Horus

"What have you done?!"

I don't think I've ever seen Michel this mad. His eyes dart between us and the space Zia Rashid's shabti was taking up moments ago. The battle did not leave him unscratched. His tattered robes are smoking. At first I think he has been hit by a fireball. Then I notice his beard is smoldering, too. Was Desjardins draining himself while fighting on our side? Behind him stand three equally battered magicians.

"Oh, good," Sadie mutters. "You're alive."

I'm living for the enthusiasm in this girl's voice.

"You bargained with Set?" Desjardins yells. "You let him go?"

"We don't answer to you," Carter growls. We step forward, hand on our sword. How dare this mortal speak like this to a god! I am so sick of the House's disrespect! I'm ready to swing when the girls put their arm out to hold us back.

"Desjardins," they say calmly. "Apophis is rising. We need the gods. The House of Life has to relearn the old ways."

"The old ways destroyed us!" Desjardins yells.

Hieroglyphs blaze in the air around him. The pure rage in this man's eyes would've made deities quiver. And still, when faced with the Chef Lector's wrath, Sadie Kane doesn't. No, she looks him straight in the eye. The way she stares him down reminds me of my mom's quiet rage – something thousands have prayed to never be on the receiving end of.

"Pride destroyed you," She says. "Greed and selfishness and all of that. It's hard to follow the path of the gods. But it is part of magic. You can't just shut it down."

"You are drunk with power," Desjardins snarls. "The gods have possessed you, as they always do. Soon you will forget you are even human. We will fight you and destroy you." He glares at us in a way that makes it clear he's talking only to Carter. "And you—I know what Horus would demand. You will never reclaim the throne. With my last breath—"

Now that's a bit harsh, don't you think? Fortunately for Desjardins, Sadie cuts him off.

"Save it," She says. Then she faces Carter. "You know what we have to do?"

He does.

"Are you sure?" Carter asks. "We're leaving ourselves open." He glares at Desjardins. "Just one more good smack with the sword?"

I've thought the boy well.

"I'm sure, Carter."

Sadie closes her eyes. Carter sighs and follows her.

Hey

Hey.

Weird. I was so eager to get rid of you just a couple of days ago.

Yeah, I could feel it. A lot of things have changed since then.

I'm not sure if that's good or not. That's a goodbye then?

'Goodbye' makes it sound so permanent. We shall meet again.

I don't think I'll ever be ready.

This Universe is a complex matrix of beings, Carter. But the scales of Ma'at always find their way back to balance no matter what.

Our souls begin to untangle. I can feel The Washington Monument pulling me like a spiritual magnet. A part of me makes it into Carter's amulet with a final promise: I'll always be around when you need help. Then the tides of Duat sweep me away. I don't worry where to. It's time to go home.