The last course vanished in a snap of divine fingers, and of course Golden Boy had to stand. Luxor's robes shimmered like he'd swallowed the damn sun, his voice booming across the courtyard like he was auditioning for Pharaoh Idol.
"It is time," he declared, eyes practically winking at his own reflection, "for the Trial of Light. A scavenger hunt through my sacred night garden. The winner will receive divine favor. And a kiss. From me."
Maximus cheered like someone had offered him free wine. I groaned louder than the chorus of groans around us. "Oh no," I muttered to Annie, leaning conspiratorially toward her ear. "Not this again. The golden boy thinks riddles and obstacle courses are foreplay."
She smirked. "Isn't it for you?"
"Only if the scavenger hunt ends in bed," I shot back. Pairs were formed, gods, mortals, the occasional tragic combination of both. Naturally, Annie and I were together. Naturally, Luxor looked smug about it. He handed us a scroll like he was passing down holy scripture.
"Try not to fall into any pits this time, Malvor," he said sweetly.
Annie raised a brow. "Pits?"
"Last year was lava," I told her casually. "Luxor's parties are an experience."
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The garden glowed like someone had spilled starlight across the earth. Obelisks pulsed with golden light, casting shifting shadows through hedges that twisted and re‑formed as if they had a mind of their own. The air tasted metallic, anti‑shift sigils buzzed along the greenery. Luxor's favorite cheat code. Space resisted me like stretched glass.
"Teleportation's jammed," I told Annie. "He's playing fair the way tyrants play fair."
Ahead, the Gallery of Multiples loomed, a glass‑walled gauntlet that refracted us into a dozen wrong angles. Copies, not mirrors, multiplied until the path looked endless. I conjured two shining ankhs with a snap of my fingers and handed one to Annie with a flourish. "Torchlight for my lady. Don't say I never spoil you."
She arched a brow, but took it. "You? Spoil me? You're just trying to make sure I don't get lost."
I smirked. "Well, if you do, I can always fetch a replacement. Luxor probably has spares."
Her glare was worth the danger. The first step into the garden was met with a hum. Statues lining the path blinked awake, golden eyes burning. The moment my boot pressed the wrong tile, an arrow of pure light shot from a jackal's mouth, whistling past my head and sizzling against a hedge.
I froze, then smiled faintly. "Precision traps. Luxor always did enjoy showing off."
"Less showing off, more not dying," Annie said flatly, yanking me aside before I stepped on another trigger.
I gestured around us. "This isn't danger, darling. This is foreplay with extra cardio."
She deadpanned, "Isn't that your favorite?"
I laughed, loud and unrepentant, until another arrow zipped past my ear. "Cheeky," I said, grinning at her. "Very cheeky."
The glass of the Gallery fractured us into dozens of versions. When Annie stepped closer, the copies didn't just reflect her; they multiplied her. Suddenly there were five Annies, ten Annies, each smirking or frowning or standing at impossible angles.
"Luxor, you absolute bastard," I muttered.
She glanced at me. "Problem?"
I gestured at the endless Annies. "I'm not sure which is worse. The idea that I'll pick the wrong you, or the idea that I'll get in trouble for enjoying the sight of multiples."
Her silence was sharp enough to cut me in half. The bond hummed, her exasperation warming me. But beneath it, something else, quiet amusement. She lifted her ankh high; the golden light spilled across the maze. While the copies shimmered, one version of her cast no shadow.
"There," she said, pointing. "That's the real path."
I tilted my head, admiration softening my grin. "Clever little scarab."
Her lips curved, just faintly. "Keep up, Mal, before you get shot again."
I swept into a dramatic bow, nearly colliding with another arrow. Straightening, I offered her my arm with mock formality. "After you, my Annie. If we're going to flirt with death, we may as well do it in style."
