"It's been a long time since the beat of my heart was a friend. Well it's been a long time since I felt I was breathing again."

-Roo Panes

                                                                               ***

"I'm not dead!"

Rick jerked away from him like he'd been burned. His steel-grey eyes sparked with fury and a hint of gold, and another unnaturally hot wind blasted between them, which made Sirius think he'd touched a nerve.

"I'm not some flesh-eating freak like you," he snarled vehemently, and Sirius just raised an eyebrow. 

He didn't eat people, he just killed them. Though, he didn't think the Hunter would appreciate the difference.

Rick continued, "It's not like I'm some kind of fucking ghoul or zombie or what-the-fuck-ever. I'm still alive."

Sirius snorted at that but held his hands up in surrender.

The Hunter brought his hand up to his heart, fingers tugging at the edge of the tear in his shirt Sirius had created when he stabbed him. "Did you know that wouldn't kill me?"

Sirius struggled mightily against the urge to feign ignorance. Instead, he held his hand out, gesturing at Rick's left. After a moment of tense hesitation, he finally held his arm out.

Moving slowly, so that the Hunter didn't get jumpy, he grabbed the back of his hand, holding him still and flipped the sleeve of his shirt up again, revealing the brand once more.

"I haven't seen one of these in a very long time," he murmured, eyes tracing over the sun and lioness design that had been burned into Rick's skin. Then his gaze flicked up. "How long?"

Rick pulled away, tugging his sleeve back down as he looked over his shoulder toward the room Alex and Caleb where currently asleep in.

"It happened nine years ago." He spoke softly, once again looking over his shoulder. "They don't know. Alex doesn't know."

And he thought he was a secretive bastard. He really had nothing on these Hunters. Hopefully Rick's secret wouldn't get anyone killed this time. Unlike Caleb's.

He repressed a growl, jerking his mind away from that train of thought and focusing back on the madness in front of him. 

Rick was still touching the stab wound, though not with wonder or fear. More like... aggravation. "They can't know," he said.

"What? That you don't have a fucking heart?" Sirius let out a sigh and leaned back over the bannister, wishing he had another cigarette. "Yeah, I don't suppose that's something you'd want them to know."

"How... did you know?" Rick asked cautiously, eyebrows pulled together.

"I didn't at first," he admitted, giving the Hunter a sidelong glance. "Just picked up the clues. Hell, I should have known as soon as I saw the colors of your Soul."

Rick just gaped at him, then dug through his pockets with trembling, jerky movements, pulling out the pack of cigarettes once again. He tried to light one, but his fingers were shaking too hard and he couldn't catch the lighter.

With a sigh, Sirius reached over, taking both the cigarette and the lighter. He lit it, smoke filling his mouth before he handed the cigarette to Rick, who didn't hesitate, taking it from him and inhaling deeply.

"Colors of my soul?" Rick finally repeated when he seemed to have calmed down a little.

It was the most shaken he'd ever seen this particular Hunter. He gestured toward the pack of cigarettes resting on the bannister. Rick nodded and Sirius took one.

Around the cigarette, he said, "Gold and red. They're her colors. Nobody else just naturally comes by that combination alone. At least, no one I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of Souls. They might have red and gold, but there's usually a third color to tone it down. Her soldiers are the only ones who have just those two."

He exhaled, taking his time with the smoke. Rick was already on his second cigarette since being stabbed.

"Then, I noticed it when we first met, but..." he hesitated, "I wasn't with it enough to realize what exactly was wrong with you." He ignored the nasty look Rick shot him. "It became pretty clear out in the desert. Couldn't hear a heartbeat, even though I should have."

"You can hear peoples' hearts beating?" Rick asked, then shook his head like he knew he was getting off track.

"Then these." Sirius held his cigarette up, smoke spiraling into the air. "I should be able to smell the tar and other shit in your lungs from these. No tar, no nothing in your lungs, is there? She heals you from all of it, keeping you running 'til she says you can die."

Rick exhaled shakily, smoke puffing out of his mouth and nose in a great rush.

"Final straw was just now. You smell like her. And those kitten scratches on your neck." He smiled as Rick's hand immediately went up to the scar. "The other ones."

The Hunter's hand faltered, then went to the other side of his neck. He made a face when his fingers brushed what were probably stinging scratches.

"Well," Sirius sighed, "hell. How is the old lioness?"

Rick balked slightly, obviously not sure how to answer, but then he didn't have to.

"Since she's here why don't you ask her," a husky woman's voice said from behind them.

