Machaela and Jesse hurried home directly after school the next day. The Fall Formal was later that night, and the siblings knew Carter would want to have a meeting about the night before.
There was a high level of excitement at the table, all about the upcoming dance that night. Most of the girls had planned their outfits out weeks before. The guys at school had formally asked their dates, many in creative and sweet ways. This dance had been the talk of the school for months, and tonight was going to be great!
Carter stood up, "Okay. I know there's a dance, but—"
"At seven," Jaz put in. "You're coming, right?"
Jesse's head spun around. Was Jaz flirting? With Carter?
Carter apparently wondered that too. His face flushed a bit. "Uh…so anyway," he stammered. "We need to talk about what happened in Dallas, and what happens next."
That killed the mood in a hurry. Everyone sobered as he continued, explaining the mission to Dallas and adding Zia's showing him a broadcast by Sarah Jacobi. Then Sadie took over, explaining her encounter with another magician, the two gods, and her mother.
Cleo raised her hand when Sadie finished. "So…the rebel magicians have a death warrant out for you. The gods can't help us. Apophis could arise at any time, and the last scroll that might've helped us to defeat him has been destroyed. But we shouldn't worry, because we have an empty box and a vague hunch about shadows."
Jesse snorted in amusement, mumbling, "So what else is new?" under his breath. Machaela elbowed him in the ribs, but couldn't quite hide her grin at his sarcasm.
Carter rested his hands on the table, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "This is more than a vague hunch. Look, you've all learned about execration spells, right?"
In his pool, Philip grunted and slapped the pool with his tail. Water showered down on the table as Machaela tossed him a piece of bacon to help calm him down. Magical creatures are understandably sensitive about execration.
"Dude," Julian said as he dabbed the water off his grilled cheese, "you can't execrate Apophis. He's massive. Desjardins tried it and got killed."
"I know," Carter answered. "With standard execration, you destroy a statue that represents the enemy. But what if you could crank up the spell by destroying a more powerful representation—something more connected to Apophis?"
Jesse and Machaela exchanged a look, seeing where Carter was going. That had only a marginally better chance than the standard method.
Walt leaned forward, suddenly interested. "His shadow?" Machaela eyed Walt. When the others had gotten back yesterday, he had been about to pass out, and he didn't look much better today. The shadows under his eyes were deeper, and he barely picked at his food.
Everyone knew about Walt's curse, about how he didn't have much longer to live. The Curse of Tutankhamen had been mentioned in their lessons a few times in the First Nome. With every bit of magic he did, Machaela, Jesse, and everyone else around them could see his energy slip further and further away. Even more infuriating was that there was no cure, and there was barely any treatment. Jaz had taken to tattooing pain relieving hieroglyphs on him every day, and he was still in constant pain. Machaela and Jesse wished, yet again, that Iskandar was still alive. He would know how to help Walt.
Walt's comment startled Felix so much, he dropped his spoon, crushing one of the mashed-potato penguins he had been making as everyone talked. "Wait, what?"
"I got the idea from Horus," Carter continued. "He told me statues were called shadows in ancient times."
"But that was just, like, symbolic," Alyssa protested. "Wasn't it?"
Bast set down her empty Fancy Feast can, the slight ping of it hitting the table resounding over the quiet terrace. She looked more than a bit nervous about this whole shadow concept, but something had apparently convinced her this was the best idea. Jesse wondered if it was anything related to a statue Sadie had been mumbling about.
"Maybe not," Bast answered. "I'm no expert on execration, mind you. Nasty business. But it's possible that a statue used for execration was originally meant to represent the target's shadow, which is an important part of the soul."
Important? Machaela thought with a huff of suppressed amusement. That's an understatement. There are only five parts of the soul.
"So," Sadie said, "we could cast an execration spell on Apophis, but instead of destroying a statue, we could destroy his actual shadow. Brilliant, eh?"
Julian wasn't impressed. "That's nuts. How do you destroy a shadow?"