As she moved forward, light condensed and spun. A warm coin of light hovered over her palm. She snatched it with deft fingers, then arched a brow at me. Token one claimed. I grinned anyway. She rolled her eyes, but I didn't miss the spark of amusement that flickered in them as she led the way.
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The maze spat us out into a courtyard lit like midday, though no sun touched it. Rows of golden statues stood gleaming. Lions frozen mid‑pounce, serpents coiled and waiting, falcons with wings spread wide.
"Luxor's zoo," I muttered. "Of course."
Annie eyed the nearest lion suspiciously. "They're not just statues, are they?" As if on cue, the lion's eyes flared. Metal muscles rippled. It leapt, landing with a thunderous crash that rattled my bones.
"Called it," Annie said flatly.
"Don't sound so smug, darling," I said, summoning a burst of chaos that flared like wildfire. It slammed into the beast, knocking it back but not down. The serpent uncoiled next, tail lashing, while the falcon statue shrieked, wings beating the air hard enough to send sand and stone flying.
"Luxor, you egotistical ass!" I shouted toward the heavens, dodging a lash of golden scales. "This is not a petting zoo!"
Annie darted beside me, ankh glowing like a blade in her grip. "Focus, Mal!"
"I am focused!" I shot back, grabbing her waist as the ground shuddered. A trapdoor yawned open beneath her feet, glowing with golden light. I spun her out of its path, momentum carrying us both into a tumble. We landed in a heap, tangled together, her breath hot against my lips. For a beat, the chaos stopped mattering. She looked at me, startled, eyes wide, lips parted, and gods, I couldn't stop. I kissed her, fierce and hungry, stealing the breath right from her lungs. She froze, then melted, just for a moment. The bond between us hummed, electric, blazing.
Then the lion roared, shattering the moment. Annie shoved at my chest, scrambling to her feet. "We'll die because you couldn't keep your hands to yourself."
I rose after her, grinning despite the danger. "If we die, we die photogenic."
She glared. "Mal."
"Fine," I sighed dramatically, turning just in time to blast the serpent back with a crackle of chaos. "But admit it, we looked fantastic."
She didn't answer, but I caught the twitch at the corner of her mouth before she ran ahead, and it was enough to keep me grinning even as the menagerie closed in. The courtyard shook with another roar. The falcon stooped. The serpent coiled. Annie's ankh rang when she knocked it against her bracer, one long, two short, one long. The statues stuttered.
"Do that again," I breathed. "Applause stops them?!"
She struck it a second time. The lion locked mid‑pounce, eyes dimming. "It's not applause," she said, already moving, "it's the sistrum cadence. Command pattern."
I grinned, savage with pride. "Clever little scarab." Together we hammered the sequence around the ring. The menagerie froze, then bowed, gold horns dipped like a salute. Gold bloomed overhead. Luxor's laughter rolled through the sky.
"Fine," he drawled, amused. "Borrow my toys." A doorway unfurled; a warm coin of light spun into Annie's palm.
"Token two," I said, smug. "One to go."
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The hall stretched out like a gilded throat, every surface covered in glowing hieroglyphs. They shifted as we entered, words rearranging themselves into riddles that pulsed with divine light.
"Luxor really needs a hobby," I muttered, running a hand along the wall. The characters burned under my touch, rearranging again until they locked into a question:
What is both gift and curse, carried yet unseen, shaping all who bear it?
I stared. "Obviously chaos."
Annie gave me a look that could've felled a lesser god. She stepped closer, the glow staining her face gold. "It's memory," she said softly. "It changes you. Hurts you. Saves you. You can't put it down."
The hieroglyphs pulsed, then flared with approval, rearranging into an open doorway. I blinked. "Yes, well. That's what I was going to say."
She rolled her eyes, stepping through first. The next chamber held a massive mosaic of shifting tiles. Gold and glass pieces clicked into place, then out again. The design looked like Luxor's face (of course it did), but every wrong movement sent light spearing down from the ceiling. I flinched as a beam scorched the floor near my boot.
