Chapter 51
Chapter fifty-one
ANUBIS
Anubis waited through Thanatos’ lesson and lunch before he could get Iliana alone again. For her training, partly. He loved teaching her. She was eager and attentive. With every stab, block, and maneuver, he gave her the means to survive.
But he would be lying to himself if he thought that was all it was.
He enjoyed being around her and the determined way she faced all the obstacles he set for her. How she laughed when she succeeded, unreserved and genuine. She made him want to be more than the god who’d given up on forming connections centuries ago.
Each day, he grew more comfortable sharing her with Thanatos. Their friendship went beyond their roles as death gods and past the occasional lovers they’d shared before. This was different. Stronger. All because of her.
Watching Iliana with Thanatos made him believe that relationships based on honesty and respect might be possible. That the broken and abandoned part of him might heal.
His focus snapped to her as soon as she walked into the room.
The introspection didn’t vanish so much as get shoved aside by something more immediate and visceral.
He didn’t have time to question his reaction.
He was too focused on her. Her long legs had grown stronger with every training session.
The tight shorts and tank top were molded to curves he wanted to map with his hands.
That ponytail was swaying like an invitation he was barely resisting.
He’d planned to be professional; to focus on her training and to keep himself in control. They had important work to do, and she needed to be prepared for what was coming.
Then she smiled at him—
He didn’t think, didn’t hesitate. He wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her against him.
Iliana gasped, her arms flying around his neck, and their mouths crashed together with all the fire he’d been trying to ignore. She kissed him back with heat and hunger, matching him stroke for stroke until he finally pulled himself away.
“You are too damn distracting,” he muttered, their foreheads touching.
He should’ve moved away, put distance between them, and refocused on training. That should matter more than his need to touch her. The trust and desire in her eyes made him forget why he’d built his walls in the first place.
Iliana giggled, still breathing hard from the kiss. She planted her hands on her hips. “What are we learning today, Sensei?”
She was different now. More confident as she adapted to the curse and their world. She’d even begun to break through Hypnos’ defenses despite his best efforts to remain distant.
Despite that progress, though, the curse loomed, always present. Hypnos had said months, maybe only weeks. They were racing against time, and it felt as if they were losing. That’s why the training mattered—why every technique could be the difference between life and death.
Anubis turned away before she noticed how much her mere presence distracted him from the importance of everything else.
“Your form is improving with the dagger. We will start there. Then,” he grinned despite his best efforts, “we move on to grappling.”
She gave him a sly look. “What if I don’t want to get out from under you?”
He froze a beat before he recovered, then shot her a smirk over his shoulder. “Be a good student, Neferet, and I might allow that.”
A blush spread from her chest to her cheeks, making him want to chase it with his mouth. But training came first.
He tossed the wooden dagger, and she caught it effortlessly, joining him on the mats with confidence, as if she belonged there.
“You are forgetting something,” he said, trying to hide his amusement.
Iliana frowned, looking down at her stance. “Forgetting what?”
He moved closer to her and sat on the mat. “Stretching.”
She gave him a sheepish grin before sitting, stretching beside him. “Do you miss home?” she asked, rolling her shoulders slowly and stretching her neck.
He paused mid-stretch and answered. “Not particularly.”
“I mean, you’re the god of the afterlife. Don’t you have a lot of responsibilities?”
“I still have them,” he admitted. “I was the Lord of the Dead for centuries, but now I guide them and protect their tombs.”
“You protect them?” Iliana asked.
“Yes, I ensure the dead are treated with dignity, showing them respect. I help them prepare for their journey to the afterlife and oversee the soul’s final judgment.” He shrugged. “I give them the best chance at safe passage.”
A look of understanding and possible gratitude crossed her face. “That’s…beautiful, actually.”
Anubis couldn’t remember the last time anyone had seen that part of him. Accepted it, even. How could something so simple mean so much?
He got to his feet, needing to move off the mat before he pushed her down and showed her how much her acceptance meant to him.
Iliana followed. “So, you can read people’s souls?” she asked, stretching her arm across her chest.
