No matter how much Anaïs thought about it, her memories of the story of the Egyptian pantheon ended there. And then, assuming the facts were identical was no small task. It was well known that stories were distorted over the centuries to fit a new reality or to deliver a certain moral.

"Just the fact that gods are on the throne of Egypt is something I wasn’t aware of. I learned that there were pharaohs, and before that... not what you can call a united civilization. In my time, what you’re talking about is considered pure fiction."

"When Seth murdered my father before our eyes, it seemed pretty real to me," Anubis spat venomously.

"Come on, you can’t blame her for thinking it was just a romanticized story," Sobek interjected, taking a sip of his wine. "If no one believes in our existence in her time, it’s logical for it to be considered fiction."

Anubis took a long breath before unclenching his fists. Anaïs hadn’t even noticed how much her banal remark had inflamed the jackal god, who had taken it personally. It hadn’t occurred to her that in addition to not being mere fiction, she was in the presence of individuals who had lived through that massacre. Because that’s what it was, a massacre. Murdering someone and then desecrating their body by cutting it up, even if it could be magically put back together, was a dreadful act of rare horror. It was the work of a psychopath.

"I’m sorry," she said after a few seconds. "I completely forgot that Osiris is your father... Consider that I know nothing about this story, nor who you gods really are. Or even what you are."

Maybe they’re just aliens... she stifled a laugh to avoid seeming rude.

"It’s okay, because I happen to be an excellent storyteller, right Anubis?" exclaimed the crocodile god, looking proud with his chest puffed out.

"She won’t remember anything in a few hours," he sighed, collapsing onto the divan to lie on his side, his cheek resting in his palm and his elbow against the furniture.

"So what? At least someone from her time will know the truth, even if it’s just for this night. Besides... I really enjoy hearing myself talk, you know," he admitted with a wink.

"Unfortunately, I know," Anubis grumbled, rolling his eyes.

Anaïs settled more comfortably on her divan, mimicking the jackal god’s position while placing her wine glass on the marble floor since the seat wasn’t very high. This allowed her to half-lie down while keeping her alcoholic drink within reach. She wasn’t particularly a big fan of red wine, but this one was rather sweet, and the turn of events made her want to relax and have fun. Sobek encouraged her heartily with his spectacular consumption as he drank easily twice as much as she did. Anubis sipped his wine cautiously, which didn’t surprise Anaïs as it confirmed her first impression of the god: a serious man who perhaps had a hard time letting go.

Or maybe he just wants to be in good shape for his mission tomorrow, she supposed, reminding herself that judging too quickly wasn’t necessarily a sign of superior morality. He could still surprise her.

Sobek spent the next hour recounting the dreadful myth of Osiris and how Seth ingeniously assassinated him during a feast. The evil god had prepared a human-shaped coffin of exquisite golden beauty, perfectly sized to fit the King, promising the assembly that whoever fit in would win this exceptional gift. Participants took turns, but none succeeded until Osiris’ turn came. Naturally, Seth had rigged the coffin to match his brother's body. As soon as the god was inside, his accomplices quickly sealed it, trapping him alive. No one could do anything, as Seth had meticulously planned his coup, with many corrupted individuals helping him execute his twisted plan. It all happened in front of Anubis, his son, and Isis, his wife.

"Isis retrieved the coffin and Osiris’ body, which Seth had thrown into the Nile, thinking this matter was now behind him and that the throne of Egypt was finally rightfully his," Sobek explained, his words tinged with dramatic intonations. "Unfortunately, it didn’t end there. When he heard the news, he retrieved the corpse and cut it into fourteen pieces, scattering them once again along the Nile."

"And he did all this just to get the throne? That seems a bit... light as a motive to go to such extremes, doesn’t it?"

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

For the first time that evening, Anubis spoke up to recount the events himself after a sideways glance from his friend. In this part of the story, Sobek preferred to leave to the main person involved.

"Seth had always been jealous of his brother and his throne, but the pinnacle of his jealousy was reached when he learned that Isis is not my biological mother... Nephthys is."

"Nephthys?" Anaïs inquired, not recognizing the name.

"Seth’s wife," he replied gravely.

"Oh. So his wife cheated on him with his brother. Ouch."

All mythologies always have their share of spectacular betrayals; it’s crazy. In the end, they’re just humans with magical powers.

