Port of New Orleans
Hatshepsut sped through the night.
She like the feel of the wind as it swept over her body while she rode her motorcycle.
As she drew near the docks, she could smell the salty water of the port, a smell she was not very fond of.
The water smelled tainted to her, not like the wide open ocean or her Nile.
She usually enjoyed riding her bike but tonight something was amiss.
She felt as if she was being followed.
Hatshepsut rode on, trying to ignore the feeling.
Soon she was at the docks.
She stopped a few feet in front of a long, black limousine.
Hatshepsut got off her bike, took off her helmet, walked over to the back door of the car and got in.
She slid in and sat across from a man in a cream suit.
His fiery hair was neatly cut and slicked back.
His white teeth shone even brighter against his tan skin.
His eyes were covered by dark glasses.
Next to him sat a pale woman with long white hair.
She stared intensely at Hatshepsut with beady black eyes.
Hatshepsut stared back fearlessly.
“Hello, Hatshepsut,” the man said.
“As always, it is nice to see you.
Have you decided to join my organization?”
His voice flowed like velvet.
Hatshepsut could see herself liking a man like this.
It was a shame that he was no man.
“Hello, Domak,” Hatshepsut said, turning her gaze to him.
“I wish I could say it was nice to see you, but .
.
.”
“Always the cold one, I see, and after I was nice enough to come all the way down here.”
“I came to see you in Las Vegas but you were not there.”
“Yes, I had to handle some business here.
I heard you weren’t very kind to my men up there.”
“Your underlings need to be taught how to treat a lady.”
Domak threw back his head and laughed.
His voice rang like a bell.
“You will never change, my dear Hatshepsut,” Domak said, rubbing the mystery woman’s leg.
“Now, why did you want to see me?”
“I ran across something very interesting while I was in Vegas,” Hatshepsut said, taking a piece of paper out of her upper jacket pocket.
“I know you are usually informed in such matters.
I was looking at the Demonic Bounty List.
What do you know about this?” She handed him the piece of paper.
Domak took it and read it.
“It appears to be a wanted listing,” he said, handing it back to her.
“Did Senemut anger someone?”
“Senemut’s name is not the only name on that paper.
There are three teenagers named as well.
Unlike Senemut, they are wanted alive.”
“Why would I know anything about that?”
“Do you not organize the list?” Hatshepsut asked, putting the paper back in her pocket.
“Yes, but I am nothing more than a middleman.
I don’t know why your friend is wanted.
I don’t care.
I only collect the body and pay the bounty.”
“You have to take the body somewhere.”
“No.
Whoever posts the bounty sends someone to collect the body.”
“Do you expect me to believe that you do not know who you do business with?
I am no fool.
A being such as you wants to know where your money is coming from.”
“Is that what you think?
Tell me, Hatshepsut, do you inquire about the name of your clients before you do a job?
Of course not.
You want to know who the target is, your timeline, and how much you will be paid.
Why do I have to be so different?”
“Because I know you.”
“You think you know me.”
“I am growing tired of this,” Hatshepsut said, irritation becoming evident in her voice.
“Tell me his name.”
“No,” Domak said with a laugh.
“Are you trying to make me angry?”
“Do you really think I fear you?
If you wanted to kill me, you would have done so long ago.”
“So far you have proven to be useful.
I think your usefulness is wearing away.”
“What more would you like me to tell you?”
“I want a name.”
Domak laughed again.
“Voya,” Domak said, looking over to the pale woman beside him.
Voya opened her mouth and shrieked.
The high pitched sound brought Hatshepsut to her knees.
She covered her ears, but there was no blocking the deafening sound.
Blood began to seep from her ears, nose and eyes as she crumpled to the floor of the car.
She could feel the blood vessels in her head bursting one after the other.
Her eardrums popped adding to her pain.
Domak laughed as he watched Hatshepsut slowly submitting to her demise.
The windows in the car began to crack, but Voya continued without ceasing.
Hatshepsut tried to focus beyond the pain.
She reached under her jacket and pulled out a gun.
She aimed at Voya and pulled the trigger.