He wrapped an arm around her from behind, holding her shaking arm in the stretch. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “I can.”
She shivered, leaning against him. He released her arm and pulled the other in the same motion, her muscles tensing before relaxing into it.
“What do you see in mine?”
He let her arm go and set his hands on her hips. “A fighter. A woman full of passion and life.” He brushed a soft kiss just below her ear. “I see hope.”
Her head tilted toward him. “I want to believe that.”
He almost pulled her to him, but stepped back instead. “Grab your dagger, Neferet. It’s time to train.”
Iliana stepped away, steadier, but her cheeks were still flushed when she raised her blade. She was perfect, just as she was.
Her stance, however, was not. He corrected her before moving on to the lesson.
An hour of movements and instructions later, Iliana’s strikes landed harder, and her footwork steadied.
Anubis noticed her arms tremble as she grew accustomed to the real blade, heavier than her wooden training one.
Switching from wood to steel was an important lesson.
It marked the move from practice to true combat.
This was real. One day, she might have to use it.
When her footwork slipped again, he called it. “That is enough.”
Iliana sat on the mat, her grin stretching across her face. Pure pride.
“You did well,” he praised, handing her a towel.
She wiped her sweat-slicked skin before flopping back onto the mats, her arms and legs spread out like a starfish, panting dramatically. “You’d make a great drill sergeant,” she said between gasps for air.
Anubis chuckled, kneeling at her side.
“You’ve got this intimidating presence down. And that growl? Definitely a great way to keep recruits in line.” She smirked.
He mock-growled, and she laughed. It was a small moment, but he was soaking it in, treasuring the ease and mutual trust that grew by the day. The realization felt new every time, no matter how often she showed trust.
He’d spent so much of his existence expecting betrayal.
His ex-wife taught him to be guarded, but Iliana wasn’t Anput.
She was honest, sharing her feelings for Thanatos without trying to make Anubis jealous.
She trusted him to handle the truth. Iliana was teaching him what real trust looked like—what it meant to be with someone who saw his heart and protected it instead of exploiting it.
A sharp inhale brought him back to the moment. He looked down to find Iliana biting her lip with a distant and solemn look in her eyes.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I have times where I almost forget you’re gods,” she admitted. “As if there could be a chance for us to live out our lives together. But then one of you will say something about eons of experience or, like now, how your eyes are glowing inhumanly, and…I remember.”
He took her hand and massaged her aching muscles. “What have you been wondering?”
“Why are you interested in me?” she asked, hesitant.
His fingers stilled as he gave her his full attention.
Before he could answer, she continued, quiet and vulnerable. “I’m just mortal. My lifespan is just a blink of an eye compared to yours.”
So that was what had been weighing on her mind.
Anubis had thought about this, of course. She wouldn’t live forever. Despite knowing this, he’d already made his choice. “There can be value in a deep relationship, no matter how brief.” He looked into her eyes. “Because of you, my life has meaning and joy. You are kind, resilient, and honest.”
At his last word, she flinched, looking away. Anubis knew why. She was hiding the information about the prophecy.
He gently turned her head, forcing her to look at him and see the truth in his eyes. “I know why you have not told us. And while I despise lies and omissions, I know when they are used to protect, and not to manipulate.”
She hadn’t given her reason for keeping the prophecy a secret, but he knew.
Her lips parted in surprise.
“I am interested in you because of you, Neferet.” He stroked his thumb across her jaw. “My life is better for every hour you are in it. But I want more than that. I want whatever time you will give me.”
Iliana exhaled shakily, but she didn’t look away. “Well, um, that was…”
He released her and stood up, offering no room for overthinking. “Break time is over,” he said, extending his hand.
She took it, and Anubis pulled her to her feet. She let out a dramatic groan, clearly trying to lighten the mood again. “What’s next, boss?”
That resilience, that ability to bounce back even when overwhelmed, was one thing he admired about her. They could play later, he promised himself. Right then, she needed to learn.
“Grappling,” he announced, stepping behind her before she could react. Wrapping his arms around her, he trapped hers by her sides in a tight bear hug. “Do not go easy on me,” he commanded. “Escape.”
