The Curse in Her Blood

Chapter 18

Robin

I had left the golden trinkets for Nehebu-Kau who was kind enough to walk me back to the mouth of the cave. She said good-bye, seemed doubtful she'd ever see me again. But I pulled her in for a hug, which I could tell she was not used to, promised to send word about our tea party, hopefully within the week, and then made my way back to the castle through the small little village I first passed through.

On the way back the villagers were all excited to see me, like they thought I'd go out into the desert and then not come back. Which is when I found out that was usually what happened to people travelling into the desert without a god's blessing or escort. So... I guess I had looked crazier than I thought walking out into the desert in my palace attire and the burlap sack that was probably leaking blood.

They all celebrated my return, cheered for me, then asked me if how I had defeated the monster.

If I wasn't on a time crunch I would have told them that she wasn't a monster and that she had been nice, but I had a god to cure so I had to leave. I did promise to come back soon and tell them the tale, which was another added point to my ever-growing to-do list.

Walking into the castle, however, was nothing but straight pandemonium. Servants were finally rushing around and somewhere off in the middle of the palace I could hear shouting.

At first I couldn't tell what the words were, but as I got closer to the throne room I could make out what was being shouted.

What do you mean there are reports of her walking into the desert, she's supposed to be here!

Oh boy, I was in trouble.

I poked my head in first to see what I was walking into and found Osiris in all his golden, glowing splendour shouting on the top of his lungs at different people I didn't recognize.

Well... might as well get this over with.

"Is everything okay?" I ask announcing my appearance.

Osiris whirls around, he storms towards me a golden fiery look upon his green face. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I went for a walk."

"Now?" he shouts. "Set's life hangs in the balance, and you've gone for a little walk? You were the one who demanded me here."

I'm surprised, I'm surprised because he actually seems worried for the first time. Since when does he care about Set? Or was he just upset that I embarrassed him by not being here for the big show?

"I went into the desert."

"Desert?" he asks and then a short of understanding dawning on his face. "You went to Nehebu-Kau's lair? By yourself? Are you out of your mind?!"

"No. I obviously had a plan."

"The plan was to send a champion. You were supposed to wait for us to gather potential candidates and you were to pick a champion."

"Yes and I did..."

"No you did not."

"Yes I did. You said that I was to choose a mortal champion. I'm a mortal. I chose myself."

For a second Osiris stares at me. I have stunned him into blessed silence, and now I'm waiting for the anger to explode out of him. "You're absolutely ridiculous... you've wasted all of our time! Set won't be able to hold out much longer..."

I pull the little vial out of the safety of my shirt, where I had tucked it into my cleavage and he goes quiet. He stares at it, stares at me and then points at the little vial in my hand.

"You got the cure?"

"Obviously."

"But... how did you... how did you...?"

"Survive?" I finish for him.

And now he's scowling again. "Unless you have some more hidden talents you're not telling me about, or you're some specially trained warrior woman, I don't see how you managed to fight off that creature..."

"Oh, well that's because I didn't fight her," I tell him and now he just looks confused "I simply asked her for the cure and she gave it to me."

Osiris is absolutely flabbergasted. "You asked her?"

I nod again. "You know, most people are reasonable if you talk to them," I tell him and then look him up and down. "Except maybe you."

He clearly doesn't like the sass he's getting from me, and after what happened with the riot you'd think I'd have learned my lesson, but I can't seem to turn it off. I can't seem to find a modicum of respect for the King God of the Upper Kingdom. He swipes the vile out of my hands and storms away.

He gets a few feet away from me and shouts: "You better be following me!" and I jump because he didn't tell me to follow him. But I do as I'm told, following him all the way back to the bedroom Set and I shared for those two nights. Set is still in bed, having gotten more feverish since I left, his brow more furrowed, and his face paler.

There is a strange effect on his face, a sort of glimmer I can't explain. Like every now and then his face flickers and I see a little bit of what's underneath.

"I'm going to need you to help sit him up," Osiris order and I move immediately, sitting down by his head and then propping him, half in my lap half leaning against my chest.

Osiris stares at us for a moment and I stare back at him. It's almost as if he's surprised that I've gathered Set up in my arms, which makes no sense cause he just told me too. But he gets over his shock, moves to Set's side, pinches his nose and then forced the vile into his mouth.

Once's he's tipped the contents into his mouth he slaps his hand over Set's mouth to stop him from spitting anything out. For a minute Set thrashes against the hold, both Osiris' and mine but eventually goes still, his eyebrows no longer furrowed.

"Is that it? Did it work?"

"We won't know until he wakes up."

I blink my eyes and stare down to the man in my arms, watching that face flicker again. I swear I see a garish splash of red against the pale of his cheek but it's gone as quickly as I see it.

"When will he wake up?"

"I don't know."

I try to keep my heavy sigh to myself. I try but I can't keep it in. I hate waiting, and that's what this is going to be. A whole lot of waiting.