel and have lunch? I’m famished,” Dina suggested, taking the lead.

“As am I,” David said.

“A wonderful idea.” Violet took Dina’s arm. “Let’s go.”

“Would you like to pet her?” Isaac asked, holding the cat up to Khalid.

“Absolutely not.” He gritted his teeth and pushed forward, leading the way.

Violet could have sworn she heard him grumble beneath his breath. It seemed her fearless protector had a weakness after all. His intense dislike for cats showed a break in his curated mask. Perhaps there was a heart beating inside his chest and not a block of stone marred by time and death.

In her mind, an image of Anubis holding a black cat in his oversized arms painted an absolutely ridiculous portrait. She stifled a laugh behind her hand, earning herself a warning glare from Khalid. She smothered her amusement, but it left her with questions about his past, about his purpose. Why was the god of the dead protecting her, a mortal?

With their tenuous truce now in place, she had an opportunity to explore him more thoroughly, as well as the unchecked riot of emotions taking flight inside her like butterflies in an English garden. Careful , her conscience warned her. What could an ancient deity offer a woman of flesh and blood but heartache and sorrow?