"What else needs doing for him?" she asked.
"He'll still need a lot of rest and I might need to do some more healing. The poison is out of his system but for now that's all I can do."
Isis nodded and rose to her feet. The sadness and relief fading instantly and being replaced by a face that said it was all business. I gulped, hoping that wasn't directed at me.
I scrambled to my feet, noticing Sed and Kuket were also still in here, the former looking at me with a proud glint in his eye. The latter just glared. No doubt she was angry I'd managed to undo all of her hard work.
"How did this happen?" she demanded of Sed.
"I think Kuket might be able to fill us in more on that. She's the one responsible for poisoning Osiris and for trying to erase Serket's name from existence."
Isis hissed under her breath. "Removing the name of a god is already a punishable offence. Do you deny it?" she asked Kuket.
The woman stepped back, clearly intimidated by Isis' stare. Sed reached over and untied the gag from around her mouth but I knew better than to think that would make her speak. She wouldn't admit to trying to kill one of her own. She couldn't or she herself would end up being removed from temple walls.
"She deserved it," Kuket hissed. "She broke my heart." Her eyes bored into me, spitting venom far more potent than that of her serpent form. She always had that effect on me. No matter what I did, she could make me feel just a few inches high.
"So you decided to poison my husband and frame her?" Isis' voice remained soft but there was no mistaking it for anything else.
"She would have done it herself if she thought she could have gotten away with it." Before my eyes, Kuket began her transformation back into her male form. Though I wasn't sure why she'd started it at this point, it didn't seem to serve any kind of purpose.
Isis looked at me and I met her gaze head on, hoping she could see the honesty within me. I didn't want her to think this was actually something I'd do.
"I find that unlikely," Isis said eventually. "Unfortunately, you leave me no choice, Kuk. You will have to be sentenced before a court of the other gods."
Kuk shook his head, going into denial about what was happening.
"I'm sorry, you've really left me no choice." She clicked her fingers and two guards burst into the room. "Take him away and put him in the cells. Keep guards on him at all times."
They nodded and each grabbed one of Kuk's arms, dragging him away as he tried to protest his innocence. Relief flooded through me as I realised this truly was over. I didn't have to deal with Kuk anymore. I could trust Isis to deal with it and know she would do the right thing. No one went through a trial by gods and come out of it the other side if they'd actually done wrong.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"It's nothing. Not after all you've done for me today. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"No, thank you. Just knowing there's a place for me here is enough." I gave her a weak smile.
"You're welcome anytime."
"Thank you."
She turned back to her husband, effectively dismissing us.
I turned to Sed and reached out a hand. "Would you like to see my temple?"
"Lead the way." He grinned widely and took my hand.
Chapter 14
2 Months Later...
I laughed as Sed spun me around, letting myself get lost in the music. I stumbled, only to be caught by Sed before I could fall. I beamed up at him, relieved to know I had someone who'd catch me no matter what.
"Is it everything you hoped it would be?" he asked as he pulled me close.
"And more."
I still couldn't believe he'd actually gone through with what he'd promised and found me somewhere I could learn how to dance. I hadn't even realised places like these would exist in Egypt, but Sed seemed to know everything about the city I'd once lived in. Rediscovering it with him was proving fun though.
"And what do you want to do next?" he asked as we took seats outside the dance hall. He passed me a glass of water which I took and gulped down eagerly. I hadn't realised just how thirsty I was. I still wasn't used to the heat here either. Too much time spent in Europe in the cold weather had reduced my tolerance to the heat.
"The museum?"
"We can't go now." He chuckled.
"I know. But tomorrow, next week, three months from now..." I batted my eyelashes at him in a fake request way, making him chuckle more.
"You just want to search for yourself among the objects," he teased.
"Not just me," I countered. "I'm interested to see how they've represented our culture."
"Fairly well, I'd say. Except that they don't know we were actually real."
"Such a pity," I responded, shaking my head. "I don't think I mind really."
"You don't?" Surprise coloured his tone but I didn't worry about it too much. He'd understand in a moment.
"If we still lived like that, we wouldn't be able to have moments like this." I reached across the table and took his hand. "We wouldn't have lives of our own, experiences of our own. We wouldn't be able to fall in love without people watching our every move."
"We still have priests and priestesses," he pointed out.
"You know what I mean though. They're not with us every moment of every day. And they're certainly not butting into the parts of our lives we don't want them to."
"I guess that is true," he acknowledged. "No one barges into the room when we're about to..."
"Exactly," I cut him off before he could finish the sentence. It wasn't that I didn't want him to say it. I just didn't want this moment putting off any longer. Not when it was the first time I'd said the words in over a thousand years. "And there's no one to speculate on who we love and who we don't..."
"Are you trying to tell me something, Sera?" He smirked and reached over the table to take my hand.
"I guess I am. I'm just out of practice."
"Would it help if I went first?" The amusement left his voice and his eyes took on a serious edge I couldn't ignore.
"Yes. Please," I whispered, hoping he planned on saying the same thing I did.
