Jagger gasped as a vivid, green light drifted up from Mek’s body.
“Whoa.” Aria’s hand flew to her mouth, and she leaned into him.
The light pulsed with energy, hovering above Mek, vivid and intense. It was like the Seshep ny Netjer, but even brighter and green. Was it aware? Jagger had the sense that it was taking stock of the moment.
It shifted higher, and Tatia lifted a hand as if to greet it, or perhaps, wish it well on its journey. The light pulsed bright one time before drifting off, up and away through the blue ceiling peppered with gold stars.
“It’s done.” Tatia slid onto the bed. “Mek is with the little ones now.”
Jagger felt weak. He watched Mut stroke Tatia’s head with one hand and Mek’s with the other, tears streaming down her face. “You have a sister still, and she’ll need you more than ever. As Mek watches over the little ones, you must watch over Ankesenpaaten. And Tut.”
Meow.
“Kitty!” Aria stepped instinctively toward the large, black cat standing at the open wall, front feet inside and back feet outside. It looked suspiciously like the cat he’d seen on the way to the airport in Chicago, and the cat Aria had befriended in Amarna.
Aria froze a few feet away from the cat.
“Uh.” Jagger blinked, wondering if this was real.
“It grew.” Aria stepped back toward him.
The cat was suddenly far larger than any cat had a right to be, sleek with fur that sparkled like the gemstones. It was magnificent, like nothing Jagger had ever seen.
“So pretty,” Aria breathed as Tatia and Mut dropped their heads.
“You did well, young one of the blood.” A woman’s voice, pure and sweet, spoke the words inside his head. Jagger glanced at Aria. Her eyes were enormous. This time she heard the voice too.
“Divine One.” Tatia dropped to her knees.
The cat sat and licked a paw, twitching one ear.
Divine One? Another goddess. Was it rude to stare? Because Jagger couldn’t help himself—the cat was just too glorious.
Aria backed up to his side. She tapped him without taking her eyes off the goddess cat. “I think she’s talking to you.”
“Uh.” He cleared his throat. “Thanks? I guess.”
The cat stared up at him, swishing her tail back and forth.
“Um, but, can I ask why?” Jagger couldn’t resist the question that had plagued him since this adventure began. “Why me?”
“Why?” Aria whispered with an eye roll. “Of course you did.”
The cat stretched luxuriously, then tilted her head to the side before looking directly at Aria then back at Jagger.
“Because you do not walk alone. Because your sister is beside you. Because the two of you share the blood of your ancestors: your connection to the old families is unique. Because you came here, to Egypt, where the roots of your family’s power run deep. Because you two have your own powers, and we believed you would use them wisely. And the powers you possess are wielded by so few—the power of knowledge.” She shifted her green eyes to Aria. “And wisdom. My favorite powers in the universe.”
She said all this in his head, then stopped, leaving a deafening silence as they all sat stunned, waiting to see if she’d say more. A heartbeat later, the cat eyed the humans one by one, then purred and turned into the night.
“Do animal gods visit you guys all the time?” Aria’s eyes were wide like saucers. “That’s what she was right? That was no ordinary cat!”
“Isis,” Tatia whispered, staring at the empty spot where the cat had just stood.
Jagger shook his head. “But Isis is a cow, or a kite bird. I don’t recall her being shown as a cat in this period—”
Tatia ignored him. “I’ve never heard of a goddess showing herself like that before, except for Meretseger’s appearance in the tomb.”
“Our gods speak to us, but never directly, never like this,” Mut said.
“Okay. A cat,” Jagger sighed. He played the words over in his mind. “But what did she mean?”
“She meant what she said, Jagger Jones,” the princess stated flatly. “Gods speak only the truth. You were chosen because the gods knew your sister would be by your side. The two of you are descended from our family.”
“But what did she mean about their connection to the old gods being unique?” Mut asked.
Tatia shook her head. “I saw nothing to explain that when I cast the Meseneh Rek.”
