Hehehehehe. This shall be fun I'm sure. You guys are going to like this chapter I think- it's getting interesting now. Also, Carter, Sadie and Zia are protective as fuck.
Replies:
Undeath9087: He was just a demon that Vlad used to summon Set. And we get to see more of the siblings loving eachother.
Guest: With the way the Egyptian gods work I don't think they really can have demigods- since it's possession and not their own bodies if that makes sense. And it will be fun in the future.

Percy had never seen an execration in person- as far as she knew her father had never used the magic- and it was about as horrifying as she watched- and it was made worse by how easily the Russian did it- he used the spell as if he did it every day- as if it was nothing.

He kept chanting as the corkscrew began to melt, and the demon melted with it. Menshikov dropped the pottery shard on the floor—the red hieroglyphs that spelled all the demon's various names. With one final word of power, Menshikov stepped on the shard and crushed it to bits. Death-to-Corks dissolved, chains and all.

Percy pressed close to Sadie, shaking slightly as Sadie slipped an arm around her shoulder, her discomfort was not subtle.

As soon as the demon was gone, the fire on Menshikov's staff died. Hieroglyphs burned around the summoning circle. The big green jar trembled and a voice from deep inside boomed, "Hello, Vladimir. Long time."

Sadie inhaled sharply, pressing her face into Percy's hair, probably to stop herself from screaming- Percy could see Carter gripping Zia's arm in a white knuckle grip. Zia's mouth was open wide in horror- and Percy- she felt like she was going to throw up. Because all of them knew that voice, all of them could remember it.

Set.

Menshikov had summoned Set. Of all of the gods he could have summoned he'd summoned Set.

"Set." Menshikov didn't even look tired from the summoning. He sounded awfully calm for someone addressing the god of evil. "We need to talk."

"Is he mad." Sadie had lifted her head slightly so that she could talk, "Is he mad-"

"If not mad then certainly up to no good." Zia's voice was pitched low. "To summon Set in particular, especially after D.C. There is no way that Desjardins has approved of this."

"We need to get out of here." Carter breathed out, "We need to get the scroll and get out. Now."

Sadie nodded, letting go of Percy, who automatically darted to Carter, who wrapped an arm around her as Sadie and Zia started going through Sadie's bag, fishing out supplies to speed the process up.

Meanwhile the big green jar wobbled as if Set were trying to tip it over.

"A malachite vase?" The god sounded annoyed. "Really, Vladimir. I thought we were on friendlier terms than that."

Menshikov's laugh sounded like someone choking a cat. "Excellent at constraining evil spirits, isn't it? And this room has more malachite than any other place on earth. Empress Alexandra was quite wise to have it built for her drawing room."

The jar plinked. "But it smells like old pennies in here, and it's much too cold. Have you ever been stuck in a malachite jar, Vlad? I'm not a genie. I'd be so much more talkative if we could sit face-to-face, perhaps over tea."

"I'm afraid not," said Menshikov. "Now, you'll answer my questions."

"Oh, very well," Set said. "I like Brazil for the World Cup. I'd advise investing in platinum and small-cap funds. And your lucky numbers this week are 2, 13—"

"Not those questions!" Menshikov snapped.

Sadie pulled a lump of wax from her bag and worked furiously, fashioning some kind of animal shape. She was whispering with Zia, clearly discussing the best way to test the desk for magical defences without letting their enemy know they were there.

"You will tell me what I need to know," Menshikov demanded, "or that jar will become even more uncomfortable."

"My dear Vladimir." Set's voice was full of evil amusement. "What you need to know may be very different from what you want to know. Didn't your unfortunate accident teach you that?"

Menshikov touched his sunglasses, as if making sure they hadn't fallen off.

"You will tell me the binding for Apophis," he said in a steely tone. "Then you will tell me how to neutralize the enchantments on Brooklyn House. You know Kane's defenses better than anyone. Once I destroy him, I will have no opposition."

And it was good that Carter had his arms around Percy-because that made it easy for Percy to grab him and slap her hand over his mouth- because he looked like he was about to explode with raw fury.

"Carter!" she whispered, "Carter please the invisibility spell- your emotions-"

He pushed her hand away and hissed, "He wants to free Apophis."

"I get it-"

"And he's going to attack our home- Amos-"

"We know that-"

"Carter-" Zia hissed, "Percy is right. I know why you're angry but you need to calm down. Sadie and I cannot be worried about stopping you from getting us caught now. We must focus."

"I hate this." Carter gritted his teeth, shaking his head.

Set's laughter drew Percy and Carters gazes back to their enemies as it echoed in the green vase. "So: the binding for Apophis and the secrets of Brooklyn House. Is that all, Vladimir? I wonder what your master Desjardins would think if he found out your real plan, and the sort of friends you keep."

Menshikov snatched up his staff. The carved-serpent tip flared again. "Be careful with your threats, Evil Day."

The jar trembled. Throughout the room, glass cases shivered. The chandelier jangled like a three-ton wind chime.

Percy's mouth dropped open in shock and Carter's arm around her tightened, "D-did he just-"

"Yes." She breathed out. "That would be Set's secret name,"

"But how?" His voice was incredulous- and Percy couldn't blame him. Secret names were tricky- Zia had once suggested that she tell Carter and Sadie the name- but that had been out of desperation more than anything else- a secret name could only be told by the person or from the one closest to their heart. And Percy had told Sadie- with Nephthys guiding her words. Carter had only heard it from Sadie, so he had no power with the name, unlike his sisters.

Knowing someone else had the name was not even remotely comforting. And how had he gotten it?

