Set by Alessa Thorn

5

Set checked the locks on the windows and surveyed the streets below. Ayla was curled up on a sagging couch, a sleeping bag tossed over her. She looked smaller and more vulnerable in her sleep.

At least she is sleeping. That told him that she felt safe enough around him to let her guard down. He didn't know why that made him feel so good.

Protector.It was a title he hadn't worn in so long that he'd forgotten the sense of duty that came with it.

Set went into the kitchen and called Kader. He had to do the usual dance of getting connected through the prison phone operators, but finally, he answered.

"I thought you might want to know I have her, and she's safe," Set said.

"Good job. When you said Moussa's men had beaten you to her, I feared the worst," Kader replied. "Is she hurt?"

"Few scrapes and bruises, but nothing she won't recover from." Set looked across the apartment at the woman on the couch. "She's tough. Didn't scream or cause a fuss. She patched me up."

"From all accounts, she has a compassionate heart. It's what makes her such a good doctor." There was a long pause. "What is she like?"

She's kind of funny and beautiful and smells of almond oil and myrrh. Her eyes and mouth are big, but they suit her smooth round face with skin like soft...

"Curious about her father," Set answered quickly, shutting down every thought in his head. "Moussa's men asked her about cocaine, so if you had hoped she wouldn't find out about your business, that's blown."

Kader swore. "Well, try not to tell her too much. The more she knows, the more dangerous it will be for her. What's your plan?"

"I'm going to let her sleep for a bit and then try to get her to the airfield. With any luck, this time tomorrow, she'll be in Cairo and beyond Moussa's grasp," Set replied. He tapped his fingers on the hilt of the knife at his belt. "Has Abasi figured out where his leak is yet?"

"He's going to report back to me tonight, but you know him. Abasi doesn't stop when he's onto something."

"Good. I made a mess of the men who took her. I was trying to get them to hand her over, negotiate to avoid bloodshed."

"You? Avoid bloodshed? Am I talking to the right Set?"

"I didn't want her to see it."

Kader's laughter died. "That was thoughtful of you."

"They held a knife to her throat, and I... overreacted. I'm sorry if it has repercussions," Set replied, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck.

Kader's voice was deadly cold. "Moussa took my daughter and made her bleed. You don't have to apologize for starting a war when Moussa is the one who declared it. As soon as Ayla is safe, I fully intend to set you loose on all of them."

"Let's just focus on getting her to Cairo first. I'll deal with Moussa later. I'll see you soon, boss."

"Set? Try not to scare her too much."

He laughed softly. "Something tells me she doesn't scare so easily."

Set hung up the phone and went back to the lounge to watch over the doctor. Magic pulled insistently at his Ka, and he shoved it away.

He had the power to follow that tug on his soul and to see precisely what Shai, the god of fate and destiny, was trying to tell him. Set hadn't used his god powers in centuries. It was easier to pretend to be human without them, and he didn't want to try and use them now. It would distract him too much, something he didn't need.

"What is it about you that disturbs my Ka so much?" Set murmured over the sleeping woman. He'd had a legion of lovers over the centuries. He couldn't recall any of his feelings towards them but a need for release.

Set stopped his hand before he brushed the dark curls from her face. Tenderness wasn't a part of his nature, but that's what she made him feel, and he didn't like it.

His hand moved to rest on the bandage on his arm before quickly letting it drop. The charms he wore to make him appear human had made the ichor in his wound look like blood, so she had no clue that she was washing the wounds of a god. He could heal the wound with a thought, but she had been so determined to tend to him, and he had been surprised enough to let her do it.

Foolish and stupid, that's what she will turn you into if you don't distance yourself.

Set went to the windows and looked outside. The sooner he could get her to Cairo and out of his orbit, the better. She made his god side restless, and the last thing Egypt needed was the god of war and chaos on a rampage over a woman.

Dawn was just making its presence known when movement caught Set's eye. Two men were on the roof of the building opposite theirs, the gleam of first light catching the sword one had at his side.

