It wasn’t done.
Not in a million years would it ever be done.
Until now.
The man with the orange hair stood, his eyes blazed. “Anubis, you will want to speak with her alone, trust me.”
“My father won’t like it,” I said through clenched teeth.
“Oh, that.” He shrugged. “I’m part siren. I’m a fantastic distraction for males, females, plants,” He started counting off on his fingers
The Watcher chuckled. “He’s not wrong, though I wish he were.”
“Tell me about it.” The wolf winked at me.
Who were these people? And why did they feel so familiar?
The wolf chose that moment to grin and nod his head. “Soon, my man, very, very soon, just be careful.”
“Mind reader?” I guessed.
“Sort of.” He just shrugged. “Trust me, you’ll want to hear what she has to say, and can it please be fast?” He looked around. “The longer we stay…”
“Stay?” I repeated. “You’re leaving?”
“It’s complicated,” Kyra offered and then waved her hand in front of me again. “Shall we?”
“One rule.” I eyed her hand. “You can’t touch me.”
Her adorable nose scrunched up. “Why?”
“Because…” I sighed. “It hurts.”
“Your skin?”
“My heart,” I whispered and gave her my back. “This way.”
Her shocked expression didn’t help the way my blood was roaring through my system as I took her as far away from Set as possible.
The Gardens.
I wasn’t sure why I led her there, but it seemed right, to bring her around as much life as physically possible so she forgot that she was speaking to death
itself.
I wanted to ask the Creator why.
Why now?
Why give me the one thing I couldn’t have?
It wasn’t fair.
I felt like I was in a game of Senet I could never win. Was doomed to lose before I even began.
We walked in silence down the stone paths and into the rose garden. The perfume of the flowers was dense, cloying, almost too much to handle as I led her toward the farthest stone wall, with its fountain and swimming pond. The water was so clear you could see all the way to the bottom. People used to believe that it was the fountain of youth.
Until they drank of it and realized it was just very cold, beautiful water.