Yami stood in the doorway and watched Seth's chest rise and fall. Exhausted, the priest had finally fallen asleep. He tossed and turned restlessly, his forehead bathed in sweat, crying out names and places the Pharaoh didn't know. His hand clenched at his side, as though to cling to something he didn't dare lose.
"No, Kisara!"
He really loved her. Five thousand years later, he still calls out her name. Yami felt his stomach clench as he gazed down at the priest. This man was once my right hand, he thought bitterly. And yet I can remember nothing of him!
"My king?"
Yami was jolted out of his reverie. Seth was sitting up in bed. His blue eyes were fixed intently on Yami's face; he looked worried.
"Is something wrong?"
Yami forced his expression to relax. "Nothing. I was just thinking. You should get some rest."
Seth didn't move. "You were watching me sleep." Unconsciously, his hand went to his bandaged ribs and his eyes sought out the Millennium Rod, still safely on the bedside table.
Yami noted the movement and felt his anger stir.
"Don't be angry at Seto," Seth said, watching his face intently. "In his position, I would have driven the blade all the way in."
"How did you…?" Yami asked in astonishment.
"I know you well, cousin," Seth replied. "Even if you no longer know me."
There was an awkward silence. Yami wanted desperately to ask a question, but he could read the lines of exhaustion in Seth's face. He needs to sleep…
Seth sighed. "I know you want to ask me something, Pharaoh. Go ahead."
Yami let out a breath. "This woman you call for…Kisara," he began tentatively. "What happened to her?"
Something in Seth's face seemed to freeze over. "She was killed trying to protect me. A madman wanted to use her soul to control Egypt and he shot at me to get to her." His voice grew even colder. "I killed him for it." Yami could feel a deep well of pain behind the words, and nearly five thousand years of anger.
"She must have been very special," Yami said.
Seth's face softened. "She was."
"Did I…" Yami hesitated. "Did I have a wife? A family?"
Seth shook his head slowly, his eyes filled with pity. "No, my king."
Yami sighed. "I wish I could remember my past."
Seth threw back the bedcovers and started to rise. "I have delayed too long. I should have already restored your memories, my Pharaoh. I allowed myself to get distracted. I swear it will not happen again."
Yami put his hand on Seth's shoulder and pushed him back onto the bed. "Rest now, Seth. You cannot cast the spell tonight."
"But…"
"That's an order. As my priest, you have sworn to obey me."
It was proof of Seth's exhaustion that he did not argue. He lay back against the pillows. "Tomorrow," he said, his eyes already closing. "Tomorrow, I'll go to Kaiba…"
He fell asleep. Yami sat on the edge of the bed and stayed there a long time.
Yugi was in the kitchen cooking breakfast when the doorbell rang. He trotted to the door and admitted Joey and Tea.
"Hi guys," he said with a big smile. "You're just in time for breakfast!"
"Breakfast!" Joey said. "Now you're speaking my language!"
Yugi and Tea watched in amusement as Joey scarfed down huge mouthfuls of eggs.
"Don't eat them all," Tea scolded.
"Yeah, Joey," Yugi laughed. "Leave some for us!"
"But I'm hungry!" Joey whined, his cheeks bulging.
Yugi laughed again. "You look like a chipmunk."
"What?!" Joey yelled. He swallowed with an effort and glared at Yugi. "I do not!"
"I'm afraid he's right, Joey," Tea said with a giggle.
Joey muttered something about girls and 'what makes them think they know anything' grumble, grumble.
"So what brings you guys over?" Yugi asked, filling a plate for himself and for Tea from the pan.
"We just wanted to see how you were," Tea said. Joey's mouth was too full for him to answer. "And also…"
"We wanted to know if you heard anything from Seth," Joey interjected. "Poor guy must have had a rough night at Kaiba's place."
"More than you know," Yugi said with a frown. "He's sleeping upstairs." When he had finished the story, Tea looked frightened.
"Kaiba actually stabbed him with the Millennium Rod?"
"Well, it was more like a cut..."
Joey jumped up from the table. "That's it. Rich Boy needs to be taught a few manners. And who better to do it than me?"
Yugi tried to grab his arm. "Joey, wait! Maybe that's not such a good…"
Joey was already halfway out the door. Tea ran after him, while Yugi dropped into a seat and put his head in his hands.
"What is going on?"
Startled, Yugi looked up into a pair of bright blue eyes. Seth was dressed casually, and he carried the Millennium Rod loosely in one hand. His hair was rumpled from sleep, but he still seemed exhausted.
