The Flower of Anubis

Chapter V : Trust

-|| San Juan de Gaztelugatxe ,
Biscay , Spain ||-

Mina stared down into the ocean, the water sloshing violently against the cliff side. The cold wind blew at her face, drying the tears on her cheeks.

"Why are you here, little pup?" came that cold and dark voice.

Mina looked beside her, her heart racing as she saw Khonsu, not from fear of the god finding her, but rather from the shock of realizing how close she was to the cliff side.

"You know you can't die," Khonsu reminded.

Mina exhaled and sat down on the edge of the cliff, laying back on the wet grass and letting her legs dangle over the rock. She stared up at the night sky. "You made a beautiful sky, Khonsu," she said, her voice broken and sad. "I always look at the moon and . . . I feel safe when I look at it."

Khonsu stared at Mina, taken aback by her kind words. He had never heard a human vocally talk about the moon in such a way. "And the stars?" he asked.

"Breathtaking," Mina answered, voice distant with wonder. "I wish it could be like that forever."

Khonsu chuckled. "I finally have a vote against Ra then," he said. He tilted his head at Mina then. "Anubis does not know where you are does he?" he asked.

Mina shook her head, fresh tears falling down her face as she looked up at the moon. She ached terribly in her chest, missing Jake so much that it was painful. She wondered where he was. Where did he go when he didn't have control of the shared body? Was he in the underworld? Was he in a place that even the gods couldn't touch? It frightened her.

"I wish you had found me instead," Mina confessed, the words leaving her without thought.

That got Khonsu's attention. He looked at her, stunned by her words. "And why is that?" he asked, for the first time not knowing what would come from the human's mouth.

"I'm much better at avenging than I am guiding," Mina said quietly. She was sitting up now, knees tucked up to her chest and looking down at the angry sea.

"And you wish to bring justice to yourself?" Khonsu asked, sensing her self loathing.

Mina said nothing, instead she looked into the violent waves, wishing that they would swallow her. She didn't deserve to live. After all she had done, she didn't deserve to be alive. Oh how she ached to let herself fall and not be instantly healed like she knew she would. "Where is he?" Mina asked, changing the subject from herself.

"You mean Jake?" Khonsu asked.

Mina nodded.

"Busy," Khonsu answered. "As you should be."

"No one's dying here tonight," Mina said, having checked the hearts of everyone in the nearby town herself when she had first arrived. 

"Then you should return to London," Khonsu said.

Mina looked away from the ocean and up at the moon god. Her eyes were filled with pain, hopelessness and fear. She hated London. She held her hand out then, focusing on the empty void in front of her. She guided her hand in a circular motion, a portal opening to her apartment building. It was dark and raining. She stood still, looking into the street with sudden fear. She looked back at Khonsu once more before stepping through, having no choice but to go back with the moon god watching her.

As the portal closed behind her, her entire being instantly became soaked from the pouring rain, Mina couldn't help but feel frightened. She had gotten herself in deep. More and more lies were building on her shoulders. More and more blood was about to be on her hands if she failed. She couldn't do it anymore. She couldn't -