“What? Right! Yes. Yes, I did,” Alyssa said absentmindedly.
She turned over Wen’s hand and studied it. Fine white fur covered his skin. “What is your—” she searched for the right words—“animal sentinel?”
The boy looked at her proudly. “The hare,” he said. “Swift and clever.”
“Swift to run from chores and studies,” the girl said. The other children giggled, and Wen’s face turned crimson.
“And yours must be the serpent,” Alyssa said to the girl with the shimmering skin.
“Yup,” she said. She poked Wen and licked her lips. “And we do adore hares.”
“One does not talk about one’s food in front of guests, Kara,” Tef admonished the girl.
Alyssa’s gaze flew from the children to Tef. “Your… food?”
Tef tried to keep a straight face before she cracked up. The children joined in, laughing gleefully.
“Really?” Alyssa called out in mock exasperation before joining in. “You know you can tell me anything!”
“And what is you animal sentinel?” Wen asked Alyssa.
Alyssa stopped mid-laugh, turning serious, reflecting. “I… I’m not sure,” she finally said.
“You don’t know?” Kara scrunched her brow. “But you’re—” she pinched her lips, looking for the right words—“so old!”
Alyssa gaped at her open-mouthed before she laughed out loud again.
Tef stepped in. “Alyssa didn’t know she was a Hybrid until just a few months ago.”
The children’s mouths dropped into a collective wow.
“You mean you haven’t entered the Rite of Transcendence?” Wen asked.
“How about the Ceremony of Awakening?” Kara asked.
“Or even learned about the Celebration of Legacy?” another girl chimed in.
Alyssa shook her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what any of those are.”
“They are the Nine Sacred Liturgies,” Wen said. He counted out on his fingers. “Awakening, Reflection, Revelation, Valediction, Convergence, Transcendence, Discord, Sacrifice, and Legacy.” He beamed at her proudly, holding up nine fingers. The other children nodded their agreement enthusiastically.
“I… I’m sorry,” she said. “I would love to learn all I can about every single one.”
Wen opened his mouth, but Kara beat him to it. “The Ceremony of Awakening occurs on the seventh day after your birth and is the first of—”
Tef held up her hand, silencing the girl. “I think Alyssa will have plenty of time to learn about our traditions—just not right now.”
The children gave a disheartened sigh.
Alyssa smiled. “Thank you, Wen and Kara. And all of you. I can’t wait to talk to all of you again,” she said. “Then you can tell me all about the nine rites.”
“Nine Liturgies!” Wen corrected.
“Right, sorry, Nine Liturgies!” Alyssa laughed.
The pain in her head was as sudden as it was blinding. She fell backward, her limbs rubbery and limp. Her world collapsed to a tight agonized knot. Then, darkness.
17 Hong Kong
“Whoa, mate, that’s too close!” Paul leaned back as far as the chair allowed. “I can count your nose hair.”
“Sorry about that.” Clay moved back from the camera, grinning, allowing room for George Renley’s face to be displayed alongside his on the massive flat screen hanging on the wall. “Not used to having my mug broadcast on a movie screen.”
“With your looks, it’s just a matter of time,” Tasha snickered.
“Thank you, kind lady. But despite my devilishly good looks, I shall continue to rely on my brain for my future fame and fortune.”
“Speaking of that brain,” Paul said, “you’re sure about the virus?”
Clay’s face turned serious again. “Kamal said that the virus and Alyssa’s blood showed similar mutations. Like she’s linked to it, somehow.”
“What does that even mean?” Paul asked, mystified.
“I’ve contacted my collaborators at the WHO, and we are running some additional tests,” Clay offered. “We should be able to—”
Tef burst through the door. “You must come now!”
Paul whipped about, almost falling out of the chair. “What is it?”
“Alyssa!” she said and stormed off.
“We’ll call you back.” Paul disconnected the call and raced after Tef, white-faced, with Tasha at his heels.
Grief.
Anger.
Rage.
