Hathor's Return

by T. M. Grinsley

  “Keket?”

  “I am not going anywhere. But this is something you must do alone. I will share my burden with you, but you have to complete the bond between you and Malik. For when he finds out the truth, he will hate me.”

  “Don’t you go anywhere Keket. I need answers. And I mean now.” I mumbled out loud.

  “So you wish, so it will be done.”

  I continued to take slow steps towards Malik and Ari. Malik’s arms tightened around Ari’s neck, cutting off his air supply. Ari gulped for air, slapping his fist against Malik’s arms.

  I was a few feet in front of the men, when the markings on Malik’s arms exploded to life and he released Ari. He looked at everything around him, until his eyes met mine. He stayed on his knees as I walked towards him. His eyes were solid black and I could feel the anger, hurt, sorrow, everything emotion I was feeling seeping from his skin. Darkness covered his heart and I could feel his soul fighting its way out.

  “Kristina.” Malik said with a raspy voice. He bowed his head, but I would not let him bow before me. I dropped to my knees and lifted his head to face me. Our eyes locked and I searched for the man who started to capture my heart.

  “Come back to me.” I leaned my forehead against Malik’s, and felt my power pour into his soul, cleansing him of the darkness. He tried to fight me, but I was too strong. My power flowed through his body, claiming him as my own. I felt the love he had for me, the moment he saw me in Cairo, and how he wished he had danced with me that night. When he saw me wear my librarian nerd shirt, he was done for. All the moments we shared, when I thought he was a brute, he was actually trying to fight his feelings for me. He loved Keket, but what he felt for me was beyond anything he ever felt before. And he was scared.

  I felt Malik fight to get inside my mind and walls crumbled to showed him everything about me. From the time I first learned about mummies, to the memories with my mother, to meeting Jo, and more. He fought his way into my heart and I felt the the last wall I had in place crumble to pieces. He saw the rejection and heartache from everyone I ever came in contact with. The men who saw me as a waste of space or someone they could use. I felt his soul pause when he found what he was searching for.

  My heart tried to block out my feelings for him, but I knew it was pointless. Something inside me told me to finally let him see the real me. The anger I felt earlier, vanished and in its place, I felt love. Warmth spread through my veins, causing me to gasp.

  “I was a fool.” Malik’s voice brought me back to the present, and the dark brown eyes that captured my heart stared back at me. “Kris, forgive me.”

  I placed a gentle kiss on Malik’s forehead and placed my hand on his cheek. “You are a brute, a pain in my ass, and you drive me crazy with your overbearing ways. But I wouldn’t have you any other way.”

  I felt Malik’s strong arms wrap around my waist and pull me in close. His lips captured my own and I kissed him back with a fiery passion. A few weeks ago, I would have called myself insane to love a man I only knew for a week, but sometimes things can not be explained.

  “The bond is complete.” Keket’s voice echoed in my head, causing me to pull back.

  “Kris?” Malik tilted his head to the side, his eyes questioning why I pulled back.

  I shook my head, hoping he wouldn’t press me further. I did not know these men, nor did I trust them. Tarek seemed like a genuine man, but this was something that needed to stay between Malik and myself.

  I mouthed ‘later,’ and pulled Malik to his feet. We never broke eye contact, but I knew I would have to face the men about what just happened.

  “Kris, take a look.” Malik motioned with his head, behind me.

  I took a deep breath and turned to see that everyone was bent on one knee. Every man had a fist over their heart, with their heads bowed. I looked at everyone around me, and saw Ari lift his head and wink. Unsure of what to do, I held onto Malik’s hands, trying to keep my hands from trembling. Sure, saving him from going psycho and killing his friends, was a no brainer. But facing an ancient society that was supposed to have died thousands of years ago, only to find out I am the one who created them, terrified me.

  “Chwirk!”

  Oh, you have got to be kidding me!

  Malik maneuvered himself between me and the massive hawk circling the sky. His massive size soared in the air, eyeing us from above. It circled around our camp, until it landed directly in front of myself and Malik.

