Bast

"They'll be fine," I repeat for probably the hundredth time. I know how much my kitten worries about Khufu and Philip, but we just can't risk looking for them right now. "However, we will not be, unless we leave now."

Carter raises his hand. "Um, excuse me, Miss Goddess Lady? Amos told us the house was—"

"Safe?" I snort. "Carter, the defenses were too easily breached. Someone sabotaged them."

"What do you mean? Who—"

"Only a magician of the House could've done it."

"Another magician? Why would another magician want to sabotage Amos's house?"

I sigh. "Oh, Carter. So young, so innocent. Magicians are devious creatures. Could be a million reasons why one would backstab another, but we don't have time to discuss it. Now, come on!"

I take their arms, ushering them towards the exit. Sadie's boots thud as we walk down the metal stairs and into the industrial yard that surrounds the warehouse.

Walking upright feels so good. I kinda miss my tail, though. Can't have everything, I guess. My nose twitches. There is another cat close by. And it's just had breakfast. I beckon it to come forward. The outline of a plan begins to form in my head.

Halfway across the yard, an elderly grey cat stops in front of us. One of his eyes is torn, the other is swollen shut. His many scars paint the image of a warrior. I crouch and look at him.

"Talk."

He looks up at me calmly. "Are you in trouble, my lady?"

"Always."

"Do you need help?"

"If you won't mind."

"I'll spread the word. We'll be ready when you call for us."

"Thank you."

The cat walks off.

"What was that about?" Sadie asks.

I get up, dusting off my jumpsuit. "One of my subjects, offering help. He'll spread the news about our predicament. Soon every cat in New York will be on alert."

"He was so battered," Sadie says. "If he's your subject, couldn't you heal him?"

I shake my head. "And take away his marks of honor? A cat's battle scars are part of his identity. I couldn't—"

There is movement in the corner of my eye. I tense, dragging Sadie and Carter behind a stack of crates.

I flex my wrists and my pretty knives slide into my hands. Those are my favorite knives. I pear over the top of the crates.

Up ahead, a wrecking ball is swinging on its crane. Why is there a wrecking ball here? Nothing seems to have been wrecked around us. Doesn't seem like the type of thing you leave to rust without using. Maybe one of Set's minions had brought it? It's possible. It's also possible that I'm trying to justify my own impulses. The ball continues to swing. My mouth twitches with excitement. I'll destroy it either way.

"This could be it." I shift my weight. "Stay very very still."

My eyes are fixed on the ball as I search for the rhythm in its swinging. One, two…. One, two…

"There's no one there," Sadie hisses.

One… two… two… two… two!

I jump over the crates. The knives flash back in my sleeves as I fly towards the ball. When I'm close enough, I curl my spine and land on top of the ball. The chain breaks. Shit. My nails dig into the metal as the ball smashes into the dirt. We roll through the yard. "Rowww!" I wail, just before the ball rolls over me again. Once it's off me, I get to my feet and pounce. Knives flash again and again, till the wrecking ball is nothing but a mound of scraps.

I put away the blades, smiling at Sadie and Carter. "Safe now."

They look at each other.

Sadie looks hesitant. "You saved us from a metal ball."

"You never know," I tell her. "It could've been hostile."

The ground shakes. We look back at the mansion. Blue tendrils of fire envelope the top windows.

"Come on," I say, "Our time is up!"

We run across the street. Two cars are parked on the side of the road. One is a silver Lexus convertible.

"Oh, yes," I purr. "I like this one! Come along, children."

I open the door. Luckily for us, it's unlocked. Sadie looks around nervously. Carter stares at me.

"But this isn't yours," he points out.

"My dear, I'm a cat. Everything I see is mine."

I get in. No key. No problem. I touch the ignition and the keyhole sparks. The engine starts.

"Bast," Carter says, "you can't just—"

Before I can say anything, Sadie elbows him. "We'll work out how to return it later, Carter. Right now we've got an emergency."

She points towards the mansion. Blue flames and smoke consume the entire building. Coming down the stairs are four men, carrying what looks like an oversized coffin, covered with a black shroud. The four men have only kilts and sandals on. Their coppery skin shimmers under the sun.

My blood freezes. "Oh, that's bad. In the car, please."

