"You don't have to go back," he told me.
"I do."
"You could come with me, Rhodopis," he whispered. "We can have a bonding ceremony, and we can talk to Ma'at about doing some kind of truth ceremony to uncover whether or not you're truly a goddess."
"You aren't going to let the goddess thing drop, are you?" I asked, slightly amused by it.
"Not until you accept that you are one. And I don't just mean you're the goddess of my heart."
I groaned. "That was terrible."
He flashed me a satisfied grin. "But you liked it, right?"
I chuckled. "Yes, I suppose I did." He was wearing me down on the matter, that was for sure.
He sighed loudly. "You're still not coming with me, are you?"
"No. There's more I can do from inside Seth's temple."
"You've done enough. You've already saved the lives of countless demi-gods and priests. These battle plans you found will save more, and probably some human lives too," he pointed out.
I sighed and pushed a hand over my face. "And is that enough?"
I didn't need an answer. His expression was enough for me. It wasn't enough. It never would be. Not until Seth had been stopped from doing whatever it was he had planned. This wasn't the first time he'd been stopped over the years, and I doubted it would be the last either. It was a never-ending cycle caused by immortality. And to some extent, boredom. At least, that was my theory.
"I have to go back," I whispered.
"For your revenge?" Bitterness seeped through the question.
"No." Sophia would linger on my mind for years to come, but the moment Abu had told me what I'd stolen, I knew this was bigger than me. "I need to go back because it's the right thing to do. If I disappear now, or even soon, then surely he'll suspect that I've sneaked some secrets out with me? Ra and the others would lose the advantage they otherwise have."
Abu sighed loudly and twisted his torso around so he could look at me. "The logical part of me knows you're right..."
"But another part doesn't want me to be," I added. "I know how you're feeling." I wanted to say yes to him. To run away to the temple most of the gods and goddesses lived in, but I couldn't. I had too much that I needed to do.
"I wished that wasn't the case."
"It won't be forever." I wasn't even sure if I was lying or not. There was a chance we'd never get out of this cycle. Or that Seth would kill me. I guessed that would prove once and for all that I wasn't the goddess Abu thought I was. Nothing said mortal like dying.
"I hope you're right." He glanced out onto the poll of water.
The sun reflected off it, making it appear as if thousands of tiny jewels sparkled at us.
"The moment it gets too dangerous, I'll leave," I promised. Though I wasn't sure I'd be able to keep that one. If it got too dangerous, then it would likely be too late for me to get out of the temple. That fact hung in the air between us, but neither of us felt the need to voice it out loud. Maybe because we knew that setting it free into the world would likely mean I cracked and agreed to stay with him, destroying our chance of doing something about Seth.
"I'll be here. The same time every week, waiting. If you need me sooner..." He swallowed the rest of his words.
"I won't need you sooner," I responded. "I'll make sure I don't do anything that involves getting caught until it's nearly time to meet you again," I promised. It was another thing we knew might not always work. I wasn't privy to most of the information we needed, which meant I'd have to grab it when I could.
"Alright." He didn't look happy.
Despite that, a small part of me was relieved that he respected my wishes, even when he disagreed with them.
"I'll be here next week." That was a promise I intended to keep. "And the week after, and the one after that."
"Soon after sundown?" he checked.
I nodded. "And then I'm yours until sunup."
"You're already late today, then." He leaned toward me.
"I am, yes," I whispered, moving closer to him.
He closed the distance and gave me a tender kiss. I lost myself in him one last time. If there was any chance this was going to be my last kiss with Abu, then I was going to make the most of it.
EPILOGUE
ONE MONTH LATER...
I breathed in the now-familiar smells of the oasis. In a weird way, this was starting to feel like home, even though I only spent one night a week here. Maybe it was because this was the only place I felt like I could truly be myself.
Abu already stood in front of the pool of water, anxiously looking around as if trying to spot me. He was always here early. I was reasonably certain he liked watching for me and seeing that I was heading towards him.
I waved, and even from this distance, I could see his face lighting up. He longed for these moments as much as I did. He waved back.
Without thinking twice about it, I half-ran to him and jumped into his arms. Our lips met, and I relaxed for the first time in a week. He had that effect on me.
We'd fallen into a comfortable rhythm, especially once we realised the serious talking could wait until later. The first few hours were about spending as much time with one another as we could. Touching one another, joining as one, and discovering all the small details. I'd never felt like this about anyone before. I'd never let myself.
He set me down, and I let out a little whimper.
Abu chuckled. "I've got a present for you."
My eyes lit up. I