Voya’s shrieking came to a halt as her throat and head transformed to ice.
Hatshepsut lay on the floor of the car breathing heavily.
She looked over to Domak who was looking down at her with a scowl on his face.
“Do you know how hard it is to find banshees?” Domak growled.
“Do I look as if I care?” Hatshepsut said angrily.
Domak ripped off his shades and stared at Hatshepsut with his gold eyes.
They began to glow slightly.
Hatshepsut cried out as she felt a scorching heat spread throughout her body.
“Having the ability to incinerate someone just by looking at them is quite a handy skill,” Domak said, bending over to take Hatshepsut’s gun.
“I enjoy burning someone from the inside out, especially women.
Their screams are so delicious.
Your screams are simply divine.
Why don’t you scream out a little louder for me?
Please, just a little louder.”
Hatshepsut raised her hand towards Domak.
“What is it my dear?
Are you asking for mercy?
Or perhaps you are wondering why I’m doing this?
I’m going to let you in on a little secret.
Senemut and his little family aren’t the only ones with a price on their heads.
You have a bounty as well.
I am going to make a fortune when I deliver your burned out husk to my client.”
Hatshepsut began to laugh.
Domak looked at her as if she had gone mad.
“I’m glad you can find humor in your situation, Hatshepsut, especially since you will be ash in a matter of minutes.”
“You will be dead before me, Domak,” Hatshepsut said, straining to get the words out due to the pain.
“Look at yourself.”
Domak looked down and saw there was a very thin layer of ice on his hand that held the gun he took from Hatshepsut.
The ice trailed up his arm and was moving up his face.
Before he could react, his eyes became ice cubes.
“My eyes!” Domak cried, “Give me back my eyes!”
Hatshepsut lay on the floor, her tattoo glowing brightly, as she waited for her body to heal.
When it was done, she got up and threw Voya to the floor, sending her head shattering across the floor of the car.
Hatshepsut took her seat beside Domak.
She snatched the handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiped the blood from her face and ears.
“By the way,” Hatshepsut said, tossing the handkerchief back at Domak, “I knew about the bounty on my head.
Let us try this again.
I want their name.”
“Will you give me back my eyes?” Domak cried with his hands over his eyes.
“Depends on the name.”
“That is not a deal.”
“No,” Hatshepsut said, grabbing Domak by the throat.
“You should have negotiated when everything was pleasant.
Now I am going to kill you slowly if you do not give me what I want!”
“Fine!” Domak shouted, defiantly.
“I’ll tell you.
His name is—”
Domak began to choke on the name.
Hatshepsut released her hold on Domak and watched as he convulsed violently.
“Domak?” Hatshepsut asked, anxiously.
But Domak could not say a word.
He began to shrivel up as if the life was being sucked out of him.
Hatshepsut watched in horror as Domak dissolved into dust before her eyes.
Hatshepsut jumped out of the car and looked around the dock.
She saw no one.
In the corner of her eye, she thought she caught a glimpse of red.
Hatshepsut ran in the direction she saw the red.
She turned back in the direction of the limo but stopped short when she saw a shadow.
“Who is there?” Hatshepsut demanded.
A tall, pale woman stepped out from behind a trailer.
Her long, red hair flowed over her one shoulder and down to her legs.
She wore a thigh-length burgundy leather jacket, corset and pants that matched the one line of burgundy lipstick that trailed down the middle of her bottom lip.
Her crimson eyes glared with anger as she held a long, shiny katana on her shoulder.
Hatshepsut looked at this strange woman up and down.
Then she recognized the eyes and the hair from Senemut’s description.
“Geisha,” Hatshepsut sneered.
“You know my name,” Geisha said with a smirk.
“I know yours as well, Hatshepsut.”
“Have you been following me?” Hatshepsut asked casually.
“I hope you found my day as amusing as I have.”
“You dare joke with me!” Geisha exclaimed as she pointed her sword at Hatshepsut.
“You should be on your knees begging for your life, you murderer!”
“This is about your father, I assume,” Hatshepsut said with a smirk.
“I am going to let you in on a secret.
