[◈] Curse of the High Priestess

2 | 19 ⌋ and Rises in the East

Nothing was said. 

Hasina kept quiet while looking at Imhotep, wondering what the next step was. She'd never condemned anyone, but Nabila's pain set her veins on fire; she didn't scream. She froze. The creature didn't beg for his life nor did he taunt them. Rather, he accepted his fate as it was. Quite ironic, isn't it?

Nabila condemned him lifetimes ago for the murder of Seti I, to which Imhotep held no remorse. He then was resurrected and sought to bring his sister back to his control, but Nabila only wished to end him once again. The battle was long in his eyes, and he grew weary, but his determination prevented him from stopping. Now, for the third time in their life, Imhotep understood what he'd done; his hands were tied by his sister's word yet again. 

Between the two of them, Nabila always held more wisdom than he, given she was guided by the gods. Imhotep wondered when he allowed the poison to enter his flesh, to turn away from the only family he had left. 

"It shouldn't be my choice," Hasina spoke, her eyes never leaving him, "It should be Nabila's." 

"Do you understand what could occur if we move forward with this choice?" Bastet looked between Hasina and Rick, "Your husband would feel it as well as you since you sired your souls upon resurrecting Nefertiri."

Tears began to dwell, but Hasina refused to yield to her emotions right now. "Whatever pain he feels, I shall bear it."

Ardeth's eyes widened, "Don't make such a choice, Hasina. It will be painful if you do."

"What will be?" Rick ran up to his wife, holding her wrist to pull her close. "What are you doing now?"

"I am separating the past and future," Hasina smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I have to stop this, once and for all."

Rick huffed, "By giving up your life?"

"No, I-"

"I lost you twice, Hasina. We all lost you because you decided to play the heroine from childhood stories, but you are not alone! I don't know how many times I have to tell you that you can't make such decisions alone. I don't care if these-!" Rick wasn't sure what to call them without offending them.

"Stop!" Hasina pulled him into an embrace, "I'm not dying, Rick. My soul has a spare, and she needs to go back to the afterlife." She pulled away, cupping his cheek, "When Imhotep resurrected Anck-su-namun, he unlocked the gate to Nefertiri's souls.... as well as Jabari's."

"But, I didn't die-"

"You are correct," Bastet walked up to the couple, "but the vessel doesn't need to be dead for the soul to attach itself. At times, it wanders until the familiarity is revealed. Jabari's soul found you in Hamunaptra when Imhotep first awakened Nabila; he sensed your urgency to protect her and claimed the feeling as his own. That would explain the visions you'd received upon leaving."

"You had visions?" Hasina pulled away.

"No," Rick averted his eyes. 

"The separation will be painful, but it needs to be done to restore the balance," Osiris explained. 

"Oh, now you all speak English," Rick scoffed.

"We speak all languages, mortal," Anubis glared at the man. "Do not disrespect our being simply because you're small-minded."

"Anubis!" Osiris glared at the god, who looked the other way. 

Hasina sighed, leaning into Rick's touch while the gods discussed the matter in hushed tones, glancing over at the pair every few moments. Her eyes wandered to the sky, thinking of her mother's last moments on earth and how at peace she seemed in the afterlife. It made Hasina wonder if all they'd done, to get to this point, was worth it. They lost good people to a senseless battle that was promised to never occur - only by curiosity did such nightmares come to life. Now, here they were, bargaining with gods who never appeared before.