Thoth by Alessa Thorn

14

Thoth spent the following day reviewing memory spells that could possibly help Hermes and trying not to think about what had happened between him and Kema.

It was only a kiss, Thoth reminded himself for the hundredth time. It had been angry and hot and impulsive. It also made him aware of her, in his house, in a way that had only been a mild distraction before and was a raging one now. He thought that Kema being of Hermes’s bloodline would lessen his interest. It hadn’t.

Thoth had carefully stayed out of Kema’s way as she worked in the store, unsure of how to proceed next. It had been so long since he had been interested in anyone, or thought about courting, that he couldn’t quite remember the steps of the dance.

Knowing Kema, she will be the one to dance like a dervish around you anyway.Thoth grinned at the thought and picked up another book on memory curses.

It wasn’t only Hermes’s predicament that concerned Thoth. His information about Anubis being in his animal form and the possibility he had been cursed were also troubling him.

Thoth could come up with only a handful of priests and sorcerers in all of his long history that would have the power to curse a god.

There was also the possibility that Anubis had been cursed by another god, but that didn’t make sense. Unlike Thoth and Set, Anubis was loved by people and gods alike. He was sometimes stern, but he was always patient, calm, and kind.

Anubis was also the one god that could talk sense to the others. Even Thoth, who hated listening to anyone, would listen to him when he spoke.

“Who did you upset, nephew?” Thoth murmured under his breath.

Hermes annoyed the shit out of Thoth, but he would work with him as long as he must to get Anubis back. The Duat was starting to crumble without him, and if it was weakened enough, all of the Afterlife could come flooding into the human world. The twenty underworld creatures Kema had allowed to escape would seem like a dream to take care of.

The heat of Hermes’s magic signaled his arrival in the bookstore, and Thoth grabbed his journal and headed for the door. He trusted this new Hermes about as much as the old one. Until Thoth was satisfied that Hermes wasn’t about to fuck Kema over in some way, he would keep a close eye on the pair of them.

“Can you make sense of this? I swear I’ve gone over this passage four times,” Kema was saying as Thoth pushed open the door to the bookstore.

“I was always more intuitive with magic, using what I had at the time and improvising.”

“I was doing that, but Thoth got angry about it. He said, and I quote, ‘You are wielding magic you have no understanding of and are doing it just because you know it works. You have no sense of self-preservation!’’’ Kema said with a fierce frown.

Hermes only laughed. “That sounds like Thoth. I’m sure he has a point, but learning magic from books never felt right to me.”

“You can read?” Thoth asked, making the pair of them look up guiltily.

“Busted,” Hermes whispered.

Kema hid the book under the counter. “I’ll just close the shop door,” she said. She was wearing a wine-red dress that day, and Thoth mentally thanked the house for making it for her. Her lips, painted the same delicious color, gave him a small secret smile.

“Nice to see you’re on time for once,” Thoth said, tearing his eyes away from Kema’s swaying hips.

“Believe it or not, I’m trying to stay on your good side.”

“You’re right, I don’t believe it.”

“Well, you should.” Hermes nodded in Kema’s direction. “I want to get to know her, and she’s not going to let me if we are at each other’s throats.”

“You say that like she cares what I think. I assure you, she doesn’t,” Thoth replied.

Hermes smiled. “It’s probably one of the things you like about her.”

“One of many things,” Thoth admitted.

“You know if you hurt her, I will do unspeakable things to you,” Hermes replied, still keeping his tone light. “I’m not going to threaten you too much. I feel like at our age, the threat is implied if you fuck with family.”

“We’ve always understood each other, Hermes. You know that the same fate will apply to you if you make her shed a single tear.”

Hermes held out his hand, and Thoth shook it.

“And what secret deal are you two making behind my back?” Kema asked, rejoining them.

“To work together like good little gods of magic, of course,” Hermes said, his smile perfectly angelic.

