When he saw Star, he flung the body to the side, rushed over, and pulled him into his arms. “Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
Star grabbed onto Anubis. “I'm a little shaken up, but I'll be alright.” He stepped out of Anubis's arms but didn’t go too far. “Who is that?”
Anubis sighed. “It's not a who, but a what.”
Star looked up at Anubis with very confused eyes, but the man didn't respond and called out to the empty room. “Father, I found your damn missing soul. Come claim it before I turn it into nothingness for trying to kill me and my mate.”
Star gasped when Osiris appeared out of thin air and walked over to the body Anubis had thrown earlier. Osiris was dressed immaculately in a dark three-piece suit with a green tie that matched his moss-green eyes. Star hadn't taken his eyes off Osiris as he walked over to the body, and with the toe of his shoe, he turned the body’s head, and Star grabbed Anubis's shirt when he saw the person's face. It might have been decayed, as if the person had been dead for a couple of weeks, but Star would never forget the face of the man who’d killed him in his first life.
What the fuck is going on? How is a dead body moving around and able to fight with Anubis?
Osiris sighed and shook his head. “This is not the soul I've been looking for.”
“What do you mean?” Anubis asked. “Then why was it trying to kill us?”
“Soul?” Star asked.
“That's a good question.” Osiris kneeled next to the body. “But it has his mark.”
Osiris looked up at Anubis, then his gaze traveled to Star and did not move. Feeling uncomfortable, Star tightened his robe and stepped a little behind Anubis, using him as a shield.
He’s my father-in-law. Why is he looking at me like that? Maybe he doesn't like Anubis with me. Tough, cause we're not breaking up!
“We'll see about that,”said a weird voice in the back of his mind, but before he could question it. Osisris's question caught him off guard.
“What were you two doing when it happened?”
“Talking,” Anubis answered quickly.
Osiris stood, smirking. “If you're anything like me, you were doing much more.”
“All right, stop prying into my business and tell me why a ghoul is trying to kill me.”
“Are you really asking a question like that? You've lived long enough to know that beings like us are always at war. Who have you pissed off lately?”
Anubis stared at his father menacingly. “Old man, shouldn't I be asking you that question?”
“I've been a model god,” Osiris said, holding up his hand. “I'm serious.”
Star believed the older man. He had an image that if Osiris were up to something, Anubis or Isis would know about it.
Osiris looked down at the ghoul, as he called it. “The spirit's hatred has gotten stronger. It's the only thing I can think of.” He stretched out his hand, and Star gasped when a small firebolt came from his palm, hitting the ghoul and burning it to ashes. “Before this, I thought this spirit was just angry that it wasn't given a second chance, but I feel there is something more to it. Let me do some more digging and get back to you. But in the meantime, there is something I need you to do.”
"What?”
“My son, this will be hard for you, but you must speak with your mother.”
“Father, I will not intervene with you and Mom. Whatever you did, apologize.”
“Young jackal, I'm not talking about Isis or Bastet. I'm talking about the other one.”
“Why?” Anubis said, his brows furrowed. “Are they the one causing this?” Osiris did not speak. “Father, answer me. Did you do something to Nephthys?”
Star stood behind Anubis, listening to their conversation. He had heard the rundown of Anubis's upbringing and that he did not consider Nephthys to be his mother. Mythology from his world was seriously overrated. Yet Star couldn't help being shocked at the things he’d learned.
“No, of course not,” Osiris said. “I've stayed far away from them for what they did to you, and I also promised your mothers I wouldn't go near them, not even with a ten-foot pole.”
“Then why the fuck do I need to see them?” Anubis yelled.
