Reunited

  Isis winced at my analogy, but Nephthys proceeded to answer my question. “Seth has invested much of his energy in the Devourer, just like he did with Sebak. In defeating the necromancer once and for all, you weakened Seth’s hold. It will be nearly impossible to overwhelm him even with all of our strength combined, but if we sever the ties between him and the Devourer, it will make him that much more vulnerable.”

  “Wait a minute.” Something I’d learned about Seth long ago surfaced. “Dr. Hassan once told me that Seth could create but that he only did it in order to unmake the thing he’d created. Won’t we inadvertently give him more power by getting rid of the Devourer?”

  “Your Dr. Hassan, though he possessed the Eye for a short time, and though he is very knowledgeable for a mortal, does not understand everything,” the blond goddess answered. “The Devourer has already freely shared her energies and her powers with Seth. He cannot take more than he already has, even if he should choose to unmake her. He can only gain back that which he loaned her to do his bidding.

  “When Dr. Hassan talked of creation and of unmaking, he was speaking about the Sons of Egypt. Since understanding this is important, we will tell you what we can. Let me begin by saying that what we do know of his ultimate plans regarding them is very little, but our best guess is that Seth, in fostering the Sons of Egypt, was trying to re-create the spell that Isis wove. From what we discerned, Seth was channeling a great deal of his power into the three young men. The way in which he accomplished this is still a mystery to us. It would be impossible for him to re-create her spell.”

  “Why impossible? Didn’t he have the power?”

  “It’s not the power that he didn’t have,” Isis said. “Spell making requires a certain talent, surely, but this particular spell requires even more. The key ingredient for it is love. Love and a willing heart. Love is not something Seth can understand.”

  When the two goddesses fell quiet, Anubis added, “Seth dabbling with necromancy is likely a key to understanding his motives. What we do know is that cosmic energy can only be harnessed and bound in certain ways. Death, both a first and a second death, appears to be a catalyst in breaking and creating bonds; cosmic energy flows through those connections.”

  “That would explain his connection to the Devourer, then,” I mused. “Those two are like birds of a feather. She gains energy through the eating of hearts, which isn’t altogether different from unmaking. Since death is a catalyst, it makes sense that’s how she kept herself fed, so to speak.”

  “Yes,” Anubis considered, as he rubbed his rugged jaw. “It’s no wonder they were drawn to one another, even through the walls of his prison.”

  “Yeah,” I added with a scornful laugh. “I guess they were a regular Pyramus and Thisbe, talking through the chinks in the wall.” The gods all stared at me blankly. “What…you guys don’t study ancient Roman poetry in Heliopolis? Well, I guess it’s not that ancient to you.” Still nothing. “Shakespeare?” I raised my eyebrows, then sighed. “Never mind. Please, go on.”

  Anubis raised an eyebrow as he considered me and then continued, “Where Seth was thwarted with the Sons of Egypt, he found willing participants with Sebak and the Devourer. Though he could not truly cast the same spell that Isis did, there is an undeniable connection between the three of them all the same. It’s why he reabsorbed Sebak just at the point of his death in the mortal realm.”

  “Hold on,” I said, lifting a hand. “You’re saying he unmade Sebak? But that was, if not instantaneous, then surely quick. Dr. Hassan said unmaking takes a long time.”

  Anubis cast a glance over at Isis, who explained, “The unmaking happens very quickly, at least for the creature Seth is focusing on. Unfortunately, when he unmakes a certain tree or an animal, it would appear that he has the ability to unmake the entire species. It is not inevitable, as we’ve seen him unmake several individuals and humanity still exists, but it’s possible. This unmaking is likely the thing Hassan was referring to. If Seth was trying to unmake all of humanity by destroying the Sons of Egypt, then, yes, that would take some time. Happily, we stopped him before that occurred.”

  Anubis added, “You should also be aware, Lily, that when he unmakes an entire species, he gains the skills and advantages of that creature.”

  “Like Tia’s claws,” I murmured.

  Isis replied, “Yes. But he not only gets the claws, he can become that creature entirely. It masks his presence. Not even we can detect him when he roams as a beast,” she said. “Though some of his favorites have become very familiar to me.”

