Chapter Text
Thebes, 667 BC
They turn to the Egyptians next, instead of indulging Aranare's desire for a throne.
Partly because they need to take down all of the ruling covens if this is to succeed, partly because the Egyptians are the biggest threat with the Dacians gone, but partly also for Enheduanna's sake.
Khonsu had been a lover of hers for a time, more than a thousand years ago, until he had murdered her first mate in front of her. She has Castor now, but she has never forgiven that first terrible loss. They have sworn that she and no other will have Khonsu's head for his crime.
The last reason, of course, is the convenience. The Assyrian Ashurbanipal has decided to attack Egypt, and his army provides not only excellent cover for their own but convenient meals. Men die on the march every day, what is a few more or less? (With Enheduanna's loathing for the Assyrians who's ancestors slaughtered her people, it is rather more than less.)
Turnus, an ancient Latin vampire who had joined them a century or so before when their territory merged with his, masks their scents as they move into Egyptian territory. It is probably unnecessary with the number of mortals about them but better to be safe than sorry.
They settle just outside Thebes with Turnus keeping them hidden, unseen and unheard.
"Amun has a weakness." Argurios says suddenly, as they watch the Egyptian coven sitting and petrifying in their temple while the mortals offer unnumbered sacrifices to them. There are more today. Tarhaqa has fled the Assyrian army here, and is desperate for his false gods to deliver him from his enemies.
All heads turn to Argurios. "A new one?" Castor asks, his eyes already gleaming with opportunities.
Argurios nods. He extends his hand to Aranare, who giggles madly as soon as their skin has touched.
"A true mate." Argurios explains over his brother-in-law's laughter. "Still human. Alive."
Interesting.
Like many of the ruling covens, the Egyptian coven has taken up the fashion of murdering their mortal mates as each one appears. In place of their mates, they take unmated consorts from their own kind and numberless mortal concubines on the side. It is, Sulpicia thinks, an ironic imitation of the mortals they so despise.
Yet it seems that Amun, foul tyrant as he is, has not been able to bring himself to do has he has done so often before. He must have hidden her from the others, knowing that should they find her they would do to her as he has done to their mates and name it their duty. She must truly be something wonderful to hold such a spell over Amun-Ra while still mortal when no other has managed.
"Demetos.'' Castor says, quiet enough that the Egyptians will not hear them. "Can you take a heading from Argurios?"
The tracker hesitates, his brow furrowing as he stares through Argurios. "I think so, wanax. It's dim but just about enough."
Down below them, Amun sits on his throne, the heavy stone thing set beside Amaunet's. The rest of the coven have their own thrones, arrayed a step below the founding pair in jewels and finely spun linens to match the greatest mortal king.
Bast is wearing the pearls that they had given the Egyptians when they had passed through and stolen Demetos. Looking across at Aranare, Sulpicia knows that he is planning to rip them from her neck. She had thought he had given those pearls up suspiciously easily.
The Egyptian coven blaze in the bright midday sun as Taharqa bows down before them, presenting jewels and gold and priceless offerings. Isis and Horus pick greedily through the hoard, fighting off Set and Osiris as Amaunet and Amun pounce on his attendants and the rest of the coven squabble over the slaves brought to feed them.
If the Volturi did not have Argurios, they could not tell that Amun's thoughts are always with a mortal girl secreted somewhere on the other side of the Nile where the water washes away any scent for his kin to track him by.
Luckily for the Volturi, they have Demetos who does not need anything so mundane as scent. Also luckily for Amun, they do not intend to kill her...not yet.
Enheduanna hisses down at the figures below them, as the prettiest of the surviving slaves are towed away by the victorious Khepri, Khonsu and Nut. "Vile bastards. I should tear the teeth from their heads one by one."
"You will." Castor says soothingly, slotting his chin into her shoulder as his arms encircle her waist. "Just a few more days and we can make them suffer as much as you please."
Enheduanna leans back into his embrace with a smile. "As we please, my love."
