"Oh, sweetheart, sometimes dealing with you is like taking you to the damned dentist sometimes."

I couldn't suppress a smile as my mother shook her head at me. Before us, several trainers had come forth with a variety of animals to choose for my familiar. Familiars were incredibly important to our people, and even plebeians had them. I, however, had yet to choose one, and it was mostly because animals simply didn't take to me as well as they did others.

I did admire the beasts that were lined up, though. A cheetah sat tall and proud with her head held high, her amber eyes eyeing the nearby boar that was chuffing and rubbing its snout on the marble floor, scenting the earlier occupants. Further down the row, a jackal, a hyena, a crocodile, and even a hawk. However, none of them took to me, and sadly, I didn't feel quite a connection with any of them either.

My mother waved the trainers and their beasts away. A deep bow and a humiliating procession out the door with their animals followed. My mother rose from her throne, reaching up to massage at her neck and shoulders, clearly stressed from dealing with me. How I wished I could make it easier, but frankly, if she just laid off sometimes, it wouldn't be so stressful for her.

"My sweet, my love, my darling little boy," she sighed, turning to face me as I rose to my feet, "Should we really seek a professional for you? Perhaps if you saw someone, spoke with someone, you would feel better." I tried not to grimace at her suggestion, and the fact that she'd resort to that. It wasn't that I frowned upon therapy. It was that, well, first of all, my mother did. She believed it was all hocus pocus bullshit. But, therapy didn't seem to be something I would find helpful. I could talk all day about my problems, but in the end, they would not be fixed. Talking to someone wouldn't change the way I was. It would only open the wounds further and I preferred to ignore them.

"I'm alright, mother," I said, making her glance at me warily, and I smiled, coming over to put my arms around her and give her a kiss on the cheek, "Truly. I'm just having difficulties adjusting. Remember, I was in Hades for centuries. It takes a while to adjust." My mother pouted a little, then laid her hands on my arms around her and cradled me against her.

"I suppose I am impatient. I just want to see you happy and smiling again," she said, stroking my arms, "You were such a happy little baby, Septwa. You always giggled at things that weren't there, or whenever Anubis made faces at you. The whole pantheon adored you. You were the light of the pantheon, my sweet. I'm so proud of you." I was thankful she had her back to me so she couldn't see the slip in my mask that her words caused.

I'm so proud of you.

For what? What had I done that was so worthy of her pride? I knew she meant it to make me feel better, but somehow, her praise made me feel even more unworthy than I had a moment ago. And once again, I felt reduced to a child and I tightened my hold on her, pressing my face down in her luxuriously styled braids.

"Mr i tw, mwt," I murmured, whispering I love you, mother in our native tongue. My mother sniffed a little and turned in my arms to throw her arms around me, snuggling against my chest. The moment was brief, but went a long way in comforting me. It lasted until there was a throat clearing and my mother stepped back, looking annoyed.

"My apologies, your Majesties," one of my mother's jackal-headed servants murmured, "But your guest for the evening has arrived. Lady Chalchiuhtlicue has arrived with her sons, Itzli de Xiuh and Tupac de Chalchiuh." I frowned at the mention of the Aztec goddess of water and storms. I had no idea my mother had befriended anyone in the Aztec pantheon, especially since my mother was so averse towards foreigners.

"Of course! Bring them in!" My mother exclaimed, looking giddy. I raised an eyebrow at her excitement, only to wince when a high womanly squeal tore into the room. I looked up to see a devastatingly beautiful female run across the room. She was absolutely stunning with deep caramel skin and long black hair that was done in an intricate braided style that lay over the rest of her free flowing hair. She was dressed in a gorgeous sequin top with a flowy fringe that fell above her belly to reveal a glittery snake piercing. Tight black leather pants and bright green heels, plus added gold jewelry, finished off her outfit.

"Cha-Cha!" My mother greeted, catching the female in a huge embrace. The Aztec goddess laughed at the nickname and actually lifted my mother clear off her feet.

