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Chapter Four

They'd been called to another meeting, and it took all of Set's self-control not to scream.

Were so many meetings necessary? They already knew what they needed to do. They had to find the spy, get rid of them and Maahes, and attack Apophis. It was easier said than done, and Set couldn't deny that, but it didn't mean they needed to talk about it time and time again.

"I'm still in pain," Apollo declared from the couch.

They both knew it was a lie. Even if it wasn't, his pain would be in his shoulder.

Set glared at him. "I don't understand why that means I should carry you to the meeting. I wasn't planning to go, anyway."

Apollo gasped. "We can't skip the meeting. Ra needs our help. And think about what everyone will say if we both skip it! Do you want your pantheon to think you're sleeping with me?"

Set rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure at least half of them already believe that."

Apollo frowned. "Only half? I'll have to work harder."

Apollo shouldn't be so adorable, but he was. Most of the time, Set didn't know how to deal with him, and today wasn't any different. He'd been sure he'd heard Apollo wrong when Apollo had declared that Set would need to carry him to the meeting, but he hadn't. Apparently, getting stabbed in the shoulder meant that Apollo's legs didn't work anymore.

"Anyway," Apollo continued as he raised his arms and wiggled his fingers. "You'll carry me, and I'm sure everything will be fine."

"You were stabbed in the shoulder," Set pointed out.

"I remember where I was stabbed. I can still feel the pain of the cold blade sliding into my flesh. I'm still not entirely sure the knife wasn't poisoned, by the way."

Set pinched the bridge of his nose. He told himself that he couldn't kill a god from another pantheon. It would create too much trouble, and they already had enough of that with Apophis. Maybe once Apophis was defeated? Set was pretty sure Apollo would always be infuriating, so it was something to keep in mind.

"It wasn't poisoned, and I healed you almost right away. You've been using this as an excuse to spend your days on the couch, and I don't care about that beyond the fact that you're a slob who can't clean up after himself, but this is too much. I'm not carrying you to the meeting."

Set could imagine everyone staring at him and Apollo. Ra would probably be amused, but the other gods wouldn't know what to think. They saw Set as darkness and anger, and often they weren't wrong. Set wouldn't mind keeping them on their toes, but that didn't mean he wanted to carry Apollo.

But he did, a little bit.

If anything, it would make Apollo shut up, which would be perfect. He'd been talking Set's ears off for what felt like forever, and Set yearned for the day Apollo finally shut up. If Set refused to carry him, he'd continue begging and annoying him, so maybe Set should give in.

He eyed the blond. Apollo wasn't the type to hold anything over anyone's head, but Set had no doubt he would remind him of that time he'd carried him to the meeting because he'd been stabbed and was dying. Set didn't think he could live with that.

Set sighed. "I'm going to the meeting."

Apollo was on his feet in seconds. Set turned toward the door but froze when Apollo climbed onto his back. He wasn't heavy, but only because Set was a god. Otherwise, they'd both be kissing the floor right now.

"Thank you," Apollo murmured.

His breath was warm against Set's skin, and the sensation was enough to make Set shiver. What the fuck was happening to him? How could a single god he didn't even like have this kind of effect on him?

Set wasn't sure he wanted to find out. Apollo made him feel unsteady, and he disliked that. He didn't know how to deal with it and more importantly, how to make it stop. Kicking Apollo out might work, but Apollo wouldn't go easily.

"We're going to be late," Apollo said as he squeezed his arms and thighs around Set.

Set moved toward the door. What else could he do? He could dump Apollo to the floor and tell him to stay the fuck away, but what good would that do? Even when Set growled and snapped at Apollo, he never seemed to be afraid. He wasn't intimidated. He took everything with a smile, which wasn't something anyone ever did, and Set didn't know what it meant.

Beyond the fact that Apollo was an annoying asshole, anyway.

Set sighed heavily and left his suite. Apollo continued talking the entire way to Nu's suite. They were meeting there today because Nu had insisted. They were more comfortable in their own spaces, which Set could understand.

The door was open when they arrived, so Set walked straight in. He looked around for a nearby couch or horizontal surface on which he could dump Apollo, but it was too late.