"Okay. Sera..."
"Yes?"
Our eyes met and the moment between us could be felt throughout my very being.
"I love you."
My heart skipped a beat as the words sunk in. I'd already suspected he felt the same way I did but hearing it out loud was something different.
"I love you to," I responded. "And will for a long time."
Sed didn't say anything, instead he rose to his feet and came around the table to stand in front of me. He rested two fingers under my chin and tipped my head back gently. He lowered his face and pressed his lips against mine.
I kissed him back instantly, getting lost in the moment and in him. Despite all the stress and the threat of losing every part of who I was, I'd gained something far more important in the process.
"I guess those horoscopes were right after all," he whispered as he pulled back.
"Wait, what?"
"Yours said a decision would change your life, and mine said I'd find love. Looks like they were right."
"Looks like it," I responded before grabbing his shirt and pulling him back to me for another kiss.
I never thought I'd love a god again. But Sed was worth breaking my own rule for. He made life as a god worth living.
Thank you for reading Protectors Of Poison. If you’d like to continue the story, you can in Daughter Of The Sun, which follows Sekhmet: http://books2read.com/daughterofthesun
And if you’d like to sign up to Laura Greenwood’s mailing list, then you can by downloading a bonus story from the Forgotten Gods series (which includes a lion shifting demi-god!) Priestess Of Truth: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/sk05o4s9vs
About the Author
Laura is a USA Today Bestselling Author of paranormal, fantasy, and urban fantasy romance (though she can occasionally be found writing contemporary romance). When she's no
t writing, she drinks a lot of tea, tries to resist French macarons, and works towards a diploma in Egyptology. She lives in the UK, where most of her books are set.
You can check out Laura's Website here:
www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk
Wolf’s Whisper
My Winter Wolf #1
Arizona Tape
When Akira sets out on a quest, the last thing she expected was to find her soulmate. Akira must face old enemies, make new allies, and work out where her heart belongs as she searches for the Winter Stone. Her world is turned upside down when she learns more secrets and uncovers more about her inner wolf.
And when the wolf begins to whisper, it must be answered. Matters of the heart are just going to have to wait...
Wolf's Whisper is book one of the completed fantasy trilogy, My Winter Wolf. It's filled with action, love, friendship, and sacrifice with an f/f relationship at the centre.
Akira
At the beginning of time, the twelve Gods of Old divided the world. They blessed their people with gifts and honours, except for one. He traded his divine powers for revenge and bestowed anger and hate on his children, with just one purpose. To destroy mine.
And now, after centuries of war, his wish came true. To cripple my people, he stole our most precious relic. We were left with darkness, our wolves silenced once more.
My clan needed a hero, or a scapegoat.
Me.
I gritted my teeth angrily at the sour memory and groaned as I felt the straps of my backpack dig deep into my shoulders.
I had a long way to go and if I didn't get over this stupid hillside, I would have to make a two days detour. And two days was a lot of time, time I didn't have.
All this for my honour...
I dug my bare fingers in the cold snow as I ran up the slippery side, screaming as a madman. My feet slipped, snow shrieked, birds fled. I made it.
Exhausted, I fell down on top of the hill and I threw a handful of snow into the air. The frustration was worth it, if this brought me two days faster to the East.
I stared at the night sky, realising that sundown wouldn't be far away. When the dark fell, the forest would trade calm for frightening. I needed to hurry because there wasn't much time to set up camp.
I shouldn’t be wasting time lying in the snow. I had to find a clearing, get a fire going, and collect suitable branches to set up my tent.
Reluctantly, I heaved the lumpy backpack on my shoulders and orientated myself back towards the East. Towards the country of the Coyotes, the thieves of the Winter Stone. If they hadn’t stolen our sacred relic from us, I wouldn’t be here.
Step by step, my feet disappeared into the fresh snow as I left a trail behind for nobody.
I insisted that retrieving the Winter Stone was my duty as the appointed Guardian. I need to prove everyone I did deserve to be chosen. And returning our most valuable possession was my chance.
Nobody had volunteered to join, so the task fell solely on my shoulders. Instead of appreciating my bravery, I was met with harsh words and angry eyes. The same eyes I felt since the very moment the Elders announced I would become the next Winter Wolf.
Not that that would happen anytime soon without the Winter Stone. Our ritual was worthless without the ancient magic stowed away in the artefact. Magic that was given to us directly by the Great Wolf, a revered spirit and common ancestor.
So I kissed my mother goodbye, hugged my grandparents and left on my journey to the East, deep into enemy territory. There was only one tribe dumb enough to steal the Winter Stone and leave such clear tracks. Yes, without a doubt, the Coyote Clan was behind this. Our distant nephews and long time rivals. They would do anything to spite us and after many attempts, they finally seemed to have succeeded in stealing our most important relic.
With a burning hatred in my chest for the Coyotes, I stomped through the forest with more resolve until I finally found myself at a deserted clearing.
