"Sadie," Anubis said a little hesitantly. "Would you mind if I took you someplace else?"
"As long as it's not Walt's grave, which is highly likely, then yes."
Too late.
He spread his hands, and darkness enveloped us. I realized the midnight darkness, flecked with speckles of light, was coming from him. He gently took my hand and led me to a space in the darkness. We walked for a minute or two until he squeezed my hand, signalling me to stop.
"Before we meet Walt, I need to tell you something."
"What?" I tried to sound as annoyed as possible, but I think I sounded too nervous to fool him. "We're meeting Walt?"
"Remember Walt had the pharaoh's curse? He was supposed to die. But because of this war with Apophis, he wanted to live. He talked to me and we came up with a plan: we'll merge. I'll be flesh and blood, my aura will sustain his life."
Ew, I thought.
"But he had a problem. Once we merged, it will be permanent. He couldn't turn back. But he was worried you wouldn't like it, and... well, if no one's there to accept him, why live in the first place?"
"It was all about us, and no one else? How could Walt be that selfless?"
"Because he's Walt. He planned all this because of you guys, perhaps even for me. He knew he had an alternative, which was a backup plan. He knew about us..." In the dark, I sensed him getting a little fidgety, "and he knew what you want most. Confessing to him at Neith's place had confirmed his thoughts."
"I still don't know what the backup plan is."
"I'm afraid it has to do with your decision. You'll have to choose if you still want me around."
I didn't want to know what to make of his sentence. Was I going to lose him too?
"Take me to Walt."
"Sadie," a voice behind me said. "Hello."
"Walt?" I sounded unsure, even to myself.
"I made my choice, and I'm happy about it. Besides, Jaz is here to accompany me."
I turned. The darkness around me has dissipated and revealed Walt and Jaz holding hands, smiling at me.
Walt reached out and hugged me. His body was solid and warm like he wasn't dead at all. When I pulled away, I realized something.
"Walt, h-how could I touch you? Aren't you supposed to be dead? How could I touch a ghost? Am I- am I... dead?"
Walt and Jaz laughed. Anubis smiled a little uncomfortably.
"Sadie, you're in for one hell of a surprise," Walt said, his eyes sparkling. "It's time we told you the plan, huh?" He looked at Anubis pointedly.
"In order for a god to walk the Earth, he has to have a host. Since Walt is..." he trailed off uncertainly.
"Dead," Walt supplied helpfully. "It's okay, Anubis."
"Dead," Anubis said, looking even more uncomfortable. "I need to find another host. Someone who potentially understands me for who I am and is willing to accept me into their body. Someone who would accept me into the mortal world."
Surprisingly, my brain flitted to Amos.
"Not Amos," Anubis said, mildly annoyed. "You, Sadie."
"Well, then. Make your choice." Walt said, winking at me.
"I need time to think," I said. "Process what letting Anubis into my brain entails."
Jaz hugged me and waved. "See you soon. Hopefully with brown eyes." Walt laughed.
Anubis turned red. Adorably red. It tinged his pale cheeks and neck and gave them a rosy colour that made me want to kiss them even redder.
Suddenly, all there was in the place of Jaz and Walt was darkness. Surprisingly, I didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable. I reached out to my left, knowing that was Anubis's hand, and grabbed it. We walked for a bit, until...
"We're here." Anubis reached out his hand, and we stepped back into the Hall of Judgement. Standing there was my parents and Carter.
I looked at them for a few moments, then at the boy beside me. The blush had mostly faded and his skin was back to its moonlight white, checkerboard comparison to the black leather that rested on his shoulders. The grey ash aura that he would unleash upon the world the moment I was threatened.
I wouldn't lose him.