Who Is She? | Jaz Anderson

• twenty-five •

The Hall of Judgment had turned into Party Central. Ammit the Devourer ran around the scales of justice, vapping excitedly with a birthday hat on his crocodile head. The guillotine-headed demons lounged on their pole arms, holding glasses of what looked like champagne. Ayden didn't know how they could drink with those guillotine heads, but she didn't want to find out. Even the blue judgment god Disturber seemed to be in a good mood. His Cleopatra wig was sideways on his head. His long scroll had unraveled halfway across the room, but he was laughing and talking with the other judgment gods who had been rescued from the House of Rest. Fire-embracer and Hot Foot kept dropping cinders on his papyrus, but Disturber didnt seem to notice or care.

At the far end of the room, Julius Kane sat on his throne, holding hands with their ghostly mom, Ruby. To the left of the dais, spirits from the Underworld played in a jazz ensemble. Ayden was pretty sure she recognized Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and a few of her dad's other favorites. Being the god of the Underworld has its perks.

Julius beckoned them forward. He didn't look mad, which was a good sign. They made their way through the crowd of happy demons and judgment gods. Ammit yapped at Sadie and purred as she scratched under his chin.

"Children." Julius held out his arms.

It felt strange being called children. Ayden didn't feel like a child anymore. Children weren't asked to fight Chaos serpents. They didn't lead armies to stop the end of the world.

The three siblings both hugged their dad. They couldn't hug Ruby, of course, since she was a ghost, but Ayden was happy enough to see her safe. Except for the glowing aura around her, she looked just like she did when she was alive — dressed in jeans and her ankh T-shirt, her blond hair gathered back in a bandana.

If Ayden didn't look directly at her, she could have almost mistaken her for Sadie.

"Mom, you survived," Carter said. "How —?"

"All thanks to you three." Mom's eyes sparkled. "I held on as long as I could, but the shadow was too powerful. I was consumed, along with so many other spirits. If you hadn't destroyed the sheut when you did and released us, I would've been... well, it doesn't matter now. You've done the impossible. We are so proud."

"Yes," Dad agreed, squeezing Carter's shoulder. "Everything we've worked for, everything we've hoped for — you have accomplished. You've exceeded my highest expectations."

Carter hesitated. Was it possible he didn't know about Setne?

"Dad," Ayden said, "um... we didn't succeed at everything. We lost your prisoner. I still don't understand how he escaped. He was tied up and —"

Dad raised his hand to stop her. "I heard. We may never know how Setne escaped exactly, but you can't blame yourselves."

"We can't?" Sadie asked.

"Setne has evaded capture for cons," Dad said. "He's outwitted gods, magicians, mortals, and demons. When I let you take him, I suspected he would find a way to escape. I just hoped you could control him long enough to get his help. And you did."

"He got us to the shadow," Carter admitted. "But he also stole the Book of Thoth."

Sadie bit her lip. "Dangerous stuff, that book. Setne may not be able to cast all the spells himself, being a ghost, but he could still cause all sorts of mischief."

"We will fnd him again," Julius promised. "But for now, let's celebrate your victory."

Their mom reached out and brushed her ghostly hands through Sadie's and Ayden's hair. "May I borrow you a moment, my dears? I have somethings I'd like to discuss with you."