Iliana reacted immediately, slamming her elbow into his stomach.
A good hit, but not enough.
She went boneless next, trying to throw him off-balance, but he was ready.
Iliana growled. “Ugh, what am I doing wrong?”
Anubis nuzzled the top of her head. “Always be aware of your surroundings. Avoid getting into this position if you can help it.”
“Great advice, but not super useful now.”
His grin widened. “If you are trapped like this, your head is your best weapon,” he explained. “Throw it back into my face.”
“Wait, what?” she asked, her body stilling in his arms.
“Not full strength. Tilt your head back and see where you’d strike.”
She did as instructed, her skull lightly connecting with his nose.
His chest rumbled with approval, and he pressed a kiss against her temple. “Good girl.”
Iliana shivered.
“This would work on a human,” Anubis murmured near her ear. “And possibly on a lesser god or monster. If you strike fast enough, hard enough, you will make them loosen their hold. Then you go for the soft spots. The throat, eyes, inner thigh, groin, or gut.”
She nodded, swallowing roughly.
He didn’t let her dwell on it. He led her through drills, focusing on correct movements over speed and building her confidence. She repeatedly went through the motions of dropping and striking those soft areas with calculated efficiency.
By the time she reached full speed, her strikes were solid, her instincts sharper, but she was still too hesitant. Her headbutt against his nose barely had enough force to sting, even though he knew his eyes, if human, would’ve watered.
He loosened his grip to test her reaction, and she didn’t hesitate. She dropped, spun, and twisted her wooden dagger into his gut, rolling away before he could grab her again.
A wide grin broke across her face as she threw her hands up. “Finally!”
Anubis laughed as he grabbed her by the waist and spun them around. She gasped and giggled in delight. When he set her back on her feet, he stole a quick kiss, catching her smile against his lips.
Iliana rested against him, laughing.
His grin turned predatory. “Now, let us see if you remember how to escape when pinned to the ground.”
He swept her legs out from under her before she could react. She yelped as she dropped fast, but he supported her head, softening the impact when he followed her to the mat.
Still, she let out a huff of air as she hit the ground. “A little warning would be nice!”
He knew he was crossing the line between training and wanting; between teaching and claiming. But with her beneath him, looking up with hunger in her eyes, he couldn’t seem to bring himself to care. This was still teaching. Just a different kind of lesson.
“Where is the fun in that?” he asked with a grin, locking her wrists above her head. He settled his weight atop her, claiming the space between her thighs. Then he gave the challenge. “Escape.”
Iliana reacted immediately, attempting to buck her hips and twist away, but she didn’t get far. Her brows knitted together as she attempted move after move, but he remained where he was.
He leaned in, taunting her. “If I did not know better, I would think you were trying to stay pinned under me.”
Her eyes darkened. He saw the exact moment she changed tactics. He barely had time to register her plan before she pushed up and kissed him. Not soft or teasing. Her kiss was a full-on assault. Lips demanding, and her body arching into his.
Cunning little thing.
He growled. She was playing dirty, and it was working.
His mouth parted, letting himself fall into her insistent mouth. She tasted like adrenaline, sweetness, and fire. It drove him crazy.
She placed a knee on his chest and a foot on his hip, attempting to use the leverage to push off and shift his balance. It wasn’t the right move, but it was clever. Anubis still had her arms pinned, but she’d gained just enough ground to shift his balance.
He should’ve corrected her. Reset their position. Made her adjust her form. But he didn’t want to move. He was enjoying this too much.
Instead, he moved his weight onto one elbow, hovering above her. “You are amazing, you know that?”
He meant it. It wasn’t just her body or the way she responded to him, though that was incredible. It was her. The way she kept fighting even when she was scared, and how she trusted him enough to be vulnerable. The way she’d called his role beautiful instead of terrifying.
Even as she held his gaze, he saw her blush. She enjoyed hearing his words. “No…”
“Then I will spend every day making sure you do,” he promised, leaning down to kiss her again.
She stopped him with her hand pressed against his chest. He froze, waiting for her.
“I slept with Thanatos last night.”