Sirius sighed again, closing his eyes. He'd had his fill of pain-in-the-ass ancient goddesses. But at least this one hadn't been instrumental in taking the only thing he'd ever loved away from him. She had none of Galloway's blood on her hands.

"Hello, Sekhmet," he finally said, opening his eyes as he turned to really look at her.

She was as beautiful as she'd been back when Memphis was the place to be in Egypt. Hair so black it seemed to absorb light flowed down to her curvy waist in thick waves. Her exotic, almond-shaped eyes were golden like a lion's, made more intense by the black kohl outlining them and her thick, black lashes. They were perfectly placed in her perfectly symmetrical face and paired with high, dramatic cheekbones and lips so sensual they could drop any man to his knees.

The red and gold dress she wore, while reminiscent of the silks she had worn when she was... younger, was still rather modern and actually covered more than what she had worn all those thousands of years ago. 

Though modestly clothed, there was no denying the lushness of her figure. The delicious curves that, a year ago, would have made his mouth water. That had made his mouth water back when he'd first met her.

Rick put his right hand over the place his heart should be, bowing his head respectfully. "My lady."

She reached forward and put her fingers under his chin, forcing him to look at her. Then, she shocked the hell out of Sirius when she leaned forward, kissing the Hunter.

Rick, obviously still a little drunk and not very in control of himself, groaned and snaked a hand around to the back of her neck, kissing her harder. She placed her own hand on his chest, fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt as she pulled him farther forward. 

A golden glow lit between her fingers as she healed the stab wound.

Sirius had to look away. His own, very present heart ached as another woman and other kisses filled his mind. 

When they finally broke apart, Rick's chest was heaving, his irises completely gold. He turned those uncanny eyes on Sirius and shrugged in a way that might have been apologetic. 

Sirius just shook his head, his attention returning to the Red Lady herself.

A fearsome deity indeed, she was a warrior-goddess of Ancient Egypt, the protector of balance and justice, the lady of terror and the lady of life all in one. She was usually just and fair, but also stern.

The golden lion mask she wore into battle had become her own face over the years, the ancients carving lion-headed statues in her honor and in an effort to appease her.

Unlike Persephone, though, Sekhmet was not a goddess to be trifled with. Not only was she a deadly warrior, she was also a goddess of both plague and healing. 

She wasn't called the Red Lady for the pretty blush always present in her cheeks. No, she had spilled more than her share of blood, always in the name of justice and balance, but she was known to become blood-drunk and kill any that were unlucky enough to cross her in one of her rages.  

In other words, she was his kind of goddess, barring her obsession with balance, perhaps.

"Hello, Sirius," she said with a small smile, hand still resting on Rick's chest.

He raised an eyebrow. "I would have thought you'd forgotten me, Sek. It's been awhile."

"Longer than I'd care to admit," she said, humor sparking in those golden eyes. "But I don't think there's anything forgettable about you."

"You flatter me." He spoke softly, treading through this conversation with care. The Egyptian gods were better than the Greeks or Celts in his view, but not by much, and Sirius had an inherent distrust of any being more powerful than himself.

Rick's eyes flicked back and forth between them, still burning gold. "What are you doing here?" he finally asked, gaze settling on the goddess. "I thought you said..."

"I didn't want him to know because he doesn't like gods. Well," she amended, "I suppose that depends on which god and the situation."

Sirius shifted uncomfortably. He didn't particularly care to hash out how much he'd liked Sekhmet in front of Rick. It was quite literally ancient history, and they had both obviously moved on without any bad feelings between them.

"But," she continued, "he already knows what you are, so I decided to play interference."

Rick's mouth thinned into a frown, but he didn't contradict her.

So Sirius decided to do it for him. "If he's one of yours, Sek, he could handle me. I mean, he couldn't kill me and I couldn't kill him so that seems like a waste of time, but he doesn't need you to come hold his hand and you know it."

Her lovely eyes narrowed, but not in a dangerous way.

"So what are you really doing here?" Sirius asked, his tone more impudent than was probably wise. The cigarette he'd forgotten about burned him, but he didn't move.

She and Rick shared a knowing look, and she muttered, "I would like to speak with him alone."

Rick scowled, but surprised Sirius when he didn't argue. He stalked past the goddess, who grabbed his wrist, forcing him to a halt. His expression softened when she placed a hand against the side of his face, and he sighed before giving her a nod.

They waited until he had disappeared into the room, then Sirius turned to the Egyptian, raising a curious eyebrow. 

Sekhmet leaned against the bannister, looking out toward where the desert was. Then her eyes dropped to the cigarettes still on the bannister. "I wish he would stop this," she said with a delicate frown. "I know it's bad for him."

