The following morning, Anubis rolled over on his back and covered his eyes with his forearm, instantly regretting his decision to have large wide windows in his bedroom. Reaching for his other pillow to cover his face, Anubis's brows tightened when his fingers touched fur, not the soft one-thousand-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheet only he could sleep on. Anubis turned his head, prying one of his eyes open, and for a second, he was surprised to see Cairo, Neith’s pet lynx, sleeping beside him.
And if Cairo was here, that meant “the mothers,” as he liked to call them, were somewhere in his house. The three were never far from each other and enjoyed butting into his life under the guise of motherly love. He should have known they would come looking for him after the nominations, no matter where he went. He’d been running over his conversation with Thor and decided to go through with his plans, getting rid of the Michael Shultz moniker and simply doing things as Anubis Ahket. It was getting tiresome living a double life. However, he wouldn’t eliminate all his work as Michael Schultz; that would be idiotic. He was simply going to manipulate the system.
Is it cheating? Yes, but if Azazel can do it for Loki and make him the mayor of Valleywood, why can’t I become a mega-superstar overnight?Anubis just needed the perfect full moon to enact his plan.Fuck, why the hell am I thinking so damn deeply this early in the morning?
Turning off his thoughts, Anubis pulled Cairo into his arms, burying his face in the lynx’s soft fur. Anubis went back to sleep. He had some time yet before he had to meet with Azazel.
Anubis exited his ensuite bathroom a couple of hours later with a towel wrapped low on his hips, and another draped over his shoulder. After a good rest, he felt more like himself, unbothered about the whole awards thing. If he were nominated, he would accept the nomination gracefully.
Walking over to the bed, Anubis took a minute to give Cairo some attention, thanking the lynx for the extra cuddles, before entering his walk-in closet. Anubis pulled out a black three-piece suit, pairing it with a lilac shirt and deep purple cufflinks that Horus had given to him for his last birthday, after moisturizing his skin and styling his hair into a high, neat bun that would fit under his hat. Anubis pulled on his pants and shirt, leaving them unbuttoned, and walked out of his closet with his jacket draped over his left forearm, not forgetting to grab his fedora with the black-and-purple peacock feather as he left the room.
He mentally reviewed his schedule, realizing it was about time to visit After Life's headquarters. He’d been off playing for the past few months, and honestly, it wasn’t fair that he left Sobek with most of the responsibility. Anubis threw his jacket on the bed, waking Cairo up. The lynx snapped his head up, huffing and glaring at Anubis, bringing a smile to his face.
“I’m sorry, Cairo,” he said to the lynx.
Cairo growled and got off the bed, leaving the room and Anubis to his thoughts, bringing him back to his cousin. He needed to do something special for his aunt and cousin. They deserved a vacation. Anubis finished getting dressed and grabbed his cell phone off the nightstand. Remembering that he’d shut it off the night before, he turned it on, and instantly, it started pinging with notifications from missed calls and messages. Instead of reading them, he decided to deal with them later on, suspecting they were all from his family and friends checking on him. Anubis stuffed his phone in his jacket pocket and made his way to the kitchen and could hear the whispers of his mothers. He didn’t know what they were talking about, but it seemed to be a bit heated by the looks on their faces. When they realized Anubis was in the kitchen, they stopped speaking and gazed at him.
“You three look real guilty about something, so whatever you did, I don’t want to know,” he stated firmly. “Just don’t let Osiris and Set find out. You know Set always blames me for whatever trouble you three cook up.”
All three women were beautiful, with golden-brown skin and enchanting smiles. Over the years, Neith wore her hair in micro twists that reached the middle of her back and had been dyed honey blond a few months ago. Isis loved her natural dark brown curls that were cut short on the side and long on the top in a faux mohawk that complimented her beauty. Bastet liked to change her hairstyle with whatever fit her mood. Since the last time he saw his mother, she’d added auburn highlights to her bouncy black curls that framed her face.
“Habib.” Bastet smiled, standing, and hurried over, pulling him into a tight hug. “Congratulations on your Pegasus and Valkyrie nominations!”
Anubis looked at his other two moms, who wore proud smiles on their faces, and he couldn't help his own lips from curling into a bright grin. Usually, he'd brush off the nominations, but this time around, he had a good feeling about where his career was headed. Win or not, he would fix things without changing the course of fate. Happiness bubbled inside of him, and he embraced Bastet a bit tighter than she did him, giving her lots of love.
“Thanks, Mama,” he said, leaning back and kissing her on the cheek. Bastet stepped back and stared up into his face.
“Your words say you're happy, but your eyes aren't dancing. Why?” she said.
“I am happy, Mama, but it's not my first nomination.” He pecked her cheek again, then stepped out of her arms and went over to greet Neith and Isis, showing them as much love, as he sat between the two women and looked at Neith. “Taking a day off from work today?” Anubis asked out of curiosity. He knew how much she enjoyed going to the office.
He draped his suit jacket and fedora on the back of the chair next to him so that they wouldn’t get wrinkled.
“That child of mine ordered me to take some time off,” she answered with an eye roll. “He’s been doing that a lot lately.”
“Seriously?” Anubis said in shock.
“I had no choice. Sobek asked his father to take me away for some rest and relaxation.”
“What's wrong with that?” Anubis didn’t see what the big deal was. Everyone needed a break now and then.
“Nothing, if it was for a couple of weeks, but Set and I will be traveling for a whole year,” she snapped.
“Calm down, Neith,” Isis said. “I think it's sweet what they’re doing. You work so hard, and I know that Anpu appreciates it, but I'm sure he doesn't want you to devote your entire existence to After Life. Right? Besides, you were only supposed to help out for a couple of years, not ten.”
“As a matter of fact,” Bastet spoke up, “I think we should all take a very long vacation,” she stressed, narrowing her eyes at Anubis as if sending him a secret message.
What the fuck are they up to?Anubis had no clue, but by the look in his mother's eyes, it was best that he agreed. “Yes, godmother. I don't expect you to work for me forever. Take all the time you need. I’m sure Sobek can muddle through for a little while.”
“Are you certain?” she asked after a few moments of silence.
“I'm positive,” he answered confidently. “You deserve some time away.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I would say that my own son and godson are firing me but trying to be nice about it,” Neith said, not seeming upset about the idea.
“Would that be a bad thing?” Bastet asked. “At least you know you’ll get a big severance package. Your son is no longer a baby, he hasn’t been one for quite some time, and you’ve guided his hand in every way. It’s time to let him go to do what he needs.”
“And I say, before he fires you, just quit,” Isis added.
