Soul Awakened Read Online Free PDF

fingers.
    Rustling in the antechamber shot her heart rate up ten beats. Her hands trembled. She wasn’t supposed to be here without an escort. Bomani was very clear about that. 
    She darted behind her mother’s statue and peeked around the corner. Blackness. She blinked her eyes a couple times. Did she see glowing orange eyes? She stiffened. Holy heck. Her throat went dry and her hair stood on end. She back peddled. The urge to flee overwhelmed her usual sensibility.
    Her breath caught in her chest when the floor vanished beneath her feet and she plunged into the black void. In the sudden weightless descent she flailed her arms, like a flightless bird. Her back slammed into the stone steps and pushed the last living breath from her lungs. Pain seared across her shoulder blades and her head cracked against the sidewall. She tumbled to the bottom with a thud and a moan.
    Her adrenalin would keep most of the pain at bay, but there was no doubt her shoulder was dislocated. Whimpering, she tucked her hand into her sweatshirt front pocket and splinted her left arm against her stomach. With her free hand she palpated the rest of her limbs. Although it hurt to breathe, she didn’t think any ribs were broken. She touched the back of her head. A glob of stickiness matted her hair and coated her fingertips.
    A fine perspiration covered her skin and her ears began to ring. She inhaled through her nose and blew the breath out. If it had been anyone else, they would probably pass out, but sadly she had been in this situation many times before.
    She started naming the Egyptian gods in alphabetical order. It kept her mind off her pain and her body’s response to injury. After the second round the dizziness began to recede. Gingerly, she leaned over and picked up her flashlight. The light illuminated the foot of another statue. She trained the beam up and was met by a fiery orange glare.
    “What are you doing in here?”
    She couldn’t keep her hand from quivering, which made the beam flicker over Kamen’s enormous features. The largest of the Underworld gods, Asar’s brother appeared even more monstrous.
    “Please don’t tell Bomani. Or my sisters,” she begged. She didn’t know what it was about Asar’s brother that scared her so. Anytime he was around she got goose bumps. Maybe it was the wild look in his eyes in the otherwise stoic god. Or the otherworldly glow. The only one who seemed unaffected by his presence was her sister. Kit was downright belligerent to him, when no one else dared to even look cross eyed at the god.
    “Answer me.”
    “I’m looking for the vault,” she blurted, her fear compelling her to tell the truth. “I can’t stand the thought of Bakari spending one more night in that tomb.” Whether it was the adrenalin crashing or the humiliation of getting caught, her voice broke and tears welled in her eyes. The god stood unmoving. Only the orange glow of his gaze extinguished to reveal the brown depth of his eyes.
    God, she felt pathetic.
    “Follow me.” He turned and disappeared deeper into the darkness of the stairwell. Of all people, he wanted to help or at least she hoped. She pressed her back against the wall and pushed with her feet until she was standing. With her flashlight in her good hand she hobbled down the steps. Each footfall jolted her shoulder and made her head spin. She blew out a breath and pushed past the pain.
    At the bottom landing she closed her eyes and leaned heavily against the wall. Fine beads of sweat trickled along her temples and followed the line of her jaw to her chin. Energy prickled her skin, like a million insects crawling under her clothing. She snapped her eyes open and shuddered. Logic told her it was her body’s reaction to the energy, but she couldn’t help but to shine her flashlight against her legs and arms. No bugs.
    Although she was at another intersection, the power beckoned her to the corridor to the left. Despite her fear of making another misstep, the