“Get the fuck out,” Trevor growled as he leaned protectively in front of me.
“Fine!” Anubis huffed and turned to leave, but then his expression changed to one of confusion, and he glanced back at me.
Anubis' eyes widened as he took in my terrified stare, and then his jaw fell open. Just as I was about to start screaming at him, other memories rushed in. I saw Anubis begging for my forgiveness, and I knew that he was as broken as Blue had been. I took a deep breath and swallowed my fear. Anubis' stare was becoming panicked, but I shook my head slightly at him; I wasn't about to ruin this day with whatever had happened between us in another time.
“Sorry to have disturbed you,” Anubis whispered and left.
“Tell me,” Trevor growled at me as soon as the door was closed.
“No,” I said firmly as I stood.
The men moved with me; both of them staring at me in shock. I settled my crown back into place and smoothed out the gown; still breathing heavily.
“La-la?” Re asked. “Did you and Anubis have a love affair?”
“No,” I said again. “It was definitelynota love affair.”
Re's gaze hardened as he stood, and Trevor started to growl; low in his throat.
“Let it go,” I said sternly to them both.
They gaped at me.
“But, Minn Elska,” Trevor whispered.
“No!” I said. “And throw those fucking flowers out the window.”
Trevor looked at Re, and Re nodded. Trevor retrieved the bouquet from where it had been discarded on the carpet and went to the balcony once again.
“La-la,” Re said gently.
I turned a hard stare on him.
“Please don't look at me like that,” Re begged as he drew closer. “If you want to keep your secret, I won't press you to tell me, but if I can ease your pain in any way, I'd like to. Even if I need to hurt my grandson to do it. Does Anubis deserve my fury?”
“No,” I whispered and closed my eyes. I breathed deeply again and pushed away the past. “No; leave him be.”
“As you wish,” Re said softly. “But know that I would do anything for you, and if someone hurts you, I will kill them; no matter who they are.”
“Thank you, Re.” I turned into his embrace, and he held me tightly. “But I can do my own killing.”
Re looked down at me in surprise.
Chapter Forty-Four
Re left me with Trevor, who would be walking me down the aisle. Believe me; I know how screwed up that sounds, but it felt perfect. Re had decorated his ballroom with enormous arrangements of white flowers and swaths of white silk. The color seemed even brighter against the vivid murals adorning the ballroom and it made the room feel pure; the perfect backdrop for a new beginning.
Trevor escorted me down a white carpet runner; between rows of Egyptian Gods who were Re's family. They smiled at me, but I could tell that they were confused. No one could understand why Re was suddenly getting married, and there was more than one pair of eyes that stared at me suspiciously above smiling lips. I didn't blame them; I'd be just as suspicious. But I couldn't allow them to ruin this moment for me.
So, I kept my eyes on Re, and when Trevor offered Re my hand and then kissed my cheek, I felt the rightness of the moment. This was meant to happen, and it was meant to happen now. Whatever may have been going on with my life trying to correct the changes that had been made to it, I knew that Re and I were right on schedule.
That certainty made everything better. I stared at Re in perfect bliss as he recited his vows to me. I was so lost in him that I had to be nudged after I failed to respond to the prompt for my own vows. Re smiled knowingly at me as I stumbled over the words, but when it came time to seal our union with a kiss, his expression transformed into one of pure adoration. Our lips met with what felt like destiny, and I reveled in this triumph. We had won; it may have been a small victory, but it was a vital one. Re and I had found each other and united our lives right when we were supposed to.
The Gods cheered, and it felt as if they were celebrating our triumph with us. I eased out of our kiss and stared at Re contentedly. Then he took my hand to escort me down the aisle and into our life as a married couple.
Music began to play and the furniture was moved about as tables were brought into the ballroom and a feast was laid out. But Re wasn't ready to sit down. He swept up my train, draped it over my arm, and then guided me around the room in our first dance. The Egyptian Gods loved this; they applauded as they watched their patriarch dance with his new bride. Then several couples joined us, and the celebration took off.
We feasted and then cut the cake together, but the garter and bouquet tosses were bypassed; one had already been thrown and the other didn't exist. Still, Duat wine was flowing, and no one seemed to notice the absence of the human traditions. I met and danced with several of Re's family members, and I was even able to dance with Trevor a few times. It was lovely... until Anubis sought me out.
