Chapter Ten

Set almost couldn't believe this was happening. He'd been resisting Apollo long enough that it felt unreal that he'd finally given in.

Apollo's arm around Set's waist tightened, and Set turned to look at him. He was still sleeping, but then Apollo was used to sleeping in, so Set wasn't surprised.

What he was surprised about was that he was still in bed with Apollo. Once he was awake, he'd had the hardest time staying in bed. He felt like he was wasting time, but even though he wasn't doing anything, this wasn't time wasted. It was time spent with the man he was falling in love with.

It had been a few days since everything had happened with Ra and Tefnut. Ra's heart was still broken, and Set hurt for him, but he was also the happiest he'd ever been. He hadn't expected what had happened when he returned home after being in the underworld, but Apollo had been there for him, and he'd continued being there every time Set had needed him since then. Set could see the two of them working as a couple, even though he hadn't been able to before.

They might not have a chance to see what would happen if they truly became a couple. It all depended on what Apophis would do and who would die in the fight against him. For now, Apophis hadn't done anything to avenge the loss of his spy, but that was bound to change. Apophis wouldn't let it go.

Set's phone vibrated on his nightstand. It wasn't the first time that morning, but he was almost afraid of what he'd find if he answered, so he ignored it again. He realized he shouldn't have done that when he heard the main door of his suite slam open. He jerked into a sitting position, but he wasn't fast enough to get out of bed and dress. His bedroom door opened, and Ra stood there, breathing hard. He barely spared a glance for Set and Apollo, who was waking up, too. He strode toward the TV in front of the bed and turned it on.

Set scowled, but not at Ra, even though he was uncomfortable with his great-grandfather being here while he was naked with Apollo. No, his scowl was dedicated to Apophis.

Half of New York City is now gone , the anchor on the screen said. He was pale, and his hands shook as he tried to press them against the table.

The images behind him were horrible, but Set forced himself to look at them.

He knew New York. He had an apartment there, and he'd had an appointment with the man who made his suits, dammit. It was almost as if Apophis had known that and had decided to annoy Set.

"This is his answer," Ra said, staring at the screen. "He knows we took away his spy, and he's punishing us for it."

"We have to do something," Set said.

Ra turned toward him. His eyebrows rose on his forehead at the sight of Apollo lounging in Set's bed, but thankfully, he didn't say anything about it.

"I'm calling for a meeting," Ra said.

Set groaned. "Since when are they helpful?"

"This will be the final one. I'm done waiting. I'm done giving Apophis the opportunity to hurt more people. It's my responsibility to get rid of him, and I will."

He turned and started to leave. Set scrambled out of bed to go after him before remembering he was still naked. Apollo chuckled, so Set glared at him before rushing into the bathroom.

His heart raced. This was it. They were finally about to face Apophis.

Part of him was relieved, because he hated sitting here without doing anything and watching Apophis destroy half of the human realm. Another part of him was anxious and scared. He would never admit it to anyone, but he remembered all too well how strong Apophis had been the first time he'd fought him. If he was anywhere near that strong, it would be hard to defeat him.

But Ra was right. Apophis was hurting too many people, and it was time for them to stand up to him. If they lost, hopefully, another pantheon would step in. It would be unorthodox, but if they didn't want the human realm to be completely destroyed, they would have to do something.

Set washed up as quickly as he could before rushing out. He was relieved to see that Apollo had risen, and after a quick kiss, he went into the bathroom. By the time he was done, Set was ready to go.

He was thankful when Apollo didn't tease him about the fact that he was almost vibrating with anxiety. He just followed Set down the hallway to Ra's rooms.

They weren't the first to arrive. There was already a decent crowd there, but Set found Ra immediately. He was talking with Nu, who appeared determined.

Set sighed. He wasn't looking forward to yet another meeting, but he believed Ra when he said it would be the last one. The decisions that would be made today could mean their defeat or their victory.

He reached back and grabbed Apollo's hand, twining their fingers together. He noticed several people staring at them, but he didn't care.

He never had, and that wasn't about to change. They had better things to focus on, anyway. The fight against Apophis was coming at them quickly, and they needed to be ready.

Because Apophis would be.

* * * *

Apollo was holding hands with Set. He could hardly believe it, but the proof was there, linked with his fingers. He probably looked like an idiot because he was smiling so hard, but he didn't care.

He was holding hands with Set!

Set pulled Apollo deeper into the room. Apollo realized they were headed toward Ra, so he followed easily. He didn't know what Set thought of Ra bursting in on them this morning, but so far, neither of them had said anything about it. Clearly, Set didn't have a problem with people knowing the two of them were together. He walked as if he owned the room, glaring a bit when he noticed someone staring. As far as Apollo was concerned, they were welcome to stare as much as they wanted. Yes, he'd managed to snag Set. Go, him.

