Chapter 19
Neff
She knew it wasn’t a good idea. It would have been better to send another message with Ahura and arrange a safe time to meet Kenna, but that would have taken too long. With the king’s cursing ritual only days away, Neff felt time slipping through her fingers like grains of sand.
Fortunately, it was supply delivery day at the Great Temple of Amun.
So Neff managed to pass through the gate amid the vendors and donkeys and associated rabble unnoticed, as Karim had before her.
Neff had learned at an early age that whether a person was a prince, a pauper, or a thief, there was always something to be learned from them.
She went straight to the embalming chamber, and sure enough, Kenna was there with an apprentice Sem priest, going over the proper way to lay out the tools of their trade.
“I cannot stress enough the importance of a sharp edge,” he said, holding up an obsidian shard.
“A dull blade may tear the skin and create an imperfect incision…” He trailed off as he caught sight of Neff at the doorway.
Kenna cleared his throat. “I think that’s enough for today,” he said, his voice louder than before.
“But I thought—” the apprentice said.
“We will cover more tomorrow. I’ve just remembered that I’d planned to reorganize the storage room and I must get started.”
“Oh! I can help with—”
“Much appreciated, but I’m afraid I’m quite particular about my methods, so it will be best for me to undertake the task alone.”
Thus rebuffed, the apprentice bowed, then trudged out of the embalming chamber, past where Neff hid behind a pillar.
When the apprentice was safely out of sight, Kenna appeared beside her.
“Are you sleeping in honey, Nefermaat?” he muttered. “Do you realize how dangerous it is to show up here like this? If someone saw you—”
“No one saw me,” Neff assured him. “I’m sorry, brother, but it couldn’t wait. I need to speak to you.”
Kenna studied her. “You don’t look well. You haven’t been sleeping.”
Neff touched her face. She thought she’d done a good job masking the dark circles under her eyes with kohl, but Kenna was too observant to be fooled.
He’d probably also noticed the subtle drop in her posture and the paleness of her skin.
In truth, she hadn’t slept well since she’d concluded her study of the Book of the Red Lady.
Its final spell had thrown her mind into turmoil, and she’d been grappling with indecision ever since.
“I’m fine,” she said, not wanting to be distracted from her goal.
Kenna sighed, running a hand through his wild hair. “All right. Let’s go to the storage room. We shouldn’t be disturbed there.”
Neff nodded and pulled the hood of the white robe she wore closer around her face so she wouldn’t be recognized.
As they walked, Neff gave Kenna an appraising look.
He wore his standard white tunic, but he had added a small amulet to his costume: an Eye of Horus carved from malachite, strung on black cord.
“Where did that come from?” she asked. Kenna usually spurned any type of adornment.
He quickly tucked the amulet under his tunic. “It was a gift from Sitamun. A long time ago.”
Neff peeked over at him. “You miss her.”
The prince kept his eyes forward and said nothing.
“She’s alive,” Neff said.
Kenna turned to her sharply. “How can you know this?” Then he scoffed, as if he’d asked a question he could easily answer himself. “You’ve had a vision.”
“A dream, actually. Of two snakes, as in your father’s vision. Except this was different. The snakes were entwined with one another and suffused with light. The divine message is clear: Sitamun lives.”
Relief washed over Kenna’s face before he hid his emotions out of sight. “That is very good news,” he said evenly. “Though it makes me wonder what she’s been doing all this time. The world is a stranger to her outside the palace walls.”
Thinking of the oracle, Neff replied, “Perhaps fate has delivered her a friend.”
When they arrived at the storage room, the same chamber where Kenna had collected his mummy wrappings when they’d first met, Kenna ushered her inside.
The room was small and dark, the only light filtering in from the door.
Rolls of linen wrappings were piled on the floor along with sacks of natron, jars of various sacred oils and resins, and baskets of incense pellets.
The smell of it was so intense that it made Neff’s eyes water.
Kenna peered out to check both ends of the corridor once more before speaking. “This is about the Book of the Red Lady, isn’t it? I went back and forth about sending it to you.”
“Don’t worry. I have a lookout in case someone comes this way,” Neff said.
“A lookout?” Kenna’s brow furrowed. “You mean that servant girl? I didn’t see her with you.”
“Not Ahura. She doesn’t know I’m here. Something else.”
“Something?”
Neff licked her lips. “The book isn’t the only reason I needed to see you. Do you remember that spell I cast, summoning a minor god named Medjed?”
