Chapter 5
Hot air dried out my skin the moment we landed. I'd forgotten how the heat in Egypt felt but now a wave of relief flowed through me as a result. I hadn't realised how much I missed my true home.
"Welcome back," Sed said, resting a hand on the small of my back as we made our way down the steps and off the plane.
I didn't know how to react to the gesture. On the one hand, it was reassuring to have someone touching me like that. On the other, it was almost intimate and that wasn't something I was willing to give much thought to yet. Relationships with gods were complicated to say the least and I wasn't sure I was ready for that. At least Sed was a minor god. He probably didn't have a romantic history with everyone and their brother. Then again, there was no telling. Maybe he'd have that because he was a lesser god.
No. I shouldn't be thinking about my travel companion's love life, even if the horoscope I'd read played on my mind. Maybe he was expecting something to happen between the two of us.
"It's good to be back," I said, enjoying the little dart of magic glowing within me. It seemed to be responding well to being back in our homeland, which was something. So far, nothing other than time had managed to get it to grow back.
"I know the feeling. No matter what we do, there's still nothing like the homeland."
I laughed. "You make it sound like a cult."
"Is it not?"
I cocked my head to the side, not paying much attention as he drew me inside the airport and towards passport control. I wished there was an easier way to travel. Flying was fun but not when it meant all the queuing to follow.
"I don't think anyone ever felt like they were forced to serve us," I responded, hoping I was telling the truth. I didn't like the idea that we'd forced ourselves on the humans around us and made them believe what we wanted them to.
"Of course not," he replied. "We did what was right at the time."
"But you don't think it is now?"
I was called up to border control before he could answer but the question kept playing on repeat in my head. Maybe we really hadn't done the right thing.
Sed followed me through, flashing his passport. I had to admit this was one of the easier countries to get into. I hadn't been back to Egypt in a few hundred years and hadn't realised they'd become so lax.
"So?" I prompted.
"So?"
"You think what we did was wrong?"
"Now...sometimes," he admitted as we made our way to the baggage claim. I'd packed light but still needed some stuff with me.
"Why?"
"We put too much faith in the system," he responded sadly. "We relied on the humans remembering who we were and now we're here. Forgotten and fading fast. You're not the only one who has almost disappeared from memory. Even Ma'at seems to be heading that way."
"I don't think that has anything to do with people forgetting her name," I muttered. The Goddess of Justice was always going to be having a hard time with the current world. It wasn't one which suited her ideals and she'd be suffering for it. At least when it came to me, the ways of healing people had improved. If people could remember my name, I'd probably be stronger than ever.
"Indeed. But the lack of human followers isn't helping."
"It's not just them, though, is it?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
"No. Some of the lesser gods have already fallen into obscurity. Other than their immortality, I suspect they're completely powerless."
I grimaced. That was the way I was going, whether I liked it or not. My shifting ability would be safe so long as I remembered my own name but the rest was fair game. If I wasn't careful, the sands of time would take me and there'd be nothing I could do except drift into oblivion.
Not that it worked that way. I'd still be alive, living out eternity with the knowledge my legacy failed. There weren't many ways to kill a god. Even a forgotten one.
My suitcase turned up before I could give him an answer, which was probably for the best. The conversation was getting a little uncomfortable and I didn't particularly want to debate our dead religion any more than I had to. The whole situation was bad enough as it was.
"Let me hail a cab and then we can be on our way."
"Where are we staying?" I asked.
"I thought we'd stay at my temple," he responded.
My eyes widened. "You still have one?"
Sed nodded. "I don't have many followers, but I have enough to keep it working at least."
"Where is it?"
"About half an hour from here." He loaded our suitcases into the cab and waited for me to get in before telling the driver where we were going.
I wouldn't admit it aloud but I was looking forward to seeing the inside of a temple. There was something reassuring about it. Like coming home after a really hard day at work when nothing more than a bubble bath and a great cup of tea will do to make the world a better place.
Neither of us said a word as we travelled. I didn't know what was going through Sed's mind, but my own was racing with thoughts of home and what our country had changed into. While parts had been modernised, there were reminders of the ancient civilisation everywhere and I could appreciate the majesty that had once been.
I just wished it had stayed like it had been at the height of it but I knew exactly why it hadn't. Too much pride did a lot of damage to the Pharaohs and their people.
"We're here," Sed said after a while.
"Good." Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. What if no one recognised me still? Or worse, what if they did and they wanted me to do something I didn't have power to do anymore? That could be a disaster.
"You don't need to worry," Sed said, leaning over and squeezing my hand.
"Thanks." I didn't believe him but I did appreciate the reassurance.
I got out of the taxi and took my suitcase from Sed, wheeling it behind me as he led me up the path and towards a squat temple that looked nothing like I'd expected.
"It's modern," I said needlessly.
"I had to bring it into the twenty-first century, otherwise they'd all have abandoned me." He gives me a wry smile. "That's how a few of the others lost their followers."