  Nephthys took her sister’s hand and squeezed. Again I got the creeps and decided not to press for further information regarding that. “Okay,” I said, “Seth’s connection to the Devourer makes sense, but what about Sebak? Why did he choose him, fill him with power, and then abandon him?”

  “After his death was certain,” began Anubis, “Seth reabsorbed the energy he’d bestowed upon the necromancer. Then he cast what was left of Sebak into the Well of Souls for safekeeping should he ever need him again. Though Sebak was mortal, he was a powerful spell master. This was likely what interested Seth originally. But once you caused his first death, Sebak was trapped in the shape of the crocodile god and could no longer use his spells. Seth largely ignored him after that, losing interest.”

  “Sebak said he wanted to prove himself to his master. That’s how Seth knew where we were,” I said. “Also, there were shabti minions on the boat who were trying to communicate with Seth. Should we be worried?” I asked.

  Nephthys and Anubis made eye contact. “There’s something we haven’t told you, Lily,” the goddess said.

  I snorted in a very unladylike fashion. “No kidding. Well, bring it on. I can’t imagine it could be much worse.”

  The goddess winced. “The answer to your question is ‘no.’ Seth can’t exactly…see you. It’s part of what makes you special. Dr. Hassan taught you about an adder stone, did he not?” she asked.

  Lowering my eyebrows in puzzlement, I answered, “Yes.”

  “Well, this place where we’ve been hiding is a giant adder stone. It’s why Seth can’t find us. And you…you are an adder stone as well.”

  “How can I be an adder stone?” I asked. “Are you saying I’m made up of snake bones?”

  The way her face screwed up made me feel very uncomfortable. “There’s just something about you, Lilliana, something that cloaks you from his view and ours. It could be Wasret, but I don’t think so. You possessed this quality even before you became a sphinx. This is why not even your sisters knew about your hidden memories that you stored in your scarab. It’s a good thing to be an adder stone. I promise.”

  I bit my thumb, thinking. “So then Sebak and the shabti spies were supposed to report our location to Seth, since he couldn’t see us.”

  The goddess nodded. “As long as Sebak had you in his sights, so did Seth.”

  “Then why didn’t Seth attack while we were on the river? We were weak. Vulnerable.”

  “He could see you, but he didn’t know where you were exactly,” Anubis explained. “The river is vast. It covers the entire cosmos. It would be like looking for a grain of sand in the desert, and, as you know, it’s very easy to get lost there.”

  “Yeah,” I said, remembering the close call. I’d almost lost Asten and Ahmose on the river. It was just dumb luck that we’d found Cherty. I choked down the sob that threatened to escape when I thought of the lost ferryman.

  Anubis interrupted my dark thoughts. “As for the shabtis, they were probably assigned to watch Cherty. If he dropped you off in a place Seth recognized, then he could come after you. The exception being the Island of the Lost. It’s why Ma’at hid the Sons of Egypt there.”

  “But you said you didn’t know where you hid them,” I said to the stern goddess.

  “I did not lie, if that is what you are implying,” Ma’at countered. “I truly didn’t know where they were. Cherty told me of your whereabouts. The Isle of t
he Lost is a place only you and pathfinder could have discovered. It was safe. Seth could not follow you there, and since it constantly shifts, it is virtually undiscoverable.”

  “When you escaped the island,” said Anubis, “you inadvertently attracted the attention of Sebak. Then, later, when you caused the necromancer his second death, it wounded Seth. We saw it in the faltering of the Devourer. He hadn’t expected it, and as a result, he pulled back from her and left her virtually alone here. It’s given us an opening.”

  “Not that she’s ever truly alone,” Nephthys said. “Still, we believe that if we can destroy the Devourer before he reabsorbs the energy he bestowed upon her, it will break whatever bond exists between them. Once she, too, experiences a final death, the energy linking them will drain away completely, and he will have to make his stand alone.”

  “Well, what’s to stop him from unmaking her the moment we’ve got her cornered like he did with Sebak?” I asked.