I stand over the small body. If not for the paleness of his face, he could be sleeping. Horemheb’s steady breathing echoes behind me. He has been there, motionless, a silent shadow for the countless hours I have held vigil over my son’s lifeless body.
I was too late. Perhaps if we had left sooner, sailed swifter…
I am beyond grief. I am beyond anger and rage.
I fall to my knees. Empty.
I am sorry, Hathor, my beloved, for I have failed you.
I did not save our son.
I have failed you.
Alyssa woke with a shudder, at the edge of a scream. She wept. She wept for her lost love. Her lost heir. Her lost life.
She opened her eyes slowly and blinked the tears away. Paul’s face was a mask of concern as he lingered on the bed, cradling her hand. Dharr and Tef stood at her feet with Tasha. The look in their eyes echoed Paul’s worry.
“How long has this been going on?” Tef asked.
“I… I’m not sure,” Alyssa answered, still dazed.
“It started after the events in the Hall,” Paul jumped in. “The episodes have been similar to what she experienced with the crystal and VR gear, except now they’re spontaneous—and random.” He squeezed her hand. “And they seem to be getting worse.”
The door opened, and a figure entered the room. Dharr and Tef stepped aside, revealing an ancient-looking Hybrid wearing a cobalt-blue robe. His skin was like Dharr’s, but its scaly texture appeared even more burred and leathery. The spark in his gray eyes was muted by the passage of time, but they shone with wisdom and kindness. Dharr bowed to him. The old man placed his palms on Dharr’s head in the traditional greeting.
“This is Bes, our First Kah,” Dharr said. “He leads the council of Elders.”
Bes approached the bed. His hands moved to Alyssa’s head.
Alyssa recoiled.
Dharr tensed. “Alyssa?”
Alyssa bristled. “Nephthys,” she breathed. “That’s what she did.”
Bes lowered his arms, his gray eyes soothing. “You are safe here, my child. We do not wish you harm.”
Alyssa took a shuddering breath and nodded.
He drew near once again and placed his palms on her head.
Alyssa flinched. A stab of pain. A flashbulb memory.
His hands, rough on my head, unlike my mother’s.
Her back arched, sending a spasm through her body.
“Alyssa!” Paul cried out.
Bes pulled back as Alyssa lay on the bed, panting. He lifted his head and faced the others. “Please leave,” he said.
Alyssa clung to Paul’s hand.
“You may stay,” Bes said, before Paul could protest.
Bes waited until everybody stepped out.
“Horus’s memories,” he said. “They confuse your mind. They are bonding with your Rathadi entity.”
“How…? How can you know?” Alyssa asked.
“I sense the struggle inside you, child.”
“It is consuming me,” Alyssa whispered, “every thought, sensation. I feel it growing.”
“What happened to you in the Hall, it began the process of Transcendence. Thoth’s ancient weapon is accelerating it. You are becoming a Hybrid, yet your body is resisting it.”
“Why?” Alyssa asked.
“Your Hybrid consciousness seeks your animal sentinel. To transcend is to join with another life. Only then can you become a true Rathadi.”
“That is what Nephthys sai
d. She said she could help me.”
“She fed you half-truths to earn your trust, so you would believe her lies. No single Rathadi can help you. Only you can help yourself. You must undergo the Rite of Transcendence.”
“What?” Goosebumps slid along the back of Alyssa’s neck. “You mean like Horus and the falcon?” Her mind flashed back to the first memory. Horus, the boy, ascending the sacred pyramid.
“Like Horus and countless Rathadi before him, and countless who have followed in his footsteps,” Bes said.
Alyssa took a moment to let it sink in.
“The process of Transcendence allows your animal sentinel to bring balance to your mind, your body,” Bes continued.
“The children spoke of other… liturgies.”
Bes nodded slowly. “There are nine Sacred Liturgies, five that precede Transcendence.”
“Shouldn’t Alyssa go through them first?” Paul jumped in.
Bes’s gaze shifted to Paul then back to Alyssa. “Your mind cannot wait that long.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, swallowing.
