Cleo's Curse

by Allie Burton

  Two pieces lay on the table. The threads continued to shine. Did they still possess magic?

  My confidence teetered on the edge. “Take a piece.”

  Piper picked up a piece of rope. Her image wavered and disappeared. “I’m invisible to everyone except for the Warriors and others who might be anointed.”

  The pulsing in my veins soothed, filling with satisfaction. “The magic is present.” I picked up the second piece. “Now to make the Knot stronger.”

  Closing my eyes, I pictured the vision in the mirror frame. I looped the ends of the rope together, beginning the process of tying a different knot. A knot the mirror had exhibited to have inexplicable powers.

  The rope shimmered and slithered and shaped of its own accord. Yes, my fingers twisted the rope, but it was the golden threads doing the work, mastering the shape, moving my fingers. Similar to when I’d imagined a belt or a rope ladder or a hammock.

  My gaze widened. “Wow.”

  The loop circled into the top and tugged itself into the correct shape. A circle at the top with four varying tails hanging below, forming the shape of a body.

  “It’s the Tyet knot, the symbol of the goddess Uset.” Piper’s eyes gleamed with fascination. “I’ve never seen anything duplicate itself, and I’ve seen a lot of insane things.”

  I laughed, the first happy sound in a while. “Oh, my Chanel.”

  “The knot resembles the symbol of Ankh, meaning life.” She twisted her section of rope and it formed the Tyet. “Except the arm things point downward.”

  “I don’t care how it looks as long as it works.” My gleeful tone lightened my insides. I was styling knots instead of fashion. “Let’s finish making the knots. We don’t have much time until the others are done with their battle preparations.”

  My heart ticked like a fast-beating clock. Every minute away from Antony was another minute he was in danger. To distract myself, I asked, “How do you know Babi?”

  Piper’s smile dimmed. She studied her hands working on the knot. “I grew up part of the Order.”

  My fingers stopped tying. “You were with the Soul Warriors’ enemy?”

  “I was the enemy.” She peered at me in defiance, as if she wanted me to say something mean. “I stole one of Tut’s trumpets from the warriors and gave it to the Order.”

  “And they forgave you and made you part of their group?” Nothing I’d done had been as bad. A tiny bit of hope the Soul Warriors would let me join their family lit my insides.

  “I was trying to save my mother’s life.” By the sadness in her tone, Piper hadn’t succeeded. “They understood and helped me fight the Order in the end. In the battle, the leader died and Babi must’ve taken control.”

  “He isn’t the smartest guy.” That was being kind.

  Her lips turned up in a quick grin and fell flat again. “I don’t understand how he’s been successful. Capturing you and Antony.”

  “Demetri is smart.” My ribs clenched, squeezing my lungs and causing pain. And a great actor. I’d believed everything he’d said. “Plus, there’s another man. They called him the Akh Master.”

  Piper tossed her red hair back. Her face appeared paler, and her eyes rounded with worry. “I’ve heard the title before. He lives in Egypt and is an all-powerful figure.” Her voice trembled. “We have to warn the others.”

  “My aunt was captured in Egypt.” Fear for her knotted in my stomach. I’d been so worried about myself and Antony, I’d forgotten she was in trouble. “I haven’t heard from her in days.”

  Another quest after we saved Antony. The Soul Warriors would help me find my aunt. I had to think positive.

  I sliced through the rope again to form another Tyet, and another. How would I find Aunty Neffy in Egypt? “How did you become one of the Soul Warriors?”

  “I had residual powers through my father, and received additional powers through the trumpet of peace.” She spoke as if having powers was no big deal. I guess around here it wasn’t. “When I fought against the Order and my mom died, the warriors took me in. Trained me. Made me part of their family.”

  My envious heart ached. It sounded like a dream. To be accepted and loved for who you were with all your mistakes and vulnerabilities. The Soul Warriors would have to accept me once I proved myself with the Knot and its powers. Once I fought in the upcoming battle.

  “Are they accepting applications?” I forced a chuckle, trying to make a joke.

