“Shh. Rest, Seti,” he admonished, laying his hand against Seti’s unshaven cheek. The bristles of Seti’s beard tickled at his palm. Turning back to Osiris, Logan said, “How about it, your… er… godship? Can you send us back?”
“You, Logan. Not me,” Seti whispered. “I cannot return.”
“What do you mean? Of course you can. You did it before. You’re not even mummified this time.”
“No, I cannot.” Seti’s skin paled further, dark circles discoloring the flesh beneath his luminous black eyes, the lines on his face cutting deeper into his skin. He seemed to age before Logan’s eyes, wrinkles forming, gray streaking through his black braids.
“What he means is that the big lug committed hari-kari to come down here after you,” Osiris said, clucking his tongue. “That’s a big-time sacrifice. Assures him of brownie points at the weigh-in center.”
“No!” Logan cried as the truth hit him with the force of a sledgehammer. Seti had killed himself? Over him? “Why, Seti? Why would you do something like that?”
“I swore to protect you. I failed.”
“You didn’t fail, Seti,” Osiris said, walking—or rather gliding—over to where Logan sat cradling Seti’s head. His feet never seemed to move or leave the ground. “You did protect him. If it weren’t for you, Setekh would have killed him a few minutes ago.”
“He would not have been taken had it not been for me, my lord,” Seti said, his eyes drifting closed.
“No! Seti!” Logan cried. He looked up at Osiris, frantic. “Please, don’t let him die!”
“Technically, he’s already dead,” Osiris said with a shrug. “His ka is disintegrating, assuming its spirit form. It’s preparing to travel to my palace, to be weighed against the Feather of Life to determine if Seti gets the all-inclusive vacation in Paradise or the one-way ticket to the Damnation Plantation.”
“Please,” Logan begged. “None of this was his fault! He deserves better than this! Didn’t he suffer enough for five thousand years? Take me instead!”
Osiris rolled his eyes. “You humans are so melodramatic. Personally, I don’t want either one of you. Look, I’ll give you one more chance, and Seti? Don’t screw it up this time.” He pointed his crook at Seti, and another dazzlingly brilliant streak of light poured from it. The light enveloped Seti’s body from head to foot in a golden glow. It felt warm under Logan’s hands, like an electric blanket set to high.
When the light faded away, Seti’s color had returned, the strain and age that had shown on his face vanishing along with the heat. He took a deep breath, slowly sitting up. When he turned toward Logan, his lips curled in a warm smile that spoke volumes.
Logan grinned, his eyes burning with feeling. “I didn’t mean it,” he said. “What I said to you back in the apartment. I don’t blame you for Jason’s death. It was Gator-boy’s fault, not yours.”
“Gator-boy?” Osiris laughed. “Oh, I’m going to have to remember that one. That’ll get his breechclout in a twist, for sure. Speaking of whom, you’d better get going before he wakes up. He’s going to have a bitch of a headache, and you really don’t want to be here for that.”
“Jason,” Logan said, suddenly feeling the pain of his friend’s death return to weigh on his shoulders. He’d nearly forgotten. “Is he… is he here?” he asked Osiris. “He got to Paradise, right?”
“Now, that’s privileged information, kid. But I suppose you deserve something for the trouble my brother caused you.” Osiris smiled. “Yeah, he’s made the A-list. He’s living it up big-time with the party crowd in Paradise.”
Logan felt a painful twinge in his chest, thinking of Jason. But at least now he knew that his friend was happy. It was more than most people got when they lost someone they’d loved.
The next thing Logan knew, the world was again spinning away.
Chapter Twenty-One
LOGAN SCREWED his eyes shut as his stomach roiled with the sensation of spinning, wind howling in his ears. His arms clung to Seti, aching from fighting the nearly irresistible centrifugal force that pulled at him.
Even after the whirling sensation stopped and the world stilled, his stomach protested the journey. Pressing his forehead to Seti’s, he prayed it was the last time he’d ever have to experience that particular sensation.
Blinking his eyes open, he took a moment to take stock of their surroundings.
