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I possibly help you with?”
    Anubis glanced at his dog when he thumped him with his tail, licking my arm. “He does not usually enjoy being around mortals.”
    “He seems to like me well enough.”
    “Yes. He does.”
    “What’s his name?” I asked.
    “Abutiu.”
    “Huh. That’s an interesting name for a dog.”
    “Abutiu is not
a
dog—he’s
the
dog.”
    “Is that the same kind of thing as
the
horse, as in Nebu, the golden stallion found by Horus?”
    “They are the same in that they both have power beyond that of a mortal animal, but Abutiu was the first of his kind, whereas
horse
is much too simple a concept to apply to Nebu.”
    “So Abutiu’s like the original dog?”
    “Something like that.”
    Anubis shifted away from me on the bed and continued. “We need you to find Amon.”
    “Find him? What do you mean find him? You lost him?” I folded my arms. “Does this have something to do with Amon quitting the mummy business?”
    The dark eyes of the god of mummification pierced me, rooting me in place. I swallowed, suddenly uneasy, and berated myself for showing my cards.
Nice one, Lily.
    “So. You know,” he said. “I must admit I’m not surprised. How often have you seen him?”
    At that point I wasn’t sure I should be saying anything more. I gave him a noncommittal shrug and zipped my lips.
    “It does not matter if you tell me or not. I know that your connection is still viable. In fact, I’m counting on it being so.”
    “What difference does it make either way? He’s not going back.”
    Anubis caught my wrist and squeezed it slightly. “He must, Lilliana Young.” Startled, I gently pulled away from his grip. He looked down at his hand as if surprised that he had touched me in the first place and then rose and walked the length of my room, pushing the curtains aside to look out my window at the moonlit night.
    “Why do you need him so badly?” I asked. “Isn’t there someone else you could charm into serving Egypt for a few eons?”
    Still facing the window, he shook his head. “The three Sons of Egypt are bonded. To break that bond is to render the three of them powerless. Without all of them, the cosmos is vulnerable.”
    “So you’re saying Seth could possibly find a way to get back in.”
    “Yes.”
    “Well, why didn’t you share this information with Amon before? He thinks you can just find someone else to take his place.”
    Anubis turned, and a scowl flashed across his handsome face. “He never had an issue with his work, never wavered before. We only tell the Sons of Egypt enough so that they may do their duty. Frankly, I thought if any of them would give over their immortality for a woman it would be Asten.”
    “No. Asten would never abandon his brothers. Not even for a woman.”
    Frowning and running a hand through his hair, Anubis said, “It’s worse than I feared. You’ve bonded with all three of them.”
    “Wh-what?” I sputtered incredulously. “I’ll have you know I’m not that kind of a girl.”
    He waved a hand in front of himself, showing his irritation. “I am not speaking of the physical, although there are manifestations of the bond on the physical plane.” He peered at me in the dim room. “Isis was right. You are unique, Lilliana Young. It’s fortunate for you that you are. It gives me hope that you might survive the journey.”
    “Journey? What are you talking about?”
    “The journey you must make into the netherworld to rescue Amon and bring him back to the afterlife.”
    “Aren’t the netherworld and the afterlife the same thing?”
    “I really don’t have the time to explain this.”
    “I think you’d better make the time if you expect me to help you.”
    He peered at me, eyes narrowed, for a moment before giving in. “Very well, but you will get the abbreviated version.”
    “Fine.”
    “I govern the afterlife. It is a type of staging area where the hearts of the dead are judged.”
    “Okay.”
    “Part of it is a paradise