Ditched by my only guy friends.
How pathetic.
I sat on the straight-backed chair near the side of the room, arms folded sardonically. Really, why did they have to abandon me like this? Now I was alone!
Well, maybe not abandon. And plus, I was kind of worried. Ahk had looked a little bit upset with Nathaniel. Hopefully they didn't do anything stupid...
I sighed and tried to placate myself by watching the crowd of people and trying to pick out which ones were the exhibits, which... wasn't very hard. They were dressed in their normal, historical clothes. I guess people thought they were dressed up as the historical figures, when in reality they were the historical figures.
That was a cause of amusement for me.
My eyes focused on the figures of Anubis and Bast pushing their way through the crowd. Anubis saw me, and his eyes lit. He spoke to Bast, who snapped irritably at him, but then followed him towards me.
I could already tell he and Bast had an... interesting relationship.
Anubis stopped in front of me, half-grinning. "Hello, Emily," he greeted, bending down to kiss my hand.
He didn't see Bast hiss angrily at his action. I caught a flinty glare shot in my direction before she looked away haughtily. It was so fleeting that I wasn't sure if I had imagined it or not.
"Hi," I said, smiling.
He stepped back. "Where are Nathaniel and Ahk? Have they both... left you?"
Puzzled, I tilted my head. "Why would they be with me in the first place?"
He began to laugh.
I narrowed my eyes. "What?"
He laughed harder. Beside him, Bast just glared at the wall.
Folding my arms, I shot him a look. "Was it something I said?"
Anubis just shook his head, amusement glittering in his dark eyes. "Never mind. It's nothing."
"Hmm." I glared suspiciously at him.
He straightened, still grinning. "So, they were with you?"
I nodded reluctantly. "And then Ahk found out I was Nathaniel's date, and he asked to speak with him in private, and they both left me. What is up with Ahk?"
Anubis snorted. "What, indeed."
I shot him a stare. "Do you know something I don't?"
Anubis was the picture of innocence. "What? Me? I'm just a..." he shot Bast a sideways glance, "stupid, foolish, inadequate dog, to quote a certain hairball-coughing, nosy cat."
Bast glared daggers at him, speaking for the first time since they'd joined me. "I am not either of those things."
"Then why are you afraid of me?" he asked, leaning closer to her. I felt a twinge of amusement. He was such a flirt, even when talking to his mortal enemy, a cat.
She stepped back even as she protested. "I am not."
"Dogs chase cats, you know," he continued softly, stepping closer. "You're just lucky I've never felt the need to... hunt." His voice had a menacing edge, but underneath it all I saw that he wasn't serious -- I didn't think he would ever truly hurt her. Underneath his soft, dangerous tone there was a different light in his eyes. A light of... longing, maybe? Tenderness, even?
I didn't know. I was probably imagining things. But I knew that protective stance, that sideways glance of barely concealed admiration and longing.
Bast saw none of this. She hissed again, taking a few more defensive steps back.
"Dogs may chase domestic cats," she replied fiercely, "but you know I'm not a tame feline. As I recall, there are certain wildcats that do chase dogs -- and eat them afterwards."
Anubis laughed softly. "Oh, how terrifying." He leaned in, daring her to step back again and prove her fear of him. "I suppose you wouldn't back down from a challenge?"
She held her ground, golden eyes narrowed. "I never back down from challenges."
I watched in fascination.
"Good," he whispered, so softly that she had to lean closer in order to hear him. "Then I challenge you to... a dance."
She tilted her head.
Anubis grinned ferally, showing pointed teeth. "One dance, to prove you're not afraid." His eyes glowed. "That is... unless you really are afraid of me, cat."
She huffed indignantly. "Challenge accepted."
His eyes flashed in triumph; before she realized what was happening he had swept her onto the dance floor and into a three-step that looked a lot like an intense version of the waltz. Their gazes locked, and something sparked in Anubis's eyes.
Bast's long hair whipped and twisted in the air, and she shot Anubis a fierce glare. They were moving together, but I wasn't sure how. Bast surely wasn't allowing him to lead her but she wasn't leading him, either. And yet they moved perfectly, challenging one another... yet moving in a fierce, somehow beautiful harmony.
