Shifters Gone Wild; Collection

by Skye MacKinnon

  “We’re going to try,” I answered honestly. “But my magic is majorly depleted.”

  Isis frowned. “How?”

  “Kuket took it upon herself to erase as many of my cartouches as she could find. I’m afraid she managed to get most of them.” A little shame tinted my voice but there was nothing I could do about that. Not when it was shameful. I didn’t want to be a forgotten goddess. I just hadn’t done enough to protect myself from that fate. If I survived much longer, I’d be doing more to protect my name. The collapsed temple with my secret room should go some way towards helping.

  Isis just frowned at me, clearly trying to make some sense of what I was saying. “How is that possible when you still have priestesses?”

  I blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of what she was saying. “I don’t?” It slipped out as a question without me even intending it to. I had no idea what she was talking about. With both my temples destroyed, there was no chance I had any priestesses left.

  “You have six high priestesses here.”

  “I do?” My eyes widened. I had priestesses…but that would mean…

  “Yes. Come with me, we’ll deal with the rest in a moment.”

  I nodded eagerly but didn’t act too happy about it. I didn’t want her to think I was prioritising something other than her husband.

  “I’ll be back soon.” I went up on my tiptoes and kissed Sed on the cheek. I didn’t want to leave him alone with Kuket but at this point I had to. If I could get my magic back under control then I’d be able to actually help Osiris and not just try and fail.

  “Be safe.”

  “You too.” I smiled up at him, unable to find the words for what I actually wanted to tell him. We might not have spent much time with one another but that small amount of time had forged a bond between us that I was sure wasn’t going to break. And I’d had enough relationships with gods to know that for sure.

  “This way,” Isis insisted.

  I turned to follow her, trying not to focus too much on just how much following I’d been doing in this temple. At least this time I’d be going towards a good end.

  “Why don’t you think you have priestesses?” Isis asked after a few silent moments.

  “My magic has faded to the point it’s almost non-existent and both my temples were completely abandoned,” I answered honestly. “Partly my fault for not returning to them often enough if I’m honest.”

  She glanced to the side as she walked and gave me a weak smile. “We’re all guilty of that. I haven’t left these temple grounds in a couple of centuries. It doesn’t feel safe to. My other temples are completely abandoned.”

  “It’s a very different world to the one we knew,” I replied.

  “That’s true. I don’t even recognise some of it anymore.” She sounded sad but that might not have been anything to do with the state of the world and everything to do with the fact her husband was on his deathbed.

  “At least there are still some believers around.” I thought of all the humans I’d seen around and about. There was a surprising amount given everything that was going on.

  “I know.” Her tone didn’t warrant a response. At least not that I could really tell. “This is it,” she said suddenly, turning towards a new archway.

  “Thank you,” I responded and steeled myself for what I’d find beyond the door. As much as I knew priestesses and followers were necessary for my survival, I also hated having to deal with them. I’d never figured out the best way to do it without sounding like an ass.

  The room immediately opened out and I gasped as I took it in. On the opposite wall hung a huge golden cartouche with my name engraved into it and a scorpion framing it.

  “Hello? Can we help you?” a young priestess asked. She felt like a demi-goddess to me but I couldn’t be sure without seeing her lineage. Or being around her for longer. Either would work if I was honest.

  “I’m…”

  “Mistress, you’ve returned,” a second priestess exclaimed, falling to her knees before me.

  The younger priestess gasped and followed suit. “I’m so sorry, mistress, please forgive my transgression…”

  “There’s nothing to forgive.” I kept my voice as soft as possible, hoping none of my words would spook her. “You couldn’t have known who I was. Please, rise. Both of you.” I didn’t like the way I felt with them on the floor. I’d never felt like so much of an imposter until this moment. Why had I been born a goddess when so many better people were born mere mortals?

  I pushed the doubts to the side. While I’d entertain them for the rest of my life, there really was no place for them.

  “Thank you, mistress,” the older priestess responded, getting to her feet. “How may we serve you?”

  I stared at her, not sure how to respond to that. I could already feel my magic getting a little bit stronger within me. What more did I want from them? What could make it stronger?

  “Do you have any scorpions here?” I asked softly. It was an off chance but the only thing I could think of to make me stronger.

  “Of course. Would you like to see them?” the older priestess asked.

  “Yes, absolutely. But then I must return to Osiris. I’ll be back afterwards though,” I promised, meaning every word. I didn’t want them to think this was just a flying visit, even if it had to be at this stage. After recharging, I needed to go back to doing what I came here for.

  “We’d love to have you back here, mistress.”

  “Please don’t call me that,” I requested. “Serket is fine. Sera is better.” Over the years, that’s what I’d gotten used to being called and I liked it.

  “Thank you, Serket, that is the greatest honour you could bestow on us.”

  I smiled, not quite believing what I was hearing but knowing it was better if I just accepted it. “Please, lead the way.”