Sadie reaches for the front immediately, so Carter settle alone in the back. When they're both in, I hit the gas. I've driven only once before – the night I was freed. Julius was in no condition to drive, so I took us through London. Judging by the way he threw up and said he'll never let a goddess drive ever again, I reckon I'm pretty good at it.

We speed up, flying past cars. There is no time for Brooklyn's traffic. When we make it on Williamsburg Bridge, I slow down a little bit. My reflexes are not as good with running water underneath me.

"What are they?" Carter asks. "Shabti?"

"No, carriers." I glance in the rearview mirror. The four man appear unbothered by our speed. They come in and out of view through the traffic. "Summoned straight from the Duat. They'll stop at nothing to find their victims, throw them in the sedan—"

"The what?" Sadie interrupts.

"The large box," I explain. "It's a kind of carriage. The carriers capture you, beat you senseless, throw you in, and carry you back to their master. They never lose their prey, and they never give up."

"But what do they want us for?"

"Trust me," I growl. "You don't want to know."

"Bast," Carter says, "if you're a goddess, can't you just snap your fingers and disintegrate those guys? Or wave your hand and teleport us away?"

"Wouldn't that be nice? But my power in this host is limited."

"You mean Muffin?" Sadie asks. "But you're not a cat anymore."

"She's still my host, Sadie, my anchor on this side of the Duat—and a very imperfect one. Your call for help allowed me to assume human shape, but that alone takes a great deal of power. Besides, even when I'm in a powerful host, Set's magic is stronger than mine."

Carter groans from the back seat. "Could you please say something I actually understand?"

"Carter, we don't have time for a full discussion on gods and hosts and the limits of magic! We have to get you to safety."

We really have no time. I slam on the accelerator as hard as possible, shooting up the middle of the bridge. The carriers speed up after us, zooming past all the oblivious mortals.

"How can people not see them?" Carter asks. "Don't they notice four copper men in skirts running up the bridge with a weird black box?

I shrug. "Cats can hear many sounds you can't. Some animals see things in the ultraviolet spectrum that are invisible to humans. Magic is similar. Did you notice the mansion when you first arrived?"

"Well...no."

"And you are born to magic. Imagine how hard it would be for a regular mortal."

"Born to magic?" Carter asks. "If magic, like, runs in the family, why haven't I ever been able to do it before?"

I catch him in the side mirror and smile. "Your sister understands."

"No, I don't!" Sadie protests. "I still can't believe you're a goddess. All these years, you've been eating crunchy treats, sleeping on my head—"

"I made a deal with your father," I say. "He let me remain in the world as long as I assumed a minor form, a normal housecat, so I could protect and watch over you. It was the least I could do after—" I realize what I'm about to say and shut up.

"After our mom's death?" Carter guesses.

I stare at the road, not daring to look over at the kids. Shouldn't have said anything.

"That's it, isn't it?" he presses on. "Dad and Mom did some kind of magic ritual at Cleopatra's Needle. Something went wrong. Our mom died and...and they released you?"

"That's not important right now," I say. "The point is I agreed to look after Sadie. And I will."

It's the least I could do for this family. It's my fault it all happened. If only I was stronger. If only I was braver. I was weak and tired and afraid. At first, I was there to make sure he never escapes. I was his guard and I was honored that Lord Ra had chosen me. Then I became the Serpent's plaything. The weaker I got, the more entertained he was. Maybe I wasn't chosen by Ra because I was the best. Maybe I was just the easiest to discard. Little Bast. I've never been as untamed and bloodthirsty as Sekhmet, never been as strong as Set. Hurting me physically wasn't enough for the Serpent. Chaos would seep through the chamber as twisted pictures would fill my head. I thought I'd go crazy, locked in there with my worst nightmare. Ruby and Julius Kane opened a door for me to escape through. Of course, I took it. And it ruined lives. I wasn't strong enough to fulfill my job. I wasn't brave enough to stay. I wasn't powerful enough to save Ruby Kane. If the world ends tomorrow, it will all be my fault. The least I could do is watch over my kitten.

It's quite for a moment. Hopefully, Carter's gotten the point and won't ask anymore questions.

"If you gods are so powerful and helpful," he says finally, "why does the House of Life forbid magicians from summoning you?"

I swerve into the fast lane. "Magicians are paranoid. Your best hope is to stay with me. We'll get as far away as possible from New York. Then we'll get help and challenge Set."

