Set

Amos groans. Guess he's alive.

Carter is clenching his sword. The blade is trembling. You know, those past days he's been pretty good at hiding the scared little boy he really is. But here? When the world is moments away from being mine? Now this is when the real fun begins. I can already smell it in the air: the desperation!

"Zia was right," Carter says. "You possessed Amos."

I did tell Amos not to put so much faith in those kids, didn't I? If he had listened maybe he wouldn't be a smoldering mess right now. He could've been sitting on a throne with the Universe under his feet. Those thoughts slowly stab him like daggers through our link, keeping it from fading. I want every single one of them, every single one of those annoying Kanes, bleeding out in front of me. I want to hear them scream, their last breaths perfectly timed with the sunrise.

I spread my hands modestly. "Well, you know… It wasn't a full possession. Gods can exist in many places at once, Carter. Horus could tell you that if he was being honest. I'm sure Horus has been looking for a nice war monument to occupy, or a military academy somewhere—anything but that scrawny little form of yours. Most of my being has now transferred to this magnificent structure."

I sweep my arm proudly around the throne room. "But a sliver of my soul was quite enough to control Amos Kane."

I hold out my pinky, like the elegant sly villain that I am. A wisp of red smoke snakes towards Amos, sinking into his clothes. His spine arches back as his own energy strikes him like a lightning. I smile slightly, tasting his pain. It's so much more satisfying to torture someone when you don't have to share a body with them.

"Stop it!" Carter yells.

Sure. Amos's nervous system is going numb anyways. I drop my hand and shrug at the kids.

"Not much left, I'm afraid. Amos fought well. He was very entertaining, demanding much more of my energy than I had anticipated. That chaos magic—that was his idea. He tried his best to warn you, to make it obvious I was controlling him. The funny thing is, I forced him to use his own magic reserves to pull off those spells. He almost burned out his soul trying to send you those warning flares. Turn you into a storm? Please. Who does that anymore?"

"You're a beast!" Sadie shouts.

I gasp