by D. S. Murphy
“All done,” she said, taping the bandage off. “You should get some rest now. We’ve prepared the downstairs bedroom for you. Ramses can show you.”
Ramses bowed, then helped Puriel off the table and down the hall.
“I ruined the towel,” Jessie said quietly, holding up the white dishrag that was now dark gray from Puriel’s blood.
“Throw it out,” I said. “I think they can afford another one.”
“How did you do that?” Sitri asked suddenly, interrupting us.
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“You killed a spartoi,” he said, getting to his feet. There was anger in his eyes, and I noticed the tension in his shoulders, and the clenched fists.
“I thought you needed the shears to cut the threads. I thought that was the whole point.”
“It’s happened before,” I said. “When I went down into the caves to find the Fates; there was a water serpent. I almost died. I cut the thread with my teeth.”
“So you can use any sharp object?” Jessie asked, with raised eyebrows.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I think it depends how strong they are, and how much magic they have. Able told me, he thinks the Fates hid their energy into the shears, which is why Sarah was able to kill them so easily. He thinks the shears have enough energy to kill Zeus.”
“Why didn’t you tell me any of this?” Sitri asked.
“It didn’t seem important.”
“I can’t protect you if I don’t even know what’s happening,” Sitri said, raising his voice. “You can’t keep secrets like this from me. From us.”
“Enough,” Isis said. “You’re back safely. Did you retrieve the tablet?”
“Yes,” I said, pulling out the golden necklace. Isis took it and held it up to the light. The emerald cast patches of green light around the room like a disco ball.
“Can you read it?” I asked.
“Not without the Eye,” she said. “But you’ve done well. Ramses, some champagne. We should celebrate.”
Ramses returned out of nowhere, with two green bottles that looked vintage. He popped the cork and filled tall crystal flutes with the bubbly liquid.
“I don’t feel like celebrating,” Sitri muttered darkly, storming off.
“Let him go,” Isis said. “He’s just worried about you, and angry at himself. Men like to be in control of everything, or at least imagine that they are. There’s nothing you can do now. Relax, celebrate your achievements.”
“Some achievement,” I said. “What happens now?”
“I’ve called in a few favors, from some old friends. They’re cutting stones as we speak. At first light, we’ll begin building a new lighthouse. A boat will take you into the harbor, to locate the sunken ruins of Cleopatra’s palace. If all goes well, we’ll be finished before noon.”
Just in time for the deadline Able gave us. She made it sound so easy, but I knew it wouldn’t be. We thought the museum would be easy, too. I wanted to check on Sitri, and go over the plan, but he wasn’t in his room. One of the maids said she thought he went for a run along the coast.
Instead I checked the news on Isis’s new computer. The museum robbery was everywhere. If there was any silver lining, it was that the museum exhibit was so destroyed, they were talking more about the shot security guard, and of course blaming it on us. Now we were wanted for double homicide, and our mugshots were all over the local news. They didn’t mention the missing emerald, and they still didn’t have our real names, but we’d blown our cover, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before Zeus tracked us down.
I’d been so confident when we left Nevah, but the longer we stayed in Egypt, the worse things got. I heard laughter and went out to the balcony. Downstairs, Jessie and Puriel had resumed their card game from the boat on the outside patio. I guess he wasn’t sleepy. Jessie’s voice carried through the garden, and I wondered how many glasses of champagne she’d had. I saw Puriel grin and lay down his cards. Part of me wanted to tell them to go to bed, because we had a big day tomorrow, but I didn’t want to spoil their fun. They’d both been through a lot today, because of me.
I wished I knew where Sitri was. I leaned out over the balcony, looking towards the city. Blue and yellow lights dotted the shoreline, along with a row of evenly spaced palm trees that reflected on the rippling surface. My eyes traced the coast, before gazing out over the midnight blue water.
“He’ll be back soon,” Isis said, appearing silently beside me.
“Am I that obvious?” I said, “Pining over a boy?”
“You care for him,” she said.
