Chapter One
I laid on my bed, staring at the ceiling. It had been a month since we'd defeated Apophis, and I hadn't really seen any action since. In short, I was bored out of my mind.
You'd think I'd be thankful for the peace. And, mostly, I was. Being used to almost dying most of the time, the calm was a nice change. But I wished something would happen. The most exciting thing that had happened since Apophis' downfall was Carter returning home from a crocodile hunt (Long story.) with a tale about a boy with water powers. I'd been slightly annoyed that he'd got to have all the fun, but whatever.
Just when I was considering blowing up my lamp for entertainment, my door opened. Walt- I mean, Walt/Anubis- stood in the doorway, smiling. Ever since they'd united, it had been difficult to call him by a certain name. I'd taken to continuing to call him Walt because that was who I saw when I looked at him outwardly. But when I lowered my vision into the Duat, it was difficult to think of him as one person.
He walked toward me and sat on the edge of the bed. "What are you doing?" He asked, glancing at the wand in my hand, which was pointed at my bed-side lamp.
I put the wand away. "Nothing."
He rolled his eyes. "Well, while you were busy doing nothing, I decided that if I didn't do something soon, I'd go insane. You wanna go out?"
I turned toward him. "Like where?"
"I don't know," he replied. "A mall?"
I grinned. "Sure." I stood. "Meet me in the Great room in about five minutes, okay?" He nodded, then left. I changed into my usual uniform: battered jeans, a tank top, a leather jacket, and combat boots. Concentrating, I took my magic bag off my bed and opened a hole in the Duat. I put my bag in and let go. I watched the hole disappear, then turned and left the room.
Walt and I appeared in a museum two blocks away from the nearest mall. I glanced warily at the old shabti statues lining the shelves in the Egyptian artifacts section, checking for any that seemed to be more alive than the others. Satisfied that none were going to chase us, I pulled Walt along toward the front doors, trying not to seem suspicious.
When we got to the mall, we first stopped at a milkshake shop. I ordered a chocolate milkshake with cookie dough blended in. Walt ordered vanilla, which I didn't quite understand. Plain never quite suited my taste. I was watching the crowd, trying to remember what I had been about to use as a conversation starter, when I saw her.
A woman with a glossy braid over her shoulder, and a polished bow in her hand. Her expression was cold and bitter. I choked on my milkshake.
"Sadie?" Walt asked, concerned. I blinked, and she was gone.
"I thought I saw…" I looked at his face, and paused. We were here for fun; there was no point in worrying him about my hallucinations. I forced a smile. "Nevermind. It was nothing." He didn't look like he believed me, but he dropped the subject.
When we left Milkshake Paradise, we strolled along until we reached a store called Candy Land. The sign was decorated with lollipops and chocolate bars.
I grinned. "Let's go in here."
He returned my smile. "Sure."
We split up. Him, going for the chocolate bars. Me, for the gummy candies aisle. I walked to the shelves. They seemed to bulge with the Jelly Babies covering them. I was just about to grab a bag, when I heard something. A tiny squeak. I glanced up and gasped. The Jelly Babies on the top shelves had stood up on their own and formed a small army.
Oh,crap.
A.N.- Happy birthday to me! I'm taking a short break from Demigods in Dauntless I'll be right back to it!