Kema glanced around her. “I’m just looking for the person who’s actually going to believe that lie because you can’t think I’m that dumb.”

“Bit of a smart ass, aren’t you?” Hermes said.

Thoth hummed. “She inherited it from her scion. Shall we get on with this memory retrieval?”

Thoth led them through to his workshop and pointed to the embalming table. “Up you get, Hermes.”

The other god hesitated before finally producing his caduceus and handing it to Kema. “Look after this for me. If it looks like Thoth has killed me, use it to bring me back. Don’t let him try one of his dodgy resurrection spells on me.”

Kema took the staff, holding it easily but with a look of awe on her face. “I promise. Though he’s been performing resurrections for a long time, he’s got to be good at them.”

“Thank you, Kema. I wouldn’t waste my power resurrecting a lout like you. I would send you in a box to Hades, and he can do what he wishes,” Thoth replied. He mixed rosemary, saffron, ginkgo, and ginseng in a small pestle and ground them up with honey.

“What are they for?” Kema asked from beside him.

“They are all herbs associated with memory, brain function, and healing. I’ve read case notes today dealing with memory curses, how to create and break them. These herbs are the most commonly used, so I figure they can’t hurt.”

Hermes lay down on the table. “It sounds like you are winging it, Thoth.”

“You came to me for help. Are you frightened of a few herbs and honey?”

“No, but you better hurry up and do this before Selene gets here. I left her shopping with Ayla, and the quicker this is done, the better,” Hermes said, fidgeting on the table.

“Why can’t she be here?” Kema asked.

“Selene worries, and it distracts me. She also has a natural healing magic that affects me when she’s close, and I didn’t want it messing with whatever Thoth needed to do.”

Thoth leaned over Hermes with a condescending smile. “Don’t worry, Trickster. I’ll be gentle with you.”

“Ha! Since when did you develop a sense of humor?”

“Perhaps about the same time you developed a conscience.” Thoth dipped his fingers into the herb and honey mixture. “Are you ready?”

Hermes nodded but caught Thoth’s wrist. “I’m trusting you not to go searching into memories that aren’t your business.”

“Do you think I want to wander in your depraved memory longer than I need to? I’m looking for Egypt, probably Memphis, at the end of the Roman period. Correct?” Thoth asked. Hermes nodded and released his wrist.

Thoth didn’t waste time. He drew, revealing glyphs on Hermes’s temple and forehead with the herb mixture, before sketching the corresponding ones onto himself.

“You better be ready for this, you thrice-great wanker,” Thoth said and released his magic. Hermes’s grin slackened, and his eyes rolled back in his head.

“Did you kill him already?” Kema asked.

“No, he’s just in a dream state that will make it easier for me to find what I need to.” Thoth turned to Kema. “If I’m not back in fifteen minutes, bring me back.”

“Bring you back? How? Thoth, if you think this is dangerous maybe you shouldn’t do it.”

Thoth brushed his thumb over her chin. “I’ll be fine. You’re very resourceful, and you have the caduceus. You’ll find a way to draw my consciousness back if you need to.”

“You hope.” Kema frowned. “If I can’t bring you back, I’m keeping the book shop.”

“I’d expect nothing less, little sorceress. Just think, if neither of us come back, you will get the caduceus as well.” He said it as a joke, but Kema’s worry was still radiating off her, and it bothered him far more than it should.

“Do you think I’m some hack magician that doesn’t know what he’s doing? A little faith please.”

“It’s not about faith, Thoth. It’s concern for your wellbeing. Has no one ever worried about you before?”

Thoth thought about it. “No. I don’t think so. I’ll be fine.”

“You better be,” she threatened softly.

Thoth leaned down so they were eye to eye. “I’ll make sure of it, because you and I have unfinished business. You aren’t getting rid of me that easily.”

Kema rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, I know I have to fix my mistakes with the cards. Blah blah.”

