18. Consorts and Clue
Aleiraah
One would think that arriving at the Underworld while you're still very much alive would be dramatic, life altering.
Bogus troll-dung!
I didn't even get to see the famed 'Hall of Truth' as that's supposedly a 'staff-and-deceased-only' area! How's a succubus to learn about inner workings of hell with such process controls in place?
Fuck patriarchy!
Then again, Anubis did me a favor, so he deserves some grace, I guess. Lack of food might be making me hangry.
"Welcome to Duat, Aleiraah! The Underworld of Egypt.
Home sweet home." Anubis says cheerfully, leading me through a side-entrance into the Egyptian Underworld's god-quarters.
I get a glimpse of a tall, verdant god, looking regal and sitting beside him is a chimera with the head of a crocodile and the body of a lion.
Craning my neck, I try to get a better look but Anubis ushers me away in a hurry.
"Is that—?"
"Osiris, my dad." Anubis makes a face.
"You call him dad?"
"Behind his back? Yes." He shrugs, making the heavy gold chestplate move.
"I'm trying to use modern terms in my daily vocab.
I find human linguistics rather perplexing, yet fascinating.
Take the word 'fuck' for example. So versatile!
I practice with Bastet to improve—makes it easier to follow their ramblings when the dead start confessing their sins. "
His enthusiasm is infectious. What can I say, even I appreciate the word 'fuck'. "And the chimera?"
"Oh that's Ammit, she's my one and only pet while growing up."
"Must be nice, having a pet." I wonder out loud, feeling a touch sad. Mother never allowed me one while growing up, and later on I just never found the occasion to adopt one.
"Sure is!" Anubis agrees good-naturedly. "Low maintenance with no need to feed her constantly! She just devours the souls of those found unworthy during the judgment of the deceased."
I gape at him as we enter a beautiful chamber with circular divans, and silk throw pillows scattered everywhere. There are shimmery curtains fluttering in the breeze from a river nearby. It's nighttime here in Duat.
"Why don't you take a seat? I’ll be with you shortly. Just need to check-in with Dad once. I kind of ditched work in a hurry to reach you. Want to make sure everything is running smoothly."
"I'm sorry, Anubis. I didn't mean to inconvenience you." I feel bad now.
"No worries, always happy to help you, Aleiraah! I’ll send someone with food. Anput and Bastet, my consorts, will also be happy to meet you." He offers his signature jackal-grin and leaves me to my thoughts.
I walk to a large window overlooking what I think is the Nile, and gaze at the moon outside. It looks so different from the Veilmoon that wrecked my life.
But the foundation itself was shaky, wasn't it? Succubus-shaming is not something I ever imagined my husbands would do. The males who searched for me over decades, only to find and woo me into marrying them––and the ones who thought I deserved punishment, I can never reconcile the two sides.
Where did I go so wrong, universe?
"You must be Aleiraah." A sexy feminine voice calls out from a doorway in my periphery.
Turning, I notice a tall, beautiful female wearing a gold head-dress and chest-plate like Anubis. "Yes, and you have me at a disadvantage"
"Anput. Anubis is my consort."
I thought it was the other way around?
"Apologies, I was lost in thoughts, goddess Anput." I slightly nod my head in greeting. She waves it off and motions for me to take a seat, emerald green skirts swishing around her. Thankfully her godly-aura is reeled in.
"Please address me as Anput. Bastet will also join us shortly. I think she's accosted Anubis somewhere in the hallways for a chin-scratch."
Chin-scratch?
The confusion must've shown on my face because Anput smiles. "She loves getting brushed by Anubis but he’s too busy with the higher mortality rate off-late. She makes do by stealthily pouncing on him, demanding chin-scratches."
Ah! Young-love, but chin-scratches? Is that what they are calling it these days? I muse, then shake my head in indignation.
What in hell-flames! I'm hardly what you'd call ancient. And I've only been married for like a decade!
Although, thinking about the state of my marriage plummets my mood.
Sensing the shift, Anput touches my hand and asks gently, "What ails you, darling? Anubis didn’t get a chance to tell me much, but I know he had forged a bond with your mother of eternal friendship. Alas! She passed away before her time. But through you, he was able to uphold his promise to her."
I nod solemnly. "Yes, she was killed in a battle with the goblins about two and a half centuries ago. I met Anubis when she was still alive.
"I just..miss her. A lot." My throat aches with unshed tears. Anput keeps staring at me kindly.
"Some things happened. On the night of the Veilmoon. With my husbands. They...they thought that I was cheating on them and...and..."
Then in a rush, all the pain, fear and heartbreaks spills forth.