No one picked my mother up. No one touched my mother so familiarly. Even Set made sure he only touched her in certain ways, but this goddess boldly hoisted my mother up, then set her back down so they could kiss each other's cheeks.

"Nephy," Chalchiuh cooed at her, "Oh, it's so good to see you again, my love, my precious gift! Look at you! Source above, you look like a gem! No, a star! Ugh, there is no comparison for how hot you look, babe!" My mother laughed, basking in the compliments. I shook my head at her, then glanced up to see Chalchiuh's sons enter the room.

The first to come in was the younger. He wore a wide brimmed black hat over his wavy dark hair, his gold eyes outlined in eyeliner that had also been used to design four dots under both his eyes. He wore a pale blue button up with the sleeves rolled up over his biceps and khaki pants, and a pair of sandals. He looked friendly and inviting, even going as far as to flash me a smile.

But my eyes immediately locked on the male who came in behind him. I was unsure why my eyes suddenly felt magnetized to him, but they did. He was much larger, more muscular than his brother. He was tall, perhaps as tall as Hades himself, a feat not easily met. His long black hair was beautifully styled with two braids that ran along either side of his head, disappearing into a half ponytail that fell over the rest of his hair. Feathers and ribbons were braided into it, giving him a wild and war-like appearance. His features were ruggedly cut, harsh, and his eyes were the color of fresh coffee with darker rings on the outside of the iris.

He wore a tight black and blue top with sharp geometric patterns printed all over it and black leather pants that disappeared into a pair of boots that only added to his gigantic height.

"Oh my gods above, is this your son?" Chalchiuh asked, turning on me now. I offered her a smile and my mother turned to gush over me.

"Isn't he beautiful? My precious baby boy! Of course, if I had a say in it, I would've named him something better than Septwa, but you know males and their constant need to let their names live on in their spawn," my mother said, shaking her head. Chalchiuh clucked her tongue at that with a nod, putting her hands on her hips. She turned to me now, smiling warmly.

"What a pleasure to finally meet you. Nephy's told me so much about you, yet words do you no justice, my child, you are beautiful. You remind me of my precious serpents," she murmured, reaching down to finger the piercing in her belly button, "So smooth and sleek, beautiful and deadly. She's told me you are a great warrior." I didn't know what to say to that, but thankfully there was no need because my mother gushed a little more about me before she turned the attention to Chalchiuh's children.

The youngest one, Itzli, seemed to enjoy the attention, smiling and preening. Tupac simply smiled lovingly at his mother for her compliments. There was such a sincere love in his eyes when he looked at his mother. She didn't treat him like a child either, just touched his arm and kissed his cheek, as any mother would do.

Suddenly, those coffee eyes snapped and locked on me, and I was unsure why, but every muscle in my body froze and went still. I stared back at him. He was still smiling, but his eyes didn't seem to match what was going on with his face.

"Oh, I'd love to get you all settled in," mother said excitedly, and her hand on my shoulder startled me out of my staring contest, "Sweetheart, take Tupac and Itzli to their rooms. I want to show Cha-cha to the room she's sharing with me. Girls night." Chalchiuh grinned, clapping her hands together eagerly. The two of them walked off, giggling and joking together. I watched them go, then turned to Tupac and Itzli.

"If you'll follow me," I said, gesturing in the direction we were going in. Tupac inclined his head and Itzli beamed. I led them out of the main hall and down the hallway toward the stairs that would take us to the second floor where the bedrooms for guests were. No doubt my mother had taken Chatchiuh to her secret entrance to the private bedrooms on the third floor. Only my bedroom, Anubis's, my mother's, and my mother's special chambers were on that floor.

"This place is amazing," Itzli commented, looking around at all the flashy and fancy decor my mother had everywhere. It looked like something out of a modern fashion magazine. My mother's style was very modern, so neutral colors with only an occasion pop of vibrant blues and golds and greens. Geometric statuary and abstract artwork, grass-like plants and aloe vera. Of course, there were still framed works of art from ancient times, mostly statues and hieroglyphic tales of my mother and her greatest accomplishments. Some were from the human realm, others from our realms.