"Of course." Castor presses a kiss to her cheek. "Whatever you want. And then we can go after those disgusting Assyrians who dare to pollute your land and claim its inheritance."
She turns her head so that the next kiss lands on her lips, and chases him when he pulls back. She twists in his arms, locking her hands about his neck and pulling him back to her. He goes suspiciously easily, letting her kiss the smile from his lips.
Argurios kicks Castor in the knee when their hands start to roam. "You two can fuck about torturing people after we've defeated them." He says bluntly as Castor rounds on him. "And not in front of the rest of us."
Didyme giggles, hiding her face in Argurios's shoulder as if that can hide the sound. Both Enheduanna and Castor look deeply unimpressed as Argurios turns a besotted smile onto her the moment the bell-like chimes of her laughter ring out.
"Besotted idiots the lot of them." Aranare whispers in Sulpicia's ear, pressing a kiss to the shell of it. "My clever merchant is far too wise to be such a fool."
She accepts the kiss without letting herself react. "And you are not too wise?"
Another kiss, this time to the nape of her neck. "My darling I have been a fool for your love from the moment I saw you."
He kisses his way up to her lips, taking them with reckless daring as if all of her kisses are not saved for him.
From the direction of the guard, Charmion scoffs at them all, before snapping at her compatriots to amuse themselves. Guard and rulers alike settle down to wait, content to bask in the sun secure in the knowledge that Turnus keeps them undetected.
Demetos returns at sundown with Amun's mortal mate.
"She was guarded by mortal mercenaries." He reports disdainfully. "My sire has apparently learned not to trust his covenmates."
The girl is surprisingly unremarkable for one who has broken the millenia old tradition Amun himself had put into place. Four mates he has had, that Enheduanna has known of, and only this one has he been unable to bring himself to kill. She is wide-eyed and silent, her blood sweet-smelling but no more, her features regular but not particularly lovely.
When they address her, she keeps her lips clamped shut.
Perhaps that is it. She has all the bearing and manners of the slave girls that the Egyptian coven keep, but there is something in her eyes. A stiffness to her hunched spine. Her hands are folded together so tightly that the knuckles have blanched white but they do not tremble.
"Her name is Kebi." Demetos continues. "And she was brought up in Memphis before her lord brought her as an offering to the gods. Amun hasn't told her why she is hidden away or from whom, just that it is for her safety. She was quite talkative before she realised I wasn't an Egyptian anymore, somewhere about the time I had to drain her guards I think. He must have paid them very well indeed."
He is using an odd dialect of the local tongue, rather than the Achaean that the Volturi ordinarily favour.
"So Amun has not told her that his covenmates are seeking to kill her?" Didyme replies sweetly in the same dialect.
The girl's eyes widen infinitesimally at that. It must be the only language she speaks, Sulpicia realises, and exchanges a glance with Aranare. He nods at her, sliding a glance towards Enheduanna. Their ancient priestess is too wild-looking to make the girl at all comfortable, so it must be Didyme and Sulpicia to ease her.
"Did he warn her about Amaunet's habits at least?" She asks, stumbling a little over the odd sentence order.
Demetos shakes his head mock-mournfully. "Not a word, wanaka."
Didyme gasps, putting a hand to her mouth in shock as she flits towards the girl. "Oh, darling." She croons, wrapping one cold arm about her shoulder. "I am so sorry."
She pulls the girl slightly away from the rest of them, far enough that it gives Kebi with her human senses the illusion of privacy. They can hear her explaining about the traditions the ruling covens follow, the many mortals who have been killed simply for the crime of sharing a soul with an immortal, and why Amun has hidden her.
Argurios waits for a few moments, until Kebi is distressed enough that she will not notice, and nods to Charmion. Her witchery is subtle, quiet, visible only through the twitching of her long fingers and Argurios's gift.
Without Argurios, Charmion is all but blind, working only through feel. She had grown skilful enough at it on Cyprus, but now with Argurios to guide her she has become almost impossibly powerful.
