My birthday was yesterday so here's a little pocherpka from me :)

17.03.2015

Set

Magicians swarmed Menshikov's office. Time for me to teleport away.

First. I picked up Vladimir's broken white glasses from the floor and positioned them on my head.

Outside it was fucken wimdy. The wind blew some of the malachite dust from my red disco suit. I'd have to change before going out later.

Sadie Kane was on the ground, cradling her brother's head. Carter was shivering, his eyes rolled back. Two puncture wounds were smoking in his coat.

I was about to say "Good riddance," and walk away, when something stopped me.

Usually, I love seeing Isis suffer. But this wasn't Isis. In the snow, struggling to pull her brother on his feet, was a little scared girl. Between all the fighting, saving the world and constant sarcasm, it was easy to forget those were kids. Even though we called them 'younglings', it hadn't really clicked.

Besides, if Carter died, would Sadie be able to continue with the plan? Would she even have the power to awaken Ra? Carter and Sadie Kane – a duo you can bet on. A grieving Sadie Kane? A force to be reckoned with, but something would be missing.

I hoped this disgusting feeling was a leftover of whatever strange effect Amos had had on my brain. Ra be on my side, I took Carter's other arm and helped them up.

I grinned at Sadie.

She glared back. "You."

"Me," I agreed cheerily. "Let's get your brother out of here, shall we? Vladimir is not in a good mood."

We walked on to who knew where.

"The tjesu heru's poison is famous, you know? Completely incurable! Fatal in about twelve hours. It's amazing stuff!"

Sadie Kane was uncharacteristically quiet, so I had to keep the conversation going by myself.

"Oh, you're toast, my dear! A dozen senior magicians were rallying to Menshikov when I made my, er, strategic retreat. They'll be after you shortly. I could've destroyed them all, of course, but I couldn't risk Vladimir using my secret name again. Maybe he'll get amnesia and forget it. Then if you die-that would be both problems solved. Oh, I'm sorry, I suppose that sounded insensitive. Come along!"

We stopped at a bridge up over a frozen canal. Parked in the middle was a black Mercedes. My old buddy, Bes, leaned against the hood, eating pieces off a chocolate chessboard. Next to him sat a large plastic bag.

Bes looked up. The moment his eyes landed on me, they bulged out. His mouth opened impossibly wide and he yelled "Boo!".

Smells of onion, old meat and… I smelled the air…. old socks? Did Bes eat someone's socks?

"Hello, Bes," I said. "Really, you're not so scary with chocolate smeared on your face."

Bes glared at Sadie. "What's he doing here?"

"Not my idea!" Sadie proceeded to spend the next ten minutes of the time she didn't have on catching Bes up. "And so Carter's been hurt. We have to get him out of here."

"But first," I pointed at the Chocolate Museum bag next to Bes, "I can't stand surprises. What's in there? A gift for me?"

Bes frowned. "Sadie wanted a souvenir. I brought her Lenin's head."

How had I never thought of that? I slapped my thigh with delight. "Bes, how evil! There's hope for you yet."

"Not his real head," Bes said. "It's chocolate."

"Oh shame. Can I have part of your chessboard, then? I simply love eating pawns."

"Get out of here, Set!"

Always "Get out of here, Set"! Why was it never "How nice to see you, Set" or even just a "Stay"?

Not that I wanted to stay. But now that I had the Kane girl cornered…

"Well, I could do that," I said "but since our friends are on their way, I thought perhaps we should make a deal."

I snapped my fingers. A globe of red light appeared in front of me. In it, the holographic images of six men in security uniforms piled into two white sports cars. Their headlights blazed to life. The cars swerved across a parking lot, then passed straight through a stone wall as if it were made of shadows.

"I'd say you have about two minutes." I smiled, and the globe of light faded. "You remember Menshikov's minions, Bes. Are you sure you want to meet them again?"

The dwarf god's face darkened. He crushed a white chocolate chess piece in his hand. "You lying, scheming, murdering-"

"Stop!" Sadie said.

My eyebrow raised. My siblings used to do that so much when we were kids, too. So annoying, would never let me hear people's lovely compliments.

Carter groaned in his poisoned daze.

Sadie closed her eyes. "We don't have time to argue. Set, are you offering to stop the magicians?"

I laughed. "No, no. I'm still hoping they'll kill you, you see. But I was going to offer you the location of the last scroll in the Book of Ra. That is what you're after, isn't it?"

Sadie looked at Bes. "Is it possible he knows the location?"

Bes grunted. "More than possible. The priests of Ra gave him the scroll for safekeeping."

"Why on earth would they do that?"

Because once I knew how to be more than my sins.

"Come now, Sadie. I was a loyal lieutenant of Ra. If you were Ra, and you didn't want to be bothered by any old magician trying to wake you, wouldn't you trust the key to your location with your most fearsome servant?"

"Where's the scroll, then?"

"Not so fast." My smile grew to a grin, fangs glistening in the night. "I'll give you the location, if you give me back my secret name."

Sadie stared. "Not likely!"

"It's quite simple. Just say 'I give you back your name.' You'll forget the proper way to say it-"

"And then I'll have no power over you! You'll kill me!"

"You'd have my word that I won't."

"Right. That's worth a lot." It is, to the right… It used to be… Nah, she was right. "What if I used your secret name to force you to tell me?"

I shrugged. "With a few days to research the correct spell, you might manage that. Unfortunately..." Tires in the distance, getting closer. I made a show of cupping my ear. "You don't have a few days."

Bes cursed. "Don't do it, girl. He can't be trusted."

"Can we find the scroll without him?"

"Well... maybe. Probably not. No."

The headlights of two cars swerved onto the Nevsky Prospekt, roughly half a mile away.

"All right, Set. But I'll give you one last order."

Bes sighed. "I can't bear to watch this. Give me your brother. I'll put him in the car."

The dwarf took Carter and stuffed him into the backseat of the Mercedes.

Sadie kept her eyes on me. "Evil Day, you are not to harm the Kane family. You'll maintain a truce with us at least until-until Ra has been awakened."

"Or until you try and fail to awaken him?" I asked innocently.

"If that happens," Sadie said, "the world is going to end. So why not? I will do what you ask concerning your name. In exchange, you will tell me the location of the last part of the Book of Ra, without trickery or deception. Then you'll depart for the Duat."

A quick lesson in mind-games: I had been given an order. My secret name had been used. Truly, I had no say in the situation. When you hold none of the cards, you always pretend you have another one up your sleeve.

I pretended to consider the offer for a moment. Long enough to hear two sports cars a few blocks away. Long enough to see the anxiety grow in Sadie's eyes. I couldn't disobey her orders. I could have fun with her panic.

Bes shut Carter's door and ran back over.

To seal it all, leave everyone with the impression that, against all odds, you do have a say.

"We have a deal," I agreed. "You'll find the scroll at Bahariya. Bes knows the place I mean."

Bes didn't look happy. "That place is heavily protected. We'll have to use the Alexandria portal."

"Yes." I grinned. "Should be interesting! How long can you hold your breath, Sadie Kane?"

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind, never mind. Now, I believe you owe me a secret name."

"I give you back your name."

A part of me came home.

I smiled and tossed Sadie Vlad Menshikov's sunglasses. "I hope you live, after all, Sadie Kane. You're quite amusing. But if they do kill you, at least enjoy the experience!"

"Gosh, thanks."

"And just because I like you so much, I have a free piece of information for your brother. Tell him Zia Rashid's village was called Makan al-Ramal al-Hamrah."

"Why is that-"

"Happy travels!"