Chapter 15
Jessica
Sixteen Months Later
Sophie sat across from us in the small café near her university’s campus, stirring her coffee with intent. I knew my daughter well. She was working up to saying something difficult.
I glanced at Anubis, who sat beside me looking calm in his dark jeans and leather jacket, his usual modern uniform.
To everyone else in the café, he appeared as a handsome, intense man in his late thirties.
To me, he was radiant with divine power contained in human form, golden eyes watching our daughter with patient understanding.
We’d been putting this conversation off for months. But Sophie deserved the truth.
“Mom,” she said, setting down her spoon. “I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me.”
“Okay,” I said, my stomach clenching.
“Something’s going on, and I’m out of the loop.”
“What do you mean?”
“Since you and Anubis got back from Egypt, you’ve been different. When you cut yourself with the kitchen knife, it healed without a scar. Your old scars disappeared. Even the little crow’s feet around your eyes, they’re not like they were.”
Anubis and I exchanged another glance.
“And you,” Sophie continued, turning to Anubis.
“You don’t sleep. I noticed at Thanksgiving.
Everyone went to bed, and you were still up.
When I came down at 6 AM to do some online shopping, you were in the exact same spot, reading, like you’d never moved.
You don’t eat much. You know things about ancient Egypt that even the professors at the museum can’t verify.
And sometimes…” she rubbed her temples. “This is going to sound so weird, but sometimes when the light hits you wrong, your eyes look gold.”
“Sophie,” I started.
“I’m not finished.” She leaned in and lowered her voice. “I’ve been researching.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. Egyptian mythology, mostly. I’ve focused on divine beings and transformation rituals. And I found one obscure reference to something called the Chamber of Eternity.”
“Did you?” I gripped Anubis’s thigh under the table.
Sophie nodded. “Supposedly it’s a place where mortals could become immortal through union with divine essence.” She looked at me, pinning me with her gaze. “Did you do it? Did you become immortal?”
The café suddenly felt silent despite the ambient noise of other conversations and the hiss of the espresso machine.
“Yes,” I said. I saw no point in lying. “I did.”
Sophie sat back, processing. “So you’re immortal. Like, for real?”
“Yes.”
“And he’s…” She looked at Anubis. “What, or who, are you?”
“The god Anubis,” he said in the calm way of his.. “Guardian of the dead, weigher of hearts, guide of souls through the underworld. Yes.”
“Holy shit.”
“Sophie. Language.”
Anubis’s rich laugh filled my ears, and I heard him in my mind. That’s rich coming from the woman who said fuck in the Chamber of Eternity.
“No, Mom, holy shit.” She was staring at us with wide eyes. “You had sex with a god in a magic pyramid and became immortal. That’s…that’s…” She stopped, then laughed. “That’s the most badass midlife crisis I've ever heard of.”
I blinked. “You’re not angry?”
“Angry? Why would I be angry?” Sophie shook her head. “Mom, you were supposed to die. I heard you guys talking. You were supposed to die in November, and somehow you prevented it. You found a way to live. How could I possibly be angry about that?”
Relief flooded through me with such intensity I felt tears prickling. “I thought you’d be upset. That I didn’t tell you, that I changed.”
“Mom. You’re alive. You’re going to stay alive.
Do you know what that means to me?” Her voice cracked.
“I was terrified of losing you. After Dad left, after everything fell apart, you were the only constant I had. And then I heard you might die and I…” She wiped her eyes.
“I’m glad you did it. I’m glad you’re immortal.
Even if it means you’ll watch me grow old. ”
“About that,” Anubis said. “When you are older, when you have lived the life you wish to live, if you desire it, the option exists for you to have an extended lifespan as well. It wouldn’t be immortality; that was a gift I could only give your mother, but you can receive an extended lifespan.
A gift from us to you, when you are ready. ”
Sophie’s eyes went wide. “No shit.”
“Seriously,” I confirmed. “No pressure, no timeline. But if you ever want it, when you’re ready, we can do that for you. The catch is, it would end with you. You could not pass the gift to any child or children you may have.”
“That’s…wow.” She was quiet for a moment. “I need to think about that. Like, a lot. But knowing the option exists…” She smiled, watery but genuine. “Thank you.”
