Chapter 203: Chapter Twenty-One

Kyra

~Egypt, Same Day~

I flinched from his words. It felt as if he’d slapped me. “I’m here so you don’t die, not because you’re already dead.”

He shook his head. “You don’t know of what you speak.”

Okay, so now he was making me want to punch him. I pressed my hands against his chest, earning a growl from his lips as he gripped my wrists almost painfully. “Then tell me, because I’m risking everything in being here.”

“Do you love me?” he whispered. “Is that why you’re here?”

“I don’t know.” Tears filled my eyes. “I just know I don’t want to live without you, I want you to live!”

His gaze softened. “You don’t understand.”

“Then make me!”

“This.” He gripped my wrists tighter. “This pulse between us, this push, this pull, we fit.” His eyes flashed gold. “You are mine, daughter of Apollo. Don’t you realize? You are my half. My soul recognizes you and only you. So if I did something wrong, it was in choosing you over my father, choosing you over my blood. I can’t do it again.”

My body swayed toward him, needing more, more skin, more of his voice, more of everything.

I saw us then, holding hands, laughing, memories of stolen kisses in the great hall, of discussing children, a future.

He didn’t release me, just stared into my eyes as this movie of our lives played while we watched.

~“I’ll love you forever. It doesn’t matter. The worst he can do is curse me, but I’ll find you, Kyra, I’ll find you anywhere!” he pledged.

“I know.” Tears filled my eyes. “I’m yours.”

“You are mine.” He swore against my mouth, touching my belly. “And soon we’ll have a family, we’ll leave, I’ll speak to him.”

Our lives flashed forward.

“Sixty days.” Timber kissed my head. “Sixty days until the curse is upon us.”

I wrapped my arms around his body. “Was sixty days together, worth his wrath?”

“Yes,” he said. “Worth it to make you my wife, worth it to know that one day we will find each other again.”

Memories charged forward. Ra stood in front of us. “I can’t counter what has been done. You made your choices, both of you, choosing each other, going against Set, against the rules of intervention. You will be punished, your souls will be lost, but,” He held up his hand. “The Creator has agreed with my pleas, and one day, they will find each other. One day.”

Anubis nodded. “It is enough.”

I gripped his hand. “It’s enough.”~

I slid my hands up his chest as he looked down at me, adoration in his gold eyes. The smell of roses fueled the hysteria, the need to touch him more.

And then his mouth was on mine.

We fell, in that moment, in the garden.

We fell together.

We made the same choice again.

Because the one thing I wasn’t warned—your soul can’t deny its other half, your heart can’t lie.

And love—transpires through time.

No matter the cost.

Timber picked me up into his arms and twirled me around, pressing my body up against the rock wall as his hands moved to the black diamond holding my dress together.

It pooled at my feet in an instant.

His hands moved across my naked skin as he ducked his head and kissed me again, his mouth was warm, and it tasted like a fall day. His tongue was so smooth as it traced the outline of my mouth.

This. I would die for this.

I would kill for this.

For him.

He growled. “He can’t have you.”

“Not when I have you,” I answered. Wrapping my arms around his massive neck, he pressed light kisses to my lips only to deepen them as I moved my body against his. “I can’t stop.”

“That’s the thing, Kyra,” His lips moved against mine. “When you find that person, when you hold that gift, you’re not supposed to stop. It’s supposed to be effortless, perfect.”

“Your father.” I whimpered as Timber cupped my breasts like he was weighing them with the same hands he used to weigh souls. “He’ll curse us again.”

“And it would be worth it.” His hands left—I hated the loss I felt. “Again.”

“No.” Tears filled my line of vision. “Not like this. I’m supposed to save you!”

His eyes were sad as he tilted my chin with his thumb. “I got to kiss you, I got to hold you—consider me saved.”

“Anubis.” I tested his name on my tongue, only to have him growl against my mouth again, kiss after kiss. I accepted, I gave in, because I found home in his arms, I found my very existence in those kisses.

Years I had searched for this.

And now I had it.

“Wait.” I gently shoved him away. “We can’t, you know we can’t, we have to find a way to fix the future, not damn it again.”

His chest heaved with exertion. “I won’t lose you.”

“You won’t!” I was naked against his chest, could feel the warmth of his skin, count the beats of his heart. “The tattoo in the future, why would that happen?”

He sighed and ran a hand through his thick long hair. “Moving under the assumption that I took you for myself and left my father’s house, that would mean I intervened, which we aren’t allowed to do. It would mean my godhead would be shed and my soul would be up for grabs. It would mean giving in to the darkness that warred with the good. And if the tattoo is that of a seed it means that I borrowed a soul so I could feel again, because the one I had was most likely dormant or trapped.”

My head jerked up. “Horus.”

“Anubis, but thanks.” He smirked.

“No, your brother! Horus! That’s his thing right? Setting souls free?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Yes, but he can’t go with you.”

“Why?”

“Because…” Anubis sighed. “He would not be able to come back.”

“Why?” I wanted to stomp my foot.

Timber cupped my chin. “Because it would mean he no longer existed in this timeline. He would be stuck in yours.”

I nodded. “But to save you… would he do it?”