“It helps that the two of you were in Egypt,” Mut said, tapping the gold bands that ringed her upper arms. “The spell crosses time, but distance is more complicated, especially when you don’t know the person you’re trying to bring back. Of course, that’s all theoretical. No one has cast the Meseneh Rek spell in over two hundred years, until our princess here.”
Tatia nodded at Jagger and Aria. “The gods believe you two are knowledgeable and wise. Isis is our most brilliant god—she would recognize those attributes in others.”
“There’s more going on here than simply saving the family and rescuing Mek’s Ka,” Mut stated thoughtfully. “I don’t know why, but the gods are more … accessible than ever before.”
The companions fell silent, lost in their own thoughts.
“Another puzzle for my pile.” Mut glanced over at the door. “But now, I must go tell the queen of Mek’s passing. She’ll want to prepare her along with the little princesses.” She blew out a puff of air. “Mek cannot be separated from the amulet. It must stay with her body even as she’s embalmed. I’ll make sure the king and queen understand so they can tell the priests.”
“Wait. Will we see you again?” Aria grabbed Mut’s arm. “I mean, we’re leaving now. We have to get home to Mom, like … yesterday.”
Mut and Tatia exchanged a worried glance.
With a deep, tired sigh, the princess spoke. “That is going to be a problem.”
SELFIE CARE
“What do you mean?” Aria pulled a stray curl to her mouth.
Jagger shook his head, confused. “We did our part. Now we have to go.”
Tatia stared at her feet—she wouldn’t look at him. “I said we could send you home.”
“Yeah.” He bit his lip. “So … what’s the problem?”
“You,” Tatia repeated. She looked up, meeting his eyes.
“Yeah, me. Okay.” He stared at her, brain whirling. “Wait, you mean me? Only me?”
The guilt and misery on her face was all the answer he needed.
The relief he’d carried with him since the moment he knew Aria was safe vanished, replaced by a sense of betrayal. These people he’d so quickly, and uncharacteristically, trusted had betrayed them. “How can you …? Why didn’t you tell us?”
Mut put her hand on Tatia’s shoulder, staring down at her perfectly polished toes. Jagger thought back to the cagy way Tatia had spoken about sending them home. She’d known this all along.
“I’m sorry.” Tatia dropped down onto the bed. “I should have told you. Aria’s arrival was unintended. I hadn’t called her. I have no way to send her back.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Aria parroted Jagger’s question.
“Because I needed your help,” Tatia said flatly, as if the answer justified her treachery. “Saving our family, and Mek’s Ka, was my priority. I didn’t want to do anything that might stop Jagger from helping us. The gods were clear—he was our only hope. Besides, the moment you appeared, it was already too late.”
“We thought we might find a solution by the time you returned,” Mut added.
Jagger ground his teeth, unmoved by the shame they both wore like a new amulet.
“I’m sorry, Aria Jones.” Tatia reached out and grabbed Aria’s hand. “I never wanted to hurt you. You’ll have an honored place in the palace. This will be your home. You’ll be treated like a princess. You’ll be like a sister to me. You’ll want for nothing.”
Aria stared at Tatia if she’d los
t her mind. “I’ll want my mother. And Grams and Gramps, and my friends, and Dad, and the phone I haven’t even got yet. And my future pet dog. I’ll want my own country and my own time. I’ll probably even want to see my brother again before I die!”
Jagger fell into a cedar chair and wrapped his arms around himself. This couldn’t be happening. After all they’d been through, the idea of leaving Aria here was ridiculous. He’d never accept that. There was only one solution. “Send Aria back. I’ll stay.”
The answer was as obvious as the ivy on the outfield walls of Chicago’s North Side baseball field. If only one of them could return, Aria should go back. He’d make peace here somehow. It was an ironic fate for a budding historian, who wanted to read and write about, but never experience, the past. He’d miss Mom and his grandparents, Andrew, and Gino. His sister. Even Dad, if he was honest. He’d miss technology and pizza and feather pillows. Maybe in time they could find a way to send him too.
“You’re not hearing me.” Tatia shook her head. “I can’t send Aria home. I can send you home.”
