Chapter XII

Percy

The sarcophagus was made of water.

It was an oversize human figure with rounded feet, wide shoulders, and a giant smiling face, like other Egyptian coffins I'd seen; but the whole thing was sculpted from pure glowing liquid. It sat on a stone dais in the middle of a square chamber Egyptian art decorated the walls, but I didn't pay too much attention to that.

Inside the sarcophagus, Zia Rashid floated in white robes. Her arms were crossed over her chest. In her hands she gripped a crook and a different thing I didn't know the name of. Her short black hair drifted around her face. I could see why Carter was so enthralled by her. She was beautiful.

As Carter approached the sarcophagus, the water began to shimmer. A current rippled down the sides, tracing the same symbol over and over.

Bes made a rumbling sound in his through. "You didn't tell me she was a godling."

"That's the symbol of Nephthys?" Carter guessed.

"Who's Nephthys?" I asked.

"Water goddess," Bes dismissed. "Didn't you say this girl was a fire elementalist?"

"Yeah."

"Hmph. Not a good combination. No wonder the Chief Lector put her in suspended animation. A fire magician hosting a water goddess—that could kill her, unless… huh, that's pretty clever."

"What?"

"The combination of water over fire could also mask Zia's powers. If Iskandar was trying to hide her fro Apophis… " His eyes widened. "Holy Mother Nut. Is that the crook and fail?"

Ah, it was called a flail.

"Yeah, I think." Carter said unimportantly. "Didn't a lot of important people get buried with those?"

Bes gave him an incredulous look. "You don't understand, kid. Those are the original crook and flail, the royal instruments of Ra."

"So they're vintage?" I said. The crook looked like an oversized blue and gold candy cane. The flail was a wooden rod with three spiked chains at the end. "What's so special about them?"

"They're the most powerful symbols of the most powerful Egyptian god," Carter said through a state of catatonic shock. "Why would they be here?"

"Dunno," Bes said, "but that's them. Last I heard they were locked in the First Nome's vaults. Only the Chief Lector had access. I guess Iskandar buried them with your friend here."

"To protect her?"

Bes shrugged, clearly baffled. "That'd be like wiring your home security system to a nuclear missile. Complete overkill. No wonder Apophis hasn't been able to attack her. That's some serious protection against Chaos."

"What happens if I wake her?"

"The spells shielding her will be broken. That could be why Apophis led you here. Once Zia's out of that sarcophagus, she's an easier target. As to why Apophis would want her dead, or why Iskandar would go to such trouble to guard her—your guess is as good as mine."

Carter went silent and studied the sleeping girl. He reached out and touched her.

"Careful, kid," Bes warned.

Carter's eyes faded, as if he started dreaming.

I sent a what-in-the-name-of-Hades look to Bes.

"I have to free her," Carter said. "She's partially conscious."

Bes sucked air through his teeth. "That shouldn't be possible, but if it's true—"

"She's in serious trouble."

"Then what are you waiting for, man? Do it." I encouraged.

Carter sank his hand deeper into the sarcophagus. Slowly the water lost its shape, melting like ice. Before Zia could spill off the dais, he caught her. She dropped the crook and flail. Her staff and wand clattered to the floor.

As the last of the sarcophagus trickled away, Zia's eyes flew open. She tried to breathe but couldn't seem to inhale.

"Bes, what's wrong with her?" Carter said. "What do I do?"

"The goddess," he said. "Zia's body is rejecting the spirit of Nephthys. Get her to the river!"

Zia's face started to turn blue. Carter gathered her in his arms and raced up the slippery stairs, which couldn't have been easy with Zia kicking and hitting him all the way. I scooped up the crook and flail, and her staff and wand and raced up after them.

Carter eased her down next to the riverbank. She clawed at her throat, her eyes full of fear; but as soon as her body touched the Nile, a blue aura flickered around her. Her face turned back to its normal color. Water gushed from her mouth like she'd turned into a human fountain.

From the surface of the river rose the watery form of a woman in a blue dress. She wore a silver Egyptian crown on her long black hair. Her regal face reminded me of Hera, but this woman had a gentler smile and kinder eyes.

"Hello, Bes." Her voice was soft and rustling, like a breeze through the river grass.

"Nephthys," said the dwarf. "Long time."

The water goddess looked down at Zia, who was shivering in Carter's arms, still grasping for breath.

"I am sorry for using her as a host," Nephthys said. "It was a poor choice, which almost destroyed us both. Guard her well, Carter Kane. She has a good heart, and an important destiny."

"What destiny?" Carter asked. "How do I protect her?"

Instead of answering, the spirit of Nephthys melted into the Nile.

Bes grunted with approval. "The Nile's where she should be. That's her proper body."

Zia sputtered and doubled over.

"She still can't breathe!" Carter yelled.

I couldn't decide if giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was a good idea on Carter's part.

Zia didn't like it. She punched the poor guy so hard in the chest he made a sound like a squeak toy. Then she turned to one side and retched.

