Read Seth Online By Laura Greenwood

CHAPTER4

Menhit

I staredat my laptop screen, unable to tear myself away from reading everything I could about Seth online. I knew it wasn’t the best way to get to know him, and that most of the information that would be there was either not an outright lie, or half of the truth, but I couldn’t seem to help it. I wanted to get a sense of who the man I’d been talking to really was. I’d heard all of the rumours, and already knew that I didn’t believe them, but that wasn’t enough for me. I needed to know more.

I supposed I could ask him, but it had only taken a few well-placed questions for me to realise how bad an idea that would be. Even amongst the gods, he was a notorious recluse who was barely seen these days.

Probably because he didn’t want people jumping to conclusions about the kind of person he was.

Guilt travelled through me. Wasn’t that exactly what I was doing by searching online for information about him rather than trusting my instincts about the person I’d been talking to for weeks?

This was ridiculous. If I wanted to know the truth, then all I needed to do was message him, it was as simple as that.

I picked up my phone. I needed to go straight to the source. The budding relationship the two of us had been building deserved that much. And while there were secrets on his side, there were on mine too. I had to trust that we’d both been as honest about who we were inside as we could be. What did names and immortality matter beyond that?

< Hey, so I learned something interesting the other day, and I wanted to ask you about it. > I hovered my finger over the send button. I clicked before I could start overthinking whether or not it was a good idea.

Moments later, my phone buzzed. At least that confirmed that Saul was waiting for my messages as much as I was waiting for his.

No, not Saul. Seth. It was hard to keep what to call him straight, but I was going to manage it.

< Okay...how can I help? >

I took a deep breath. I stared at the message, willing myself to have the courage to send it, but I couldn’t bring myself to. I deleted it before I sent it. < It was about storms. I heard that it’s impossible for lightning to strike the same place twice. Is that true? >

< Not even a little bit. It happens all the time. >

< Ah, my friend must have been playing a joke on me by claiming that. > I winced at the lie, but I didn’t know what else to say in response without admitting that it was a backup question and not the one I really wanted to ask.

< Sorry, I know that isn’t the answer you were looking for. >

< It doesn’t matter, I just thought it was interesting, I wasn’t about to try it out by standing outside in a storm. > I relaxed a little now that we were moving away from revealing his identity.

< Do you not like them? >

Nerves fluttered within me. Despite being certain that Saul and Seth were the same person, the answer to this question was surely going to confirm whether that was the case.

I let out a relieved breath. It wasn’t complete confirmation, but it was enough. < How does Tut feel about that? >

< About as pleased as you can imagine him being. I make sure to wait until the rain has nearly stopped before I even consider taking him outside. >

< You can tell when the rain is about to end? That’s a handy trick. > I get to my feet and make my way through to my kitchen to make myself some coffee while I’m waiting for him to respond, but it’s mostly for something to do with my hands. A distraction is definitely something I needed right now.

< It is, especially as a dog owner. >

Did he realise that he was giving away his identity with some of his answers? It didn’t seem likely, but that was mostly because it seemed unlikely that he realised it was something anyone could work out.

Was I this obvious when it came to the truth about myself? Perhaps he already knew who I was too.

And if he didn’t, then maybe that was the right way to try and get his identity out in the open. If I told him who I was, then it might leave an opening for him to reveal his true nature. Then everything would be out in the open and we could move on with our relationship knowing that one of the obstacles we’d probably both been envisaging would disappear within moments. I certainly didn’t have to worry about his eventual demise if he was an immortal god too.

I closed my eyes and hit send.

Though now I had to work out what the best way to tell him was without sounding like I already knew he was aware of the paranormal world. Most humans were still ignorant to the fact that gods, shifters, vampires, and the like all walked among them. Though having read some of the books they have on the subject, I could imagine that there were many who would be excited at the prospect.

< Are you about to tell me you’re a powerful fairy with an affinity for fire? >

I frowned, a little surprised by his question. Perhaps I was thinking too much into it, but I’d heard enough about Seth avoiding the godly community to concern me that he might actually be serious. < That’s a weirdly specific worry. >

< That’s not a no. >

< I’m not a fire fairy. > But I was now worried about what his reaction would be when he discovered I was a goddess, and I didn’t know what to do about that.

< Ah, then there’s nothing to worry about. What did you want to tell me? >

< That my real name is Menhit, and I’m a war goddess. > I stared at the message, then deleted it just like I had the one about knowing who he was. I wasn’t sure how I was going to tell him my true identity, but it wasn’t like this. < I’m a cat person. > I hit send on the second message, knowing he’d probably find it funny, especially with how much he talked about Tut.

I chuckled to myself. He might change his tune when he realised I was capable of shifting into a lioness.

I glanced at the window, considering whether it might be a good idea to shift and run through the oasis once I’d said good night to him. There was often a comfort that came from changing forms, and clarity to be found during a run. I was in the market for both of those.

< Do you have a cat? > His second message came quickly on the back of his first.

< Sort of. I have a stray who likes to spend time with me, but he never wants to come inside. >

< Ah, yes. I’ve heard that about cats. What have you called him? >

< Rufflebum. >

< That’s an interesting name. >

< It seemed to fit. > Mostly because that was what the Tomcat had told me he was called, but I couldn’t respond with that piece of information without having to add a lengthy explanation about how I could understand cats in the first place.

I sighed and leaned back in my chair, trying not to worry about how off-topic the conversation had gotten. Not that it was ever on-topic. How could it be when Saul-Seth had no idea what I was trying to talk about?

I was just going to have to think of another way to reveal who I was to him, and hope that what I felt growing between us was enough not to send him racing in the other direction when he realised.

Seth by Laura Greenwood

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