Ra nodded when they reached him, but there was no time to talk. He turned his attention to the rest of the room and stood up straighter, his expression telling everyone how serious he was.

"I'm sure that by now you know that we found the spy. She has been taken care of, and Apophis has already taken revenge for that."

"You mean he's attacked New York because of that?" someone asked.

"I suspect that was his reason, yes. All of us are tired of his attacks. It's time to face Apophis, and no matter what happens when we do, I know that everyone here will do what they can to defeat him."

The silence in the room was almost absolute. Apollo leaned closer to Set, knowing that this was a heavy moment for everyone. It was for him, too, but he didn't know Apophis beyond what he'd seen of him over the past few months. He'd never had to deal with him before then, and he didn't know what had happened in detail. He'd always focused on what was happening now rather than on the past, but he wondered if maybe he should have looked into it.

He wasn't sure it mattered. He would be there, but he wouldn't be the one fighting Apophis. He'd tried before, and he'd failed both times. It was time to let the people who knew what they were doing do their job.

He hated that one of those people would be Set, but he wouldn't try to stop him. Set needed to do this, and Apollo would support him. He could only pray that Set made it out alive, which was odd because he was a god. He didn't pray. He was prayed to.

"When?" Osiris asked.

"He's tearing through New York right now. If we wait until that's over, he'll be more tired. We can take him on then. I wish there was more we could do for the city, but recklessly going in won't help anyone."

He didn't have to say that he hoped it meant Apophis would be more easily dealt with after spending his morning attacking a city and killing people. They might be gods, but they weren't immortal. They could be killed, and Apollo had no doubt that Apophis wouldn't hesitate to do so if he had the opportunity. Apophis wanted to be the most powerful god, and he couldn't be if he allowed other gods to survive.

Apollo suspected that had always been his plan. He was focused on the human realm now, but eventually, he would have moved on to the Egyptian pantheon and then to others. If no one was able to stop him, he would have killed all the gods to become a supreme god or something as ridiculous.

Apollo shuddered at the thought. He could think of nothing worse.

"Get ready," Ra said. "By the end of the day, this will be over."

He didn't exactly give the best pep talks, but at least he was honest. Everyone knew what they were about to face. Apophis and his demons were ransacking New York, but soon, they'd be done, and that was when Ra would attack.

Apollo swallowed. He wasn't a god of war. He could defend himself quite easily and hold his own in a fight, but he wasn't so arrogant to think that he could win against Apophis.

Well, not anymore.

He turned to Set. "You'll be careful?" he asked.

Set cocked his head. "You're not going to ask me not to do it?"

"Would it make you change your mind? You're stubborn, and you feel this is your duty. It might be. Whatever the case, you'll do this, no matter what I have to say about it. I know I won't be able to stop you, but I want at least a promise that you'll be careful."

To Apollo's surprise, Set leaned closer to kiss him. He did it in front of everyone in the room without hesitation. "How can I not be? You'll be here, waiting for me."

Dammit. Apollo wasn't one to cry easily, but Set was pushing him. "I won't be waiting here for you. I'll be out there fighting."

Set sighed. "I know. I wish I could convince you otherwise, but I won't try."

"Good. As long as we're clear on the fact that we'll both come back in one piece, I'm sure everything will be all right."

A loud explosion shook the palace. Apollo's eyes widened, and he looked around, wondering what it was. Part of him knew, even though no one could be sure what was going on.

"He's attacking the palace," Set said. He turned to Ra, who was rushing toward them.

"I guess New York City wasn't enough for him anymore," Apollo said.

"Be careful," Set ordered.

Apollo could only nod. When Set stepped away, he followed. He might not be able to help Set and Ra in their fight against Apophis, but he also might be, and he didn't want to risk it. Besides, he was sure that where Apophis was, his demons would be.

He raised his hands and called for his sword. It appeared in his palms, its bright light illuminating the room.

"Show off," Set muttered.

Apollo chuckled, startled by the teasing. "I'm not the one who fights with two swords," he pointed out.

Set grinned at him and raised his hands. His two swords appeared, as dark as Apollo's sword was light.

But then this was them, wasn't it? From the outside, they looked like they couldn't work. They were too different. On the inside, though, the darkness and light balanced each other. If Apollo thought about it, it made sense that Set was the person he'd fallen in love with. He was everything Apollo wasn't, but at the same time, he was everything Apollo wanted.

Apollo grabbed Set's suit jacket and pulled him close to kiss him. They didn't have time, which meant they had to keep it quick, but Set wouldn't go out there not knowing what Apollo felt for him. "Don't be an idiot and return to me. I won't lose the man I love because of Apophis."

