Hey guys, I will respond to the reviews in next chapter, I'm in a rush today, sorry!

Unfortunately- or fortunately, depending on your point of view, before Percy could push the matter there was a knock on the library doors, and Cleo and Khufu appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Sorry to disturb you guys." Cleo called, "But Carter, Khufu just came from your room. He seems anxious to talk to you."

"Agh!" Khufu insisted.

Bast translated from baboon-speak. "He says there's a call for you on the scrying bowl," She winced slightly. "It's your mother."

"Uh oh." Percy blinked. "I am so grounded." and Sadie snickered, clapping her back.

"Yes, yes you are." Sadie declared, "You didn't tell mum before you left?"

"I'm here aren't I?" Percy asked, "That should answer your question." because there was no way that their mom would have let her leave the First Nome. Not even a maybe. She'd gone into mama bear mode ever since Percy had woken up- and the pregnancy definitely was not helping with that. "But uh- you know what I'm tired so I should probably be a smart girl and go and get some-Ack! CARTER" Because Carter had grabbed the back of her shirt and was towing her towards the stairs out of the library, "No! No Carter don't do this to me-"

"I am not dealing with the wrath of mom for you Percy-" and Sadie was cackling as Percy flailed.

"Betrayal! Betrayal of the highest order! Sadie rescue me-"

"Oh no." Sadie held up her hands, "I am so not getting involved in this- I don't want a pissed off worried overprotective mum lecturing me-"

"TRAITOR!" Percy squealed the words as Carter dragged her away- but- well, she knew that she wouldn't be able to avoid it forever, so once they were out of the library Percy stopped her flailing and yelling, though she did go limp- an old trick that always drove Carter insane- and he glared down at her.

"Really?"

"I am resigned to my fate." Percy declared dramatically, "I'm practising my corpse impression- maybe if I play dead mom will go easy on me."

"Come on." Carter was clearly trying not to laugh- but hey, at least Percy had managed to make some of that tension on his shoulders melt away.

In the end he gave up dragging her by the back of her shirt- they were getting some really concerned looks that made Percy giggle, and instead he just picked her up and slung her over his shoulder- and Percy was kind of impressed at how easily he did it- he'd gotten a lot stronger over the months it seemed. She he'd been able to carry her before but he'd never found it easy.

In any case soon enough they were in Carter's room and he dropped her onto his bed before he moved over to his balcony- where his scrying bowl was set on a stone pedestal.

Percy scrambled off the bed, darting after him in time to see her mother letting out a relieved gasp at the sight of Carter.

"Oh thank the gods you're okay- Carter sweetie is Sadie- what happened we heard about Dallas- and- your sister-"

"Percy's here." Carter said quickly, cutting their mom off, which might seem rude but Percy knew that it was only to try and lessen her worry. "Percy is here mom. She showed up at Dallas- don't panic she's safe, in fact she's currently standing in my balcony doorway-"

"Percy?" Sally did sob at that, "Oh thank the gods- all three of you are safe I was so scared-"

"I'm sorry mom." Percy moved so that she was stood next to Carter, a guilty look on her face, "I didn't mean to upset you mom."

"Persephone Ariadne Kane if I wasn't so relieved that you're safe I would be yelling at you now." and Percy could see how red and swollen her mothers eyes were. "You can't just run off like that I was so- I was so scared that you'd been taken." and Percy's stomach clenched with the guilt and she bit her lip.

"I- I'm really sorry I just- I know you're worried and I know all you want is to protect me but-" she blinked rapidly, her eyes burning, "I hate it. I've felt so useless and trapped and I couldn't take it anymore mom." Percy shook her head, "I- I know what happened was bad and I know I nearly died but I can't just sit on the sidelines and do nothing- I needed to do something I needed to help Carter and Sadie. I need to help them stop him or I'll never- I won't ever be able to-"

"Oh baby-" Sally's expression softened, "Oh my baby girl I know it's been hard. I just-"

"I-" Carter coughed nervously, "Mom I don't really like it. I want Percy safe as much as you do but- I mean, even the First Nome isn't going to be safe soon enough. Maybe- Maybe Percy needs to be here with us. We- you know that we do our best work when we're together. And- I hate to say it but if Apophis gets to her then- last time Sadie managed to break through-"

"Not that I plan on getting possessed again." Percy scrunched up her nose at that. "But they're right. I- I don't think anyone else knows Apophis like I do." she felt guilty for the way her mom's expression turned pained. "It sucks but- he was in my head and I saw him in a way no one else ever has-"

"She- she's not wrong." Carter pulled a face, "I had Horus in my head and I picked up things from him. And Sadie picked up some stuff from Isis too."

"I hate this." Sally's shoulders slumped, "But- you look after her, you hear me Carter? Now tell me what happened at the museum- and remember young man I know when you're lying to me."

Carter laughed weakly, shaking his head, "I know mom. You're like a human lie detector." he pressed his lips to the top of Percy's head before he explained what had happened, his voice wavering slightly as he told her about the casualties- about their failure to retrieve what they came for.

Once he was done Sally sighed, "I'll tell Amos and Desjardins- it's not good honey. The rebels are trying to blame you for their deaths. Desjardins is still speaking out- visiting other nomes to try and convince them that he hasn't been brainwashed by us."

"I know it's been six months but it is still weird having him back us." Carter muttered the words, and Percy elbowed him in the side.

"Desjardins is nice." Percy declared, "I like him."

