The Monstress turned her face to Neferet and her expression changed. Insectile, she cocked her head with jerky, odd movements and studied her counterpart.
“You freed me.”
Neferet was surprised by the Monstress’s voice. It sounded eerily like her own, only it had a strange resonance, like the vocal cords that produced it were humanoid, but no longer fully human.
Neferet drew herself up, lifting her chin and meeting the immortal’s gaze. “I did.” She brushed debris of rock and dirt and ice from her sweater as she continued, “Though had I realized it would be so messy I would not have worn cashmere.”
The Monstress laughed, a sound that was more hyena than human. Then she lifted her hands and commanded, “Reveal! ”
Neferet felt the power of the spell sweep across her body. Had she only been masquerading to appear like Neferet, that pretense would have been wiped away that moment. Instead, her visage remained normal and she forced herself to relax and smile.
“It is no spell. I am you. Well, more accurately, I am a version of you from an alternate world.”
“How fascinating. You do look exactly like me.”
Neferet bit back a horrified retort and instead said, “Because in my world I am you—Neferet—ex–High Priestess of the Tulsa House of Night.”
“Ex–High Priestess.” The Other’s eyes flashed with anger. “Did they usurp you as they did me?”
“I was betrayed, as I believe you were—though I do not know the story that brought you to this wretched tomb.”
“Take my advice. Keep a close eye on any creature of your own creation—even one you believe could never be disloyal.” The Monstress shivered and the tendrils that writhed over her pale skin pulsed. She stroked them. “Yes, darlings, you will feed again very soon. Patience. We have learned the value of patience.” She returned her gaze to Neferet. “What shall I call you?”
“Neferet is, of course, my name.”
“Ah, of course. I shall call you that, Neferet, ex–High Priestess of another world’s Tulsa House of Night. You may call me ‘Goddess.’ ”
“I’d rather not,” said Neferet, meeting and holding her gaze.
The Monstress laughed again. “Ah, we are alike.” Then her expression shifted, and she snapped, “Why are you here?”
“To free you.”
“Why would you come from another world to do that? What is in it for you?”
Neferet stared into the immortal’s eyes, and in their soulless emerald depths she saw nothing recognizable or human. And that was the instant Neferet realized that she had made a terrible mistake. This perverted version of herself would never willingly give her what she sought.
Neferet kept a tight rein on her terror and her disappointment. She was acting on pure instinct, and it told her that if she showed any weakness at all, this dark creature would not let her survive.
She swept back her hair and answered in a voice that sounded rather bored. “I hoped we could be allies, you and I.”
The immortal’s look darkened and as it did, Neferet felt her children cringing and trembling. She did not glance down at them, but instead stroked them soothingly, willing them not to show their fear.
“Allies? If we are in different worlds, why would that benefit either of us?”
Neferet could have said, Well, if they entomb me in my world, I’d hope you would break me out as I did you, but she knew this creature would never come to anyone’s rescue but her own. So, instead she shrugged and said, “While you have been otherwise engaged there,” she gestured dismissively at the rubble that had been a tomb, “the vampyres from your world have been meddling in mine. I decided to free you, hoping that you might have the power to keep them in check—and in their own world.”
“You were hoping my power would be great enough to keep them in check? It seems you know little of me, no matter your physical appearance. It also seems you are keeping something from me. I wonder what that could be?”
Neferet did not flinch from the Monstress’s penetrating gaze, but simply said, “I am sure we each have our own secrets.”
Suddenly, the Monstress levitated, hovering above the rubble and drawing a little closer to Neferet. As she did so, she sniffed the wind, as if scenting something.
“I do not smell immortality on you, my dear.”
Neferet laughed cruelly. “Oh, my dear, in my world we do not tastelessly wear our power for everyone to see—or smell. That is so very banal. But perhaps your sense of smell is off after being in there,” Neferet lifted a lip at the tomb, “for so long. It has certainly affected your sense of style, or did you clothe yourself in leeches before you were entombed?”
The floating immortal jerked back in shock. “Leeches! These are my children!”
“Oh, indeed? They are so much smaller than mine that I could not be certain what they were—how interesting.” Neferet continued to speak even though the Monstress stared at her incredulously. “I have freed you. It is disappointing that you feel no need to ally with me, but no matter. I have done what I came to this odd world to do. If you cannot keep control of your subjects, I will continue to thwart them in my world. Now, I have prepared a suitable living space for you. It is within walking distance of here.” She shook her head as her gaze swept over her counterpart’s insectile body. “There you will find proper clothing and a rather excellent wine cellar. The décor leaves much to be desired—though it is a definite improvement over your most recent accommodations. Follow me, and I shall show you to it.” Holding her breath, Neferet turned her back on the immortal. She stared into the shadows, trying to see Lynette, hoping that her dearest one would be feeling everything with her—the terror, the danger, and beyond all else, the understanding that they must flee this world and the creature they’d