“Yes.” A voice sounded behind Timber. He quickly covered me with his body. “When you didn’t return, I got worried. Good to know her dress is already on the grass, brother.” Horus gave him a sad smile. “I heard enough to know what this will cost me. Brother, know that there is nothing I will not do for you. I cannot imagine what the old Horus would have said.”

Timber sighed. “He would have warned me of what would happen. He would have helped curse me in order to try to save me.”

“Yes, probably.”

“Why the change of heart?” Timber asked the same question I was going to.

“Because…” Horus’s eyes danced between me and Timber. “I’m so damn tired of this existence. Maybe in the future I’ll find happiness because there sure as hell isn’t any here.”

“You’ll be limited,” Timber pointed out.

“I’ll be more normal after hundreds of years of being superior. I think I’ll make it.” Horus winked at me. “Let’s grab your protectors before it’s too late, and for the love of the Creator help her get her dress back on.”

We moved quickly. I frowned. Did my dress look different? Yes… but why?

“Hurry,” urged Horus.

He was right. There was no time to contemplate the meaning of the change. Timber and Horus walked ahead of me, back into the temple where it looked like Alex was the prime entertainment.

Set was drunk on something; whether it was wine or whatever story Alex was telling, it was working.

“What now?” I whispered, mainly to myself.

“I’ll take care of it,” Timber said gruffly. Leaving us, he approached his father and tapped him quickly on the chest. Sure enough, a blue soul was pulled halfway out. Part of it was black with holes and a slime that looked like it was spreading, infecting the rest of it.

Is that what Timber meant when he said the baser gods let their other instincts take over?

“Anubis!” Set’s voice boomed. “What are you doing?”

“Saving her,” Timber rasped, pulling his hand away and leaving the soul half hanging from Set’s body.

“That won’t last long,” Tarek pointed out. “The soul will default back into his body.”

“You need minutes.” Anubis nodded toward us. “Go.”

“Wait.” I grabbed his hand. “What do you mean go? You’re coming, aren’t you?”

His smile was sad. “I exist already in that time, so no, I need to stay.”

Tears stung my eyes. “I’m not leaving you!”

“Yes.” Timber pressed a kiss to my forehead. “You are.”

“But—”

“Thank you,” his voice boomed, “For showing me even for a few minutes, what it feels like to be whole.” He turned his back on me. “Now go.”

“But—”

Tarek grabbed me by the arm, Horus grabbed the other, and then we were running down the palace stairs and jumping onto soldiers’ horses—ones who were conveniently on the ground with blood spewing from their mouths.

Horus got on mine with me and kicked his heels into the mare’s belly. We took off so fast I nearly fell off.

“Sorry,” he gritted his teeth. “We don’t have much time.”

“How do we get back?”

“Pray,” he shouted over the thundering hooves.

“What?”

“You heard me.” He hit the reins harder as the horses galloped outside the city walls. “You must pray.”

“And say what?” Was he insane?

“Ask to return to your time, to right a wrong, pray to the Creator. He has long since forgotten the sound of my voice.”

“But you’re a god.

“Still a creation,” he pointed out. “Hurry. Even now I can feel my father stir.”

“Okay.” Tears ran down my cheeks as the sand-filled wind whipped against my face. “Please, take us home, take us back, so Horus can save Timber, so we can right this wrong…” Panic hit me in the chest as the horse tripped. “Please, Creator, please!”

What was I even doing?

The sun was ahead, it was hot against my skin, too hot. I blinked slowly as it started to set and then like a final bow, it winked—everything went immediately dark, cold.

I woke up with a start and stared into Cassius’s sad eyes. They had turned completely white, and the room was chilled; frost clung to his face.

I was afraid to ask, but I had to. “Is Timber okay?”

“He’s improving… slightly,” Cassius looked down at the couch, and I followed his gaze.

Timber lay there, very still. His color was back, but the tattoo remained.

Trapped. My heart sank. He was still trapped, even though I’d made a different choice.

Tarek, Alex, and Mason appeared to my left.

And then finally, Horus, looking every inch the god as he stared down at his brother and shook his head. “You idiot.”

Cassius’s eyebrows shot up, his gaze was deadly. “And who are you?”

“Horus, Prince of Light, and your only chance at saving that demon and restoring him.”

“He’s been restored, his soul that is,” Cassius pointed out.

“That’s the problem.” Horus moved to the couch and pressed a hand to Timber’s head. “You restored the cursed soul of a god. What did you think was going to happen? It’s been trying to break free, but it’s warring with the borrowed soul—the borrowed soul will continue to suck the life from the original until nothing is left but darkness—nothing is left but his demonic self.”

“Who is he again?” Ethan walked in and gave Horus a once over. “Is there a costume party nobody told me about?”

Horus let out a growl. “Careful, vampire, my bark is worse than your bite.”

I’d never seen Ethan react so violently as his fangs descended, eyes turning a bright shade of green.

“Horus!” My voice cracked. “Please, you have to help him.”

Horus nodded. “I’m going to try.” He pressed a massive hand to Timber’s chest. “Remember, brother, remember what you are—who you are, remember your calling.” He pressed both hands down. “I rebuke the borrowed soul in the name of the Creator. Be free!”

