I stared her down, my entire body was heavy, because I knew, in that moment, that no matter what she said to me, this woman, I would eventually take her, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but I would take her before he killed her, before he sucked her dry.
I would claim her.
I would make that sacrifice.
I stumbled backward. “You.”
“Me.” She bit down on her lip. “I want to save your life, Anubis.”
“It’s too late,” I whispered. “Because of you, I’m already dead.”
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.