A Falcon's Light

Chapter 8

I looked between the two. Nephthys was Set's ex-wife and Anubis' mother. She was a death goddess of the setting sun and twilight. In the Osiris story, she helped raise him and protect baby Horus. The two gods scowled. She would be a very powerful enemy.
"So let me get this straight, Osiris kidnapped me, Nephthys tortured me, made me forget, Sekhmet healed me for two days and then Osiris beat me up on the third day before I was rescued. Did I get that right?" I looked between the two.

"That would be my guess. Mother is almost as powerful as Osiris. The only woman stronger is Ist, but she hasn't been seen in years, much like Thoth, who is," His words faded off.

"Neither Djehuty nor Ist has been seen in centuries, both are strong enough to take on Ausiy and Nephty." Bastet thought out loud. "Maybe the two of them went into hiding." The rest of us stared at her. Was she right?

"Too bad we can't just go back in time when we knew where they were." I groaned. Anubis perked up.

"I have a way to do just that. The only problem is you need to meet him." He turned to me, his smile growing.

Just then the door of the parlor burst open and the Hughes couple ran in. Their eyes widened as Anubis stood with his arms crossed. He was built like a house, so his arms looked big enough to squash a pumpkin. Definitely big enough to scare an elderly couple.

"It's ok, they're with me." Set said. As soon as Anubis dropped back on the couch, Elaine ran and threw her arms around my shoulders. She started crying her face buried into my shoulder.

"Elaine I'm alright." I whispered, raising my arms to hug her back.

"Let go of her, sister!" Bastet spoke low and a deep growl came from her throat. Elaine stiffened at her voice. Set's eyes widened.

"I'm so sorry." Elaine sat on the floor, bowing low enough that her forehead touched the floor. "I'm so so sorry." Both of the older people began crying. I looked between the two. They were both bowing, crying.

"What is going on here?" I said. Elaine looked up, her eyes reddened with her crying. Bastet stood between the two of us, growling. The couple looked to each other and then back to me. With a sudden gust of wind Elaine was gone and in her place was a beautiful young woman with fluffy golden hair and small round ears poking out from her head. Her glowing amber eyes were still filled with tears.

Bastet also shifted. Her ashen hair was longer and large silver cat ears protruded from her hair. They looked almost identical in the face. One sister of gold and the other of silver. Bastet bared her teeth in a hiss. Sekhmet closed her eyes and bowed her head in shame.

My eyes flashed to my older friend, betrayal staining my features. He closed his eyes and scale-like green light flitted over his body. When the green light faded the elderly, heavy-set man was instead a young bodybuilder with green hair stood there. I looked between the two, tears welled up in my eye.

"HOW DARE YOU! I TRUSTED YOU!" I screamed. "THEY TORTURED ME! YOU DID NOTHING? I saw you guys as friends." I couldn't fight the stream of tears.

"I know what we did was wrong, but please listen. I beg of you." Mr. Hughes, no Sobek, bowed low again, pleading.

"I should kill you where you stand!" Set growled. He hadn't known either, and he had known them far longer.

"Fine speak, I'll listen. Whether or not I'll see you again is another matter." I said, my body shaking with anger and betrayal.

"We were tricked centuries ago. Nephthys took an idea from the story of Isis making Re sick to get his name. Nephthys got our names and has used them to control us for centuries. She can order us to do anything but doesn't have full control. Sekhmet used that loophole to heal you after Nephthys cleared your mind. Ausir beat her for it." Sekhmet turned her head in shame.