8- Evening The Score
The ladies were in Aisha's apartment in a flash, arriving silently as they took in the bare walls, the cheaply made furniture, the single large room that held every possession she had. They noticed the second bed but dismissed it. Her roommate wasn't here now, or they would have felt it.
They each exchanged a silent look. Though the wives were from different continents and eras, they all knew instinctively what poverty looked like. Aisha crouched in the corner furiously growling about something being stupid. While she cleaned up the glass from the floor, she wiped at her face to keep the tears from falling. Lifting the smashed television from its place on a rickety organizer from Walmart, she turned in the direction of the women. With her hands too full to wipe her face, the tears cascaded down her cheeks.
"That man has to be the worst part of marrying Qebe," Serket insisted, her blood quietly boiling, "If I weren't 100% sure this would be his wife, I'd drop kick him right now. I wasn't sure before... but now I am."
The others nodded, thinking of the thoughtless god they just left. Every time a consort was taken, even if she wasn’t able to pass the final test, the others would feel a sense of familial attachment immediately. In his defense, they could at least understand Imset’s reservations. He’d gone through enough consort tests to last several lifetimes. And still he was alone. But how could they get him to understand they’d never felt the instant connection to one before. Never had they bonded to a consort they hadn’t met. And Imset hadn't even taken her officially as a consort. That had to say something about the future power of their bond. They were as drawn to her as they had been to each other.
Imset needed to understand that this time would be different. It would be the last. They couldn’t watch their future sister suffer and not intervene. If they left it to Imset, she’d run as far as she could get. And based on her aura… he’d never find another soul like that one.
At the sudden sound of someone talking, Aisha jumped, dropping the tv onto the ground. But instead of showing any fear or asking who the hell the women were, she just began to bawl harder at the new mess on the floor. Aisha felt light-headed and cold as her knees began to buckle. The room became the size of a closet, the walls all closing in on her.
"Oh honey, it's alright, he's an ass but he...means well.... actually no he really doesn't...but sometimes he's... no... um...he's really useful if you want someone dead... let's run you a nice hot shower and get this cleaned up," Nephy offered, rushing to the girl's side to catch her before she fell, "Don't worry they were all this way in the beginning..."
Aisha had no idea what the beautiful woman was talking about, but she let herself be led to the bathroom by a perfect stranger, who then cut on the shower. And she disrobed while the other two women stayed in the living area to clean up. If she hadn't already been sure she was having a mental breakdown, those two facts proved it. No functioning person would have been okay with perfect strangers appearing in their house. And then to get naked right in front of one? She didn't know exactly who the women were but they were either goddesses or consorts to have appeared out of thin air like that. And clearly her mind was in no condition to sort it out.
Drained and feeling like a boulder had settled in her gut, Aisha couldn't stop crying or shaking. She continued to wail, her head pounding and spinning. The nauseated feeling wouldn't stop. She knew it was ridiculous to cry like this over a tv. But she was just so tired. So exhausted.
"I-I'm sniffle s-sorry I-I can't sniffle stop sniffle cry-ying," she began to hiccup and hyperventilate, "I-I-I..."
"Honey, it's okay, shhhhh," Nephy soothed. She placed a gentle finger on Aisha's wrist, silently taking her pulse. Then she placed the back of her hand to Aisha's clammy head. The feel of her soft skin on her temple calmed Aisha slightly. Nephy sucked her teeth and began stroking Aisha's hair as they waited for the water to warm, "Is it possible...you're not crying because of the tv?"
The woman showed all the signs of an anxiety attack or stress induced shock. Nephy had spent enough time among humans and as one to know this was not normal behavior. The woman was having a breakdown. Not waiting for Aisha to respond, Nephy continued to stroke her hair, holding her close, "Because… it seems like you might be finally trying to process several traumatic things at once. Almost being raped. Being beaten. Imset arriving, and being his typical bastard of a self. And the excitement of having him here was probably a welcome distraction... from what you were really feeling."
Aisha didn't ask how she knew so much. Didn't even know the woman's name. Or why she cared about Aisha at all. Because all Aisha could focus on was why what she said was true. There were so many raging emotions inside of her that she could hardly breathe. Always angry, always bitter, always scared and sad and lonely. And she hadn't stopped to face a single one of those feelings. Especially not once she met Aiko. She buried all her insecurities and pain in that bright light. In her best friend. And now she was alone again. Somehow it was worse than it had ever been.
The television was just the catalyst. Not the source. She was finally giving into her own feelings. Aisha turned further into Nephy's chest and began to weep, neither of them cared in the least for the fact that she was naked or that water was being wasted.
"I-I was s-scared," she started gasping for air again, trying to grip Nephy's shoulders.
"Alright, it's alright, honey, anyone would have been scared. Any attack is terrifying but three against one... this is to be expected, honey. It's normal to feel insecure about the world, right now. Let's take that shower okay? And then we'll get some food in you and put you to bed. You need to rest..."
Nephy helped Aisha into the hot water and quickly sped back into the living area, "I'M GOING TO RIP HIS STUBBORN FUCKING HEAD OFF!"
"Calm down Nephthys, you know what happens when you get too angry... Help us fix this place up, instead of dwelling on our idiot brother." Serket made a wave of her hand to remove all the debris from the fallen tv. Then Neith snapped her fingers for a new, larger tv to appear on the wall.
"Besides, they're both a mess. One's traumatized, the other jaded by time. And if we're lucky, they'll meet somewhere in the middle," Neith offered.
"Is she still crying?" Serket made a few adjustments to the floor, turning the peeling linoleum into faux marble with a single look.
