Chapter Two

“I’m going with you.” Grant’s voice broke the silence that had fallen after Anubis’ declaration.

With a frown, Martin turned to his remaining lover. He took Grant’s hands in both of his; looked into the younger man’s eyes. “I can’t let you do that,” he said. “This is going to be dangerous. Paul’s already taken off to whoever knows where. I can’t risk losing you as well,” he whispered.

“But you need me.” Grant’s voice was soft, yet insistent. “If you lose yourself, like Paul did, maybe I can bring you back.” He swallowed and his next words came out in a whisper. “Like when I got through to you before. Remember? When your need to protect me was stronger than the curse taking hold.” He clutched at Martin’s shirt. Looked into his eyes. “I can remind you that you’re still a good man.”

Martin wanted to forbid him, to tell him no, but the words died in his throat. Grant was right. If he lost himself, if Waka was truly someone to be feared, then maybe his love for Grant would be enough to stay the monster.

Still holding onto Grant, Martin looked at Walter. They hadn’t known each other for that long, but going through what they had together…it had bound them all. Bound them in ways that not many people could understand.

Walter nodded before Martin said anything. “I’ll take care of him.” He didn’t say in case the worse happens, but they came through clearly in his tone.

“Thank you.” Martin held onto Grant, letting the feel and touch of the younger man calm him. But he couldn’t stop the lump of fear that had formed in his throat.

Grant rested his head on Martin’s shoulder and clung on tightly. “I don’t want to lose you,” he muttered.

Martin couldn’t make any promises. Knew he couldn’t tell Grant that he’d be fine; that he wouldn’t be lost to whatever darkness haunted his past life. But he wrapped his arms tighter around Grant and voiced the promise he could make. “Even if I’m temporarily lost, I will never stop loving you. And as long as it’s possible for me to do so, I’ll fight my way back to you.”

“I just wish we could live in peace with each other.” Grant hugged him, tight and fierce, for another moment and then let go. He wiped at his eyes and took a step back.

Martin breathed in deeply and turned to look at Anubis, unable to help but notice the way the guardian eyed him. There was a tense set to Anubis’ shoulders that hadn’t been there before. Trying to pretend that it didn’t hurt to see how wary Anubis now was around him, Martin asked, “How do we enter the land of the dead?”

Anubis stepped forward, reluctance obvious in the way he dragged his feet. He paused next to the bed and nodded to the mattress. “Sit down. Otherwise you’ll fall onto the floor. Probably hit your head or something.”

It went against everything Martin wanted to do to walk over and perch on the edge of the bed. He looked up as Anubis came forward to stand between his knees and then reached out to touch his forehead, tracing an intricate pattern over his skin.

With each sweep of the guardian’s hand across his skin, Martin’s body grew heavier. He tried to focus on Anubis as the guardian moved, but his eyes began to droop. To close, despite his best efforts to keep them open.

And then he blinked and the world lost all colour.

“You took your time finding your way back here.”

At the woman’s caustic voice, Martin twisted from where he now sat on hard, stony ground, looking up at a woman who sat on a fallen tree log behind him. Her hair was white and long and there was an intricate design tattooed on her chin.

“Who are you?” Martin frowned.

“Don’t tell me you don’t recognise your own mother.” She struck his shoulder with the wooden stick she carried.

It didn’t really hurt, but he still raised his hands to ward off any more blows. “You’re Waka’s mother?” He looked around, taking in his desolate surroundings.

No one else was there. Only him and the woman.

“Who are you looking for?” she demanded.

He turned back to her and picked his next words carefully, unwilling to share too much of his personal life with her. “My companions.”

“Companions? Pah,” she spat. “You never needed companions before. Don’t tell me this life has turned you soft.” She poked him hard in the shoulder.

He moved backwards, out of her reach, and continued to look around. Had there been a problem? Maybe Anubis had decided not to bring them all here after all. Martin couldn’t exactly blame the guardian if he had chosen not to bring the others into a potentially dangerous situation. But then how would he do what he needed to without any kind of guidance? He finally stopped looking around, figuring that if Anubis and the others weren’t there now, they weren’t going to be there. “I don’t even recognise you,” he said to the woman.

“I’m your mother.” She stepped right up to him, looking into his eyes. “Listen to your instincts. What do they tell you?”

“That you’re dead and gone and shouldn’t be trusted.”

Instead of getting offended, she laughed. “You can’t trust most of the dead,” she allowed. “But I have your best interests at heart. I want to help you.”

How? He didn’t ask that question out loud. Instead, he questioned, “What do you want in return?”

“Your father was the one who broke the world,” she replied. “But even though you killed him when you wore your first body, he’s not here in the land of the dead. Like you, he was returned to life.” She stepped closer to him, grinning up at him with a wild look in her eyes. “Send him here, to the land of the dead. Send him to me.”

“You want me to take someone’s life?”

Stepping back from him, she rolled her eyes. “Don’t act like you’re so offended. You’ve killed before. Don’t try to convince me you’re so innocent here in this life.” She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a light shove. “You’ve killed people in the guise you’re in now. Good people. Innocent people.” She smiled. “Do these ‘companions’ you’re looking for know that about you? How many people you’ve killed? That you enjoyed it?” She walked round him slowly, pausing at his back and whispering in his ear. “You can tell yourself that the curse twisted and shaped you into something you’re not, but we both know better. Don’t we?”

He stepped forward, twisting round so that he could keep watching her. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“I know you better than you know yourself.” Her grin grew wider and more manic. “But if you don’t believe me, why don’t you take a step back into your past? See yourself for who you really are?” She took a step to one side, revealing an archway.

He paused, glancing at the greyed-out arch, then looked towards the woman who claimed she’d given birth to him in a previous life. “What will happen to me?”

“You want to learn the truth, don’t you?” She pointed to the arch. “Don’t you want to know why he ran from you and how to get him back?”

She was manipulating him, but what choice did he have? Anubis wasn’t there to advise him. Grant wasn’t there to pull him back. He had no other choice….

But to step through.