Chapter 209: Chapter Twenty-Seven

Kyra

I’d known fear several times in my life.

When my parents left, when I realized that I wouldn’t have lasting relationships in this world, when I’d wake up in a cold sweat from dreams that seemed so real I could still smell the fragrance of flowers in the air.

This was a different sort of fear.

One that told me I wouldn’t survive.

One that told me this man in front of me was out for blood and would win regardless of how much we tried to stop him.

Set’s eyes had gone completely black which meant only one thing: his soul was dying. I wondered how much this had cost him, traveling into this space in time.

I wondered what he had sacrificed in order to do it.

In order to use me.

The memories that had been fuzzy were now clear as day.

My love for Timber, as weird as it seemed wasn’t weird at all, but a tethered connection, like an invisible rope between us that made me feel like I belonged.

He immediately shoved me behind him.

I loved him for that.

For being willing to put his life on the line every single time.

I think that was what I had noticed about him first, his supreme control, his desire to do right over wrong every single time even if he suffered for it.

And then I had fallen for the way he cracked a smile when I pushed him too far.

We’d had sixty days of love together, not just sex but love, laughter, talked of a family even though we knew it would be impossible to bring a child into a world we wouldn’t be a part of anymore.

And I remembered that night, being absolutely terrified, when he gave me one last kiss.

~“I’ll love you forever.” The gold from his eyes had left, they were so black and flashed red scaring me to death as he closed them and before my very eyes grew two horns on his head.

“I did this to you.” I wept against his chest. “Our love did this!”

“No!” He roared, his fangs descending like he couldn’t control them. “Our love didn’t destroy anything. We chose love, and Set chose to punish us because of it. Don’t worry.” He winced like something was breaking inside his chest.

I thought it was his heart, since mine was breaking too.

I thought wrong, as his soul slithered from his body in one last attempt to touch mine.

I reached out and grabbed it in my fingertips and watched his god-like soul die in the palm of my hand, turning to the black of ash.

And when I looked up, the Anubis I knew was gone.

A red tear slid down his cheek as his father slapped him across the face. “You don’t deserve the name of the gods!” Another slap. “From here on out, you will be known as nothing but Timber that burns day in and day out without ever truly disappearing, you are nothing but wood that refuses to burn out, and every damn time you wish for death, I’ll remind you of what you are! A Demon King from Hell!”

Timber fell to his knees and raged while I stumbled backward.

“As for you,” Set rasped. “Daughter of Apollo, I no longer have any use for you. But I curse you to walk this earth in search of the one you love who will never be reborn! I curse you to a continuous life in search for the very soul that died by your hand. And I hope you have nightmares of this life over and over again, knowing that in the end you could have been a queen! Instead, you’re nothing but a human with a good bloodline. I rebuke you in the name of the Creator!”

“Not so fast.” Ra appeared. “It is true, there are consequences to every action, but as her grandfather, I choose to offer a gift.”

Set glared. “Give your gift and be gone from my temple!”

“One day,” Ra pressed a searing hand to my cheek. “You will wake up and the world will not be filled with monsters. One day, you will find what your soul searches for. One day, a race will be restored, and he will make another choice that will set about something so wonderful your heart won’t be able to contain it. I will make it so.”

Set grumbled. “Only the Creator can make such a promise.”

“I know.” Ra smiled brightly. “Chin up, dear girl. Love is the strongest gift we are given! And it is now my love, my unconditional love for you, that gives you this gift.” He closed his eyes, and in a flash, I saw the very essence of the sun leave his body in tiny particles that lifted toward the heavens. “I sacrifice my life so that you have your future.”

“No!” Set roared. “She must be punished!”

Ra ignored him, and in a flash, his body collapsed against the marble steps.

A warm wind picked up as the sound of trumpets filled the air, so piercing I covered my ears.

At least three thousand angels descended, all wearing black armor, helmets so huge it would fit three of Set’s heads inside them, and in the very middle, a boy.

