Hey guys, I hope you all enjoy this chapter- in which Carter has some stuff to say to Sadie, and they actually meet Zia properly. I hope you guys enjoy.
Replies:
The Official Clarisse: Yep, Poor Percy is about right- but again, I wanted to show that she is a kid, she is not some epic badass untouchable hero yet. And yes it will have effects- later.
Seaweedbrain760: Yep, poor Percy deserves better- but hey as charmed as her life is there's always gotta be some less fun stuff to balance it out.
Ryan Fowler: The Kanes might just agree with you.
Guest: That's what he believes at this point, though none of the other gods know why for a few months Poseidon was real pissed. And Egyptian gods are somewhat different than Greeks so you'll see. And at this stage Carter is still very overprotective.
It didn't take long for Carter to tow them to the Egyptian section- Percy was glad that he could remember the way because she sure couldn't- but then again she'd been five the last time she'd gone to the museum- two days after she'd first met Carter and Julius.
Still, it was very reassuring when they did end up in the Egyptian area, in front of a reconstructed tomb with narrow corridors.
"Come on." Sadie's voice was shaking but still determined as she surged forward and they slipped inside of the exhibit- and Percy was painfully relieved that at least the security guards had stopped chasing them.
They waited inside of the exhibit for a few minutes, during which time Carter focused on Percy properly, gently tilting her head back so that he could look at her face- the lights were dim which didn't help, but Percy sucked in a sharp little breath when he touched her cheek.
"Are you okay?" his voice was tight, thick with worry. "You're going to have a nasty bruise there- and your-"
"I'll be okay." Percy managed a smile- even though it made her face hurt. She didn't want Carter to worry too much. He was enough of a worrier as it was, if he had an actual reason to worry... no. She'd be just fine.
"I can't believe they nearly grabbed you." the look on Sadie's face was a strange one- Percy couldn't quite seem to place it.
"I'm okay. Carter saved me." Percy gripped her big brothers hand tight enough that it probably hurt him- but Carter didn't so much as wince.
"Of course I did I wasn't going to let them take my baby sister away." he did let go of her hand then, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, tucking her into his side and bending slightly, and Percy felt something in her chest loosen at that- she did feel safer with her big brother there, with him holding her close, so clearly determined to protect her with every fibre of his being.
Again Percy spotted a look flashing across Sadie's face. This time she could recognise it. Jealousy, though Sadie looked away quickly- she could still see that flash of jealousy in Sadie's gaze even with her attempt to hide it- and Percy did feel guilty. She couldn't blame Sadie for the jealousy- after all Carter was her brother too and they were basically strangers- sure Carter still loved her- but he hadn't grown up with her in the way he had with Percy.
"We should go." Sadie muttered the words, moving forward, and Carter and Percy followed close behind, slipping out of the exhibit and sneaking around the Egyptian wing until they were sure that the security guards were really gone.
The Egypt wing wasn't crowded—just a few clumps of old people and a foreign tour group with a guide explaining a sarcophagus in French. "Et voici la momie!"
No one noticed Carter's Khopesh- and Percy felt oddly vulnerable now that she realised she didn't have her Khopesh- they hadn't exactly had time to stop and grab it.
A few old people did give them odd looks, Percy was pretty sure that was because they were dressed in linen pyjamas, drenched in sweat, and covered in grass and leaves, and Percy was sure that she had blood in her hair, on her face and on her clothes.
Sadie was leading the way now- and she found an empty room, gesturing for them to follow her into it.
The glass cases were full of shabati, usually Percy would have enjoyed looking at them- wondering who might have made them.
Now she was just too exhausted to do more than cling to Carter and try to hope that things didn't go even more wrong than they already had.
"What now?" Sadie asked after a moment, "Did you see any temple?"
"No." Carter shook his head, brows furrowing as he thought about it. "I think there's a rebuilt temple down that hall.. or is that in the Brooklyn Museum? Maybe the one in Munich- sorry we've been to so many museums with dad that they all get mixed together- Percy do you remember?"
"No." Percy whispered the word, "I was five last time we came here. I barely even remember it."
"Oh you poor things." Sadie scoffed, "Forced to travel the world, skip school and spend time with dad while I get a whole two days a year with him! You even replaced me and mum-"
"Hey!" Carter's voice was sharp, angry, "Mom and Percy were not replacing mom and you, don't say stupid things like that, and don't you act like it's some perfect charmed life! You get a home and friends and a normal life and you don't wake up each morning wondering what country you're in! I don't even have friends- you're so jealous of Percy, well tough luck! Of course I love my baby sister! She's the only person I have who I can even call a friend! So you don't get to-" the glass next to them shattered suddenly- and Percy let out a yelp, jumping and pressing tighter into Carter's side in surprise- and Carter gave Sadie a bewildered look as Sadie blinked rapidly.
"Did we just-"
"Like my exploding birthday cake." Sadie grumbled, looking away. "You need to control your temper."
"Me?"
Alarms began to blare. Red lights pulsed through the corridor. A garbled voice came on the loudspeaker and said something about proceeding calmly to the exits. The French tour group ran past them, screaming in panic, followed by a crowd of remarkably fast old people with walkers and canes.
"Let's finish arguing later shall we?" Sadie told Carter, "We need to move."