“Unfortunately,” I answered. “It might all be easier if I didn’t.”
“Does he feel the same way? Have you lain together?”
I blushed, turning my head as I felt my cheeks heat up.
“I’ve never, actually. Able wants me to stay pure—”
Isis scoffed, and there was a flash of anger in her eyes.
“Love is not a sin, nor is it a just a pleasure. Sex is the art of giving, of losing yourself, of awareness and experience. It can be transformative, and it can make you stronger, not weaker. I was a virgin serving Hera, until Zeus seduced me. I thought I’d be losing myself, losing something that made me special, precious. Hera taught us our bodies only had merit by satisfying our husband’s lusts, and that if we gave up our purity, we became worthless, outcasts. It’s not true. We lose nothing. We do not become weaker by submitting nor stronger by resisting. As women, we are renewed, recharged, like the moon, sometimes shining brightly, sometimes fading into darkness. It is this change that frightens men so much. They look for consistency, certainty, but there is none, and our power comes from our ability to change.”
“But, what if, after I have sex, I can’t see the threads anymore?” I would be worthless, I thought to myself. At least, useless to Able. Unremarkable to Zeus. They’d probably leave me alone. I could have a normal life, and this supernatural battle could take place a thousand years from now. That thought wasn’t entirely unwelcome.
“Love can make you weak, yes, but it can also make you strong – and far more dangerous than any man. A man will consider, and weigh, and decide. Justice, equality, an eye for an eye. Zeus takes what he wants, and that is all. But Hera’s vengeance is far worse. Once, in the form of an eagle, Zeus snatched up a maiden named Aegina from her father’s house. When she bore him a son, Hera sent a plague that wiped out her entire city.”
“Another time, she heard a pair of lovers whisper they loved each other more than she and her husband. Insecure in her own relationship, she drove them mad. They were both artists, and she began by driving them towards competition, appealing to their pride. They decided to race, Aedon crafting a piece of embroidery, and Polytechnos a chair. With Hera’s help, Aedon won. They’d agreed the prize would be a female slave, but Polytechnos was so furious, he refused to honor the bet. Instead, filled with Hera’s rage and mania, he went to Aedon’s family and kidnapped her sister Chelidonis. He raped her, then dressed her up as a slave and swore her to secrecy, on pain of death. Eventually, Aedon realized what had happened, and the two sisters conspired against her husband. Wanting to cause him as much pain as possible, Aedon murdered her own son Itys, then served him as a dish to his father.”
“That’s horrible,” I said.
“The two women fled to their father’s house. Polytechnos pursued them, but he was bound, smeared with honey and left exposed to the wilderness, so the insects could eat him alive.”
“Why are you telling me all this?” I asked.
“To show you the depths of Hera’s jealousy. What started as a romance, ended as a tragedy. Love each other, but dare not presume to love more than Hera does her husband. She’s cruel, vindictive, violent – but she justifies it all because of her blind, eternal love for her philandering husband.”
I shuddered, and crossed my arms. The champagne had made me sleepy, and after Isis’s gruesome story, my stomach was cramping painfully. I
found my way to my room and opened the window, letting in a salty sea breeze that caressed the white curtains, and the soothing sound of the ocean surf.
I fell into a fitful sleep, tossing and turning. The sheets were smooth and soft, but my arm itched, but when I tried to scratch it my fingers were stopped by the metal cast. I dreamed I was inside a pyramid, being chased by a mummy. Then my attacker became an alligator, and we were on the Nile.
I heard the rushing sound of feathers, and felt a presence in my room. I sat up to see a dark figure at the foot of the bed. I wasn’t sure if I was still dreaming at first; the face was indistinct, hidden in shadow. But then he stepped forward, and I saw that it was Sitri.
“You’re back?” I murmured, reaching out for him. He came closer, standing next to the bed, but didn’t say anything. Was he still mad at me?
“I don’t want to fight,” I said.
