AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Where did Khan go?" Kashmet asked, looking about.
"A servant came and said the Pharaoh wanted to speak to him at the House of Anubis?" Fen answered. The twins exchanged a worried glance.
Kemes sat down, muttering, "He's such a fucking dick."
"Khan?"
"No, his father."
Kashmet cleared his throat. "My sister is trying to say that the Pharaoh can be a massive phallus when he chooses to be and not one of the nice kinds that I'm fond of."
"I said what I meant," Kemes replied. "He's a fucking dick…always. Not sometimes."
Fen chewed another date. "Khan did seem upset. Why? What's wrong with Anubis's house?"
"It's the house of the dead, protectors of the Afterlife," Kashmet explained. "It's where his mother is."
Fen excused herself not long after. The twins said she wasn't needed, so she was free to do as she pleased in the confines of Khan's chambers.
She wished, not for the first time, that she could read. She imagined all the books around her full of stories and magic because Khan would value such things. Maybe he would teach her to read? She needed something to do to pass the time.
Fen paused by the door of his study. She had felt a warm pulse of power coming from the altar when she first saw it. Now, that same energy seemed to whisper to her again.
Fen hadn't been told she was forbidden to explore, so she returned to the altar. The goddess had been fashioned in rich red clay. She was full-hipped and breasted, with wings rising from her back, and held an eight-pointed star in one hand and a spear in the other. At her feet lay two great cats with furry ruffs around their necks.
Cats like Freya. The hair on Fen's arms rose. The goddess had a spear, so she must be a warrior too. Also, like Freya.
"Did you bring me here?" she whispered, trying not to feel foolish. Fen didn't expect a foreign god to answer her. Instead, the rune on her hand burned softly, and a feeling of safety rolled over her. She hadn't felt such peace since falling asleep the night of the raid all those moons ago.
Gods, I'm so tired.
Fen yawned, her limbs getting heavier by the second, the magic in the air weighing her down. The goddess, hers or Khan's, was giving her the gift of sleep.
Not having anything else to give, Fen picked a bright purple flower from a nearby plant and placed it at the goddess's feet.
"Thank you," she whispered and went back to her room.
The midday sun was burning bright, so Fen closed the curtains over her bed. They were gauzy enough to let through the faint breeze but dark enough to block out some of the light.
The bed was the softest thing she had ever lain on. The feeling of safety wrapped around her, tight and gentle as a lover's arms. Fen's eyes slid shut, finally letting her guard down, and she fell asleep.
Fourteen
Khan could smell the cedar oil, cinnamon, and myrrh in the air before his litter reached the House of Anubis on the other side of Ankhara.
The black basalt pyramid could be seen from any part of the city, a constant reminder that rich or poor, everyone would die. Anubis would have their homage whether they wished to give it or not.
Khan took a deep, steadying breath and stepped from the litter. He wished he could ride a horse through the city, but sometimes it was easier to remain unseen.
The steps leading up to the temple were lined with flowers and offerings in bowls. Worshippers and tear-streaked mourners drifted about in small groups or alone, their glassy eyes staring up at the statues or murals depicting the journey to the Duat.
Khan kept the hood of his robe over his face, not wanting to be stopped or noticed. Ten black pillars stood at the front facade of the temple, each representing a different gate that a soul would pass through before arriving at the Field of Reeds.
Two massive statues of Anubis stood guarding the tall doorway leading into the temple, their pointed ears touching the roof.
For the most part, Khan followed the gods of his mother and Atrahasis and respected their Ankharian counterparts.
Anubis was another matter. Hefeltthe Jackal God's presence, unlike the others. It made him wary and humble every time he visited the House. Inside, incense hung heavily in the air. There were still people lingering in groups and priests walking about in their black and silver robes, speaking softly.