The house started to shake as the black tattoo slithered along Timber’s pale skin as if something from the inside was trying to come out.

“You can’t have him,” a female voice rasped.

Horus stiffened. “Neither can you.”

I looked around for the voice but saw nothing. The temperature in the room dropped as Cassius’s wings spread out, ready to fight, ready to impale whatever came at us.

“Fight it.” Horus encouraged, his hand still on Timber’s chest. “You must choose. Don’t be like our father. Don’t let a sick soul take everything from you. Remember who you are, Prince of Darkness, Anubis, Keeper of Souls!”

Timber’s eyes burst open. They were pure gold, they were bright, and they were trained directly on me.

“Timber.” I reached for his hand and squeezed. “Anubis…”

With a roar, something black wrapped around Horus’s hand as he slowly pulled the darkness from Timber’s body. The soul had flecks of blue still on it, but the rest of it looked like it was rotting.

Horus jerked the rest of it free and held it out to Cassius. “Destroy it.”

Cassius took the black soul and crushed it with one hand. Black icicles fell to the ground and disappeared into thin air.

Timber moaned as gold pulsed across his skin. Right before my eyes, I saw him become restored to the man I had kissed only minutes previous, the man who I saw in my dreams, the one who said he was my other half.

The love of my life.

My soulmate.

The Prince of Darkness.

Timber’s body convulsed and then as if jerking awake from a long night’s sleep, he blinked and sat up, his eyes locked on Horus first. “Brother? What the hell are you doing here?”

“Good to see you too. Missed you. It’s been what? A few thousand years? And thanks for saving my life, oh you’re welcome Anubis, all in a day’s work, also I’m trapped here now…”

“He’s never had good manners.” This from Alex who shot Timber an amused grin before winking over at me.

Nerves took over.

Would he remember past me and present me?

If we kissed in the garden was it in his memories now?

I had so many questions.

First and foremost, I just wanted to touch him, to feel his skin, to tell him… what? That I was in love with him? That I’d been in love with him for as long as I could remember?

Only that I wasn’t a god so my memories were still somewhat fuzzy? How did one even begin that conversation?

“Stuck,” Timber repeated in a voice that was just slightly richer than before. “You’re stuck in this time?”

“Apparently.” Horus stood and then looked down at his clothes. “I imagine this would land me somewhere unpleasant?”

Mason winced. “You look like you belong at the Halloween store.”

“What’s Halloween?” Horus asked with genuine curiosity.

Alex laughed. “Ethan, show some fang. That right there, people really love vampires, they dress up as them. Ethan loves it, don’t you, boy?”

Ethan flipped him off and then gave Horus a helpless look. “This is going to be difficult for you.”

He shrugged. “I’m a god, I think I have it handled.”

“Limited,” Cassius pointed out. “And…” He stopped talking and then shared a look with Mason, who seemed to be in his own trance. “I think we should leave Kyra and Timber alone for a bit.”

Alex kicked the chair. “Can’t I just stay in the other room?”

Mason glared. “The last thing you need is to be around people who are going to be having all the…” He gulped. “Er, pinecones.”

“What fresh hell kind of time is this?” Horus grumbled under his breath.

Timber was still silent, staring at me, his chest heaving.

His blond hair was as short as it was before, but his eyes had changed to pure gold as he watched me, his skin seemed to have this pulsing awareness beneath the surface.

I couldn’t tell if he was taller; he’d already been tall. He was still Timber, though he looked… content, whereas before he had seemed like he was constantly searching, grumbling, fighting.

“Time—” Cassius ushered everyone out. “—is a very fickle thing when you can exist outside of it.” He shared a look with Timber. “We’ve just altered it. Be watchful.”

The rest of the group followed him out of the house—Timber’s house, and still I stared at him, waiting for him to say something.

Finally, I sat down on the couch next to him and shrugged. “Do I call you Anubis or Timber?”

“Call me Prince of Darkness.” He said it with such a straight face that my jaw dropped. Had he had a personality transplant too? Was he going to be arrogant?

“I, uh…” I tucked my hair behind my ear at about the same time he burst out laughing. I glared and then threw a pillow at him.

Of course he caught it with one hand and placed it on the floor beside him. Then he whispered. “I remember a garden… and a beautiful woman saying she would save me, that this time she would save me.”

I sucked in a sharp breath. “What happened after we left?”

He shook his head. “I remember fragments, my father raging, and that’s it. I’m sure it will come back to me. Imagine a computer downloading thousands of years’ worth of memories that have been suppressed.”

“Oh,” I nodded. “That makes sense.” I stood and wrapped my arms around myself. “So you don’t remember much of… us?”

He stood, towering over me as he reached for my arm and jerked me against his massive chest. “The memories that are the most clear—all have to do with a certain Princess of Apollo. You, and only you, have the power to bring me to my knees.”

His kiss was soft.

I clung to his shirt and moaned into his mouth at about the same time he lifted me into the air and started walking. I broke the kiss. “Where are we going?”

“Making up for lost time,” he said gruffly walking into his master bedroom and slamming the door behind him.