Plush carpeting cushioned his bruised body. The air was cool, scented lightly with citrus. They were surrounded on three sides by tall creamy walls accented with deeply burnished mahogany trim. To his right sat a huge, imposing desk fashioned from the same rich wood.
Osiris had been true to his word. They were back, right where they’d started, in Wilder’s office.
“Where did you go?” Wilder’s voice demanded. A quick glance in his direction showed Logan that Wilder hadn’t moved from behind his desk. His bodyguard was still slumped unconscious on the floor.
Wilder’s voice was imperious, demanding an answer. “You’ve been gone for hours! Seti, come here,” he ordered arrogantly.
Logan ignored him completely. “Are you okay, Seti? Can you stand?”
Seti nodded, smiling at him. Together they struggled to their feet, testing muscles that had been abused during their confrontation with Setekh. Logan, for one, felt like a walking black-and-blue.
“Answer me!” Wilder screeched. “I demand to know where—and how—you disappeared! Who was that monstrous creature that was here? Was that really the god, Setekh? And you, Seti! It’s because of me that you’ve awoken, and yet you dare use my own dagger to end your newly restored life? Come here, I said!”
“Shut. Up. You’ve caused enough trouble for one day.”
Logan turned toward the familiar voice. Osiris stood near the immense windows of the office, backlit by the setting sun, staring pointedly at Wilder. “What?” he asked, glancing at Logan, the picture of innocence. “I couldn’t just plop you back up here to deal with my brother’s mess, now could I?”
“Who are you? I demand some answers before I call the police!” Wilder shrieked. His hand fell on the telephone receiver. “I’ll have you all arrested! I’ll—”
“Please. I’m shivering in my little pharaoh booties,” Osiris said, waving a hand dismissively at Wilder. “I’d really think twice about making that call. Have you forgotten what you’ve done? Let’s see… kidnapping, conspiring to commit murder… oh yes, and let’s not forget grand theft on an international scale. After all, the sarcophagus you illegally dug up and smuggled out of the desert fifty years ago was really the property of Egypt, pal. Interpol is going to love that.”
Wilder’s face blanched an impossible white as he slumped down into his chair. “You can’t prove any of that,” he said weakly.
“I don’t have to prove anything. I’m Osiris. See-all, know-all god of truth and justice, and balloon artiste extraordinaire.”
“Osiris…,” Wilder repeated, looking wild-eyed.
“That’s my name, don’t wear it out,” Osiris said flippantly. He turned, looking at Logan. “You two should get going. The investigation is over at the apartment. The cops have split. The two men this asshole sent in there after Seti were blamed for your friend’s death. Those same two men dropped dead of heart attacks directly afterward. Verified by the coroner, even. Convenient, huh? Case closed. And you’re welcome.”
“Osiris, I don’t know how to thank you,” Logan said, smiling.
“Godiva chocolates. I’m partial to the creamy truffle ones.” Osiris grinned. “Seriously, don’t thank me yet. I just put you back where you belong and tidied up a few loose ends. But my brother is going to be seriously pissed off, and as you know, he’s inclined to hold a grudge.” He turned to Wilder, who looked as though he were going to drop from a heart attack at any moment. “You know, I’m inclined to grant you your wish. A little payback for the headaches you’ve caused me.” He waved his crook toward Wilder, who disappeared in a brilliant flash of golden light.
“He wanted to be immortal. I granted him his wish.”
“But… but he caused all of this!” Logan protested, shaking his head confusedly. “And you reward him by making him immortal? Do you know what kind of grief he’s going to be free to cause now?”
“Nah. I made him immortal, sure… but I don’t think he’s going to cause anybody any more problems. Let’s just say that when the museum finally returns Seti’s sarcophagus to Egypt, it won’t be empty.” Osiris grinned mischievously. “Now, I’ve got to get going. Got an Underworld to run, you know. Have a nice life, you two. See you… eventually.”
He winked out, leaving Logan and Seti alone in the office.
Groaning, Logan twisted his head from side to side, trying to work out the kinks in his neck. “I am going to seriously need a massage. I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus.”
Seti smiled at him. “You will heal. You are strong, Logan. Stronger than I ever thought you would be. You stood against Setekh for me. I will never forget that. Although you should be thrashed for running away and leaving me behind when you came here after Wilder.”
