When he’d first been imprisoned, Tefnut’s etheric waters lapped against his consciousness and dragged him down to the depths of the blackest holes in the universe, where he was swallowed up. Seth couldn’t imagine any kind of punishment that would have been worse. Admittedly, he’d caused the painful deaths of countless beings, but their lives were insignificant. They were flies. No. They were the tiny microscopic organisms that lived on the backs of flies.
And, yes, he’d unmade the golden, all-too-perfect Osiris. But Isis had brought him back, hadn’t she?
Isis.
Just thinking about her made his blood boil.
And Nephthys? His estranged wife who had supported the gods when they’d decided to trap him in the obelisk of eternity?
His fingers itched to wrap around her throat. Thinking of the two goddesses and what he’d do to them once he was free was the only thing that brought him pleasure in his black dungeon. Even Nut, his own mother, had abandoned him.
As he hung suspended beneath Tefnut’s dark waves, he almost forgot who he was.
What he was.
Almost.
Still, it might have been a peaceful incarceration if it hadn’t been for Shu. The god of the wind had decided he no longer wanted to exist without his wife, Tefnut, so Shu caught hold of her life force as it lifted away. Speeding through the cosmos, he joined his soul with hers in a sleep of death, fully knowing there’d be no turning back. Together they ensnared him in a net so powerful, there was no escape. Or so they believed.
What a waste of godly powers.
Seth had puzzled over the years why his grandparents had done it.
Oh, he knew why they’d done it.
His immortal family all believed that nothing short of a god’s sacrifice would be able to hold him. In that they were right.
The part that Seth didn’t understand was why Shu couldn’t live without his wife.
Tefnut was a cranky old bat. Her moods were as changeable as the weather. Of course, Shu was a hot bag of wind himself—constantly preaching to anyone who would listen about right and wrong. And Shu definitely believed there were all kinds of wrong that needed to be fixed where Seth was concerned.
Still, to give up. To relinquish all that Shu was. For a woman. The concept baffled him.
As he considered the idea, the wind that comprised the remains of what was once his grandfather Shu, buffeted against him and then all too quickly, faded away—a pathetic showing when compared to what had trapped him for so long. Its force had screamed in his mind for millennia—hurtling a cyclone of accusations and censure. Now the winds were so weak, he could no longer hear Shu’s voice in the gale.
Seth was almost sad that what they’d once been, two of the most powerful gods in the cosmos, had diminished to the point of disappearing. They’d willingly sacrificed their immortality just because Amun-Ra convinced them that his plan for the cosmos was right and Seth’s was wrong.
Shu and Tefnut had been his only companions over the centuries. He knew what remained of them was not truly them. The wind and the waves were simply echoes of what they once were—fingerprints left behind. He siphoned off as much of their energy as he was able before their power waned and returned to the Waters of Chaos. Still, it wasn’t enough. His prison limited his abilities. Drained him dry.
That he’d allowed the gods to trick him into his prison at all galled him hour after gloomy hour. At least he’d been wise enough to keep the feather of Isis on his person at all times. It had gone undiscovered and the healing properties it gifted him, helped sustain him. Kept him sane. Well at least as sane as one could be when trapped in an oubliette for centuries. Luckily it wasn’t a normal feather. Otherwise his continual stroking of its downy edges would have worn it all the way to the shaft within a week.
Seth despaired of ever escaping, of ever seeing the light of day again.
But then, he felt the walls that trapped him weaken. It took eons to wear down the barrier separating him from his traitorous family. He pushed against the confines of his prison, feeling for any spark he could draw from in the outside world.
Then, a spark found him. A human, an ordinary sort of man, discovered a scroll, long forgotten, that held a spell powerful enough to draw a thread from the dark tapestry that fell like a curtain over his mind. The man must have been touched by magic. Perhaps he was the descendant of an immortal.
For a time, he wondered who had left the spell, and why. Could there be an ally living among those that hated him? The thought that it might be Isis skittered through his mind. Had she finally seen through the all-too-winsome smile of her husband? Did she regret banishing Seth? Trapping him in the obelisk? He longed to know and spent countless hours pondering the implications. Eventually, Seth decided that he didn’t care how it happened, just that it did.
The mortal used the spell.