"This is why I hate puzzles," I muttered. I swapped two tiles; the ceiling tried to smite me. "Hands," Annie said, never looking up. I pocketed them like a scolded schoolboy and watched her solve by negative space, filling the shadow around Luxor's face first. The beam died. A coin clicked into the slot; her fingers closed around it.
"Exactly as I—"
"—did not," she said, already walking. "One more."
Her sigh echoed like thunder. The last room was The Mirror of Truth, not glass, polished obsidian that reflected mood more than shape. Dozens of versions of us stared back, warped, twisted. My reflections sneered, eyes too bright, mouth too cruel. Chaos without control. Annie's reflections made my chest ache. Her face painted with exhaustion, with practiced smiles, with bruises she didn't carry now but had once. Her breath hitched, but she didn't flinch. She walked straight down the center, ignoring the broken versions. My worst self leered at me from every surface, whispering lies, temptations, every cruel thing I could be. My smile looked like a weapon. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to follow her. Sometimes courage is simply choosing which reflection you starve.
When we stepped out the other side, a soft chime answered our steps. A final coin of light spun down, settling warm in Annie's palm. Four tokens flared in the air, linked by a beam, and the far wall unstitched into the pyramid's mouth. I exhaled hard, rolling my shoulders. "See? Simple. Easy. I totally—"
She didn't even look at me, just rolled her eyes, that perfect, sharp little dismissal. And gods, I adored it. Sigh.
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The pyramid swallowed us whole, the stone corridors glowing faintly with Luxor's gold‑soaked magic. Hieroglyphs shifted on the walls, smug little reminders of his "divine brilliance." Naturally, the first thing I did was nearly trip a pressure plate. Recovered with a flourish. Hair flip. Very dignified.
"What are you implying, little scarab?" I asked as Annie slowed beside me, her smirk sharp as a blade. She didn't bother answering. She didn't have to. The bond carried her amusement, her curiosity, and the smug, oh‑so‑obvious knowledge that she'd caught me appreciating Luxor's… aesthetic. Damn bond. Damn honesty.
"Fine," I sighed, disarming a dart trap with a flick of my hand. "If we, or hypothetically I, were to bed Luxor, I would not complain."
Her snort echoed through the corridor. "That's the least subtle confession I've ever heard."
"I am not known for subtlety," I said proudly.
"No," she muttered, stepping carefully over a tile, "you're known for being ridiculous."
"So… is that a maybe?"
Her eye roll could've cracked marble. "Let's survive the murder pyramid first. Then we can discuss your taste in sun gods." Excellent. Not a no.
The corridor narrowed, walls brushing our shoulders. Naturally, I placed a hand on her hip. For stability. Safety. "Mal," she hissed, slapping my hand away. "We'll lose if you don't keep your hands to yourself."
I looked appropriately wounded. "I was ensuring your stability."
"You grabbed my ass."
"Very unstable area."
She stomped ahead. I stared at that delicious ass. I chuckled. Gods, I loved annoying her. The bond thrummed with her irritation, her amusement, and that molten heat she tried to bury. Delicious. Dangerous. Addictive. The walls opened into the heart of the pyramid: a vast chamber, ceiling high and arched, every surface gleaming with Luxor's face in mosaic. At the center, a pedestal bathed in divine spotlight. On top, a golden statue of Luxor. Smirking. Of course. Annie muttered, "All of you gods are so self-centered."
"Guilty," I admitted, and plucked the statue free. The pedestal sank with a clunk. The floor shuddered. Dust rained from above.
"…Mal," Annie said slowly. The rumble deepened. Arrows shot from hidden slots in the walls, a rain of golden darts. Pressure plates clicked to life under our boots. The ceiling groaned, slabs grinding downward.
"Oh, come on!" I roared. "What in the knockoff Indiana Jones crap is this?!"
