Page 56 of Feline Good

Maya rushed forward at the same time her men did, in time for Kyril to jerk the blade from her body, a sickening sound echoing around the marble. The guys caught Sekhmet before she hit the ground, but Maya turned on Kyril faster than he could blink. Before he could even recognize she was moving, she’d chambered her leg and kicked high, slamming her heel into his chin. Just like that, he was out. He hit the floor like a dead weight at the same time a bright light flashed behind her.

Whirling, she came face to face with the god she’d seen in her vision.

“Who the hell is killing my goddess?”

It was none other than Ra.

Chapter Fourteen

Maya froze. The raw power that tingled across her skin when Ra appeared raised goosebumps on her arms. Hell, across her whole body.

His entire being was raw, unmitigated power. It was in the way he stood, well over six foot tall, with dark eyes that said he could make or break someone with the snap of his fingers. Maya didn’t want to be that someone.

However, she had to do a double take, as he had changed over the centuries. If Maya had not felt the power tickling across her skin in a dangerous warning, she would have thought he was just another surfer guy. Not that she had seen many in her life, but he looked like what she imagined to be the epitome of a wave rider.

His long, dark hair twisted into dreads, his dark, tanned skin, beautifully kissed by the sun— naturally. His chest was bare, his lower half covered by a half zipped wetsuit. It was almost as if he’d been plucked right off a beach and planted here. Actually, as he shook his head and sand granules pattered the floor in a soft sound, Maya mused that was probably exactly what happened. His ears were decorated with inch-wide gauges, and his chest was tattooed with an Egyptian style collar, calling to the modern culture as well as paying respects to his own.

It was only after she stared for far too long that she realized it was silent in the room, aside from Sekhmet’s wet whimpers. Her gaze jerked to the goddess, and Maya’s heart lurched at the sight of her blood pooling. Before she could rush to check on her, Ra stole her attention with thunderous words.

“I asked, who is killing my goddess?” His voice was so deep it practically entered her system through vibrations, the power in his tone sucking the breath from her body.

Instantly, Maya pointed a finger to the unconscious Kyril splayed out on the floor.

Ra simply arched a brow before approaching where her men gathered around Sekhmet, trying to staunch the bleeding. Maya reached out as if she could pull them out of the way of the storm stalking across the room, but they had enough sense of their own to get out of way. Smoother than Maya would ever be able to dream of moving, they crawled to the other side of her body, letting Ra have a clear vision of the goddess.

Sekhmet’s eyes met his, and Maya’s heart broke all over again as a tear trailed out of the corner of her eye to track over her temple and into her dark hair.

“Sekhmet, what did you do?” Tone gentle, he chastised her with only a hint of concern, his humor heavy in the words.

Rolling her eyes, a soft smile crossed her lips as she looked up at him. “Shut up and heal me, you sunlit bastard.”

“Fine, but you know this doesn’t mean I’m bending knee for you.” But that’s exactly what he did, as he bent down and laid a hand over her stomach. Ra seemed like he would be busy for a while, so Maya crept around the sun god until she stood behind her men and reached out to touch Amir on the shoulder. He tensed up for a split second before he exploded up from the floor and pulled her into his arms. Squealing slightly, Maya gasped, her breath escaping her in a noise that in no universe whatsoever would ever be considered tough.

As his arms wrapped around her, her throat constricted as she fully accepted her men were back. Tilting her head up with a gentle finger under her chin, he kissed her lightly on the lips, something she didn’t think was in Amir’s repertoire. Gentle wasn’t exactly his strong suit.

Amir pulled away as she was tugged into another pair of arms, and she grinned up at Asher when he leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. The simple affectionate gesture left butterflies in her stomach, and she breathed a sigh of relief at the happiness that swelled in her.

Finally, she turned to August. The look on his face was one of guilt so strong she could feel it wafting off him in waves. His mouth opened once, twice, before he shook his head and just stared at her. His vile words filtered through her mind, but she pushed them away. That hadn’t been him. He hadn’t been himself. Maya knew this, yet her heart pulled in two different directions when she thought about the moment she had recognized him as something… else.

It reminded her of— no. Maya wasn’t going there.

And Maya hated that. Slowly, she stepped forward until she was close enough to pull August into her arms. Right now, she was just relieved he was himself again.

“I know that wasn’t you. It’s okay.” But even she heard the hesitation in her own words.

Pulling away, his hands framed her shoulders as he held her at arm’s length. “No. It’s not okay. But I’m going to do whatever it takes to make you see the difference. I’m not him.”

Maya teared up all over again. He knew exactly where her mind had gone in that moment, and he brought her back that easily. Nodding, she tugged on his arm until he let her go and pulled her into a hug. Breathing in his comforting scent of home, she sighed.

Their reunion was interrupted by a cough. “Well, this is cozy and all, but who wants to explain what the hell is going on here?” Ra turned to Sekhmet, brushing a stray lock that had fallen in his face. “Seriously, Sekhmet, I leave you here for a few thousand years, and you manage to find yourself a live-in, and get yourself almost killed?”

Maya turned with her men to face the two gods.

Sekhmet huffed as she stood, brushing off her ruined skirt. “You expected me to stay here by myself? No. That was boring. I needed someone to keep me company.” Sheepishly, she eyed Kyril’s prone form where he lay sprawled on the ground.

“So you made that?” He gestured a hand to the lax form, who groaned as if awakening.

Hold up. Sekhmet made him? This was news to Maya. As she shared a glance with her guys, it was clear this was news to them as well.