"So's belonging to you," Sirius reminded her. "You tend to get people like him killed, Sek."

"I wish you wouldn't call me that," she said, expression becoming strained.

"Right. I forgot." He threw his wasted cigarette down into the parking lot, but didn't move to grab another. "Where's his heart?"

"With Ma'at, the only one I could trust with it." She gave him a wan smile. "His heart is dear to me. I would prefer to keep it myself, but any who wish to hurt me would expect that."

"It would hurt you?" Sirius asked in surprise. 

While Sekhmet—and the Egyptian pantheon as a whole—tended to care more for humans than other deities, she was still of the divine and usually found humans to be exhausting.

"I am trusting you with something important, Sirius." She crossed her arms, turning to face him fully. "He's the first since... well, let's just say that he's currently one of a kind and, like I said, dear to me."

"Do you love him?" Sirius was genuinely curious. Galloway had created meaning and context for that particular word, and he just wondered if maybe this goddess—who was closer to his world than these Hunters were—might understand it in the same way he did.

He wanted to know if she was as obsessed with her human as he was with his. Not that either Galloway or Rick was strictly human, but still.

Sekhmet smiled softly, picking up the lighter Rick had left on the bannister. "He has my heart as well, if that is what you're asking. Rick is... different. He did not come willingly to me. He was not one of my soldiers by choice."

Her answer wasn't as satisfying as he'd hoped it would be.

"What happened?" 

A light breeze made her dark hair billow around her, the silk-soft strands dancing in the wind. "Set." She growled the dark god's name and the lights around them flickered a little. "Set is what happened."

"Set," Sirius said carefully, "is locked away with Hades and the other underworld gods."

"He is the other half of the balance," she reminded him, voice mournful. "As long as Horus is here, Set is also. Because of that connection between the two, Set has always had more freedom than the others, who merely embody the aspect of darkness. He might be forced to always return, but he can leave when he wants to."

Making a small, noncommittal sound at this bit of information, Sirius rubbed at his eyes. "So what did he do to the Hunter?"

She growled, making him realize that this was probably an unwelcome subject.

"He cursed him," she said, voice angry. "Turned his heart to a dark, tortured thing. Forced him to do... terrible, cruel things. Things that haunt him to this day."

"You saved him," Sirius guessed.

"I killed him," she said, making him look up in shock. She held up her hands, showing her own viciously curved lion's claws. Then he blinked and they were gone. She gestured toward the door Rick had disappeared behind. "Those scars are from me. There was no breaking Set's curse and there was no stopping the monster Rick had become."

"Those scars go straight to his heart, don't they?" He shook his head. "Is his heart still cursed? Or..."

"My touch keeps it in balance. But without me, he would tip the scale toward darkness and evil. I am the counter-balance of light and good this time." She smiled, the curve of her lips hinting at pride. "Justice he is seeking for himself."

"Why'd Set curse him?"

"Why does Set do anything?" Sekhmet let out a hiss of disgust, red lips pulling back from her teeth.

Sirius took that as a sign to back off. A small growl was still rattling in Sekhmet's throat, setting him on edge and making the hair on the back of his neck and arms prickle.

"Is that why you're here?" he asked, finally getting around to what he truly wanted to know.

Rick's situation was interesting and perhaps beneficial, but the lioness did not take action lightly, nor did she make appearances just for the sake of old friends and new lovers.

This time, her sigh was deep and carried the weight of worlds. "Your actions have more consequence to them than pulling that which you love from Hell, Sirius. What is happening here is far beyond your pain... or hers."

"I'm just going to stop you right there, Sek." He held up a hand, already shaking his head. "If you're about to ask or demand that I forget about her, the answer is no. Flat no. She is the only thing that matters and the world can burn for all I'd care, just as long as I get her back."

"Yes," she snarled, and he knew he was beginning to test her limited patience. "You always were rather short-sighted. Or perhaps it is narrow-minded I am looking for." 

He was probably both of those things.

Her lovely mouth pulled down in a scowl as she searched for what she was trying to say. She cursed under her breath in Ancient Egyptian, shaking her mane of dark hair back. "You only ever cared what happened to you."

"I think selfish is what you're looking for," he said listlessly. "And you'd be right."

Sekhmet sighed again, then stared at him. Her golden eyes seemed to pierce right into his heart, judging him and finding him unworthy. Then, she blinked, gaze softening. "You truly love her, don't you?" she asked. "You would take her place in the pits if you had to. And you would do it quite happily."

