Thoth by Alessa Thorn
22
The following morning, Kema kissed a sleepy Thoth before returning to her room and looking for her phone. The magic of the house had placed it on a small dresser and plugged into its charger. Kema had to admit, she loved a house that did things for her.
Skimming through her contacts, she found Hermes listed under ‘The Most Powerful God of Magic.’ Kema had snorted with laughter when she had first seen what he had listed himself as and then decided to leave it. She texted him to see if he wanted coffee. She needed to talk to someone, and for once in her life, she had a someone.
Name the place, and I’ll be there, Hermes replied a minute later.
Smiling, Kema sent him the name of a cafe near the Biblioteca and went to check on Anubis. The god of the dead was sniffing around the kitchen, so Kema fed him and tried to resist the impulse to treat him like a dog.
“Don’t worry, Anubis, you won’t be like this for long. I promise,” she said and patted his sleek fur. “Thoth will figure it out, and you’ll be back to your old self in no time.”
Anubis gave her a side eye glance that said he wasn’t going to hold his breath.
Outside, the day was warm and sunny, and Kema’s heart hummed with a strange kind of happiness. Hermes was waiting for her under the shade of a palm, looking sexy and aloof and getting perved on by nearly everyone that walked past.
Why didn’t I get any of those cool genes? She smoothed the skirt of her red halter top sundress and tried not to be nervous.
“There she is. You’re up early this morning,” Hermes greeted her.
“It’s ten, hardly early.”
“Still, I was surprised and pleased to get your message. What’s up?”
“Anubis mostly.” Kema and Hermes bought coffee and walked along the waterfront.
The Mediterranean Sea was a stunningly blue expanse in front of them. She told him about the trip to Saqqara, tracking Anubis, the fight, and finally getting him back to Alexandria. When she told him about Anubis missing part of his soul, Hermes cursed softly.
“That’s what he was trying to tell me that night? Fuck, I wish I had gone back. I can’t even remember why I didn’t,” he said.
“Anubis is found now, and that’s all that matters. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have found him at all.”
“This is going to drive Thoth crazy. But enough of them, I want to know about you, Kema,” Hermes said with an encouraging smile.
“Me? There’s not much to tell.”
“Out with it. Do you know who your parents are? Where did you grow up? What about finding out about your magic?” Hermes pressed.
Kema found herself telling the God of Thieves her life story, including finding Thoth and stealing his book, how she always felt a connection to magic and sought to learn more about it.
“Now I get why Thoth is so enamored of you,” Hermes said, laughing softly. “Not only are you beautiful, but you love magic more than anything else. Even people.”
“People let you down. Magic never does,” Kema replied logically.
“And that is the most Thoth statement that’s ever come out of your mouth.”
Kema shrugged. “It’s still not wrong.”
“What’s going on with you two anyway? Is he still dancing around you, trying to figure out how to make a move, or did you make it for him?” Hermes burst into loud laughter when he saw her expression. “You made it for him. I thought you two were going to rip each other’s clothes off the other night at the club, so I’m glad you waited until I couldn’t see. Well, well, so the old bird had it in him after all. It’s serious business if you finally got him into bed.”
Kema rubbed at the back of her burning neck. “Do you think so? These things are hard to tell, and I’m not really good at the whole dating thing.”
“Sweetheart, you’re well past dating and into something else entirely. You better figure out how you feel about him because I can guarantee he’s already overanalyzed his own emotions on the matter,” Hermes replied. He looped her arm in his. “Now, tell Grandfather Hermes how you feel.”
“Easier said than done. You know, magic is the only thing that’s ever made me get, you know —” she waggled her fingers over her stomach, “Butterflies? Not men or money or anything else. Only magic. I saw Thoth again and then—” She made the gesture again. “It’s getting worse too.”
“It’s okay to be in love. Even if it’s with a surly old god,” Hermes teased gently.
“I’ve always thought love is a con. I don’t know what to do about it. He’s going to get that disapproving look on his face if I tell him, like I’m a silly mortal having feelings.” Kema wouldn’t be able to handle that. Her heart and nerves felt ripped open and raw enough.
“Thoth might be an asshole, but he would never do that. Besides, he feels the same way. He’s probably being stubborn about it though, because he loves being stubborn about everything.”
“I don’t know, Hermes. I don’t want to spill my guts to him unless I have to. We are only just figuring this out, and I don’t want to jeopardize what we are doing with Anubis or my chance to learn magic because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut,” Kema tried to explain.
Hermes patted her hand. “I understand. Let me assure you though, with Thoth’s help or not, you are always going to have a chance to learn magic. He only doesn’t want you as an apprentice because it would put himself in a position of authority over you. He’s in love with you too much to do that. Hecate and I would teach you anything you want to know. No matter what happens, you’re always going to be welcome in Greece.”
Kema’s heart gave a painful squeeze, and she blinked back the sudden tears in her eyes. “You think so? Selene doesn’t mind that you have a granddaughter? What about the Court? They might not want some fortunetelling hustler in their midst.”
Hermes put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her tight. “Oh, sweetheart. Firstly, Selene knows my history and isn’t surprised or worried that I have a human descendent. She sees it as expanding the rest of the family. As for the Court, it is full of monsters, thieves, orphans, and misfits. You would fit right in, and they would love you.”
Kema kissed his cheek, overcome with emotion she didn’t know how to process. “Thank you. I would like that one day. For now, I have to stay here and figure out whatever this is with Thoth and help Anubis.”
“I agree about Anubis. As for Thoth, you’re always welcome to bring him.”
Kema laughed. “I don’t know if I could ever convince him to leave his library.”
Hermes looked thoughtful before he smiled slyly. “You know, the Court confiscated a lot of relics and books from Darius Drakos’s horde. It does need coding and cataloguing. I mean, who knows what magical relics he had.”
“You really are clever, aren’t you?” Kema said, her smile mirroring his own.
“I’m properly motivated. If you are staying in Egypt for a while, please be aware of the likes of Darius,” Hermes said. He told her in more detail about the aftermath of Darius’s attack on Styx, and how they were uncovering other humans trying to find and use magical or divine objects.
“Egypt will have opportunists hiding everywhere, the same as Greece. Perhaps more because they have no fear of Hades or the Court to keep them in check. These people are dangerous, Kema, and I worry that Set and Thoth have dismissed them too easily. Thoth is too focused on magic and now Anubis, and Set has never met an enemy he hasn’t been able to destroy. We felt like that too until our city was burning and Darius was killing Demeter,” Hermes said, true concern shifting his features from cunning god to concerned grandfather.
“If I see or hear anything, I’ll let you know. I have your number now and know when to use it,” Kema replied, trying to reassure him.
“Use it any time you like. We are family now, and don’t you forget it,” Hermes said.
Kema didn’t know what to say to that. Everything was happening so fast. In mere weeks, her life had gone from solitude to having a family and a magical lover to boot. That Hermes was so accepting of her place amongst them despite her inexperience made her feel so grateful and so unworthy at the same time. Maybe in time, she would stop feeling that way.
For now, she would focus on being grateful, taking everything a day at a time, and helping Anubis. She didn’t like that side eye he had given her, like he had given up long ago.
Kema looked up at Hermes, golden and grinning, her mind ticking. “Families help each other, right?” she asked.
“This one does. Why?” Hermes replied.
“I need a favor.”