  Malik pushed me behind him, but I dove under his arm and faced the hawk. The anger Keket felt, exploded inside me, but I didn’t let it consume me. I felt more in control of my powers than I ever had before. Whenever I saw Hathor or a thought about Ra crossed my mind, I felt Keket threaten to take control.

  “Chwirk!” The hawk’s head moved from side to side, looking at its surroundings, until its eyes landed on me. It flapped its wings, causing sand to blow and swirl around us, making it impossible to see anything.

  I put my arm over my eyes and when the sand died down, the hawk was still there, but on his chest was the same pendant I saw Ra wear from the memories Keket shared with me.

  “Ra?” I went to take a step forward, but Malik wrapped his arms around my waist and placed me behind him.

  “Stay behind me.” Malik commanded, never taking his eyes off Ra.

  I smacked him on the back and walked around him. Before Malik could grab me again, I put a barrier around me, so no one could touch me. “He will not hurt me.”

  “Kris-“

  I looked over my shoulder and noticed Malik hadn’t taken a step. “Trust me.” I mouthed. He nodded his head once, but stood his ground.

  Well, what do you know? The brute can be taught.

  “Chwirk!”

  I took another step closer to Ra and I felt my body begin to shake. Rage threatened to take control of me, but I fought to keep it at bay.

  “Keket?”

  “I am here. It is time for you to know what happened.”

  Keket took control of my body and led me closer to Ra. Ra opened his wings and I reached up to touch his pendant. My barely touched when I saw his wings wrapped around me, engulfing me in his embrace.

  “Daughter of my eye. Forgive me.” I heard Ra’s voice as I touched his pendant and I was transported back in time.

  “It’s almost time, Prophet.” Sasli said, as she helped me clear the scrolls littering my room. Since I left Malik at the altar, all I could think about was finally getting even with Hathor. She was the reason my mother was dead, and was to be blamed for Father’s behavior. For years, she whispered in his ear, acting as his personal confidant.

  Father and I were never close, we were more like king and his loyal subject. But no matter what he said, he will always be my father. He was the only family I had left. That was until Iabet. Since her return, she showed me such compassion, I didn’t know how to react.

  When my powers finally developed, I begged Father for help, because if we didn’t find a way to stop the darkness from taking over my heart, I would die. But he turned a blind eye and didn’t listen to a word I said. He became distant and harsh as the years progressed. I loved my father dearly, but I hated the man he became. I tried for months to get him to see reason, but he would call me a coward and say I was unworthy to bear the mark of the Prophet. His words broke my heart. I closed myself off to anyone who tried to get close.

  That was until I met Iabet. My father was in the middle of a meeting, when she walked in and the room fell silent. Ra was in the middle of discussing the impending threat of our enemies with his advisors, when he stopped mid-sentence. His eyes morphed from the darkness they held, to the light they once had, so long ago. Iabet apparently had been the woman he fell in love with all those years ago, but fate had other plans. Before she could be with him, she had a few things to deal with and the fates made her swear she wouldn’t breathe a word about it to anyone.

  Ever since, Ra and Iabet had been inseparable. While my father was busy with Iab
et, he made me promise not to breathe a word of it to anyone. His romantic interest in Hathor was known throughout the kingdom. If she were to find out about him and Iabet, she would kill everyone in the kingdom, before she let the man she loved continue sleeping with another woman.

  “My lady, your father expects you.” Sasli pulled me from my inner thoughts and we made our way to Father’s chambers.

  I knew Iabet was in the Prophet’s chambers, combing through scrolls to find a way to finally destroy Hathor. If Father had any chance of finally being free of her, it would be in the ancient scrolls of my people.

  Iabet became like a mother to me and I would do anything in my power to protect her. When my father refused to help me control the darkness that threatened to take hold of me, I ran to Iabet for help. She knew about Hathor and Ra, but said nothing. She said all will come to pass when it is time, but she did not agree with Ra, when it was in regards to me.