"That's because you somehow managed to win him over." Carter scoffed, shaking his head, "I have no clue how you did it but you did."

"I'm a very loveable person." Percy declared, "You can't blame him for being a big ole softy for me-"

"Yeah yeah." Carter ruffled her hair. "so they're still trying to discredit us. That's nothing new mom. It's not good but I mean, we still have Desjardins on our side backing us up and nothing's changed right-"

"Actually-" Sally hesitated, "They- they've broadcasted a message to you."

"Oh gods." Carter groaned, "Let's see it then mom."

Then the oil rippled- and their moms face disappeared, replaced with a different face.

It was Sarah Jacobi, leader of the rebels. She had milky skin, spiky black hair, and dark, permanently startled eyes lined with too much kohl. In her pure white robes she looked like a Halloween ghoul.

She stood in a room lined with marble columns. Behind her glowered half a dozen magicians—Jacobi's elite killers. Percy hadn't actually had any run ins with any of them- since she'd been under a sleeping spell after Menshikov had captured her, and she'd been comatose when they'd stopped the attack on Brooklyn House.

"Carter Kane!" she shouted. And Percy felt Carter jumping, his whole body was tense.

"The House of Life demands your surrender," she said. "Your crimes are unforgivable. You must pay with your life."

And Percy's mouth dropped open in shock as a series of violent images flashed across the oil. The Rosetta Stone exploding in the British Museum—the incident that had unleashed Set and killed their dad last Christmas, Percy saw the fight at Brooklyn House last spring, when Sadie and Carter had arrived in Ra's sun boat to drive out the attacking magicians- and Percy had to admit it did look bad.

"You released Set and his brethren," Jacobi narrated. "You broke the most sacred rule of magic and cooperated with the gods. In doing so, you unbalanced Ma'at, causing the rise of Apophis."

"That's a lie!" Carter yelled the words, and Percy scowled at the images as the scenes kept shifting- a high-rise building on fire in the Shibuya district of Tokyo, headquarters of the 234th Nome. A flying demon with the head of a samurai sword crashed through a window and carried off a screaming magician.

Desjardins home in ruins- the roof collapsed, the windows broken. Ripped scrolls and soggy books littered the dead garden, and the hieroglyph for Chaos smoldered on the front door like a cattle brand. Percy winced- Desjardins had been horrified when that had happened, but then he had royally pissed off Apophis when he'd made an attempt to Execrate him

"All this you have caused," Jacobi said. "You have brainwashed the true Chief Lector and forced him to hand his mantle to a servant of evil. You have corrupted young magicians by teaching the path of the gods. You've weakened the House of Life and left us at the mercy of Apophis. We will not stand for this. Any who follow you will be punished." The vision changed to Sphinx House in London, headquarters for the British nome. Percy saw one of the rebel magiciansstorming through the library, smashing statues of the gods and raking books off the shelves. A dozen British magicians stood in chains before their conqueror, Sarah Jacobi, who held a gleaming black knife. The leader of the nome, a harmless old guy named Sir Leicester, was forced to his knees. Sarah Jacobi raised her knife. The blade fell, and the scene shifted.
Jacobi's ghoulish face stared up at me from the surface of the oil. Her eyes were as dark as the sockets of a skull.

"The Kanes are a plague," she said. "You must be destroyed. Surrender yourself and your family for execution. We will spare your other followers as long as they renounce the path of the gods. I do not seek the office of Chief Lector, but I must take it for the good of Egypt. When the Kanes are dead, we will be strong and united again. We will undo the damage you've caused and send the gods and Apophis back to the Duat. Justice comes swiftly, Carter Kane. This will be your only warning."

Percy stared in horror as the image dissolved in the oil, leaving their mothers face.

"Okay-" Carter swallowed hard, "For a mass murderer she is pretty convincing."

"She's convincing a lot of magicians to join her." Sally's voice was worried, "She's staging attacks and blaming them on Apophis and you kids- I'm worried honey."

"Why was it directed at me?" Carter asked with a frown. "Why not Amos? He's the Chief Lector."

"He-" Sally shifted uncomfortably. "It's complicated honey- your uncle- they consider him a servant of evil. They won't talk to him at all. And they think you three are responsible in any case-"

"What, because he was possessed by Set?" Carter frowned, "That wasn't his fault. He fought it and he's been healed."

"I-" Sally hesitated before shaking her head. "It's complicated kids. But- we need to be careful- the First Nome- it's weakening and whilst I don't think the rebels would attack Brooklyn House now-" she shook her head and Carter sucked in a sharp breath.

"You think they'd attack the First Nome?"

"Yes." Sally admitted, "I don't- it worries me but-" she shook her head, wincing slightly.

"Mom are you okay?"

"I'm fine honey." Sally gave a gentle smile, "One of the babies just decided to kick is all. I don't think they like all this serious talk."

"You looked tired mom." Percy spoke up.

"I'm fine- and you're one to speak young lady. Carter you make sure she gets some sleep."

"I will." Carter nodded, "I- you be careful okay. Tell the others I'm sorry-"

"Honey you didn't do anything wrong." Sally told him. "I'll talk to you soon."

And then the goodbyes were said and Percy slumped as Carter curled an arm around her, looking down at her. "You wanna sleep in here tonight?"

"Oh gods yes." Percy felt a flood of relief- she hadn't told anyone about the nightmares but- when she was little sharing a room with Carter had always helped- and by the time they were curled up in bed Percy drifted off as soon as the blankets were pulled up over her.