"Is our grasp on them really that flimsy?"
"I don't want to find out," he answered sadly.
"High Priest, you have returned." The priest bowed as he spoke, giving Sed the respect he deserved as a god.
"I have. Please prepare a room for Sera."
"Is she new to our priesthood."
"Not at all, she is the High Priestess of Serket, please afford her every courtesy."
"Sed," I scolded in a whisper. I couldn't believe he wanted to pretend I was my own High Priestess. It was both incredibly disrespectful to my actual High Priestess and a genius idea. I supposed I shouldn't worry too much, I didn't have any priestesses to insult.
"It's the easiest way to keep everyone believing."
I didn't answer, mostly because the priest had come closer and taken my suitcase from me. The corridors were more like what I'd expected, with traditionally painted images on the wall, telling the story of Sed's festival no doubt.
"There should be everything you need in here," Sed said once the priest had left.
"Thank you," I replied, looking around the small but comfortable looking room.
"But if you need me, you can give me a call."
I nodded, not sure what else there was to say. Everything looked good and the journey had been a long one. I just wanted to have a shower and a nap.
"I'll leave you to it." He looked like he wanted to say more but left before he did. Possibilities ran through my head about what he was thinking. A few options I particularly liked played out but I squashed them down, not truly wanting to consider the implications.
I'd promised myself years ago that gods were off limit to me. I had to stick to that, especially with the potential issues I had to deal with.
Chapter 6
I'd woken with a smile on my face as the reality of my da
y sank in. Egypt. I was back. The urge to shift into my scorpion form and dance about in the sand was almost impossible to ignore but I knew I had to. At least for now. If we actually managed to find my temple, I could do something about it. If not, then I'd have to make do.
"Are you sure this is where it is?" Sed asked.
"Yes, it should be just around the riverbend." I pointed ahead and hoped I wasn't misremembering. It had been so long since I'd been there that I really could have forgotten.
The sand slipped into my shoes as we walked but I didn't care. The sensation was more welcome than I expected it to be. I shouldn't have left it so long without a visit to my homeland.
I let out a small scream of surprise as I slipped down the slight decline of one of the dunes, before giving a carefree laugh and repeating the movement. This would be even more fun once I was in my other form. There was something so satisfying about working my legs to stop myself from slipping and sliding. It wasn't an easy thing to describe to someone who hadn't experienced it before.
The sand shifted in front of us, revealing the very top of a stone temple. I breathed a sigh of relief. It was still here. I had no doubts about what I'd find inside, no one would have taken care of it in my absence. My scorpions would have multiplied in that time. Hopefully they hadn't overrun the place.
Sed moved through the sand behind me, but I didn't slow for him, the eagerness to reach my true centre too much to ignore. I hadn't expected to be this excited, not after being gone so long, but it was almost palpable in the air around me. While I could barely admit it to myself, a part of me hoped I'd feel more powerful once I was inside.
Stale air hit me as I stepped into the temple. Not a surprise, though a part of me was relieved that my temple was in Egypt and not a humid country, otherwise that meant there'd be more damage once we got inside, which wasn't something I wanted to deal with.
"Is everything here?" Sed asked as he followed me in.
"It looks like it," I responded.
As far as I could tell, no one had been in here since I'd left. It wasn't very well hidden though, so a part of me was a little confused how some adventurer hadn't stumbled upon it by accident. Maybe they had and just been so unimpressed by it because they'd never found the true beauty lying beneath the surface.
"It's beautiful," Sed replied.
"Thank you."
I trailed my hand over the wall, dislodging some of the dried sand that had stuck there and leaving it cascading to the floor. The colours of the paintings came to life underneath my fingers, bringing back the memories of a better time.
My power pulsed within me but didn't flare to life like I'd hoped. But realistically, I knew it had been in vain. I'd lost too much magic to be recharged just by being here.
"Where do we need to go for your scorpions?"
"Below."
He didn't question my crypticness. Probably because his temple held just as many secrets as mine did.
Finding what I was looking for, I pressed my fingers into the button and prayed to myself that it would work.
A sigh of relief escaped as a grating sound filled the temple as the secret door slid back and revealed the room below.
"Sneaky," Sed muttered.
"It's the best way to protect the bounty of my temple," I said, only half paying attention to the surroundings.
"You've got that right." The awe in his voice as he looked around my golden treasures was incredible.
This wasn't even the best part, but he wasn't to know that yet. Not when he hadn't seen the beauty of thousands of scorpions dancing over each other as they thrived.
I turned to the left and slipped down a small corridor. Just a little further and I'd get to see my beauties again. Guilt filled me at how long I'd left them alone. I really shouldn't have let my own vanity keep me away for so long.
"Just a little further," I whispered to myself, the excitement of what I'd get to see filling me.
Hastening my steps, I entered the room where my scorpions would be and gasped.
Tears sprung to my eyes as I took in the sight before me. The horror almost too much to cope with.
Sed pulled me into his arms just as a heaving sob came over me. My beautiful scorpions. Dead. Gone.
