Page 81 of Monsters in Love: Lost in the Underworld

ANUBIS’ EMBRACE: SECRETS IN THE SHADOWS

YD LA MAR

Mara

Draggingthe unconscious body behind me, I stumbled through the moonlit night, the sound of my boots scratching against sand and stone echoing in the stillness. The weight of my burden pressed heavily against my shoulder as I approached the ancient temple looming ominously in the darkness.

“Of all the places to dump a body, Mara, you just had to pick the creepy Anubis temple,” I muttered to myself, my voice trembling with equal parts fear and sarcasm.

With a grunt of effort, I hoisted the body onto my shoulder, wincing at the weight as I staggered up the crumbling steps of the temple.

“You really should’ve skipped that last dessert, buddy. Seriously,” I groaned with every step, feeling my thighs and butt muscles burning.

Nervous anticipation gnawed at my brain like a particularly anxious squirrel, and I shot a paranoid glance over my shoulder. I half-expected a horde of angry spirits or a peeved deity to come charging after me, waving a “No Entry” sign. But the truth of the matter was, there wasn’t anything of the sort so I just assumed it was open to all who were lost.

“Okay, Mara, you've got this,” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart after the impromptu exercise. “Just dump the body and get the hell out of here.”

Summoning every ounce of strength, I heaved the body over the threshold of the temple, suppressing a groan of relief as it thudded onto the cold, uneven stone floor. The temple loomed around me, its towering columns carved with intricate hieroglyphs that seemed to watch my every move. Shadows danced eerily in the dim light that filtered through cracked and dusty windows, and the scent of ancient incense clung to the air like a stubborn memory.

I took a moment to catch my breath, wiping the sweat from my brow as I surveyed the scene. The walls, adorned with faded murals depicting Anubis overseeing the underworld, seemed to close in with a judgmental gaze. The silence was thick and oppressive, broken only by the faint echoes of dripping water and the occasional distant scurry of unseen creatures.

“Phew, that was a close one,” I muttered, wiping my brow again and rolling my shoulders to dull the ache. “Now, all I have to do is get out of here before?—“

Before I could finish my sentence, a deep, gravelly voice rumbled through the temple, making my blood turn to ice and my knees threaten a sudden collapse. Whoever it was, they couldn’t be human.

“You dare defile the sanctity of my temple?” the voice boomed, sending shivers down my spine and making me reconsider all my life choices. I felt like I was getting a cosmic Yelp review for my bad decisions. I mean, it was either here or the river. But everyone dumps bodies in the river. That was too obvious, and the fish were getting fat. I expected to slip under the radar for much longer in my serial killer career.

My eyes widened in horror as I turned to see a figure emerging from the shadows. His form was cloaked in darkness, looking like a cross between a fog machine and a bad hair day. I squint, trying to make out the details wondering why I didn’t just go ahead with scheduling an appointment with my optometrist for contacts for occasions just like this.

As he approached with an air of ominous otherworldly authority, his voice had that dramatic flair that suggested he’d been rehearsing for this moment since ancient times. I glanced around, trying to look casual despite the fact that my heart was doing a frantic tap dance.

Was that a real jackal’s head? I wondered, trying to focus on the enigmatic figure’s profile. You know, for a deity, his side profile was kind of cute—if you were into that whole “ancient Egyptian horror chic” thing. Which I was. I mean, who wouldn’t have the hots for a werewolf boy… except this one is no boy.

“Well, technically, I was just trying to avoid a really awkward conversation with a very annoyed deity,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady and secretly wishing he’d crack a smile or at least give me a break. No such luck. His eyes began to subtly sparkle like a million stars—except, with a hint of impending doom.

“But hey,” I continued with a nervous laugh, “if it helps, I didn’t bring any souvenirs or disturb the decor.”

He gave no reply as he took a step forward, making me take a step back.

Desperately trying to play it cool, I stammered, “Uh, sorry about the mess. I was just, uh, dropping off a... a late-night snack?”

This place was known for its rodents and other stray dogs that liked to scavenge. I was doing Mother Nature a service really. Couldn’t he see that? Ma would be proud of me.

The jackal-headed deity raised an eyebrow—or, at least, I think he did, given the whole “ancient god of the afterlife” thing going on. His eyes narrowed into dark slits, brooding like storm clouds gathering for a particularly gloomy downpour.

Jokes on him, I loved the rain.

He looked like he was wrestling with whether to be offended, amused, or just very, very annoyed by my awkward attempt at small talk. I should probably stop mentally calling him jackal-head, he was too attractive for that.

What temple was this again? Ah yes.Anubis.

“Late-night snack?” he rumbled, his voice dripping with the kind of grumpiness usually reserved for someone who’d justfound out their favorite coffee shop had run out of beans. “Is that what you call disturbing the sanctity of my sacred space?”

Didn’t he ask me this already? Maybe the poor guy had a bad memory.

He glared at me with the intensity of a thousand lost souls, the kind of stare that made me wonder if I’d accidentally stepped into a cosmic rage room. The silence stretched uncomfortably, punctuated only by the faint creak of ancient stones, as if the temple itself was holding its breath in anticipation of his judgment.

Or they’re just nosy to find out what was about to happen next. I had a second aunt once who was into weird stuff like that—shaking headless chickens, swearing the bones were talking to her.

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