The small boy smiled at me and nodded toward two angels who very gently picked up my grandfather’s body and brought it to the middle of the circle.

“It is done.” The boy’s voice shook the earth beneath my feet. “Live well, daughter of Apollo—remember who you are, remember what you were created for—sacrificed for—life!”~

I stumbled against Timber as the memory left and turned my attention toward Set.

I wasn’t sure how long I had been lost in the memory.

All I knew was that we didn’t have much time, and that Set was weak.

“You cannot have her,” Timber glared.

Set eyed him up and down. “Son, you’ve grown.”

“I am no longer your son. I am Anubis, Prince of Darkness, and you will bow in the presence of royalty!”

I almost cheered at the furious look on Set’s face. “I will always be more powerful than you.”

“You stink of sin,” Timber clipped. “After all, I would know, I’m the darkest sinner of them all. I roamed the earth for centuries, I killed, I destroyed, I fought wars in the name of the demon race. The earth was filled with blood from my hands. Believe me when I say, like recognizes like.”

Set ground his teeth. “It cost me everything to get here—to take back—” He pointed at me. “—what you stole!”

“You’re too late,” I said in a calm voice. “I’m already his.”

“You were promised to me!” Set roared. Black blood began oozing from his mouth.

Timber’s hand reached for mine. Energy surged between us.

Cassius took a tentative step toward Set. “The time of the gods is long passed, King Set. Even here, you feel your power dwindle, the Creator limits it during this time. It’s why you feel sick. You are weaker than a fly, and you are standing in a room full of the most powerful immortals in the known world. Do you truly think you stand a chance?”

“All I need is one chance.” Set’s red eyes flashed toward me. “All I need is her, and I can destroy each and every one of you.” His voice smoothed, grew cunning. “I wonder what you value most, the children upstairs? Or your wives?”

“That’s it.” Ethan’s fangs descended. “I’m killing him right the hell now.”

“Get in line.” Mason’s eyes flashed white.

Horus tightened his hands into fists as he moved closer, ready to pounce. I reached for my necklace only realizing that it was gone when I touched skin.

It was in me.

Timber had put Ra’s essence back inside me where it belonged.

Together, we were dark and light.

Both were good, both were powerful.

I smiled at Set. “I’ll go with you under one condition.”

“You’ll stay right the hell there!” Timber growled.

I was made for this moment.

Ra had died for this moment.

My grandfather, my family.

He was dead.

But I wondered in that moment, if someone else was alive. We had ancient gods in that room.

The more of us, the more powerful, right?

I closed my eyes and fell to my knees. “Creator, my Father, I ask for you to deliver my father and my mother.”

Set laughed.

I didn’t.

Because in a blinding blaze of white light, both my parents appeared wearing the same old weird clothes they always did.

“So…” My father nodded to Cassius. “It has come to this.”

“It has,” Cassius answered.

“Well,” My mom winked at me. “It has been a very long time.”

I frowned.

They were my parents from this era, the twenty-first century, and they looked at me like they were powerful enough to do something instead of throw a punch and run in the opposite direction.

“The gods,” my father said in a voice that shook the house. “Do not intervene. I’m sorry, Kyra, we could only lead you in the right direction century after century. When you continued to be reborn we tried… We almost lost hope.”

I shook my head. “I don’t understand.”

“We’ve been here the entire time, the entire journey, Ra’s last gift wasn’t just a sacrifice for you—it was for our family.”

My mom turned her attention to Set. “You don’t seem well. Rough journey?”

Set heaved. The black ooze left his mouth in a thick stream.

My father casually walked over to me and grabbed my hand then nodded to Timber. “I knew you’d find each other.”

Timber smiled and then grabbed my other hand. Slowly and surely every immortal in that room had joined hands against Set. Their power surged as the house shook.