The floor tilted. The walls began to close. A giant slab crashed down behind us, sealing the way we'd come. The same metallic drag of Luxor's anti‑shift wards scraped my skin. No blinking out of this one.
"Luxor blocked teleportation!" I shouted, chaos sparks sputtering uselessly in my hands. "That preening bastard actually blocked my magic!"
I didn't waste time arguing. I scooped Annie up bridal‑style, the ridiculous little Luxor statue tucked under my arm like an insulted football, and ran. The world was thunder, stone crashing, sand pouring, divine fireworks of imminent death. Annie buried her face against my chest, her arms tight around me, and I shielded her with everything I had. My shoulders scraped stone, my arms strained, but I kept her above the debris.
"This is not how I wanted our night to end!" I yelled over the roar.
"Same!" she shouted back, clinging tighter.
We burst out of the collapsing pyramid just as the last of it crumbled into a golden heap behind us. Silence. I bent, panting dramatically, and set her on her feet like she was made of spun glass. She dusted herself off, gave me the deadliest deadpan. "…Next time, we leave the statue."
I grinned, holding up the little golden Luxor. "But Annie… we won."
Her laugh rang out, bright, real, like sunlight breaking over ruins. She fussed at my shoulders, brushing away dust I very much could have magicked off instantly. I let her. Gods, I liked when she fussed. Then, with a snap, I cleaned us both, spotless, immaculate, hair perfect. I looked divine. (As usual.) She grinned at me. I kissed her, quick and hot, all unspoken fire.
"Let's go get that prize," she said, breathless.
"I want the kiss," I teased, eyes glittering.
"Of course you do."
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We made our way back to Luxor's dais. He lounged on his golden throne, glowing like a smug sunbeam. His eyes dragged over me and Annie, impressed despite himself.
"Let me see if that one is real this year, Malvor," he said, holding out a hand. "Four hundred years ago, he made a copy. The cheater."
Annie's eyes went wide. "Seriously?"
I didn't even blink. "It was a very good copy." Pride surged in me. I could feel Annie biting back a laugh through the bond.
I handed over the statue with a flourish. Luxor examined it, golden light brushing his fingers. "Hmph. Real thing. Impressive." His eyes slid to Annie, hungry. "The prize was a divine favor and a kiss."
He looked at her. Oh no. Not going to happen, pretty boy. I stepped forward instantly, my grin all teeth. "The kiss is mine."
Luxor arched one perfect brow. "Greedy."
"Possessive," I corrected smoothly. Annie hovered between amusement and exasperation. I didn't care. I felt her heartbeat through the bond and that was all I needed. She is mine. And I am not sharing. I didn't hesitate. With a dramatic flourish, I grabbed Luxor by his ridiculous collar and kissed him. It was supposed to be mocking, for show. But Luxor never did anything halfway. His hand slid to my waist. The other into my hair. Our mouths clashed, and suddenly, well. Yes. We had done this before. Or something dangerously close. The kiss deepened. I made a noise. Indecent, divine, absolutely not family‑friendly. Somewhere nearby, a minor god audibly gasped.
When Luxor finally pulled back, his eyes glittered molten gold, lips parted. "Still dramatic as ever, Mal."
For one half‑second, I felt dazed. Then I straightened my kilt with pride and turned to Annie like nothing unusual had happened. "Well?" I asked, smirking. "Worth the prize?"
She stared. Blinked. Mouth open. Perfect. I didn't need her answer. I felt it through the bond: surprise, intrigue, heat. Oh, Annie. My sweetness enjoyed that. I grinned like a bastard. "Oh, you liked that."
"I did not hate it," she said dryly.
"I knew I was your type," I teased. "Me. And also me. With eyeliner. Making out with hot golden gods. Impeccable taste."
She rolled her eyes so hard I think she saw past lives. "If you ever kiss him like that again in front of me, I expect equal entertainment rights."
I bowed low, already plotting. "Done. And when I put on a show, Annie, I never disappoint."