Mut cleared her throat and stepped forward. She looked down at Mek, and some part of Jagger realized this conversation should wait. Tatia had just lost her sister. She should be left alone to mourn before dealing with more BS. But he was too angry to be thoughtful. He’d helped her. Now it was time for her to help him. “Perhaps we should show them,” Mut suggested.
Jagger ran his hands over his stubbly head as he watched the princess shrug, then kneel by the bed and pull something out from under it.
“What …” Jagger leaned forward, then pulled back, as repulsed as he was fascinated.
“That’s so fierce.” Aria dropped to her knees next to the big, shallow, silver dish.
Jagger’s face was drawn in the water that filled it. It was like a liquid snapshot, different colors melding into each other to create a remarkably accurate likeness of Jagger’s face. How did they do that?
Mut leaned closer. “I’ve never seen a Horus cippi enable such a remarkable likeness. The gods truly are at work here.”
Jagger squirmed. “So you’re telling me, that because my face is in that bowl of water, and Aria’s isn’t, you can send me home but not her?”
“Yes, Jagger Jones.” Tatia nodded. “The magic requires a likeness. The gods gave me this image. That’s how I summoned you. I couldn’t have cast the Meseneh Rek without it.” Her jaw was hard. She looked sad but determined.
In spite of his anger, Jagger felt for her. He’d have done the same in her position. He’d have said whatever needed saying if it meant the difference between Aria enjoying an afterlife and disappearing from existence. But he wasn’t ready to let Tatia off the hook yet.
“It’s okay.” Aria joined Tatia on the bed. “At least Mom will know what happened. I have family here too now. I’ll stay. I’ll be fine.” She gave him a sad smile as the princess hugged her.
“Really, Aria?” Heat crawled up his neck. “You think I’ll just reappear after being gone this long, tell Mom you and I had a little out-of-time adventure and that you’re going to be an Egyptian princess now so it’s all good? You’ll be here, and I’ll be in some asylum. Or worse!” He knew he was taking his anger out on her, but honestly, what was she thinking? He’d never return without her. She should know that!
Aria dropped her head into her hands and released a giggle that sounded a bit like a sob.
Jagger took a deep breath. No way this was going to stump them, not after all they’d achieved. “Let’s breathe.” His mind sorted through possibilities. “Wait. Why can’t she just touch me? It worked last time.”
“It’s too dangerous.” Tatia’s voice was stern. “It’s a miracle she made it here alive. There’s no guarantee she’d get back in one piece. We can’t risk it.”
Jagger sighed. “Okay. So ask the gods to make an image of Aria.”
“I have,” the princess said. “After you left, I used the same Horus cippi a dozen times but I can’t create an image of your sister. Perhaps the gods want her to stay.”
“Your gods aren’t in charge of my sister.” He slid his hands over his face. Since the moment they got dragged into this insanity, he’d been worried his sister wouldn’t survive, that they’d fail to save the princess’s Ka, that half his descendants would be wiped from history and it’d be his fault. He’d never once worried about getting back, in part because he didn’t believe they’d make it this far. But once they’d escaped the tomb with Aria’s life and the gemstones, he believed they’d make it home. He’d trusted Tatia and Mut. And they’d just pulled the rug out from under him. “There’s gotta be a way,” he mumbled. He’d have to think their way out of this one. Tatia and Mut weren’t going to do it for him. “Bloody, stupid image,” he grumbled.
Image!
He jumped up as the answer hit him. “Wait.” He yanked his phone out of his kilt pocket. “Pictures.” Jagger pushed the button on his phone, praying to all the gods he could name, modern and ancient, that it would turn on.
“Oh, yeah!” Aria jumped up next to him, smiling. “Duh!”
“Dead!” He groaned. There wasn’t even a dash of red bar. He’d used the last of his battery power in the tomb. He had a camera roll full of images of his little sister, useless if he couldn’t turn the thing on.
“Okay I’ll admit, that blows.” Aria folded her arms and glared at him, like this was his fault. “But, I mean, are you a genius or not?” She tapped her toe.