“Me neither,” he whispered. He bent down and kissed me deeply, running his tongue over my lips. His thick stubble burned a trail of fire down my skin as he kissed my arm, and my shoulder and neck. My fingertips dug into his strong back, pulling him closer, wanting to feel his body next to mine. I felt an aching loneliness inside of me, like there was a hole in my heart and I was falling through it. He hesitated for a moment, his hands lingering on my waist, staring at me with a question in his eyes. Then he climbed on the bed and started unbuttoning my jeans. Heat flushed to my face when I figured out what he was doing.
“Are you sure?” I asked. “What if I can’t see the threads anymore?”
“I don’t care,” he said. “I can’t help how much I want you. Why should we fight for someone else’s war? Forget about everything else, and focus on how you feel. What do you want, Kai?” He whispered my name into my ear, and my face flushed, my heart beating against my chest.
He kissed me again, and I gasped as his fingers wrapped tightly around my bare thighs. I thought back to what Isis said, about sex and power. Then I thought about the Morai and their three roles: creator, preserver and destroyer. Together, they’d been stronger than Zeus, and only one was a virgin. They determined their own fates, and the fates of all mankind. Sitri was right, I was tired of being used and told what to do. Something felt off, like there was something I was trying to remember but couldn’t. But my thoughts were muddy from the alcohol and exhaustion, and I didn’t want to stop. I didn’t know what would happen tomorrow, but right now I had this, the way Sitri’s body felt next to mine, the heat between us.
“You,” I said. “I want you.” He kissed my neck hungrily, palming my breast while reaching between my legs. I arched my back, pushing my chest up towards him. He pulled down my dress and took one nipple in his mouth. I shuddered, crying out softly as his teeth brushed my sensitive skin. He pulled off my underwear slowly, letting his fingers drift along the inside of my legs. I realized I hadn’t showered since coming back from the museum, but he didn’t seem to mind as he climbed on top of me. I ran my hands over his hard body. A moment later, he was inside me.
I moaned, gripping the sheets, as every cell in my body sparkled and sang. I felt like I was lit up from the inside with Christmas lights. He flipped me over, plunging my face down into the pillow. For a second I couldn’t breathe, but I gave into the rhythm, the motion, sucking in short breaths as the pace became more and more frantic. Sitri grunted as he came, grabbing me by the back of my neck and squeezing my throat. My vision went white, and I felt an explosion of energy rushing through my body. I felt like I was dissolving into nothingness. I didn’t know where I ended and he began. Then he shuddered, and I felt him go limp. I felt sated and delicious, like chocolate melting in a microwave, or a gooey marshmallow roasted over a campfire. Suddenly, I was overcome with drowsiness. I fell asleep holding his hand, my body thrumming to the crash of the waves out the window.
20
When I woke up again, it was morning, and I was alone. The first thing I felt was the cold iron against my skin. I smiled, my fingers playing with the morning light until my eyes cleared. I rolled over expecting to find Sitri’s tight body twisted up in the sheets. Instead, there was a small gold bracelet on the dresser near my bed.
My mind sharpened suddenly, and the events of yesterday came rushing back. Things were fuzzy after my talk with Isis. Was Sitri really in my room? I checked under the sheets, feeling my bare skin. I pulled on a pair of pajama pants and a T-shirt and headed straight to the bathroom to shower. My stomach was in knots, and grumbled with hunger, but otherwise I felt pretty good. I slept better than I had in weeks, and my reflection in the mirror looked healthier than I was used to seeing it. My skin was practically glowing.
I dried off carefully, then returned to my room for fresh clothes. When I went downstairs, Puriel was already up, eating dry toast and black coffee at the dining room table downstairs; the same table where Isis had operated on him last night. I practically cried when I saw his thread – dark and coarse like a black shoelace. Jessie was in the kitchen, cracking the shell of an egg over her plate, which was filled with bacon, chickpeas, tomatoes and cucumbers. Her thread was the lightest shade of blue, I realized. I’d never noticed before. I broke into a wide grin, relieved I could still see them. If anything, my vision seemed to have improved.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Jessie asked, her eyes narrowing.