Set's smile was pleased. "You love me?"

"As if you didn't already know that. Now go and kick his ass."

Set kissed Apollo again, then stepped away. Apollo could only watch him as he joined Ra at the door that led into the garden. They looked at each other for a second, and Ra nodded. Together, he and Set pushed open the door and stepped out.

Right into chaos.

* * * *

They should have seen this coming. Apophis was annoyed and probably angry that they'd taken both Maahes and his spy from him, and he was getting revenge. What better way than to destroy the palace where the gods lived?

It hadn't been destroyed yet when Set stepped into the garden, but it would be soon if they didn't intervene. The place was crawling with demons, and more were coming out of several black barges. Set wanted to stop and kill them, but he and Ra had to climb onto Ra's solar barge. It was protected with spells that would ensure that Apophis couldn't hurt them while they fought him.

Or at least, that was the plan.

He hated leaving without helping, but when he turned, he realized he didn't have to worry. The gods who'd been supporting their fight against Apophis had already stepped out and were fighting the demons. Set even noticed gods who hadn't been involved until now stepping up and doing what was necessary. They'd finally realized they couldn't hide from this. Apophis had brought the fight to them, and they couldn't ignore it.

Ra and Set rushed toward the building where Ra's barge was kept. Set had to kill a few demons on the way there, but they got to the building without being wounded. He was tempted to look back and check in on Apollo and the others, but he couldn't.

"Is it even in a good enough state to do this?" he asked Ra as they opened the door and rushed inside.

Ra nodded. "I made sure it was. Climb in."

They did. Set swallowed hard when he stepped onto the barge. It was as he remembered—a long open span of light-colored wood with a throne in the center. He doubted Ra would be sitting anytime soon.

But the two of them weren't enough to operate the barge. They needed other gods, and while they should be arriving as they'd planned, Set wondered if he and Ra would have to do this on their own.

Thankfully, they wouldn't. More gods ran into the building, and Set sighed in relief. This was the first step in defeating Apophis.

Soon, he and Ra were surrounded. The gods had always provided a protective barrier around the boat to shield Ra from Apophis, and they would this time, too.

The barge shook under Set, then started moving. One side of the building had wide doors that burst open, and seconds later, the barge flew through the opening. The wind whipped Set's skin, but he raised his swords, ready to take on whatever was happening out there.

They took to the air. Set glanced under them, wanting to know what was happening. It looked like the demons were being held back, which was what they wanted. He tried to find Apollo, but even though Apollo was usually easy to find, there were too many people moving around. He told himself that Apollo could defend himself quite well and that it would be easy for him to fight demons. He'd had trouble against Apophis, but Apophis was incredibly strong. Demons weren't, and Set was sure that Apollo was having fun cutting heads off.

He didn't know when he'd started caring about Apollo so much, and while it still scared him, at the same time, he wouldn't have it any other way. He'd never felt like this for anyone, not even for the goddess he'd married. Apollo was the center of his world, and he wasn't sure he'd survive if something happened to him.

That was why he'd have to make sure to return to him. Apollo had told him he loved him, and Set wanted to be able to tell him that he felt the same, and not just because he thought they were going to die. He wanted to tell him so they could start a new life together.

As soon as Apophis was gone.

Set looked up, and his gaze caught Ra's. Ra's expression was grim, but he nodded at Set. "Ready?"

Set raised his swords. "As ready as I'll ever be. Do you know where he is?"

"I'm sure we'll find out soon." He hesitated. "Thank you for being here with me. I know that in the past, we haven't always seen eye to eye, but it means something to me."

Ra was talking about feelings, which made Set want to turn and run. He didn't talk about feelings. He didn't have feelings.

Except that wasn't true. It never had been, but now that he'd met Apollo, he couldn't deny it anymore. He couldn't ignore his feelings, either. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

Ra snorted. "We both know that's not true."

"Well, I'm sure you'd rather be with Frey than with me, but it'll be over soon."

"Let's hope that you're right."

Set was pretty sure he was. He didn't know what would happen, but it wouldn't last long. Apophis was done waiting. He wanted revenge, and he was here to get it.

Set and Ra's job was to stop him before he could.

* * * *

Apollo's place wasn't on the barge, but he still had to resist the urge to run after Set and climb onto it. He didn't belong to this pantheon, and Set and Ra had already done this once. They knew what they were doing, and it would be better if Apollo didn't distract them.

Besides, there was plenty to do here.

Apollo raised his sword and cut off the head of a demon. Its body listed forward, and Apollo kicked it as he continued moving ahead. He was surrounded by fights, but he couldn't tell who was winning just yet. The demons had numbers on their side. There were countless demons crawling all over the place, much more than they thought Apophis had managed to keep. It could become a problem, but Apollo would make sure it didn't.