I am not much for begging and kneeling is absolutely out of the question.
The incident with your father was business.
Unfortunate but business all the same.
I suggest you move on.”
Geisha’s aura began to glow red.
Is this what Senemut was referring to?
Hatshepsut thought as she began forming ice beneath her feet.
It does look as if her energy has increased.
I cannot allow her blade to pierce me.
“I believe my words have angered you,” Hatshepsut mocked.
“How will I make amends?”
“With your life!” Geisha roared as she ran towards Hatshepsut.
Hatshepsut skated to one side as Geisha’s sword missed her by a hair.
Geisha swung again and again as Hatshepsut flash and skated out of the way of her relentless slashes.
Finally, Hatshepsut leaped up on top of one of the trailers.
“This has been fun,” Hatshepsut called down, “but I must be going.
Until next time.” Hatshepsut flashed back towards the limo.
She could hear Geisha’s swift steps behind her.
Soon she could see her motorcycle ahead.
She jumped down and turned waiting for Geisha to attack once more.
“Hatshepsut?”
Hatshepsut turned quickly at the sound of her name.
She let out a sigh of relief when she saw Senemut walking up to her.
“Are you alright?” Senemut asked with concern.
“You look as if you’ve been fighting a demon.”
“As a matter of fact,” Hatshepsut said as she walked towards him.
“I have.
We need to leave.”
“I thought you needed to speak with me.”
“Yes, but not here.”
“Hatshepsut, what’s wrong?”
“I will explain.
Did you drive?”
“Yes.”
“Then I will get my bike.
Follow me.”
******
Senemut and Hatshepsut pulled into a wooded area with a large lake.
The wind blew over the water making the moonlit surface ripple like diamonds.
Hatshepsut slid her helmet off her head and shook out her hair.
She stared out at the water as Senemut walked over to her.
He never could get use to how beautiful she was in the moonlight.
“Now will you tell me what has you so shaken?” Senemut asked as he crossed his arms.
“Did you look inside the black car at the docks?”
“Yes.
I thought that you may have been in it, especially when I saw your handy work.
What happened?
Who was in the limo?”
“Are you familiar with Domak,” Hatshepsut said getting off her bike.
“He’s the demon that heads the demonic underworld of Las Vegas.”
“He also played the middleman for the Demonic Bounty List.
You are familiar with what that is?”
“Yes,” Senemut responded as he rolled his eyes.
“It’s basically a demonic hit list.
Any supernatural being that wants another dead or brought in has them put on the list.
It’s a good place for demon hunters like us to find demons to kill or in your case, get paid to kill.”
“Not everyone can have a doctorate in History and Archaeology,” Hatshepsut mocked.
“I suppose you’re right,” Senemut said with an air of arrogance.
“I use to keep up with it, but since I’ve been taking care of the twins, I haven’t had much time or need to look at it.”
“Perhaps you should take time.”
Senemut looked at Hatshepsut with suspicion.
“Why were you meeting with Domak?”
“I see I have your attention,” Hatshepsut said with a smile.
“Not long after I left you in Egypt, I went to Las Vegas to do a job.
That is when I ran across a disturbing piece of information.”
“How disturbing are we talking about?”
“Were you aware that there are bounties on our heads?
I do not mean just you and I.
It includes the children as well.”
Senemut stood, stunned.
“Yes, playing parent and teacher can wreak havoc on such things,” Hatshepsut mocked.
“Perhaps you are not the protector you thought.”
“I thought you were here to warn me, not tease me.”
“I did come to warn.
The teasing is for kicks.”
“So, that’s it?
You didn’t try to find out who’s behind this?”
“Naturally!” Hatshepsut cried.
“That is what I have been doing all week.
I have been killing demon after demon, for free no less, trying to find the source.
That is why I was meeting with Domak.”
“You know informants are more useful alive.”
“I do not have much patience with questioning.”
“You don’t have much patience for anything.
Did Domak tell you anything at least?”
“He was about to give me a name, but before he could speak it, he turned into dust.
Whoever has this bounty out is hiding their tracks very well.”
“How much are they asking?” Senemut asked.
