The Curse in Her Blood

Chapter 37

Robin

Set and I came to a truce after the ritual.

I knew firmly where I stood, I knew better then to assume that if he came to me again that it meant anything. All it meant that I looked like the woman he loved and he wanted to pretend I was her for a while.

It would kill me, I knew that, but I also knew that if he came to me again, if he wanted to wrap me up in his arms and kiss me or... even more... I'd let him. I was weak, I was pathetic, and I was ready to get these tests done so he could be with Astarte and I could go home and pretend none of this happened.

But sometimes Set would smile at me in that boyish happy way of his, when I did something that Astarte wouldn't normally do and I'd forget. Stupidly I'd think that that smile was meant for me and me alone and my heart would break all over again reminding myself that it wasn't for me.

It was always going to be for Astarte.

Stupid, ungrateful, unappreciative, undeserving, but of course absolutely stunningly beautiful, Astarte.

It wasn't all bad though. Part of the truce was that we would eat breakfast together. This was mostly done out in the garden.

Duat was getting greener and greener and he loved to sit me out under the palm trees, he called them Doum palms, so I guess that was special. Breakfast usually consisted of something call Ful Medames, which was a kind of thick stew, almost like a porridge except made out of beans. It was always served with boiled quail eggs and pieces of flat bread for dipping. They also frequently served it with fruits on the side, usually bananas or pomegranates.

We would just sit there under the shade of the palms, with the canals of running water babbling beside us. Sometimes we just basked in each other's company. Sometimes we chatted.

I tried my best not to bring up Astarte but sometimes I couldn't help but ask. I just couldn't understand why he liked her so much. If the dreams were real memories, if they were flashes of the past reaching out to me, then what was it about her that he liked?

Dream Astarte hated him. She was cheating on him. Never wanted him to touch her, or be near her. She loved someone else. What value did she add to his life?

But every time I tried to ask that as nicely as I possibly could, he'd say the same thing. She was beautiful. It seemed her beauty just outweighed all of her obvious flaws and disdain of him. Asking always made me sad, because I knew I'd never measure up.

Honestly why was I still trying?

That morning, I met Set at the doors that led out to the garden behind the palace and we walked together towards the awaiting table.

At first, when this breakfast tradition started, we would sit on the ground with the cushions and the blanket, but I had asked if a table was an option, only because it was hard to sit on the ground for that long all the time. Now there was always waiting for us.

The problem is, today, the table is larger, because there's more than just our breakfast waiting for us.

There are two people already tucking into what I hope is not the only two plates of food on that table.

I stop in my tracks staring at the two gods who are clearly from the Upper Kingdom. I can tell by the way they shine.

Seti Heb is attributing to that shine, I can tell by the shimmer on their skin.

The woman is in a leopard skin. I can tell it's a skin by the look of it, but it's draped on her like a typical day dress. Her hair was a shiny pin straight black being held back by a diadem with seven points made of emeralds. She was smiling as she chewed on a mouthful of the Ful Medames.