Page 14 of Fortune's Favor

“Do you have the onyx necklace that I gave you on?” She asks him and he nods slowly. “Good. There is something else you must do. You’ll know it when you see it but don’t let it disturb us or we might lose focus and that would be deadly for Gypsy.”

He nods and stations himself by the table, his arms crossed over his chest.

Artemis grins and then she sighs, her eyes closing. A chill creeps through the room and the shadows become darker, deeper, deadlier. A soft hissing, raspy sound comes out of that darkness and I feel Gypsy tense but she doesn’t let go of me and I hold her hand tighter, focusing all my strength on her. Sherelaxes but I can still feel her fear and Artemis says, “Let go of it or she can’t find her way out to him, Gypsy. She needs a strong conduit. And you do too or you’ll be sucked into this as well.”

She nods her head and then relaxes even more. I feel her hand soften in mine but I just grip it tighter.

Artemis holds mine tighter and then she sighs. “You’ve come to the wrong vessel, Priestess. You’re supposed to be at peace with your lover in heaven. Up high on Olympus with the Gods and your lover.”

A soft, wavering glow builds up in Gypsy’s hand and then it rises until it’s above her head. A woman’s form comes into focus behind her, wearing a long white gown and with coils of dark hair and smudged eyeliner around her black eyes. “Where is he then? I’ve searched for him so long. That’s why I took this vessel. So I could finally find him and make him mine. For all eternity. We’ve been apart too long.” Sorrow tinges her words and tears run down her pale cheeks. “Help me find him.”

A sobbing gasp comes from Gypsy and I tug at her fingers, fear rising. Something’s coming. I feel it.

Something slithers behind Gypsy’s chair and I almost cringe. I’m not a fan of snakes and the one rising behind her is enormous. Easily nine feet tall. Gypsy’s cheeks are pale and her eyes are open, staring into nothingness.

I want to scream at Artemis to stop. Something’s wrong!

But the Chief is here and he’s watching and saying nothing. So maybe I’m over-reacting.

The sliding glass door bangs and then breaks and the winds outside pour inside. Leaves and broken branches litter the floor and the air all around us. Artemis and Gypsy’s long hair twirls around their heads and the cobra opens its hood behind Gypsy, its red-rimmed eyes fixed on her slender body. I can feel some kind of pull that has her hand loosening.

“Get away from her, you freak,” I growl, holding the gems and her hand tightly. I can feel the raw stones cutting into my palms and I’m probably bleeding but I don’t give a damn.

The cobra hisses and its eyes dart to me. Artemis shakes her head and mouthsnot yet.

Every instinct in me is saying to grab her and run. Run as far and as fast as we can to get away from this thing.

But it will keep coming. And I refuse to allow her to live in fear for the rest of her life. So I settle and sit back, huffing.

Another shadow separates itself from the darkness and I blink. Rain lashes at me and I blink again. Surely that’s not….

But the Chief howls and lunges at the guy with eyeliner around his eyes, muttering in some weird language as his red-hot eyes burn into me.

The two of them fight and I see the dagger in the guy’s hand, gulping when I see the snake on the handle.

The guy who stabbed Gypsy. He’s come back. And this time he wants us all.

Chapter Twelve

GYPSY

Whimpering, I fight the darkness around me. Wind and rain lash at my clothes and I can feel them but I can’t see a thing.

Except for her. She’s beautiful. Pale, soft skin and a quirk of her red lips. Long, dusky coils of hair drawn up on her head in an elaborate twist and golden serpents coiled around her hair and her throat and arms.

“He thinks that you’re me because I’ve been using your power to draw him out. We share a bloodline, sister. That’s why it’s so easy for him to hear me calling from you.”

“So go to him. He wants you not me.”

Her fingers come up to wrap in a coil of dark hair. “He wants us both now.”

“I’m not his.” I shake my head.

“No, you belong to this other man who holds your hand and fights forces he cannot win against.”

“Love is a force that’s hard to beat.”

“But do you know if he really loves you.”

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