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“Did they tell you she was my wife?” Teddy asked quietly.
Tory shook her head. “But if she was your wife... Did you date Hattie knowing you were married? Are you allowed to do that? Or, wait, do marriages last through lifetimes?” She glared over at Teddy and tried to get to her feet. “Are you saying you were cheating on Hattie and you were married the whole time?”
I wrapped my arms around her, holding her in my lap and not allowing her to get up and clock Teddy—which was what I was guessing she was about to do—as the truth dawned on me. “He didn’t cheat on Hattie with Hathor, Tory. If I’m right, Hattie is Hathor. Isn’t she, Teddy?”
Teddy nodded. “She was one of the first things I remembered, and then the next time I saw Hattie, I just knew. I just knew it was her all along, which is why it makes sense that you were Bastet. Best friends throughout time.”
Tory sank back against my chest, and I cuddled her in. She looked up at me. and I saw tears in her eyes. “She’s Hathor. I can talk to her again. I can share everything with her, and I won’t sound like I’m crazy.” She smiled through the tears that ran down her face, and I could feel the relief rolling off her in waves. I squeezed her tight and looked over at Teddy.
“Does Hattie know?”
Teddy nodded. “She does now. I could see the memories were starting to come back in dreams and flashbacks. She told me about them, thinking it was the stress of exams and studying. It’s why I suggested the trip to France and why I was relieved when you never showed up,” he added, looking over at Tory. “No offence, but I got her to myself. She started to remember more and more, and then I sat her down and explained everything. She remembered me then, and it was... bliss. I got her to myself for a few weeks even though I knew her priests would be showing up soon, but then one day, she just vanished.”
“Vanished?” I shifted my position, leaning forward slightly. “She ran off?”
Teddy shook his head. “No, she was taken. I had popped out to get some bread and pastries for breakfast early that morning. She was still asleep when I left. When I got back to the villa, it was clear the place had been broken into and there were definite signs of struggle. Someone took her, and I don’t know why.” His face had paled, and I saw him swallow several times against the emotion that rose up inside him. I pushed Tory so she moved and got up to sit beside him. Tory sat on his other side, taking his hand in hers. A small stab of jealousy flared when I saw it, but I bit my lip, keeping it in check. West wasn’t as subtle, and I heard a quiet snarl from where he stood near the door.
“Claws in, Austin,” Tory said, not even looking in his direction. I fought the temptation to grin as she put him in his place, but it wasn’t the time. She sighed. “Teddy, I’m so sorry, but did you tell the police? Her parents?”
Teddy shook his head. “There were traces of Egyptian sorcery in the villa. I could feel it as soon as I stepped through the door. The police would have been useless, and I didn’t want to scare her parents, not yet, so I’ve kept up the pretence that she was fine. I’ve sent texts to them. They left her phone behind, so it didn’t raise suspicion when I answered. I’d have come to you, Jasper, if I’d known you’d awoken already to see if you could sense something more about the sorcery. I searched everywhere I could think of, but I’ve turned up nothing. So I came to Neith tonight, and it’s not looking good.”
“Who do you think has taken her?” West asked quietly. “Do you have any idea? Any jealous exes? Angry stalkers?”
Teddy shook his head. “I’ve gone through everything I could think of. My priests and I scoured her social media, her emails, and any exes that might be jealous, but I’m definitely certain it’s related to her being a goddess.”
“How can you be sure?” I asked. “West is right, it could be some kind of mundane reason.”
Tory snorted. “Yeah, because mundane stalkers use Egyptian sorcery.”
“The sorcery could have been a coincidence, maybe something she was even toying with herself, though I don’t think Hattie ever had much talent with anything beyond healing magic. But why would someone take her?” I stood up and looked out of the small window to the dark street as though someone might be standing outside looking shifty. “I mean, she’s Hathor. It’s not like she’s got these wicked powers that someone could use for their own gain. What are they going to do, make people horny and nick their wallets?”
“That’s what I couldn’t figure out, but after talking to Neith tonight, it’s clear that it’s bigger than that. Bigger than Hathor going missing.” Teddy came to stand beside me and gazed out into the night. “She’s not the only one missing.”
“Other gods have disappeared?” I asked.
“Who?” West queried.
Teddy turned around and leaned against the windowsill. “Sobek. Neith hasn’t heard from him in a few days, and he was supposed to be here tonight.”
“Maybe he forgot?” Tory offered.
West shook his head. “Sobek, well, he’s a bit odd, but he’s devoted to Neith. He wouldn’t let her down. Who else is missing?”
“Taweret and Khepri. Taweret has been gone for six weeks, and Khepri for three. Now Hattie and Sobek. That’s all we know of, but there might be more, especially if whoever has taken them has discovered how to find gods before they’ve awoken. I just... I should be more... I should be able to figure this out, but I just can’t. Why on earth would someone kidnap Egyptian gods? Especially one without any major powers or abilities.”
He looked completely broken, and I couldn’t help it. I wrapped my arms around him, and he leaned against me. “It’s going to be fine. We’ll find her, Teddy.”
“We will,” Tory insisted. “Won’t we, West?” She got up and crossed the room to stand in front of West. She took his hand in hers. “I mean, you tracked me down, so you must be able to find Hattie.”
I looked over at him as he stared down at Tory. I knew he wanted to tell her that there was no way he could promise her that, that he hadn’t any more idea who had taken her than Teddy. That she could be dead or worse. But he wouldn’t, he couldn’t tell her that.
“We’ll find her, Tory. I promise,” he said softly, and she smiled up at him.
I shook my head. Idiot. But I found myself hoping anyway.
Chapter thirteen
TORY