  I was going to see my scorpions, recharge my magic, and undo the damage Kuket had done.

  Hopefully.

  Chapter 13

  I rushed back through the temple, hoping I could get back in time to help. I knew Osiris was getting worse by the moment and I didn’t want to arrive late. I could have spent more time with my scorpions and recharged further but the moment my magic felt strong enough to heal a god, I knew I couldn’t wait any longer. It just wasn’t a risk I was willing to take.

  I stopped the moment I saw Isis’ tear stained face.

  “Can you help?”

  “I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “But my magic is stronger now. I can try.”

  She nodded and gestured towards the bed. Osiris lay far too still for my liking, his green skin paler than it should be. I didn’t waste any more time and fell to my knees beside the bed. Placing one of my hands on his forehead, I reached inside him and searched for the poison lurking within. If I found it, I’d know what to do.

  Magic bubbled just below the surface as I tried to focus. A blackness lurked within him, a stain in his blood and making its way through the rest of his flesh. The poison had spread through his system like wildfire and I could sense just how much damage it had done. Hopefully, he’d be able to come back from this once I’d gotten the poison out but it would take time.

  Tugging on the poison, I drew it out of his body and into myself. It wouldn’t have worked if it belonged to any creature but my own. Not with the amount of it that was in his system. However Kuket had put it into him, she’d done a good job of ensuring it did the most damage possible. I tried not to admire what she’d done. Not when it had caused so many problems. I still didn’t quite understand how Osiris fit into this at all. We hadn’t had much to do with each other until now anyway.

  There was an irony in that given he’d owe me his life if I could pull this off. I hoped I’d be able to, and not so he owed me.

  The poison spread through my body but instead of destroying me, it only built up my magic. Maybe I should have just tried this right from the start, though I doubted it would have had the same effect if I hadn
’t had the base magic first. More and more of it flowed into me as I kept up the call into me. The poison slowed down as it entered me and I reached out into Osiris, breathing a sigh of relief when I found his system blissfully clear of the infection spreading through him.

  I pulled back, leaving him to fight the rest of the damage on his own. I might be able to do more to help but I needed the poison in my own system to process first. It wouldn’t hurt me in the slightest but it was still there and I could feel it within me.

  Brightness assaulted my eyes as the room came back into focus. Osiris had gained some colour, reassuring me that I’d managed to save him. It would be touch or go for another couple of days but at least things were looking up now.

  “Thank you,” Isis whispered from where she sat by the bed. “Thank you,” she repeated instantly.

  “It’s the least I could do,” I responded, placing a comforting hand on her back. It felt weird to be touching her like this. She was a higher god than me, one who was still remembered more than all the others. And I was a nobody.

  “What else needs doing for him?” she asked.

  “He’ll still need a lot of rest and I might need to do some more healing. The poison is out of his system but for now that’s all I can do.”

  Isis nodded and rose to her feet. The sadness and relief fading instantly and being replaced by a face that said it was all business. I gulped, hoping that wasn’t directed at me.

  I scrambled to my feet, noticing Sed and Kuket were also still in here, the former looking at me with a proud glint in his eye. The latter just glared. No doubt she was angry I’d managed to undo all of her hard work.

  “How did this happen?” she demanded of Sed.

  “I think Kuket might be able to fill us in more on that. She’s the one responsible for poisoning Osiris and for trying to erase Serket’s name from existence.”

  Isis hissed under her breath. “Removing the name of a god is already a punishable offence. Do you deny it?” she asked Kuket.

  The woman stepped back, clearly intimidated by Isis’ stare. Sed reached over and untied the gag from around her mouth but I knew better than to think that would make her speak. She wouldn’t admit to trying to kill one of her own. She couldn’t or she herself would end up being removed from temple walls.

  “She deserved it,” Kuket hissed. “She broke my heart.” Her eyes bored into me, spitting venom far more potent than that of her serpent form. She always had that effect on me. No matter what I did, she could make me feel just a few inches high.

  “So you decided to poison my husband and frame her?” Isis’ voice remained soft but there was no mistaking it for anything else.

  “She would have done it herself if she thought she could have gotten away with it.” Before my eyes, Kuket began her transformation back into her male form. Though I wasn’t sure why she’d started it at this point, it didn’t seem to serve any kind of purpose.

  Isis looked at me and I met her gaze head on, hoping she could see the honesty within me. I didn’t want her to think this was actually something I’d do.

  “I find that unlikely,” Isis said eventually. “Unfortunately, you leave me no choice, Kuk. You will have to be sentenced before a court of the other gods.”

  Kuk shook his head, going into denial about what was happening.

  “I’m sorry, you’ve really left me no choice.” She clicked her fingers and two guards burst into the room. “Take him away and put him in the cells. Keep guards on him at all times.”