Besides, he wasn't the only one fighting. Everyone around him was busy doing the same, cutting demons' heads off and stabbing them. All the gods had manifested weapons and were using them in a way that told Apollo they knew what they were doing. Even Nu, whom Apollo couldn't have imagined in a fight before, was holding their own. In fact, they were pretty impressive. They were wielding two spears, using them to stab any demon that came close enough.

A screech made Apollo jump, and he turned, ready to use his sword. His eyes widened when he saw that he wouldn't need to.

Barnaby was riding on the back of one of the demons, hitting the demon's head with what looked like a metal plate. It wouldn't do him much good, but the demon didn't seem to know how to get him off its back, and while he was trying, it wasn't succeeding. Lance was in front of the demon, throwing stones at the demon's head and effectively distracting it.

Laughter bubbled out of Apollo's chest. He was sure they would win this now. He just had to look at the two humans to know. They didn't have to be here. In fact, Apollo was pretty sure the plan had been for them to stay in the palace and hide. Instead, they were fighting in any way they could. They couldn't manifest weapons, but they'd found objects that would help them, and they were using them creatively.

Apollo moved forward and slashed his sword down toward the demon's legs. He cut the demon at both ankles. The demon roared and raised its sword, but as it tried to turn toward Apollo, it tilted forward. Apollo offered Barnaby a hand, and Barnaby took it, allowing Apollo to help him climb off the demon.

The demon crashed to the ground, and Lance was on it right away. He'd found a bigger stone, and he smashed it against the demon's head. The demon attempted to crawl away, but without the use of its legs, it wouldn't go far.

Apollo let go of Barnaby's hand and stepped forward. Lance blinked at him and quickly scrambled back, giving Apollo the space he needed to cut the demon's head off. It was satisfying to see the head roll sideways.

When Apollo turned back to Barnaby, Barnaby looked a little green. He was clutching the metal plate against his chest and staring at the demon's head.

Apollo kicked it into a bush so Barnaby wouldn't have to see it anymore. It probably wouldn't help much, since the garden was full of bodies and body parts, but at least Barnaby wouldn't have to look at this one.

"Are you all right?" Apollo asked.

"We're fine," Lance answered.

Apollo wasn't sure he believed them, but then, he wasn't sure anyone was fine at the moment.

He manifested two short swords and held them out to the two humans by the blades. "Use these. They'll be more useful than a plate and a few stones."

Lance took his right away, but Barnaby eyed the sword as if it might bite him. "I don't know. I don't want to cut off my own toes."

Apollo grinned. "I'm sure Thoth would love you even without toes. He can only love you if you're still here, though, and that metal plate isn't going to help you for long. You can take the sword, but you can also return to the palace. I can help you find a safe space to hide."

Barnaby shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere."

Apollo wondered if the two had talked to their partners about this. He doubted Osiris and Thoth would have agreed to have their human lovers fight like this, but they were nowhere to be seen, which meant it fell on Apollo to protect Lance and Barnaby. He couldn't force them to retreat, but he could make sure they had a better chance at winning the fights they took on.

Barnaby finally let go of the plate and took the sword. He looked surprised when he raised it, then swung it a few times. "It's lighter than I thought."

"I didn't want to burden either of you with a heavy sword." Apollo hesitated. He didn't want to think about this possibility, but he couldn't avoid it. "You won't be able to use these if I die. They'll vanish. If that happens, find a safe place to hide, please."

Barnaby glared at Apollo and, to his surprise, threw himself into his arms. Apollo was still holding his sword, so he had to be careful, but he managed to grab Barnaby and hug him back.

"You're not gonna die," Barnaby ordered.

"I plan to stay alive, but I don't know what might happen."

" I know. You'll fight, and you'll win. When this is over, we can gossip about Set and how he is in bed. You know the answer to that now, don't you?"

Apollo grinned. "I do. I'll give you all the gritty details as long as you make it out of this fight."

"I will." Barnaby sounded determined, and Apollo hoped he was right.

He saw something move above him and looked up. The barge, carrying Apollo and Ra, cut through the sky and looked almost as bright as the sun. It reminded Apollo of his chariot. He kind of wanted to be on it right now, but that wasn't his fight. It was best for him to focus on the demons.

But part of his heart was on that barge. He knew where it was going, and he couldn't help but want to go with it.

He patted Barnaby's back and gently pushed him away. "Be careful."

Barnaby nodded. His expression was set, and Apollo was sure that he would start chopping off demon body parts as soon as he had one close enough. He wished he could see him in action, but even though he wasn't on the barge, he didn't want to be far from it.

He left Lance and Barnaby behind and ran after the barge.