Read Online Armageddon (Angelbound) by Christina Bauer - Free Book Online Page B

better knowing that one of us is with him.”
    Lincoln kisses me gently on the forehead. “Be safe.” He steps toward the door, pauses, and then turns to Anubis. “If this scheme of yours hurts my wife in any way, I will hunt you down and destroy you utterly. Do we understand each other?”
    Anubis chuckles, but there’s no humor in his laugh. “Yes, I do, actually.” When he next speaks, his voice comes out as barely a whisper. “I know what it’s like to feel so strongly for a woman.”
    My heart goes out to the guy, er, demigod. He really has it bad for Nefer. Turning on my heel, I march down the hall, waving for Anubis to follow me. “Come on, buddy. Let’s go find your girl.”
    # # #
    Once again, I summon my dream-version of Purgatory’s Arena. This time, making the connection with Nefer is easy-peasy. Within seconds, she stands in my virtual stadium. Kiya sits on her shoulder, his yellow eyes glowing with an inner light.
    “It’s a pleasure to see you again,” says Nefer.
    “Same here.”
    “Not sure why you summoned me, however. I’m afraid I’ve nothing new to tell you.”
    “No worries.” I shrug. “I didn’t summon you to talk.”
    Nefer’s pulse starts pumping so hard, the veins in her neck throb. “Then, why am I here?” Based on the fact that she’s about to go into cardiac arrest, I think Nefer knows exactly why I summoned her.
    “One guess, Nefer.”
    The earth rolls and buckles beneath our feet. Then, it bursts apart. A circular wall rises from the broken ground to enclose Nefer and me. Just like before, the round structure is made from a shifting fabric of slithering vines. A section of the wall pulls apart, reminding me of curtains parting on a stage. Anubis races through the new opening, stopping only when he stands right before Nefer. They stare at each other, their mutual energy filling the air.
    Damn, these two need a room.
    I rub my palms together. “My work is done. When I leave, you two can hang out here as long as you want. Whenever you’re ready for the dreamscape to end, just wake up your real-selves.”
    “Please don’t go yet,” says Nefer quickly.
    Anubis looks like someone kicked him in the gut. Suddenly, I’d rather be anywhere else than here. “Actually, I need to vamoose.”
    Nefer pins me with her big blue watery eyes. “Please, Great Scala. Don’t leave me alone.”
    “He’s not going to hurt you.”
    “He could.” She’s totally grasping at straws now. “People get injured in dreamscapes all the time.”
    “True, but we all know that won’t happen.”
    “Please.” Her teary face makes my pity-meter go into overload. Damn, I’m such a sucker.
    “Fine, I’ll stay. Two minutes, that’s what I promised Anubis.”
    “Thank you,” says Nefer.
    Anubis’s mouth trembles with disbelief. “Why don’t you want to be alone with me?”
    Nefer shrugs. “There’s nothing new to say.”
    “But there is a new way to say it.” He steps closer, invading Nefer’s personal space. “I haven’t touched a woman in two hundred years. Not since you.”
    Nefer sets her hand on Anubis’s chest. I can see his heart rate skyrocket from here. “Anu, this is exactly why I wanted the Great Scala to stay.” She starts staring at his lips like it’s her job. “You know I can’t control myself around you.”
    Anubis’s mouth winds into a sultry smile. He really is way too attractive to be stuck watching the doorway to Hell. “Is that such a bad thing? I don’t remember any complaints before.” He leans in closer.
    I raise my hand. “And this is me leaving.”
    Nefer rushes to my side. “Please, stay. I’m begging you.” She fixes me again with her big blue eyes, all watery and overwhelmed. “Keep your distance, Anu. Please.”
    Anubis gives his kicked-in-the-balls face again, but he stays away from Nefer. The man had a plan, and the lust demon in me admires anyone who tries to use seduction to get what they want. But ultimately, his plan failed.