Set by Alessa Thorn

9

Ayla woke to a warm and rocking motion. She opened her eyes and saw golden stone walls carved with hieroglyphs. Her face was resting against Set's strong, muscled chest as he carried her through the tomb.

He smelled faintly of spice, cardamom or cinnamon, and Ayla pressed her nose to his shirt.

I'm dreaming, she thought drowsily. They weren't really in a tomb. She snuggled further into him and went back to sleep.

When she woke again, she was lying in an unfamiliar bed, the moon shining on the garden and river outside. Ayla pushed her hair from her face and sat up, trying to orientate herself.

Set said he was taking you home. Maybe you slept deeper than you thought.

Golden eyes watched her from the shadows of a pillar. In the darkness, she made out the shape of a huge guard dog as it padded forward.

"I hope you're friendly," she whispered, holding out a hand to it. It tilted its head at her before pressing its muzzle into her palm. She scratched its ear. "Good boy."

It jumped up on the end of the bed and curled up. Ayla was too sleepy to argue. "Okay then, but don't tell your dad."

* * *

The sun washigh and hot by the time Ayla roused, sticky with sweat. There was a canopy of sheer white fabric hanging over the four-poster bed she was lying in, enclosing her to keep the mosquitos out. It took her brain a few moments to catch up with the events.

Edfu, the attack, the car ride.

I'm in Set's house.

She sat up, wincing as the bruises on her ribs and shoulder barked in pain. She needed a shower and some clean clothes.

Ayla found a bathroom adjoining the bedroom and marveled at the luxury around her. She didn't know why, but she didn't think it would be something that the god of war would worry about. She had never been happier to be wrong.

While the large shower with multiple jets looked welcoming, she chose the elegant, deep bathtub. She was aching everywhere and needed a soak. There was a variety of salts in white jars, and she chose one that smelled of frangipani and lemon before tipping it into the steaming tub.

Ayla stripped off, climbed into the milky water, and let out a groan. Her head tipped against the rim of the tub, and she shut her eyes.

"Making yourself at home, I see."

Ayla started, her knees automatically pulling up to her chest. Set stood at the bathroom door with an amused grin on his face. He was looking relaxed and casual in loose linen pants and a singlet.

"Don't worry, I can't see anything," he assured her. "Pity."

"Not the point! Get out," Ayla demanded, face flaming.

"I will. I just thought you might be hungry. I didn't expect to find you in there." Set placed a cup of black coffee on the tub's edge and a small bowl of cut-up mango. "Enjoy your bath." With a grin, he was gone again.

Ayla's mortification lasted until she had her first mouthful of coffee. It was strong and good, clearing the haze from her mind.

For the first time in days, she felt perfectly safe. That realization had tears welling up in her eyes.

How did her life turn into such a nightmare? She needed to get in contact with her boss, Pierre, somehow so he wouldn't worry.

Ayla was going to need some serious time with her therapist once it was over. Her mother had lied to her for years about her father.

Ayla didn't think anything could hurt more than her mother dying while she had been on the other side of Africa. She was wrong about that too.

Amara had hidden how bad the cancer was and had sent Ayla off on her new adventure with Panacea. She had chatted happily with her while she was over there. And then Ayla had received a call to say her mother had died. Just like that.

She had been so angry the whole trip back to Alexandria. She had learned from strangers that Amara hadn't wanted her to hold back on her dream. She didn't want Ayla to see her suffer. She had died alone, just like she wanted.

Did Kader know? Had Amara talked to him, pretending everything was okay too? Did he even care?

Ayla slid under the water and screamed until she ran out of breath. It took her a while to calm down once more. The confusion and hurt eased as she nibbled on her mango, and her stomach stopped cramping.

"You can get through this like you've gotten through everything else," she said to herself, over and over.

At least she was stuck with a bodyguard that she liked. Even if he didn't know how to knock. Set had brought her back to his house, and she doubted that he did that with many people.

"You can't hide in here forever," Ayla murmured. She fought the urge to top the tub up with more hot water, but instead, she washed her hair and got out.

Ayla went back to the bedroom with a towel wrapped around herself and spotted the bag of clothes she had got in Edfu. She picked the purple maxi dress she had bought and pulled it on. It was already a warm day, and in another hour, she knew she would be sweltering in anything heavier.

The previous night, Ayla had thought she was in a tomb, but as she left the bedroom and went in search of Set, she had to reassess. The walls were stone and decorated in hieroglyphs, statures, and occasionally a modern painting. It was open, with stone pillars and large doorways with views of the river.

Ayla found Set sipping coffee in a modern kitchen and reading a paper. She had never seen him so at ease before. The singlet he was wearing showed off the size of his muscles in a way that had Ayla too distracted to know where to look.

"Hey, you have any more of that coffee?" Ayla asked, gripping her empty cup and bowl. The smell of baking bread filled the air, and her stomach growled.

"Sure, on the stove," Set replied, pointing to the metal pot. "How was the bath?"

