Page 127 of A Chance at Love for the Twin Alphas

She has the charm of a rock, but she is right. I shouldn’t linger here too long. Instead, I start to stalk towards the direction the pyramid is supposed to be in. I don’t know why I know where to go. It’s like my instincts are nudging me forward. The various voices surrounding me don’t distract me anymore, nor do the lingering shadows.

Maybe it’s goddess Bastet’s presence,Khaldun muses.

Don’t be an idiot, wolf.She cackles.He is just getting better at it, and his concentration and focus improved. Wolves…She shakes her head.That’s why I prefer my cats. They are smarter.

How come you let your cat princess be fated to a werewolf, then?Khaldun asks with furrowed brows. I’m actually proud of him for not growling at her, but he probably knows better than to go eye-to-eye with an actual deity.

Every rule needs exceptions,she says calmly.

Khaldun has nothing more to say, so he remains quiet while I find my way into the center of the pyramid again. I allow my mind to lead me towards the room the deity is being kept in. Initially, I thought it might be a manifestation of Auset’s consciousness, but by now, I know better.

I walk a bit closer, noticing the long wild hair of the deity again, their soft features. At first glance I believed they were a woman but looking at them now… they look more like a male.

Bastet jumps down from my shoulder and sits down further away from the pond. She keeps staring at me, like she is gauging and judging every one of my steps. I swallow thickly, as I approach the pond. The deity is still bound by the chains, floating on top of the water. “Who are you?” I mutter, touching their arm carefully.

I almost hope for them to wake up again like the first time I saw them, to give me a sign that I was doing the right thing. This could go terribly wrong. It could mess with Auset’s mind further, it could mean unleashing a terrible threat.

That deity helped us the first time we were here,Khaldun points out.

And Nephthys told Dalila that we should proceed with our plan.I swallow thickly, closing my eyes and for once allowing to trust my gut feeling. I grab the syringe tightly between my hands, keeping my eyes closed while my body moves on its own.

This is not real. I’m not really here. My eyes might lie to me, but my instincts, my gift, won’t. My hand moves towards the deity, knowing exactly where to place the syringe. Opening my eyes, I realize it’s the spot between his shoulder and neck.

Well, here goes nothing. I press the tip of the syringe into that spot and release the antidote.

Khaldun holds his breath, but nothing happens.

I frown a bit, pulling the syringe away again. I’ve emptied it completely. What’s wrong? I turn around, eyeing the chains and grabbing one of them. They don’t feel that cold anymore, nor does the water. It’s getting warmer.

Khaldun?

He nods, understanding instantly what I want from him. He comes forward, releasing his claws and ripping the chains off the pond. The moment he has released the deity’s arm from the chains, a rumble grows through the building. A voice screeches and yells, furious and angry, while the pyramid starts to tremble.

An earthquake in the dream world?

My gaze wanders upwards, noticing how big rocks are starting to loosen. One of them drops down right in front of the door I walked through.

Khaldun wakes up from his shock first.What are you waiting for?He yells.Run, human!

Khaldun’s words have woken me up, and my survival instincts kick in again. I run towards the exit, the remaining door that led me to Lapis the first time I visited Auset’s mind. Behind me I can see bricks and rocks dropping down, and the pond… it’s empty.

The ground trembles so much it makes me drop to my knees, the screeching noise getting louder and louder, making my eyes and nose bleed. With my remaining strength, I tug at the red thread that connects me to Harmony.

But nothing.

It doesn’t work.

44

Auset's Mind

*ARMAN*

Ikeeptuggingatthe thread, but no matter how hard I pull it doesn’t seem to respond. Fuck, I need to find another way out of here. I try to get up to my feet, while the building shakes, piece after piece dropping down and each time I can only roll to the side to save myself.

There is dust in the air, it feels so difficult to even breathe. My limbs are heavy like something is pressing me down and holding me in place. I gather my strength, forcing my eyes to open when I can suddenly see a tall figure approaching me, covered completely by a cloak. The being points a finger at me, and although I can’t see its face I can feel the venom and anger radiating off it.

“You,” the being hisses. “You impertinent fool. I will make sure—”

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