Set by Alessa Thorn

13

Ayla woke, curled up in her own bed with two pillows tucked down her side. Her body ached pleasantly, reminding her that she hadn't imagined the previous evening.

You, Ayla Neilos, had sex with the God of War. And for the first time after a hookup, she didn't have one ounce of regret.

"Set?" she called sleepily. She sat up, pulling on a robe that had been left on the end of the bed.

Please be brewing coffee, please be brewing coffee, she thought as she headed for the kitchen. It was empty, and worry started to settle in her chest.

Ayla turned and spotted the vase of lotus flowers on the table, a note propped up beside it. She opened the letter, her stomach flipping over.

Ayla, I’ve gone to deal with our snake problem. The temple is safe to roam, but don’t leave Naqada.

Set

"Shit,"Ayla muttered, putting the letter down. Had he gone because he was weird about the previous night? Ayla doubted that a god petitioned for love spells would be awkward the next morning.

Maybe Abasi came through with something about Moussa?

Ayla pushed a hand through her tangled hair and blew out a breath. She was safe if she stayed in the village, and she doubted Set would leave her for long.

"You might as well enjoy the time off," she said to herself, toying with the locket around her neck. She brewed coffee, raided the fridge, and ate some of the bread Set had made the previous day.

Considering time off made her think of her job and the stress that her boss Pierre would be under with her missing. She eyed the sleek white phone that hung on the wall in the kitchen.

Set didn't say you couldn't call anyone.

Before she chickened out, Ayla went over to the phone and dialed Pierre's mobile number. He was constantly losing it, so she let it ring a long time.

"Hello?" Pierre sounded breathless, no doubt from running to find where his phone was ringing from.

"Hey, it's Ayla."

"Ayla! Where in God's holy name are you? Are you alright? Do you need money?"

Ayla let out a huff of laughter. "No, I'm fine. Well, sort of. I was taken, but I was rescued. It's a long story."

"I had men here asking about you. Police too. Where are you?"

Ayla bit her lip. "I can't tell you. I just wanted you to know that I am safe, and I'll come back as soon as possible. It might take a little while, but I will be back."

"Ayla, what have you gotten caught up in? Is it drugs?"

"No! Nothing like that. You know me, Pierre. Do I seem like the kind of person that would mix with bad men on purpose?" Ayla suddenly got a graphic image of Set, naked and sweaty, on top of her. Okay, so maybe that last bit was a lie.

"Why do they want you?" Pierre demanded.

"Something to do with my real father. Look, I have to go. I'm sorry I'm not there to help. That I can't tell you when I'll return."

Pierre swore softly in French. "You'll always have a job with me, mon amie. Just be careful. The men that were here, they were dangerous."

Not as dangerous as the one I'm with now.

"I will be back soon, I promise. Take care, my friend." Ayla hung up, some of her guilt easing knowing he was okay. She would go back and work for Panacea again. No matter how long it took.

Ayla found herself zipping the locket on its chain again. She opened it and looked at her mother's lovely smiling face. Ayla frowned at the picture of her fake father. With a hiss of annoyance, she pulled off the necklace.

Using the tip of a knife, she flicked out the photo of the man, scrunched it up, and tossed it in the garbage. Ayla didn't want to look at her mother either. She was pissed at her all over again because she refused to tell her the truth and because she hadn’t been strong enough to stay with Kader.

She was trying to protect you. Maybe she sacrificed her heart for that.

It made Ayla really want to demand answers from Kader. Like why he hadn't gone legit as soon as he put a baby in someone.

Just another deadbeat dad, Ayla thought and shoved the locket in the pocket of her pants. She wasn't going to think about her parents today. She had a temple to explore.

Ayla wasn't naturally a nosy person, but now that she knew the temple wasn't booby-trapped, she planned on exploring and figuring out everything she could about her enigmatic...she fumbled, trying to find a suitable title. Friend? Lover? Protector? They weren't wrong, but no single one of them seemed to fit comfortably.

