A
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I tossed off my court suit, wrenching the tie from around my neck. I was already late to see her. I grabbed the nearest black shirt I found on the floor and pulled it on and my leather jacket dress pants and pulled on jeans. As I walked I tied the laces on my combat boots, hopping a bit.
Gods, she's going to be mad at me, I thought.
Now that she was hidden in the Duat, I could see her more, but I still had to wait until her father and mother went to sleep so they didn't suspect anything. I saw her every other night now and I stayed with her all night long, but it was hardly enough.
I dissolved into shadows, hurrying to the temple. I stood there for a few minutes, trying to catch my breath.
"Anubis!" a voice exclaimed. I looked up just in time to see Sadie hurtling down the stairs of the temple and throwing herself straight into my arms. I caught her and stumbled. She threw her arms around me hoisted herself up and wrapped her legs around me too.
I looked up. Mrs. Brown was walking down the steps, taking her time. She eyed Sadie with a worried look.
"She got very anxious when you were late," Mrs. Brown said explained.
"No, I didn't," Sadie mumbled into my neck. I rubbed her back and set her on her feet. I held her at arm's length, studying her. I don't know why, but this has become a habit for me. Pulling away and just looking at her. I don't know if I just expected her now-flat stomach to spontaneously swell up, or what, but I couldn't look at her without studying her. She did look a little less underfed, maybe that was what I was monitoring. Of course, Mrs. Brown had taken it upon herself to make sure Sadie had more than enough to eat.
"Gods, you look tired," I worried. Sadie shook her head furiously. "No, I'm not tired!"
I raised an eyebrow at her. She was obviously having trouble keeping her eyes open and her hands were trembling. I looked at Mrs. Brown, who just shook her head. I sighed. Sadie had had a hard time sleeping when I wasn't with her, since she'd found out she was pregnant. I don't know if she was scared or restless or too lonely or what, but it worried me that she was trying hard to support herself and our child on only a few sleeps a week. I pulled her under my arm and started leading her up the steps. Sadie leaned into me.
I looked behind me to call to Mrs. Brown, but she had already slid off back to the kitchen. I looked back down at Sadie, who had fallen asleep on my side.
"Sadie, Sadie, Sadie," I chided fondly, scooping her up. I shadow travelled to her room.
Sadie had obviously marked the room for her own. There about twice the amount of covers on the bed and several articles of clothing lay scattered on the floor. I smiled, laying her down on the bed. She seemed to be adjusting to the new space just fine. I crawled up next to her and wrapped my arms around her, placing one hand on her stomach and the other behind my head.
"I love you beauty," I sighed, putting my chin on her head and closing my eyes.
When I woke up, Sadie was no longer under my arm. I bolted up, scanning the room for her. She was at the foot of the bed, tugging on jeans. She smiled at me when she saw I was awake.
"Your hair is an absolute mess," she teased, walking over to me.
I quickly patted it down. Sadie yawned and wrapped her arms around my torso.
"Why are you up if you're still sleepy?" I inquired, nuzzling her neck. She pulled away and shrugged.
"I can't stay in bed all day-"
"Yes you can."
"Anubis, really, I don't want to lay around eating for-"
"That's what you're supposed to be doing!" I exclaimed in exasperation.
She rolled her eyes.
I sighed shook my head. I didn't know much about immortal children, but I did know that pregnant goddesses were spoiled from the moment they found out they were carrying. I still remembered seeing Isis with her diamond wrist cuff that Osiris had presented her with when he found out she was carrying Horus. Just a single link out of it could've fed an entire village.
I need to get her something, I thought tiredly, watching her lace up her tattered boots.
"c'mon, I'm starving," Sadie said, skipping over to me and grabbing my hand. I let her lead me out of the room. Several ghosts bowed to us and whispered excitedly once we passed.
"Oh hush," I grumbled, picking up my pace as Sadie tugged on my hand impatiently. The dead were almost beside themselves with joy that I now had a mate, and a pregnant one at that. Sadie had a sort of way about her that embodied life. The dead were drawn to her, especially now that she had another life in her too.
Mrs. Brown was loading our plates when we walked in. I smiled. Mrs. Brown had been my nursemaid when Osiris first took me under his wing. Once I was old enough that I was fairly independent, I couldn't just let him fire her and put her back in the que to have her soul judged. I offered her a position at my temple, my get away from the hall.
Sadie happily plopped down in a chair at the table. Without a word, Mrs. Brown set a plate down in front us. Mine had sausage biscuits-my favorite-and Sadie's had eggs, toast, bacon and scones.
"Hungry?" I teased.
She nodded and started inhaling the food. She was done before I even started on mine.
"Sadie, my dear, go ask on of the maids to bring me a towel please," Mrs. Brown asked politely when she saw that Sadie was finished.
"Oh, okay," Sadie said, getting up. Once she was out of the room Mrs. Brown gave a worried titter and picked up Sadie's plate.
"She's quite ravenous," Mrs. Brown said.
"I can see that."
"Anubis, I'm not one to pry, you know that, but I think you need to have a talk with Sadie," Mrs. Brown said slowly.
"About what?"
Mrs. Brown wrung her hands. "She's….well…it's hard to explain…"
I frowned. "What's wrong? Is she sick?"
"No, no, it's not anything physically wrong. It's just…she's awful….anxious. When you were not even a few minutes late she was pacing and refused to sit still. She was so scared that you wouldn't come, even though there was no reason for you not too. She's absolutely traumatized that one day you're just going to give up on her and leave her all by her lonesome. "
I sighed. What was it going to take to get it through her thick head that I wasn't going anywhere? Did I need to staple a note to her forehead?