A dark mist started filling up the room as the light from the rest of us blinded Set’s face. He crumpled to the ground, screaming in agony.

Alex was glowing orange and red while Serenity’s eyes had gone a scary looking blue.

Set gripped his throat with both hands as sores appeared up and down his arms.

At this point, I wasn’t sure who was doing what, just that he was getting quickly stripped of everything that made him a god.

More ash and smoke wrapped itself around Set’s feet, pulling him into the floor like he was getting drawn into the depths of Hell or maybe being trapped between two planes for an eternity.

Timber jerked him back to his feet and slammed his fist into his chest, pulling his still-beating heart from his body as he held it in his hand.

“Cassius,” Timber growled. “A feather, if you don’t mind.”

“No!” Set screamed. “You can’t!”

“My pleasure.” Cassius chuckled and handed Timber one purple feather.

“King Set…” Timber’s body shook and then morphed into the jackal, all sleek black fur, pointy ears and nose. “The truth of your heart is black. I condemn you to death.”

“I am a god!” He wailed in pain as something lifted from the dark mist.

A woman in all black with razor-sharp teeth, green skin, and red hair. “Anubis, it has been an age.” She winked.

“Mania.” He nodded. “I brought you a snack.”

“Like I said…” Mania grinned seductively at Set. “I knew I would be entertained when I gave you that borrowed soul. Worth every penny.” She pressed a claw against Set’s head. “You ready for a feast, King Set? Because I’ve been watching you for centuries.”

“No,” Set shrieked. “No!”

“Be gone, goddess of death,” Cassius snapped. “And take your pathetic snack with you.”

“Angels,” she huffed. “So demanding. Do put in a good word upstairs.”

With that, the dark mist consumed them both leaving nothing but a mark of ash where they stood and a black stone heart in Timber’s hand.

I exhaled in relief and threw my arms around his neck. “You did it!”

“Who knew I’d grow up and become a team player?” Timber shrugged.

“Literally none of us,” Alex yawned. “Literally.”

“Alex,” My father went over to him and patted him on the shoulder. “I’m curious, how did you find your travels?”

“Boring,” Alex grinned and then shrugged. “Kidding, I was quite entertained by Kyra here and the way she spoke to Set, though it nearly got us killed it was worth it, because now dipshit’s back, yay!”

He was pointing at Timber, who just rolled his eyes and held me close.

Horus slumped against one of the barstools. “Tell me every Tuesday night isn’t always like this.”

Complete silence and then…

“Never!”

“Totally boring.”

“We garden!”

“Look, my tomatoes are coming in.” Mason started moving to the window while a quiet Tarek sat down next to Horus and grinned.

Horus narrowed his eyes. “Why are you looking at me like that? Why is he looking at me like that?”

“He likes to make friends.” Timber laughed. “He’s your problem now, brother.”

“I’ll grow on you.” Tarek slapped him on the back. “Plus I see some very interesting times in your future, Prince of Light. How do you feel about cougars?”

“The animal?”

“The woman.” Tarek nodded slowly. “You better bring your A game. She’s feisty.”

“Fantastic, just what I wanted,” Horus said dryly. “Feisty.”

I turned in Timber’s arms and pressed a kiss to his mouth. “Worth it, it was worth it, wasn’t it?”

“Yes.” His eyes glowed a warm gold. “It was.”

I suddenly didn’t want to be in that room anymore, or anywhere near other people. I was already imagining clawing his clothes from his body.

He growled low in his throat and pulled me against his chest, kissing me soundly. “Bathroom.”

“But I don’t have to—ohhhh, yes, bathroom, now, to er, clean up the…” We both eyed the black heart still in his hands. “Ash?”

“Let’s just go with ash,” he agreed as we snuck away from everyone, even though they had to know what was happening. My own father blushed and looked away.

I didn’t care.

He was mine.

I was his.

And our moment had finally arrived.

After centuries of searching.

Our journey had led us home.