"It's okay," Sed whispered. "They won't all be gone."
His words made it worse and my sobbing worsened. I didn't want to think about what the consequences of this could be for me. I was weak enough as it was, the lack of familiars could do even more damage to that.
"Nothing can be done," I murmured against his shirt, pulling him closer and trying to get as much comfort out of the contact as possible. I wouldn't admit it out loud but I needed his reassurance more than he could even imagine.
"That's not true..."
"It is. Look at them," I demanded.
I felt his head move as he took in the sight before him. I couldn't look again. Not at the evil results of whoever had done this. The only word I could think of to describe it was a massacre. The cracked shells and ripped off claws were strewn across the cold stone floor, no care given for where they landed. How someone could have been so disrespectful to them was beyond me. Maybe I should have left a priestess here after all. At the time, I hadn't wanted to risk anyone here without me. Now I wasn't so sure. Hindsight was a wonderful thing to torture myself with.
"It'll be okay." Sed's voice shook as he spoke.
I didn't say anything. I couldn't.
"Some of them will have survived," he assured me.
As much as I appreciated his optimism, I didn't think there was any truth in his words. Whoever had done this had been on a mission to destroy. Which would mean it had to be purposeful and that couldn't be forgiven. I just wished I could discover who'd done it. They'd quickly be discovering what it meant to have the wrath of a goddess on their side.
I might be weak as far as my magic was concerned but that didn't mean I wasn't powerless in other respects. My own poison was far deadlier than that of my scorpions. One sting and I could decide just how painful and long death was going to be.
"We need to look around and see if there's anything to help us work out who did this," Sed suggested.
I nodded, unable to form any words and just wanting to get things over with. I pulled away from him and stormed back through my temple, looking for the clues he was so sure must be lingering there. Whoever this was hadn't cared that I'd find out, otherwise they'd have cleaned up after their massacre down there.
Nothing seemed to be disturbed, which I found suspicious in itself. Why would someone go far enough to cover their tracks here but not below? It didn't make any sense.
"I think I found something."
There was a note in Sed's voice that I didn't like at all. Whatever he'd found wasn't something I was going to like and that worried me.
My footsteps sounded louder than ever as I crossed the temple to get to him. Possibilities ran through my mind but none of them explained why he was standing at one of the walls examining the carvings. Except for...
"No." My hand covered my mouth, trying to stop the horror from escaping.
"I think so," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."
I reached out my hand and ran my fingertips over the scarred wall, tracing the symbols that should be there. "How could someone do this?" I whispered.
"I don't know," he responded sadly.
His voice betrayed what I was thinking. Whoever did this knew what it would mean. Even more than the scorpions, this screamed of someone wanting to drain me of all the power I had in the world.
"Who would even do this?" I whispered, not taking my hand away from the wall.
"Someone who knew what it would do."
"But who?" I tried to ignore the tears were starting to form in my eyes again. This hadn't been a good day so far but I suspected it was only going to get worse.
Sed moved away from me and examined the other paintings, no doubt looking for what I couldn't.
Something deep in my gut said he'd
find exactly the same, putting me in more danger than I'd even dreamed of. I focused in on the damaged wall in front of me, letting the truth sink in.
I hadn't been forgotten, I was being erased.
Chapter 7
“It'll be alright, Sera..."
"Don't coddle me." I knew Sed didn't mean any harm but that also didn't mean I wanted to hear his assurances.
He understood as well as I did what the destroyed cartouches meant. There was no coming back from being that forgotten. If it had been done all over the rest of Egypt then I was going to be in trouble that rivalled the depth of the Nile in flood.
"We can work out who it is..."
"Can we just not for now?" I asked. "Let's just have something to eat and go to sleep." The words slipped out before I thought about being in his room as I said it.
This hadn't been my plan but Sed had made a very reasonable suggestion that this was the most private place in his temple, even more so than the room I'd been given, and that we wouldn't be disturbed as we tried to work out what to do next. The only thing was that now we were here, I didn't want to focus on the truth of what had happened. At least for one evening.
"Alright, what would you like to eat?"
"Surprise me." I gave him a weak smile and watched as he left the room. Now I thought about it, I was particularly hungry. Hopefully things would seem all that more manageable when I was full.
He slipped back into the room moments later with a platter of fresh fruit and nuts, accompanied some honeyed flat breads. My stomach growled loudly at the thought of how delicious a meal this would turn out to be. I hadn't had any of the things he'd brought in such a long time.
Other than the obvious, I did have to wonder why I'd stayed away from my homeland for so long.
"Would you like some wine?" he asked.
I nodded, eager to take the edge off the events of the day and stop obsessing over what could be happening to me soon.
He passed me a full glass and I took it eagerly, raising it to my lips and taking a sip. It was good. So good, I almost suspected he was using his ceremonial stash for me. If that was true, I appreciated it.
Shifters Gone Wild: A Shifter Romance Collection Page 30