"What help?" Sadie asks.

I raise an eyebrow. "Why, we'll summon more gods, of course."

We make it to Manhattan and head north on Clinton Street.

Sadie looks back. "They're still following." She warns.

Of course. No matter how fast I drive they're always no more than a block behind us.

"We'll buy some time." I growl deep in my throat and yank the wheel. We swerve right onto East Houston. I hope my subjects have heard my call.

Once the carries are in view, I send the command. Cats appear out of nowhere and everywhere. Out of windows, out of sewers, jumping down from trees. The carriers get lost in a wave of fur and claws. They stumble and drop the box. Two cars swerve to avoid the cats and crash, blocking the street. We turn the corner, leaving it all behind us.

"Nice," says Carter.

I nod. "But it won't hold them long. Now—Central Park!"

We leave the Lexus at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The mortals could return it to its owner later. I look at the kids.

"We'll run from here," I say. "It's just behind the museum."

They don't look enthusiastic about this. We run into the park on the East Drive. I stop by the obelisk and wait for Carter and Sadie to catch up. It's quite up here. There are one or two random joggers passing by, but they're gone within a minute. Even the sound of the traffic is muffled. I sniff the air. Something's not right.

"I wish I'd grabbed something warmer," Carter mutters. "A wool coat would be nice."

"No, it wouldn't," I tell him. My eyes scan the horizon and send a message. If a cat knows something, then so do I. "You're dressed for magic."

Sadie shivers. "We have to freeze to be magical?"

"Magicians avoid animal products," I explain. "Fur, leather, wool, any of that. The residual life aura can interfere with spells."

"My boots seem all right."

I look down at Sadie's boots. My nose twitches. "Leather," I say with distaste. "You may have a higher tolerance, so a bit of leather won't bother your magic. I don't know. But linen clothing is always best, or cotton—plant material. At any rate, Sadie, I think we're clear for the moment. There's a window of auspicious time starting right now, at eleven thirty, but it won't last long. Get started."

Sadie blinks. "Me? Why me? You're the goddess!"

"I'm not good at portals," I admit. "Cats are protectors. Just control your emotions. Panic or fear will kill a spell. We have to get out of here before Set summons the other gods to his cause."

On your right. On your left. In the air. That's a bird, Gerald. It's big. Is it? Yes, it is. And.. moving. It's alone. But it has many things with it. In the forest. In the forest. In the forest. In the forest.

I glance nervously towards the trees. "Evil and good may not be the best way to think of it, Carter. As a magician, you must think about chaos and order. Those are the two forces that control the universe. Set is all about chaos."

"But what about the other gods Dad released?" he asks. "Aren't they good guys? Isis, Osiris, Horus, Nephthys—where are they?"

I look straight into his eyes and hope Horus can see me well. "That's a good question, Carter."

A Siamese cat runs up from the bushes.

"My Lady, it's an honour to finally meet you."

"Talk quickly."

"Four figures coming close from the north. Another one, bigger, from the east."

"Thank you."

The cat dashes away.

"The carriers are close," I say. "And something else...something much stronger, closing in from the east. I think the carriers' master has grown impatient."

Carter swallows. "Set is coming?"

"No. Perhaps a minion. Or an ally. My cats are having trouble describing what they're seeing, and I don't want to find out. Sadie, now is the time. Just concentrate on opening a gateway to the Duat. I'll keep off the attackers. Combat magic is my specialty."

"Like what you did in the mansion?" Carter asks.

I smile. "No, that was just combat."

The woods rustle and the carriers come out from behind the trees. The shroud has been ripped to shreds. The carriers are scratched and dented. One has a car fender wrapped around his neck. Another's leg is broken at the knee.

The carriers put down the sedan box. They fixate on us and draw out golden clubs from their belts.

"Sadie, get to work," I order. "Carter, you're welcome to help me."

This will be fun. I draw my blades. Magic feels warm in my chest. It begins to grow, expanding outwards, forming a green bubble. The energy lifts me off my feet until I'm in the centre of a green avatar, four times my normal size. The avatar represents my hybrid form – a goddess with the head of a cat. I step forward, the avatar following suit. When I raise my hand, the avatar unsheathes claws as sharp as the blades. A swipe of my paw shreds the pavement into ribbons. I turn back and smile at Carter.