  They nodded and each grabbed one of Kuk’s arms, dragging him away as he tried to protest his innocence. Relief flooded through me as I realised this truly was over. I didn’t have to deal with Kuk anymore. I could trust Isis to deal with it and know she would do the right thing. No one went through a trial by gods and come out of it the other side if they’d actually done wrong.

  “Thank you,” I whispered.

  “It’s nothing. Not after all you’ve done for me today. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

  “No, thank you. Just knowing there’s a place for me here is enough.” I gave her a weak smile.

  “You’re welcome anytime.”

  “Thank you.”

  She turned back to her husband, effectively dismissing us.

  I turned to Sed and reached out a hand. “Would you like to see my temple?”

  “Lead the way.” He grinned widely and took my hand.

  Chapter 14

  2 Months Later…

  I laughed as Sed spun me around, letting myself get lost in the music. I stumbled, only to be caught by Sed before I could fall. I beamed up at him, relieved to know I had someone who’d catch me no matter what.

  “Is it everything you hoped it would be?” he asked as he pulled me close.

  “And more.”

  I still couldn’t believe he’d actually gone through with what he’d promised and found me somewhere I could learn how to dance. I hadn’t even realised places like these would exist in Egypt, but Sed seemed to know everything about the city I’d once lived in. Rediscovering it with him was proving fun though.

  “And what do you want to do next?” he asked as we took seats outside the dance hall. He passed me a glass of water which I took and gulped down eagerly. I hadn’t realised just how thirsty I was. I still wasn’t used to the heat here either. Too much time spent in Europe in the cold weather had reduced my tolerance to the heat.

  “The museum?”

  “We can’t go now.” He chuckled.

  “I know. But tomorrow, next week, three months from now…” I batted my eyelashes at him in a fake request way, making him chuckle more.

  “You just want to search for yourself among the objects,” he teased.

  “Not just me,” I countered. “I’m interested to see how they’ve represented our culture.”

  “Fairly well, I’d say. Except that they don’t know we were actually real.”

  “Such a pity,” I responded, shaking my head. “I don’t think I mind really.”

  “You don’t?” Surprise coloured his tone but I didn’t worry about it too much. He’d understand in a moment.

  “If we still lived like that, we wouldn’t be able to have moments like this.” I reached across the table and took his hand. “We wouldn’t have lives of our own, experiences of our own. We wouldn’t be able to fall in love without people watching our every move.”

  “We still have priests and priestesses,” he pointed out.

  “You know what I mean though. They’re not with us every moment of every day. And they’re certainly not butting into the parts of our lives we don’t want them to.”

  “I guess that is true,” he acknowledged. “No one barges into the room when we’re about to…”

  “Exactly,” I cut him off before he could finish the sentence. It wasn’t that I didn’t want him to say it. I just didn’t want this moment putting off any longer. Not when it was the first time I’d said the words in over a thousand years. “And there’s no one to speculate on who we love and who we don’t…”

  “Are you trying to tell me something, Sera?” He smirked and reached over the table to take my hand.

  “I guess I am. I’m just out of practice.”

  “Would it help if I went first?” The amusement left his voice and his eyes took on a serious edge I couldn’t ignore.

  “Yes. Please,” I whispered, hoping he planned on saying the same thing I did.

  “Okay. Sera…”

  “Yes?”

  Our eyes met and the moment between us could be felt throughout my very being.

  “I love you.”

  My heart skipped a beat as the words sunk in. I’d already suspected he felt the same way I did but hearing it out loud was something different.

  “I love you to,” I responded. “And will for a long time.”

  Sed didn’t say anything, instead he rose to his feet and came around the table to stand in front of me. He rested two fingers under my chin an
d tipped my head back gently. He lowered his face and pressed his lips against mine.

  I kissed him back instantly, getting lost in the moment and in him. Despite all the stress and the threat of losing every part of who I was, I’d gained something far more important in the process.

  “I guess those horoscopes were right after all,” he whispered as he pulled back.

  “Wait, what?”

  “Yours said a decision would change your life, and mine said I’d find love. Looks like they were right.”

  “Looks like it,” I responded before grabbing his shirt and pulling him back to me for another kiss.

  I never thought I’d love a god again. But Sed was worth breaking my own rule for. He made life as a god worth living.

  * * *

  Thank you for reading Protectors Of Poison. If you’d like to continue the story, you can in Daughter Of The Sun, which follows Sekhmet: http://books2read.com/daughterofthesun

  And if you’d like to sign up to Laura Greenwood’s mailing list, then you can by downloading a bonus story from the Forgotten Gods series (which includes a lion shifting demi-god!) Priestess Of Truth: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/sk05o4s9vs

  About the Author

  Laura is a USA Today Bestselling Author of paranormal, fantasy, and urban fantasy romance (though she can occasionally be found writing contemporary romance). When she’s not writing, she drinks a lot of tea, tries to resist French macarons, and works towards a diploma in Egyptology. She lives in the UK, where most of her books are set.

  You can check out Laura’s Website here:

  www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk

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