Empire of Ash: A Passionate Paranormal Romance with Young Adult Appeal (God of Secrets Book 1)

the tent.
I stifle a growl.
“If you’ll excuse us…,” Kaz says.
Another roar, louder this time, echoes over the landscape as we step outside again. The object has grown to softball size, and I inhale sharply as detail I haven’t seen before comes into focus: four feline limbs and a pair of wings.
“Shit!” My heart accelerates.
My companion forces a smile as if to say he didn’t want to be right. “Come on, we need to intercept it if any of them decide to stay.”
He grabs my hand and, at a brisk walk, heads us toward what he said is the Temple of Amun on our way in. The three partial walls look mighty small if he intends for them to give us protection against what I see coming.
As if to underscore my fears, another, louder roar rumbles over us, and I start to run. Harpoc follows my lead and races after but doesn’t let go of my hand when I tug. Actually, I’m glad. He’s the only one keeping me sane at the moment.
I sneak a peek over my shoulder. The creature seems to be coming faster, and the moon now reveals the classic striped headdress of an Egyptian pharaoh. A feline tail flicks back and forth as it flies.
I squint as I take a closer look at its paws. The left front one is missing; only a stump remains, and I swallow hard. It’s just like the Louvre’s sphinx.
Shit. I run harder.
Harpoc drags me through an opening between one of the three walls, then barrels right and stops before releasing my hand. I almost wish he doesn’t let go.
Panting, I shake my head unable to comprehend the bizarre situation. It seems like forever ago since I discovered those scrolls, but it’s been only a few hours. How’s it possible my world’s been turned upside down in such a short time? Somehow magic and the fates have conspired to make this creature possible, and not just possible, but a reality, and now we have to deal with the consequences.
Yes, the consequences… of my actions. My chest tightens.
Harpoc squeezes my shoulder seemingly following the jumble of my thoughts. “Regret never helps, only action. You’re doing something to save these people, so you can feel good about that.”
Wow, if I didn’t know better I’d say Harpoc has a heart.
I look up into his eyes and inhale sharply. In this moment, the moonlight lights his eyes up, making them glow. Making them look exactly like the ones I always take comfort in.
Harpoc looks down, suddenly needing to straighten the collar of his immaculate duster.
Another roar, the closest and loudest yet, rattles my heart diverting my attention, and I peek over the wall.
The sphinx is here and hovers not far away.

Chapter Twelve
The creature beats its wings, blowing sandy soil around, scanning the area a ways up the field, closer to my peers than us. According to Harpoc, it’ll be looking for the Temple of Amun, its former home. It huffs and snorts, leaving no doubt to its displeasure when it doesn’t find it.
A shout rings out, piercing the darkness.
Idiots! I clench my fists making out four archeologists racing toward a beat-up pickup truck. They probably thought this some crazy hoax and decided to stay put, then panicked when they saw the creature.
You just can’t fix stupid.
The shout draws the sphinx’s attention, and its huffing and snorting morph into snarls as it flies after them.
Gods no! They’re a football field away from the only truck in the dirt parking lot.
The sphinx catches up to them, then roars, directly above.
I bite a fist not wanting to look, but I can’t look away.
The men’s panicked shouts echo across the site as they scramble like roaches in light. It only makes the sphinx roar louder.
I grab Harpoc’s arm and draw it close. Anything to make this stop.
I shriek when, in the blink of an eye, the creature dives and snatches one of the men up by a shoulder with its overlong, dog-like canines, then takes off with the man bellowing and writhing in its grip.
The silver and gold eyes aren’t working! I long to bury my head in Harpoc’s firm chest and have him wrap a strong, muscled arm around me. I only barely resist, admonishing myself instead. You’re better than this, Pell. Get it together.
I grit my teeth as the guy’s peers race after the creature, shouting and waving, but the beast ignores them, flying several yards before landing. It drags the man until it lays down and draws its stumpy leg across its squirming prize.
“Oh gods!”
Harpoc reaches for me with his free arm just as the sphinx releases its bite on the man, long enough to sink its teeth into his neck. The man stops writhing.
His companions yell as they catch up.
Harpoc wrenches his arm free from my clutches and races back through the opening in our protective wall, his duster tails flying. I squeak, panicking, but he ignores me, intent on the scene of devastation.
This is my fault.
Guilt propels me up the field after Harpoc. I have to help him. He said he had “a couple ideas” of how to stop the creature.
Please work.
The three men are shouting and waving their arms, taking turns running toward the beast in an effort to chase it off, as I near. They’re certainly heroic friends; I doubt I’ll do the same if this is my dig team.
While the creature doesn’t move, much less abandon its prize, the men’s efforts at least hold its attention so it doesn’t hurt their friend further.
What can I do?
I squeak as Harpoc skids to a stop maybe fifteen feet away from the beast.
Way too close. What’s he think he’s doing? The voice in