18. Consorts and Clue #2
“Fuck! Where could she have gone? This wouldn't have happened if you only listened to her after you both stormed into the visitors' room!” Archie howls, his neck and arms sprouting fur, sharp claws extending.
Scales shiver over my arms and face as curved claws slip out of my nail beds. Taking a deep breath, I hold onto reason and ask, “Why did you? You never interrupt her sessions.”
“I felt a sense of urgency. That I needed to check something in that corner of the mansion.” Azael remembers with a frown. “Maybe it was Aleiraah subconsciously reaching out?”
“I felt it too.” Ifrinn adds rubbing his forehead. “Like something was calling me? And when I got there, the urge to enter the room was overwhelming. And then everything just got twisted by what I saw. But, Baz, what do you mean you scented another male in this room?” Ifrinn pivots to me.
Before I can explain, Zien points a shaking finger at him and shouts, “Don’t start with your filthy accusations again, demon!”–––“I'm not! I'm worried that someone has abducted her, you leech!” Ifrinn bellows back.
Alistair, ever the peacekeeper, surprisingly yells, “All of you, shut up so Baz can speak!”
Cracking my neck, I let out a deep exhale that releases smoke from my nostrils. Great!
“I can’t place this scent, which makes me believe it doesn't belong to any species from this realm. Each person has a base scent signature that ties back to their species, over which their unique personal scent is layered.” I try to mentally sift through scent profiles I’ve studied over centuries, in case I missed it the first time.
Silas picks up the thread of conversation, “He's right. I can’t seem to identify it either with anything I know. But what worries me though is that he smells like death." He runs his fingers through his hair, pacing agitatedly.
Nodding, I clutch Aleiraah's gown in my hands, "But not the usual rot that takes over a body. Rather, if death were a mystical essence, he’d be tied to it intimately.”
Archie pipes up while sniffing the space in front of the mirror, “I smell gold too. Metallic. Lots of it. Also, resin and lotus. Strange. And smoke?”
“That’s what I thought I smelled too when I first opened the door.” Zien adds.
Azael hypothesizes, almost to himself. “Resin as in myrrh...lotus too. Not of this realm. Essence of death. Gold, lots of it. Smoke.” He pins me with his piercing gaze. “Is it hashish?”
My eyes widen in realization as the scent clicks into place. “No. It’s hemp flower.”
“What? What is it?” Archie and Ifrinn both ask, frustrated at not being able to follow.
Everyone moves closer to me and Azael, eager and impatient. He inclines his head at me to elaborate on the same conclusion we’ve both apparently reached.
“I already explained why I think the person who took Aleiraah is not of this realm.”–––“Could it be that you don’t know this scent?
” Alistair interrupts and I shake my head.
“I’ve studied and catalogued scents my whole life.
I like to hoard information, not just material things as you all like to think.
I'm certain that not only is this person not from this realm, but they rule a different realm altogether.”
“Rule?” Silas asks warily.
“Yes, he was probably wearing a massive amount of gold as Archie pointed out, and smelled like the essence of death.
" I glance at Silas, corroborating his theory.
"There’s also the combined scent of myrrh and lotus—traditional Egyptian offerings for the dead in the mortal realm, and aromas rarely associated with any other underworld.
“What clued me in was the smoke or scent of hemp flower. It’s often smoked for recreational purposes offering a temporary feeling of wellness or relief from stress.”
"It’s also used during the ritualistic mummification process!" Alistair chimes in, surprise evident on his face.
"Yes. If I'm not wrong, we are dealing with a god here. A god of the Egyptian Underworld––also known as Duat.” I pause, turning to Azael who has a faraway look on his face. Possibly thinking about strategies to reach Duat.
A stunned silence saturates the room. I’m taking time to process that a fucking god whisked Aleiraah away from us. How did she even summon him? Did she summon him? And why?
“She was that desperate to get away from us?”—Archie stares toward the gardens desolately, voicing my thoughts—“That she’d go to the Underworld?”
“After what we did, I’m not surprised.” Alistair mutters looking down while rubbing at his arms. “Only a very powerful deity or possibly a god would be able to pass through our wards undetected and escape without leaving a trace.
Azael built them using his divine energy and all of us added our own magical signatures. "
“I’ll fight any god for her. Beg on my knees for just a glance from her. I just hope she’s alright.” Zien's voice cracks, then he looks at Azael and me. “But which god are we dealing with?”
Azael wonders aloud, “It could be Anubis, or it could be Osiris. Osiris is higher in the hierarchy so let’s consider it’s Anubis for the time being. We need to go to the Egyptian Underworld to confirm. To bring Aleiraah back. But..."
"But what?" Ifrinn asks when Azael trails off.
"Only the dead can travel there. It’s a realm where mortals end up in the afterlife to be judged for their sins. Immortals are seldom welcomed.” I explain when Azael remains quiet.
The anguish on Silas’s face is so raw, I instinctively squeeze his shoulder in silent support.
“How do we get to this Underworld?” Ifrinn asks, in an urgent tone. “How do we find Aleiraah and bring her back?”
Azael focuses on him and says in a voice dripping cold disdain. “So, not only are you ignorant about shifter biology, but you seem to lack knowledge about deities and the ways of different Underworlds.”
Ifrinn shifts uncomfortably, his tan face flushing with embarrassment as Zien scoffs.
Archie breaks the uneasy atmosphere. “So we need to travel to Egypt in the human realm? Take the closest portal?”
“Yes. We’d need to track Aken––the ferryman once we get there.” Azael acknowledges with slight approval. “But before that,“––he pivots to me––”you need to make a quick trip to your hoard.”
I nod in understanding. “Wait for me, I’ll return soon.” And run outside, taking flight in my dragon form.