Page 148 of Immortal Sun

“And then you’ll be with me?”

“And then I’ll not kill you again, sure.” I lie and lie again. She won’t know. I will. I will be tortured by the past but thrilled she has a future.

She slaps me on the chest. “Be serious.”

“Your heart will know mine.” But it won’t ever know why. She’ll just think about me for a few days, maybe search for me at the same coffee shop and she’ll live her life and I’ll watch.

Alone.

Still shining.

Still fighting the cold feeling of jealousy in my soul.

“Okay.” She nods. “Okay. I can agree to this.”

“Until tomorrow,” I whisper. I shove her away, I have no choice.

This time she lets me leave. I collect my mask from the table and exit the cave. But when I get to the beach, Enki is there waiting for me. I frown. “How’d you escape the kraken?”

He grins. “Oh, I fed it.”

My stomach sours. “What exactly did you feed it?”

“A little of this, a little of that.” He raises his hand. “Go back into the cave, Ra. Finish what you started. I can keep watch.”

“The hell you will!” I roar.

He’s suddenly holding Apep’s blade. “Go.” He turns them both toward his chest. “Or we’re all done.”

“You don’t know that.”

“And you do?”

I clench my fists. “Why are you doing this?”

“What loving immortal, or friend, wouldn’t want you to have a few short hours with the woman you love? The same one about to die at your hands. Go, I’ll keep watch.”

“Enki?”

“Apep?”

“Your trickery is showing.” I glare.

Enki is suddenly Inti, and he rolls his eyes at me before plopping himself down on the beach. “Can’t I be an actual true friend for once? Go back in the damn cave before I drug you again.”

My eyes narrow. “What did you feed Ken?”

“That’s what you’re concerned about?” He bursts out laughing. “I fed him fish! What he eats! And he’s still guarding, I just bribed him, you know how much he likes dolphin.”

I gasp. “You didn’t.”

“Fine, I gave him kelp and he asked for a steak from Cow, which I wholeheartedly agreed to. Just go back into the cave.” His face sobers. “I’ll guard you with my life.”

“Says the lesser immortal who failed his trials.”

“To his master, yes.” Inti nods. “I may be a lot of things. I may help escort people to the afterlife in order to make sure they aren’t in pain. I may have my tricks, my laughs, but I will always have you, even if you don’t put up with me, not even on a good day.”

“There have been a lot of bad days.”

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