Inside the jar, Set growled with annoyance. "I really hate that name. Why couldn't it have been Glorious Day? Or the Rockin' Red Reaper? That's rather nice. Bad enough when you were the only one who knew it, Vlad. Now I've got the Kane girls to worry about—"

"Serve us," Menshikov said, "and the Kanes will be destroyed- mostly, and you will be the honored lieutenant of Apophis. You can raise another temple, even grander than the Red Pyramid."

"Uh-huh," Set said. "Maybe you haven't noticed, but I don't do well with the whole second-in-command concept. As for Apophis, he's not one to suffer other gods getting attention."

"We will free Apophis with or without your help," Menshikov warned. "By the equinox, he will rise. But if you help us make that happen sooner, you will be rewarded. Your other option is execration. Oh, I know it won't destroy you completely, but with your secret name I can send you into the abyss for eons, and it will be very, very painful. I'll give you thirty seconds to decide?"

Percy glanced at Sadie and Zia, "Quick please." she whispered the words.

"Of course." Zia nodded, "We're working on it." and Percy focused for a second on what Sadie and Zia were doing- they'd fashioned a little wax dog- and with a tap of Sadie's wand the figurine came to life and started sniffing around the desk, looking for magic traps.

Inside the jar, Set sighed. "Well, Vladimir, you do know how to make an appealing offer. The binding for Apophis, you say? Yes, I was there when Ra cast the Serpent into that prison of scarabs. I suppose I could remember the ingredients he used for the binding. Quite a day that was! I was wearing red, I think. At the victory feast they served the most delicious honey-baked locusts—"

"You have ten seconds," Menshikov said.

"Oh, I'll cooperate! I hope you have a pen and paper handy. It's a rather long list of ingredients. Let's see…what did Ra use for a base? Bat dung? Then there were the dried toads, of course. And then…"

Set began rattling off ingredients, while Sadie's wax dog sniffed around the desk. Finally it lay down on the blotter and went to sleep.

Sadie frowned at them. "No traps."

"That's too easy," Carter whispered back.

She opened the top drawer. There was the papyrus scroll, just like the one they'd found in Brooklyn. She slipped it into her bag.

The four of them were halfway back to the fireplace when Set caught them by surprise.

He was going on with his list of ridiculous ingredients: "And snakeskins. Yes, three large ones, with a sprinkling of hot sauce—" Then he stopped abruptly, like he'd had a revelation. He spoke in a much louder voice, calling across the room. "And a sacrificial victim would be good! Maybe a young idiot magician who can't do a proper invisibility spell, like CARTER KANE over there!"

All four of them froze and Carter must have panicked because the invisibility shroud responded violently

Half a dozen golden sparks shot up with a loud happy WHEEEEE! The cloud of darkness dissolved.

Menshikov's gaze flicked over all of them. "My, my. How kind of you to deliver yourselves. Well done, Set."

"Hmm?" Set asked innocently. "Do we have visitors?"

"Set!" Sadie growled. "I'll kick you in the ba for that, so help me!"

The voice in the jar gasped. "Sadie Kane? How exciting! Too bad I'm stuck in this jar and no one will let me out."

The hint wasn't too subtle, but surely he couldn't believe they'd free him after he'd blown their cover.

Sadie faced Menshikov, her wand and staff ready. "You're working with Apophis. You're on the wrong side."

Menshikov removed his glasses. His eyes were ruined pits of scar tissue, burned skin, and glistening corneas.

"The wrong side?" Menshikov asked. "Girl, you have no idea the powers that are in play. Five thousand years ago, Egyptian priests prophesied how the world would end. Ra would grow old and tired, and Apophis would swallow him and plunge the world into darkness. Chaos would rule forever. Now the time is here! You can't stop it. You can only choose whether you'll be destroyed, or whether you'll bow to the power of Chaos and survive."

"Right," Set chimed in. "It's too bad I'm stuck in this jar. Otherwise I might have to take sides and help someone."

"Shut up, Set," Menshikov snapped. "No one is crazy enough to trust you. And as for you, children, you are clearly not the threat I imagined."

"You dare-" Zia stepped forward, eyes shining with fury, "You're worse than a traitor to the House of Life-"

"This coming from the girl who ran away to stay with the Kanes." Menshikov laughed. "Would you run to Desjardins and tell him what you've heard? He wouldn't believe you. He'd put you on trial, then execute you. But I'll spare you that embarrassment. I'll kill you right now. Other than you." his gaze landed on Percy- who stepped back automatically. "There are other plans for you little Half-blood. There's never been one like you before. It will be so much fun to see just what you can do-"

"You stay the fuck away from her!" Carter snarled the words, and he and Sadie both grabbed Percy's arms and yanked her behind them, where Zia moved to stand in front of her too.

"How do you even know that I'm a demigod?" Percy gasped.

"Oh I have my sources little one. You're very special."

"Okay you creepazoid you are not getting anywhere near our sister!" Sadie snarled the words.

But Percy knew- they didn't stand a chance, their enemy had all of the advantages, he was in a protective circle- sure maybe they could breach it but if they couldn't- he had all the time in the world to come up with horrible ways to kill them and capture her. And he knew what she was- he wasn't like Desjardins.

If Menshikov captured her then there was no chance she'd be able to escape.

And as Menshikov threw his staff- undoubtedly to summon something horrible Percy did the only thing she could think of to do. She surged forward, pulling herself free from Zia's arm and shoving past Carter and Sadie, leaping over the staff before it even had time to hit the ground.

She sprinted towards Menshikov- and he let out a victorious laugh, lunging towards her- but then she veered sideways slightly, and a moment later she collided with the vase, and as she did she wrapped her arms around it and whispered, "Ha-di."