“Of course, honey.”
“So,” Sophie leaned back, composing herself. “What now? You can’t stay in the same house forever without people noticing you don't age. Not with modern technology.”
“We’ve been discussing that,” Anubis said. “There is a town. A sanctuary, of sorts. Where beings like us, immortals, gods, witches, shifters, creatures of myth, live alongside humans who know the truth. A place where Jessica and I can exist openly, without glamour or deception.”
“Where?” Sophie asked.
“Calamity Creek,” I said. “It’s on the East Coast, and we’ve heard of other places like it all over the world. It’s a small town with a beautiful location, and the hub for the supernatural community. We visited last month, and it felt... right. Like somewhere we could actually build a life.”
“A supernatural town,” Sophie said. “With monsters and magic?”
“And excellent coffee shops,” I added. “You know how important they are to me.”
She laughed. “It’s a lot to take in. But of course coffee is your priority.” Her tone took on a serious tone. “Will I be able to visit?”
“Whenever you want,” I promised. “As often as you want. You’re my daughter, Sophie. That doesn’t change just because I’m immortal now. Nothing will ever change that.”
“Whenever. We will always have room for you,” Anubis said.
“Okay.” She nodded, then nodded again, processing. “Okay. My mom’s immortal, dating or mated to a god, and moving to a supernatural sanctuary town. This is fine. This is totally fine and normal.”
“Sophie.”
“I’m kidding, Mom. Mostly.” She reached across the table to take our hands. “I’m happy for you. Honestly. You deserve to be happy, to be loved, to have forever if that’s what you want.”
“It is what I want,” I whispered. “More than anything.”
“Then I’m glad you have it.” She squeezed my hand, then released it. “Promise me something.”
“Anything.”
"Don’t disappear from my life. I know you’ll live forever and I’ll die one day, but until then…don’t become some distant immortal being who forgets about her mortal daughter. Still be my mom. Still embarrass me with bad jokes and worry about my grades and call me too often.”
My throat tightened. “I promise. Forever and always, I’m your mom first.”
“Good.” She turned to Anubis. “And you. Take care of her. Make her happy. Don’t let the whole immortality thing make her forget to live.”
“I swear it," Anubis said solemnly. “Your mother is the most precious thing in my existence. I will treasure her for all eternity.”
“Good answer.” Sophie checked her phone. “I have class in twenty minutes. But before I go…can I see? Your real form, I mean. I saw glimpses at the hospital, but I thought I was hallucinating from the pain medication. I want to really see who you really are.”
Anubis looked around the café. He let the glamour slip, just enough to give Sophie a glance.
His eyes blazed gold, bright enough to cast light across the table. The shadows around him deepened, and for just a moment she saw the suggestion of something larger. He showed his jackal ears, divine radiance, the weight of millennia pressing against the mortal world.
Sophie’s breath caught. “Wow. You’re real. An actual god.”
“I am. When you come home next, I will not use my disguise. I will allow you to see me as I am.” He settled the glamour back into place. “Though I find that being your mother’s partner is perhaps the most challenging role I have held in five thousand years.”
“She’s stubborn,” Sophie agreed.
“Hey,” I protested.
“It’s true, Mom. You’re stubborn and opinionated, and you argue with gods about miniature pyramids.”
Anubis smiled. “Yes. She does. It is one of her best qualities.”
Sophie stood, gathering her bag. “I should go. But Mom, text me when you get settled in Calamity Creek. And send pictures. I want to know what a supernatural sanctuary town looks like.”
“I will.” I stood to hug her, holding her tight. “I love you, honey. So much.”
“Love you too, Mom.” She pulled back, then hugged Anubis with the same force as she did me. He looked startled but pleased. “Take care of each other. A god for a stepfather. I’m never going to get away with anything else.”
“We will,” he promised.
We watched her leave, weaving through tables toward the exit. At the door, she turned back and waved, smiling.
“She took that well,” I said, sinking back into my chair.
“She is your daughter. Of course she did.” Anubis took my hand. “Are you ready for this? The move, the new life, everything it entails?”
“I’m ready.” I looked at him. He’d turned my world upside down and given me eternity. Anubis loved me with an intensity that still took my breath away. “As long as you’re with me, I’m ready for anything.”