"I think you'll find Hathor has that one covered," I countered.
"She's fairly easy going. I'm sure she'd share."
I turned my face away, mostly to hide the tears threatening to fall. I didn't want to admit to him that I'd dreamed for years about Hathor being the one to save me. I'd always felt an affinity towards her, as if I'd been meant to serve her instead of the god of chaos. But it wasn't because we were the goddesses of the same things. Far from it. I was an underling at best.
"Rhodopis..."
"Please don't," I managed to get out.
He sighed and went back to tending my wounds. His soft hands danced along my back, leaving me feeling more refreshed than they perhaps should. I didn't want to examine the reason why. Not when he was helping heal the damage Seth had left behind.
That was always the thing with him. So much needed to be fixed because of him. He wasn't a god anyone should want in charge of anything, let alone the world.
Abu didn't say anything else. He just kept dabbing at my back and wringing out the cloth when it got too sodden with blood.
A little part of me was saddened by the fact this moment was the highlight of my long miserable life.
CHAPTER NINE
I LAUGHED, shocking myself in the process. I had no idea how long it had been since I'd laughed this way. I glanced down at the platter of fresh fruit, not wanting Abu to see the flush on my cheeks. It was only a matter of time before he brought up leaving Seth's temple and going with him when they left. I didn't know how to explain it better to him that I was a slave, that wasn't part of my choice. Unless Seth set me free, I couldn't leave.
And he wasn't going to do that.
"Do you want some wine?" Abu asked, his fingers playing along the handle of the pitcher.
"No, thank you." I didn't drink wine in the mornings. I didn't drink it much the rest of the time either, but I thought it was more polite to say no.
"Water, then?"
"Please." I looked up, meeting his concerned golden eyes.
He smiled, no doubt trying to put me at ease, and filled my goblet.
I picked it up and swallowed it down, trying to clear the sudden dryness in my mouth. I'd never spent the night in a man's rooms. Not that anything had happened. I'd fallen asleep as soon as he'd tended to my wounds.
"Did you sleep at all?" I asked him.
He nodded. "The chair is surprisingly comfortable."
I glanced at the bed, trying not to let the guilt get to me. He knew what he was doing when he stopped Seth's whip. And when he brought me back here. I'd done nothing wrong.
But then, why did I feel this way? Maybe it was the way his gaze tracked me as I moved, even something as simple as me lifting a date from the platter between us.
I almost laughed again. I was on a breakfast date. That was something I'd never expected. Or at least, not for several thousand years. Back at the beginning, I'd dreamed of someone coming and whisking me away once we fell in love. Maybe this was my chance for that.
Glancing up at Abu, I caught his gaze. Oops. I should have realised he was looking and not fallen into his trap.
"You have a beautiful smile," he whispered into the tense air between us.
"Thank you," I murmured.
"I'd say you should do it more often..."
"But you know how I'll answer," I responded, feeling a little bit more at ease.
I leaned in and picked up a slice of orange.
Abu's hand twitched, almost as if he wanted to reach out and touch mine.
Something I don't want to name comes over me, and I reached out to clasp his hand with mine.
He startled, but relaxed seconds later, a broad grin settling over his face.
"Won't you consider coming with me?"
Ah, there it was.
I shook my head. "I can't."
"Isn't there some way you can convince Seth to free you?"
This time, the laugh that fell out of me wasn't an easy carefree one like before, but more like the bark of a dog. "There's one way to leave Seth's service, and you saw half of it yesterday." The bitterness shone through each of my words.
"What about buying you."
The words fell into the air. I wasn't sure whether to jump up and kiss him, or be horrified he'd even suggested it. A part of me was just so indifferent towards my enslavement.
"I don't think there'll be anything you can offer that he'll accept." Especially after my stunt yesterday.
"Can I at least try?"
I pursed my lips. Did I want that?
Is there even a choice?
I put myself on Seth's radar last night, and that won't end well for me.
"Yes," I whispered, meeting his gaze once more. "If you want to."
He placed his free hand over mine and squeezed lightly. "I do."
CHAPTER TEN
DREAD SETTLED in my stomach as I walked back out into the compound. I wasn't sure what was about to happen, but somehow I knew that something bad was going to happen, even if I couldn't work out what that was.
Whispers came from around me as the rest of the slaves and members of Ra and Seth's retainers looked at me. Even if most people hadn't known who I was before, they certainly did now that I'd stepped in to stop someone from enduring a punishment. I wasn't certain if that was a good thing or a bad one.
I searched every face I passed for Sophia's. She'd be able to tell me what was happening with the rest of them and what they all thought of me. It was better to be prepared in knowing what they were saying about me than just letting them run around with it behind my back.
I wished I'd let Abu come with me after all. There