"Fucking hyperventilating. And you know it's only like one percent because of the tv. That stupid stupid man! I mean, I know they were all bastards at first, but from the other side... it's infuriating!" Nephy raged, moving about the kitchen area to produce fully stocked shelves, "I mean obviously she's already going through something, look how she lives. Has he no decency? No compassion at all?"
Serket draped several golden, rich fabrics from the walls until the splotchy, damaged areas were covered. She made the entire room feel like the inside of an expensive jewelry box. She stood back and admired her work with a nod.
"I really don't know why they all had to be so terrible in the beginning. Remember how Qebe couldn't spend more than two seconds in my presence? He used to appear to do my bidding then vanish as quickly as he could," Serket laughed at the distant memory, "Is wasn't until another man showed me some attention, that his true feelings seemed to reveal themselves. And who would have thought I had a soft spot for jealous gods?"
"Such cruelty after she was just nearly assaulted… it's beneath his pedigree," Nephy shook her head in disgust, "And anyway Hapi was always good to me..."
The others began to cackle at the blatant lie, "Didn't he set your house on fire and threaten to kill you nearly every day??" Neith teased, "I believe at one point he held you over the side of a cliff sister."
"At least he didn't choke me when I talked too much like Mutef," Nephy smirked, "But he couldn't have known you would like it of course..."
The women devolved into laughter once more. As they replaced her furniture and bedding. Their men had all been terrible. But they each only gave as much as their wives could take. That was the beauty of matching souls. And now, all these years later, none of them could bother to utter a single unkind word to each other.
Neith opened the girl's closet and perused the outfits, "Damn our baby's got some edgy taste," she pulled out a few leather skirts and thigh-high boots, "Too bad they're all old and worn down. That just won't do for one of us..."
She smiled, running her fingers over each item until the old styles were replaced with new, designer versions. She even added a few of the newest styles from a clothing site the woman left on her phone, "Now THAT is what a wife would wear... shit I may change up my own style, these are freaking sexyyyy."
"Let the girl have her originality, Neith! It's bad enough you're wearing my clothes right now" Nephy yelled from the kitchen.
"I... just think Mutef might find these to be irresistible. Imset has no idea what he's up against," Neith giggled darkly.
"There. That will do for now," Serket smiled, upgrading all the appliances and changing the light fixtures into thin chandeliers, "Though, in the long run, she can't stay here. She needs to come home with us."
"Agreed. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Nephy beamed.
"Aren't I always?" Serket smirked, waving a hand to drop several suitcases into the middle of the floor before placing them discreetly behind the curtains, “Two days, tops.”
"I’d give it a week… before he can’t stand having her away from him," Neith said.
"Eh...Imset is by far the worst of them…I’d say a month… and she’ll probably have to make him jealous first. Like Qebe was with Serkie." Nephy countered.
"Nephy can we leave you with her? We're going to even the odds a bit..." Serket gave her a quick hug goodbye.
Nephthys waved them away and returned to the bathroom. She hoped they made Imset pay dearly.
Imset didn't head back to his wing of the palace until he was good and drunk. The feel of Aisha's hands on his feet lingered long after he left and the only way to counter it was to drown it. So he did. He and his brothers had put away four bottles of cognac each and he was barely standing. Perhaps he had overdone it. That damned girl had wound him up too tight. Woman. How could her massage make him more tense than he already was? Because he hadn’t expected to enjoy it. Really, he should blame his nosy ass father for butting in. He was perfectly fine being alone forever.
Why did he keep thinking about the television? Who cared about such a small thing? But he couldn't get it out of his mind. Or the way her eyes seemed to sink as the device cracked. He couldn’t stop seeing those eyes, even now. So what if she didn't have much in her apartment? Was that uncommon for mortals?
Anubis had sniffed her! Imset almost forgot about that. When in the hell had that ever happened? Granted, he’d never accidentally called him before. To his credit, Anubis hadn’t tried to embarrass Imset even further, though his eyes had lit with a silent mischief. Imset hadn't really noticed her scent because he was too distracted with being offended but if Anubis liked it... No. He snapped his head sharply. She was a servant. He would begin to think of ways she could serve him. Distantly. Nowhere near him. Definitely not touching him again. And when his half of the bond was done, he’d never see up close again. She could work behind the scenes for the rest of her life.
With a hiccup, Imset reached for the doorknob to his wing but found only air. What the hell? He flicked the light switch so he could get a better look, perhaps he was too drunk to find it. But when he clicked the paddle, no lights came on. He clicked it again. Still nothing. The next hiccup burned his nostrils. He’d definitely drunk too much.
Had he not changed the bulbs? Of course he had. What kind of idiot god would let his light bulbs blow out? He was inclined to change them now, but as drunk as he was, his power could become unpredictable. He might intend to change the bulbs and make them shatter instead.
Pushing the door with his shoulder until it cracked, he entered the dark space. He stumbled and searched for the next paddle and clicked it. Still no lights. By now, it was the dark of the night and he really couldn't see a thing. He tripped roughly over...what had he tripped over? A damn wire? He collapsed into his dining room chairs and rolled. When the hell had his table ended up right in front of the doorway? The ensuing sound of his grunts and wood breaking had his face hot. Clearly someone was fucking with him.
He couldn't suppress the groan of agony as the chair collided with his shin and splintered. Sonofabitch.
Something crashed down onto his head, knocking him into the wall, “Motherfu--”
Scrambling back to his feet, he was ready to fight. Imset went to his bedroom but stopped as soon as he heard the first hiss. The unmistakable low growl and hiss that came from only one animal...
"WHO THE FUCK PUT CROCODILES IN MY BED?!"