"Why does it even matter?" she asked out loud as she dressed and brushed her hair.

Ayla liked to know what box to neatly fit everyone in her life in, but Set defied categorization. It was problematic, but it couldn't be helped until he returned, and she found out how he felt about the matter.

Probably nothing because you're overthinking this, just like you overthink everything in your life.

Ayla opened the first door she found and glimpsed at a large bed with dark red linen, the air in the room smelling like Set's aftershave. She shut the door again, heat flushing down her body.

She might want to find out about him but wasn't about to go into his bedroom without an invitation. Parts of her clenched up in excitement at the thought.

Easy girl. It's not like you haven't had sex before.

Having sex with Set was about as close to a religious experience as Ayla had ever had. And wouldn't he be smug if you told him so?

Grinning, Ayla continued her walk, warm lights flicking on as she stepped into a library.

Rows of dark wooden shelves were arranged in stacks, all full to bursting with books and scrolls.

A large empty worktable and a chair sat in the middle, where all the shelves seemed to converge. Other than lights, there was no other piece of furniture. Some of the papyrus and books looked ancient.

Ayla wondered what kind of system it had if one at all. She found a whole section of books written in Greek, so she perused the titles. Some were plays, stories, history, and then a name caught her eye, Hippokrátēs ho Kṓos. It was a name Ayla knew well. Hippokrates was a Greek and the Father of Medicine.

"Surely not," Ayla whispered, her heart racing as she pulled the leather-covered book out from where it was wedged. She placed it on the table, unwound the cracked strip of leather holding it together, and opened its cover. Inside were Greek scribblings and drawings.

"God in Heaven," she murmured. It was part treatise on medicine, part list of healing plants, patient notes, and cures for their ailments. Ayla didn't know how old it was, and she figured it was likely a copy of the great physician's notes. It didn't matter. Being a doctor and half Greek, she knew the treasure she was holding.

Knowing she would get stuck reading, Ayla closed the book and tucked it under her arm. She continued her walk through the library, her attention snagging on a dark doorway on the far side.

Like the library, lights on sensors turned on as Ayla stepped through the door and down a set of worn stone steps. It grew cooler the further she walked, unknowing how deep she was underground.

She found weapons, hundreds of swords, shields, and spears from all different periods in one room.

Next, she discovered Set’s treasure: golden statues, piles of coins, the glint of gemstones, jewelry, and ornamental daggers. She could imagine the heart attack such a horde would give an archaeologist.

She kept going, too nervous to touch anything. She went deeper, and on the next level down, she found sarcophagi in rows.

One looked grander than the others. Dried flowers and incense sat in small golden bowls at the base of the biggest sarcophagus.

On the top was carved the likeness of a stunningly beautiful woman. The hieroglyphs and carvings around her were all inlaid with gold and precious stones.

"I wonder who you are?" she asked the woman. She must have been someone Set cared for or loved very much to give her such a grand burial. Ayla studied the symbols, making out trees and winged suns, griffons, and shen rings.

The hair on the back of Ayla's neck stood up as she looked at the number of sarcophagi in the hall.

Set would have known and lost them all. Ayla had only lost one person in her life, and her grief almost broke her apart. She suddenly felt horribly sad for Set, the people he no longer had, but he still maintained their resting places.

Having the sensation she was intruding somewhere she shouldn't be, Ayla hurried from the hall of the dead, her feet slapping against the cold stone. Once she was back on the ground level, Ayla steadied her breath, and the cruel sadness slowly released its hold on her.

Clutching the journal of Hippokrates's notes, Ayla went to find some sunshine to sit in and forget about the dead beneath her feet. She had enough to think about with a hit out on her and the tatters her life was in.

On top of that, Set was still gone, and she had no idea when he would return. The temple around her felt too big and empty without him, so Ayla walked into the garden, found a chair overlooking the river, and started to read.