“Me? You fucking killed yourself to follow me!” Logan replied, giving Seti a slight push. “What were you thinking? Don’t ever do that again, okay?”
“I would have walked through fire to get to you,” Seti said earnestly. “But that is as it should be. You belong to me.”
“That’s something we need to work on,” Logan said, folding his arms across his chest. The movement hurt too much, and he let them fall back to his sides. “This whole ownership thing has got to go.”
“You do not wish to be mine?” Seti asked. His smile crumpled into a heartbreaking hound dog expression that made something hot flare deep inside Logan’s chest.
“I think that I want to be with you, Seti. Just not owned by you. There’s a difference, you know?” Logan said, cupping Seti’s cheek. “I’m not sure what I feel about you. Other than wanting to jump your bones as soon as the thought of moving doesn’t make me cringe.” He chuckled. “Maybe we can take it one step at a time, okay?”
“I cannot help feeling this way, Logan. When I look at you, I see a beauty in your eyes that I am lacking in myself. A gentleness. A sweetness. Your ka burns brighter than the sun, and I ache to bury myself in its warmth. It is why I claimed you as mine,” Seti said softly. His arms wrapped around Logan, pulling him in close.
As sore as he was, being held in Seti’s arms felt good to Logan. Better than good. It felt right. He slid his arms around Seti’s neck, reaching for a gentle kiss. “Let’s go home, Seti. We’ll stop at Jason’s apartment first,” he said, feeling the now-familiar pang at the mention of Jason’s name, “and then go over to my place. I think I need to sleep for a week.”
Seti kissed him again, warm, lush lips pressing against his own. His tongue swept over Logan’s lips, tempting him to open. He did, and this time when the world spun away, it was because Logan had lost himself in the taste of Seti, in the feel of his hands skimming soothingly over Logan’s back, in the hard muscles that pressed against him, and in the evidence of Seti’s desire that ground into his hip.
“Not here, Seti,” Logan whispered against Seti’s lips. He leaned his forehead against Seti’s, struggling for control. “I hate this office as much as I hate the man who owned it. I want to go home, to my own bed. It’s not much, but it’s big enough for two.” He smiled.
“Then we fly,” Seti said, scooping Logan up into his arms. Logan protested, but secretly he admitted to himself that he sort of liked it when Seti went Tarzan on him. Made him feel wanted. Desired. Cared for. He wrapped his arms tightly around Seti’s neck and squeezed his eyes shut.
As much as he trusted Seti, he didn’t want to see what happened when Seti stepped out of the broken window on the seventy-second floor of the Wilder Executive Tower and into thin air.
The wind bore them up, carrying them along cupped in its invisible palm, over the tops of the skyscrapers of Manhattan, affording them a spectacular view of the city. Or it would have, had Logan cracked his eyes open long enough to appreciate it.
Maybe someday, after he was more accustomed to riding the Seti Wind Express. For now, he was content to bury his face against Seti’s neck and hold on for the ride.
They arrived at the apartment building in a much more sedentary fashion—through the back door. Seti had set them down in the alley behind the building. Taking a deep breath, Logan led Seti into the elevator for the long, creaking ride up to the fifth floor and Jason’s apartment.
What used to be Jason’s apartment, Logan reminded himself, feeling a lump form in his throat again. Damn, going back in there is going to be hard.
Seti seemed to read Logan’s thoughts, because he slipped his hand into Logan’s, threading their fingers together reassuringly. Logan smiled up at him, grateful that he understood.
Chris and Leo were lost without their third wheel. They sat together on the couch, staring at the spot where Jason had died, their eyes red-rimmed. They looked almost surprised to see Logan and Seti when they walked in the door.
“Logan! Oh thank God!” Chris cried as they both jumped to their feet and threw themselves at Logan. “We thought you were dead too!”
For the first time since Logan had known him, Leo was utterly silent. He pressed his face against Logan’s neck, shaking and holding on for dear life.
“It’s okay,” Logan said, although at the moment it felt like anything but okay. “Everything will be all right. Look, you probably won’t believe me, but I have it on excellent authority that Jason is happy. He’s… well, he’s a lot better off than any of us.”