Kenna’s eyes narrowed. “You said it didn’t work.”
Neff made an apologetic face. “Well…” Removing a small folded cloth from the pocket of her robe, she turned and flung the fabric into the air beside her. It fluttered and came to rest on a child-sized shape beside her. “I was wrong.”
Kenna jumped back, nearly tumbling a pile of wrappings. The dome-like creature didn’t move. It simply hovered there, watching him with its painted eyes.
“That’s…Medjed?” Kenna exclaimed.
“I think he must be,” Neff replied. “He can’t talk, but he’s been helping me stay out of trouble. Within reason, of course.”
“Of course,” Kenna repeated, still staring at Medjed.
“Go on, now,” Neff said to the little spirit, gesturing toward the corridor. “Let me know if you see anyone coming.”
Medjed bobbed in assent and slipped out from beneath the cloth, leaving it behind on the floor.
Neff turned back to Kenna. “I wanted to show him to you, because it proves I’m ready to cast the spells in the Book of the Red Lady.”
Kenna shook off his discomfort and composed himself.
“I agree. As much as I wish we didn’t need to delve into malicious magic, I cannot see that we have a choice.
Mery’s execration ritual must not be allowed to succeed.
A curse of such magnitude would render my brother’s enemies defenseless against him.
Swords would crumble and rust in their scabbards, and even the strongest men would fall before him.
We must act against him with the most powerful magic available to us.
” He bent closer. “Perhaps we consider the blinding spell, or ‘To Loosen a Bowstring.’”
“No. We cannot afford to wait until the day of the ritual to act,” Neff said. “If we fail, it may be too late to stop him.”
“What are you suggesting?”
The idea that had been keeping Neff awake at night sat on the tip of her tongue. “Mery has been teaching me to play Mehen,” she began.
“The snake game. He used to play that with Sita all the time. What of it?”
“He is a ruthless opponent, but I learn fast. I’ve beaten him a couple times now.
The only way to win is to think like he thinks—and always be one step ahead.
” She thought of the Mehen board and the winding coils of the snake, upon which one can either kill or be killed.
“If we want to beat Mery at his own game, I must curse him before he can curse us.”
“Curse the king? You can’t mean…”
Neff recalled the words written in red ink. The final spell in Sekhmet’s book.
To Make a Man Die.
“It’s the only way,” Neff said.
Kenna was incredulous. “Are you mad, little sister? You’d be caught and executed before you could succeed, and even if you did somehow manage to complete the curse, your life would be forfeit. You’re the only one with knowledge of heka who has access to Mery. Everyone would know it was you.”
Neff licked her lips. “Forgive me, my prince, but I have thought long and hard about this. You are a man of the temple. You of all people must agree that the gods placed me at Mery’s side for a reason.
I have earned his trust. He suspects nothing.
I am the only one who can do this. I am meant to do this. ”
“You can’t know that!” Kenna said angrily.
“I have faith. I feel rightness in this. It will be simple, you’ll see.
Tomorrow morning, the servant will come to apply the king’s makeup.
First, she will shave him. I will take her place, claiming that I wish to attend to him instead.
Mery will think it all a bit of fun, but I’ll cut him with the blade—just a little, just enough—and catch the blood on a square of cloth.
It will look like an accident. After all, I’m a novice at such things, and it will soon be forgotten.
I have already finished gathering the other ingredients I need for the spell.
Once I have the king’s blood, the rest will be easy. ”
“Simple and easy, eh? Like adding a bit of poison to a honey cake?”
Neff’s cheeks flushed with heat. “That’s different! I am doing this to save the kingdom!”
“Oh, yes?” Kenna shot back. “I’m fairly certain that’s what Mery thought he was doing too.”
The words struck Neff like a knife to the gut. She was silent, her soul at war with itself. Was I not a child just yesterday? she wondered. And now, instead of dolls and skipping stones, I’m toying with murder? What’s happening to me?
She shook away her doubt.
“I won’t fail,” she said.
Kenna’s face was a mask of hopelessness. “Perhaps not. But what will you lose? Neff, please. Listen to me before you make up your mind!”
The discarded cloth rose up once more, and Medjed rushed toward them, nudging Neff with urgency. Neff and Kenna looked at each other in alarm.
“Someone’s coming!” she whispered. In a flash, she pulled the cloth off Medjed and ducked behind the pile of natron sacks.
Seconds later, a shadow fell across the doorway.
“Looking for something, my prince?”