  “We’ll distract him,” Nephthys said, her eyes flitting to the goddess standing next to her.

  I sputtered, “But…but isn’t that exactly what he wants?”

  “Seth cannot have what he wants,” Isis said darkly, a dangerous edge to her voice. “It is out of his reach forever.”

  “But you will make him think it’s still a possibility, sister,” Nephthys said. “It will buy us time.” A look passed between the two goddesses.

  I shivered, an uneasy chill racing through my veins. There was a part of me that wanted to ask what it was Seth wanted from the beautiful goddess, who also happened to be his sister-in-law. But then again, I could guess. “This daytime drama of the gods, notwithstanding,” I said, indicating Nephthys. “I thought you were his wife. Wouldn’t it be better if you were the one to, you know, distract him?”

  “No,” Amun-Ra said, speaking up for the first time. His body gleamed for just an instant with a power so bright, it hid his handsome features. “He’s already damaged her enough.”

  “Right.” I bit my lip. “There’s still something I don’t get. If Seth is free and he can unmake anything he chooses and he’s powerful enough to send all of you into cowering on this mountain, why hasn’t he simply unmade everything already? He could destroy Duat or Earth and all its inhabitants without a thought. What’s holding him back?”

  Amun-Ra answered this time. “First, he’s convinced himself he’s in love with Isis. He wants to possess both her and Nephthys and have them rule beside him as his queens. If he tried to unmake Duat, or any other refuge we fled to, he’d risk losing them.”

  “That’s disturbing, but okay.”

  “Second, though Seth is technically freed from the prison we fashioned for him, he is still contained.”

  “What does that mean, exactly?”

  Nephthys answered, “Our grandparents Tefnut and Shu gave up their corporeal forms to trap him. To explain it in terms you might understand, Seth is still shackled, even though he isn’t confined behind the walls of his cage.”

  “I see.” I said this though I didn’t really mean it. There were so many unanswered questions. What did shackling a god mean? Could he still come after us? Unmake things? Take animal form? “So, this spell—” I began.

  “Can wait for the time being,” Nephthys said. “All of you must be tired. Your journey here was surely arduous. Come. We will provide refreshment, and then you will rest until tonight. While you do, we will prepare.”

  Amun-Ra clapped his hands. The surface of a large cut stone shimmered before platters of food appeared. Ahmose immediately began filling a plate, which he then handed to me. I gave him a grateful smile, and he went to pick up another one.

  While the three men piled their plates with thick slices of meat, roasted vegetables, stewed fruits, and flatbread, I skirted around the various gods and goddesses, who conferred quietly together, to find an empty bench. I’d just taken my first drink of the golden liquid brimming my goblet when someone sat down next to me.

  “I see you are still wearing my gift,” a man said. I choked on my ambrosia and leaned forward to cough. After setting down my goblet, I said, “What are you doing here, Horus?”

  “Is it not obvious? I am hiding with the others.”

  “No. I mean, here, here. Sitting on my bench pestering me.”

  “I am hardly pestering you. In fact, I resent the notion. How unkind you are to me when all I have done is miss you.”

  “Have you, now?” I answered with a smirk.

  “Is that so difficult to believe?”

  I glanced around us. “I guess not. I can’t help but notice that there aren’t too many females around to keep you distracted. None that aren’t relatives, anyway.”

  “That is true. Though”—he picked up my hand and pressed my fingertips to his mouth, then kissed them in a very deliberate fashion—“you know no other woman holds a candle to you.”

  I sighed. The fairy in my head giggled. And Tia’s inner voice rumbled throatily.

  A plate hit the stone bench with a clatter, and Amon stepped into view. He looked from my hand to the god holding it. “I believe you have usurped my spot,” Amon said, barely restrained tension tightening his arms.

  Horus laughed. “Have I, young godling? I was just telling Lily how the halls of Heliopolis have been dull since her departure.”

  “How interesting,” Amon said. “I would imagine that if there was anything dim about Heliopolis, it would be attributed to you.”

