CHOHW - Eight
Predator Ridge, Texas, 2012 AD
“Morgan!”
Jared’s bellow echoed in the quiet bar. They had been driving nonstop for days to get back as quickly as possible. They were tired. They were smelly. They needed a drink and a shower.
“Morgan! We need a liaison. Come out here and liaiz.”
Morgan crashed through the doors that led upstairs, swaying slightly into the walls as he picked his way across the floor.
He came to stop in front of Jared, staring blearily out of red-rimmed eyes. “Is it that time already?”
Misha jumped in front of Jared and propped Morgan up with his shoulder. Morgan patted Misha’s cheek; at least, that seemed to be the intent, but it looked more like he was pawing at Misha’s face. “Okay.” Morgan listed closer and poked Jared in the chest. “Let’s go, then.”
Jared suddenly found himself with an armful of drunk liaison when Morgan overbalanced. Hefting him up, Jared shook the man lightly. “Are you listening to me? We have to get into the compound, preferably undetected.”
Misha jumped behind the bar and returned brandishing two swords, one of which he tossed at Jared’s feet. Jared could appreciate the sentiment, but- “Not really the subtlety I was looking for, Misha.” Jared propped Morgan against the wall and peered into his face. “How about some coffee? Chad, can you make some-”
“Jared,” Misha hissed.
“What?” He turned around to face his friends and angled his hips to get Morgan draped over his back. Couldn’t Misha see that he was busy?
Chris’s eyes were the size of saucers as he frantically nodded his chin to a spot behind Jared. Jared glanced back over his shoulder and took an honest to gods double take. Morgan, the man he’d spoken with practically every day for four years was gone; in his place stood Anubis.
Jared stumbled back a step and grabbed Misha’s arm, pulling the smaller man closer and somewhat in front of him. “Morgan is Anubis? Did we know this?”
Misha jerked his arm free of Jared’s grip and knelt before the god reverently, one of the swords resting in his raised hands.
Jared stared, dumbfounded, as Morgan took the sword and patted Misha on the head.
Was there anyone who wasn’t working against him? Anyone?
Morgan flipped the sword through the air a few times, the metal making a dangerous swishing sound as it moved. “Okay. Let’s go. Though, I should warn you, I’m quite good at this.”
Jared blanched. “Good at what?”
“I’ve been waiting for you a long time, Ameny. In fact, I’d say you’re a few centuries late.”
Jared edged a few more steps back. One day, he was going to wake up and have a thoroughly boring day. If he didn’t die first. “Sorry, I’ve only known for a few days. Let me learn all the rules first, and then we can do this whole…fight to the death thing.”
Anubis shook his head in what Jared guessed was annoyance. It was a little disconcerting to watch the jackal’s mouth form words; the subtly of his expression was going to take some work to decipher. “We should have done this years ago. If you’re mother hadn’t made you so noticeable, this all would have been over and done with.”
Jared’s spine snapped straight. “Don’t talk about my mother.”
“She’s not your mother.”
“What?”
Anubis flipped the sword behind his back and rested it along his shoulders. “You really aren’t that clever, are you? Maybe I gave you too much credit. Your mother is not your mother, of course, which means that your brother and sister are not your family, and you’ve been tearing around the country for nothing.”
Jared shook his head. “You’re lying.” Denial, not just a river in…
“Your mother was Nefertem. I placed you in that pack. I made sure you were fed and clothed. You owe your pathetic little life to me.”
Seriously. Anyone on his side? “Who’s my father?”
Someone coughed “Luke,” and Jared spared a brief moment to glare wholeheartedly at Chad . “Fuck off with that shit. If he’s my father, then that would make me a-”
“A demi-god. Yes. It’s all becoming clear now.” Anubis snapped his fingers in Jared’s face and motioned for Jared to retrieve the other sword. “Good. Let’s fight.”
Jared bent down slowly, his fingertips brushing the metal at his feet. “But my dad was-”
“Oh. Him.” Anubis scoffed. “That stupid prick figured it out when your mother got pregnant with the third. Well, I had to get rid of them,” he said, like the murder of Jared’s father was just a foregone conclusion.
