Isis

Sadie wakes up to Zia pocking her shoulder. "Sadie, we've stopped."

Sadie instinctively reaches for her wand. "What? Where?"

Zia pushes aside the curtains of the sleeping berth and leans over Sadie from the front seat, unnervingly like a vulture. "Amos and Carter are in the gas station. You need to be prepared to move."

"Why?" Sadie sits up and looks out the windshield, straight into a raging sandstorm. "Oh..."

The sky is black, day and night indistinguishable from each other. A lighted petrol station can be seen through the gale of wind and sand.

"We're in Phoenix," Zia says, "but most of the city is shut down. People are evacuating."

"Time?"

"Half past four in the morning. Magic isn't working very well. The closer we get to the mountain, the worse it is. And the truck's GPS system is down. Amos and Carter went inside to ask directions."

If two magicians are desperate enough to stop for directions, we are in dire straits.

The truck's cab shakes in the howling wind. Sadie shudders and climbs over the seat so she can sit next to Zia and not be alone.

"How long have they been in there?" Sadie asks.

"Not long," Zia says. "I wanted to talk to you before they come back."

Sadie raises an eyebrow. "About Carter? Well, if you're wondering whether he likes you, the way he stammers might be an indication."

Zia frowns. "No, I'm—"

"Asking if I mind? Very considerate. I must say at first I had my doubts, what with you threatening to kill us and all, but I've decided you're not a bad sort, and Carter's mad about you, so—"

"It's not about Carter."

Sadie wrinkles her nose. "Oops. Could you just forget what I said, then?"

"It's about Set."

"God," Sadie sighs. "Not this again. Still suspicious of Amos?"

"You're blind not to see it," Zia says. "Set loves deception and traps. It is his favorite way to kill."

Sadie is ready to snap. "Look, Zia, I can't believe Amos would—"

"Amos wouldn't," Zia agrees. "But Set can bend the mind and control the body. I'm not a specialist on possession, but it was a very common problem in ancient times. Minor demons are difficult enough to dislodge. A major god—"

"He's not possessed. He can't be." Sadie winces. A sharp burning pain cuts through her palm in the spot where she'd last held the feather of truth.

But I'm not telling a lie! I do believe Amos is innocent...don't I?

Zia studies Sadie's expression. "You need Amos to be all right. He is your uncle. You've lost too many members of your family. I understand that."

Zia's tone sounds like she knows what she's talking about, like she has known grief. Possibly even more than Sadie.

"We've got no choice," Sadie says. "There's what, three hours till sunrise? Amos knows the best way into the mountain. Trap or no, we have to go there and try to stop Set."

Zia's eyes are distant, their amber color like fires sealed behind a glass door.

"All right," she says at last. "I wanted to tell Carter something but I never got the opportunity. I'll tell you instead. The last thing you need to stop Set—"

"You couldn't possibly know his secret name."

Zia holds Sadie's gaze. Maybe it's the feather of truth, but I am certain this is not a bluff. She does have the name of Set. Or at least, she believes she does.

We've overheard bits of her conversation with Carter, of course. We didn't even mean to, to be honest, but they should learn to speak more quietly. Sadie looks at Zia and tries her best to imagine her as the host of Nephthys. But it doesn't make sense and we both know it. We've spoken with Nephthys. She said she was far away, stuck in a sleeping host. She did say she would send a message… a fire elemental, however? This could be one of Set's tricks, he could be trying to fool us and put us against our own. How much do we know about this Zia girl, anyways? The longer we're around her, the more off she feels.

"It will work," Zia insists. "But I can't do it. It must be you."

"Why not use it yourself?" Sadie demands. "Because you spent all your magic?"

Zia waves away the question. "Just promise me you will use it now, on Amos, before we reach the mountain. It may be your only chance."

"And if you're wrong, we waste the only chance we have. The book disappears once it's used, right?"

Grudgingly, Zia nods. "Once read, the book will dissolve and appear somewhere else in the world. But if you wait any longer, we're doomed. If Set lures you into his base of power, you'll never have the strength to confront him. Sadie, please—"

"Tell me the name," Sadie says. "I promise I'll use it at the right time."

"Now is the right time."

Sadie hesitates.

Isis?

I don't know what to say. A shocker, I know. Sadie probably expects some great words of wisdom from me. Given the time, I would have said something. I've always trusted my sister. But we can't even sure if it's her. If it is, however, this really may be our best chance.

Before with Sadie we can make the choice, the truck's door opens. Amos and Carter climb in with a gust of sand.

"We're close." Amos smiles as if this are good news. "Very, very close."