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Authors: Zoe Forward
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Khenti, Hab , Thoth, A’an . ’Tis your choice.”
“My Lord Thoth, I am deeply honored. Where should I proceed to accept the fate that has been chosen for me?”
“Ah, yes, your path. That certainly remains a conundrum, given the yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecy that requires you propagate, and the fact you are now in the Lower Realm, yet technically not dead.”
Zannis glanced up sharply. He knew little of this so-called prophecy other than it had to do with his son, or at least Amun-Ra’s grandson. Whether it was he or Aneksi that bore the child remained unclear. Now that Thoth had confirmed he was the one destined to be a parent, what was this child was supposed to do?
Thoth smiled. “We are to journey. For now.”
With a flick of Thoth’s arm, Zannis stood upon the main deck of the ship. He asked, “Where are we? Which duat ?” He circled a three-sixty in search of the god.
Thoth materialized to his left. “We are in Ouranos .”
The second duat of seven. Supposedly, this was a happy region whose inhabitants farmed.
“We are headed to the next duat ,” Thoth announced.
The third region was not so beautiful. Creatures of his darkest nightmare awaited.
****
Astrid cracked her eyelids. She quickly yanked the airplane window shutter closed. Low light…much better. She rested her head against the seat back while the world spun and her skull throbbed. At this point she was fed up with the head pains.
Were they from the liquor binge or the hospital fiasco? Apparently the miraculous healer, Kira, couldn’t cure it. The healer must’ve done her thing since her ribs no longer ached.
She massaged her forehead. Had she really faced Zannis? She struggled to piece together the few hazy images. Zannis’s deep drawl of her name ricocheted through her brain. Oh my, she had faced him. What had she said?
The spinning in her brain climaxed with a stomach clench. Damn it , she was also tired of puking. She put a hand over her mouth and shot to a stand.
“Bathroom’s that way.” Ashor pointed toward the rear of the jet with a you-better-make-it glower. She caught a few of the other guys grinning. An unfamiliar redheaded woman crinkled her forehead, concerned. The teenager, Cy, glanced up from his e-reader and cocked an eyebrow.
Astrid pushed into the mini-bathroom and knelt in front of the metal toilet. Her stomach emptied several times and dry heaved until it hurt. When the digestive tract rebellion ceased, she washed her face and rinsed her mouth.
When she stepped away from the sink, the world spun. She gripped a towel bar until the whirling stopped.
One word materialized in her brain: married .
After a clumsy ass plant to the floor, she wheezed to move air through her chest. Oh, God. Married. Hatred burned hot. Renewed betrayal cinched her chest so tight she gasped for air.
She attempted to rationalize away the betrayal pain. Zannis no longer mattered to her. Right? He tried to murder her. They were history. She screamed mentally to herself: O-V-E-R! Do not give him this much power over you. “All right, moving on,” she said aloud, and pushed all the heartbreak and outrage into that too-crowded dark corner of her mind.
She unfurled the hand still gripping the small knife given to her by Amun-Ra. Maybe she was supposed to push it into Zannis’s heart. No . She couldn’t. Although she might hate him, she didn’t want him dead. Just out of her life. Then, the pain of the past might disappear forever.
She rotated Amun-Ra’s knife. Hieroglyphic-like markings decorated the blade, which seamlessly ended in a grip made of the same piece of metal. How had it stayed with her for so long? Unable to solve the mystery, she stood and draped it around her neck. The shower lured her with the promise of no longer smelling of vomit. After a functional shower in the cramped stall, she entered the main cabin.
Seven massive guys sat crammed into leather seats, along with one woman and one adolescent. Many of the guys
“My Lord Thoth, I am deeply honored. Where should I proceed to accept the fate that has been chosen for me?”
“Ah, yes, your path. That certainly remains a conundrum, given the yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecy that requires you propagate, and the fact you are now in the Lower Realm, yet technically not dead.”
Zannis glanced up sharply. He knew little of this so-called prophecy other than it had to do with his son, or at least Amun-Ra’s grandson. Whether it was he or Aneksi that bore the child remained unclear. Now that Thoth had confirmed he was the one destined to be a parent, what was this child was supposed to do?
Thoth smiled. “We are to journey. For now.”
With a flick of Thoth’s arm, Zannis stood upon the main deck of the ship. He asked, “Where are we? Which duat ?” He circled a three-sixty in search of the god.
Thoth materialized to his left. “We are in Ouranos .”
The second duat of seven. Supposedly, this was a happy region whose inhabitants farmed.
“We are headed to the next duat ,” Thoth announced.
The third region was not so beautiful. Creatures of his darkest nightmare awaited.
****
Astrid cracked her eyelids. She quickly yanked the airplane window shutter closed. Low light…much better. She rested her head against the seat back while the world spun and her skull throbbed. At this point she was fed up with the head pains.
Were they from the liquor binge or the hospital fiasco? Apparently the miraculous healer, Kira, couldn’t cure it. The healer must’ve done her thing since her ribs no longer ached.
She massaged her forehead. Had she really faced Zannis? She struggled to piece together the few hazy images. Zannis’s deep drawl of her name ricocheted through her brain. Oh my, she had faced him. What had she said?
The spinning in her brain climaxed with a stomach clench. Damn it , she was also tired of puking. She put a hand over her mouth and shot to a stand.
“Bathroom’s that way.” Ashor pointed toward the rear of the jet with a you-better-make-it glower. She caught a few of the other guys grinning. An unfamiliar redheaded woman crinkled her forehead, concerned. The teenager, Cy, glanced up from his e-reader and cocked an eyebrow.
Astrid pushed into the mini-bathroom and knelt in front of the metal toilet. Her stomach emptied several times and dry heaved until it hurt. When the digestive tract rebellion ceased, she washed her face and rinsed her mouth.
When she stepped away from the sink, the world spun. She gripped a towel bar until the whirling stopped.
One word materialized in her brain: married .
After a clumsy ass plant to the floor, she wheezed to move air through her chest. Oh, God. Married. Hatred burned hot. Renewed betrayal cinched her chest so tight she gasped for air.
She attempted to rationalize away the betrayal pain. Zannis no longer mattered to her. Right? He tried to murder her. They were history. She screamed mentally to herself: O-V-E-R! Do not give him this much power over you. “All right, moving on,” she said aloud, and pushed all the heartbreak and outrage into that too-crowded dark corner of her mind.
She unfurled the hand still gripping the small knife given to her by Amun-Ra. Maybe she was supposed to push it into Zannis’s heart. No . She couldn’t. Although she might hate him, she didn’t want him dead. Just out of her life. Then, the pain of the past might disappear forever.
She rotated Amun-Ra’s knife. Hieroglyphic-like markings decorated the blade, which seamlessly ended in a grip made of the same piece of metal. How had it stayed with her for so long? Unable to solve the mystery, she stood and draped it around her neck. The shower lured her with the promise of no longer smelling of vomit. After a functional shower in the cramped stall, she entered the main cabin.
Seven massive guys sat crammed into leather seats, along with one woman and one adolescent. Many of the guys
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