"My mother endeavors to please," I responded to Itzli's comment. Itzli smiled at that, glancing up at me.

"So, our mother says you have an older brother?" He asked. Tupac sighed loudly, clearly annoyed by the question and Itzli rolled his eyes, apparently used to what seemed a bit melodramatic. I raised an eyebrow.

"I do. He is Anubis. He is currently with my father, but he will be arriving shortly," I replied. Itzli beamed at that.

"Hope he's as good looking as you are," he said, making me glance at him curiously and he cocked his head, "What? Are Egyptians shy about compliments?"

"They're not used to sluts," Tupac deadpanned. Itzli blushed and whipped around to pop his brother in the stomach. It actually sounded more like he'd hit a wall given the sound of Tupac's hard abs. Itzli actually shook his hand out as if it had pained him more than Tupac, who smirked at his brother's antics before glancing at me.

"You'll have to forgive my brother. He's a minor god of sex and romance. But he's mainly a god of afterthought," he added, making Itzli sputter.

"I am not! Italili is!"

"If he heard you say that, he'd bury an axe in your skull," Tupac replied. Itzli looked positively peeved with his brother, but seemed to know better than to say more. I smiled at that. They reminded me a lot of the sons of Hades. I'd never understood reaching such a level of connectedness with someone enough to joke with them like that. Perhaps the closest was Theo, but there was a point when I realized his jokes were just mocking his own pain, pain he clearly suffered from greatly.

Sobering quickly, I led them to the second floor and stopped at Itzli's room first. My mother had nicknamed the room the floating pond, because she had it designed to appear as such. There was even a pond in the middle of the room with fish and a crane that came and went freely through an open circular window to the left that looked out over the city. It was designed in whites and blues and creams.

Itzli made a noise of delight as he came in and approached the massive bed, big enough to fit at least six people comfortably with room for sprawling. He hopped up on it and kicked his feet, looking thrilled at the space.

"I have got to get the number for your mom's interior decorator," he groaned enviously. He rolled over to bury his face against the silken sheets. Tupac shook his head at him, doing a quick glance around that deemed he wasn't impressed by material possessions. I could see that, considering my room was Spartan, much to my mother's dismay. She'd tried to invade my space with things like incense and vases and the like, but I simply felt claustrophobic with so many things in my room, despite its size.

"So, do you guys really celebrate the new year for a whole week?" Itzli asked, sitting up. I nodded.

"The new year is extremely important to my people. It signals the beginning and end of another year in life. It represents the end of old habits, the beginning of new ones. The end of a year old us, and the beginning of a new us. Death and rebirth are vital to Egyptian lifestyle," I explained. Itzli nodded, appearing to understand, and Tupac took it upon himself to elaborate.

"Our people value that as well, the concept of rebirth. After all, our realms have been destroyed and rebuilt countless times. Our very universe itself is on a path of rebirth." That made sense. It was nice knowing I wouldn't have to explain it in depth, as some people merely thought it was another silly excuse to have parties and festivals. Certain days were, such as the birthdays of the gods.

Now that was just idiotic excuses for drinking and debauchery.

But the new year was sacred.

"Ohh, what's this?" Itzli asked, rolling over to pick up a small sleek white remote. I walked over to it and offered to take it to show him. He handed it over and I clicked one of the small buttons that opened up a panel on the wall to display options for television, the kitchen, a call button for the servants, even Internet browsing. Itzli ooed and ahhed as I handed him the remote so he could fiddle. I was a little curious about his surprise with the technology as it was considered pretty basic in most realms.

"His father isn't fond of technology," Tupac said, making me glance at him to see him smirking at his brother, "Itzli spends half the year with him in Southern Mexico in the mortal realm and lives in a small village that just had modern plumbing installed in the homes there." I couldn't imagine living without technology. I'd been spoiled with it, I suppose, and gods, was modern plumbing one of my favorite inventions.