“Not what I was talking about,” he whispered, making her eyes widen and color stain her cheeks.

“Oh.”

“Indeed. Something for you to think about.”

Dragging his attention away from Kema, Thoth stared at the sleeping Hermes. He rolled his shoulders and placed two fingers on Hermes’s forehead. “This is really going to suck.”

* * *

Steppinginto Hermes’s memory was like walking through a shower of broken glass. Each piece held a memory, and few of them were connected correctly.

How had he lived this way?Thoth was astounded at the sheer viciousness of the curse that Zeus had laid on his own son.

Fucking Zeus.

The fact that Hermes was saying that he was doing much better was either a lie or this was his version of better. Thoth sent some healing and binding power through the shattered memories to help repair some of the damage.

Thoth focused and started to draw memories of Egypt to him to examine. Time moved differently in a mind. Thoth didn’t worry about it. He trusted Kema to bring him out if he needed to. It surprised him that he did after wanting to banish her to the Duat. Stranger things had happened, like him helping Hermes willingly.

Thoth saw a black dog, and he snatched the fragment to him. He held it close like he was examining a diamond. Cringing, he put the shard into his mouth.

* * *

The air was heavy with smoke, incense, and summer heat. People mingled in and around the Temple of Hathor Aphrodite. It was a celebration, wine and beer flowing freely, food being passed around, and worshippers kissing and making love in the open and in shadowy corners.

“I swear I’m getting too old for this,” Hermes complained. He was sitting on the edge of a fountain, looking at the revelry with a lack of enthusiasm. A sleek, black jackal sat beside him, head tilting as if he was listening. Hermes poured some of his beer into a bowl and placed it in front of the jackal.

“Maybe you have the right idea, Anubis. Living as an animal seems like freedom itself. You’ll have to tell me how you did it,” Hermes said. He was silent for a moment as the jackal put a paw on his thigh. “Really? This wasn’t by choice? That doesn’t seem right. You were always so levelheaded. Did you fall in love with the wrong mortal or something? Wait, I’m not following about your Ka. You know, we need more beer for this. I’ll go get some.”

Hermes wandered back inside the temple, and when he didn’t return, Anubis raced off into the night.

* * *

Thoth was pulledout of the memory and Hermes’s mind with a sudden jerk. He slowly registered his consciousness taking control of his body and Kema’s lips. They were soft and insistent against his, and he took the time to enjoy the moment.

“Come back you pain of a sorcerer!” she begged, before kissing him again. Thoth flicked his tongue against hers, and she jumped, pulling back from the embrace.

“I knew you were pretending!” Kema said, punching him in the shoulder.

Thoth swallowed a laugh. “I couldn’t help it. You were the one that kissed me.”

“I thought I’d try it over blasting you with the caduceus.”

“You could’ve blasted me so I didn’t have to witness you kissing that old vulture,” a drowsy Hermes said. “Although I must admit that shade of lipstick is becoming on you, Thoth. It makes you look less like one of your crusty old mummies.”

“Still better looking than you. Be careful when you sit up, Hermes,” Thoth said and helped steady him.

“Did you find what you needed?” he asked, rubbing his temple.

“I did. You met Anubis at a festival of Hathor. Anubis was going to tell you how he was cursed, but you wanted more beer and never returned,” Thoth replied. He wanted to be mad at Hermes but couldn’t quite summon the energy for it.

Hermes’s bleary vision focused. “What else did you do in there, Thoth? I feel…different.”

“I cast a few healing spells, fixed some connections. Don’t make a big deal out of it,” Thoth said then had the air knocked out of him as Hermes hugged him. Thoth looked to Kema for help. “What did I just say?”

“I knew you liked me, and you’ve been hiding it all this time,” Hermes said, letting Thoth go.

“You’re delusional.”

Hermes’s grin was as crooked as his morals. “Without a doubt. Did you figure out where we need to go tonight?”

Thoth nodded. “We start in Saqqara.”