Sorry (not) for the cliffhanger. Don't forget to review with who you want Luce to end up with!

Chapter 15 (more like 14.5 but I'll call it 15)

House of Set

In a feat of heroics Anubis plunged onto the hard cavern floor and grabbed Lily's arm just before she fell out of reach. With my and Nick's help we managed to pull the girl up safe and sound. Grabbing her hand Nick and Anubis flew out of the cavern and back up to school leaving me alone to face Alice.

There was something very, very, wrong with the girl besides the fact that she just almost sacrificed Lily, one of her oldest friends, to a giant abyss. Lily had been right, Alice's eyes were a flaming red, but she didn't have contacts in. I knew colored contacts; I wore them every day. These were not contacts and neither where her brown eyes. Something was making Alice's eyes burn red and whatever that something was THAT was what tried to kill Lily, not Alice.

" Master, what are you doing here?" Now that I'd realized it wasn't really Alice anymore I noticed that even the voice was deeper, more masculine. Why this this was calling me master, I had no clue, but at least that meant it would listen to me.

"That is none of your business, demon." I tried to speak confidingly and not like I was more confused than ever. But whatever possessed Alice knew that I spoke with stolen words and laughed.

That's right. Alice!Monster let out a sickening, blood curtailing laugh. "So that's what's going on. You made yourself forget who you were and created a life for yourself. I will admit, I like this form." I had no idea what Alice!monster was talking about, but a name popped into my head.

"Set." The name of the god of evil rolled off my tongue easily causing Alice!Set's eyes to rise in surprise.

"So you do remember... way back there in on the edge of your mind you still remember everything. That also means this," Alice!Set waved her hand over my body, "Is temporary. I better do what you say then because I don't want you mad at me when you remember."

The god's strange words meant nothing to me consciously, but subconsciously I could feel the gears turning as they tried to break down some wall of memories I'd apparently put up. I'd have plenty of time later to figure out what the heck was going on, but for now I needed to get Set out of Alice.

Wait a minute... he said he was going to do as I said. Smiling broadly I put on my commanding face and spoke, "You will leave Alice Miller and never possess her or anyone again. And no killing!"

"You're no fun boss," Alice!Set told me pouting, "But I'm sure, once you remember, you'll realize how amiss that request was and take it back. Until then my Lady." Alice!Set fake took off his hat and bowed before a stream of red smoke plumed out of Alice leaving the girl crumpled on the floor.

Unsure what else to do I rested Alice's head on my lap waiting for the unconscious girl to awake. I heard a crunch as someone fell through the Senet board and came running towards me.

"What happened?" Sarah asked bending down next to her best friend. "I was in the kitchen eating lunch when Lily comes out screaming that Alice tried to kill her. Is that true?"

"It wasn't Alice," I explained. "She was possessed by Set, the god of Evil."

"They're five sides to an obelisk," Alice muttered as she woke up. "That's what he kept saying."

"Osiris said there were four chosen, one for each side of the obelisk, but Alice is right, there are five four sides and a bottom. There's me, Chosen of Osiris, Alice, Chosen of Set, Nick, Chosen of Anubis..."

"Lily is Chosen of Isis," Alice coughed sitting up. She was still pail, but no longer possessed she'd live. "Even before you jumped out and got him to stop another force was fighting-Isis."

"You got him to stop," Sarah asked as I spoke over her.

"Alice. Set seemed to think I was somebody important. Do you remember who he thought I was?" If Alice could tell me what was going on... I needed to know. Everyone seemed to think I'd know when necessary, but it seemed pretty necessary now.

Unfortunalty, Alice shook her head. "No... I remember everything up until you came out. Then I hear your voice and it's it's like a misbehaving child just heard their mom. Set was terrified... I don't remember the rest but Luce, I'm so, so, sorry."

"Shh," I told the sobbing girl. "It's okay. Don't worry. I didn't really expect you to remember."

"No! That's not what I'm sorry about... the way I treated you... that's why Set chose me because... because I'm evil," Alice fought off my gentle touch and continued to sob hysterically.

"You're not evil," I assured the girl. "The gods don't work that way. Osiris and Anubis are gods of death, but that doesn't make them dead. You're not evil."

"Luce. Do you have any clue what's going on?" Sarah pleaded.

I shook my head regretfully, "I'm... I'm sorry, but I don't. I know there are the scales and that Apophis wants them but..."

"December 21st," Alice whimpered wiping away the tears from her eyes. "That's when it's going to happen. It's... it's the day when Apophis is strongest. He'll possess his chosen and he will be able to walk right over this chasm without any help. We have to stop him. You don't understand. Set's been fighting Apophis for years and he... he's horrible."

"I know," I whispered to the girl. "And we'll stop him."

"But how?" Sarah asked weakly. "The 21st is in three days and we still can't get across without the sacrifice."

Sarah was right... or was she? "Sarah. Grab me one of those flashlights."

"You mean a torch?" A confused Sarah asked already moving.

"Whatever. Just grab me something bright," I demanded unsure exactly where I was going. Sarah handed me the brightest lantern around and I immediately tossed it over the edge.

"What the..." Sarah began until she saw what i saw.

"It's not endless, it's only about 30 feet! You don't need a sacrifice because of some mystical force..."

"You need a sacrifice to push the button," Alice finished pointing the the large red button at the bottom of the chasm. "But how do we get down there?'

"I think it's time Sibuna and the COE joined forces," I told Sarah hoping she wouldn't be too stubborn and refuse the help.

"Sibuna?" Alice questioned. "My parents used to tell a story about how in high school they were in a club called Sibuna that solved mysterious... I always thought it was a story but."

"Apparently it's not." Wow. How had we come up with the same name as Nina's group without even knowing? It was almost like destiny. "Well then," I told them placing my right hand over the eye. "Welcome to Sibuna mark 2."