Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 123065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
“Good. Good.” He nods. “Remember to use it if you need to when you can’t see in the darkness. Anubis will make the journey safe and Inti will light the way.” He hesitates and then leans in. “Life is sometimes just like death, death like life, you never know what you might face in the underworld.”
“What could I possibly face in the next hour before my death?” I smile sadly. “Other than what I’ve already faced?”
Tears form in his eyes, he reaches for me then pulls his hand back, his fingers trembling. “You have no idea, Cleo. None, of how darkness works.”
“Even if I did, would it help me?”
“Not at all.” His smile is back. “You’d just be terrified. But I prefer you brave.”
“At least one of you does.”
“We all do,” Dag says under his breath. “Keep both bracelets on. He’s right, you never know in our worlds, tons of possibilities, no answers until it happens.”
With my veil covering my face, I slowly walk out of the cave and up the stairs for the last time with immortals flanking me.
I don’t know what to think except… Is this real? Can this be real?
Then, the song starts.
Teardrops, they fall back into the Nile as they ascend to the gods, we are broken waiting for your sacrifice, the final power of Apep.
Sacrifice and live.
Live.
We honor you.
I gasp when I hear my mom’s voice. “There is a sacrifice that must always be made to the gods.” She smiled and handed me the piece of bread to offer to the gods, tears in her eyes. “You might not understand it, but it’s necessary.”
I shrugged. “Mom, they’re just stories.”
“And the wars are fake?” Her laugh was sad. “Hold your head high, my girl, always hold your head high even when faced with people who wish you dead.”
At the time I thought it was advice against the bullies at school about my eyes, but now I know.
She meant it for this moment.
My mom—she knew.
Because she, too, was sacrificed at this very gate into the underworld after helping Chaos, maybe she fell in love with him and she never told us. Now I know why she was angry about the bracelets, why she didn’t want us finding our father, she knew this would be our future one day.
I hope she’s happy still searching for him, for us.
I hope I remember her face. Jake’s face. And despite how horrible this has been. I hope he remembers me and I hope one day he keeps his promise and when I feel the sun on my face—I remember him.
I get to the final old rock stair and inhale deeply.
Rat is at the bottom of The Tree of Life and Death, Cow is next to it, and in an instant exhale from Cyrus, they turn into their true forms.
Rat looks like a small petulant boy; he has a black loincloth around him and a small crown of flowers covering his head.
Cow looks similar. Her eyes are sad. She’s wearing a gold dress that has flowers running down the sides, they’re white and so pretty, just like her. Her hair is jet-black, her eyes blue, her skin a golden brown.
I can feel Bast the cat behind me. He or She doesn’t transform, just stays next to me like they know I need their strength.
Are these some of the people I’m saving?
Several other people in golden half sun masks and black tunics are gathered around the tree bowing to it, candles in their hands flickering in the breeze.
Cyrus has his back to me.
He’s wearing his sun mask and nothing but a black tunic and his small golden armor around his waist with pure gold sandals that wrap up past his knees.
His hand is on his spear. I wonder if it’s difficult for him, or if he’s just that ready to kill me.
Enki lightly grabs my arm and pushes me forward, when I turn to him, he can’t meet my eyes, not that I can see his very well but it’s almost like he’s ashamed for the first time in his life.
Dag stares straight ahead along with Tyrell. Apep looks down at the ground, the wind whips my hair around me.
It’s hallowed ground. I know that now.
I draw a shaky breath and hold my hands out at my sides. I’ll walk this path alone. The sea starts to splash against the cliff, I can taste the salt in the air.
Destiny does not always mean happy, does it?
I turn to all the gods by my side and finally shake my head. My bare feet dig into the grass as I walk toward the tree, toward my end.
Cyrus, or I suppose Ra, stands there keeping his back to me, almost like a groom waiting to see his bride for the first time.
But here I walk.
Dirty.
Broken.
I don’t even have shoes on.