CHAPTER TWO

WE CROSS TO THE BAD SIDE OF THE RIVER

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I couldn't believe magicians were here and now!

I hadn't seen one in almost a year and seeing them now didn't make me want to invite them over for tea and cookies. [No Sadie, tea and cookies don't sound good! She's soo British!]

Anyway, Laura was getting far ahead of me and Muffin was running ahead just to keep up with me. The three magicians were charging through the crowd. People were yelling in anger and spitting curses toward the men, but I only prayed that they wouldn't hurt anyone.

Hi! It was my favorite invader-Horus!

This isn't a good time. I'm being chased by magicians.

I see, said Horus, relaxed. Don't worry though. Their not after you. They want the girl you were talking too.

Laura? Why?

Silence.

Great...whenever I needed an answer from Horus he always got quiet. All powerful gods are such low achievers when it comes to the sharing of information.

I decided this would be my only chance to act-so I ran!

The magicians gave chase and I was on Laura before she could even react. She struggled against me for a few seconds until she realized I was the guy she'd sold a bracelet too.

"I don't have it! Leave me alone! Let me go!"

"Whoa!" I said, releasing her. "Calm down."

"Carter," she breathed, but then looked over my shoulder and I knew the magicians were close now.

Muffin hissed angrily.

"Not here," I said to her.

"Are-are you talking to your cat?" she asked.

"Never mind that," I said, trying to bring her attention back to the magicians. "I've got to get you out of here. Now."

Laura looked curious for a moment as though her mind were contemplating something.

"I can trust you," she said. It wasn't a question, but a bold statement.

And you thought you didn't have a way with girls, Horus spoke up.

Be quiet!

"You can," I said aloud to Laura.

"Carter Kane!"

I turned around and saw that the three magicians were standing six feet away. The one who had spoken was tall, thin, and balding with a thick black beard streaked with gray. He wore black linen magician clothes and had a staff in hand.

"Uh-yeah?" I said, awkwardly.

"Foolish boy," he said.

[Not funny Sadie!]

"The girl," the man went on, "Laura Cyrus is under arrest by the House of Life for helping to traffic magical goods in the 21st Nome in the presence of mortals."

Magical goods? Are you kidding me?

I looked down at the bracelet I had bought Sadie. It looked like it was made of aluminum, nothing real or fancy, but as I looked at it closely, I saw Egyptian hieroglphys engraved along the side. That was definitely not a good sign.

"You knew about this?" I rounded on Laura.

"What?" she said, angrily. "No! I was only selling things that my parents get from Egypt!"

"The artifacts on your cart are powerful magical objects once used by bloods of the pharaohs that summoned gods and other monsters of chaos!" said the man. "I am Cardeen Simmeral and it is my duty by the Chief Lector himself to bring the magician in for questioning."

So sleez French Lector was behind this. I should've known.

[And thanks Sadie, that was a good insult]

"You're not taking her," I said, raising my hand into the air and pulling out my sword from the Duat. Mortals around seem to not notice my summoned weapon.

"Really Carter Kane?" chided Simmeral. "In front of so many mortals, you would risk exposure of the House?"

"You're not taking her," I repeated, lowering my blade.

"Fine," said Simmeral. He gestured to his two fellows who both pulled out staffs and curved swords.

Muffin looked up at me like she was waiting on my cue.

But I couldn't summon the cat goddess here...not yet. We had decided that Bast would be a cat while we were in the mortal world on non-House business. But it looked like we had no choice. At that moment, the three magicians attacked. Before they were on us, Laura grabbed the bracelet in my hand and the glyphs on the bracelet burned a brilliant green.

The next thing I knew I was being sucked into the void. My stomach was all tide up in knots and I felt like I was spinning through a thin tube. I couldn't breath and just when I thought I would pass out from the lack of air in my lungs, I crash landed on the bank of the East River. I took in a shaky breath and looked up and saw the Manhattan skyline in the distance, with Brooklyn far behind to the east.

We were on the west side of the river!

Laura was there and unfortunately, Simmeral and his comrades.