Sulpicia cannot see what she is doing, but she knows all the same because they trust Charmion to follow the plan, and when she improvises they trust her to do it in their own best interest. She has far more freedom than even the rest of the elite guard. Partly because of her gift, but also partly because she had been their first companion.
It had been Charmion who had caught their vision and bound herself to it, Charmion who had offered her gift to tie other immortals to them, and Charmion who heads their guard.
She cuts Kebi off from any Egyptian other than Amun - the bonds had been there, the bonds of awe and fealty that most mortals held to their deified ruling covens, but weak and weakened further by Didyme's revelations.
The frail bond of sisterhood felt for Didyme, and the frailer still one to Sulpicia, are strengthened and rooted deeper. The terror she feels towards Demetos is lightened, turned instead to the dead mercenaries who had been keeping her prisoner, from whom Demetos had rescued her.
And the curiosity she feels towards the Volturi grows into something approaching a desire to aid them, to be joined with them, as Didyme speaks and Charmion works her witchery.
By the time Demetos returns with a suspicious Amun, the work is done.
Amun is walking behind Demetos, looking curious but as aloof and unruffled as ever. Sulpicia briefly wonders what Demetos had said to persuade his former master to follow him out here without alerting any of his covnmates.
That is quickly subsumed by wicked delight at the change that comes over Amun the moment he sets eyes on the mortal. If he were human the blood would have drained from his face.
"Kebi!" Her name is pulled from his lips with the force of the sun beating down on them.
He lunges for her, throwing Demetos aside, but is caught by Nessus and Kacha several feet from Kebi who scrambles back as he thrashes wildly.
Castor tsks. "Hands off, Amun." He says in a dialect of Achaean he knows Amun knows and will not have taught to his mortal mate. "You wouldn't want anything to happen to her if you forget your strength, would you?"
The sudden fear in the eyes of the god-king is delicious. He stills. Looks towards his mate who is staring at him in shock, clearly never having seen him lose control before.
Sulpicia can see the moment he notes the mortal clinging to Didyme. His eyes flicker towards Charmion, and then he slumps. "Let her go. Then we'll talk."
Castor and Enheduanna laugh. Leukos steps forward. "We shall let her go, after you talk. None of us are that stupid, Amun." He says, and waits.
There is silence for the space of one of Kebi's heartbeats as Amun's mind visibly whirls.
Then he lowers his eyes. "What do you want to know?"
Aranare holds out his hand, and Amun reluctantly takes it, his mouth twisting as Aranare's eyelids flutter.
"We had intended to kill you and her.'' Enheduanna says, with the heavy tones that remind those listening to her just how ancient she is. "But your mortal mate has made quite the impression on my covenmates and I have been overruled."
Amun visibly slumps in relief. He has not taken his eyes away from Kebi for more than a few moments the whole time. If he had been less of a piece of unutterable filth, perhaps it would have even been sweet.
As it is, none of them trust Amun farther than a human could throw him. Love Kebi he may, but it does not erase what he is. He will be allowed to live for her sake and her sake alone.
They need insurance. Enheduanna turns to Argurios, who blurs to Kebi's side.
Amun understands what they intend just a moment too late. By the time he has broken free from Nessus and Kacha, Argurios has already bitten down.
They leave the girl screaming on the ground with Amun holding her and crooning useless comforts, weeping tearlessly himself for the agony he cannot save her from.
As Kebi changes, the temple is razed to the ground. Every last one of its inhabitants, mortal and immortal alike, is killed and burned.
They stay long enough for Argurios to establish himself as Kebi's sire, and for Amun to learn his new place in the world the Volturi are creating. The mated pair find an inconspicuous place to live farther south than before, and promise to obey the laws.
Amun may cause trouble later, but for now he is too shocked by the destruction of his coven to do anything but follow Kebi's lead. And Kebi, thanks to Charmion's witchery, thinks that the Volturi's vision for their kind is brilliant.
They leave Egypt and its decimated coven behind, and move on.