DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything in this story except for the new and made-up characters and the ideas.


The tomb headrest is way too hard, but Sadie insists that I use it. I would give anything for a comfy pillow in Camp Half-Blood.

I get out of bed and stretch. I check the alarm clock. It reads 1:39 AM. I've never stayed up this late before. If I was at camp, the harpies would have me for sure!

Quietly, I put on a dressing gown of plain cotton before I unlock my door and step onto the balcony, shivering slightly in the night breeze.

The view of Manhattan is gorgeous. Full of lights and noises that drown out my tiredness. The East River gleams under a full moon. A few sailboats still chug by in the dead of the night.

If only I could sleep
, I think to myself. This whole Egyptian/Greek god business makes my head reel. I am a daughter of Thoth and Athena. Both gods of knowledge and wisdom. That means something.

But why didn't they claim me as soon as I got to Camp? For most campers, it only took a week at most. But for me it took almost 7 years to get claimed!

"Enjoying the view, Skye?"

I whirl around, but once again, I don't see anyone. "Nolan, stop scaring me like that!"

"I'm not using an invisibility spell! Look to your left."

I look, and there he is, standing on the balcony next to mine. Oh, great! His room is next to mine!

"Headrest uncomfortable?" I get the feeling he is tilting his head. This ticks me off even more.

"Yes," I steam. "There's no point in making fun. I bet yours is just as uncomfortable as mine." I still haven't gotten over the little shouting match we had yesterday.

"I've gotten used to it."

"Why do you need one, anyways? Can't you sleep like a normal person? It's not like I'll die the next day and become a mummy or anything."

"The headrest is enchanted, so your ba doesn't wander through the Duat as you sleep."

"Ba? What in the world is a ba?"

"The Egyptians believed your soul had five parts. There's the ba, the ib, the ka, the ren, and the sheut." I'm sure Nolan held up his hand as he listed them off, but it is too dark to tell, even with some light from the half-moon.

"Would you care to explain what they mean? I wasn't allowed to study up on many cultures other than the Roman and Greek cultures at camp." I cross my arms. He really is infuriating.

"The ba is your personality. It's basically a bird with your head attached. If you're powerful enough, you can change it into other shapes.
"The ib is the heart, the record of good and bad deeds. They weigh this when you die on the Scales of Truth against the Feather of Truth. If it weighed less or the same, you passed, but if your heart it weighed more, then it would be eaten by Ammit the Devourer and you would cease to exist.
"The ka is your life force. When you die, it leaves your body.
"The ren is your name. If someone learns your true name, they will possess unlimited power over you and they can force you to do anything.
"And the sheut is your shadow. This is the least understood part of your soul, and I don't know much about it. You can ask Sadie or Carter."

Now my head is reeling even more. Five parts to your soul. Ba, Ka, Ib, Ren and Sheut. This went against everything I was taught at Camp Half-Blood. What would happen to me if I died? Would I end up in both Underworlds, or cut in half? Or were they both the same, just manifestations of a larger death cycle?

"Couldn't you just charm a pillow with hieroglyphics like the headrest?" I ask, curious. This seems to me to be the best and most simple way to solve the sore neck problem.

"Sadie and Carter have tried, but they can't get anything. Maybe you could try! Your father is the god of writing, knowledge and research." Maybe Nolan is right. I'll consider it a good introduction to Brooklyn House and to show them what I can do.

"Good night, Nolan."

"Night, Skye. And I'm sorry for shouting at you earlier. You saved my life, and I just got worked up over something so minuscule."

I head back into my room, leaving the balcony doors open. I feel much more content, and I think I can sleep now. Well, it couldn't be dangerous the first time I don't use the headrest, I thought. I slip off the dressing gown and crawl back into the bed. It isn't long before sleep comes to me.