Dark Fates (A Paranormal Anthology)(36)

“Tried. Yet you have your memories intact.”

“Yes. I’m different, I told you that. I’ve had weird dreams all my life, and I see things that shouldn’t be real.”

After a moment of silence, Tariq asked, “How old are you, Eden?”

“Ah, random, but okay. I’m twenty-four.”

He stared into her eyes. “I think you are much older than that.”

“What?”

“Ludos Deorum brings together many gods from many worlds. We play on the mortal plane to keep things even. And our kind, those of us who are not mortal, can usually recognize one another. But there are some mortals who live between worlds. Born here, but with ties to another plane.

“You, I think, are one such person. There is so much life in your eyes, a history of a past you do not seem to know yet you dream of.”

She felt herself nodding. “That makes an odd kind of sense. I always thought I was psychic, but I think it’s more than that.”

He looked at her coffee cup, and it slid across the table to him. To her astonishment, the pot of coffee suddenly rose in the air and refilled her cup. Then the creamer and sugar added themselves to her cup before a spoon magically stirred it.

The cup slid back to her, and he just raised a brow, as if to say, See what I can do?

“You?”

He nodded. “Mind magic is one of my talents. My strength and healing are gifts Anubis bestowed upon me—on all his Elite. He is a great and loving god.”

“Not like this Set guy.”

He frowned.

“You don’t seem to like him, so why are you going to bring me to him?” That didn’t seem right.

“You and the vial,” he corrected.

“What vial? And don’t think I don’t know you changed the subject. But we’ll get back to that,” she promised, not sure what she felt when he smiled at her again. He didn’t seem to be laughing at her. Rather she’d swear she saw approval. “I think I might have made whatever was in that vial. Elixir of Life, you called it. But I don’t know how I made it or where it is.” She remembered part of that odd dream. “I think he wanted me to give it to him. I was holding it, but I knew if he got it, bad things would happen. Then, I don’t know, I felt someone helping me. Set tried to force me to give it to him, but…”

“What?” He leaned closer, and she knew.

“It was you, wasn’t it? You helped me refuse him.”

He frowned. “I did not.”

“I felt it.” She put her hand over her heart. “It was you.”

He stared at her hand, and his eyes widened. Tariq put his hand over hers, and energy surged between them. Eden swore she could feel him inside her, a living, breathing, conjoining of souls.

“Ah, Rehema. You have always had my heart. But never as you do now.” He pulled her hand from her heart and gripped her tight. “I had always wondered how Set hid his theft from Anubis.”

“I’m so confused.” And shaken. She’d swear she’d felt Tariq to her toes. It was real. All of it. She didn’t know what to think.

“I have been in service since I passed my twentieth cycle and my father sacrificed me to Set. Set, in turn, gave me to his son, Anubis. I didn’t mind going because my father was a terrible zealot who did horrible things in Set’s name. My life with Anubis has been a gift.” His gaze roamed over hers lovingly. “Not only do I guard Anubis, I protect the innocent and the precious dead. Duat, our afterlife, is a place of great learning, of living in a state beyond the mortal.”

“Heaven.”

“Of a sort. Not a Christian heaven, but an afterlife all the same.” Tariq rubbed her palm with his thumb, and she started to relax, sharing his warmth. “My father would not stop his incessant bragging and praying. He called to Set, and as Set’s devoted servant, he had the god’s ear. There was a prophecy, and my father read me into it. I guess Set saw something too because he realized that if given over to the darkness, my power, combined with the blood of Anubis, could one day rip through worlds.

“You see, the gods can do many things, but to protect the universe, there are laws even the gods cannot break. They use us, those of magic, and mortals to do their bidding.”

“Like you being here for the God Games.”

He nodded. “Exactly. When Set demanded I serve him, I refused. My soul belongs to Anubis. So Set took a piece of me. My Ib—my heart.”

She frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“Each soul has five parts: the heart, the shadow, the name, the personality, and your vital essence—that which gives you life. Set took my Ib, chaining a piece of my will to him. This is forbidden since I am bound to Anubis, yet he did it anyway. I have always wondered why Anubis never corrected this.”

“Why didn’t you just tell him?” She felt for him, having to deal with Set. That guy had an oily feel to him she didn’t like. At all.

“I was put under a spell that will not allow me or anyone close to me to tell my god. No one may speak of my punishment.”

“Punishment?”

His face blanked, and she had a bad feeling Set didn’t just pull Tariq’s strings for fun. “Tariq?”

“Set enjoys both mental and physical torture. But it is of no consequence, as I heal quickly. Our problem is that you made something Set wants. Where is the vial? Do not fear I will hand it over to him. But, at some point, he will come looking for it, and I must protect you.” He put his hand over her chest. “You, Rehema, are my heart.”