"Hunter's magic!" spat Simmeral, spitting the taste of the magic spent from the bracelet out of his mouth. "How dare you, magician, associate yourself with the gods? You shall be destroyed for your treachery!"

"I-I-I don't-!" stammered Laura, horrified looking down at her hands like they weren't hers. "It made me do it!"

"It?" I said.

But I didn't have time to say anything else. Simmeral attacked and I only just had a second to counter the strike of his staff with my sword. Sparks flew and I kicked the old magician backward. I would've felt bad about hitting him if he hadn't just tried to kill me a second before. I rose to my feet.

Avatar time? Horus asked.

Oh yeah! I responded.

The falcon avatar rose around me and the three magicians and Laura stared in shock as I towered over them. My feet slipped on the bank and I fell into the East River-all twenty feet of me! A colossal wave rose up and splashed back down. Great. I must've looked real warrior like sitting in the muck of the river.

[No Sadie, I didn't wear a seaweed crown! Shut up and let me finish, I'm getting to the good part]

Oh man, complained Horus. Your getting me soaked!

This time it was my turn for the silent treatment. I rose up again, trying to look a lot more terrifying than embarrassed.

But Simmeral didn't look impressed.

"You wish to use the power of a god, Carter Kane," said Simmeral. "Let's see how powerful a blood of the pharaohs is without it!"

The three magicians raised their arms and began chanting in Egyptian. I only caught small bits of it. Something about a summons, then interference, and maybe cheese. I wasn't sure on the last part, but Horus spoke in my head again and said, This is not good for us.

Then, the three magicians intoned the phrase, "Diamond Spell!"

Diamonds? I laughed. Who'd cast a spell about diamonds?

Suddenly, three ropes that sparkled like crystal erupted from thin air and began to ensnare me. My strength began to leave my body and Horus's voice became fainter. The Diamond Spell was used by the magicians to weaken a god's hold on their host if they thought the host was becoming too reckless with the power. It's a really powerful spell and the more magicians that use it, the stronger and quicker are the effects. Iskandar instated that this spell was never to be used under any circumstances, but Desjardins must have made several reforms now that he's in office! Should've used it on King Tut. Then, his voice completely faded and the power left me. The avatar form broke and I fell to the ground and for the second time hit the water.

"Carter!" cried Laura, watching, horror struck.

This really wasn't my lucky side of the river.

Then, I heard a strange sound from the shore.

Mew.

I looked over and saw Muffin, licking her paw, her head tilted to the side, watching me. Then, joy rose inside me.

"Muffin!" I called. "Help me!"

"The cat can't help you, Carter Kane," said Simmeral. "Turn over the girl and be spared. The Chief Lector doesn't wish to harm you, yet."

Like I was going to let him get the opportunity at all.

"Muffin!" I said again.

Meeeeeyyaaaaooowwww!

Brilliant light rose around Sadie's cat and transformed into someone that made my spirits, both mortal and godly, soar! A woman stood there, in a skin-tight leopard skinned jump suit, with feline eyes and black hair pulled back into a ponytail. She stretched and yawned.

"It feels great to be back!" the cat goddess exclaimed. She looked around at the three magicians and then at me. "Carter, you really should learn to stay on the east side of the river."

"Bast!" I said.

"You dare to summon a god!" accused Simmeral, angrily. "You shall all be punished gravely by the might of the House of Life."

He waved his staff through the air and a glyph appeared: a vertical line with a circle on top of a square and something in the distinctive shape of an animal. The glyph glowed bright orange and there was an explosion that echoed through the afternoon sky, causing the East River to explode again, sending water flying in every direction.

I had raised my arm to shield my eyes and now I wish I had continued.

A monster stood before me. It was something I had never seen before. It was about twenty feet high, with a grayish spiked shell, with tentacles about as long as my body waving around angrily as two sea green eyes glared at us. It had the body of a slick crocodile and the head of serpent. It was the most bizzare creature I had ever seen, but when it hissed and its forked tongue slivered through its mouth, my heart skipped a beat with fear.

"What is that?" screamed Laura.

"That," said Bast, raising her wicked knives, with a michievous smile, "is the enemy."