Zia is an honorary Kane at this stage and that means she's family for Percy gods damn it!
Replies:
Guest: You'll have to wait and see to find out what Setne's planning- but remember in canon he's the reason Percy and Annabeth met Carter and Sadie- because he saw potential in combining Greek and Egyptian- so you can imagine that he's coming up with some schemes- but he'll also feel the need to be more careful because of Percy. So yeah, it will be fun is all I can say.
DrizzleRain: Thank you! I have lots of plans and stuff, and the first five chapters or so of the TLT plotline will cover the gap between this fic and that- so they'll take place over the years if that makes sense.
Undeath9087: He's their great great something uncle, and hey, assholes can be useful. Annoyingly enough.
Setne clearly took Carter's reaction as an insult because he stuck his beaky nose in the air. "You should know what it's like, Carter Kane—growing up in the shadow of a famous dad. Always trying to live up to his legend. Look at you, son of the great Dr. Julius Kane. You finally make a name for yourself as a big-shot magician, what does your dad do? He goes and becomes a god." he laughed coldly.
And Percy felt a rush of anger at that. "Oh shut up Casper. Carter ignore the stinkhead." and Carter- looked like he was trying to reign in his anger.
"Where's the buck Setne. Enough delays."
"Don't warp your wand, pal. It won't be much longer." He gazed at the picture of Osiris on the ceiling. "There he is! The blue dude himself. I'm telling you, Carter, you and I are a lot alike. I can't go anywhere in Egypt without seeing my dad's face, either. Abu Simbel? There's Papa Ramses glaring down at me—four copies of him, each sixty feet tall. It's like a nightmare. Half the temples in Egypt? He commissioned them and put up statues of himself. Is it any wonder I wanted to be the world's biggest magician?" He puffed up his scrawny chest. "And I made it, too. What I don't understand, Carter Kane, is why you haven't taken the pharaoh's throne yet. You've got Horus on your side, itching for power. You should merge with the god, become the pharaoh of the world, and, ah…" He patted the Apis statue. "Take the bull by the horns."
"Carter, don't listen to him," Zia said. "Setne, whatever you're up to—stop. Now."
"What I'm up to? Look, doll—"
"Don't call me that!" Zia snapped.
"And stop your bullshit before I go all exorcist on your but!" Percy kicked his shin again, very hard.
"Hey, I'm on your side," Setne promised, dancing away from Percy's reach- and honestly, if he was living his shins would be black and blue from the frequent kicks. It was a childish way to attack but, well, Percy was a child "The book's right here in the dais. As soon as the bull moves—"
"The bull moves?" Carter frowned, "What do you mean-"
Setne narrowed his eyes. "Didn't I mention that? I got the idea from this holiday we used to have in the old days, the Festival of Sed. Awesome fun! You ever been to that Running of the Bulls in, what is it, Spain?"
"Pamplona." Carter said- and Percy grinned at the memories, watching from the window of their hotel, Carter pouting because their dad was refusing to let them out- the chaos that had followed when Percy had snuck away and into the street. And Carter's angry expression faltered when he heard her giggle- and his expression softened. "You are a nightmare-"
"Oh bitch please that was hardly the worst thing I ever did."
"Right-" Setne looked faintly annoyed that Percy had stopped Carter's anger, "Pamplona. Well, you know where that tradition started? Egypt. The pharaoh would do this ritual race with the Apis Bull to renew his kingly power, prove his strength, get blessed by the gods—all that junk. In later times, it became just a charade, no real danger. But at the beginning, it was the real thing. Life and death."
On the word death, the bull statue moved. He bent his legs stiffly. Then he lowered his head and glared at them, snorting out a cloud of dust.
"Setne-" Cater reached for his weapon- which wasn't there. "Make that thing stop or I'll wrap you in ribbons so fast-"
"Oh, I wouldn't do that," Setne warned. "See, I'm the only one who can pick up the book without getting zapped by about sixteen different curses."
Between the bull's horns, its golden sun disk flashed. On its forehead, the cobra writhed to life, hissing and spitting gobs of fire.
Zia drew her wand. Was it just Percy or was her necklace starting to steam. That probably wasn't a good sign. "Call of that creature, Setne. Or I swear."
"I can't, doll. Sorry." He grinned at them from behind the bull's dais. He didn't look very sorry. "This is part of the security system, see? If you want the book, you've got to distract the bull and get it out of here, while I open the dais and grab the Book of Thoth. I have complete faith in you."
Percy let out a stream of curse words in several languages- which just made Setne laugh as the bull pawed at his pedestal and then leaped off of it.
Percy's eyes widened in horror, and she watched as Zia managed to yank Carter back into the hallway.
"That's it!" Setne shouted. "Just like the Sed Festival. Prove you're worthy of the pharaoh's throne, kid. Run or die!"
The bull charged.
And Percy was torn- gods damn it all but what was she supposed to do? Chase after Carter and Zia to help them, leaving the manipulative scheming ghost on his own, where he could probably come up with any number of tricks to use against them.
"You're a butthead." Percy snapped the words, glaring at Setne, "You did that on purpose. You could have told us!"