Walt shooed one of Felix's penguins from the Jell-O Khufu had given him. "It's not nuts. Sympathetic magic is all about using a small copy to manipulate the actual target. It's possible the whole tradition of making little statues to represent people and gods—maybe at one time those statues actually contained the target's sheut. There are lots of stories about the souls of the gods inhabiting statues. If a shadow was trapped in a statue, you might be able to destroy it."
The conversation moved into whether it was even possible, and Machaela had to admit to herself that it was possible, however dangerous. Yes, even though creating these landed in sau territory and not statuary, Iskandar had mentioned in Machaela's lessons that statues used to contain a piece of a soul. If one then destroyed that piece of soul…Theoretically, this could work, but she couldn't just tell them that.
Machaela and Jesse had stayed relatively quiet through the table's debate for a few reasons, but mostly because they knew giving the others the answers they sought might make those answers irrelevant. Knowledge can only come through searching; given answers have no value, and are quickly forgotten. The process of finding the answers they sought would also give them the strength and knowledge to use those answers correctly.
Growing up with Iskandar as her teacher, there had been many times Machaela had wished Iskandar hadn't followed that piece of wisdom. She hadn't understood why he wouldn't just tell her the right answer instead of making her figure it out herself with a bit of guidance. He already knew. She knew he knew, but he still made her figure it out on her own. It was only when she looked back that she realized that if he had simply given her the answer when she asked for it, she would have known the answer, yes, but she wouldn't have had the faintest idea of how to use it.
It was hard for them to stay quiet, especially since Carter and Sadie would be going to ask Thoth if he knew, and Machaela and Jesse still had issues trusting even the gods on their side. Plus, since the world was at stake, the quest would likely lead into the Duat, which was always dangerous. The siblings didn't enjoy the idea of their friends in danger, but they knew Carter and Sadie could handle it. The Kane siblings were very powerful magicians, after all.
In her true style of party first, work later, Sadie irritated Carter with her pronouncement that they wouldn't go to Thoth until after the dance. Carter, of course, didn't like it, but Sadie was much too stubborn. The dance was still on, and everyone left the table to prepare.
Machaela caught Sadie on the way into the mansion. "Wait up, Sadie."
Sadie eyed her. "I don't suppose you can confirm or deny our shadow hunch?" she asked.
Machaela shook her head. "Sorry, but that's best found for yourselves. I can tell you, though, that you need to bring your magic kit to the dance." Sadie looked about to protest, but Machaela cut her off. "Remember what happened last March? You tried to put off the inevitable, and the attack nearly cost you your grandparents and two best friends. A morale boost isn't a bad thing, but stay alert. It's only three days until the equinox. Promise you'll bring your magic kit?"
"Fine," Sadie grumbled.
Machaela relaxed a bit. Sadie wasn't happy about it, but at least she would have her tools if she needed them. It was always better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
"Thank you," Machaela said, then walked off to get ready.
By sunset, Machaela and Jesse were ready for the school dance. Machaela, for one, wasn't really interested in being in the crowd, and Jesse would rather read, of course, but they had promised to at least make an appearance.
Machaela had chosen a long, flowing dress with a black bodice than lightened to flames as it reached the skirt's hem. She thought it was gorgeous, and she looked good in it too.
Jesse had dressed up in a black tuxedo with a silvery grey tie that matched his eyes. Machaela was rather surprised he had chosen that, but he later admitted Cleo had helped him choose it. He tugged at the tie, trying to banish the choking feeling the tightness gave him.
Arriving via Air Freak, the initiates broke into groups immediately to greet mortal friends and try the punch. Many chose a partner and hit the dance floor, while others steered well clear, opting to chat on the sidelines for now.
The teachers had set up the dance in the pavilion near the administration building. Lights hung from the trees and a band played in the gazebo. Several teachers patrolled the perimeter on "bush patrol" to keep students from sneaking into the shrubbery.