A low growl crept out of Set's throat. Moussa had found them faster than he anticipated. Set didn't have time to question how. He shut the curtains and crouched down next to the doctor.

"Ayla, wake up," Set whispered, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Hmm," Ayla murmured. She opened one eye, gave him a sleepy smile. "You're going to have to go, my shift starts soon, and I don't need a handsome man distracting me."

Set grinned in amusement. "I'm flattered, but I'm not one of your hook ups, doctor. Wake up, Moussa's men have found us." Set was almost sad to see the hazy desire chill as reality hit Ayla. She sat bolt upright.

"I need my bra."

"You need your boots more."

"I can't run without either."

Set was going to argue, but she was already stumbling to the bathroom. Less than thirty seconds later, she appeared again, struggling to get her arms back through the t-shirt she was wearing. It was a pity; he'd rather enjoyed the sway of her breasts.

People are about to attack you. Stop thinking about breasts.

Ayla shoved her feet into her boots and tied them. "How did they find us? I thought this was a safe house."

"I don't know, and it doesn't matter. I give them about another minute before they hit us. Do you know how to use a gun?" he asked.

"Yes, but I'd prefer not to."

"Then stay behind me and do as I say." Set pulled out a knife. He didn't want guns going off and waking up the rest of the building. Not yet anyway.

The door rattled, and Set pulled Ayla up against the wall. "Stay."

There was another rattle as someone picked the lock, and the door opened a crack. A barrel of an assault rifle came in first, and Set grabbed it, yanking the man inside and driving his dagger up under his chin. He garbled blood as Set lowered him silently to the ground and out of the way.

He waited a minute before he toed the door open with his boot and risked checking around it. Two men were at the stairs. Hiding his face, he signaled for them to come through.

They realized the trap too late. Set cut the first man's throat with a well-practiced flick of his wrist and shoved him into the second, unbalancing him and sending a wave of bullets wide. Set's knife struck him twice in the ribs, and he sank to the ground, wheezing.

Ayla was pale, but she still followed when Set took her hand.

"Stay low and behind me. I'll survive a few bullets, but you won't," he said.

"That's optimistic," Ayla replied.

Set opened the fire escape door, checking no one was coming up before he led her into the pitch-black darkness and down two flights of stairs.

"How can you even see where you are going?" she asked. Set caught her as she fumbled on a step.

"Lots of practice. Are you sure you don't want a gun?"

"I'd probably shoot you by accident."

Set pulled her close and whispered in her ear. "We are going to go out the door and take the alleyway on the left. Don't stop moving and keep your head down and behind me."

"Understood."

Cars and motorbikes were already zooming down the streets as early commuters headed into work. Set pulled out his gun, opened the door, and checked no one was close. Ayla jumped as he fired two quick shots, and men dropped from the opposite roof.

"Move." Set jogged into the ally. He needed to find a car, something that would give Ayla a bit of cover. He went to turn right and pulled Ayla down as gunfire opened out on them. He scrambled, shielding her as he dragged her behind a parked car.

"I'm going to return fire and cover you. I need you to run down that street and hide behind the blue truck. Stay there until I come and get you," he commanded. Ayla was shaking hard but nodded. With his supernatural hearing, he counted another two rounds from the first gun and three from a second.

"Run!" he shouted and opened fire on their assailants. He didn't turn to see if Ayla had obeyed him, just focused on the two men that had them pinned. He took out the first man with a headshot. The second, he shot both of his hands. Screaming, the man writhed on the ground as Set came to stand over him.

"How did you know where to find us?" he demanded.

"Burn in hell! That slut will be—" Set shot him, just as shouting came from the next street over. He ran around the corner to see two men in police uniforms dragging Ayla out from under the truck.

"Set!" she screamed as she was shoved in the back of a police car. She banged on the back window as he bolted after her. The car tires squealed, and they drove off before he could reach her.

Hot power like molten gold rushed through him, tearing away any semblance of humanity. Set the monster roared, and no one in Aswan was safe.

