Immortal Dynasty by Lynda Haviland Read Free Book Online Page B

twenty years, life came full circle. Darius had finally taken something special away from his childhood bully.
    A few blocks away from the Troy Estate, his earpiece buzzed faintly. He could hear Marcus’ scratchy voice. “Dare? Can you hear me?”
    “Tell me you saw all of that.”
    “All of what? Everything went black not long after you had to hide.”
    Darius drove the van across the new bridge over to Cambridge. “Meet me at the house just like we planned. I have to ditch this van first.”
    “Did you find Papa Shadi? Did you get him?”
    “Well, no.” Darius gulped down a lump of regret. He glanced at the reflection in the rearview mirror. Her unconscious form jostled limply with the motion of the van. “But I have a huge surprise for you, and it’s better than any of those dusty old bones you like to dig up.” Way better.

    * * *

    “Who did this, Mother?” Her son’s anger bellowed through the halls. “I know you can see these things. Who stole her from me?”
    Lilith stepped away from the path that Therion was quickly wearing into the floor with his pacing. “Calm yourself. Your anxiety is interrupting my—”
    “Oh, cut the karma mojo crap!”
    Flame burst bright and hot above her palm. She would go to the Underworld before taking such condescension from him. Therion halted his disruptive pacing.
    Dousing the flame, she crossed the room and pointed to the funerary boat display. “Here. He lay here, watching us.” It was a man. The trail was weak, but not too weak for her to miss the feel of masculine energy.
    “Who?” Shards of crystal crunched under his boots.
    “I don’t know.”
    “Why don’t you know?”
    “It’s not someone I’ve ever met. He left a trace amount of energy here in this spot.” For emphasis, she toed the area behind the boat. Dust clung to the tips of her sandals. “Negative energy. Anger. Hatred, maybe.”
    “If you can feel him, why can you not tell who it is?”
    “I have tried. I cannot read his energy trail. It’s gone.” She shook her head. It aggravated her that she couldn’t see the owner of such a virile energy stream. Another possibility occurred to her. “Or he has masked his trail.”
    “I will rip his heart out and feed it to the demons.” Therion reached for a vase. Lilith barely grabbed his arm in time. He was worse than a bull in a china shop. He was an enraged bull with his sac cinched…in a china shop. This was not going well.
    “I can’t believe that nobody saw this man. In broad daylight, he just waltzes in and out with a largestatue. Incredible.”
    “Or brilliant.” Lilith rubbed up and down his arms, trying to soothe his agitated spirit. She needed him calm so she could think. “The chaos around here provided excellent cover. Hide in a large group. Everybody is too busy to notice details.”
    “Why would someone steal her ?” He sneered. “I mean, look around. You have hundreds of items of much greater value and much easier to run off with.” A wave of his hand indicated the wealth around them.
    She knew he was right. However, of all the pieces in her collection, that statue was unique. It was all that was left of a special tomb discovered many years ago.
    The thief’s energy finally faded from the room. She shuddered with the chill it left behind. The warmth she’d felt before was born of old hatred. She believed that memories served to guide one’s soul. She had bitter memories too.
    Being born of a mother from a weaker bloodline had relegated Lilith to the position of being a handmaiden to Inanna, her beautiful half-sister who was the pride of their kind. Her birth had another curse to it. As the daughter of the Lady of the Underworld, she’d been a highly sought-after consort for information…and for pleasure. Rutting pigs!
    No, she would not miss that statue. Its image of Inanna’s daughter had been a constant reminder of where she came from. She hated those memories. Yet, they also served to keep her focused on