  I could stay here and graduate from Exeter Academy while training and becoming a Soul Warrior. My parents would be happy I was working hard at school, and they’d never need to know about the secret organization I wanted to join. Plus, I could design stylish and practical outfits for the entire team.

  “It’s not a job. It’s a calling.” Her tone deepened and her expression went serious.

  “Yeah, I know. For goodness and light.”

  “And love.”

  “What?”

  Piper angled her head. “Our oath is for goodness and light and love.”

  The aching in my chest shredded with massive distress, bleeding out my hopes of being with Antony. He’d never told me the last part of the oath. He’d said for goodness and light and stopped. I’d wondered if he was leaving something out. And now I knew. He’d left out the part about love.

  Because he must not love me.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Antony

  Antony shuffled around the small cage. His handcuffed hands flopped in front of him. Thank Tut for the material CC had wrapped around the metal, or his skin would be scorched and blistered even more. He had no idea whether CC had gotten away successfully. Babi had run after her, and Demetri had followed shortly thereafter. Antony hadn’t seen or heard anything since. He’d been alone.

  Alone with his worries. The not-knowing devoured his thoughts.

  Pivoting, he stumbled the other way. Because of the special metal handcuffs, his steps were slow. If CC hadn’t fallen off a roof or gotten recaptured by Babi, would she have made it to the professor’s house?

  Antony swiveled around again. He knew the Soul Warriors would do everything they could to help him, except he didn’t want to risk their lives or CC’s. It had been his decision to hurry and meet CC without backup.

  He mentally kicked himself. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He’d just needed to get to her.

  The door to the third floor swung open. A man he didn’t recognize stood in front of Demetri. The man wore a white suit. His dark hair and black eyes pierced through the cage like Antony was an animal on display.

  Antony paused. The hairs on his neck rose, sensing alarm similar to an animal recognizing trouble. Major trouble.

  The man waltzed into the room in a non-hurried way. With his height of over six feet, his long legs ate up the distance. His head tilted to a proud angle. His black gaze narrowed, analyzing Antony. The man could see him in his invisible form.

  Antony shoved out his chest, preparing to meet a new combatant. “Can I help you?” As if he was in a position to help anyone.

  The man’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Did he not understand?

  Demetri tugged an older woman behind him. Electrical tape covered her mouth. Her wide, frightened gray eyes showed her terror. Her wrinkled skin was pale, not Egyptian. She was covered head to foot with the traditional robe and headdress. Her lined face had dark shadows and fading bruises.

  Why would they hurt an old woman? “Is she okay?”

  “Step back, Soul Warrior.” Demetri took out a key hanging on a key ring and inserted it into the lock of his prison.

  Antony tensed, thinking about making a break for it. With no super powers, he was at a disadvantage against the two men. He barely had enough strength to walk around the small prison.

  Demetri shoved the woman in, and she tripped. Antony braced his body by the door and let her fall into him instead of the hard ground. She pulled herself upright and stared. Her gaze rounded and her chin sagged. She stuck out her hand and felt around
finally coming into contact with his shoulder.

  “Are you okay?” His concern focused on her injuries.

  Her eyes grew even wider. “What is this?”

  Demetri relocked the cage and put the keys in the inside pocket of his jacket, right next to an unusual-looking rock hanging from a chain. Not his normal shiny rhinestones. “She can’t see or hear you.”

  Antony had been invisible when the handcuffs had been placed around his wrists, so he couldn’t use his powers to change back. It hadn’t mattered, because everyone he’d come in contact with could see him in either form.

  His heart pinched. “Where’s CC?”

  “I’m sure Babi has CC in hand.” Demetri stepped slightly behind the other man.

  “CC?” The older woman’s gravelly tone sounded worn and tired. She slid to the floor, clearly exhausted.

  Antony fisted his hands in the cuffs, wishing he could punch Demetri or anyone. “Babi better not harm her.”

  “Silence.” Not raising his voice, the man lifted his hand in a stop sign, expecting everyone to listen. “Where is the Knot of Uset? I sense its magical presence.”