“You are losing control. Without transcending, your mind will slip into darkness.”
“How long do I have?” she asked, her voice frosted with dread.
Bes’s ancient face darkened. “A few days, at most.”
Alyssa’s brain refused to believe what she heard. A wave of nausea swept over her.
Days?
“But I don’t even have a… sentinel,” she stammered. “Even if I decide to go through with it, where would I find one?”
“The Rathadi liturgies may be rooted in eons-old traditions, but we have evolved with the times,” Bes said. “We have preserved the DNA of the sentinels, to fuse with our own. I will guide you through your journey, so your sentinel can find you and reveal itself to you.”
Reveal itself to me?
Another memory took shape in Alyssa’s mind. Unlike the others, this one filled her with a warmth that radiated through her chest, spreading to her limbs.
The magnificent bird on her small arm, its talons pricking her soft skin.
It cocks its head, its golden eyes studying her curiously.
She is weightless, soaring.
“The falcon,” Alyssa said, her body tingling. “It is the Lanner falcon.”
Alyssa lay on the bed, her mind racing, locked in a battle long after Bes had left the room. Paul’s hand slipped into her fingers. With just his touch, the tightness inside her eased a little. She squeezed his hand, a silent note of gratitude.
“If we… if you can’t trust them, who can you trust?” he asked, huddled on the bed beside her. “They want to help you.”
Alyssa snorted. “Like the woman helped me?”
“They aren’t like Nephthys,” he replied gently.
“I trusted Nephthys, too,” Alyssa said, her voice growing rough. “She also said she was going to help me. Then she betrayed me.”
“Tasha told me,” Paul said.
“It’s not only the betrayal,” Alyssa continued. “I wanted to—needed to—trust her.”
“I understand,” he said.
“Do you?” she asked. “Do you know how much I want to trust them? To believe that they can help me?” Her body shook. Paul placed her hand between his palms.
“The changes, these… daydreams… nightmares… I’m scared. I’m scared of what is happening to you.” His lips trembled. “Of what you’re becoming. You’re not yourself. If there is a chance that this can help…”
“Of course I’m not myself!” Alyssa cried, letting a thin, desperate laugh escape her lips. “I’ve got ancient friggin’ genes and some death bug wreaking havoc with my body and mind! Now I’m learning I have days left?” She pressed her mouth into a thin line. “I never wanted this, Paul.”
“I know.” He squeezed her hand. “Please, I’m asking you to trust them.”
Alyssa sensed the weight of his gaze on her, waiting for her answer. She held it for a long moment before finally nodding.
Paul sighed with relief and stood. “I’ll let Dharr and Bes know. They will prepare the ceremony.”
Alyssa squeezed his hand, pulling him to her. “One condition.”
“Anything.”
“I want you with me. The whole time.”
“I told you I’m not leaving you again.”
“Get out, Paul!” Alyssa yelled, chucking a towel at the door.
She stood, naked and shivering, in the shallow tub in the small, windowless room.
Did I really sign up for this?
She flinched when a warm, gooey sponge touched her right shoulder blade. A creamy trail of milk and honey oozed down her back and leg, tingling her skin. Another sponge was dipped into the tub and the process repeated on the left side.
When in Atlantis…
Alyssa closed her eyes as the two old Rathadi women on either side of the copper tub continued the ceremonial bath. With her eyes closed, the sickly-sweet scent of honey and milk invaded her nostrils and filled her throat. She took short, shallow breaths and waited for the syrupy bath to end while the women clucked contently in the strange Rathadi tongue.
Soon enough, the milky residue was washed away with warm water, and she was wrapped in a soft towel and dried as if she were a child. The women toweled her enthusiastically until her skin developed a pink tinge. Only then did they allow her to step out of the tub.
A third woman drew near, a white robe draped across her arms. The other two lifted the linen as the third slipped it over Alyssa’s head. The feathery cloth fell smoothly against her naked skin, enfolding her in a faint scent reminiscent of cinnamon. They arranged the delicate garment with practiced movements and cinched it around her waist with a finely woven, jeweled belt. They stepped back and appraised her with self-satisfied smiles.