“You killed my dad? What happened to the baby? What happened to-”
“They were nothing to you. They weren’t blood.”
Finding out you were part god would have made most people feel powerful. Jared felt even more inadequate than ever as he straightened his back and tested the weight of the sword in his palm. Anubis made an impatient gesture with his fingers and widened his eye, as if to say “get on with it.”
Jared ran his thumb along the edge of the blade, a thin line of blood welling up. The sword was beautiful, solid gold, the hilt intricately carved. It was obviously well cared for and sharpened often. “If I’m supposed to kill you, why would you do any of this?”
Anubis was morbidly cheerful in his response. “You’re not going to kill me; you’re just supposed to try. At least if we do this, then the whole prophecy is done with and I can wipe your kind from existence.”
“The Kebechet?” Jared’s gaze flicked to Misha. So much for rewarding devotion. “That’s what this is about? Why do you hate us? You made us!”
“Oh, I was drunk, and pissed off. You’ve never done something stupid when you were drunk?” He nodded towards Chris and lowered his voice as if everyone in the room couldn’t hear every breath they took. “Hell, that one’s the poster child for drunken mistakes.”
Jared shoved back, indignant. “Oh, well, great, nice to know that my people’s entire existence wasn’t based on anything more important than a few beers and some sad country songs.”
“Don’t feel bad; the majority of the human race can be blamed on the same thing.”
Jared’s fingers tightened on his weapon. “So what now?”
“We fight. One of us dies. Then I take it from there.”
Jared had known it was useless, but Anubis could have a least given him the courtesy to pretend he had a hope in hell.
“We don’t have to do this.”
“I’m sorry, Jared. I did like you. You had…spunk, sleeping with the enemy; made you kinda interesting. Though I didn’t expect you to roll over so easily. Guess you can take the bitch out of the dog, but-”
Jared swung before he could check the impulse. There was a sickening crunch of muscle separating and Jared stared stupidly at the sword embedded in Anubis’s chest. Jared shook, but he couldn’t make his hands uncurl from the weapon.
Anubis stared at his wound for a moment, his expression equally stunned. “Did not see that coming.”
Jared patted frantically at Anubis’s chest like he could somehow put all the bleeding pieces back together. “Oh shit. Oh shit. I killed a god,” Jared moaned. “Again.” Staring at his hands, he skittered backwards as Anubis slid to the floor, blood spreading in a wide circle around him.
Jared’s ass hit the floor seconds before his brain told him it was time to sit down. He was fascinated by the blood drying between his fingers. There were no sparks. “What happens now?” It took longer than necessary to determine the words had come from his throat.
There was a slight pop and the scent of ozone as Osiris appeared beside Anubis and pulled the sword from his chest with a sickening squelch. “Well, destiny’s a real bitch, huh?” He sighed and closed the jackal’s eyes.
“Well now.” Jared’s gaze focused in time for him to watch Danneel plunge her hand into Anubis’s chest, pulling out his heart and handing it to Osiris. Jared’s wrists burned as the tattoos on his arm glowed white. He glanced around frantically, looking for an escape as Osiris walked towards him. He was still searching for a way out when Anubis’s heart was placed in his hands.
“Judge.”
Jared shook his head, his words a whimper. “I don’t want to. I can’t. This is insane.”
“Look, kid, it’s like this.” Osiris knelt down in front of Jared, one gripping Jared’s shoulder lightly and the other lifting Jared’s trembling fingers to support the heart. “If you don’t embrace your destiny, then all those happy little souls out there get stuck in Purgatory. No one wants that; it’s like waiting in line at the DMV forever.”
Jared watched blood slide off their fingers and drip onto his knee. “I can’t be responsible for whether someone gets eternal happiness or Hell.”
Osiris shook him firmly. “You’re so prosaic. This isn’t about damning a soul; it’s about what kind of life they have next.”
Jared’s really wanted to throw up. Also? He was holding a bloody heart. There was just no ignoring that fact. “Reincarnation is real?”
“Of course it’s real. You think all those souls are just hanging around forever? Come on, the overcrowding would be impossible. No, the human existence is all based on karma. If you’re good in this one, then you get an upgrade in the next. If you’re not…well, you deserve what’s coming.”