It was a tiny change. A chip in a wall of cement. Miniscule when you considered the power channeled into maintaining his prison. But it was enough. Seth took hold of the thread very carefully and pulled. As he did, his mind’s eye connected to that of the mortal. It wasn’t instantaneous, but in the course of a few years, what surmounted to the blink of an eye to Seth, he’d been able to siphon energy from others and imbue the immortal with power. Enough power that he would have a chance to stop the Sons of Egypt from reinforcing his prison.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work. The mortal proved too weak to accomplish his goal. But just before his minion was killed, Seth stole back the mortal’s energy and unmade his creation. Power filled him and he pressed against the barrier with all of his might. He was close enough that he could see the pyramids and the three young men standing atop them. For the first time in eons, he could see the stars in the heavens and the moon casting its silver light upon the field of the dead, but then he screamed as the pain of a thousand, thousand knives pierced his frame.
Light poured into the darkness, blinding him. Then, as the pain ebbed, the light receded and the tear he’d rent in the fabric of space knit itself back together, trapping him once again. He’d been so close. To have his freedom ripped away again was unbearable and he cursed the stars, his immortal family, and especially, the women he wanted but couldn’t have.
Without his mortal servant, he had no window to look outside of his prison and he resented the darkness even more than he had before. Finally, his mind quieted enough that he could hear a new voice calling to him. He recognized her as a kindred spirit. She was isolated like him. She was misunderstood. She wielded power, too. Of course, it was nowhere close to the power Isis and Nephthys had, but his options were limited. Whoever she was, she was desperate and wanted to break free of the shackles binding her as much as he did.
Seth whispered to her mind. Made promises. Told her the things she longed to hear. And she was his. When she informed him that the Sons of Egypt wavered, that one had entered the Netherworld, he knew his freedom was at hand. If she could capture the wayward young man, then it would be possible for Seth to use his connection to her to drain the boy’s life energy.
He’d have to move carefully, lest he alert the gods to his interference. They were complacent now that his prison had been reinforced. If he used his power to simply unmake the boy, then the gods would discover the loose threads he spied through. One of them would make the foolhardy and unbearably noble sacrifice to shore up the walls. Seth considered his options and decided that a chance like this wouldn’t come again.
Patiently, he murmured his instructions. The boy was caught and the energy she drew from him slowly filled Seth. He used the power to beat against his cage until the barrier was so thin, the walls shifted when he pressed against them. But, still, they wouldn’t break. He needed more.
Then, Seth become aware of her. The young man he stole energy from had bound himself to a mortal, at least, she appeared at times to be a mortal. Her energy roiled and shifted. Always changing. At times the girl was stronger than any creature he’d ever encountered and then her powe
r flickered and she became as fragile as baby bird. She was the key. He knew it.
Unfortunately his ability to watch her was limited to the shadowy dreamland she shared with the boy she was connected to. And, even then, only when Egypt’s favorite son was weak. Before he could figure out a way to capture the prize he’d stumbled upon, to get more than a tempting taste of her, his supplicant had been defeated.
He’d strengthened her enough that she was able to escape the bonds that kept her tied to the Netherworld, but neither of them anticipated that his connection would draw her to him like a magnet. Before he understood what was happening, she was caught in his prison with him. It was a tight fit and Seth was irritated by her lack of foresight and her constant barrage of questions.
Her neediness irked him, but when he yanked her close, squeezed her limbs to the point of breaking, and reminded her of just how vulnerable she was, she quieted and deferred to him in a pleasing sort of way. When she pressed her cold lips against his, he knew then she’d offer him anything he wanted.
Despite his desire to unmake her, he didn’t, thinking her powers might be useful, but took as much of her energy as he could, leaving her just enough to survive. Draining her so thoroughly came with three added benefits. One, it served to weaken her enough that he could tolerate her presence. Two, he was able to access all of her memories. And three, he was able to siphon off all the power she’d drained from Egypt’s sons and hoarded away secretly for herself.
It was enough.
His frame filled to bursting and in the blackness of the obelisk he sucked in the first breath he’d taken in centuries. Fixedly, he sifted through the memories of the trembling creature at his side, studying certain things in particular until he was satisfied. Then, with his goal set in place, he gathered himself to push a final time.
He knew it was totally unnecessary to close his eyes, and yet, he did so, regardless. Seth channeled all his unmaking power on the peephole the necromancer had created. It grew larger. Time and space rippled and then the wall fractured. A bolt of lightning shot through the fabric of space. The wind surrounding him hissed through the tear he’d made and disappeared into the vacuum.
Sliding his hands around the split edges, he used his power to open the gap wider and waves of darkness buffeted against him, pushing and tugging with a force that could drown, but then, he felt the strength of the waves ebb and wash away from his form. The walls fell away, fading until he could no longer sense them. One by one, the stars appeared. Nebulas swirled before him in clouds of cerulean, amber, and magenta.