There was a heap of rocks that would more or less protect me from the howling wind and a relatively flat spot where I could sleep without the blood rushing to either my head or toes. Not bad.
I dropped my backpack and with a branch, started sweeping the snow away from the floor, hoping to expose enough terrain for a campfire and my tent. That was the easy task. Finding enough dry wood to get a fire going would prove much more difficult. And not to mention, a sturdy long branch that would support the hides I brought with me. With the whole forest covered in a thick bed of snow, finding dry wood was like finding water in the desert.
It took me close to nightfall to find enough suitable branches and the darkness had fallen before I managed to spark the first bunch of tinder.
A small flame danced in my hands as I carefully fed it more wood, my breathing hitched in my throat as I prayed for the twigs to catch fire. I really didn't want to get caught a whole night in the looming forest with no fire or warmth to protect me.
"Come on," I breathed, shielding the small flame from the icy wind. "Just burn, please."
Relief flooded my chest as the fire spread in my hands and hungrily devoured some of the smaller branches. Ooof. My camp was now accompanied by a warm fire and with my heart at ease, I fell down on a big lump of wood.
From my pack, I conjured a strip of dried elk and with the fire happily dancing away, I chewed on the jerky as it filled my mouth with savoury goodness. The flames were slowly warming up my cold bones and the meat was filling my stomach. Not a bad situation. A small fire, a tent that looked like it could break any moment, and a wooden stump with maggots crawling out of it. Ahhh, home sweet home.
But I smiled. I was alone and there was no one here that could look at me with mean eyes or whisper behind my back. I was sick of hearing I wasn't worthy of having my wolf released.
Not that I blamed them. I wasn't exactly sure why they picked me, even if they were short on candidates There were only four more people in my age group that still had a wolf inside them. We were going extinct. Chances were extremely low that the next generation would still possess wolves. If that was the case, I could very well be the last Guardian of our tribe. I could be the last Winter Wolf. No pressure or something.
But it seemed to have sent my peers in a blind fit of rage. But I could understand that. I'd been passed over the last two times and I felt that rage before. That white hot rage and heavy disappointment. Last time, I assumed it just wouldn't happen for me. I was almost too old. And in seven years, anyone who was passed over, would be as well. Their wolves would be locked inside them for the rest of eternity. A cruel fate.
If I didn't find the Stone, it would be my fate. And my families. Becoming the Winter Wolf wasn't just an honour for you, it was an honour for the whole family. If you shared blood with someone that became a Guardian, your own wolf would be able to the Winter Wolf. You'd be just a little bit stronger, a little bit more connected to anyone and everyone.
So my family rejoiced when they heard the news. My grandparents had embraced each other and tears had flown as their wolves would finally be able to talk to each other after sixty years of marriage. My uncle and my two nephews had come to visit me in deep gratitude. Although my uncle married a human, both his sons had inherited a wolf. Something quite unheard of. But as they were both passed over, their hopes of ever connecting with their wolves disappeared. So when I, the baby of the family, became nominated by the Elders, hope returned to them. When they announced that the Winter Wolf would go to me this year, they howled in happiness.
And I couldn't wait to meet all the wolves in my family, wolves I had been surrounded by from the first breath I took in this world. Wolves that had taken care of me and protected me with all their love. I would finally be able to talk to them. If I worked hard enough, I could even become the bridge between everyone in my family. It would change the face of my family.
But with the Winter Stone stolen, those chances were stolen as well. So I needed to find that stone and bring it back home. Not just for me, b
ut for them.
All I needed to do was cross the dark Aladwin Forest, the one that my grandparents always forbade me from entering because it is so easy to get lost in. And if I somehow made it out of the maze of trees, I needed to cross the vast deserted wasteland that was rumoured to be the home of the Puma, a sly and mysterious creature. And after I made it through the desert, I needed to cross enemy lines, fool all the Coyotes I passed, penetrate their inner city and steal the Winter Stone back. Oh, and of course, get back. And I needed to do it before Spring arrived. Piece of cake.
I groaned loudly. Spring would arrive in less than three months. I was so thoroughly fucked.
If I put the Winter Stone one day too late on the altar, we would all be stuck waiting for another seven years. I would be too old, there were no younger wolves in my family left, so with my failure, any hope for my family would die.
I needed to be successful here. I had no other choice. I just needed to remind myself this was a marathon, not a sprint. I needed to keep my eyes on the prize. Don't stray. Don't do anything stupid. Don't get distracted. Don't die.
I glared at my pack and wondered if I should have another strip of meat or should ration myself. Would eating all my rations now count as something stupid? But as I savoured the taste of the elk in my mouth, I decided I deserved another piece. Marathon, not a sprint, right? I needed energy.
But before I could, a sharp howl cut through the eery night. It would've spooked me, except that I recognised it as unmistakably wolfish.
I threw another glance at my hot fire and as I contemplating staying right where I was, the next howl made me shiver to my bone. This wasn't a regular howl, it was from a wolf in pain. A wolf lost and separated from his pack. A wolf that needed help.
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