Page 2 of Death and Desire

The thought sent a shiver of dread through Anubis. “No. Do not destroy it.”

“Shall I hide it from prying, curious eyes?” A mischievous smile tugged at Ra’s mouth. “Hide it from even you, should you change your mind?”

“I will place a curse upon it, hide it where no one will discover it.” Anubis straightened. “But I cannot remove my heart myself. I do not possess such power.”

“Are you certain this is the path you wish to take?” Ra sobered and pressed his lips in a thin line, all traces of humor gone from his eyes. “This cannot easily be reversed.”

“I am certain.” Anubis nodded. Inside his chest, his heart fluttered a pulsing wild rhythm that shook his confidence. But only for a moment. Like lightning across dark skies, his reservations vanished as though they never existed. “It must be done.”

“Very well.”

Ra pressed his palm to Anubis’s chest, directly over his heart. Closing his eyes, he murmured under his breath, the words and meaning caught in the wind spinning and churning around them. Light blossomed beneath his hand.

Heat seared Anubis’s chest, striking like a hot iron thrust deep inside him. He grimaced against the pain of being severed with delicate precision, each cut leaving a scar. Marking him. Branding him. Changing him.

Anubis fought agonizing pain as Ra cleaved what remained of his heart from his body. As the last thread fell away, his concerns vanished. Gone was curiosity, his tether to humanity disappearing like smoke in the night sky. He blinked as the pain ebbed, leaving a dull ache where his heart had been.

Ra withdrew his hand, cradling a glowing object within it. His blue eyes blazed with power as he closed his other hand over it and nestled the object between his palms. With another muttered incantation, a flash of light burst from his clasped hands, a star fracturing in the heavens. Power rippled through the air, coursing around them both before retreating and settling into the space between them.

When Ra revealed the object in his hand, Anubis felt nothing. Not relief. Not regret. Nothing. A small smooth stone lay in Ra’s palm. Gold and red swirled together, glinting in the setting sun.

“Whatever comes, tell no one.” Ra lifted the stone, offering it to Anubis. “Protect this as you would those in your care, Anubis.”

“I will.” Anubis picked up the stone, ignoring its warmth as it pulsed in his touch, echoes of emotion radiating through him. He ignored them and closed the stone in his fist. “Thank you.”

“Remember, Anubis, within your heart resides a part of you and your immortality.” Ra crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Whoever possesses the stone can benefit from all of your gifts.”

“No one will ever possess it,” Anubis vowed.

“Have care, guardian. Such confidence will be your downfall.” Ra dismissed him with a wave of his hand before venturing into the twilight gardens.

Anubis returned to his duties, debating the best place to hide the jewel. Clad in smoke and cloaked in darkness, he rose to the surface, to the land of the living.

He stood in darkness beneath the stars, still clutching the gem in his fist.

My heart bound in stone, shall remain. Should it be disturbed from rest, my vengeance will be unleashed, a shadow upon mankind until it is returned to its rightful place.

The vow whispered through his mind and across the vastness of space. Then he began his search.

A small village lay in the distance, firelight dancing on the horizon. He crept closer until he found a small burial spot at the base of a hill. A fresh grave sat with loose dirt, another beside it filled with items the deceased wished to take to the afterlife.

Anubis closed his eyes, visualizing the life that had once been. He remembered her, remembered her journey through his lands. A simple old woman. A life lived fully. A soul judged and found in balance. He allowed himself a small smile, feeling a twinge of pride and sorrow through the stone in his palm. A faint connection lingering between himself and his heart.

“Care for it as I cared for you.” The words left his tongue without thought.

He thrust his hand into the dirt to place the stone in her withered palm. Taking care to smooth the dirt, Anubis retreated. He paused for only a moment to remember this place, to burn it into his memory and seal it closed, ensuring no one would discover the truth of what had transpired.

Without another thought, Anubis returned to the Netherworld, to his duties, and savored his new freedom.

For thousands of years, Anubis fulfilled his commitment without question, without concern. Until the day a sharp tug in his chest where his heart had been left him stunned and shaken.

After delegating his duties to those under his command, he retreated to his palace. Safely inside, he leaned against the wall, his black skin stark beside the pale stone.

Another sharp jab ripped through his chest. He clutched the spot and grimaced.

Closing his eyes, he rose to the surface, shrouding himself in animal form to avoid arousing suspicion. His human form would draw too much attention. As a dog, however, he could roam freely among the living.

The village was gone, replaced by a monument rising high in the distance. A temple erected, now crumbling in ruins.

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