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“Do you know why we have so many priests and priestesses to tend to our needs?” the woman asked me.
“Well, in my case, apparently it’s due to my need for blood,” I answered, not quite meeting her eyes. I hadn’t discussed my need to drink blood with anyone except my priests, and those who had tried to kill me for it, and I felt uncomfortable talking about it with a complete stranger. The thought struck me that we were already discussing group sex, and that I was feeling uncomfortable about the blood part. I smiled to myself.
“Yes, of course, you have your own special needs with your priests, I understand that, but it’s all related. It’s because we have so much power contained in these fragile human bodies that we need to regulate it. The energy it takes for us to maintain our power and these bodies needs to be syphoned off, or our bodies would fall apart quicker than normal human ageing.”
My head snapped up. “What? They never mentioned that.”
She shrugged. “They might not know. A lot of gods have never worked it out either.” She sat down on the bench and patted it, gesturing for me to sit with her. I did so, still slightly aware of what I had been doing on the bench a short time before. “Have you ever asked your priests why we are here? Us gods, I mean? Why do we continue to exist in a world that no longer believes in us or believes it needs us?”
“They told me that my energy affects the world, and they might have mentioned something about protecting the world from Apophis,” I replied, looking down at my hands.
“We are all here to protect the world from Apophis, my dear. Never take that solely on your own shoulders. We all bear the burden of keeping him where he needs to be to ensure the human race continues. You are just one part of that, albeit an important part, but you are not alone in that responsibility, you need to understand this. Any of the gods can be called upon to help you should Apophis ever arise.”
I looked into her dark eyes and smiled at her, a sense of lightness flowing through my soul. “You have no idea how good it is to hear that.”
She laughed. “Goddess of war, my dear, so I understand more than most, but beyond our protective responsibility is our energy. Each god rules over something, sometimes many things. Ra, for example, rules the sun and the cosmos. He has slept for thousands of years, and yet his energy radiates out into the universe and ensures that the sun burns and worlds turn. My own energies reach out to those questing for knowledge and ensure they receive the lessons they need in order to turn that knowledge into wisdom. It does not reach everyone, but it reaches enough. I do not control it, I simply exist in order for this to happen. As do you.”
“So I don’t need to actually do anything to help people? It’s not some power I have to learn?” I asked.
“There are always magics you can learn, my dear, which you can use to influence your situation or that of others, but in this case, no. Your mere existence sends this energy out into the world. When we possessed the bodies of gods, we could contain all of the power we have, but in these forms, we must keep a constant balance of recharging our energies. In your case, it’s through blood and releasing any excess power through various methods, one of which is, as you have found, acts of pleasure. And as a goddess of pleasure, it makes sense that pleasure is your release. It is for many others too,” she added quickly.
“That doesn’t explain why I need so many,” I countered.
“Well, everyone’s case is different. You need several priests in order to sustain you with their blood, but you also need several in order to give them some time to rest. They may have their own gifts and abilities, but when it comes down to it, they are only human, my dear. And speaking of human priests, I think maybe we should return to the party before yours come looking for you. I have heard you have a proclivity for giving them the slip, and we wouldn’t want them panicking, would we?”
I shot her a look and then laughed at the merry twinkle in her eyes. “Maybe you’re right.”
I got up and followed her to the door, which she held it open and gestured for me to go through. “They said it won’t matter if I show up looking like this. Were they right? I really don’t want to offend Neith when I’m in her house.”
The woman turned to me, her eyes sparkling as she looked me up and down. “I would say she would think it an honour that you come before her vulnerable and open and utterly proud of who you are. A warrior goddess of blood and fire. Own it, my dear.”
I nodded, straightened my shoulders, and lifted my chin before I stepped back into the hallway. Austin and the others were nearby, and they looked up as I entered, as did several of the nearby crowd. I ignored the other people, moving over to my own priests.
“Everything okay?” Austin asked softly as he ran his eyes over my body.
I smiled up at him. “Much better. My incredible priests gave me everything I needed, and then this woman came, and we talked—”
“What woman?” Jack questioned, peering into the courtyard.
I turned to follow his gaze. The woman had vanished, and I could have sworn she had not walked past us. “She was there, I swear. She was... there the whole time.”
Jack raises his eyebrows. “The whole time?”
I blushed. “Yes, though she didn’t seem to mind. I got the feeling she was hiding from the crowd as much as I was. She said she enjoyed the show.”
“Did she tell you her name?” Jasper asked.
I shook my head. “No, though she knew who I was and said it was good to see me again.”
Jasper looked over at Austin. “Hathor maybe? She was said to be attending tonight.”
Austin shrugged. “It’s possible, I suppose.”
A bell rang, chiming through the hall, and the gathered crowd began to make their way through a set of double doors on the opposite side of the hall from where we stood. We followed them, trailing behind everyone into what turned out to be a throne room. I imagined when the court was not in session, that the great room we now stood in was actually more of a ballroom. Not many people had them in London itself, but a few of my friends’ families had them in their country residences, so it didn’t surprise me. A platform had been built at one end, and it was draped with luxurious rugs. A gilded chair stood upon it, and in the wall behind the chair hung a great shield with two arrows crossing over it.
“That’s the symbol of Neith,” Wesley whispered. “And if you look over there, that’s Hapi. He’s the inundation god.” I looked to where Wesley had gestured. The person who stood there wore a flowing white robe, and long dark hair trailed down their back. They had the breasts and curved belly of a woman but the face of a man. A crown bearing depictions of gold and green plants sparkled among their hair, and as they seemed to sense me looking, they turned and smiled at me. I returned the smile just as warmly. It felt nice to be accepted, and the blood on my dress clearly hadn’t bothered them one bit. Wesley didn’t seem to notice, and he continued to tell me about the other gods as we waited. “That’s Bes. You can always tell which one he is, because he’s always born as a dwarf.”
“What’s he the god of?” I asked.