“One million for you and I if taken alive while five million will be rewarded for each of our lifeless carcasses.
The children are worth ten million each.
They are not just offering money.
They are offering souls as well.”
“Human souls?” Senemut asked, shocked again.
“Someone is offering some obscene rewards.”
“Yes.
The most curious thing is that the issuer of the bond wants only the children alive.
You and I are worth more dead.
Is there anything that you are not telling me?”
Senemut looked at Hatshepsut confused.
“There isn’t anything I haven’t told you,” Senemut said.
“You don’t think I would hide anything from you, do you?”
“I do not know,” Hatshepsut said, stepping closer to Senemut.
“You seem to be in possession of some very valuable persons.
Do they have powers you are not telling me about?
Or maybe they are not telling you everything?”
“We don’t hide anything from each other,” Senemut said as he watched Hatshepsut draw closer to him.
It was making him uncomfortable.
He wondered if Hatshepsut knew this and was just being a tease again.
She was probably trying to use his discomfort against him in order to gain an advantage.
“It has to be something,” Hatshepsut said staring into Senemut’s eyes.
“From what I have seen there is not anything that extraordinary about them with the exception of your witch.
She is one of the most powerful witches I have ever been up against.
The fact that she wields dark magic troubles me but magic is magic, yes?”
“Xaria and Xander have had demons after them ever since they got their powers and Raylin was being chased by demons when I found her.
This bounty could have been on them then.”
“Perhaps, but if it was, I think you would have had more trouble protecting them all these years.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“We need to talk to Ochiru.
Have you mentioned it to Raylin yet?”
“No, but feel free to ask her yourself,” Senemut said, taking a step back from Hatshepsut.
It was hard for him to concentrate with her so close to him.
His primal side wanted to come to the surface and take advantage of the close proximity of their bodies.
Senemut’s lack of feeding wasn’t helping his self control.
Hatshepsut looked at him funny.
He knew then that she purposely making him uncomfortable.
“Am I bothering you?” Hatshepsut asked coyly.
She took another step towards Senemut.
He replied by taking another step back, putting his back against his car.
“Are you frightened by me?” Hatshepsut asked, smiling slyly.
She put her hand on Senemut’s chest.
“Why do you wish to play these games?” Senemut asked, his breathing getting heavy.
“Whatever do you mean?”
“This,” Senemut hissed angrily.
He grabbed her wrist and snatched her hand from his chest.
Hatshepsut stood there, still smiling.
“What’s wrong?” Hatshepsut asked innocently.
“Am I getting under your skin?”
“What has gotten into you?”
Hatshepsut’s expression turned solemn.
“You so enjoy bringing up our past,” Hatshepsut said, stepping back from Senemut, “I thought I would give you a taste of your own medicine.”
“You were hoping that you could seduce information out of me.”
“Yes, I had hope.”
“You know you can’t play with me like that.
I have a beast within that does not take too kindly to that kind of teasing.”
“I have something for him as well,” Hatshepsut said holding up her hand as she formed ice on her fingers.
Senemut laughed.
“You will never change.”
“Would you want me to?”
“Never.”
“Then I will not.”
“How did things pan out with Roman?”
Senemut could see that he had taken Hatshepsut by surprise with his statement.
She looked at him wide eyed.
“Roman and I have reconciled.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Senemut said smiling.
“I suppose you listened to me after all.”
“You can take that grin off of your face.”
“Say thank you and I will.”
Hatshepsut huffed in frustration.
“Say it,” Senemut poked laughing.
“Thank you for your ridiculous words!” Hatshepsut shouted.
“Are you happy now?”
“Very.”
Hatshepsut looked at Senemut with a sincere smile.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
“Your words were a great help.
After all these years, you are still looking after my best interest.”
“I told you.
I will never stop caring about you.”
Senemut looked at Hatshepsut.
He loved how her eyes sparkled when she smiled.
How he missed her smile.
He remembered a time when it was only for him.
“What happen to us?” Senemut asked.
Hatshepsut stopped smiling and stared at Senemut dumbfounded.
Senemut stared back with the same expression.