“What do you want me to do? I can’t …” He paused, sorting through ideas in his head. “I mean, maybe I could … No. Or …” He slid back onto the chair and closed his eyes. “Okay, this is science,” he stammered to himself. “I know this stuff.” His eyes flew open and landed on Aria. “Please tell me you still have your change purse.”
She dropped to the floor and yanked it out of her bag. “I hope you’re not planning to bribe someone. I don’t think that would—”
“I need pennies,” he interrupted. “Lots of pennies.”
She dumped a pile of coins on the plush rug beneath her. A nickel rolled to the painted fish, spun, then toppled over on its head like a new eye. Aria’s coins were from countries across the globe, but Jagger spotted pennies everywhere, like bright, little nuggets of gold. Or rather, zinc and copper. And zinc and copper was exactly what they needed.
“We have to charge my phone—”
“What’s a phone?” Mut knelt down and ran her fingers over Aria’s piles of coins.
Jagger ignored her. “Make two piles of pennies. One pile of pennies from before nineteen eighty-two and another stack of pennies from after.” He turned to Tatia. “I need fruit.”
“You’re hungry?” The princess shook her head.
“No. I’m nerdy,” he quipped. “Look.” He kneeled down by his sister and stared up at Tatia. “I can get you an image of Aria. A perfect image. Even better than that.” He pointed at his watery picture. “But I need fruit. Something strong enough to hold a charge but soft enough to cut,” he mumbled. “Dates! And a knife.”
“You’re going to carve a picture of your sister in fruit? Surely you know that won’t—”
“I have her picture in my phone.” Their blank stares frustrated him. “I’ll show you. Right after you give me some fruit. And …” He mentally riffled through possibilities. “And I need a file, something to sand hard metal with. Oh, and some of your eye makeup.”
Tatia and Mut exchanged a confused glance. The princess nodded, and Mut turned toward the door.
“Wait!” Jagger’s stomach dropped. Maybe this solution wouldn’t work after all. “How long does the picture have to last?” He could charge the phone, but it wouldn’t last long.
“The spell doesn’t take long.” Tatia shrugged.
“Good.” Jagger exhaled. “Because we won’t have long.”
An hour later, Jagger showed off his contraption. He was as proud as he’d been in second grade when he won the sta
te science fair. Aria found seventy-two pennies from before nineteen eighty-two and even more newer pennies. Mut sanded off the copper plating on one side of the more recent pennies, after shaking her head in confusion at Jagger’s explanation that newer pennies had zinc and copper, the two metals needed to create electricity. For good measure, Jagger had Tatia add kohl, which had traces of zinc, as she placed the old and new pennies next to pieces of penny-sized dates and stored them in a tube Jagger rigged from papyrus and leather.
“I’ll show you.” He pulled out his phone charger—Aria always kept an extra in her purse in case he or Mom needed one—and connected it to the papyrus tube of coins and dates. He pushed the button, willing the phone to spring to life. He sighed as the apple bloomed on his screen. The phone woke up, and he clicked his camera app. “Watch.” He pulled Mut into him, and Aria leaned closer, shifting between him and Tatia.
“Ah!” Tatia flinched when the flash flared.
“See.” He scrolled to his picture roll and selected the selfie. Though the top of Jagger’s head was cut off, enough remained to remind him his hair was too short. Mut and Tatia wore confused expressions, but Aria was perfectly posed, sporting her I’m-too-cute dimples.
“That’s impossible,” Mut breathed. “How did you …?”
Tatia turned to him and smiled. “I see our family is strong in magic, even in your time. I do not understand your magic, Jagger Jones. But I like it.” Her eyes sparkled.
Jagger and Aria exchanged knowing grins. No need to explain the planet would one day be chuck-full of folks with phones and cameras and GPS systems in their pockets.
He clicked the phone off. “The charge will only last a few minutes. But I have loads of pictures of Aria. So can we go home now?”
“You can take you sister home tonight, Jagger Jones.” Tatia’s smile was genuine.
HOW DO YOU SPELL HOME?
Jagger Jones and the Mummy's Ankh Page 17