"And Nephthys? Did he go after her too?" she continued.

"No. He assumed Osiris had seduced her and forgave her naivety. At the time, she had hidden her pregnancy. Only Osiris and Isis knew. To avoid escalating the situation, they decided that Isis would raise me as her own son. She could have claimed that Seth was my father, but she didn’t want to risk him ever questioning it. Or maybe she just wanted to forget the whole story and pretend I didn’t exist," he narrated coldly.

"Her life was at stake too, Anubis," his friend interrupted. "She thought Seth would kill her if he learned the truth. It’s probably the following years she spent pretending to be the perfect wife that saved her."

"Seth sounds like a real bastard," Anaïs commented, sipping her wine.

Sobek burst out laughing at hearing the young woman insult the god in such a way. Divine or not, he was a despicable being in his eyes. A smile appeared on her lips when Anubis, who had finally relaxed slightly after finishing his glass of wine, chuckled discreetly. Pleased to have managed to lighten the atmosphere after such a horrific tale, Anaïs downed the last drops of her second glass in one go, then allowed herself a small slice of dried meat.

The trio spent the next hour discussing various topics, including some rather incongruous memories from the two gods’ youth. Anaïs enjoyed their divine stories, which ultimately resembled ordinary teenage tales. The pair had done their fair share of mischief in their early years, and judging by the few stories she had heard tonight, they seemed to have had a relatively happy childhood before their lives—especially Anubis’—took a drastic turn on the day of the feast.

Sobek, after his fifth glass of wine from the second bottle he had fetched from Anubis' pantry—the first one having had a relatively short lifespan—excused himself, explaining that he now wished to sleep as the night was well advanced. The jackal god nodded vigorously, standing up in turn, followed by Anaïs after the crocodile deity had planted a kiss on her cheek to bid her goodnight.

The annoyed look in Anubis’ eyes at his friend's obvious flirtation did not escape either Sobek or the young woman, who smiled mischievously. Her kiss at the beginning of the evening had apparently disturbed him more than he let on, and Anaïs reveled in the little effect she had on a god, no less.

"Come, I'll show you a guest room if you want to sleep the five hours left before departure," Anubis announced, gesturing for her to follow.

Slightly tipsy from the three glasses she had downed that night, Anaïs followed him, walking a meter behind. He led her through a long corridor decorated with a few paintings and green plants, then slipped into a room after opening the wooden door. It was a modestly sized bedroom with a bed that, to her great delight, featured feather pillows covered in fabric and a fur blanket for the cold. The frame was an ingenious work of thick intertwined wicker, forming a slightly elastic net, much less hard than simple wooden planks. With relief, she noted that the whole setup looked relatively comfortable. The rest of the room was composed of chests and golden trunks with colorful designs, numerous plants, and an open window that once again looked out onto the gardens. This detail didn’t reassure her much, accustomed as she was to lock herself up in her apartment, but she supposed she risked absolutely nothing in the afterlife, and even less in a god’s house.

Satisfied, she turned back to Anubis, who was standing right behind her, and smiled simply, locking her gaze with his. She wanted to thank him, but her words got lost in her mouth as her eyes drowned in the reflection of his soul. Perhaps it was the alcohol or the connection she felt at that precise moment, but her body moved on its own until she was only a few centimeters away from the deity.

He didn’t comment on the proximity and simply let the young human do as she pleased, seemingly intrigued or enchanted by her gesture. Something was happening in the air, Anaïs could feel it, and she wasn’t about to go against what her being demanded. When her lips met his for the second time that evening, neither of them pulled away this time. On the contrary, Anubis was the first to respond, sliding his fingers along the sensitive skin of her neck to draw their bodies closer. A familiar warmth flooded her lower abdomen as their flesh touched, but the god eventually broke the kiss after about ten seconds and took a step back.

He said nothing, but his closed expression no longer reflected the connection she had felt just moments earlier. He sighed, then turned away from the young woman to leave the room, leaving her alone with her tumultuous emotions. It took her several seconds before her body moved and accepted to go towards the bed, giving her mind time to understand what had just happened and for the disappointment to sweep away the last tingles of excitement that had made her skin vibrate when it had come into contact with Anubis'.

Kissing a god? Done. Getting rejected by a god? Also done, she concluded bitterly, sinking into the soft pillows.

Finding sleep proved complicated that night.