046 BLUE BLOOD
The Deacon of Annubis staggered back, clutching her head as if two wills were warring inside her.
Dan didn't press the advantage.
Sothing deeper was happening here. He glanced from the snarling creature to Eryn, his gut telling him there was a secret between them.
"Mother… I found you at last!" Eryn cried. She dropped the force field and rushed forward.
The Deacon's clawed hand shot up to stop her. "Don't—stay back. My mind… it isn't fully mine yet."
Eryn froze, her eyes trembling with worry.
"Mother?" Dan blurted. "You're saying this thing is your mother?"
"Yes. Look at the amulet around her neck—it's hers."
"That's not proof," Dan argued. "The Blue Blood could've taken it from your real mother."
"No," Eryn whispered fiercely. "I can see her in those eyes. She's my mother."
Before Dan could reply, the Deacon's aura shifted. Her massive fra shrank, her jackal visage dissolving into the face of a woman.
"Mother!" Eryn sobbed, throwing her arms around her.
"Eryn, my dear… I'm so sorry I left you." Zalira Veyran's voice was soft, weary, and human.
"It's alright—I found you now."
Dan stared, dumbfounded.
Never in his wildest imagination did he expect Eryn's missing mother to be a Blue Blood monstrosity.
"What the hell is going on?" he demanded.
Zalira steadied herself and turned to him. "My na is Zalira Veyran. Eryn is my daughter."
"Madam Zalira… you were thought dead. Why are you here?" Dan pressed.
"Yeah, Mother—what happened to you?" Eryn added.
Zalira sighed, her eyes clouded with mory. "Years ago, during an expedition in this sa mountain, we killed a Deacon of Annubis. On her corpse we found a gem—the Eye of Annubis."
"What about it?" Eryn asked quickly.
"At first, it seed inert. Then I discovered that when fed with blood, it awakened. Wearing it granted
strength beyond human asure—faster, sharper senses, flesh that healed faster than it could be torn."
Dan's eyes narrowed. "That sounds like his experience with the Eye of Ra…
Reviews
All reviews (0)