  Iabet agreed to help me, and we dug through thousands of text, for weeks. My father started to become suspicious, so we told him that Iabet was helping me perfect my craft. Father took the bait and we made sure to stay more discreet. I trusted Iabet with my life and owed her everything. But right now, I was putting that at risk. Father loved Hathor, but she was poison.

  Sasli and I laughed as we ran to Father’s quarters. As we approached his door, Sasli stood back. I heard talking coming from his room, but what seemed off was that Hathor was in his room. He told me she was banished from the kingdom. What was she doing in his room?

  Taking cautious steps forward, I pressed myself against the wall and listened.

  “The Prophet cannot hold that much power without it trying to destroy her from the inside out. No one is meant to hold that much power, so in order to save her from dying, she must share the burden with another. But I fear the one she has chosen is too weak. The darkness will destroy her. But if another was to take her place, we would be unstoppable.” Hathor purred. Her arms rubbed against Father’s back, as he seemed to contemplate her words.

  “She is my blood.” Ra snapped.

  “She is not worthy to bear the mark. Protect your line or see it falter.”

  Ra whipped around and wrapped his hand around Hathor’s throat. She didn’t move to stop him, she just waited.

  “You may warm my bed, but you do not have power over me. Be gone from my sight.” Ra threw Hathor on the ground and walked to the other side of the room.

  “I would never challenge the almighty Ra. But when Keket becomes one with Malik, she will be the most powerful being in the world. You would not want that, now would you?” Black vapor started to form on Hathor’s fingertips and slowly make their way to Ra.

  I pressed my face closer to the wall, to see what was going to happen. The black vapor wrapped around Ra’s ankles and slowly made its way up his body. His hand waved in the air, throwing the vapor off his body.

  “Enough! I made a promise to Iabet. Keket and Malik will complete the bond. But she does not know the truth behind my words. I will not allow another to hold more power than I. When the bond is complete, Malik will die. With his death, the darkness will overpower Keket’s heart, making her easy prey.”

  Hathor slithered closer to Ra. “What will become of Keket, my love?”

  Ra grabbed Hathor’s hands fiercely and bent her over the table. “After tomorrow. Keket will cease to exist. She is not worthy to bear the mark of Ra and she will die at my hands.”

  I pushed myself off the wall, knowing what was going to happen next. I heard grunts from his room and ran. My heart broke at my Father’s words, ‘will die at my hands.’

  The other day, when I saw Ra and Iabet in the garden, I knew something seemed different. He was laughing and his face didn’t hold the dark lines it once did. I watched the two embrace one another. I had never seen my father that carefree in my entire life. He would show compassion to some, but that was on rare occasions.

  Iabet saw me watching them and told me the good news. Ra admitted to being an over pretentious fool and apologized for his abrupt behavior. He begged for my forgiveness and realized that even though I am the Prophet, I am also his daughter. He pulled me in for a hug and told me how much he loved me. He agreed to have Malik and I complete the bond. I thought he finally saw the error in his ways.

  But I was a fool. The man in that room was no longer my father. My heart shattered into a million pieces, realizing I was being played. My entire life was a lie. There was a clock ticking away the seconds until my Father killed me. He wanted my powers for himself.

  Well, that was never going to happen.

  I bolted into my room and started to scour it for what I was looking for. Rage burned through my veins at the thought of what he was going to do. He was going to kill the only man I ever loved and strip me of my powers. It was time to take things into my own hands. Ra will never get what he craves. Darkness started to pulse inside me and I welcomed it. It seeped into my soul, making it so I had only one goal. Kill my father.

  Father ordered me to create an elixir to kill Hathor, so his troubles would be gone. I obliged, thinking he finally let go of his whore. How naive I was.

  I tossed papers in every direction, until I found what I was looking for. The one thing that can kill a god and save us from Ra’s plans. Hours must have passed by as the sun began to rise from the shadows.

  No! Time was running out. I looked over the ingredients I needed to finish the job, when the door behind me slammed open. I turned around, keeping the parchment hidden from sight, when I saw Hathor stood at the entryway of my room.