When she focused on Carter again, her eyes blazed like Katya's did when I did something dangerously stupid.

"Don't you dare kiss me!" she managed.

"I wasn't—I didn't—"

The poor guy.

"Where's Iskandar?" she demanded. "I thought…" Her eyes lost their focus. "I had a dream that…" She started to tremble. "Eternal Egypt, he's not… he can't be—"

"Zia—" Carter tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but she pushed me away. She turned toward the river and began to sob, her fingers clawing in the mud.

"Zia, we've got a lot to talk about," Carter said. "Let's get you away from the river."

She sat on the steps of her own tomb and hugged her arms. Her clothes and hair were starting to dry, but in spite of the warm night and the dry wind from the desert, she still trembled.

I handed her back the magic items I carried from the tomb. "I'm Percy," I introduced. "It's nice to meet you."

She didn't reply.

Carter tried to explain things to Zia, and I listened too, figuring I knew just as much as she did about the recent events of things. He explained about the shabti, Iskandar's death, Desjardins' becoming the Chief Lector, and what had transpired in the last three months since the battle with Set, but I'm not sure how much she heard. She kept shaking her head, pressing her hands over her ears.

"Iskandar can't be dead." Her voice quavered. "He wouldn't have… he wouldn't have done this to me."

"He was trying to protect you," Carter said. "He didn't know you'd have nightmares. I've been looking for you—"

"Why?" she demanded. "What do you want from me? I remember you from London, but after that—"

I decided it was my time to give the two some privacy, so I got up laid down on the sand a few yards away.

Next thing I knew, there was a boot on my head.

I must have dozed off, and when I woke Vlad the Inhaler had my head beneath his boot, Bes in a cage.

A ragged, exhausted looking man with a leopard-skin cloak slipping off his shoulder faced Carter and Zia.

"Let. Go." I hissed. I had not forgotten the fear he had created in Katya's eyes.

He pressed harder and smiled as if delighted to see me, which might've been convincing—except he didn't have his sunglasses anymore. Through the wreckage of scar tissue and red welts, those horrible eyes gleamed with hatred.

"As I told you, Chief Lector," Menshikov rasped, "Kane's next move would be to find this poor girl and attempt to turn her."

"Desjardins, listen," Carter said. "Menshikov's a traitor. He summoned Set. He's trying to free Apophis—"

"You see?" Menshikov cried. "As I predicted, the boy tries to blame his illegal magic on me."

"What?" Carter said. "No!"

The Russian turned to examine Bes, who was still frozen in his glowing cage. "Carter Kane, you claim to be innocent, and yet we find you here consorting with gods. Who have we here? Bes the dwarf! Fortunately, my grandfather taught me an excellent binding spell for this particular creature. Grandfather also taught me many spells of torment which were… quite effective on the dwarf god. I've always wanted to try them."

"Carter Kane," said the Chief Lector, "I knew you desired the pharaoh's throne. I knew you were scheming with Horus. But now I find you consorting with Greeks and holding the crook and flail of Ra, which were recently discovered to be missing from our vaults. Even for you, these are brazen acts of aggression."

Carter looked down at the weapons in his hands. "It's not like that. I just found them…"

He stopped. He couldn't tell him the symbols had been buried with Zia. Even if he believed him, it might get Zia in trouble.

Desjardins nodded as if Carter had confessed. "As I thought. Amos assured me you were an honorable servant of Ma'at. Instead, I find you are both a godling and thief."

"Zia." Carter turned toward her. "You've got to listen. You're in danger. Menshikov is working for Apophis. He'll kill you."

Menshikov did a good job of looking offended. "Why would I wish harm to her? I sense she is free of Nephthys now. It's not her fault the goddess invaded her form." He held out his hand to Zia. "I am glad to see you safe, child. You are not to blame for Iskandar's odd decisions in his final days—hiding you here, softening his attitude toward these Kane criminals. Come away from the traitor. Come home with us."

Zia hesitated. "I had… I had strange dreams…"

"You are confused," Desjardins said gently. "This is natural. Your shabti was relaying its memories to you. You saw Carter Kane and the two girls make a pact with Set at the Red Pyramid. Rather than destroy the Red Lord, they let him go. Do you remember?"

Zia studied Carter warily.

"Remember why we did it," Carter pleaded. "Chaos is rising. Apophis will break free in less than twenty-four hours. Zia… I…"

He was so close to confessing his feelings I could taste it, but Zia's eyes hardened.

"I don't know you," she murmured. "I'm sorry."

Menshikov smiled. "Of course you don't, child. You have no business with traitors. Now, with Lord Desjardins' permission, we will bring these young heretics back to the First Nome, where he will be given a fair trial, and then, executed."

Two chapters in one day, well, sort of. It's one-thirty in the morning now, but oh well. I'm so happy that I've finally started doing this again, it's been far too long hasn't it?

Please comment! I would love to hear your beautiful voices again ;)