"It's stupid," Itzli added with a grumble as he quickly got the hang of the remote and began scrolling through the movie playlists, "He's a hardcore technobe. It's why he left Mictlan. He said he was disgusted by Mictlantecuhtli's acceptance of modern conveniences, claimed they were going to turn us into unmoving lumps. And all because my cousin Eduardo won't get up off his fat ass and do something that isn't playing a guitar all day. Such shite." I shook my head at him, then looked at Tupac.

"I'll show you to your room now," I said. He nodded, then looked at Itzli.

"Do me a favor, hermanito, don't spend all day watching porn in here," he said. Itzli growled at him and made a flicking motion with his hand, clearly a way of saying fuck off. Tupac smirked at him, then followed me out of the room.

"I'm surprised you speak Spanish," I commented as we walked. Tupac arched a brow.

"My people speak it."

"I suppose," I said slowly. Tupac shrugged.

"Perhaps the language was not introduced in the most pleasant of manners; however, my people still know of us and use this language to communicate and only this language. It would be unfair if my realm didn't accommodate them."

"So Spanish is spoken in Mictlan."

"It's the largest spoken language, aside from English and Nahuatl, and the latter is mainly spoken by natives to Mictlan," Tupac explained, "I could say the same for Duat. You have many Arabic speaking peoples. Do you speak the language?"

"I do, indeed. There's several dialects of Egyptian that lead up to the modern Arabic, but most people get what you're saying when you speak Arabic. However, some of my people are very stubborn and refuse to speak modern Arabic. They believe it's tainted by mortal tongues." Such beings would be my mother and Horus. In their eyes, Arabic was inferior to the mother tongue. You were not true Egyptian if you couldn't speak the old languages. I couldn't imagine having such a limited language set.

"How unfortunate. Knowing different languages," Tupac murmured, "It's vital to one's survival, in my opinion." I smiled a bit at that, pleased that I wasn't the only one who felt that way.

"I understand what you mean," I replied, making him look at me with those intense eyes that somehow had me looking away to avoid the penetration of them, "I speak several languages and am currently in the process of learning Mandarin. It's easier than I thought it would be." Tupac smiled.

"Oh? So you're actually learning it and not seeking a spell to make it easier?" He asked. I shook my head.

"I find language to be incredibly fascinating, and the struggle of learning it on my own is rewarding and entertaining. Especially when I screw up."

"Don't get me started," Tupac snorted, "I taught myself to speak Tagalog and I nearly bit my tongue off in the beginning."

"Tagalog? I don't even know anyone who speaks it."

"Oh, it's definitely a fun language," Tupac replied, "Definitely one of my favorites. I would place it up there with Arabic, several of them Egyptian dialects, and Atlantean."

"You're learning Atlantean?" I asked, perplexed. Now that was a complicated language. Atlantean was a very old language, and not many people spoke it; however, since the new king of Atlantis had taken over, the language was being quickly revived and it was basically a new trend to know the language.

"Absolutely. We deal with them a lot considering they're an ally," Tupac answered, "My mother insisted we learn it, so we can, and I quote her, find a good consort and make me lots of grandbabies." I smirked at that, amused at something my mother had once complained about. Once she realized my tastes leaned more towards men as opposed to females, not that I wasn't interested in them at all, she gave up on harassing me for grandchildren, thankfully.

Even better, Anubis was now the victim of my mother's harassment.

"I don't care if you marry a male or a female or a fucking hippo at this point," my mother had ranted once, "Just give me grandbabies, Anubis, or I'm going to turn you into a female! One wave of my hand!"

"Oh please," Anubis had groaned, "As if you could handle me as a female." My mother had genuinely considered that, much to Anubis's annoyance. All I remembered of the conversation after that was laughing before Anubis almost put my head through a wall. Ever the kind loving brother, that one.

"So I noticed Itzli took his father's title," I said as we walked. Tupac frowned.

