The Pharaoh

Chapter 25

It was strange suddenly being in a new place. All the other times that the gods had teleported us I had passed out but this time it was like  I blinked only to be standing in the realm of the living right by the entrance to the realm of the dead. It was strange. For once I wasn't disoriented either. I felt completely normal.

I looked in front of me towards Aiden. He looked up at me and smiled with tears running down his cheeks. "Are you okay?" I asked him.

He nodded and wiped away his tears. "They were wearing royal guard robes. The leader of the rebellion... they're part of my court," he whispered.

"Who do you think it is?" I asked him.

He gritted his teeth before replying, "I can only think of one person who could do this, and I'll even pray to the gods in hopes that I'm wrong."

The disgust on his face was so powerful I swear I could somehow taste it. It reminded me of myself, back when my commander told me to give up on becoming Serena's guardian. The fear, the hate, but most of all the self-doubt was crippling. It was reasonable to see it on my face, the face of a powerless young girl, but it was strange to see it on the face of a demigod. He shouldn't look like this.

I opened my mouth to comfort him but couldn't find any words. What was I supposed to say? Don't worry it's all in your head. I'm sure that they're not that important to you or your nation. No... all of those answers would make things even worse.

I wracked my brain but any words of comfort I could come up with weren't very comforting. Eventually, I closed my mouth and hoped that he didn't see my failed attempt at conversing with him. He was deep in thought so there was a good chance that he didn't.

I'm a horrible wife, I can't even think of a way to comfort my husband. Maybe Nyra was wrong to marry us.

"Alison look out!" Aiden yelled before pushing down on my back.

The bread got knocked out of me as hot sand dug into my shoulder blades. As I sucked in whatever air my lungs would hold, I watched as a beam of hot light zapped where we were. The heat from the light made me jerk my foot away so it wouldn't get burned.

I blinked out black dots until I could finally see. Aiden had managed to push us about six feet away from where that beam had hit. The spot that we had been was now smoking and parts of the glass was now murky white glass.

"Are you alright?" Aiden asked frantically.

I nodded and looked around us. There was nothing. No person, no god, no animal, there was nothing but sand and sky. "Where did that come from?" I questioned.

He gritted his teeth and then spat out, "unfortunately my guess was right. Can you make a shield appear again?"

My jaw slacked and I muttered, "I don't know. These weird powers I have don't exactly make sense to me!"

"Well I need to use my powers and I don't feel like making you into a raisin!" He exclaimed.

"I'll... I'll try," I promised.

I closed my eyes and grunted. Shield! Shield!

I opened my eyes to see that there was absolutely nothing.

"I can't do it! I don't know how to control it!" I panicked.

Aiden's jaw clenched and a vein in his forehead popped. He turned to face me and put both of his hands on my shoulders. His face got dark and I quickly realized that his face was literally getting darker. I looked behind him to see another beam of light coming right toward us. We didn't have enough time to move this time.

We're going to die.

I felt like the world began to move in slow motion. Seeing the beam growing bigger little but little, it all seemed so slow. Is this what everyone's last moments are like? Is this what Nyra felt? No, Nyra was peaceful and I'm definitely not feeling peaceful. I'm not ready to go.

I looked at Aiden, he was barely realizing that we haven't moved in time. That if something doesn't change, we're going to die.

Everything was still so slow. Is it wrong of me to want it to be faster? I don't want to suffer. I don't want to feel any pain.

If only I had some control over these powers. If only I wasn't so useless.

I looked at the beam once again. I put my hand out behind Aiden and just hoped that it would somehow stop. That a shield would appear last second to save us.

The beam's finally here. I closed my eyes and kept my hand out. Maybe it won't hurt. Maybe it'll all end quickly.

I'm sorry Serena, I'm not coming home. I can't find you. We can't be together. I know there's an afterlife for sure now so... maybe I'll see you there.

"Alison!" Aiden screamed. I'm sorry Aiden. After all those times that you protected me, in the end, I can't return the favor.

"Open your eyes!" Aiden yelled out. What's the point? I don't want to watch it.

I felt two strong hands start to shake me and I finally opened my eyes. About a foot away from Aiden's back the beam was pummeling into some invisible force. It was coming in waves of strength against the invisible wall but for some reason no matter what it couldn't get past.

Finally, the beam stopped and I blinked away black spots from my vision. "What was that?" I whispered.

"I think it was you," Aiden told me.

I shook my head but the words to deny it stuck in my throat. I think it actually might've been me. I put my hand down and stared at it. Some little force that I had been emitting stopped when I did so. I felt rejuvenated. I felt alive. I felt bulletproof.

"Oh my Ra! What a pain you're going to be now! I knew you were packing some serious power but I didn't think it would be so pesky!" A voice called out.

Aiden froze and he mumbled, "No, please let me be wrong."

"You're not wrong," Byron called out as he walked towards us, "Honestly I'm surprised you didn't figure it out earlier. I always knew you were naive but now I know you're stupid too."