“A forbidden price.”
“She did not know, and she has been a useful ally—”
A boom cracked through the room, though there was no actual sound. Grim stopped speaking.
Holy crap. Do not soil this pretty dress, do not soil this pretty dress.
“Indeed, she has assisted in uncovering the conspiracy,” Osiris said, eyes falling back on me. Again, pressure closed in on me from all sides. While I tried to seem as nonthreatening as possible, I was sure that my eyes were bugging out of my head.
Grim spoke again. “Qadesh was behind the conspiracy, but she got away—”
Another soundless crack boomed through the room.
Something shimmered into view on the stairs leading up to where Osiris sat. Like a mirage coming into focus, soon I saw Qwynn hovering in midair, completely naked. She didn’t seem aware of our presence as she clutched at her ears, eyes brimming with absolute terror. Though I couldn’t hear her, it looked as though she was screaming.
Osiris spoke again. “Qadesh has been apprehended and her punishment is being seen to.”
The way he said it made me think she wasn’t even really there, that maybe it was only some kind of hologram of her, wherever she was.
I didn’t like the slut-bag one iota, but my hands itched to pull her out of whatever cone of hell she seemed wrapped up in. Seeing her in abject pain grated in a way I hadn’t expected. I believed in justice, but I didn’t believe in torture.
Qwynn shimmered out of view again and we fell into silence. Only chirping frogs and the occasional flap of wings filled the space.
Osiris spoke again, his voice less layered this time, but still unearthly. “Qwynn was a pawn, as the master sekhor was. There is a conspiracy in our midst, and I do not know who is behind it.”
From what Grim told me, Qwynn wasn’t driven or even smart enough to pull such a big stunt, and apparently papa Osiris agreed.
“I need to know who is attempting to upset the balance.” Osiris blinked. How could a blink be terrifying? I vowed if I lived through this to practice in the mirror until I managed the same amount of intimidation.
“Do you believe yourself to be the target?” Grim asked.
“I do. And I believe it to be one of our own. You have proven yourself to be faithful. I wish for you to discover the source of this conspiracy and put a stop to it and bring me the perpetrator.”
Grim bowed his head. “As it pleases you.”
Osiris tilted his head in Grim’s direction. “As for the sekhor. She has proven useful, as you say. But her existence is forbidden, as is the blood bond you formed with her. What do you have to say for yourself, Anubis?”
I chanced a look when Grim didn’t respond. There was a hard set of his jaw, and his eyes blazed with maybe loyalty? Pride? Duty? I wasn’t sure, but after a moment Osiris gave a slight nod. “I see.”
I didn’t see. Grim didn’t answer out loud, so how did Osiris “see”?
The thought the god could read minds suddenly shocked me with fear. In case he wanted to eavesdrop on my thoughts, I forced myself to fill my mind with useless junk.
Cat memes, mud, that dick pic I got from one of my skips.
Damn.
A cola jingle, the route I used to take to my favorite coffee shop, explicit, crude amateur porn.
Double damn.
“You will keep the sekhor under your watch. She will assist you in uncovering this conspiracy. She will do what she does best.”
Wait, what?
The doors opened behind us once again.
“Wait, that’s it? I get to live?”