  The woman gasped.

  “The Soul Warrior has been energized with its magic.” Demetri bowed his head. “The girl has the Knot in her possession.”

  “Cleopatra,” the woman wailed.

  Antony monitored the woman, feeling sorry for her confused state. He needed to deal with one thing at a time. He needed answers. “Where has Babi taken CC?”

  The man dropped his hand. “You have no right to make demands, Soul Warrior.”

  “I have a name.” Now he understood how CC felt, always correcting people. “Antony.”

  “How appropriate for our sacrificial ceremony.” The man’s mirth didn’t go unnoticed. “We will cut the binds between Antony and Cleopatra and remove their magic.”

  Antony remembered CC saying Demetri had called her costume a sacrificial gown. “Nothing about a human sacrifice is appropriate.”

  “Tell that to the old lady who sent the Knot overseas.” The man jerked his head in the woman’s direction. “The old woman who also has an ancient name of Nefertiti and will pay for her indiscretions with her life.”

  Empathy slipped into his thoughts for the woman whose life was threatened. She didn’t move. Exhausted or beaten, she’d done nothing besides moan. The large robe engulfed her small frame.

  Antony swung his attention back to the man. He clenched and unclenched his fists, betraying his impotence. There was nothing he could do. No way to retaliate. “Who are you?”

  “You don’t ask questions of the Akh Master.” Demetri seemed offended for the man.

  The title socked Antony in the solar plexus. His body wavered, but he stood strong, refusing to express the emotional punch. The Akh Master had arrived from overseas. The situation had changed. The circumstances becoming more dire.

  The man waved Demetri away, dismissing him like a slave. “I’m Khepri, the Akh Master, who will control the souls of those who will serve me in the Afterlife.” His calm speech was hypnotic. “I’m here to unite the followers of Tut’s ancient religion and to introduce my daughters to the faithful.”

  Daughters? What was their role with the followers?

  Khepri’s straight and tall frame veered away. “I want to rest after my long journey.”

  “Yes, sir.” Demetri bowed. “I’ll show you to the guest room.”

  Demetri acted like Khepri’s servant. The designer hadn’t been subservient toward Babi, even though Babi claimed he was in charge. While Khepri didn’t need to perform. He knew he’d be listened to. The man reeked with superior attitude.

  The two of them left, shutting the third-floor door.

  Antony kneeled by the woman lying on the ground. He gently patted her arm, trying to communicate he wasn’t a threat.

  Her gray eyes widened. “Who are you? Why can’t I see you?”

  The fact she could be shocked surprised him. Being with Khepri, she must’ve seen some crazy stuff. He patted his pants pocket. Nothing. He tried to figure out a way to communicate with her, not scare her.

  The mirror was the only thing in the cage. He studied it. The intricately carved frame was a message by itself. Not the message he wanted to send, though. He huffed out a breath. He crinkled his brow and moved closer to the mirror. He blew out another breath, hard. Hard enough to fog the mirror.

  Taking his finger, he wrote, Hi. I’m Antony. He knocked on the glass to get Nefertiti’s attention. I’m a Soul Warrior and serve for goodness and light and love. The last word stabbed his chest, thinking of his love and how he hadn’t told CC the full oath.

  The woman glanced at the mirror. Her reflected image displayed shock. “You’re invisible?”

  He blew another breath, fogging his old words, and used his finger to write again. Exposed to the Knot of Uset.

  She struggled to sit up. “You’ve seen the Knot of Uset? Here? In the United States?”

  Yes. He wrote.

  “My niece…I sent the Knot to my niece.” Her raw, desperate tone revealed her fear. “You asked about CC. Do you mean Cleopatra Carruthers?”

  His lungs concaved, filling with emotion, thinking of the risks CC had taken. He wrote again, Yes.

  “I named her. I’m her Aunty Neffy.” She frowned, and her wrinkles furrowed. “Where is CC? Is she okay?”

  He fogged the mirror again. Don’t know. Escaped from here earlier with the Knot.

  He didn’t know if she’d been captured. If they’d recaptured her, wouldn’t they put her back in this cage? That question gave him hope.

