Chapter 20

House of Osirian

Osiris had given me the ability to do everything he could if it would protect Colton, and now it was coming back to bite him. In the blink of the eye I'd left the palace and found myself back in the replica version of my house much to the surprise of Claudia.

"Eve! What the heck? You're back… where's Colton tell me something didn't…"

"Nothing's happened yet," I told her and heard an audible sigh of relief, "But if we don't move quickly that won't be the case for much longer."

Claudia shook her head clearly confused, "We. Eve you know I can't get through."

Rubbing my temples, I tried to think for one second. I'd planned on going to Colton; yet, I'd ended up back here with Claudia. That had to mean something… but what?

Of course. It meant I needed Claudia. "Clauds, look at me. I don't have much time to explain. Basically Osiris and Anubis tried outsmarting Raet by making me the Osirian and Colton the Chosen One, but they were going to let him die because of it. I'm not about to let that happen so we need to get through to the next level. Do you trust me?"

"You're my sister, Eve," Claudia whispered softly a spark lighting in her worried eyes, "Of course I trust you."

Knowing what I had to do, I spoke with a slightly crazed grin on my face, "Then step away from that wall." She did as I requested, and as if throwing a baseball I tossed my arm only to discover a flaming ball sparking from within it. The ball crashed into the wall knocking it to pieces and opening up the path for Claudia and I to dash right over to the open sarcophagus.

"Oh my gods," Claudia cried noticing the fair hair boy lying within. "Eve. Eve. I think he's dead."

"He's not dead," I told her quickly leaning down to plant the softest kiss on his barely breathing lips, "But he will be soon if we don't get him out of here."

"Not so fast girls," it was a voice I'd recognize anywhere mixed with a body that was brand new. Well, not brand new, I'd seen it once before in a library, but she didn't look like the woman who raised me. No, Raet looked like Luce...probably because they were the same person.

"Step away from Colton," Raet ordered, but I ignored her in the way I should have my entire life. Claudia moved a little, but looked confused when she did.

"I don't..." she began, but Raet only chucked.

"I'm so sorry," she replied lifting her hand on her heart in fake sincerity. "Did I just use my compulsion on you? It's a goddess thing dear Claudia don't take it personally."

I literally spit in response to her snide remarks, "Too bad it doesn't work on me anymore, mother. Then you could have anything you wanted."

"I'll still have everything I want," she swore, "But the compulsions lack of ability is just the proof I needed. So it's true then what I expected; you're the true Osirian. I was wondering why it had worked on Colton." Ah. At least now I knew how she'd gotten the boy into the coffin. If she had some sort of magical persuasion that only didn't work on the Osirian she'd have gotten him to do anything.

"It's true." What was the point in lying about something we all knew? She could read minds anyway and just taking a peak at one of ours would have drawn about the same conclusion. "And since Colton is of no use to you I suggest you let him go before I make you."

If there was one thing Raet could do to make me hate her even more it was laugh at my threat, and as always she did exactly that. "Colton? Of no use to me? Eve, honey, Colton's the only thing that could ever rectify this little issue!"

Neither Claudia nor I liked the cheerful tone that remained in Raet's voice, "What do you mean?" my sister asked before the goddess told her to shut up and she could speak no more.

Raet acted like she hadn't heard the question as she ran her hand across the smooth oak the sarcophagus was made out of. "This belonged to Osiris originally, did you know that? Set tricked him to lie in it before dumping the coffin in the Nile Osiris along with it. Isis, with my help wouldn't you know, eventually dragged it out, but her husband was dead and ended up stuck in the Du'at even to this day. Interesting thing is it was built to only close with Osiris in it so when everyone else lay in it nothing happened."

I wanted to sass the goddess, really, I did, but sassing the person who could easily kill your sister, boyfriend, and you in a blink wasn't probably the best idea. Therefore, I instead just nodded my head and pretended to be interested during her long (and obnoxious) dramatic pauses.

"I'll let Colton go," the goddess finally declared looking up with a malevolent glint in her eyes. "But someone else needs to replace him inside. That's not my rule; it's the coffins. It is my rule however that the only person who can get in is someone who fits. That means Osiris… or you."

"Don't be ridiculous," I told the goddess with squinted eyes, "I'm not the same size as Osiris. I won't just fit."

Raet rolled her eyes, something I think she got from living with me, before speaking condescendingly, "Don't be ridiculous. Gods don't have formal bodies everyone sees what they expect. It's the magic contained in the person's soul that the coffin recognizes and you're the same as Osiris. So, my dear, you're left with two options. Try to walk away from this place and I'll kill Claudia and Colton before dragging your lifeless body into this sarcophagus by force. Or you can willingly get in, condemn yourself to an eternity of conscious imprisonment, and I'll let your sister and love walk from this place unharmed. I'll even guarantee their and your other siblings safety in my new world order. I have no gripe with you children; it's the gods and your parents who deserve to be punished. It's your choice dear, but one way or another you're going in that coffin. So, what shall it be?"

I didn't trust Raet. I didn't trust her one bit, but her tone said it all. She wanted me to make a decision;yet, I had no choice at all. I could only hug my panicked sister and give my love a final, lingering kiss before turning to Raet and offering a nod.