Oh, my God. It’s the three fairy godmothers… What’s next? Glass slippers?
She put on her most innocent smile as they motioned her to a chair, and she sank into it. One of the women applied fine chalk powder to her face while another used what looked to be extract from rose petals as rouge on her cheekbones, then mixed beeswax and red dye and rubbed it on her lips. The third woman applied a golden shadow to her eyelids.
They picked up three hairbrushes and began pulling it through Alyssa’s long hair, humming a soft melody. They hummed and weaved her hair into narrow braids, twisting in gold strings and capping each braid with a blue stone.
Alyssa closed her eyes again, losing herself in the strange tune. Her mind relaxed and wandered. When she agreed to participate in the Rite of Transcendence, she had no idea what it entailed. Upon the announcement, all activities came to a grinding halt. Tef informed her that, by tradition, the ceremony is witnessed by all the Rathadi as they gather around their sacred pyramid. The Rathadi girl had spent the last hour before Alyssa’s ceremonial cleansing with her, teaching her the protocols and proper responses for the ceremony.
As if I don’t already have enough to worry about…
The absence of the melody startled her. She cracked one eye as one of the women stood and moved to the door, opening it. Tef entered. She stifled a squeal of delight and grinned widely.
“You look magnificent!”
Alyssa rose.
“Not so fast.” Tef pushed her back down gently. “One final step.”
She lifted a stick of black kohl from a silver tray.
“Don’t move,” Tef said. “This is the most important part.”
Alyssa held still as Tef gently lined her eyes with the black powder. She continued drawing under her left eye, tracing out a symbol.
“There,” she said, taking a step back and appraising her work. She nodded, satisfied. “Now you’re ready.”
She handed Alyssa a polished silver mirror.
Alyssa hardly recognized the person looking back at her from behind the smoky, almond-shaped eyes. The makeup brought out her dark complexion and made her features appear exotic, emphasizing her fine lines and hig
h cheekbones.
The breath caught in her throat when she looked beneath her left eye, recognizing the symbol traced out with the black kohl. A symbol of protection and force, representing the female counterpart to the sun god.
The Eye of Ra.
Paul bounced on his toes as he stood between Tef and Tasha in the front row, among hundreds of Hybrids who crowded the space around the pyramid. He unfastened the top button of his shirt and ran his hand through his hair.
Tasha elbowed him. “You’re gonna make it through this?”
A flush crept across his cheeks. “Sorry,” he said, wiping his palms on his pants and forcing himself to stand still. He looked over his shoulder and scanned the faces in the huge atrium. Nel and the twins shot him a grin, standing a couple rows back. None of them mirrored his own anxiety. He spotted Heru-pa, standing by himself at the back of the chamber. He seemed to be the only one in the crowd wearing a sour expression. The Hybrid gave him a glum look when their gazes met.
What’s the guy’s problem? He leaned to Tasha and opened his mouth when a small murmur rose through the space, and the crowd parted, creating a path for the approaching figure.
Paul’s heart seemed to freeze, then pound when he glimpsed Alyssa. She slowly moved through the ranks. The contours of her naked body were unmistakable beneath the white robe, shifting the fabric gently as she strode barefoot to the pyramid.
She stopped beside him and smiled. The twilight reflected from the golden disk, resting gently on her face as if the rays of the sun desired to touch her as much as he did. For just a moment, his body felt untethered, a mere fragment of a dream floating above the earth. His heartbeat fluttered in his wrists, in his chest, in his belly.
She looked… divine.
Alyssa faced the pyramid and Bes, who stood at the peak dressed in a long, gray robe, a hood covering his scaly head. With her first step on the glass, a soft chanting from hundreds of Rathadi throats ensued. The chanting crescendoed as Alyssa ascended, the voices rising both in pitch and volume only to stop abruptly when Alyssa reached the top. She knelt before Bes and bowed her head. He placed his palms on her forehead.
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