“No, Seth. It is you that have been led astray; for what is right is in the word of Set and his teaching. The very teaching you have abandoned,” Q answered. “Come on, let’s get this over with. The faster we get rid of the bitch, the faster we get to move on with our lives.”
Not the answer Seth wanted to hear. He clenched his fist and snarled, but still refused to charm the two people he hung out with all his life. Ky grabbed Seth by the arm, hoisted him up, and dragged him out of the room. Q led the way, lighting the path to the long narrow stairs. They journeyed in silence through the twisted halls; the only sound came from the tapping of the papyrus sandals on the cold stone. Seth studied the familiar walls, his mind searching for a way to escape this massive prison. But it seemed pointless. There were five chambers and several flights of stairs he would have to pass through to reach the surface. Not to mention his father and the subordinate priests. And there was no reason to escape if he couldn’t free Natti in time. The heavy weight of hopelessness crushed his chest, making it difficult to breath.
He closed his eyes, taking each step from memory. When he finally opened them again, he was through the threshold of the central inner chamber. The statue of Set stood in the far back, the offering table at his feet. Ky and Q fell to one knee, placing their fist to their chest in a gesture of respect. Seth remained standing, watching priests wander around the altar. Mikael and Jacob prepared Natti for her departure for Duat, wafting the smoke of incenses over her and mumbling enchantments of purification. The other wab priests, all Norms, were already on their knees before Set.
Sean stepped aside, revealing Natti’s figure lying on the offering slab: her entire body trembled; her watery eyes filled with terror; her fist clenched at her side; soft moans escaping her lips. The sight fueled a raging fire in Seth’s heart. The beast lashed out, battling against the heat, but the pain hardly registered through his fury.
“Natti!” Seth charge forward, and Ky automatically yanked him back.
Natti’s head spun toward him. “Seth?”
His mind whirled, absorbing every little detail. Every shaky breath. Every bead of sweat. Even the throbbing vein running along her neck.
Seth looked to the table finding a bowl of blood and seven used syringes. His face burned with heat when he realized Natti was suffering from the effects of Jacob’s synthetic venom.
“You bastard!” Seth addressed his father. “Seven! You gave her seven doses!”
The subordinate priests took their positions at the right side of the altar. Sean turned to Seth, his grin twisting his face into the devil himself.
“Clearly she is very strong-willed, for she still denies me the secret I seek—”
“She doesn’t know!”
Sean just smirked at his comment, and then eyed Seth’s stance. “And you, you don’t bow in front of the hem-netjer?”
Seth stood his ground, his eyes shifting to Natti.
“Then you have truly turned your back on us,” Sean concluded. “Ky, remind my son of the respect one is to show while standing in the House of Set.”
Seth glanced over his shoulder where a wary Ky now stood. Ky hesitated, his eyes catching Seth’s deadly glare. He stepped forward and shoved his weight onto Seth’s shoulders. Seth roared, his knees buckling under the force. The cold stone scrapped into his flesh. After a moment to take in the pain, Seth turned back to his father.
Sean gazed up at the small opening in the ceiling above them. “Dawn nearly approaches. The hour of your demise is upon us, Natara.” He picked up the sickle and grabbed Natti’s arm. She flinched, tears streaming down her cheeks. Sean placed the tip of the sickle under her chin. “This is your last chance. Now tell me where to find the secret name of Ra!”
Natti shook her head, clearly too worn out to speak.
“You stubborn bitch!”
“She’s not being stubborn, Father! She really doesn’t know!” Seth exclaimed. He tried to stand, but Ky’s hand held him down.
“Silence!” Sean barked and tightened his grip. Natti screamed. “Tell me!”
Natti’s breathing rattled a bit, her voice low and dry. “How many times can I tell you? I don’t know. I swear I don’t know. Please . . .”
Adrenaline surged through Seth’s system when Sean raised the sickle into the air. Natti closed her eyes, ready for the blade to plunge into her flesh. The sickle sliced through the air.
“STOP!” Seth cried.
Sean froze, the tip of the sickle dangling above Natti’s breast.
“She doesn’t know,” Seth explained. His nerves hypertensive. “But I do. I know what possesses the location you seek.”
Sean turned to Seth, eyes blazing. “What trickery is this?”