  My vision began to blur as reality set in. Ra’s wings were still cocooned around me and his beak was inches from my face.

  “Forgive me, daughter.”

  CHAPTER 14

  ~ Kristina ~

  I tried to wrap my head around everything that just happened, but all I could think about was Ra and Hathor. Lovers? Kill me?

  “Kris, let me take control. It is time I end this.” I felt Keket push for control and I gave it to her. The rage she felt was starting to take its toll on my body. My body shook from trying to contain its power, for its sights were set on one person.

  “Keket, what are you going to do?” I asked out loud. I removed my hand from Ra’s pendant and took a step back.

  “It’s time I faced my father, as myself.”

  “Pardon?”

  Silver threads began to float off my body, as power swelled in my chest. A massive pressure started building, making it hard to breathe. My knees buckled as the pressure traveled all over my body. The silver threads continued to float off of me and travel to Ra.

  “KEKET!” I screamed, as pain wracked my body. I heard men shout, but was unable to hear what they said. Everything I heard was muffled and my vision became blurred.

  My skin felt like it was being ripped from my bones. My muscles screamed in agony, as knives sliced me to bits. The torture seemed to last hours, but may have only been seconds.

  I felt one last slice on my heart, and the pain was gone. My vision was back to normal and I could hear the men trying to find a way in. Ra opened his wings slightly, and revealed a black barrier was surrounding us. No one was able to see what was going on inside.

  Still on my knees, I turned to ask Ra what just happened when I noticed a mirror image of myself stood before me.

  “Hello, Kristina Bulfer.” My twin said.

  “Keket?”

  “In the flesh.” She waved.

  “What? How? WHAT?!?” I tried to say something, but nothing was coming out. One minute she was inside me, then knives started to shred me to bits, and then she stood before me.

  “Be still, Kristina. Let me explain. I became so consumed with my hatred for my father, I made a costly mistake. I was blindsided by my rage; I never saw what was happening before my eyes. Ra knew I was going to see him and he needed me to witness what happened. He was tricking Hathor into believing he would kill Malik and myself at the altar. Hathor’s bloodlust an
d hunger for power was beyond anything anyone could imagine.”

  “I was never mad at my father, though it may seem that I was. My hatred was for Hathor. She used my father to get what she wanted. Ra was going to kill me that night, to stop Hathor from taking what she wanted. Ra knew Iabet could save me, so he did what he had to do. By taking my life, Ra and Iabet gave me a second chance. It took me years to figure it out, but once I went back and saw what happened, it all made sense.”

  Keket placed a gentle hand on Ra’s chest and turned her attention back to me. “The curse of Ra’s bloodline is a fate worse than death. The darkness inside your heart is feared by even the most powerful of beings. Being the Prophet of the Muntaqa you bear a burden only the purest of hearts can withstand. The fates created a soul to match your own and be your equal. When Malik’s soul recognized its other half, his power called to you.”

  “Keket, what are you saying?” Everything was starting to fall into place. “Why does Hathor want Jo?”

  “Let me finish, young Prophet. Malik was never my protector. He was born too soon and was going to be mated to the wrong one. Iabet went on a mission to find out the truth. She was told of what was to come and she started to prepare. In order for Malik to be your protector, he needed to learn the ways of your people. When the fates knew he was ready, you were reborn. Malik is your protector and will do whatever it takes to protect you. Which is why, what I am going to say next, you must pay attention to.”

  I moved my legs to Indian style, so my knees could have a break.

  “When I died, the darkness of our bloodline transferred to another. Iabet was pregnant with Jo the night I died. Darkness such as that, cannot live without a host. When it found the next of Ra’s bloodline, it attached itself to Jo. The daughter of Ra and Iabet has more power than any god has ever seen. Jo’s power can rival your own, young Prophet. But she does not have a protector to help balance her power. If Hathor is to succeed in her plan, she will destroy this world, and all you hold dear. The human race will perish and the gods will be extinct. Hathor will create a new world. One that is worse than hell itself.”