He'd never had that exact thought himself, but as soon as she said it, he knew it was absolutely true. So he simply nodded, unable to give her a more complicated answer than that.

Really, he just couldn't bring himself to explain it again. By now, he had resigned himself to the fact that no one realized his view of this whole tragedy.

All he wanted was for people to understand that there was no other option. There was no leaving her. No not getting her back. All he wanted was for someone to look at him, realize on their own how completely shattered he was, and help him get the one thing that could put him back together, no questions asked.

But, apparently, that was asking a little much.

"For once, I believe Luck is with you, Sirius." Sekhmet smiled and he let out a snort. Luck was a bitch he didn't care for in the least.

She shushed him and said, "I say this because it just so happens that opening those gates would allow Set free rein on this earth again. And... Horus is not as powerful as he once was. It is my job to protect the balance of this world. That is why I was created. And you are working in my favor."

It took him a moment to realize what she was saying, and when he did, he jerked his head up to stare at her, lips parting in astonishment. Sekhmet didn't look necessarily pleased, her mouth pressed into a hard line, but her eyes were sympathetic.

"I cannot go there. It is beyond me. A place more of chaos than order, and as the protector, it will affect me. Badly. I reflect that which is around me, for it is not my job but that of Ma'at to bring order. I am just there to protect her and her balance, and as such I can embody whichever side is needed to level the scales. This makes me vulnerable to corruption." Her eyes flashed as she glanced at him. "But you are of that place. You can navigate it."

Sirius nodded when it seemed like she was waiting for some kind of answer from him.

Her eyes strayed back to the door leading to their room. "I have one condition."

His heart dropped toward his stomach.

The question isn't so much how, as it is are you willing to pay.

Galloway's words came back to him, triggered as they so often were by the strangest of circumstances.

"What's the cost?" he rasped. "For your help, what do I have to pay?"

Sekhmet stayed quiet for a very long time. Long enough that a sick, scared feeling started to grow in his stomach, inching slowly up his throat in an attempt to strangle him. But his mind was made up. Whatever the price, whatever the cost, he would pay.

If she wanted blood he would pour out every last drop of his. Whatever she wanted, whatever it took, he would do. No questions asked, no regard for himself.

But she had to swear that Galloway would be saved from Hell and her damnation.

"You will protect him."

Sirius blinked slowly, not immediately understanding who or what she was talking about. Then, her bright eyes flicked to the rooms, and he couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him.

A thick growl came from the goddess and she flashed white fangs at him, forcing him to sober.  He bowed his head in apology, which didn't do very much to appease her. "Sorry," he finally said with reluctance. "I just... don't think he would appreciate the sentiment."

"Which is why you will not breathe a word of this to him or his companions," she snapped, though her voice stayed very quiet. "I will assist you in any way I can, but he is to come to no harm. Not by your hand, not by anyone's."

"How can you assist me?" Sirius asked, knowing it was stupid to question this kind of promise. "You said so yourself, you can't go with us into Hell. So what do I get for putting my ass on the line to make sure his stays off of it?"

She snarled again, showing her teeth. She'd always had one hell of a temper. Then, she visibly restrained herself—and most likely her desire to tear his heart out—and glared at him.

"This," she said with a wave of her hand, "is what I can offer at this moment. Do with it what you intend to do, realizing that the Souls harmed by your actions will be weighed against your heart, Sirius."

"You're assuming I have a heart to weigh," he shot back, then looked down when his foot nudged against something.

At his feet were four glass bottles filled to the brim with thick, ultra-red blood. His breath rushed out and he fell to his knees, hands hovering over the caps that were bound and sealed with golden wax and scarlet thread.

"Four gallons," she said with distaste. "That is what you need is it not?"

"It is," he breathed. "How... how did you do this?" He looked up, lips parted as the goddess shook her head.

"I haven't the qualms these Hunters do about sending a Soul to the hereafter. Perhaps because I have been there myself and know it is much better than the lives they lead on this plane." Her expression had softened as she spoke, looking unbearably lovely with the glow from a nearby light shining on her hair and casting a halo about her head.

Then, she smirked. "And a demon is really no match for me. Silly, vain creatures."

This pulled a laugh from him and he bowed forward. "Thank you, my lady."

"Just as long as you remember your promise."

Sirius racked his brain for an oath that would reassure Sekhmet that he intended to keep his word. Then, looking up, he swore, "He'll stay safe... or you can have Galloway in return."

The words were like a blade across his tongue, but with the way Sekhmet's eyes glowed, he knew he'd said the right thing and secured the help of a very powerful goddess and her nearly unkillable soldier.