Free Ibenus (Valducan series) by Seth Skorkowsky Page A

his fingers along his rough cheek. He needed a shower and shave, then clean sheets, darkness, and the sound of the rain. "At least seventy years, I'd guess, with some of the things we found." He looked up at Chaya sitting in the chair opposite them, its burgundy leather seeming to match the mottled purple of her black eye. "You went deeper inside. Any guess how long it has been there?"
    She tapped a finger on the sheathed scimitar across her lap. Sitting with a sword was always problematic. "At least seventy," she said, finally. "No relics from the first World War, so sometime between that and the Second."
    "And no one noticed the same person living there all that time?" Victoria asked.
    Allan caught a whiff of his own soured sweat and wondered how bad he must smell to Victoria. Then again, they probably all reeked. "Mimickers are pretty good about rotating bodies every few years."
    "Mimickers?" Victoria scrunched her brow. "Ones that mimic people?"
    "That's right," he said with an impressed nod. "Aside from their big noses, Tengu look completely normal when they wish. But they're nesters. Won't abandon a place unless they have to. So they just mark a new victim, have them purchase the property, then eat the old body once it's finished. Nice and neat."
    Victoria's mouth tightened as if about to say more, but turned toward the open doorway as footsteps approached from the hall.
    Allan straightened as Master Turgen stepped into the room. The lean-faced German recruit followed closely behind him, Umatri clutched in his hands.
    "I want to introduce you to Gerhard Entz, Umatri's newest protector." Turgen gestured as Chaya rose from her seat. "This is Chaya Dahan, protector of Khirzoor."
    She offered a hand. "Pleasure to meet you."
    Turgen motioned in Allan's direction as he stood. "This is Allan Havlock, protector of Ibenus."
    "Good to meet you," Allan said, shaking Gerhard's soft hand.
    "And you," the German said with a slight bow.
    "And this," Turgen said, stepping closer, "must be Victoria Martin, Allan's new student." He extended his slender hand. "I am Alexander Turgen. Welcome to our home."
    "Thank you," she said.
    "I sincerely apologize that I was not here on your arrival. I assume Allan has offered you some refreshment?"
    "He has."
    He smiled in that warm grandfatherly way of his, but Allan noticed the fine, wary edge hiding in the old man's eyes. "Very good." Turgen stepped aside, allowing Gerhard access. "This is Gerhard, another guest, only just introduced to our fold." He waited until they had shaken hands before offering Gerhard a chair. "Allan, I was wondering if you could share the story of how you first became a hunter."
    "Of course." Allan ran a hand along Ibenus' smooth grip until Turgen had lowered himself into one of the leather wingbacks, then he drew the khopesh from her sheath. If the old man was asking for this story now, it meant that the new recruit wasn't sold on joining the Order, yet. He sat down cradling Ibenus across his lap. "My great-great-grandfather, Gordon Havlock, was a treasure hunter. Fancied himself an Egyptologist, but…" He shook his head. "Bit of a scoundrel, really.
    "While on expedition in Thebes he discovered a small temple. Couple mummies, gold, artifacts. There, at the edges of their torchlight, resting on a pedestal before a statue of a hawk-headed god, was Ibenus." Allan patted the bronze blade. "So his team divided the treasure up, carried it all back to England, and made a fortune selling it to collectors and museums. He held on to some choice pieces for himself, Ibenus among them.
    "When I was a kid, we used to visit my father's uncle every summer. He kept Ibenus in private museum and, as long as I could remember, I was fascinated with her. Whenever we'd arrive, the first thing I'd do was go and look at her." He shook his head, grinning. "They used to pretty much drag me away when it was time to leave."
    Gerhard gave an understanding nod, but discomfort still seemed to linger in