"Ah but maybe I simply forgot." Setne was far too amused. Percy would like to punch that amused smirk off his face, "And now you have a decision don't you doll-"
"I will stab you in the face and enjoy it."
"Now now." Setne spread his hands mock innocently, "Careful little one, you want to stop the snake you need me. And believe me after what you did to him, you really want to stop him. He'll either demand you as host or... well, I have no doubt that he'll make every instant you're alive a fresh agony. Make you watch those you love die."
Percy's fingers curled into fists and she forced down the urge to just swing at him-as much as he did deserve it she knew it wouldn't actually help her.
"I am gonna watch daddy feed you to Ammit."
"If you get the chance." Setne winked, "Which you won't if my ridiculous descendant and Ra's chosen one get killed by my bull."
"I hate you." Percy snapped the words, but she whirled around and took off through the halls- she could hear noises in the distance, crashing and banging as the bull careened it's way through the maze of halls.
Percy had no choice but try to follow them noises- which was not easy, though- there was also a path of destruction, scorch marks on the walls; from the bull or from Zia's fire magic Percy couldn't be entirely sure.
Then Percy heard it, a rasping voice, loud and deep. It wasn't Carter or Zia's but Percy felt a shiver run through her at the sound of it.
"I am Khepri, the rising sun. I will not be denied" The words were ancient Egyptian- which was no longer a problem for Percy these days, and then she heard Carter calling for Zia- and Percy was sprinting down the hall.
She burst into the room- a circular chamber with four stone sarcophagi- or there had been four, one was demolished. The walls were painted with pictures of bovine paradise—cows being fed, cows frolicking in meadows, cows being worshipped by silly little humans. The daylight streamed from a shaft in the domed ceiling, twenty feet above. A beam of sunshine sliced through the dusty air and hit the middle of the floor like a spotlight, but Percy's gaze moved quickly, flicking from a smoking pile of charred rubble- presumably that had been the statue, and ten they focused on the two figures against the back of the room.
Carter and Zia, Carter was leaning over Zia, a terrified look on his face- her skin was steaming- literally steaming, no way could Carter even touch her.
And when Percy burst in Carter's expression was one of pure relief as he lifted his head to look at her.
"Water- Percy please I need water she's too hot." he looked near tears, and Percy was at his side in less than a second, the spell had always come so easily to her.
"Maw." and a steady stream of water burst from the top of Percy's staff- and Percy willed it to obey her, spraying her friend- covering her with the water- and Zia steamed, Percy had to lean back to avoid getting caught by the hot air.
And Zia coughed and spluttered- but she didn't wake up.
Carter slid his arms under Zia quickly, lifting her up. "We need to get her out of here."
"Right," Percy nodded, her eyes wide, "Right of course." and together they raced back out into the hall, where Percy almost crashed
into Setne coming the other way, waving a thick papyrus scroll.
"Hey guys!" Setne was smirking slightly. "Good job! I got the Book of Thoth!"
"You almost killed Zia!" Carter snapped. "Get us out of here—NOW!"
"Okay, okay," Setne said. "Calm down."
"I'm taking you back to my dad's courtroom, I'm going to personally stuff you down Ammit's mouth, like a branch into a wood chipper."
"And I'll let him do the honors even though I want to." Percy added as Setne held up his hands.
"Whoa, big man." Setne led them up a sloping passage back to the electrical lighting of the excavated tunnels. "How about we get you out of here first, huh? Remember, you still need me to decipher this book and find the serpent's shadow. Then we'll see about the wood chipper, okay?"
"If she dies-" Carter's voice cracked, "If she dies I will make you- I-"
"Yeah yeah." Setne's voice was dismissive. "I get the message." He led them through the tunnels, picking up speed until they were almost running. Finally they burst into the sunlight and Percy broke into a sprint as they rushed towards the Egyptian Queen
When they got back on board Bloodstained Blade reported on the ships repairs- but Percy was too busy rushing after Carter, who was running inside and carrying Zia into the nearest cabin.
As soon as she was led on the bed Percy was biting her lip, "Do you want me to douse her again?" because Zia was still far too got, warm enough that her clothes had almost dried already.
"Yeah." Carter nodded quickly, "We need to cool her down."
And Percy did as she was told quickly, summoning up yet more water, spraying her down with it as gently as she could, up and down until her skin was drenched- and at least this time it didn't make a wave of steam like it had the first time.
Carter meanwhile started rummaging through his pack, pulling out everything he might be able to use. And if Percy wasn't so worried she might have giggled when she heard Zia's dazed murmuring.
"Dung balls. Time to roll the dung balls."
"It's Khepri talking." Setne's voice came from the door, "He's the divine dung beetle. Rolling the sun across the sky."
"Ra won't let her die." Percy's voice was almost desperate. "He needs her. She's always been his chosen." and Carter look like he wanted to sob.
"Is that-"
"It's why Apophis tried to kill her when she was little. Zia will be the eye of Ra. S-she has to be okay." Percy's voice cracked.
Sure she wasn't in love with Zia like Carter was, but the older girl- the older girl was like a big sister to Percy, not as close as Sadie and Carter but- but Percy had known that she could trust Zia- that she could depend on the older girl.
She couldn't stand the thought of her dying.