Almost as one, everyone in the room turned to look at them. Set glared, even though he would have been staring at himself if he'd been in their place, too.

He stepped up to the nearest couch and dumped Apollo on top of it. Apollo didn't seem to mind that Set was being a little rough. He looked at him with a smile and quickly squeezed his hand. "Thank you so much." He looked around the room. "I'm in a bit of pain, and Set offered to carry me to the meeting. He's a sweetheart."

Maybe Apollo wouldn't think that once Set strangled him. And what was everyone doing? Why were they still staring?

"Don't we have a meeting to start?" Set snapped.

Ra cleared his throat. "Right. We should get started."

Thankfully, most people were distracted after that. It meant they weren't staring at Set as if they expected him to explode or something. He felt he might after what Apollo had done to him, and he did his best not to look at anyone as he sat in the only empty seat left—next to Apollo.

Unfortunately, this meeting was as boring as the others. He, Ra, and Frey had already talked about the next step, so they knew what was supposed to happen. They just didn't know how to make it happen.

"How weak will he be once we take the spy and Maahes away?" Barnaby asked. "Don't get me wrong, I think it's the right thing to do, but I can't imagine it'll be easy to defeat him anyway."

"It won't be," Ra confirmed. "But sealing away the demons has helped, and this will, too. Besides, we have more allies than we ever did in the past. We have another sun god working with us. Apollo might not know what to do when it comes to defeating Apophis, but he'll be a lot of help."

Apollo perked up. "I will," he agreed.

Set rolled his eyes.

"And I want to go after that guy you're talking about. I think he's the one who stabbed me," Apollo continued.

"Maahes?" Frey asked.

Apollo shrugged. "Maybe. I just saw that he only had one hand." He wrinkled his nose. "Quite nasty."

"Yet he still managed to stab you," Set drawled.

Apollo stared as if he couldn't quite believe what Set was saying. Set couldn't, either. Was he teasing Apollo? What the fuck was he doing?

Apollo eventually smiled. "Only because he attacked me from the back while I was fighting Apophis. I want revenge for what he did to me."

Set could understand that, and he wouldn't try to stop Apollo. He'd do the same if he were in Apollo's place. "How will you do that when you're still in pain?" he teased.

"Haven't you heard? A true love's kiss will heal anything." Apollo puckered his lips.

Set stared. He didn't understand Apollo even when he made sense, but right now, he didn't, which was confusing. What was Apollo doing? What was he asking for?

"I can kiss you," Nu offered.

A few people in the room snickered. Set quickly glared at them. He couldn't do the same with his grandparent, but he knew they'd only been teasing.

What had the world come to? Why were people who were supposed to fear him and tremble before him teasing him and making fun of him instead?

"I'm really sorry, but you're not my true love," Apollo said with a pout. "I kind of wished you were, though. I'm sure you'd be easier to deal with."

"Focus," Set snapped. "You already fought Maahes, and it didn't end well. Going out there on your own won't do any good. You might even get hurt, which isn't something we can afford. Ra is going to need you soon."

Apollo blinked. "Only Ra?"

Why couldn't Apollo be serious for a moment? Why did he always have to push Set to the end of his patience?

And why did Set like it so much?

* * * *

Maybe Apollo shouldn't have been so dramatic about his wound. It hadn't hurt since Set had healed him, but Apollo had been taking advantage of having been stabbed in the shoulder to get more attention from Set.

It looked like he might have made a mistake.

He was fine, but the people around him were looking at him as if he was about to break. That meant he needed to show them that he could still help them, defend himself and the human realm, and that he wasn't worried about Apophis or his little guard dog. Killing the asshole who'd stabbed him would help with that.

It would also help Apollo feel better, and that was always a plus.

He was acting lighthearted, but being wounded had hit him hard. He'd gone into the fight expecting to struggle a bit but eventually win, and instead, he'd come home with his tail between his legs. He was lucky no one had told him how much of a dumbass he was, but he knew that was what they were all thinking, and he couldn't blame them.

He was a dumbass.