“Human.”
Osiris flicked lint off Jared’s shoulder and avoided his eyes. “Hmm?”
“You said human existence. What about us? What about him?”
“You’re more clever than I gave you credit for. You don’t come back.” Osiris shrugged, his face impassive.
“So all of this…this…living is for nothing? We’re just left hanging around in the ether forever?”
“No,” Osiris shook his head, “there is a Heaven and Hell for your kind. But you only get one kick at the can, so to speak, you better make this life worth it.”
“You just said there was no Heaven and Hell.”
“You’re going to argue semantics with me. Really?”
Jared shrugged Osiris’s hand off. There was only so much sarcasm a guy could take. And he was having a really, really bad day.
“Fine. The reason you all were never able to replenish your number is that we don’t want you to. When you all die out, that’s it. But we were nice about it; we found you all a cushy place to stay.”
“Where is that?”
Osiris sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and blew out an exasperated breath. “The Elysian fields or Tartarus. We’re subletting from the Greeks.”
Jared could give two shits if this conversation was boring the god. For once, someone was going to give him answers, and preferably not to try to kill him after. “So what’s the point? If we’re all going to die out, why would he…”
Jared lifted the heart.
Osiris shook his head and patted the heart sympathetically. “He got bored. You all have been a thorn in his side forever. No one takes the result of their night of indiscretion home, you know.”
Jared edged his hands away. That was creepy. “He did this for Bastet?”
“He really did love her. Poor bastard.” Osiris looked sadly at Anubis’s heart for a moment. Jared pulled it closer to his chest; there would be no more organ petting.
Danneel cleared her throat pointedly and Osiris snapped back to the present, smiling brightly at Jared. “Anyway, now that we’re all in the loop.” He looked pointedly at Jared’s hands.
Jared closed his eyes. He had no fucking idea what he was doing. There was a deep pressure winding up his spine to his neck and forcing its way down from his shoulders to his wrists. He knew the concept, the heavy heart being judged unworthy and all that, but he’d never really thought it was actually practised. But what the hell did he know lately. Maybe pigs could fly and unicorns were real. His hands tipped, one lower than the other, and he peeked open one eye to check the results.
The heart was raised higher than his empty hand. Jared let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. Even with circumstances being what they were, he didn’t want to be the one responsible for sending Morgan to hell. He had kind of killed him, after all; that would just be adding insult to injury.
Osiris nodded and handed the heart over to Danneel, who disappeared instantly, taking Anubis’s body with her.
Osiris waggled his eyebrows and offered a little flick of his fingers goodbye. “I’ll be seeing you soon.”
…
…
“What happens now?”
Jared wiped his mouth and put the trash can down. He had only thrown up twice since Osiris had left, thank you very much. No matter what Chris said about it. “We have to go after Bastet. Now that Anubis is gone, she’s probably gunning for me big time.”
“That’s not new.”
Jared stared blearily at Adrianne, who was sitting cross-legged on the bar. It was just so far away. Sighing, Jared hauled himself over to her and perched on a stool. He kept the trash can with him. Propping his head on his hand, he poked at Adrianne’s leg. “What?”
Adrianne flicked him in the forehead. “Bastet wants you dead. I’m just saying that’s not new. It’s how we were raised. A good dog is a dead dog.”
Jared yawned. “Well, that’s comforting. Not unexpected, but comforting…in a way.”
Genevieve sat up from the booth she’s been lying across. “How so?”
Jared smiled at her. She was so much easier to get along with when they weren’t married. “There aren’t any illusions about where we stand. It’s honest, anyway.”
“Oh, shut up, all of you just shut the fuck up.” Jensen threw his bottle of water at the wall. It would have been much more dramatic if it had shattered, but given that it was plastic, it just bounced. The lack of destruction only amped up Jensen’s ire. “Don’t you all sit there and pretend like nothing’s happened. Like this is any other day.”
Jared bit the bullet. “What do you mean?”
Jensen stalked to the middle of the room, waving his arms as he spoke. “Anubis wanted to get rid of the Kebechet, right? They were never supposed to exist, they were just standing in the way of him and Bastet. So why did Bastet keep us around?”
“To forcibly remind him of his indiscretions.”
