Page 35 of Veiled By Smoke (The Nature Hunters Academy #5)

“I’m certain,” Ra ground out, fighting the urge to pace.

The evil presence that had been stalking his dreams now pressed at the edges of his mind–a cold, oily hunger he couldn’t shake.

His body suddenly froze, still as stone as he felt the distant call of Ramses, coiling like smoke through his thoughts.

What on earth did his ancestor want? And why was he reaching out at this time?

It couldn’t be a coincidence. Ra didn’t believe in them.

Cordelia hesitated, then nodded. “I’ll call Fern. Tell her Aurora’s invited, say we want her to meet another of the coven sisters, that she’s shown such interest in Blackhorn. I’ll ask if they can come by for lunch.”

Penny caught Ra’s gaze, worry and encouragement mingling on her face. “We’ll be ready,” she said softly.

Cordelia left the room, her cell phone already pressed to her ear.

The moment the parlor door clicked shut, Ra’s composure faltered. He ran a hand over his face, the markings on his body prickling with energy of magic that was not his own. “I need a minute,” he muttered, voice rough. “Gotta make a call.”

Penny’s eyes softened, but she didn’t press. “Take your time. If you need anything?—”

He nodded curtly and left the room, boots thudding softly on the wooden floor as he found a quiet space near the back of the house, away from the layers of magic and watchful eyes.

Ra let himself sink to the floor, back pressed to the cold wall.

The fire inside him flickered uneasily, threatened by a chill that was not of this world.

For a moment his mind shifted to Shelly–his beautiful, bold, and yet surprisingly sweet soul bonded.

He didn’t like being away from her. Ra couldn’t stand not being able to see her with his own eyes so he knew without a doubt she was safe.

But it was also challenging to be in front of her at the moment because of his deceit.

Keeping things from her, whether it was his will or another’s, went against everything he was as a man.

They were a team, equal partners in a relationship that would require both of them to make sacrifices for the other in order to have a healthy bonding, and here he was, keeping secrets.

He wanted to throw back his head and howl in frustration.

For a split second, Ra felt out of control of his emotions, and that was dangerous.

He could not allow himself to lose it. He drew in a long, shaky breath, forced his mind to quiet, pushed Shelly to the side, though it pained him to do so, and let himself slip toward the edge of a trance.

The darkness surged up to meet him, swift and merciless. He felt Ramses before he saw him, an old, heavy weight in his blood, a whisper of sand and stone, of ancient iron and unyielding pride.

“Ra,” the voice intoned, thick with command and regret. “ I’ve taken a great risk in contacting you. But you need to know what you’re up against.”

Ra clenched his fists, fighting the pull. “What do you want from me?” he whispered, teeth gritted.

But it wasn’t just Ramses. There was something else, slithering behind the words, a presence slick and cold, a hunger as old as hell itself.

“Lucifer.” Ramses’s voice answered the unasked question. “ He’s going to attempt to use you. You must fight him with everything inside of you. Put walls around your mind. Picture them as the thickest stone, higher than any wall ever built.”

Ra’s heart thudded. He tried to resist, to close his mind, but the blood binding burned in his veins, a brand he could not ignore. “What have you done?” Ra asked, softly. He could feel the pharaoh’s guilt.

“What I had to do to help my people. Our people.”

“My people are here,” Ra ground out through gritted teeth.

“I may have your blood running through my veins, but I am not a part of the mess you got yourself and your people into. I appreciate the help you have given me in the past, and now. But do not take me for a fool. You weren’t a powerful king without knowing how to get what you wanted from others and making sure it benefited you. ”

Suddenly, it wasn’t Ramses voice in his mind. “ Let me in,” came a dark, deep voice, slick and sweet as poisoned honey. “ Open your mind to me and let me help you. You’ve been alone in all your struggles, carrying the weight of the burden from the sins of your ancestors. I can help you.”

Ra gasped, fighting for air, for control. The fire in him blazed, but the darkness was ancient, patient, relentless.

“Ra?” Shelly’s voice felt far away. He could hear the concern in it, and he wanted to reassure her that he was okay.

But he honestly didn’t know if he was okay.

Despite all of the things he’d faced in his life, he felt like this was the most challenging.

How was he to stand against an agent evil like the lord of the underworld?

Not the charlatan, Osiris, but the actual ruler?

Ra considered the battles he’d fought and won, foes he shouldn’t have been able to defeat.

Then he reached out to Mother Gaia. “Please give me strength to do what I must, but what I cannot do on my own. I need you.” There was a rush of energy that filled him, and he felt walls being erected in his mind.

As they grew taller, Ra managed to grit out one word.

“No.” He felt the anger at the presence in his mind–it wasn’t enough to kick him completely out, but perhaps enough to keep him from his thoughts.

At least for now. “Thank you, Mother Gaia,” he told the goddess and creator of the elementals.

She’d told them before to reach out to her and she would answer.

She’d kept her word. Ra knew it wouldn’t be the last time he would seek her out.

The darkness recoiled, but only for a moment. The struggle was just beginning.

“Ra, my son of fire,” Mother Gaia’s voice filled his mind, shoving away that of Lucifer’s.

He felt the underworld king recoil. “I will give you strength, but I will not remove these calamities from you. I will not take away the trials you must go through. Your faith will be tested, your character built, and it will be a testament to the kind of man you will continue to grow into. What legacy do you want to leave for your children? What kind of men do you want your sons to become? Because, they will look to you, to your past, and to your present. How did you stand up to adversity, and how did you overcome it? Do not give up, do not step back, and when you feel overwhelmed, know that I am with you.”

“Thank you,” he said, bowing his head and absorbing her words. Did Ra want the mountains moved from his path? Yes. But was that the best thing for him? It must not have been because he trusted his creator. He trusted that she would not let his foot slip.

Ra opened his eyes, sweat chilling on his brow, the echo of Lucifer’s voice curling in his mind.

He forced himself to his feet, jaw tight, determined.

He would not let the darkness win. He would not lie down quietly and give in to the enemy, even if it killed him.

Not while he was needed. Not while there was still fire left in his soul.