"Yes," was his simple answer. I understood right away. Clearly it was a topic not to be discussed, and thankfully I didn't have to suffer the awkwardness of my sudden nosiness as we arrived at Tupac's quarters; the room darker in comparison to Itzli's, in terms of the colors used, such as grays, blacks, and navys. But it was brightened by the wall of windows that gave a stunning view of the desert and the miles of sand dunes that seemed to glow in the sun's rays.

I stood by the door as Tupac walked in, sweeping his eyes around the room with mild disinterest before landing on me. Something sparked in those dark depths. I couldn't quite place what it was.

"You have a similar panel to Itzli's," I said, indicating the remote on the nightstand by the large canopy bed, "You can call anyone in the building as well." Tupac arched a brow.

"Anyone?" He asked. I nodded.

"Even you?" I frowned.

"I suppose so," I answered slowly, confused by his question. Tupac smiled pleasantly now and inclined his head.

"Thank you very much," he said, and I nodded, taking a step back toward the door to leave, "And, it was a pleasure meeting you, Sept. I should hope we can talk more later." I wasn't entirely sure what to say to that, and I was momentarily transfixed by him. He stood in a massive room, yet he seemed larger than life standing at the center of it all. He was incredibly handsome, a perfect representation of masculinity in a god. Not only did he radiate power, but his muscles bulged with it too. And he knew it too; his lip curved up on one side, like a cocky smirk.

A breath left his nose suddenly, like he was laughing at me.

I stiffened, then quickly backed out of the room and shut the door. How fucking awkward. I'd never been particularly good at socializing, but somehow, that was worse than usual. I shook my head before heading downstairs. I had just gotten to the main hall when one of my mother's servants came into the room.

He was a jackal shifter named Abasi. He was also one of the oldest, and the one in charge of the other servants. He was a tall, thin creature with his tall gray ears that poked out through his silver hair that fell all the way down his back in a loose ponytail threaded with gold ribbons. His amber eyes held a vertical pupil, and his tail hung low behind him. He wore a pair of tight black leather pants with zippers that went up the side, probably for easy access, and a matching lace up sleeveless top.

"My lord," he greeted, his voice deep and gravelly, "I apologize for intruding, but I was asked by your mother to send you on an errand. I will, of course, be joining you." I frowned at that, wishing like hell my mother would quit sending me into town to do things for this festival. While I certainly wasn't spat upon in the streets anymore --my mother and Anubis had seen to that, I wasn't exactly met with cheeriness either.

"What does she need done?" I asked. Abasi held up his tablet so I could take a look at the orders that were to be picked up for the outfits for the performers. Sighing, I inclined my head.

"Then I suppose we should head out," I muttered. Abasi glanced at me, a hint of a smile on his lips.

"She greatly appreciates it, my lord," he said. I gave him a thin smile before I teleported us both from the main hall at my mother's palace to the bazaar.

Once upon a time, the place had been very old fashioned with wooden stands and vendors calling out to get attention. Homes built of mud bricks and wood. Now, it was more modern with buildings made of steel and high-gloss wood. The shops were still mostly out in the open, but the stands were made of better material, sturdy, and modern. It looked more like a bunch of mall kiosks gathered close together with crowds of people around them, looking for the next big trend.

Of course, we bypassed the outdoor vendors and went to the actual mall itself. It was a large building that rose high into the sky with a good twelve floors. The first few belonging to major stores and boutiques. Further up were offices of the people who owned the stores below. We made our way to a local merchant who provided high quality costumes for festivals and parties. They were called ImCore and heavily endorsed by my mother. Most of what they did was for gods and demigods, a few angel clients here and there. They were a strict Duat based company, but were known to import some materials from other realms.

Abasi and I approached the office of the CEO named Khnemu-hotep II. His father was the one who had started the company in the first place. But unlike his father, who seemed to be quite tolerant of me, his son was another matter and loathed my very existence. The only reason he still did business with my mother was her generous donations to the company.