"Heavenly, despite the interruption." Ayla refilled her cup before sitting at the table opposite him. "This is quite the place. It feels...old and new at the same time." She struggled to find the exact words.

"It's my old temple. Naqada used to be one of my spiritual centers," Set explained, pushing the plates of chopped fruit towards her as well as fresh bread drizzled in honey. "I converted the temple when it fell into ruin and made it my base."

"Ah, that explains it. I thought I was in a tomb, to begin with."

Set laughed. "The lower levels have quite a few."

"Got to hide the bodies somewhere," Ayla said.

"Something like that." Set's golden eyes turned serious as he took in the bruises on her shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

"A little sore, but I'll live. Any luck on figuring out how they found us in Edfu?" Ayla asked, picking at the fruit.

"Not yet. I've checked in with Kader, told him what happened. He's pissed I'm not telling anyone where you are. Not even him. It's the only way I know you'll be safe. This whole situation is annoying me." Set ran a hand through his loose black hair, and she wanted to know if it felt as silky as it looked.

"I'm sorry about the inconvenience," she said and quickly put bread in her mouth.

"No, you're not annoying. You're..." Set looked even more frustrated. "You're not the problem. This bullshit with Moussa is. I'm thinking of leaving you here for a few days and going to Cairo to sort this mess out."

Ayla's stomach knotted at the thought of him leaving her here alone and vulnerable. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I thought Abasi was looking into the mole."

"He's trying to be quiet and diplomatic about it. My way will be messier, but faster. You shouldn't be caught up in any of this."

Set looked at her plate. "How's the honey? My bees made it."

"Really good. You know it's quite the mind fuck to have you talking cheerily about murdering Moussa and his men, and then ask me if I like your honey," Ayla said, shaking her head.

Set only smiled, and again, she felt that warm tug in her stomach. "I take enjoyment in a lot of things, Ayla. Blood and honey included."

Ayla didn't have a chance to reply before a man and a woman came in. Set was up in a blink to greet them.

"I hope we are not interrupting," a stunning black woman said, bright brown eyes going to Ayla. She looked to be in her early forties and had her hair tied up in an abundance of long braids. Her smile brightened as she glanced between Ayla and Set.

"Not at all. I'm glad to see you. Ayla, this is Isoba, the local Coptic priest, and his wife, Miryam. They run the place."

"What lies you tell," Miryam chided him. "We all look after each other, and you know it."

"It's nice to meet one of Set's friends. I was starting to think I was the only one," Isoba said with a smile. "I'm interested to learn how you got caught up with such a fiend, let alone become his girlfriend."

"I'm not his girlfriend! People are trying to kill me, and Set has been kind enough to make sure that it doesn't happen," Ayla replied a little too quickly, neck burning. The priest lifted a black eyebrow at Set, who shrugged.

"I'm temporarily back in the protection business."

"I didn't think you had left it," Miryam replied.

"Don't listen to them, doctor. They like to make me seem better than I am like you do," Set said.

"You're a doctor? Why would anyone want to kill you?" Miryam asked with interest. Set gave Ayla a warning look.

"I have a bad father, as I've recently learned," Ayla replied. She wasn't in the habit of lying to priests.

"How about you take Ayla to look at the village, Miryam, while Set and I can catch up," Isoba suggested.

"I'd like that. I haven't had the freedom to walk about in the past few days," Ayla said, getting to her feet. "I'll just find some shoes and a scarf."

Miryam followed her to her rooms, chatting easily with her about her work with Panacea.

"I really am surprised to find a woman in Set's house. When one of the children said that he had spotted Set returning with company last night, I told him off for lying. We haven't seen Set for months."

"Is that so unusual?" Ayla asked, slipping on the sandals she had bought.

"He usually checks in once a month. Makes sure everything is okay. He says that he's not into protection, but that's what he does with this place," Miryam replied. "And now he has brought us a doctor."

"I don't think he planned it that way," Ayla said. She wrapped the light scarf around her shoulders and chest to protect herself from the sun. "Why? Do you require a doctor?"

"We are a small remote community. We always need a doctor since the hospital closed five years ago." Miryam shook her head. "When word gets out, you'll have people lining up to see you."

"I'll help if it's needed," Ayla said sincerely. Miryam studied her with her wide brown eyes.

"You do know what he is, don't you?" she asked.

"The part about him being a mercenary or a god?"

"I suppose you do. He doesn't trust anyone easily, but he trusts you. Otherwise, he would never have brought you here."

Ayla smiled at that. "We have to trust each other at the moment. Can I ask how you feel about a god living in your neighborhood since you are Coptic Christian?"

"Set has looked after this place for a very long time. He's never held anyone's beliefs against them, so no one cares what he is," Miryam replied as they headed out of the front doors.

"He is very determined to have me believe he is a terrible person," Ayla said.

Miryam laughed loudly at that and showed Ayla the path by the river.

"Well, he's not exactly a good one, but as you will see, he's not as terrible as he thinks."