Free Vampire Sheikh by Nina Bruhns Page A

across the sky, just as it had yesterday and the day before and a trillion days before that. Doomed to repeat the same journey forever.
    Just as she seemed to be.
    She couldn’t believe after all this time she was right back where she’d started.
    The bastard had won, after all.
    She took a deep, calming breath.
    No. Not necessarily. There may yet be a way to achieve her desired revenge and come out on top. But only if she executed her plan very, very carefully…
    And to do that, she needed to know if her first move had succeeded.
    Once again, she endeavored to empty her mind and gazed down into the waters of the pool, seeking a different vision. One that would be more productive. But it was impossible to focus. Irritating thoughts of Haru-Re kept invading her mind, ruining her hard-won serenity.
    She should just give up and wait until her agitation waned. But she didn’t know how much time she had. Ray probably wouldn’t be gone much longer, and she’d already incurred his wrath this morning by slipping out to find Josslyn. She’d made the excuse of going for a ride, which in the end he may or may not have believed. She didn’t want to push her luck.
    He was currently out chasing down some unfortunate shabti who’d had the questionable judgment to run away from Petru during the night.
    Poor thing. Nephtys didn’t like the creature’s chances once Ray caught up with her. He didn’t tolerate deserters. The woman would feel his anger, for certain. Nephtys just hoped she herself didn’t bear the brunt of his displeasure when he returned. After their run-in last night, and again this morning, his patience with her was on a very short fuse.
    â€œWell?” a breathless voice asked, hurrying up to her.
    It was Gillian Haliday, a hopeful expression on herface. Nephtys put aside her frustrations and smiled in greeting. She’d grown quite fond of the young woman in the short time they’d spent together, here and before they’d both been forced to leave Khepesh.
    â€œYou were right,” Nephtys told her. It had been Gillian who’d unknowingly presented her with exactly the information she’d needed to set her plan in motion. “Josslyn was at the Winter Palace Hotel, just as you guessed.”
    She thought it best not to mention the fact that Ray had also been there. Thank the goddess Nephtys had shown up when she did, or Josslyn Haliday would now be living a nightmare, and Nephtys would be faced with the untenable choice between her growing friendship with Gillian and her fury at the bastard for having it off with another woman when he’d promised himself to her.
    Nephtys didn’t give a damn about his accursed carnal needs. She only hoped that after sending Josslyn to her brother, Seth had more control over himself when it came to such things than Nephtys’s own betrothed.
    â€œSo you found Joss?” Gillian asked, elated. She looked excitedly around the garden, as if expecting her sister to be sitting here, too. “Where is she? You brought her here to Petru, right?”
    â€œNot exactly.” Nephtys patted the granite edge of the pool beside her. “Sit.”
    â€œWhat?” Gillian sank down on the stone rim, looking crushed. “Why not? Surely, she didn’t refuse to come? Not when—”
    She glanced over at an older couple sitting on a bench on the other side of the garden.
    Oh, dear. This was not going to be easy. “Gillian…”
    The young woman turned back to her and comprehension suddenly dawned. Her mouth dropped open. “Oh, no. Nephtys, please, God, don’t tell me you sent her to Khepesh!” Gillian jumped up, a stark portrait of accusation.
    Nephtys grabbed her hand and pulled her down again. “ Kitet, little sister, you know better than anyone about the vision I was sent of the future. Seth needs—”
    Gillian put her hands over her eyes. “Seth!” She lifted