The question had slipped out so suddenly that even Senemut was caught off guard.
“I need to go,” Hatshepsut said turning away.
“No, you don’t,” Senemut said grabbing her arm.
He could feel her skin growing colder under her sleeve.
Senemut hung on to her tightly.
He knew her ice would burn him but he didn’t care.
For once she was going to answer him.
“Release me,” Hatshepsut demanded.
“Not until you answer me,” Senemut said with determination.
“I have wanted to ask you so many times, but I never had the courage until now.”
Hatshepsut pushed him away.
“Why now?” Hatshepsut asked.
“I saw your room, Hatshepsut.
The one in Luxor.”
Hatshepsut fell silent.
“Talk to me,” Senemut pleaded.
“How could you?” Hatshepsut cried angrily.
“That room was private!”
“I know.
I apologize, but what is done is done and it can’t be undone.
You’ve made me think that you despise me for all these centuries while you still hold on to trinkets that I gave you during our human lives.
Why, Hatshepsut?
I am confused.”
“None of these things matter.
We have been done for ages.
There is nothing left to be said.”
“I don’t think that is the case.”
“It does not matter what you think.”
“Hatshepsut, for years I have had to live with the thought that you have never and will never forgive me for killing you.
I thought that you had washed me from your thoughts and your life, but the room.
It baffles me to no end.
You may never have another kind word for me but damn it all you are going to give me an explanation.”
“What do you want to hear?
Nothing I say will be kind.”
“I don’t care.
I want to hear it.”
Hatshepsut bit her lower lip for a moment and finally sighed.
“Your guilt is what ended us,” Hatshepsut said reluctantly.
“My guilt?
What do you mean?”
Hatshepsut closed her eyes and let the words spill out.
“Your guilt about killing me.
The guilt you felt every time you fed.
You allowed your guilt to overshadow everything.
It did not matter what I did to try to ease it.
It would not go away.
You allowed it to consume you.
Your guilt became a wall between us.
One I could not penetrate.
I did everything in my power to help you through your plight but nothing helped.
I finally said no more.
I left.
I have regretted that decision every day of my life.
I felt as if I had betrayed you and our love.
I promised myself that I would come back after some time to see if you had moved beyond it.
Finding you proved to be a much more difficult task than I could have imagined.
I never stopped loving you, Senemut.
I did find you, after a few centuries, in Japan.
You were happy and at peace with someone else.
I saw no need in ruining what you had.”
“Geisha,” Senemut said softly.
“You knew we had history before I ever spoke the words.”
“I never knew her name.
I remembered her eyes.
She has her father’s eyes.”
Senemut swallowed back a frustrated hiss.
He could feel himself began to shake with his anguish.
“All the hate,” Senemut said softly, “you felt against me for killing you?”
“It was all in your head.
I never blamed you for my death.
I never cared that you had to feed on humans to survive.
I only cared about you.
About us.
You kept us apart, Senemut.
Not me, you.”
“All this time,” Senemut said with disbelief, “all these years.
Why didn’t you say something?”
“Would it have changed anything?” Hatshepsut asked.
“We would be together!” Senemut roared.
He grabbed Hatshepsut by the arms and looked at her with wild eyes.
“Don’t you see?
All the years of concealed feelings and unanswered longing have hardened your heart to everyone.
If you had revealed this centuries ago, perhaps it would have kept your heart from freezing.”
Hatshepsut said nothing.
She pulled away from Senemut’s grasp, walked over to her bike and got on.
Senemut stood in front of it, leaning over to hold the throttle.
“We’re not done,” Senemut said sternly.
“I am,” Hatshepsut said as she grabbed her helmet.
“Everything that has been spoken matters not.
I am with Roman now.
I love him.
I am not about to leave him over a few sad revelations.
I have told you what you wanted to hear.
There is nothing else that needs to be said.
Now, get out of my way!”
Senemut stood up and stepped aside.
Hatshepsut put on her helmet and started her bike.
It roared to life.
Hatshepsut hit the throttle hard, her tires spewing loose dirt and gravel.
Senemut watched as she sped off into the night.