  Horus narrowed his eyes on Amon. “Tread carefully, youngster,” he said. “I have already generously allowed you to borrow my golden falcon. Do not seek to make me regret that precious gift.”

  “That is the difference between us,” Amon said, leaning closer, towering over the seated god. “I would never give up something so precious.”

  Rising to his feet, fists tightened, Horus spat, “You ungrateful whelp. It would seem you need to learn a lesson.”

  Before he could even make a move, Ahmose and Asten appeared behind Amon. “Was he bothering Lily?” Ahmose asked.

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Asten remarked.

  I stepped between them, pressing my hand against Amon’s muscled chest and Horus’s. “Horus didn’t mean anything by it.”

  “Oh, I think he did,” Amon said, his eyes fixed on the god.

  Seeing he wasn’t going to back down, I cupped his cheeks with my hands. Amon’s eyes were lit up bright green. He was close to channeling his power. “Hey,” I said gently, and he finally looked away from Horus to me. “This fight isn’t worth it. Let’s focus on the one we really need to think about. Besides,” I said, flashing the god behind me a pointed look, “I can handle anything he throws at me.”

  Horus laughed. “I think that is an encounter I would rather enjoy.”

  This time it was Asten who stepped forward challenging the god. “Lily is not yours. If you know what’s best, you’ll back away from her.”

  The god snickered. “Is she yours, then, Dreamer? Or yours, Pathfinder?” Pained looks crossed both of their faces, but they said nothing. “What exactly are you three going to do with one woman?” he asked. “Tell me. Will you tear her in half?” He glanced at Amon, whose eyes glimmered with crystalline shards sharp enough to kill. “I’m sorry,” Horus said in mock apology. “I mean, thirds?”

  “Horus!” Isis intervened and slapped a hand down on her son’s shoulder. “Your conduct is unbecoming.”

  The god sobered instantly. He bowed to Isis. “I apologize, Mother. My intention was merely to check on the gift I bestowed Lily. As far as these three prickly groundhogs,” he said, indicating the Sons of Egypt, “I was just having a bit of fun riling them up. They looked like they were itching for a fight to release some of their pent-up frustration.”

  “Be that as it may,” Isis said, “there will be plenty of fight for all of us later. Come, son. I wish to confer with you before I leave.”

  “No, Mother,” Horus said. “Please reconsider this. Father wouldn’t want—”

&n
bsp; “It is for your father that I do this,” she said softly. “Do not make it harder than it is, son,” she said. I would have thought being reprimanded by his mother in front of a girl would have been embarrassing for Horus, but actually he seemed much more worried about his mother’s well-being than he was concerned over appearances. It made me like him more. There was definitely much more to Horus than met the eye.

  After he departed and we began eating, Amon, who was uncharacteristically not enjoying his feasting, said quietly, “I know what you intend to do.”

  “It must be nice to get an inside peek into anything you want to.”

  “It is not…nice. There are many times I wished I did not have the Eye, especially in instances such as this one.”

  “I know,” I answered softly. “But we need it. You know it’s not something we can set aside, as much as we want to.”

  One of the citizens of Heliopolis that hovered around Nephthys came over and asked if we were finished with our meal. When I indicated that we were, noting that none of the brothers had eaten as heartily as they typically did, she bade us follow her.

  She led us to a wide canopy that sheltered the opening of a cave in the mountainside. It was large enough that not even Ahmose had to duck and wide enough that two of us could enter side by side. Carved stone sconces made the torchlight dance over the walls. Inside, the air was cool and a little damp.

  We went down a series of stone steps until we came into a wide cavern. A few caves had been arranged for us. In one there were three beds, a stone basin for washing, and fresh clothing. The other had one much larger bed covered with silken fabrics of gold, gunmetal, and bronze. A mirror adorned the wall, and the stone floor was carpeted with a thick woven rug. It looked so inviting.

  When the woman left, I checked my appearance in the mirror. Smoothing my brown hair, I paused, fingering a blond highlight. Twisting, I noticed others, some more subtle, some older and faded, and some brand-new. Each man had left a visible reminder. Sweeping back my hair, I tied it in a knot at the nape of my neck. Are we really going to do this?