"Joey has taken it upon himself to go and defend your honor," Yugi said, sounding worried. "He's going to go talk to Kaiba."
Seth sank down into the seat opposite Yugi. "The gods preserve him."
Tea soon fell behind, and Joey continued on alone. He knew where the mansion was; it was hard to miss, given its sheer size. The time to get there passed in a blur for Joey; he was so angry that he was actually trembling. He didn't know Seth well, but his hatred for Kaiba was profound.
He approached the gate unmolested, to his surprise.
"Hey, where are all the guards?" he wondered aloud.
"They've been temporarily called off duty. I was hoping that you were Seth…"
Joey spun around towards the voice. "Mokuba?" The small boy was standing alone near the wall of the manor. His eyes were red as though he'd been crying, but his lip stiffened as he approached. Joey eyed him with a critical eye.
"Kaiba been hurting ya?"
"No!" The denial was so explosive that Joey took a step back. Mokuba clenched his fists. "My big brother would never do anything to hurt me. I'm fine."
"Then how come you were crying?" Joey asked.
"I wasn't crying!" Mokuba shouted. "Just go away, Joey. My brother and I don't want to see you."
"Well too bad for Kaiba!" Joey said back, his temper flaring. "I'm gonna talk to him right now!"
"I'll call the guards back," Mokuba said, his grey eyes narrowing.
Joey tried a new tack. "Listen, Mokuba, me and your brother got a few things we gotta sort out. Just let me in, alright? Just a few minutes." When Mokuba hesitated, he gave his biggest, most puppyish smile. "Pleeease?"
Mokuba relented. "He's in his office," he said. "Second floor." Then he disappeared into the foliage beside the gate. Even more determined to figure out what was going on, Joey made his way inside the mansion. The mansion was grander than anything Joey had ever been in, but he was too angry to notice much. He stomped up the stairs and flung open the door of Kaiba's office.
Kaiba was sitting in a chair behind an ornate wooden desk. His laptop sat open upon it, but he was not working. He was not anything. His face was perfectly blank, his eyes feverish and empty. But as Joey entered the room, he glanced up.
"Wheeler," he snarled. "What are you doing here?"
Joey remembered the reason for his visit, and his temper rose. "I'm here to talk to you about Seth, Kaiba."
Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "So you've taken Mokuba's place as Seth's advocate. How sweet."
"Speaking of Mokuba," Joey said angrily. "The poor kid's out there crying, waiting by the gatehouse. What did you do to him, Kaiba?"
Kaiba stood. His voice was still cool, but his anger was apparent. "What did I do? So quick to blame me for everything that goes wrong, mutt?" He laughed hollowly. "Join the club. There are T-shirts."
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Joey yelled. "This is Mokuba we're talking about!"
He thought he saw a flicker of emotion in Kaiba's eyes, but it was gone just as quickly. "He won't starve."
"Do you even have a heart?!" Joey shouted. "First you stab Seth, then you stop caring about your brother…"
Kaiba's face grew colder and his tone more mocking. "So Seth went running back to you with his little sob story. And here you are, his white knight."
Joey had had enough. He lunged around the desk and caught Kaiba by the collar, slamming him back into the wall.
"Now you listen to me, Kaiba…"
Strong hands gripping his collar, shoving him against the wall. A face thrust near his own, reeking of alcohol and full of malice. The hard blow beneath his ribs that made Seto gasp with pain. "Now you listen to me, son…"
Caught in the memory, Seto reacted. His own hands came up, grabbing one of Joey's wrists and twisting viciously. Joey cried out and released him, bending sideways to lessen the pain. Seto twisted the wrist until it threatened to snap under the pressure, then he gave Joey a hard shove. Off balance, Joey stumbled and fell hard against the desk. His head slammed into the wood, and he sat there dazed.
He could hear Seto's footsteps, and he looked up to see the CEO standing over him.
"Get out of my house, Wheeler. I won't warn you again." His voice was deadly cold.
Joey rolled to his feet. His wrist was throbbing. He stared for a moment into Kaiba's blue eyes, and even he could see the hint of madness there. He backtracked towards the door, never taking his eyes off Kaiba's face. As regally as any king, Kaiba sank down into his chair and turned to face the wall again.
At the gatehouse, another visitor had arrived. Mokuba gave a glad cry and ran towards him. Seth looked up at the mansion where he knew his double waited and sighed.
"Seto. I pray I'm not too late."
