The Queen Of Gods

Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

I let the linen bath cloth drop to the floor now it had done the job of drying me. Perhaps I should have gone straight to Horus' temple and demanded he helped against Seth, but instead, I thought it was better to come back to Karnak first and take a bath to calm myself. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin any chance of convincing him by acting in anger rather than rationally.

"I've heard you're looking for me," a male voice said from behind me.

I twirled around to see who was in my room. Ura reacted to his voice, uncoiling herself and hissing, her hood flaring in a sudden show of aggression. She was a good snake,, even if I'd never taught her to protect me. I wasn't complaining.

The question of who he was died on my tongue as I took in the tall man standing in my bed chambers. Unlike with Horus and Khonsu, a bolt of desire passed through me. Potentially from the broad set of his shoulders, or from the way he seemed to be drinking in every inch of my naked body with his eyes.

Ah. Right. I should put on some clothes.

Instead of calling him out on it, I turned to where I'd laid out new clothes before my bath, and sauntered over, making sure to swing my hips a little more than usual as I did.

If he thought he'd get the upper hand by turning up in my bed-chamber unexpectedly, then he had another thing coming.

"What do you want, Amun?" I asked as I started to get dressed. Slowly. I wanted to make the most of the way he was looking at me. I hadn't felt this desired in a long time, and even if I wasn't going to act on it, I would enjoy the moment.

I snapped cuffs of gold around my wrists, before putting my collar in place. Technically, I should have left the beaded necklace for last, but that wouldn't produce the desired effect.

He cleared his throat. "Right now, I'm hoping your dress will burst into flames."

I chuckled. "I don't think that's part of either of our talents." I picked it up, and slid it over my head. Slowly.

"I could learn another one just for this," he promised.

"That's not how it works." I tugged the material into place so it hugged my curves. It turned out that there was no change in the way he looked at me once I was covered.

"Unfortunately, not."

"You also didn't come here to see me get dressed," I pointed out.

"I came because you left this for me." He held up my letter, pushing away from the door.

"I did," I admitted. "But that doesn't explain why you felt the need to sneak past my priestesses and hide in my bed-chamber while I was in the bath."

I stalked towards him, trying to get the measure of him while wanting to be closer at the same time.

Ura hissed.

"Down," I commanded.

She turned her head towards me, as if to check I was giving the command I meant to, but then coiled back into her position on the bed.

"Are you always that good with snakes?" he asked, an impish smile on his face.

"Only big ones."

"I'm glad to hear it." His words came out a little husky, probably because we were so close we were almost touching.

"What are you doing in my room?" I repeated.

"I told you..."

"My letter, yes. That's why you've come to see me, not why you've sneaked into my room and...what were you even planning on doing when you got in here?"

"Kiss you?" he suggested.

I had to admit there was a part of me which was tempted, but I knew better than that.

I stepped back, putting some much needed distance between us. "I don't kiss men I've just met."

"We met before..."

"Once. Six thousand years ago." Ish. I wasn't sure of the exact date. "And if it's been that long, then you need to reacquaint yourself," I added.

"But after I do that, I can kiss you? Good to know," he teased.

I crossed my arms. "Maybe. But it'll take more than a conversation."

"I like my chances, then. I can be very persuasive." Amun winked at me. Actually winked.

"And I can be very stubborn," I countered.

"Isn't that what makes it more fun?" he asked.

"Are you always this infuriating?"

"Only with people I like."

Despite myself, I let out a small laugh. "Then I dread to think how you are with people you don't."

"If you want to find out, I can name a couple and you can see if they'll come over," he suggested with a shrug.

I moved away from him and over to the bronze mirror set up in front of my cosmetics. I didn't need any, not for a conversation with Amun and then going to see Ra, but I needed to do something with my hands lest I start using them to touch him.

"I'll pass, thanks."

"As you wish."

"So, where have you been?" I asked. "No one seemed to have any clue where I could find you." And I was surprised he'd even turned up. I wondered what about my note had convinced him.

"Ah, yes. No one knowing a thing, just the way I like it."

"You're not going to tell me, are you?" I picked up a bottle of perfume and dabbed some onto my neck slowly.

He cleared his throat, but I knew it wasn't anything to do with getting my attention. I was affecting him, and we both knew it. Which was good, because I wasn't immune to his charms either.

"I don't see any reason to."

"What if I want to find you again?" And somehow, I knew I'd need to. He wasn't like Horus, that much was clear, but that didn't mean he wouldn't need persuading.

"Then you know where to leave a message."

I glanced over to the god, unable to resist. His eyes sparkled with promise, like he thought of this as a game of Senet and it was a piece he wanted to play. I wasn't going to fall for that one. I was a goddess myself, and no one would treat me like that.

"No, thank you. I think I'll choose to go without seeing you again." I turned back to the mirror and started to line my eyes. It didn't take much concentration, not when I'd been doing it the same way for so long, but it gave me something to do that wasn't stare at him.

But it didn't stop me from being aware of Amun's movements across the room. He stepped up behind me, the heat of his body radiating from him and warming me. He moved even closer, and it was all I could do to stop myself from pushing back into him. No one had affected me this way in a long time, and I had no explanation for it. But that didn't mean I had to do anything about it. At least not until I knew more about the god bringing out those feelings in me.

Our eyes met in the mirror, and it was impossible to miss the burning desire in his.

I set down my eye liner, and waited for him to make a move. If he was trying to get the upper hand by doing this, then he was going to have another thing coming. The last thing I intended to do was let him have it.

He leaned forward, his arm crowding me against my cosmetics table. If I turned, we'd be so close that I was certain we'd kiss. Instead, I made do with the slight hitch in my breath as he leaned closer.

"You can use this," he whispered in my ear.

I let my gaze drop to the table where a small silver ankh lay.

"You can't...." I started, but he was already out of the door.

I had no idea how he'd moved so fast, as far as I knew, he didn't possess any gifts which would make him that way. A sigh escaped me. I wasn't sure what I'd expected from him, but leaving a sacred ankh hadn't been one of them. How was I supposed to use it to contact him? I had no idea they could do that. Perhaps this one was spelled?

But why? Was it so he could keep track of all his lovers?

I shook my head, not wanting to entertain those thoughts. Despite knowing better, I reached out and touched it. The smooth metal was warm, probably because it had been next to his skin. I closed my hand around it, then slipped it into the pocket of my dress.

Which was when I realised I'd forgotten to even mention the fight against Seth to him. Something I hoped Ma'at wouldn't find out, given that she seemed to think there was some kind of time crunch to all of this.