"This," I say, "is combat magic."

Then I lunge forward. I cut through one of the carriers with the claws. Another one gets lost under my feet. Ooops. The remaining two charge at my legs. Their weapons bounce uselessly off my avatar. I spin the blades and swing. Claws slash the carriers in two. Just as they're upper parts are about to fall off, they snaps back in place. The one I step on unpeels himself from the ground. Each peace of the last carrier click into place and they all raise their clubs once more. So that's why they're unstoppable!

I notice Carter standing next to me. So he's decided to help? Good.

"Carter, help me hack them apart!" I call. "They need to be in smaller pieces!"

I resume fighting the carriers. The moment they fall, Carter goes to chop them into even tinier pieces with the khopesh. After and the last one is down, I wait for a second – just in case they decide to reform again. Also to take a breath. During the fight my forehead had started to sweat. Never realized how hard it would be to use magic whit a weak host. When I'm sure the carriers won't reform, I form a fist and smash the carriage.

"That wasn't so hard," Carter says. "What were we running for?"

"We're not safe yet," I warn him. "Sadie, how's it coming?"

"It's not," Sadie complains. "Isn't there another way?"

The woods rustle again before I can answer. A new sound appears – like thousands of little feet marching on the ground. I'm confused for a second. Then my eyes fix on the army of scorpions creeping towards us.

"No," I murmur. "It can't be. Not her."

Then the bushes explode. Thousands of scorpions fly in the air and lend in a thigh line before us. They don't attack, though. They wait, wait for their master.

"Sadie" I say urgently.

"Nothing!" she yells back.

The scorpions keep on flooding. A whole army. And with every army, comes a general. She emerges from the woods, walking unbothered by the scorpions. Her brown dress is hidden under a flowy brown cape, shimmering like a metal shield. Her hair is cut Ancient Egyptian–style, topped with a live scorpion resting on her head. The gold jewelry on her neck and arms finishes the picture, like the cherry on a cake. Her skin shimmers, as if made of chitin.

"Serqet," I growl.

"The scorpion goddess," Carter guesses. "Can you take her?"

I hesitate. After Sekhmet, she's always been the most violent out of the eight of us.

"Carter, Sadie," I say, "this is going to get ugly. Get to the museum. Find the temple. It may protect you."

"What temple?" Carter asks.

"And what about you?" Sadie adds.

I take a deep breath. "I'll be fine. I'll catch up."

My eyes meet Carter's, hoping he'd understand and take Sadie to safety. "Go!"

I hear they're footsteps distancing as I turn to face my enemy. My avatar is tired, but I still find the strength to smile.

"Hello, sister."

She smiles back. It almost looks sincere. "Basty. My sweet, little kitten. We don't have to fight if you switch sides and bring the kids over."

I shake my head. "I've made a promise."

Serqet snarls. "And where did your loyalty get you before?"

Instead of answering, I raise my hand and slam it down, smashing a bunch of scorpions. Serqet hisses in pain. She looks up at me with fury in her eyes. The scorpions attack, swarming the avatar. I kill as many as possible, but they continue to emerge. Millions upon millions of scorpions sting the glowing green shield until it starts to flickers. My energy is not enough to hold them off and keep the avatar up, so I let it drop me. It's not a soft descend. I crash heavily on top of even more scorpion. In less than a moment, I'm drowning in the arachnids. My blades deal with some of them, but they're too many. The poison from the stings makes its way in. I can sense it flowing through my bloodstream. My movements get more lethargic as it begins to kick in. Having decided that's enough to finish me, Serqet dismisses the scorpions and kneels next to me.

"I wish to say see you soon," she whispers, "But knowing how deep in Duat this poison will send you... Goodbye, my kitten."

The scorpions disappear under her dress as she walks away. Is she really about to leave to die? Older siblings really are something. When she's out of sight, I try to move. I think my leg is broken. There is only one place where I'll be able to lick my wounds. Ten minutes till the poison gets to my brain. With what's left of my energy, I shrink my body. I lay there for a moment, then stagger on all fours as Muffin. Taking a deep breath, I start digging in the ground, imagining a hole to Duat. Sometimes the best thing to do is accept the loss and return later, stronger. I just hope Sadie will still be alive when I'm back.