The two Egyptian deities looked elegant and wild, the way they moved fluidly, gracefully; the way their eyes bored into each other. I watched their intense dance, transfixed.
And in that moment, I knew exactly who Anubis longed for.
My attention turned to Bast. Her skin was a beautiful, unmarred olive-gold, and the kohl lining her eyes made her look fierce and wild. Tonight yet sheath dress was coal dark with slightly lighter stripes, like those of a black tiger. The dress lit up her skin and fairly made it glow.
Her dagger hung securely at her waist, and her golden eyes flashed. Her hair was even longer than mine, and just as curly. If it had been straight, it might have gone past her knees.
The cat goddess's Egyptian sandals had straps that twisted elegantly around her ankles, almost all the way up to the hem of her dress, and the jewelry she wore was simple but striking. Her golden arm bands were shaped as snakes; she had no rings on her fingers nor necklaces about her neck. Her golden eyes glowed and snapped at Anubis in a way I was certain he found very attractive.
She was gorgeous, that was for certain. And from what I'd seen, she was also fierce and wild and graceful. Her personality was argumentative, but perhaps rather cute as well. All in all, to a jackal-headed god of death she might be considered irresistible.
I watched as Anubis pulled Bast a little closer to him -- accidentally, I'm sure. Their faces were inches apart now. He gave her a challenging stare, then leaned in nearer, taunting her with his closeness. She tensed, but he only bent in closer.
Bast spat at him like a cat would, pulling away and ending the dance. "What are you doing, fool?"
His eyes glowed triumphantly, lugging up his face with a sudden grin. "I told you you were afraid of me."
"Ha!" she snorted. "I'm no more afraid of you than a tiger is of a lizard. I'd eat you for dinner if I thought you'd taste good."
He laughed and opened his mouth to reply, but I missed what he said because at that moment, Nathaniel tapped my shoulder from behind. "Uh, Emily?"
I turned around, having accidentally absorbed some of Bast's sarcasm. "Oh. Are you two finished with your private chat?"
He looked down sheepishly. "Yeah. We're all good. You can go dance with Ahk now." Then he sighed.
I tilted my head. "Oh...kay."
What was going on?
Nathaniel gave me a tight smile. "Save me a dance, though, all right?"
"After me," Ahk's voice cut in. I turned around and almost hyperventilated at how agonizingly close to me he was. How had he sneaked behind me like that?
His hands came up to rest lightly on my shoulder, and I shivered slightly. My inner fangirl started up and began obsessing over every single darned thing about him.
*Curse you, inner fangirl. It's so hard to think when you kick into gear.*
I kind of met his eyes and said something like, "Uh... good morning. Er. Afternoon. I mean, no wait. How are y- mood geevening.... I, um......."
I saw the little grin starting at the corner of his mouth and panicked. "I mean, hi."
The grin didn't stop. He shot me a knowing look and leaned in close enough to make me forget how to breathe. "You're really cute when you stammer," he remarked in the type of voice someone would use to say, "the sky is blue", or something informational like that.
However, his words just flustered me more. Terrified of messing up again and saying something really embarrassing, I glanced around wildly for an escape route. "I need water!" I burst out suddenly. "I mean, we all need it don't we," I continued nervously, seeing his blue gaze on me, "to survive, you know, because water is an essential..." oh no oh no oh no. I wanted to facepalm. What am I saying?
Ahk stared at me curiously for a moment. Then he grinned again. "Well, actually... I don't need water. Or food. Or anything like that. I'm an exhibit, remember?"
I turned red. "Oh."
"I think, though," he continued, "you were trying to say you were thirsty. Do you want me to... accompany you to the refreshment table?"
No no no no no. I was trying to get away from him, not find an excuse to go somewhere with him!!
Suddenly I remembered Bast's ferocity in dealing with Anubis. I couldn't think of any other way to get rid of this stupid stammering nonsense, so for a moment I pretended I was her. "Why would I need and escort to the refreshment table? Are you implying that I'm somehow unable to walk there myself?" With that, I turned on my heel and began to walk off indignantly.
Then I remembered something.
Feeling stupid, I returned. A blush colored my face. "Uh... where's the refreshment table?"
Both Ahk and Nathaniel burst out laughing.