Every single person in the room jumped a foot at the unexpected comment. Jared lay his head down on Isis’s lap, who was suddenly sitting next to Adrianne on the bar.
“What are you doing here?”
“Just checking in, honey.” Isis ran her hand over his hair and Jared sighed, content for the moment. He was so very, very tired.
“I was worried you all had your heads shoved too far up your own asses to figure this out.”
Jared sighed. Naptime, over. Sitting up, he glared at the goddess. “What else don’t I know?”
She patted his cheek and Jared felt every inch of the condescending touch. “Nobody has that kind of time. You’re a smart cookie, you’ll figure out what you need to when the time comes.”
“No. No more of this crap. I want the truth.”
“You can’t handle the truth!” she yelled in his face. “I always wanted to say that.” She grinned at Sophia, who approached the bar looking less than impressed.
“No, really, honey, I can’t tell you anything else.”
Jared arched an eyebrow. “Can’t or won’t?”
“Don’t take that tone with me, boy. You have bigger fish to fry right now.”
Adrianne leaned between them. “She’s going to kill us all, isn’t she? The Nefertem?”
Isis nodded. “Most likely.”
Adrianne looked sick and Isis smoothed a hand over her hair. “I know she went all holy mother on your asses, and I hate to have to tell you, but you were all just cannon fodder.”
“But. Why?” Jared had never heard Adrianne’s voice sound so weak.
“Because he made her look stupid. It made her look weak.”
Jensen was confused about a few things. “Why didn’t the Ennead wipe us out?”
Isis rolled her eyes. Jared could hear the “duh” behind her every word. “Everyone needs consequences, even gods.”
“So what? We’re a glorified time-out?”
At Isis’s quick and somewhat reluctant nod of assent, Jared pushed away from the bar.
“Well, now that’s out of the way.” Isis rubbed her palms together. “Let’s plan a mission.”
Adrianne raised an eyebrow. “You are way too happy about this.”
Isis shrugged. “I get bored.”
…
…
They all decided to rest up and confront Bastet in the morning. Planning a mission was harder than it looked.
Climbing the stairs, Jared paused outside the room he knew Jensen was using. Jared raised his hand to knock and then changed his mind; pushing the door open, he looked down at Jensen sitting on the bed.
“What do you want?”
Despite the less than welcoming greeting, Jared shrugged and let the door fall shut behind him.
Scratching nervously at his eyebrow, Jared circled the bed and stood shuffling his feet against the carpet. “Answers, I guess.”
“To what?” Jensen was not overly friendly, but not entirely dismissive, either. Jared took it as a win.
He sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. “What happens to the third-borns? How long you’ve known I was the Ameny? The meaning of life?”
“Forty two.” Jensen watched him for a moment over the top of the book he was making notes in before setting it aside on the bed. “They don’t all go to the same place. Some end up in the army, some are used as medical experiments. Most are slaves. I figured it out a few months after I met you.”
Stunned by the casual way Jensen had finally enlightened him, Jared paused to absorb for a second before choosing his next words. He wanted answers, needed them, but he was a little apprehensive about what the knowledge would mean for him. People kept secrets for a reason. “How did Jeff find out?”
“I told him.”
Jared sat back, pieces sliding into place. “That night. He was looking for me. You called me upstairs.”
Jensen blew out a breath and became really interested in the wall beside Jared’s head. “That was. You were supposed to… I wasn’t ready.”
Jared grabbed Jensen’s chin and tilted his face back towards him. If this was the truth, Jared wanted to see it in Jensen’s eyes. “How long have you been hiding me from her?”
Jensen blinked, his pupils dilating with something Jared could only guess was fear. “Since the day I met you.”
It would be the easiest thing in the world to get up and walk out the door. Five, maybe six steps, and he knew with every fiber of his being that Jensen wouldn’t follow him. Would let him go, once and for all.
Jared pushed Jensen back on the bed; Jensen looked up at him in surprise. “Don’t you want to know why?”
Jared pulled his shirt over his head. “I’m sick of that question.”
Besides, he didn’t need an answer. Everything he needed to know came ten minutes later when Jensen opened him up and pushed inside.
Chapter Nine