* * *

Ayla's hands were scraped,and she was bleeding all over the back seat of the sedan. She had been hiding as Set had told her to, praying to a god that she wasn't sure she still believed in that he was okay.

When the two police officers had approached her, she thought that she was saved. Right up until one had grabbed her and shoved her to the dirty road.

"This is the one Moussa is after. Better we hand her over and get the bounty than anyone else," he said.

"No!" Ayla kicked out at him, hitting him in the knee as she had scrambled under the truck. They had grabbed her legs and dragged her out.

Now she was filthy and bloody all over again. She had no doubt that Set would be coming for her...at least, she hoped he was. He could be gunned down in the street for all she knew.

"You are making a big mistake," Ayla said, trying to think of something to offer them or scare them with. "Do you even know who I am?"

"You're the doctor everyone wants, and that's all I care about."

"Do you know why they want me?" They didn't answer, so Ayla hoped for ignorance and plunged on. "I am Kader Ayad's daughter. You know him, don't you?"

The driver swore and shared a look with his partner. "Did you know that?"

"No, I only knew that they wanted her."

"That's right, you two idiots are in trouble now. That guy I was with was Set Akhom."

"You fucking moron! You have killed us both!" the man in the passenger seat started yelling.

"Keep your panties on. Set Akohm is a myth that Ayad's people made up to scare his rivals. He's not a real person. She's just fucking with you," the driver replied.

"Watch out!" his partner shouted as a burning motorcycle landed on the road in front of them. Ayla was thrown as the car swerved.

She whirled around just in time to see Set launch himself off another motorcycle and sail impossibly through the air towards them. His golden eyes glowed like fire as the huge khopesh he carried was hurled at the roof of the police car.

Ayla screamed as the blade cut through the metal and missed her by mere inches. Set landed hard on the boot of the car, metal screeching and everyone shouting while the driver fought to keep control.

The blade ripped free and came down again, its golden power slicing through the passenger door across both of the cops and out the other side.

Ayla slammed into the metal grating of the barrier as the car collapsed in two, and the front half was hurled away. Set ripped the back passenger door off.

Ayla was too frightened to move, hands gripping the sides of the broken chair. Set was glowing with shimmering golden light, eyes blazing and vicious.

"Doctor, I'm sorry to keep you waiting," he said, offering her a hand out. "Are you hurt?"

"What the fuck are you?" Ayla demanded, fear and adrenaline riding her hard.

"We can discuss it later. More men are coming," Set snapped, reaching in and pulling her out of the wreckage. Cars were stopping, and horns were blaring as they got off the road.

"Where are we going?" Ayla asked, stumbling after him on shaking legs. Set was still glowing, vibrating with a power she didn't understand but felt like a heatwave emanating from him.

"To the river. We need a boat. I can't trust the roads, and if there are police in on the bounty, then the airfield is fucked," Set replied. He lifted his nose to the air, sniffing like a dog. "The Nile is close."

Ayla's body gave out and slumped next to a wall, her ribs and back hurting as she shook.

"What's wrong?" he demanded, turning his blazing eyes on her.

"I can't... you're a..."

"I'm a god, yes, and we still have to move," he snarled.

The panic attack had her now, even though Ayla knew gods existed. Hades and his Court frequented the news often enough that they were just like other celebrities. She had never thought to meet such a being.

Oh God, he saw my underwear, she thought randomly and started laughing.

"I'm sorry, it's a stress response," she blabbered, but she couldn't stop. "Set, I'm sorry...oh, fuck. TheSet. You're—" She didn't get to finish as he took her face in his hands and kissed her.

Shock replaced the panic as Set's burning lips ravaged hers. It was brutal and hungry, edging on a bite that robbed her of her senses. Ayla gripped at his chest, hands needing something to hang onto as her shaking stopped and she started to go boneless. Set pulled away, hands dropping to her hips to steady her.

"Now that you're calm again, I need you to get your ass moving. Think you can do that for me, doctor?" Set asked. Ayla nodded, heat rising to her face. "Good. We make for the river."