Chapter Thirty Three: Sacrifice
Kiya stood beside the lake and stared at its burnished surface, waiting for Anubis to appear. All was quiet, as if the world was holding its breath. Her heart was throbbing within her breast and she imagined she could hear it in the silence, like a temple drum heralding the coming of her god.
A luminescence glowed from the depths and Kiya fixed her eyes upon it. The light grew stronger and she saw Anubis's jackal-head emerge from the water. He gazed at her and his thin black lips curved into a smile. As she watched, the rest of his body rose from the lake until he stood upon the surface. She perceived, to her amazement, that he was not wet - his kilt hung in perfect pleats and there was no gleam of moisture on his skin.
“You have come back to me, Kiya,” he said in a voice as deep and rich as liquid gold. He walked across the water towards her with his arms outstretched, his body beautiful in the moonlight. Scarcely able to breathe, she waited for him until he reached the shore and stepped up to stand beside her on the pathway. The aura of his honeyed scent surrounded her and she longed for a kiss - but how could the mouth of a jackal perform such a greeting? Instead he took her hand and pressed it against his chest, his skin warm beneath her touch.
“You have consented to be the new High Priestess. I am glad. I am yours, even as you are mine.” His voice was hypnotic and she felt the strong beat of his heart through the thickness of his muscles. He encircled her with his arms and she relaxed in the warmth of his embrace. All misgivings were forgotten – he was everything she remembered and more. The loss of friends and family, the responsibilities of office, the dangers and disappointments were nothing compared to the joy of being loved by such a god.
For a long time he held her close and then he released her and stepped away. “Our time has come at last,” he said and looked deep into her eyes.
She smiled up at him and whispered “Yes.”
He took her hand and led her to a grassy bank surrounded by low bushes. “You look beautiful,” he said. “From the moment I first saw you I knew there was something special about you.” She stood before him and made no resistance as she felt his nimble fingers undo the shoulder-straps of her shift. “How I have longed for this moment,” he said. “After you fled from me, I feared that I would never see you again.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, distracted by the slithering feeling as the shift fell to the ground at her feet. She saw his eyes shine in the moonlight as he regarded her nakedness.
“It is I who should apologise,” he said. He took her hands and lowered her down onto the grass, then he lay down beside her. “Never again will I allow the beast within me to frighten you.” His hand cupped one of her breasts and rubbed her nipple making it swell until it ached with pleasure. He caressed her other breast and she moaned, overwhelmed by the erotic, sensations created by his touch. She longed for him to caress her breasts forever, but he began to stroke the rest of her body. His hand was warm against her skin and, as it moved, she felt a tingle as if a shower of tiny stars loitered in its wake. Kiya closed her eyes and concentrated on the exquisite touch of his fingers, as they trailed across her stomach. He lingered, teasingly in her most intimate places until she opened her body to him as a flower opens to the sun. Then, when her desire for him reached a peak, he paused.
“Who is there?” His angry voice shattered the enchantment.
Kiya opened her eyes and saw that Anubis had sat up and was staring towards the temple. She twisted her neck and, over the low bushes, she saw Eopei standing in the shadows. Oh, no! her friend had disobeyed instructions not to come near the lake. Paralysed by the abrupt cessation of their lovemaking, Kiya watched Anubis leap to his feet.
“Be not afraid,” he said and walked towards Eopei with a slow grace that reminded Kiya of a stalking animal. Eopei gazed at the approaching god with a mixture of fear and astonishment. “Tonight is a special night and you are my chosen companion.” His resonant tone calmed her and she made no attempt to flee.
“You have chosen me?” Eopei flicked a quick look at Kiya, who sat up and reached for her shift. “Are you sure?”
“Come, walk with me beside the lake.” Anubis held out his arm and Eopei took it. The god’s thrilling voice and beautiful body were affecting Eopei just as they had Kiya.
“Stop, Eopei, do not go with him,” called out Kiya.
Eopei gave her a look, half of pity and half of triumph, then she turned back to Anubis.
Kiya watched them walk away, her body aching for consummation. Anubis was talking to Eopei, telling her of the wonders of the grassland that now was desert. He was allowing her time to be entranced and Kiya watched as he slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close so she could rest her head upon his shoulder.
“Come back Eopei, please!” called out Kiya in a last desperate attempt to save her friend. But neither she nor Anubis responded to her call. They walked away in the moonlight as if they were the only two people in the world.
Kiya was filled with black depression. She felt rejected, ignored, powerless to control Anubis or save her friend. She rose to her feet, her knees weak and shaking, and put on her shift. Then she stood in the shadows, and watched Eopei and Anubis stroll round the lake, absorbed in each other like lovers. Her depression changed into anger. How dare Eopei disobey her. How dare she think she could take any man from her - first Dennu, then Anubis. Eopei couldn’t bear Kiya to have sole possession of anything or anyone. As for Anubis, he had played with her body as a musician plays an instrument, then he had abandoned her to walk with another. He was a practised seducer, a lover of infinite experience. What could a girl like her really mean to such a man? The night was getting colder. Kiya shivered. There was nothing left for her to do. She had no more control over events than an ant drowning in mead. She left the lake and walked through the temple back to her room.
Later, as she lay tossing and turning in bed she heard a howl. Was it the sound of triumph after a kill? Was it Anubis summoning her back to continue their love making? Was it merely a wild jackal howling in the graveyard? Kiya had had enough. She pulled the coverlet over her head to shut out the sounds of the night.
Shortly after, the coverlet was raised and a naked man slipped into the bed beside her. Kiya knew from the heat of his body that it was Anubis. “It’s time to finish what we started, my beloved,” he said.
She smelt blood and knew he was fresh from the kill. “No!” she moaned.
He was already caressing her, but he stopped at once and lay still beside her. “You are a virgin?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, my precious one, I will be patient. Next time, wait for me here in your bedchamber until I have feasted, then there will be no interruption.”
“I fear I was too eager to see you,” she said and turned away from him to avoid the rank odour of raw meat upon his breath.
“Do not worry, all is well.” He cradled her in his arms, his body wrapped around hers. Cosy within his embrace and exhausted by the emotions of the day, she slept.