Destiny Waits for No Man

All Beginnings Have an End

The smell of something burning instantly woke her up. She groaned at the thought of Set trying to cook again. He'd stayed with her since that day in the library. Only leaving to search for Sif when he knew Keeta was safe with Amis and the Sentries. In the times he was here, he had tried to cook for her. Simple things like eggs or bacon, but it always ended up burnt and her house filled with smoke. It had been a sweet thought, though.

Now as she slipped out of bed, she wondered what he'd burnt because it didn't smell like eggs or bacon this time. It was an odd smell. Leaving her room, a sudden sense of dread settled deep in her stomach. Something was wrong, she just didn't know...

The sense of dread that had filled her now crippled her as she turned the corner of the hallway. Her heart slammed against her ribs as it felt like her soul had left her body. Cold, numb limbs staggered down the path that led to her treasured place. Hands gripped along the wall knocking over everything in her way. Pure, unadulterated terror washed over her with mute horror.

The twin doors that led to her library had smoke rolling up the front of them from underneath. Some of the paint from the Beauty and the Beast mural she had painted had melted off from the heat of it. She knew it was hot, she knew that if she touched the handles to open those doors, she would be hurt, but nothing would stop her.

The pain was nothing like the feeling of her soul being ripped from her. Keeta could hear the sizzle of her flesh being burned, and on some level, she could register the pain. It didn't compare to flinging those doors open to see the roaring fire consume her life in front of her eyes. Years of collecting, years of gifts, of treasures unimaginable...devoured by flames.

She tried to take a step inside the library but Set caught her before she could. "Don't..."

"I have to. I have to save them. I have to..." She tried to push past him, but he held her still. "Set, please, I can't let them burn!"

He held her against him in silence as the fire raged on behind him. As she struggled against him to get inside. When it seemed like she would never get passed him, she finally sank to the ground while tears burned their way down her face. The scream that ripped through her shattered the remaining part of her heart. Set rocked her, but because powers didn't work in the Library, there was nothing he could do but watch with her.

Nausea coiled in her stomach as she finally became aware of her surroundings. Amis was always protecting her and the library. Where was he?

A new terror took hold of her as she pushed away from Set. She tried to stand on wabbly legs to make her way back to her room where she knew his pillow was. That stupid pink donut pillow he just had to have. Expecting the worst, Keeta slammed into her room to find the Anubis pup snoring happily away on that very pillow. Relieve crashed through her as she sobbed at the sight of him. Donuts surrounded him on his pile while he was curled up in a ball of comfort.

She rushed into the room to pick him up and cradle him against her chest. He didn't move or open his eyes, but his snores told her he was okay. "Amis...Amis, baby, waking up." Keeta urged.

He didn't budge. Something was wrong with him.

"He's been drugged." Set said from the doorway.

She looked up at him with wild eyes. "How? Who could have drugged him? He's an Anubis pup!"

Set walked in slowly and knelt beside her to run his hands over his grandson as if to make sure for himself that he was okay. "Sif has many followers still like most of the Gods. A human would be the mastermind in this."

As she stroked Amis, fresh tears fell. "Why?" She choked out.

He reached out to stroke her cheek, wiping away the tears. "She cannot hurt you the way she wants, so she does what she can."

Meaning, taking away her Library or trying to hurt Amis. Unlike her, he could die by a Gods hand. That fear shook her. "Set, she can't hurt him. She just can't."

"I won't let her. I won't let her hurt you anymore." He vowed.

Later, when the fire had died out having been contained in just the library because of the barrier, Keeta walked amongst the ruble and ashes of burnt books and shelves. Her face was dirty from the tears and the smoke that clung to her. Her life had been this library. Thousands of years of collecting. First editions to silly romance novels.

She bent down to sift through the ash when she found the cover of Jane Eyre. Its edges were fried, the thing itself was warped by the fire. Set's favorite. And because he loved her, Sif destroyed what she cherished most aside from Amis.

Keeta stood as a new sorrow filled her. If Sif couldn't be stopped, this wouldn't end. She had to do something to stop her from hurting anyone she loved.