“You are only to answer the questions I pose to you. Otherwise remain silent.”
“Shouldn’t I get a say in deciding my own fate?”
“She has a point,” the kinder goddess proposed.
To say that Ma’at didn’t like to be contradicted would be an egregious understatement of vast proportions. She turned her back to me, ignoring me completely, as she addressed the other woman. “This is not an occasion where we should allow the influence of a mortal to color our decisions, Nephthys. I know how you love them, but you must cede to my experience regarding this matter.”
Nephthys twitched her hands with nervous energy and glanced in my direction. She then nodded and sat back in her chair. I stared at her, wondering how so delicate and beautiful a creature could have agreed to marry the creepy god Seth. Amun-Ra had said she could see into his heart. Personally, I wouldn’t want to get close enough to the guy to do any such thing. A shiver ran down my spine as I thought about him.
Ma’at turned her attention back to me, likely preparing to banish me yet again, but Anubis interrupted. “Wait! I will offer to be her patron.”
Ma’at closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers. “You cannot, Anubis. You know this already. The law says you are only allowed to select one mortal and you have. This”—she gestured vaguely to Asten—“young…person was your choice. You imbued him with your powers, how many years ago was it?”
“Millennia,” Anubis muttered tightly with a quick glance at Asten.
Ma’at smiled. “Exactly. You can only advocate for one mortal while they still live. And he does live…in a manner of speaking.”
“I will sponsor her,” the soft-spoken goddess, Nephthys, offered.
“Oh, Nephthys.” Ma’at clicked her tongue. “You are not allowed to take part in such a thing. You know that your rights have been stripped due to the actions of your errant husband.”
“I know,” Nephthys admitted. “It’s just that I’d like to help.”
“Your help, I might remind you, is what got us all into this mess in the first place. If you hadn’t been so keen on gaining the attention and approval of your husband, you would have told us what he was up to long before we had to call upon the Sons of Egypt for their assistance. Not that we blame you, dear. It is not unusual for a woman to compromise her values in order to gain the affection of a man.”
“Yes,” Nephthys said meekly. “Of course. I understand.”
My hands tightened into fists, and I had to work to keep my claws retracted. Tia bristled along with me. So far we didn’t like the goddess of justice very much.
“It is within the bounds for me to sponsor someone,” Osiris interjected as he rose from his throne and approached the dais. “Is it not, Ma’at?”
The goddess hedged. “Technically, you have the right, Osiris. But in doing so you are allowing yourself to succumb to the powers of her heart scarab.”
“That is completely false,” he avowed. “You may judge my heart if you wish, but you know that I am bound to Isis. I love my wife. Our relationship offers me protection from the influence of the scarab. Anubis”—he gestured to the god holding up the wall—“may be under its sway…”
Glancing over at Anubis proved that Osiris had come to the right conclusion. Anubis had fixed his eyes on me and appeared unwilling to tear them away.
“…but I assure you I am not,” Osiris continued.
“That is all well and good,” Ma’at said. “However, I would caution you not to waste such a precious gift on one such as her.”
“Hey!” I spat.
She ignored me.
“Really?” Osiris said. “And why is that?” he asked as he folded his arms across his chest and appraised me, considering her words. But when she wasn’t looking, he winked and I tried in vain to suppress an answering smile.
“First, she is still alive. We don’t judge the living.” She cupped her hand around the bar of the scale and raised her stubborn chin, waiting for his retort.
“Is that the only thing?” Osiris asked calmly.
The goddess faltered for a moment. “No. There is more. She seeks to enter the netherworld to rescue her love. The last time we allowed something like this to happen, there were grave consequences. And his lost love, I’ll remind you, was still residing here, in the afterlife, which is inherently less dangerous. That is why we decided to forbid such a thing.”