"It'll be, but a moment," Abasi told me. I nodded, watching him disappear into the room. I turned back to the very sterile waiting area. Just a small area with two chairs and a small table with some magazines all advertising ImCore as the future of party design. I felt my phone abruptly vibrate in my pocket, making me frown and take it out. I felt my lips twitch at the recent text.

Guess who gets to fuck up Duat this New Year, Theo had sent. I chuckled at that. I couldn't believe he'd gotten an invite. He'd told me he would and I had told him not in a million years. My family loathed the very air he breathed. I would be afraid for him to come if I wasn't so sure he could protect himself. He had learned not too long ago that he was cursed with the Beast.

A rare and deadly curse that resulted in an entity sharing a soul with the host. An entity that was feral and primitive. It hungered and it demanded to be fed. In recent years, research on them had skyrocketed, so it had become less of a curse and more of a condition, really.

However, Theo's Beast was awfully good at protecting him, both from others and himself.

How did you manage that? I texted him. He sent several stickers, as if to detail his adventures before answering.

Hades reminded your dad that without me, the universe would have ended a couple times so technically i helped make it so you guys could even celebrate it this year and also something about a handjob. I rolled my eyes at something Hades seemed to enjoy teasing my father about. I didn't want to know the details, didn't care to know, and was seriously grossed out by the idea of our fathers going anywhere near each other.

Kudos. I sent. I almost typed are you bringing him, then quickly backspaced, because that was a stupid question to ask. Stupid and selfish. Of course Theo was going to bring his lover, Adonis. Theo brought the male with him everywhere. I had no doubt the male even stood beside him while he pissed.

Okay, so perhaps I was a bit jealous.

Or maybe just very.

And it only succeeded in depressing me as I looked down at the image of Theo's profile picture. It was him nipping at Adonis's face while Adonis was sleeping. Theo had told me the story behind it multiple times and laughed every time. Adonis wasn't fond of pictures, but Theo had convinced him to keep the photo. I didn't ask about how he did that. I didn't need to know. But my heart cracked a little every time I looked at the photo of them together.

That was a kind of happiness I had never seen on Theo's face before. There was such a carefree air to him now, one he never had with me. Shadows no longer haunted his brilliant red eyes, his smiles were genuine and big now, nearly to his ears, I swear. It made him so beautiful. I used to compare him to the glow of embers in a fire, but now he truly was the fire. Wild and free and beautiful, deadly and passionate.

He was happy.

And I was happy for him. He'd suffered for as long as I knew him, and before. I had hated watching him suffer for so long. Had fought so hard to try and make him happy, and I gave up... like the weakling that I was. I couldn't take it anymore. I left him alone. I knew he'd been hurt by my leaving. I couldn't get the image out of my head of him grabbing onto me, begging me to stay. I had reduced him to that.

I was happy he was happy now.

I just wondered... what did that feel like?

Do you have a date to the festival? Theo texted. I smiled, shaking my head. His question was sweet. Like my mother, Theo was always trying to hook me up with someone, but I could only politely turn him down with excuses of being so busy... but in truth, I wasn't really that busy and I wanted him to think that my life was going well, that there was no reason for him to be concerned over me. Because I knew Theo; if he thought for one second I was still bleeding over what happened to us, he would start to feel broken up as well and I refused to hurt him anymore than I already had.

No, but perhaps i'll find someone there, I sent, hoping that would placate him. It was a while before he responded, which meant he had probably ranted about it to Adonis. In fact, and I hated myself for this, I could picture them laying in bed together. Theo propped up on his pillows, his hair forever a disheveled mess and Adonis laying beside him with a book or his tablet. The image was so clear in my head, as if I'd seen them like that before, but I never had.

And it was probably because we'd laid like that in bed together once before too.

Fine, came Theo's curt response. I sighed. He was annoyed, but I didn't mind. Hopefully he would accept that and not try to invite someone to someone to come onto me.