“Authority? Whose authority? He’s dead, remember?” Chris snapped. Logan felt him tense, but just as quickly he slumped, as if someone had let the air out of him. “Oh, never mind. I’m sorry. I’m just… it’s just so fucking hard, you know?”
“Yeah, I know, bud. I know,” Logan said, although his heart ached anew.
Chris cleared his throat, backing away and swiping at his eyes with his sleeve. “What happened with Wilder? You did go to his office, right? Oh my God, Logan… you’re black-and-blue all over!” Chris cried, reaching for Logan’s arm. He gingerly touched the red-and-blue bruises on Logan’s forearm that were starting to deepen into dark purple.
“Yeah, I did. I’m okay, though. It’s a long story, and I’m really tired. Suffice it to say that Wilder won’t be bothering us anymore,” Logan said. He gave Leo another squeeze before letting go and stepping back. His hand automatically searched behind him for Seti’s. Finding it, he linked their fingers again.
It was odd how just the touch of Seti’s hand calmed Logan. Reassured him. Logan wasn’t sure what that meant, but he knew enough to know that he was going to find out.
“The police took the bodies… Jason’s too,” Chris said. “I gave them the letter Perry had written you, Logan.”
“Good. Then they know it was Wilder who caused all of this, although they’re going to think Perry was crazy with all the talk about mummies and immortality. What about the arrangements for Jason? You know the… the funeral?” The word stuck in Logan’s throat, coming out as a pained croak.
“Jason’s parents are taking care of it. They said someone will call us to let us know,” Chris said. He looked fragile, as if a tap on the shoulder would shatter him into a million pieces.
“Are you two going to be okay? We can stay awhile if you need us to.” Logan looked up at Seti and prayed he didn’t argue. He didn’t. He smiled at Logan and nodded, as if to say he understood. He also hadn’t made the slightest fuss when Chris and Leo had thrown themselves at Logan, kissing his cheeks and hugging him.
Damn. Maybe Logan didn’t need to figure out what was going on between him and Seti after all.
Maybe he already knew.
“Yeah.” Leo finally spoke, looking down at his beat-up sneak
ers, as if not looking anyone in the eye would hide the fact that he’d been crying. “We’re going to spend a couple of days at Wendy’s. She called, made the offer. You know, figure out what we’re going to do.”
“Okay. We’ll be at my place. I have my cell. Call me if you need anything, okay?” Logan said. “You two are welcome to stay there too. Don’t even hesitate, okay?” He turned to lead Seti out the door but froze as his eyes fell on the spot where Jason had fallen.
Fuck. This is hard. It didn’t matter that Osiris had told him Jason was happy and at peace. Logan knew without a doubt that every time he walked into that apartment—if Chris and Leo decided to keep it—he’d see Jason crumpled on the floor, his life ebbing out into a pool of crimson.
A strong arm draped over his shoulders, urging him out the door. He let himself be led outside, grateful again for Seti’s strength.
Chapter Twenty-Two
One year later….
“OH! OH fuck yes!”
Seti had Logan bent over the kitchen table, plates and glasses half-filled with juice rattling as he pounded himself into Logan’s body. Again and again he thrust deeply, hitting what Logan called his “sweet spot” each and every time. Logan’s husky voice swore up a blue streak, his vocal encouragement nearly enough to send Seti over the edge.
Logan’s body had never lost its appeal for Seti, even though they’d made love countless times over the last year. Not once in that time did Seti desire someone else. He doubted that he ever would. Every time with Logan was like the first time for him. He was continually finding new things about Logan, discovering new ways to please him.
And luckily for Seti, Logan seemed to feel the same way. He was always ready for Seti, no matter what time of the day or night Seti took it into his head to ravish him. This morning was a good example. The window in the kitchen had been cracked open, letting in a draft of chilly fall air. They’d been in the middle of breakfast, enjoying the fluffy eggs and crisp bacon that Logan had made for them, along with large glasses of cold, fresh orange juice, when Seti had noticed that Logan’s nipples had peaked in the cool air.
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