Sticking together, the siblings wandered the edge, each sipping some punch and watching people. Neither really had any interest in dancing, but they had to wait a few minutes before they could disappear into the scenery. Jesse had a book waiting for him in the Duat.
They chuckled a bit when Sadie left Carter with Lacy. Lacy was a sweet girl, but a bit airheaded. They both found it a bit fitting Sadie had to deal with Drew and her Plastic Bag crew for a few minutes after pranking her brother like that. Talk about karma.
Sadie started dancing with some other guy that the siblings couldn't identify, and, with the teachers distracted by the Plastic Bags, Machaela and Jesse chose that moment to slip away into the shadows.
They wandered through the campus, enjoying the silent pathways. An owl hooted from a nearby tree. A hawk pounced on fuzzy-tailed rabbit. Bats chased bugs high above them.
Passing the library, they took their customary seats on either side of a sphinx statue. After ensuring they weren't shabtis in waiting, the siblings had chosen this as their preferred hang out spot. It was perfect for looking out over the central green, and the stone steps had been worn away in a pattern closely resembling a seat. To top it off, being next to the library let Jesse run inside for a new book whenever he wanted, and Machaela had unlimited access to research books.
All that was closed this time of night, of course, especially with everyone at the dance, but they still enjoyed their normal spots. Machaela started setting up her newest project, and Jesse pulled out his book, both ready to settle in for an hour of quiet.
Unfortunately, their quiet only lasted about ten minutes. A shock wave raced through the campus, sending Machaela's papers flying and making Jesse's ears pop.
Jesse slammed his book closed with a bang. "That came from the party!"
Machaela quickly shoved her materials into the Duat, and they hurried back to the pavilion.
They arrived as a gale of wind rushed outwards away from a small tornado. Students and teachers lay around the pavilion, all unconscious. Or all but one. Sadie stood near the tornado, screaming something they couldn't hear, but the wind just got louder and louder.
Then it was gone. Sadie turned toward her brother, who was beginning to stir on the ground though Lacy still snored in his armpit, probably to check on him, when a young man stepped into the light on the other side of the pavilion.
Sadie focused on the young man, but Machaela and Jesse tried to help the other students.
Whatever had knocked everyone else out had made Machaela and Jesse groggy, but they pushed through it. They tried to wake everyone up, but those closer to the blast couldn't push through the haze. It would take them a few minutes to fully wake.
Machaela could find nothing wrong with them, so they sat in some chairs at the edge of the dance floor, out of earshot of Sadie's conversation with the visitor, though they kept a careful watch on their conversation. The man was obviously Russian, and with Jacobi's headquarters in Russia, they would jump in at the slightest sign of aggression.
Slowly, teachers and students came around, and teachers started gathering everyone and calling parents. Machaela heard one of them mention hazardous gas, but it seemed they were simply erring on the side of caution. A pavilion full of people collapse all at once? Even the mortals couldn't write that off.
Sadie rushed over to Carter, spouting off a bunch of information. It took him a couple of minutes to understand, and all the while sirens began to sound in the distance. Eventually, though, Carter seemed to comprehend what Sadie was telling him. She ran off with the Russian man, and Carter started gathering everyone up.
They managed to leave before the police arrived, and back at Brooklyn House, Walt was rather surprised to see them back so early. Carter was all business, though. He, Bast, and Walt had a quick conference on the terrace while everyone changed clothes.
Machaela came downstairs in time to watch Carter and Walt hurry upstairs toward Freak, who wouldn't like another trip, but would do it for the frozen turkeys. The crazy birdbrain loved the frozen turkeys Carter gave him to keep him occupied. She wondered where Carter got the unending supply, but had never asked. She did, however, ask Bast if they were going to Thoth, which Bast confirmed.
Remembering the accounts of Thoth from the tapes, Machaela knew not to expect the boys back any time soon. The scatterbrained god followed enough tangents to keep them occupied until morning at the earliest.
Hope you enjoyed the newest chapter! Thanks to Panemat for the review, and I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on this chapter.