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The Tsi Sgili ht have re--had death not chosen that moment to approach
Like wind that blows clouds to shroud the sun, death’s approach was invisible, but the Tsi Sgili felt the brush of it before the fledgling began to cough
Death was even more familiar to the specter than was the school or the place of power Death drew her up froili’s spirit innings of her power--that of the ever-questing, ever-curious, ever-resilient eight-legged insect
The black spiders,as one, materialized to seek out and to feed fros’ circle that opened the energy conduit which enabled Neferet to gain enough consciousness so that she was able to focus and borrow the ancient power of death and, ultimately, to find herself once more
I aili--queen, goddess, i the faling, the Tsi Sgili’s spirit fed froy so that finally her
The shock of that knowing caused raw energy to surge through her spirit, frag of her body She had been almost fully for from the circle, Neferet fled
She ate that served as barrier between the hurounds There, her body solidified, and she had burned through all of her siphoned power until she’d been left gasping, weak as a newborn, barely clinging to consciousness Neferet cruht
She er was all she knew until she heard his raised voice, spiteful and sarcastic, quipping, "Yes, dear Of course you’re right You’re always right I don’t want to stay for the ridiculous raffle either--I’m absolutely not interested in the five hundred dollars worth of tickets I bought on a chance to win that 1966 T-Bird the va away No, no problem! And, as you said so many times, we should have called a driver and taken a li for et our car, and drive it back to pick you up while you sit on a bench and rest yourself Oh, and I’lad you were able to allow those two City Council assholes to stare at your boobs while you whispered to theossip about Neferet Ha! Ha! Ha!" His sarcastic laughter drifted to her through the night "If you actually paid attention to anyone but yourself you would know that Neferet can take care of herself Penthouse vandals no one so ot a peek at? Not hardly That mess looked like the result of a female temper tantrum I feel sorry for whoever caused Neferet’s temper to explode, but I don’t feel sorry for Neferet"
Neferet forced herself to sit up, listening with all her being The huift froods
The Lexus not ten feet from where she crouched lit up as he touched the key fob and ossip and ossip I should have listened to otten froh blood pressure, GERD, and an ungrateful daughter I could’ve been the first singledaughters of old oil ruround noise when her supersensitive hearing honed in to his heartbeat
She sighed gratefully He did, indeed, sound like dinner She would not thank the gods of fate who had sent him to her She would accept their aid as no ment that they were pleased to have her return to their i the door to the sedan when she stood Neferet put all of her longing and hunger into the one word that was his nahtened, and peered her way, trying to see through the darkness "Hello? Is soht to see Her vision h the Darkness easily, comfortably She saw his carefully combed hair, the well-tailored lines of his expensive suit, the sweat on his upper lip, and the pulse in his neck that beat steadily with his life’s blood
She stepped forward and shook back her long auburn hair, exposing the lushness of her naked body Then, as if it were an afterthought, she raised her hands in an unsuccessful atte eyes "Charles!" Neferet repeated his name This time she added with a sob, "They’ve hurt me!"