And Carter gave a small nod and the trio took off again, running down another corridor- the sirens died as suddenly as they'd starter. Percy wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not. The blood-red lights kept pulsing in the sudden eerie silence, that wasn't comforting- it scared Percy- red was not generally a good color in Egyptian mythology.
And then Percy heard it- the slithering, clacking sound of scorpions- Percy felt fear flooding through her again. That was definitely not a good sign. "Can you guys hear that?" her voice was small, but both of them heard it and Carter gave a small nod.
"What about Bast-" Sadie looked like she was about to start crying- and of course she was, Bast had spent years as Sadie's pet, Percy and Carter had no way near the same level of connection to the cat goddess.
"Don't think about it." Carter gave a small shake of his head- though Percy could see pain on his face too. "We need to keep moving."
It didn't take long for them to be hopelessly lost. As far as Percy could tell the Egyptian wing of the museum was designed to be confusing, with dead ends and halls that doubled back on themselves. They passed displays of hieroglyphic scrolls, gold jewellery, sarcophagi, statues of pharaohs and huge chunks of limestone.
There was no one else around- but no matter where they ran, the sound of the scorpions pursuing them just grew louder- even when they ducked and dipped around corners, trying to lose them.
Then, after what felt like a lifetime of running they skidded around a corner- and Sadie yelped loudly- she'd been in the lead- and she smashed into someone who had been about to round the corner into their corridor.
Sadie scrambled backwards, crashing into Carter and Percy- and Percy let out a pained yell as they all hit the ground- the impact making a white hot pain burst through her chest- gods but that hurt- she was pretty sure that at least one of her ribs was broken, still at least she landed on something soft since Carter managed to push her so that she'd land on top of him rather than on the ground.
Percy whimpered, gritting her teeth as she focused- it took her a moment to recognise the girl- the one from the museum- and Percy actually got a good look at her this time.
She was taller than Sadie- and older too, probably closer to Carter's age. Her black hair was trimmed along her jawline and longer in the front so that it swept over her eyes. She had caramel-colored skin and pretty, vaguely Arab features. Her eyes—lined in black kohl, Egyptian style—were a strange amber color that was beautiful. She had a backpack on her shoulder, and wore sandals and loose-fitting linen clothes like the three Kanes. She looked as if she were on her way to a martial arts class.
Percy whimpered, reaching into the duat as she forced herself to her feet.
She didn't have her Khopesh anymore but she could pull out her staff at least- she preferred her Khopesh if she was being honest, but she did know how to use the staff, which she quickly pulled from the Duat, gripping the white wood tightly "Stay away from them!" she shrieked the words, and then Carter was on his feel, hauling her backwards, moving so that he was stood between her and Sadie and the girl from the House of Life.
"G-get back!" he was gripping his Khopesh tightly- and Percy felt a rush of fondness, her brother had never been much of a fighter- but as scared as he was he was standing tall and brave, defending her and Sadie.
The girl reached into her sleeve and produced her own wand. She flicked it to one side, and Carter's sword flew out of his hands and clattered to the floor.
"Don't embarrass yourself," the girl said sternly. "Where is Amos?"
Carter looked too stunned to speak. The girl turned towards Percy and Sadie then. "Well?" she demanded.
Percy glared, gripping her staff tightly, "I told you to stay away from us! We haven't done anything wrong just leave us alone!"
That earned her a shocked look from Zia, "How did you-" but before she could finish whatever she'd been about to say Sadie was opening her mouth.
"Amos is gone. He left this morning."
"And the cat demon?"
"That's my cat," Sadie said. "And she's a goddess, not a demon. She saved us from the scorpions!"
Carter unfroze. He snatched up his sword and pointed it at the girl again.
"Who are you?" he demanded. "What do you want?"
"My name is Zia Rashid." She tilted her head as if listening for something and Percy growled, "You just used magic to make Sadie talk you meanie!" She went to
thrust her staff forward but Carter caught her wrist with his free hand.
"Percy no! Didn't you say more magic could burn you up?"
And Percy gave Carter a disbelieving look "You- I could do one spell probably- and you had to say that in front of her?" she waved her staff at Zia. "Now she knows that the only one of us who knows what they're doing is weak today!"
"Like it wasn't obvious from the fact that I had to carry you out of the museum last night?" Carter's voice was incredulous, and Percy very maturely poked her tongue out at her big brother and used her staff to smack his head.
"Hey!" Carter yelped the word, hand flying up to press to his head, and Sadie let out a slightly hysterical laugh.
"And people say I'm the crazy one."
"I never pretend to be normal-" Percy was cut off by the entire building rumbling. Dust sprinkled from the ceiling, and the slithering sounds of scorpions doubled in
volume behind them.
"Wonderful." Zia did not sound impressed, "It seems I must save your miserable lives. Let's go."
Personally, Percy would have rather tried to fight off the scorpions than go with Zia- the girl had wanted to kill them just the night before after all, but she wasn't stupid. Carter and Sadie had no training and very little understanding of magic, and as much as Percy hated to admit it she probably wouldn't survive if she had to fend off a goddess and scorpions. She'd burn herself out.
Which meant that their best chance of surviving was to follow her.
Percy glanced at Carter and Sadie- and clearly they were thinking along the same lines- so Carter gave a sharp little nod, and together they took off after the girl.