The stars brightened and he knew they whispered of his escape, but it didn’t matter now.
He knew what he had to do.
Once, he thought Isis was to be his counterpart. But, thanks to the woman currently hanging onto his arm, her form a black fluttering cloud, barely able to hold itself together, he knew there was another one destined to be his.
She was beautiful. She was powerful. She was untouchable. An adder stone clothed in flesh. Because of that, it would be difficult to find her. But there was one who held her heart. Who, even now, clutched it in his undead hands. And Seth knew exactly where to find him.
Reignited Discussion Guide
1. Seth felt unloved, unappreciated, and untalented when compared with his siblings. Is he entirely to blame for the person he became and the choices he made?
2. Seth’s power is perhaps the greatest of all second only to Amun-Ra. Compare and contrast their abilities. How are they two sides of the same coin?
3. Isis tells her sister, Nephthys, the secret wishes of her heart. What are Nephthys’ secret wishes?
4. Isis knows of the edict forbidding love between the gods and yet she still falls for Osiris. Is forbidden love sweeter or more desirable?
5. What is Isis willing to sacrifice for Baniti? What is their relationship?
6. Nephthys knows more about what’s going on than she shares. Why do you think she keeps information from Isis?
7. Would you rather have the power to unmake or to create? Why?
8. The adder stone is a symbol in the series. Lily is often referred to as an adder stone and in REIGNITED there is an actual adder stone on top of a mountain. What is the purpose of such a place and why do you think it is important in the story?
9. All the characters in this book are called upon to make sacrifices. What are they and does Seth sacrifice anything?
10. Many of the gods and goddesses, despite their great power, feel lonely. Why? How is Seth’s destruction of an ecosystem a symbol of this?
11. Does Seth really love Isis or does he just want to absorb her power into himself? How do you know?
12. How would the story have changed if Isis and Osiris had not fallen in love? Would Seth have pursued the same path?
13. Osiris does not see the danger in Seth as easily as Isis. Is he blind to it or does he still dismiss him as being less than?
14. If Nephthys knew what kind of a husband Seth would be, why did she marry him?
15. How does knowing the origin story of the gods and goddesses influence your understanding of Lily’s story?
16. Was the bond created between Isis and Osiris the same as Lily’s and Amon’s?
17. How is the goddess Isis different in REIGNITED than in RECREATED? How does losing your love affect you?
18. What is Seth really trying to accomplish in this book? Are his goals attainable?
19. Which character grew the most in the course of this book? Why do you think so?
20. How has your understanding of Egyptian mythology changed by reading this story? Does it fit with what you know of the traditional tales?
Acknowledgements
I think I’ve been lax in thanking my dogs. I was out with a group of writers recently and we were talking about having little pet companions and which types were the best for writers. Writing is a lonely job and having a faithful companion at your feet or to snuggle during times when you get stuck is very helpful, so thank you to Bitsy and Murphy and to my late little poodle Prissy for being my constant sidekicks.
I’d also like to thank my agent, Robert Gottleib, for his staunch support in my behalf. He always has my back and has been extremely generous with his time and attention.
Reignited is a passion project and I am grateful for the chance to develop the story and the character of my villain. I’ve always believed a hero is only as strong as the villain he or she fights.
I have several nieces and nephews who sneak peeks over their mom’s shoulders to see what I’m writing next and to always wants arcs to show off at school the minute they show up at my door. Their enthusiasm keeps me going and even the boys are proud enough to wear their promotional tees at book events and help me run my PowerPoints.
Deep appreciation goes to my editor, Krista Vitola, to the Delacorte team including Krista Vitola and Colleen Fellingham, and to the team at Trident Media Group, including Alicia Granstein, Nicole Robson, Emily Ross and Brianna Weber. Your dedication to your craft means the world to me.
Lastly, I’d like to thank my readers. You guys are all awesome and I wish we could plan a trip to Egypt and India together. =)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Colleen Houck is the four-time New York Times bestselling author of the Tiger’s Curse series, which has appeared on the USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Walmart bestseller lists, among many others. She has been a Parents’ Choice Award winner and has been reviewed and featured on MTV.com and in the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Girls’ Life magazine, and Romantic Times, which called Tiger’s Curse “one of the best books I have ever read.” Colleen lives in Salem, Oregon, with her husband and a huge assortment of plush tigers.
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Reignited: A Companion to the Reawakened Series Page 13