“Enough!” Anubis snapped. Then he saw Re's lifted eyebrow and cleared his throat. “All due respect, Grandfather. We'll deal with the souls later. Vervain, can you track the thief?”
“The thefts and missing souls could be connected,” I said. “We're not sure yet. We think the trickster has been stealing god relics again. Two other gods have come to us to report similar thefts, and the magic condenser is also missing. There was no trail to follow.”
“Will you look anyway?” Ma'at asked. “Maybe they slipped up. Or maybe it's unrelated.”
“Yes, of course. That's why I came.”
“No one gets into Duat without my knowledge.” Anubis met my gaze in challenge.
“The trickster has gotten past many wards. We don't know how they're doing it. Maybe it's a talent they stole from another god, or maybe it's something they've developed. Either way, they can get past any ward. And with the magic of Unseen, you wouldn't see nor sense them even if they stood next to you. They leave no trace of themselves, not even a scent.”
Anubis scowled.
Gello patted his arm. “Vervain is the best tracker we know. If she says they don't leave a trail, they don't.”
“But I will still look.” I motioned at Ma'at. “Will you show me where you kept the feather?”
“Yes, this way.” Wringing her hands, Ma'at led us through the corridors and around a corner, into another wing of the palace.
We passed several werejackals in uniforms. They were in their human forms, but unlike most shapeshifters, the werejackals' primary form was a jackal, not a person. Meaning,they always thought like animals, even when in human form. They followed us with their stares, lips parted to taste the air.
Brightly painted murals gave way to pure white walls of plaster, marble, and wood. Pops of color came from furnishings to temper the pale background. In Ma'at's wing, the style was one of comfort—gauze curtains, plush couches, chaise lounges that curled at one end, and thick blankets tossed everywhere. The art was watercolors and marble statues. A few Egyptian artifacts stood in display cases and on pedestals, but they were lost among the modern furnishings. Side tables held photographs of Ma'at in tropical settings, wintry mountains, and even underwater. Several men were in the photographs with her. One man in each photo, not several in all of them. That's more my thing.
“I kept it in here.” Ma'at took us into a room with a white piano and a view of a private garden. “Even if your trickster made it past the wards, I don't know how he could have found it.” She pressed a rose in the molding, and a panel swung open in the wall.
“They took my scepter. And that was hidden even better than this.” Re motioned at the cabinet that was revealed.
“Truly?” Ma'at glanced at Re before opening a drawer. “It was in here.”
“Yes, truly,” Re said as I went forward.
“And Odin slept atop magic condenser,” Kirill added.
My senses had already shifted, my mind interpreting scents as colors. I could see Ma'at everywhere and a few traces of Thoth, but nothing else. She may have a full social life outside of Duat, but she hadn't brought anyone here. At least not in the lastmonth or so. I ran my hands inside the drawer and pulled out the velvet liner to search for notes. But there was nothing. The only note left so far had been for Odin. I was starting to wonder if the trickster was involved at all.
“I'm sorry. There's no trail.” I looked at Thoth. “Do you want me to—”
“No,” Thoth cut me off. “It will likely be the same, and I'd rather you not invade my space.”
“Thoth!” Anubis growled, sounding a little like the jackals he commanded.
“No, it's fine.” I waved Anubis back. “He's right. It's probably a waste of time. And I don't want to see his wing anyway.” I stuck my tongue out at Thoth.
The thin man bristled, pulling himself straighter. “It's the most glorious wing of the palace.”
“Doubtful,” I said in a bored tone.
Thoth's mouth fell open, and he made gasping sounds. “It is! Damn it all! This way.” He strode out of the room.
Anubis snickered. “Well done.”
“It was the truth.” I sighed and followed Thoth. “I don't really want to see his wing.”
We went out of Ma'at's palace wing and past the judgment room. The massive door in the far wall led to the rest of the underworld. Once deemed worthy, souls were let past where they waited on a shore for a boat that would take them down a river, through several gates, and past the homes of the gods to their new homes. I didn't look at Anubis's throne, whereI had once sat at his feet, chained to him. I did, however, glance at Anubis and saw him stretch his neck awkwardly.
So, I wasn't the only one uncomfortable with those memories.
“Starlight?” Viper laid his hand on my back. “You all right?”