Anput holds my hand in both of hers throughout and keeps gently patting it.
Big fat tears roll down my face, but it also feels cathartic.
By the end of it I feel strangely relieved.
Like I’ve released some of the darkness that had built up inside me.
She hands me a muslin kerchief, and while blowing my nose, I look up only to meet the bright green eyes of a feline-deity.
"Don't cry, pretty succubus." The newcomer says with a throaty purr. She’s unique with the head of a cat but the body of a female, only covered in silky short black fur. A golden circlet with a head-dress covers her head, her pointed cat ears peeking out. She’s wearing a bright teal-blue silk ensemble.
"You look so cute!" I gasp then smile widely at her.
Her vertical pupils turn to slits in surprise, then she grins. "Wait till you see my toe-beans."
"Show me! Show me!" I make grabby hands. She flexes her fuchsia-pink painted claws and rests her paw on my palm. I immediately flip her paw over and start squishing her pale pink toe-beans, letting out a deep sigh of contentment.
Haaaah...
"You two will get along wonderfully. That's Bastet, Aleiraah." Anput says helpfully.
I freeze.
Did I just treat Anubis's consort, literally a goddess, as my emotional support pet?
"Nymph's overblown tits!" I drop her paw like a hot potato. "I'm sorry if I offended you, goddess Bastet."
"Don't worry, pretty succubus,"—still grinning, she lightly pats my cheek with her pillowy toe-beans—"we shall be the best of friends! Call me Bastet!"
Feeling overwhelmed I try to curb the tears flooding my eyes. What's wrong with my tear ducts?!
Succubus are not known to have many female friends in the supernatural society.
Our higher carnal appetite inspires jealousy and competition among the females of other supernatural species.
Male friends are also few and far between as the urge to have sex blurs lines, unless they’re happily committed like Anubis, like me...
No wonder Bastet's generous offer of friendship moved me unexpectedly.
"I'd love that, Bastet!" Eyes shining with gratitude, I turn toward Anput.
"And thank you, for letting me get it all out.
I needed someone to hear what happened. And you were kind enough to listen.
You both were." I acknowledge Bastet who's taken a seat on my other side. She must have heard my ordeal.
"Take your time. Rest. Heal. Don't think about those males." Bastet flicks her paw as Anput asks, "Do you still care about them?"
"They can burn in the flames of hell and eat hydra-shit for all I care."
Both goddesses nod sagely, agreeing with me. I like them already.
"Ladies!" Anubis breezes in, attendants following behind. They hold trays laden with exotic fruits, tiny pyramids of fig scones, cooked meat, and pomegranate and lotus tea. "I come bearing food!"
"Jack-Jack!" Bastet pounces. Anubis catches her midair with an ‘oof’. Immediately a demand for chin-scratches followed by the sound of satisfied purrs fills the room.
"Jack-Jack?" I whisper to Anput who chuckles while enjoying their shenanigans.
She leans in and whispers back, rolling her golden eyes.
"Because he's a jackal god, and she's also trying to learn the rapidly evolving human language.
They keep experimenting with pet names and often practice together. I can't keep up."
"Come-on, Kitten, let's eat! Aleiraah must be starving and we aren't being good hosts." Anubis cajoles Bastet.
I can't help but feel a bittersweet pang. Silas also calls me Kitten...I wish he didn't do what he did. But I don't know if the blame fully lies with his panther though, since the human side of him acted equally like a beast. Hurting me carelessly.
Fucking bastards! All of them! I wish I’d never met them!
I'm not ready to unpack why they did what they did—not yet. My stomach growls loudly, competing with Bastet's purrs.
The cat-goddess chuckles, then the four of us descend on the scrumptious fare like famished hellhounds. I practically inhale my platter, particularly the succulent and spicy meat. I've never liked meat that much, but this particular dish seems to tickle my inner carnivore.
Afterward, we retire to the patio with goblets of honeyed-heqet and spend a peaceful evening by the river Nile.
Bastet, Anput and Anubis show me to my lavish living quarters and bid me a good night much later. As I fall into a restless sleep, a sibilant voice whispering my name bleeds through the veil of dreams. But I'm too tired to care.
Bazrosh
Azael slowly opens his eyes once he finishes the incantation, his jaw clenched tight. “She’s no longer within the mansion,” he grits out, dread bleeding into his voice. “Nor anywhere nearby. I examined the wards thoroughly, there isn't a single trace of her disabling them.”
Alistair returns to the room sounding frantic, “I checked outside too, casting tracking spells and there’s no sign of struggle or magic-induced break-in.”