I looked at Kirill and he nodded; I'd do better at explaining this. If it was up to Kirill, he'd probably say something like,I'm Death God now, please give me lions back.
“I don't know if you've heard yet, but Kirill has become a full god,” I went with a more thorough approach.
“No, I hadn't.” Anubis looked at Kirill. “Congratulations.”
“Zank you.”
“How did that happen?” Gello asked.
“It's a long story but to sum it up, he was connected to a goddess who tried to kill him. He killed her instead and took her magic,” I said. “She was the Russian Goddess of Death and Winter.”
“Death and Winter?” Anubis lifted a brow. “You're an Intare death god now?”
“Da.”
“You've come for your brothers, haven't you?” Anubis lifted a winged eyebrow.
“We truly appreciate all you've done for us, Anubis—” I started.
“I'm not offended, Vervain,” Anubis interrupted. “Of course, you'd want them back, and I'm even willing to release them to Kirill. But how will he take them? I mean in the physical sense. How will he transport them from Aaru to Pride Territory?”
“He will not,” Azrael answered. “I will.”
Anubis blinked.
Gello laughed in delight. “I'll bet you thought you'd never use the scythe to harvest souls again, Az.”
“Not like this,” Azrael agreed. “I've used it in battle, though.”
“This is better, I think,” Gello said gently.
“Who are you?” I gaped at her.
“Excuse me?” She straightened in affront.
“The Gello I know would never choose the peaceful harvesting of souls over their brutal extraction during battle. So, I ask again, who are you?”
Gello laughed softly and glanced at Anubis. “I am a changed woman.”
“Love can do that to you,” I murmured. Then I glanced at Anubis. “Love and water.”
“I'll just have your lions summoned,” Anubis got up and headed toward the door, giving me a secret smile as he passed by.
Chapter Fourteen
Rick, Hamish, Alan, and Noel looked as alive as the rest of us. That was mostly thanks to Anubis' territory magic but also had something to do with human belief, just like a god's appearance. As I mentioned, Gods form a sort of contract with humans; they got sacrifices and the humans got protection, guidance, assistance, and a place to go when they died. It was the last bit that allowed souls to exist in the God Realm. Without god intervention, they would return to the Void and cycle back into another life, but those who form a connection with a deity could bypass the Void and reincarnation and go straight to the afterlife of their choice.
And that's what Anubis had done for my lions.
But now, Kirill could fill that role. He could offer his living brothers a place to go if they died but first, he would offer the souls of his dead brothers a way to come home.
“Yes. Hell, yes!” Noel spoke first.
“We can go home?” Hamish asked with his Scottish burr, his eyes going misty.
“No offense, Anubis, but I'msoover your jackals,” Rick added and flung back his blond dreadlocks.
“No offense taken,” Anubis assured him. “They can be a bit... trying at times.”
