To Mai Surprise
Disclaimer: I do not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King, nor do I profit from any of my stories.
Chapter 10
"Nine lives to live, nine lives to endure.
Each life harder than the last, each death more painful than the one before.
The Uniter will lead the new world order, a guide to those before.
Raising hope from the grave, inviting open Death's door."
Valentina pointed to the original text, written on the lengthy scroll. There was a large picture accompanying it.
The picture was of eight of the Egyptian gods, all in their animal form. I recognized three of them, but the rest I didn't remember. The aged parchment held the likeness of Bastet, the goddess of the Mai, in feline form. Next to her was the dog, Anubis. The other god I recognized was Horus, a falcon. I didn't know the names of the other gods and goddesses.
"Who are they?" I asked Aunt Valentina, wondering what they all had to do with the Mai.
She brought out a thick manila folder and set it on the desk. "Each of the ancient Egyptian gods had human offspring. Over the past couple thousand years, the different races have died out."
When she handed me a piece of paper, I read aloud.
The Mai are the descendents of Bastet. Their powers resemble that of a feline.
Attributes include:
Feline eyes
Empathy
Improved night vision
Hypersensitive hearing
Increased dexterity and agility
Retractable claws
Major clans found in:
US (West Coast)
US (New York)
Russia
Scandinavia
Brazil
The Jackals are the descendents of Anubis. Their powers resemble that of a canine.
Attributes include:
Aggrandized canine teeth
Black and white vision
Hypersensitive hearing
Increased strength, dexterity, and agility
Improved sense of smell
Major clans found in:
US (Texas)
Australia
South Africa
The Taurus are the descendents of Ptah. Their powers resemble that of a bull.
Attributes include:
Tendency to charge, to "See Red"
Short temper
Increased strength
Major clans found in:
Spain
Nigeria
India
The Cetacea are the descendents of Hatmehit. Their powers resemble that of a fish.
Attributes include:
Amphibious gills
Improved swimming ability
Hypersensitive sense of smell
Retractable webbing on fingers and toes
Shark teeth
Major clans found in:
US (Hawaii)
New Zealand
Cuba
The Ave are the descendents of Thoth. Their powers resemble that of an ibis.
Attributes include:
Improved sense of righteousness
Healing abilities
Blessings give increased fertility
Graceful figure
Major clans found in:
South Africa
Israel
Egypt
Japan
The Falcons are the descendents of Horus. Their powers resemble that of a hawk.
Attributes include:
Improved night vision and sight
Hypersensitive hearing
Increased dexterity and agility
Razor talons
Major clans found in:
US (Great Lakes area)
US (Seattle)
England
The Nepa are the descendents of Hedetet. Their powers resemble that of a scorpion.
Attributes include:
Immune to extreme heat
Hypersensitive to cold teperatures}
Deadly poison in stinger located on index fingers
Major clans found in:
US (Nevada)
Iraq
Sahara Desert
The Lacerta are the descendents of Ammit. Their powers resemble that of a crocodile.
Attributes include:
Impenetrable scales
Improved sense of smell
Hypersensitive hearing
Increased speed and swimming ability
Razor teeth
Major clans found in:
US (Miami)}
Australia
Egypt
China
"So there are others? Others like us?" Alek looked as confused as I was.
Aunt Valentina nodded, saying, "I have never met anyone from the other races. No one knows if they are alive. It has been generations since the different races have contacted each other." She sighed. "For all we know, they could be extinct."
She pointed at the picture on the scroll. "The prophecy speaks of the Uniter, but there may be more than just Mai being united."
"Will we get to meet any of them?" I asked, since Alek seemed to be wondering the same thing.
"We have our suspicions that the Jackals have a Pack in Huston. When word gets out that the Uniter has been found, they will probably make themselves known." Aunt Valentina frowned. "The Mai are not on good terms with them, but we leave each other alone for the most part."
"Hmmm," I said, "what are we going to do?"
Aunt Val looked at me and smiled slightly. "I trust you to keep the Uniter safe; just don't forget to act responsibly."
Blushing at her innuendo, I busied myself with looking at the files on the other demigods.
"Now, it is about time for lunch. Chloe, you go start cooking. I need to have a word with Alek."
When the door to Aunt Val's office closed, it shut out all sound from inside. So much for eavesdropping… Jasmine was on the couch, doing homework. Turning the stove on, I got out butter, tortillas, cheese, refried beans, salsa, and sour cream. I made enough quesadillas for the four of us.
By the time I was done cooking, Alek and Aunt Valentina had emerged. I wondered what they had talked about, but I figured that Alek would tell me later if it was important. He was a great boyfriend; he even offered to do the dishes with me. Once the kitchen was clean, Jasmine, Alek, and I decided to go find Mimi and Brian.
We knew that Brian was tending the store, and that Mimi would probably be wherever he was, so we walked across town to meet up with them. Entering Valentina Bayar's Precious Antiques, I was surprised at the cleanliness. Someone had rearranged the shop to make it more inviting and there wasn't a speck of dust in sight. Ringing the bell at the cashier's desk, three sets of cat eyes appeared.
Brian, Mimi, and Charlie walked out of the back office. We sat around talking, the occasional customer interrupting. Brian was as charming as ever, even the crotchety old ladies loved him.
Texting Amy and Paul, we made a plan to go out to dinner together. Amy was shocked when she heard that Alek had died last night, while Paul just started asking questions. Thankfully, we had chosen a quaint diner, sitting on the patio outside. The crisp fall air made for a wonderful outside meal.
After we finished, we went our separate ways, promising Amy and Paul that we would hang out tomorrow. Brian had orders to stand watch over Alek tonight, so Jasmine, Mimi, and I went back to the apartment. Exhausted, I fell asleep on the drive home. Jasmine had to slap me across the face in order to wake me up.
After Brian drove me home, I ran into my mum in the kitchen.
"How was school? How was Chloe today?" She smiled at me, as if the past week was just like any other week.
"Good and good." I yawned, and then said, "I think I'm going to bed, okay?" I turned away, saying, "I love you Mum."
I felt her hand on my shoulder and turned around. "I love you too, son."
Leaning over to kiss her cheek, I felt strange. It was like a bolt of electricity shot through me. Strong feelings of love, and pride, ran through my bones. It wasn't my feeling, it seemed to be coming from Mum. I yawned again.
I must be tired. Being sleep deprived was messing with me…
Let me know when you if you get confused with all the different races. As always, feedback is important. I always take your advice into consideration.
Please review, even if you hate it!