Chapter Five
Seth opened the door and closed it behind him, the quiet click of the lock filling the space. “Where’s your Dad?”
“He wanted to stay in The Sand. I bound him there.”
“What?” Clutching my chest, I went to Seth. “Why?”
“He didn’t think he had much time left and didn’t want to risk it,” Seth answered, although he wouldn’t look at me and there was warmth lacking from his presence.
“Can you take me to him?” I wanted to see Saul.
He started laughing. “You’ll see him soon enough. What you should be asking is when you’ll get to see Tage again.”
“Why is that?” I ticked my head to the side, confused.
Seth stood up to his full height and stared directly at me. His eyes morphed from green to blue to brown, and settled on gold.
What the hell?
I stepped away as his deep laughter faded to a more feminine tone. One I knew too well. With a wave of his palm over his face, Seth changed into Sekhmet.
“Who let you out of hell, you evil bitch?” I growled, backing toward the kitchen, toward the knives. She let me. A cat toying with her mouse.
Easing toward the hearth, I never let her out of my sight. My hand felt across the gritty brick until it found the poker. I squeezed the handle tight.
“You think a simple piece of metal is going to stop me? I have more power in my little finger right now than I’ve ever had in my life. Your son is very strong.”
“My son?” My teeth raked against each other. “What did you do to Seth?”
She smiled. “I bit him and took just a speck of his power for myself. You did teach him that it was nice to share with others, didn’t you?” She stepped toward me.
I wanted to kill her. For the first time in years, I wanted my fangs back. I wanted to end this crazy bitch once and for all. She bit my son. If she hurt him...
“MOM!” Seth yelled from somewhere outside, and my heart leapt. He was okay.
Sekhmet disappeared as the door flew open, a swirl of golden, sparkling magic flying inward as the wood ricocheted against the wall behind it, wobbling violently on the hinges.
“Where is she?” he demanded.
“Right behind her,” Sekhmet whispered. She knocked me off balance, slamming me into the counter. I struck out with the poker, which she quickly made fly from my hand with just a flick of her wrist. She was powerful. Too powerful.
As she prowled closer to me, I was determined that I wouldn’t let her see me crumble. I would fight. I kicked out toward her, but it was like kicking steel. When my foot connected with her leg, my bones screamed at the impact.
Sekhmet didn’t even flinch.
“Seth, run!”
He lowered his head in defiance and began muttering something under his breath. Her head ticked up. “How do you know that incantation?”
Her eyes trained on him and she began walking in his direction. I stuck my foot out, tripping her, but she caught herself and curled her lip. “I’ll be back to take care of you,” she promised me.
In an instant, she was gone, a dark fog swallowing her whole and fading as fast as it appeared.
Seth was in a trance. I pulled myself up and jogged to him, putting a hand on his cheek. “Seth.”
His eyes snapped up to meet mine.
“She’s gone. It’s okay.”
He shook his head. “It’s not.”
A loud thump came from the porch. Looking past Seth, I saw Saul collapse onto the planks. “Saul?”
He panted, face crimson from exhaustion. “That.... bitch.”
“I know,” I said, pulling him to me. “I know.”
Seth pulled his hair at the root. “I have to go after Tage.”
“Where is he? The Sand?”
Seth shook his head. “She sent him to the Underworld. I have to get him back. He can stop her, but I’m not sure I can. I can bind her powers, but I need his help, Mom.”
Saul groaned in my arms. “We have to get him to The Sand,” I cried.
“I bound him there, but then he made me set him free,” Seth answered. “He wanted to make sure you were okay.” Seth grunted as he took his Dad’s arm around his shoulder. “Hold onto me, Mom. I’ll take us there.”
“What about Sekhmet? I need to warn Mercedes and Roman... and Dad. I need to warn everyone.” Would the colonists understand the threat or just think I was crazy?
“I can project to them from The Sand. We’ll warn them, but we have to get Dad there first.”
I nodded, holding his forearm as he closed his eyes.
In an instant, we were in the clearing. He opened the door and let us in, and in seconds, he’d bound Saul back to The Sand.
Suddenly he seemed healthy, normal, and no longer slumped against his son’s shoulder. “Can you project, son?” Saul asked.
Seth nodded. He stared straight ahead, a vision appearing before him. It was Mercedes. “Seth?” she asked. Her voice sounded far away.
“Sekhmet is free.”
She clapped a shaky hand over her mouth. “What do we do?”
“Try to stay alive. I have to get Tage to help us.”
She nodded. “Where is he?”
“The Underworld.”
“Oh, shit.”
Seth flexed his fingers. “Just be safe. Warn grandpa. She’s really angry.”
Mercedes growled in frustration. “She’ll go after your mom.”
“She already has, but Mom’s fine.”
Mercedes’ lips pinched together into a tight line. “Be safe, Seth. Get Tage and destroy Sekhmet for good.”
He nodded once. “I plan to.”