"Here's that towel you asked for," Sadie said, walking back in. Mrs. Brown smiled at her fondly and shooed us off, casting me a meaningful look as we went out.
"Hey, Sadie, I think-I think I'll stay with you today," I offered.
Her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Really? What about the hall?"
I smiled at her fondly. "A little break now and then is probably good for me."
Sadie threw her arms around me, face lit up in a beautiful smile. My heart just about melted when she didn't pull away.
"All right, all right," I finally said, poking her shoulder. "c'mon, I need to breathe. I have to go ask your father for the day off."
She pulled away, happily nodding.
I kissed her forehead and dissolved into shadow.
Osiris said yes, of course. I think he was a little relieved to have a day to himself as well. I bounded back up the steps of the temple, eager to spend the entire day with my Sadie.
When I got to the door, I knocked softly.
No answer.
I hesitantly opened it, peering inside.
"Sadie," I sighed, shaking my head. Sadie was curled in a tiny ball, fast asleep in a mound of blankets. She was snoring softly.
"Alright, c'mon, you can sleep later," I said, shaking her shoulder. She groaned, opening her eyes groggily.
"'m still tired," she yawned, stretching out.
"Too bad, c'mon, I want to show you something," I said, grabbing the pillow out from under her head.
"What is it?" she asked curiously, sitting up.
"You'll have to get up and see."
She sighed and hopped out of bed. I caught her arm as she stumbled.
"Careful!"
She shook her head, rubbing the tiredness out of her eyes. "Sorry."
"Can you change into an animal?" I asked.
She shrugged, "yes, but why?"
I grimaced. "You're going to need an animal form for the terrain."
She shut her eyes and wrinkled her nose. Her body suddenly became very short and furry.
Oh no, I whined. Of all things, why does she have to be cat?!
Sadie's animal was a small and very fuzzy caramel cat, with small paws and bright blue eyes. She was about the size of my hand.
I morphed into a jackal and stretched, letting my shoulders pop. I'd gone through another growth spurt shortly after Master Julius had taken the throne and as a side effect, outgrown my collar. I'd gone from being the size of, well, a jackal, to the size of a small horse. At least now my ears and paws didn't look so freakishly big.
Purr, purr.
I looked down. Sadie was entwining herself around my legs, rubbing her body up against my paws. I snorted, buffering her with hot air. If I had thought she was small when I was human, she was absolutely tiny when I was a jackal.
Adorable, now c'mon, I said, directing my thoughts to her. She puffed up in surprise when my thoughts touched hers. She looked so much like a blonde sea urchin that I started laughing, which probably looked weird since I was a jackal, but it was funny. Sadie hissed and batted my paw with her claws in irritation.
Oh, I'm terrified, I snickered.
She growled, I'm scary!
I nodded, sobering up and tried to keep a straight face. Of course you are. You are absolutely terrifying.
Thank you, she said primly, smoothing the fur on her head back down.
I snorted and shook my head. c'mon, my terrifying creature, I said, showdow-traveling her into the middle of a forest, starting off into the trees. Sadie bounded after me. I stopped not two feet later, realizing that even with me walking, one stride of mine matched three of hers. She stopped, looking up at me.
You need to turn into something bigger if you're going to keep up, I said. Try a jackal.
Her little nose wrinkled up again and her form got slightly bigger.
Okay, well, a wolf is close enough, I said, looking down at the skinny caramel wolf that was looking back at me. Her eyes were still that pretty shade of blue.
Where are we going? She inquired as we started off again. She was still very small, about a third of my size.
Oh, it's a surprise, I said sweetly, making an effort not to step on her. She plodded along, brushing her side up against my leg whenever I stopped to make sure we were going the right way.
Gods, she's affectionate. She went from falling apart at the seams, to positively purring about everything. Hormones are weird.
The walk seemed to go forever. Huge trees had fallen down at some point, and with my new size, this was no problem, but I did have to lift Sadie up by the ruff of her neck-which she did not enjoy-to get her cleared. Other places were slick with mud and Sadie nearly broke her neck when she slipped.
Finally we got there. Sadie gasped.
There was a waterfall gushing down from an outcropping of rock. The water gathered in a small pond that flowed into a sliver around a large willow tree. Ever-present fog clung to the ground. This was my favorite place in the Duat
It's beautiful, she said in awe.
Yes, it is, I agreed, lying down on the damp grass. Sadie turned back into a cat and started jumping from place to place, inspecting everything with a curiosity that told how young she was. I snorted, watching her bat at the water with her paw.
Are you done my love? I teased, patting a spot of ground beside me with my paw.
Yes, I suppose, she said, plodding back towards me. Instead of lay where I had offered, she curled up next to me, burrowing into my fur. I snorted in amusement and laid my head down next to her.
How cute, she's already asleep, I said affectionately, looking down at a snoozing Sadie, bundled up in my side.
What's wrong with me? I never used to be so whipped about a female before. Sure, I loved Sadie, but I used to get so exasperated at her about the smallest of things. Now it was the smallest of things that made me smile. How she jumped up and down when she put her jeans on, how her cheeks turned red when she got upset, how she seemed to look at her stomach in the mirror, worriedly looking for any hint or sign that her baby was growing. The smallest, simplest little things made me start grinning.
This must be what it's like to be completely and absolutely in love, I thought dizzily, looking down at Sadie, the rise and fall of her side as she breathed. I couldn't even imagine my existence without her anymore. Waking up with the intent to see her before I went to sleep was sometimes the only thing that got me out of bed. Yes, she could be annoying and crazy and impossible to deal with…but she could also be really sweet and loving.
I love you Sadie, I thought towards her. I really, really do.