"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite nephew." I stiffened, then looked up to see Horus coming into the room. He looked worse than the last time I'd seen him. He was clearly suffering from insomnia, if the darkness under his eyes and the redness in them wasn't sign enough. And if I didn't know any better, I'd say there was some gray starting at his temples. He was wearing a tan blazer over a very low cut black tank top and matching leather pants. His style was too young for him, I noted. Almost like he was trying too hard.

I didn't greet him. He smiled, as if that amused him.

"How are you doing? I'm sorry our last meeting couldn't have been friendlier. If anyone can turn me into a demon, it's your father," he said, his tone casual. But there was something so fake about it. Casual, yet somehow threatening.

"I'm fine, thank you," I said curtly, looking down at my phone in hopes that he'd go away.

Except he didn't.

"It's a pity we haven't had a chance to spend more time together," he said, making me frown and glance up with feigned disinterest, "I should like to change that."

"Well, the festival is making us all quite busy," I answered, hoping he'd get the hint, "Perhaps we can find time once it's over." Horus's smile tightened. He wasn't going to let this go and I didn't know why. Why was he so insistent?

"Actually, I was hoping to get your help on something," he said, "See, I'm about to make a major life decision, and what with the festival and the new year, it seems like the perfect time to do it. Unfortunately, I can't do it on my own." I arched a brow at that. Horus didn't ask for help. He never asked for help. He demanded people do things for him so he didn't have to do it.

"Why me?" I asked. Horus shrugged.

"You seem lonely since you've returned home. It pains me to see you this way when I remember you being such a lively and playful child," he responded. I frowned.

"I see... Well, unfortunately, I am rather busy," I started slowly, then came to a stop as I met Horus's gold eyes. He didn't speak, didn't cut me off, and the smile never left his lips. Even as he stepped into my space, so close that I took a step back to get away from him, only to bump into the wall behind me as he towered over me with those piercing eyes. It felt like he was peeling my skin off, exposing everything underneath. My blood felt like it was turning to ice.

"Don't make me do this, nephew," Horus murmured, his breath a hot blast of mint against my face, enough to make my eyes sting, "It would pain me greatly to have to seek out your father for assistance, considering our history. You know, don't you?" A lump formed in my throat as I remembered the stories my mother had told me of Horus and what he'd done to Set. The violence that led to Set's beast unraveling. According to my mother, if Joxeia hadn't shown up in time, Set would have had a severe meltdown. He would've hurt not only himself, but everyone around him.

My father had gone through too much.

To have Horus harass him again...

My skin crawled as I remembered the conversation he and my father had been having when I'd interrupted. It had sounded threatening. A realization dawned on me as I met Horus's eerie eyes and this time, a real smile slid across his face, amused as he seemed to almost hear my thoughts.

"Leave him alone," I said in a low voice, clenching my fist at my side in preparation to hit him. Horus laughed softly, and I tensed as he reached up and brushed his finger against my cheek. My skin felt like it was shriveling away from him and I tilted my head to avoid his touch, but that seemed to entertain him.

"What say you come to my home tomorrow evening at sundown? I would very much enjoy it if we could spend some time alone together," he said, stepping back. I watched him warily as he put enough space between us. As soon as he took the last step, the door beside me opened up and Abasi came out. He immediately frowned at the sight of Horus, but because of hierarchy, he was forced to bow in greeting to Horus, who looked at him with disinterest.

"My lord," Abasi said, turning to me, "The orders have been confirmed and paid for. We are to fetch them and deliver them to your mother." I inclined my head, then glanced at Horus, who smiled now.

"It was a pleasure talking to you again, Septwa. I look forward to meeting with you in the future."

Read: Don't miss our date tomorrow.

I watched Horus nod to me before heading into the office after us, earning a loud and joyful greeting from Khnemu inside. The door closed and Abasi turned to me with a stern frown.

"My lord," he said, "It's not my place to tell you what you can and cannot do... But if I may impart some advice on you... Avoid Horus as best you can." I looked at him, then glanced back at the door as we started to make our way out.

"Ditto, Abasi. Ditto."