He'd been trying so hard to impress Set, and instead, he'd shown him that he wasn't good enough. That was why he needed to do this. If he killed Maahes, or at the very least, captured him, Set would know he wasn't weak and that he could help protect him and his pantheon.

Not that Set needed protection. He'd probably snarl and bite Apollo's head off if Apollo ever suggested something like that, so he wouldn't.

What he would do was go after Maahes. Apollo might not have been able to defeat Apophis, but they weren't talking about Apophis here. They were talking about his minion.

"We can't afford to lose you when you could make the difference between winning and losing," Set said gruffly. "That's the only reason I'm worried."

Apollo could tell it was a lie, but he didn't call out Set in front of everyone else. Set was visibly uncomfortable and probably wanted nothing more than to run away, and Apollo wished he could give him that. For now, though, they were both stuck in this meeting, and they had to make the most out of it.

"How about you come with me?" Apollo offered. "You'll have to stand far enough away that Maahes won't try to use you against me, but I'm sure I can defeat him easily, especially if you're watching me." Because he wanted to impress Set.

"Why should I be watching you?"

Apollo wiggled his eyebrows. "How about because you want to?"

Set stared at him like he didn't know what to make of him.

If he was honest, Apollo didn't know what to make of himself on most days. He leaned forward. "If you're so worried about me, you really should come with me. I'm going either way, so think about it."

"If I can't stop you from going, I'll have to go with you. I feel that if I don't, you'll ruin everything and probably make half the human realm explode or something. We can't afford that, and I don't want to have to explain to your father that you died because you were an idiot."

Apollo grinned. "My father would probably make you a statue in the throne room if you were to tell him I was dead." Apollo thought a statue of him looking his best would be better, but if he was dead, he wouldn't care.

Probably.

"I don't need any statues. I just don't want you to make a mess."

Apollo bounced a bit. "Does that mean we're going to work together? That we're a team? We should come up with a name. I like how those people in the superhero movies have a collective name."

"We don't need a name," Set said through gritted teeth.

Apollo was unwilling to stop pushing. He enjoyed their bickering and wanted more. Maybe one day, he'd push Set so far that Set would throw him on the nearest flat surface and punish him. "Fantastic duo? Oh, or maybe a play on the fact that you're dark and I'm light. How about sun dark? Dark sun? I quite like that one."

"I thought you were supposed to be the god of poetry," Set grumbled.

"I'm sure I can do better. Just give me a few more days."

Ra cleared his throat. "Apollo, are you sure it's a good idea for you to go after Maahes? We can send someone else."

"I'm fine." Apollo rolled his shoulders to show Ra he wasn't lying. "Set was the best nurse I could have asked for and healed me perfectly."

"Not a nurse," Set grumbled. "And if you're healed, why did you have me carry you all the way here?"

"Because it was fun." Apollo leaned closer and kissed his cheek. "I can't wait to do it again, but maybe next time, I should carry you."

Set looked like he might bite Apollo's face off if he ever tried anything like that, and since Apollo needed his face and quite liked it, he wasn't willing to try it now. One day, though.

"Maahes won't know what to make of Apollo," Nu said. "I feel it's a good idea to have him go. Everyone knows Loki, but Apollo and even Frey are still unknown. Apophis will be curious to see what they're up to, but he might not expect them to fully step into the fight. Frey has a reason to since he's with Ra, but Apollo doesn't, and it might be enough to give us the element of surprise."

Apollo beamed. "Maahes won't know what hit him."

But Apollo wouldn't be surprised Set was what hit Maahes. He looked ready to hit someone, but since he'd never hurt anyone who didn't deserve it, he'd have to wait until they got their hands on Maahes to let out a little steam. Apollo would offer that they could do so in a different way, but he didn't fancy being rejected in front of a crowd.

"I hate all of you," Set said. "But if he's going, I'll go with him."

Apollo grinned. He'd be able to show Set that he was a good partner and that he could protect him. That was what he'd been trying to do when he'd gone after Apophis, but this would work even better. Set would be there to see just how strong Apollo was. After Apollo defeated Maahes, Set would fall into his arms. He might even apologize for being all snarky and not believing that Apollo could defeat Maahes.

Apollo couldn't wait.

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