“Maybe I’m just happy to see you,” I said, grabbing a piece of fried potato off her plate and biting into it. It was dusted with cumin and bits of salt, and tasted delicious.
“Well knock it off, it’s creepy,” she said. “You’re probably delirious. You should eat something. Also, try this coffee, it sure beats the instant crap we had at JDRI.”
After breakfast, and my second cup of coffee, I was practically bouncing with energy.
“Where’s Sitri?” I asked finally.
“He and Isis went to the harbor already to get the construction started. They left at dawn. He thought you and Puriel should get some rest. When you’re ready, Ramses will drive us out there.”
I frowned, annoyed at being left behind. I’d hoped Sitri and I would have a moment alone, just to make sure things weren’t weird between us after last night. But I did sleep well. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and put on a baseball cap and sunglasses, jeans and a baggy sweatshirt. I looked like an American tourist. We took a different car this time, a curving blue station wagon. It zipped along the promenade, and took us as far as the Citadel of Qaitbay.
“Now what?” Jessie asked. Ramses led us past the tall limestone walls, to the very tip of the peninsula. My vision blurred, and the air seemed to warp around us as if we were stepping through a portal. Then suddenly, we could see it. The large, newly erected foundations of the lighthouse. It was a flat, square platform made of immense stones. In the center, a handful of torches dressed in brown hooded robes were already starting on the building itself, stacking massive bricks together to form the outer wall of a square tower. Around them, more torches were cutting stones or casting spells, raising long staffs with glowing blue spheres at the end. Sitri and Isis were standing near the center, overseeing the construction. They waved when they saw us and came over. I smiled at Sitri, but he wouldn’t meet my eyes. I wondered if he was already regretting what happened between us. I wanted to tell him it was okay, that I could still see the threads, but it could wait until we were alone.
“This is incredible,” Jessie said. “How come nobody else is seeing this?”
“We’ve set up a protective ward. It projects an illusion, for now. It’ll become harder to hide as it grows taller. Are you ready to retrieve the eye?”
I nodded, unsure exactly what I was agreeing to.
“We’ve chartered a boat,” Isis said, pointing to a small blue craft not far away. “And paid the captain handsomely. He’ll take you to the right area, but the rest is up to you. It’ll be buried under rubble, but you should be able to feel the power.”
“I’ll stay here and keep working on the lighthouse,” Isis sa
id.
“I’ll stay too,” Puriel said quickly. His eyes flicked towards the sea nervously. I could see he was already uncomfortable being this close to the water.
“I’m going with you,” Jessie said immediately.
“Me too,” Sitri said.
“Wouldn’t it be faster if you help Isis with the tower?” I asked.
“I don’t want you alone.”
“But Zeus’s forces are afraid of the water anyway right? We should be safe once we dive.” I wasn’t sure why it mattered, or why I was refusing the extra help. Maybe I just wanted him to see that I was fine, and I didn’t need him to protect me all the time.
“Don’t worry, I got her back,” Jessie smiled, holding out her palm. She was still carrying three Q-bombs.
“Where’d those come from?” I asked.
“We had a chemistry session before I left Nevah,” she shrugged. “I kept a few in my pocket, I thought they might be useful.”
“But what if you need someone to carry the eye?” Sitri said. “What if you need help, or if something happens and I’m too far away?”
“The lighthouse is the biggest weakness,” I said. “It’s totally exposed, and like Isis said, it’ll get harder to hide. If something happens to it, or it doesn’t get completed, it’s game over. Plus,” I said looking at the boat, which had at least five crew members, “it’s not like we’re going out there alone.”
Sitri rubbed his jaw, considering. I knew he was anxious, but in the end he agreed with me. He was a fighter, and he couldn’t fight under water. He walked us over to the boat and I saw him hand a large pistol to the captain. Then he tested the scuba equipment to make sure everything was working. Finally, he nodded his approval and helped us climb on board.