The next morning, I had just gotten the kids downstairs when Re received a text. We had eaten breakfast, and the older kids had lessons with Jake, a werelion. Sebastian and Dominic weren't ready to start school yet. And by that, I mean Jake wasn't ready to deal with my hellions on wings. So, I sent Lesya and Vero off with Zariel and Jake to the classroom I'd made for them in a back room of the palace. Once they were taken care of, I headed outside with the twins and my husbands, leaving Re to his message.
I never made it to a chair.
“Thoth and Ma'at are missing items,” Re announced. “Anubis is asking if you could stop by, La-la.”
“Damn it,” I muttered. “I already know we won't find anything, but I'll go.”
“And I vill go.” Kirill looked at Trevor. “You stay here.”
Trevor made a face. It sounded like payback for Trevor asking him to stay behind last time, but it wasn't. Trevor had a grim history with Anubis and continued to hold a grudge. I couldn't blame him. Anubis abducted me, did terrible things to me, and then had the nerve to fall in love with me. Not true love, mind you. If he had really loved me, he would have let me go. Instead, he tried to force me to marry him by abducting Trevor.
Back then, Trevor had to touch me at least once a month, or he would die from separation sickness. The piece of his soul that he had given me when we bonded needed to reconnect with itself. Anubis used that against us, offering to allow us a monthly visit if I married him. Now, that trick wouldn't work. At least it shouldn't.
When I was the Dark Star, I adjusted Trevor's soul so that he wouldn't need that monthly reunion with his soul. We hadn't tested it yet, but I was confident Trevor would be fine. But back to Anubis. He had changed after cleansing his soul in the Fountain of Youth—a fountain in Duat. Anubis regretted what he'd done to me and tried to make amends in many ways, not the least of which was saving Torrent and me when we were infected by Darkness. I forgave him a long time ago. Trevor, not so much.
“Fine,” Trevor finally said. “But keep him away from her.”
“He's married now,” I reminded him. “To a Demon.”
Trevor snorted. “Named Gello.”
“Gello is badass.” I pointed at him. “And Anubis loves her. Whatever he felt for me has long faded. It will be fine.”
Trevor rolled his eyes.
“I'll go too,” Viper offered.
“Oh, for fudge's sake.” Re tossed his hands into the air. “He's my grandson, and he's asking for our help.”
“He's your great, great, grandson,” Odin corrected.
“Whatever. He's my blood, and I can kick his ass from here to creation, so he will not try anything with our wife.”
“And he held the souls of my lions for me until we could bring them home.” I reminded everyone. “Don't act as if Anubis hasn't made up for what he did. We're past this. At least I thought we were. What is with all of you?”
“Yes, what she said!” Re put his hands on his hips. “He took a dip in the fountain and cleansed himself of evil, remember?”
“They remember.” I motioned Re inside. “They're just being poopy pants because we haven’t found the trickster yet.”
Re snorted and went inside with me, Kirill and Viper following. The sounds of the twins screeching happily as they flew over Pride Lands also followed us in. It was enough to lighten my mood. I had a lot to be grateful for, and I needed to remember that. The only reason I could get through trauma the likes of which Anubis had heaped on me was because of the men who loved me, and now, our children.
I never wanted children, especially with my hazardous life. That baby smell people rave about made my nose wrinkle. I assumed that was nature's way of telling me I shouldn't be a mother. Turns out, I was sniffin' the wrong babies. Faeries, shapeshifters, and Angels—those were the children I was meant to have.
With a soft smile, I traced to Duat. As soon as I appeared in the onyx tracing chamber, my smile disappeared. Even though I had stood up for Anubis and I had forgiven him, being in that dark, glossy room brought back terrible memories. It had happened so long ago, but you don't forget stuff like that . Not ever. You think you've moved past it, but it's always lurking in the shadows, waiting for you to drop your guard.
Then it jumps out and shouts, “Boo!”
Anubis and I first met on a battlefield. He hated me—a human who dared steal the magic of gods and hunt them. He made it his mission to put me in my place. And it all began on that battlefield.
Anubis stabbed me in the shoulder with his dagger. The dagger infected me with Anubis’s magic, spreading its numbing fingers through my body. At first, it only created a mental link between Anubis and me. He began speaking to me in my mind, and that was his mistake. With my mind laid bare to him, Anubis saw pieces of myself that I'd never shared with anyone. I confused him. Infuriated him. Consumed him as he consumed me. The cold of his magic spread until he took control. I went to him willingly, but it wasn't my will. I entered the onyx tracing chamber in a daze, utterly enchanted. But as soon as I arrived, Anubis withdrew his numbing cold. He still controlled me, but he released my mind. Torture isn't fun if your victim doesn't know they're being tortured.
What followed was a series of humiliations that made me feel weak, alone, and worthless. It was a calculated attack that tore at my soul. I was a god hunter enslaved to a god, surrounded by his god friends, and forced to endure whatever whim entered his twisted mind. Anubis was a different man now, but he had been a psychotic bastard back then. He tried to break me over and over, but thoughts of the people who loved me kept me strong. I turned the torture around on him, twisting Anubis as he twisted me. And I won.
Anubis fell in love with me.
As I mentioned earlier, it wasn't real love. Or maybe I should say it wasn’t pure. As the Goddess of Love, I knewthat love could take many forms, even dark ones. Anubis had resented humans for the position they put him in—judging souls for eternity weighs on a man. It had filled him with hate and withered his heart. A man like that can only offer dark, twisted love. I came to understand him, and I forgave him when he apologized. But forgiveness doesn't erase the memories of lying beneath him, restrained by his magic and thick golden chains. I hated those memories. I could still recall the feel and smell of the wolf pelt Anubis had tossed to me on my first night in Duat. But I also appreciated those memories. I earned them. They were a badge of honor. I had come through the fire stronger. After surviving Anubis, I knew I could survive anything.
“We're here!” Re called out, his voice echoing down the golden corridor. “Anubis?”