  Neffy’s body trembled. Tears formed and leaked onto her cheeks. “It’s my fault. I thought if I sent her the Knot it would be safe. Men were following me. They discovered I’d mailed the Knot of Uset out of the country. I put her in danger.”

  Don’t blame yourself. Antony knew how that felt. He loved CC, and he might never get to tell her.

  “Why didn’t you escape with CC?”

  Handcuffs made with special iron that makes me weak. He shook his fists letting his frustration show, even if only to himself.

  Neffy’s expression hardened and he saw where CC got her determination from. “We have to figure out a way to escape.”

  He’d been thinking the exact same thing for hours. Now he had more than himself to consider and someone to help. He fogged the mirror and wrote one word: Distraction.

  * * *

  Banging on the metal bars, Antony yelled, “Help! Help! Neffy needs help!”

  Aunty Neffy curled in a heap on the floor. Her high-pitched moans would wake the dead, which was the part of the plan. They’d schemed, with the mirror acting as translator.

  “Help!” He kept yelling. Someone had to hear him at some point.

  The door banged open, and Demetri came in, unhurried. Alone, he wore the same clothes he’d had on when he’d brought Neffy in. Clearly annoyed by his uptight, glaring expression, he barked, “What do you want?”

  “Neffy is in pain.” Antony put worry in his voice.

  Demetri angled his head. “You know you can’t hurt me with those handcuffs, and if you tried you wouldn’t get far.”

  Remembered shame heated Antony’s skin. Lowering his gaze, he acted subservient as he had in his past life. “I know. I don’t know why you even bother to lock the cage.” He stepped farther away from the door and the designer. He didn’t want to give the slightest hint to the plan.

  “Extra security.” Demetri unlocked the door and re-locked it behind him, effectively locking himself in the cage. He moved toward Neffy and bent down beside her. “What happened?”

  “She fell down and started moaning.”

  On his knees, he placed a hand on her forehead. He looked up at Antony. “What’s wrong?”

  Neffy gripped her midsection and moaned again. “I need insulin.”

  Antony nodded urging him to believe his prediction, to get closer to Neffy. “You should call a doctor.”


  “Right.” Demetri’s sarcasm wasn’t missed. The designer didn’t care about anyone except himself and Khepri.

  Antony wasn’t surprised.

  Neffy moaned again and twisted. Her hand snaked out.

  Tension strung his muscles taut. This had to be perfect. To distract Demetri, Antony jerked his hands.

  Demetri snapped his gaze to him as if preparing to be attacked.

  Instead, Antony only tapped his abs. “Maybe she needs food. I know I do.”

  “Once we begin the ceremony, you won’t ever need food again.” Standing, Demetri tossed a disgusted expression at both of them. “There’s no time for this. I have dozens of believers downstairs, waiting for Khepri to begin the ceremony.”

  Antony’s empty stomach clenched with real pain. Pain whipping with worry and flared with anguish. If they were starting the ceremony, did that mean…? “You need CC to complete the ceremony.”

  “We do, don’t we?” Demetri raised one eyebrow in a teasing threat. He let himself out of the cage, relocked the door, and left the room.

  Antony forced himself to stay still, even as his thoughts rushed in a panicked circle. If they were performing the ceremony that meant they’d recaptured CC. She couldn’t warn the warriors. The panic pushed on his lungs, suffocating. He wanted to bang on the bars to get an answer. Instead, he hurried to the mirror. Did you get it?

  “Got it.” Neffy held up a rock with orange and green deposits. “Slipped the rock right off the chain where you said it would be.”

  Hope and worry collided through his system. They needed to work fast. Neffy really did need insulin and they both needed to get out. And he needed to find CC.

  Help me out of handcuffs. He held out his arms.

  “What kind of rock is this?” Neffy held up the colorful rock.

  He’d found the naturally occurring phosphorous deposits in rocks as a kid on the banks of the Nile River. The chemicals reacted when rubbed. They were great for starting cooking fires, and he hoped it would help him.