And just like Ra had brought me out of my gilded prison it was my turn now to bring Drew out of his.
I never thought I’d appreciate history repeating itself, not where Horus was concerned, but in this instance, I was glad I could be that person for Drew.
The one to bring him back to safety.
Something small and sharp pierced my skin. I barely registered the move. I wouldn’t have paid attention to it were it not for the way Drew pulled back crying his eyes out.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” He rocked back and forth, the tips of his fingers coated red.
I glanced down at my stomach. A small silver knife was buried in me, blood dripping all over my legs.
“He…he made me…I can’t…I can’t resist…”
I reached for him but he flinched away. It made my heart ache. Did he really think I wanted to hurt him?
“Drew, it’s okay. Come here. Please,” I pleaded with him and when I tried to touch him again, he didn’t pull back.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and summoned every grain, every piece of dirt, every little piece of sand in this house. There wasn’t much but then all of a sudden a door appeared on the wall next to me and swung open. A sandstorm rushed through the room and enveloped us both.
It lasted but a second and it settled like dust all over the furniture.
“How do you feel?” I asked him.
Drew blinked. His mouth gaped open. His chest rose and fell. “It-it’s gone. The compulsion. The need to obey…it’s all gone. How?”
I cupped his cheek and smiled. “I told you sand offers clarity.”
Drew rubbed his eyes and shook his head. “Oh my god! I stabbed you.” He reached for me, for the knife digging into my stomach but I brushed him off.
“It’s nothing. Here.” I pulled the knife out and dropped it to the floor. Then placed his hand over the wound and made him press hard until the stinging heat of pain eased. “See?”
I let go and he looked at my healing wound, barely noticeable anymore if it weren’t for the blood.
“Just a scratch.”
“You can heal?”
“To an extent, yes, and not always as fast, but this was nothing.”
Drew ran a hand—the unbloodied one—over his face and sighed. “I feel…I feel so terrible.”
“We’ve been over this. You couldn’t help yourself. But now you’re free.”
He glanced at me with those beautiful black eyes and I couldn’t help but feel like they belonged to me. But not in the way things belonged to my brother. More…
As if they were fated for me.
And I was fated for him.
Which was ludicrous. There was only one fated mate for everyone, especially a god and that had been Ra for me.
Was it possible I could have two mates in one lifetime?
“If you…if you knew all along that I was trying to deceive you, why didn’t you do this sooner?”
“I didn’t,” I said. “Not at first. I was only certain the first time you killed me.”
He flinched at that.
