I let Re take the lead through the palace corridors, past empty rooms decorated in an ancient Egyptian style, but showing some of Gello's influence. There were new paintings, a tufted chair, and an entire room done in hell chic—AKA Victorian crimson and black. We passed the spacious judging chamber with its throne and scales, columns separating it from the corridor, and headed into the wing that led to the gardens.
The ballroom was in another wing. I had once danced with Re there. He had given me strength too, reminding me of who I was. Because of Re, I held my head high, defying the weight of the golden chain attached to the jackal collar around my neck. Walking free through Duat at Re's side, more powerful than any god in Duat, felt like a type of justice. I lifted my chin and stared down the memories.
There was nothing to fear here. It had become a place of triumph for me. I had passed through the great doors and journeyed down the river beyond, through gates guarded by fire-breathing serpents. The Egyptian Underworld was where I had fallen in love with Re and married him. It was where my son saved my life by becoming twins. I had escaped through the river's end and returned a stronger person. Now, Anubis himself asked for my help. I was here as his friend, not his prisoner.
“Vervain!” Ma'at came rushing down the stone hallway, her white hair as lustrous as a pearl, shining even brighter against her dark skin. She was delicate, but somehow radiated power. Dark eyes full of ancient wisdom flicked over my husbands before settling back on me. “Thank you for coming.” She hugged me.
“Of course.” I hugged her back. “It's so good to see you.”
Ma'at had been the only goddess who showed me kindness during my ordeal with Anubis. She had often stood up for me and argued with Anubis over my imprisonment. In the end, it was Ma'at and Re who helped me escape.
It was the day I was to marry Anubis.
“My feather is gone. It's gone, Vervain. How will I judge the souls?”
“Your feather.” I glanced at Re. “Have you had many souls come through lately?”
She blinked and stepped back. “No, actually. I thought it might have something to do with my feather.”
I shook my head. “The Greek Underworld, the Christian Heaven, and Naraka are all experiencing the same lack of arrivals.”
“What?” Anubis entered the corridor with his wife. “Where are the souls?” He inclined his head to Re. “Re, thank you for coming.”
“Hello, Anubis.” Re squeezed Anubis's shoulder. Then he kissed Gello's cheek. “Gello, you look beautiful as ever.”
“Thank you.” Gello pushed her heavy fall of curling red hair over her shoulder. “You look radiant as well, Sun God.”
Gello was Holly's (the Holy Spirit and Azrael's mom) best friend and about as different from Holly as you could get, both in appearance and temperament. Her skin was tan, though not as dark as Ma'at's, her eyes were poison-green, and she had a voluptuous body that put mine to shame. She got her looks from Lilith, her mother. Yes, that Lilith.
“Can we get back to the souls?” Anubis demanded, his glossy black shoulder-length hair swinging forward, the golden tube beads strung upon several locks clicking together. His black eyes swirled with colors like an oil slick. I used to think it was simply a unique feature, but now I think it's evidence of his Death Magic—the aura of souls. Whatever it was, it was creepy, especially when he was mad.
“One soul arrived in Heaven, but he doesn't remember who he was,” I said. “I'm assuming it's the same in the other afterlives.”
“My tablets are missing as well.” Thoth, my least favorite Egyptian god, even less than Ptah (the one who tried to kill me and ended up turning my son into twins), came into the corridor. He lifted his pointed chin and set his sharp eyes on me. He was nearly as thin as Ma'at and nearly as powerful as Anubis. God of Magic, Writing, Science, Judgment, and Mediation. To me,he was a scrawny idiot who thought he was a genius, with an absurdly long neck and a bad attitude.
“Your tablets?” I asked. “What tablets?”
“The Emerald Tablets upon which I recorded the history of Atlantis and the secrets of science and alchemy. They are priceless!”
“You recorded the history of Atlantis?”
“Yes, someone had to. For fuck's sake, Vervain, it's in the myths. Don't you read? My people knew I was an Atlantean. I never lied to them.”
Re cleared his throat. “Pretending to be gods enabled us to help them.”
Thoth made a face. “As you say, Great One.”
I lifted my eyebrows at Re.
“It's true.” Re grimaced. “He told them about Atlantis. The rest of us didn't appreciate his candor.”
“Yet they worshiped me anyway.” Thoth smirked.
Re cocked his head. “Did they, though?”
“They did!”
“Only because we told them we were gods, and so they made you one through association.”
