The ring I referred to would have been enchanted to notify all of us if Viper were in trouble and then show us where he was. But I hadn't made Viper a ring like I had for the rest of us. Mainly because he wasn't my husband and the rings were wedding bands. But I should have made one anyway. If Viper had a ring linked to ours, I wouldn't have been so worried about him.
“Just give him a little more time,” Odin suggested.
I plodded back to my seat and plopped into it. “Did you find that story you were after?”
“No.” Odin grimaced. “And I don't know if I want to waste another day searching for it. Maybe if I stop thinking about it awhile, it will come to me.”
“Same can be said about Viper,” Kirill said to me gently.
“Yeah, okay, I get it,” I huffed. “I'm being paranoid.”
“I have something I vant to discuss vith you, Tima,” Kirill went on.
“What is it?”
“I am God of Death now.“I can offer Intare afterlives.”
I blinked at him. Kirill wasn't the only death god at the table; Azrael and Odin had death magic too. Odin and I had discussed giving my lions afterlives in Asgard but there were already a few Intare souls living in Duat with Anubis. Anubis had saved them for me and when given the option, the other Intare said they'd prefer to go to Duat to be with their brothers than to Asgard. But Kirill was Intare and his home was their home; that changed things a bit.
“If they agree to it, I'm all for it,” I said.
Kirill grinned. “Good because zere's more. I vant to ask Anubis to release our lions to me. I vant to bring my brothers home.”
I went still, my eyes watering. I would love to bring the souls of our dead lions home to Pride Palace. As it was, we only got to see them when we went to visit Anubis. But...
“Is that possible?” I asked.
“Perhaps if Anubis agreed,” Odin answered for Kirill. “But then you'd have to find a way to transport their souls through the Aether.”
“You mean, like this?” Azrael grabbed the air and a scythe appeared in his hand.
The scythe had a long, wooden shaft and Angelic script carved into its blade. When Azrael harvested a soul, that script would glow blue, as would his name, inscribed on his cheek. The soul, safely contained in the blade, could then be carried anywhere, even through the Aether.
Odin chuckled. “Precisely like that.”
“Death comes out of retirement,” I said softly.
“Only for family.”
“Zank you, Brother.” Kirill laid a grateful hand on Azrael's shoulder.
“My scythe is at your service.” Az grinned and for a brief moment, his grin went deeper. Or rather, his other face surfaced—the one that never stopped grinning.
Chapter Thirteen
Before we left for Duat, I texted Austin to let him know about the bodies at the snake house. He assured me that he'd handle it. While I texted him, Re traced to Duat to warn Anubis of our visit. I hated to show up in someone's territory unannounced. Sometimes it couldn't be avoided, but Re, as head of the Egyptian Pantheon, was welcome in Duat whenever he damn well pleased so, he could announce us.
My other husbands and I waited at the tracing room for Re's text conveying Anubis' approval before we traced to Aaru as well. We set our hands to the back wall of the tracing chamber and were pulled into the Aether, our bodies becoming thought, then coalesced in Duat's tracing room, physical once again.
Anubis' tracing chamber was coated entirely in sheets of polished onyx. I used to think the room was intimidating, but I've since realized that it's more comfortable to come out of the Aether into a dark room than to step into a bright atmosphere. Of course, that didn't mean the onyx wasn't supposed to be intimidating too. This was the Egyptian Underworld, after all. Anubis' job was to judge the souls of the dead. It was kinda a big deal.
One of Anubis' werejackals stood outside the tracing chamber, waiting for us. He had the appearance of an upper-class Egyptian but the manners of a cretin. He grunted, waved a hand down the hallway, then started walking. I shared an amused look with my husbands. The Egyptian Werejackals are unusual as far as shapeshifters are concerned. All shapeshifters have a prime form—one that they consider to be their true shape. Usually, that prime shape looks human. Not so with the Egyptian Jackals. For them, their prime form is jackal. They are jackals who can shift into humanoid beings, as opposed to humanoids who can shift into animals. Just as other shapeshifters take their higher reasoning with them into their animal form, so do Egyptian Jackals take their animal minds into their human forms. They can understand commands and even speak a little but, on the whole, they were simple creatures.
The jackal led us through grand hallways made of cream-colored stone, carved with Egyptian hieroglyphics. Elaborate lotus designs capped onyx pillars that stood guard along the walls every twenty feet. Statues of Egyptian Gods also made an appearance, their polished eyes watching us as we strode through their domain. Finally, the jackal opened a door and waved us into a sitting room decorated with modern furniture—modern compared to the ancient Egyptian ambiance we'd just experienced, that is.
The room had a distinctly Victorian feel, with delicate loveseats, a mantled fireplace, and more fringe than one room should be allowed. Velvet featured predominately: upholstery, drapes, and even table cloths. But it didn't feel feminine. The heavy, wooden desk in the corner helped with that. That and the two virile men who occupied the room.
Re shouldn't make anything look masculine. If you considered him in pieces—his individual features and body—it became a list of attributes that would tell an effeminate story. Dark skin coated in gold dust, golden bedroom eyes bordered by thick lashes, full lips that always seemed on the verge of pouting, high cheekbones, chocolate-brown hair highlighted with blond, and a regal nose. But to get the full picture, you had to consider the sleek muscles beneath that gleaming skin, the corded forearms, large hands, and broad shoulders. You had to acknowledge the chiseled angle of Re's jaw and the way those pouting lips could press together in a firm line that brooked no defiance. Altogether, Re was a man who adored pleasure but who could also bring the pain. He was complicated: a lover and a destroyer of worlds, a prankster and a leader, a loyal friend and a dreaded enemy.
