Page 140 of Sins of the Heart

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in that observation. He’d spent a chunk of his life trying

to be his father’s perfect son. In the early years, he’d

learned to fear nothing except his father’s disappointment. At times, Sutekh’s wrath had been physical in

nature. At times, psychological. He had used every

means and underhanded trick to teach Dagan thathis

was the only opinion that mattered. Loyalty to him

was tantamount.

He’d instilled the belief that failing to rise to his potential, failing to attain the heights he knew Dagan

could reach, was the greatest of all sins.

Of course, the height Dagan aspired to had to be one

Sutekh condoned.

In the beginning Dagan had been in his father’s

thrall, and so he had had his father’s approval. Then,

slowly, like a seed unfurling, he’d begun to form his

own opinions. He’d stopped blindly following his

father’s will. Sutekh had not been pleased. Those had

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been dark years, and the resulting freedom had not

been sweet. It had been a yoke to bear in its own right.

The loss of his father’s favorable opinion had been

devastating, for that approval had defined all he was.

So, layer by layer, Dagan built his own new identity

and chose to include Sutekh’s lessons in loyalty and

fealty. Only he switched ’em up. Sutekh meant that

fealty to extend only to him. Dagan stretched the umbrella over his brothers.

But Anubis wasn’t far off. In many ways, Daganwas

first and foremost his father’s son. But in more important ways, he wasn’t.

“I have information to share,” Dagan offered.

“That may be true, son of Sutekh. But you would

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