Duty To The Dead: The Apprentice Of Anubis, #11.5

By Laura Greenwood

Is learning the art of mummification everything Dhara wants it to be? 

After Dhara is chosen as one of the newest apprentices at the London Temple of Anubis, she's thrown into life at the temples, from learning about embalming, to the protective amulets used for the dead. 

With the help of her mentor, she learns precisely what she needs in order to make it to ordination and to become a full Priestess Of Anubis. 

- 

Duty To The Dead is a standalone companion story to The Apprentice Of Anubis series, an urban fantasy set in an alternative version of London where the Egyptian Empire never fell. Duty To The Dead can be read as a standalone. The events take place during the events of Death Of The Pharaoh through to Court Of The Queen. 

If you love Egyptian mythology, alternative versions of the modern day, temple politics, and slow-burn workplace romance, then start the Apprentice Of Anubis series today with Apprentice Of The Dead.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Drowlgon Press
• Release date: Feb 22, 2024
• ISBN: 9798223083948

Laura Greenwood

Laura is a USA Today Bestselling Author of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and fantasy romance. When she's not writing, she drinks a lot of tea, tries to resist French macarons, and works towards a diploma in Egyptology. She lives in the UK, where most of her books are set. Laura specialises in quick reads, with healthy relationships and consent positive moments regardless of if she's writing light-hearted romance, mythology-heavy urban fantasy, or anything in between. You can find a full book list and more information on her website, or in The Paranormal Council Facebook Group. Happy Reading!

Book preview

Prologue

The crisp autumn breeze ruffles through my hair and I reach up to smooth it back down. The last thing I want to do is to arrive for the Day of Choosing with anything in disarray, I don't know whether any of the priesthoods would turn me away if I don't look the part, but there must be a reason that they require formal dress for the day.

Why does it look bigger than normal? Tua asks.

I look over at my best friend and then follow her gaze to the temple in front of us. Maybe it's because it knows how important today is for us.

Hmm.

Large columns reach upwards, with statues of the most important gods dominating the space between them. Between them are smaller statues of the lesser gods. As far as I know, all of them are represented, even Tamesis, the goddess of the Thames who is only local to us.

My gaze slips open to the statue of Anubis. It isn't as impressive as the statues at the gates of the temple dedicated to him, but I can still sense him watching over us.

Do you think he'll pick us? I ask.

Tua shrugs. Seems unlikely. When was the Blessed Priestess of Anubis chosen?

The year before last, I respond instantly. There's no point in pretending I don't know. She knows how much I've been paying attention to the journey of the only Blessed Priestess of Anubis. In a lot of ways, she has my dream job. The perfect combination of dealing with the human body and magic. Though I wouldn't like the attention it brings.

Then I don't think it'll be us. There aren't any other Anubis Blessed in the British Isles, I don't think he's going to choose anyone for his Blessing this year.

I wish it wasn't our best chance of actually getting into the temple, I say as we join the queue of eighteen-year-olds waiting to enter the temple for the assignments that will dictate the course of their lives.

Ours too.

You never know, they might accept us anyway, Tua says. Our grades were good in all the necessary classes.

But they don't let women into Anubis' Temple.

They have a Blessed Priestess now, she reminds me. Things are different.

You say that, but they didn't let in any women last year, I point out.

We move forward in the line, but still have a way to go until we get to the front. The guy in front of us runs his hand under his broad collar and I can tell just from looking at it that he thinks it's too heavy.

I touch my own, feeling a little self-conscious about how simple it is compared to the others I can see around me. But this is what I can afford, so this is what I have to wear.

There's a new High Priest now though, Tua says.

Huh?

The Temple of Anubis, she says. They have a new High Priest since last year. And didn't you say that the Blessed Priestess had to support his bid?

Oh, right. That's what the papers said.

Then there's still hope.

I chew on my bottom lip and consider what will happen if I don't enter the Temple of Anubis. I know I'll be able to work in the field I want to if I get into the Temple of Heka, but it isn't the same as the magic of mummification that helps the dead move on to the afterlife.

We reach the front of the queue and check in with the scribes welcoming us, following the others into a huge hall. Without any real instructions, everyone falls into lines.

I fiddle with the cuff around my wrist, nervous about exactly what's going to happen next. I'm not sure that I want to be Blessed, it comes with a lot of responsibility as far as I can tell. But I do want to work for the Temple of Anubis, and that means getting selected today.

A gong sounds, making me jump. I share a glance with Tua who lets out a nervous laugh before covering her mouth with her hand.

I put on my best stoic expression on my face as the grand doors at the front of the room swing open and the ornately dressed heads of the priesthoods of London make their way out from it, falling into place along the back wall. I search amongst them for the youngest, easily spotting the man whose likeness I've only seen in the papers.

It's surreal to think this man is the one I want to be my boss. Or that he's the youngest ever to hold the position of High Priest of Anubis in the British Isles. Nothing about the way he's standing makes him look out of place, though. He seems as if he belongs among the others.

One of the High Priests makes his way to the front, his fancy headdress proclaiming his status as the High Priest of Amun. Good morning, all. Welcome to the Day of Choosing. May the gods in their infinite wisdom choose those who will serve them honourably and well, he calls out.

I take a deep breath, realising that this really is it. I've thought about this day so often over the past couple of years that it's strange to be standing here and watching it unfold.

I look over at Tua, and she offers me a reassuring smile, but doesn't say anything. No one has actually told us that we have to be quiet right now, but no one is making any noise.

Let us commence the ceremony for the Blessed. The High Priest of Amun says, gesturing to the side.

A door about halfway up the stage opens and a hawk flies out, circling above the assembled people, searching for the person it will bond to. If it's anyone. I've heard that not all of the sacred animals will choose anyone.

The hawk settles on the shoulder of a guy a few rows ahead of me. I crane my neck to watch as the High Priest of Horus makes his way to him. He could end up at any one of the London temples, but it's the High Priest of the entire British Isles who will deal with him.

Once he leaves, we all wait for the next sacred animal to arrive.

More animals appear. Cats for Bastet, kites for Nephthys, a lone baboon for Thoth, geese for Geb, and cows for Hathor. Some of them stop in front of someone, signalling that they've been Blessed by the gods and chosen to serve them.

Silence falls as the doors the animals came through thud shut, signalling that there are no other sacred animals to come forth.

But that's not the end of it. The current Ma'at Blessed start to make their way through the room, stopping in front of each person with their intimidating golden scales. They seem to be choosing a surprisingly large number of new Blessed, but maybe that's normal.

Several of the other priests from other temples make their way through, but I don't see how all of them are choosing who is Blessed or not. I guess it doesn't matter, the gods are making their wills known.

My legs are starting to ache from having stood around for the past hour waiting for the Blessings to be given out. Not only are those who are chosen lucky because they're favoured by the gods, but they also don't have to stand here with the rest of us and wait.

It's almost enough to make me want to walk out and go take an apprenticeship or a job in a shop instead of trying to enter the priesthood, but I know that's not right for me. I've always wanted to enter the priesthood. From the very first day that I understood what it was.

The selection of the new Blessed of London is complete, the High Priest of Amun says, shocking me from my thoughts. "You may now proceed through the doors to the left and right of the main