Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 123065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
Cyrus shrugs. “You seem lucid.”
“Thank you?”
“You’re welcome.”
“Stay.” I’m practically begging. “Or let me come with you.”
“But I got rid of the voices.” He smirks. “Do you need more assistance?”
“What are you a robot?” I shriek. “No. None of this is normal.”
“Do you want to forget it happened?”
“YES!”
“Ah, it was too soon. Alright.” He walks up to me and grabs me by the shoulders. “This spell is quite easier.” Before I can say anything, he’s kissing me. His tongue dives into my mouth. He tastes like sweet heat. I wrap my arms around him. He picks me up and sets me on the sacrificial table, exactly not where I want to be—his taste is everything. I’ve never been kissed like this before. I’m jumping into the flames when suddenly it feels like cold water got dumped on me.
I pull away. Wait, what just happened? I blink, frowning at the close proximity of Cyrus’ face.
Why am I sitting?
Cyrus tilts his head at me. “Like I said, enjoy your time. I’ll see you soon.”
He leaves.
And I’m still sitting wondering what the hell just happened and why I blacked out the last few minutes of conversation. I frown the entire way back to the second chamber then sit at my brother’s workstation. I continue to frown for the next half hour. Something’s off I just can’t figure out what.
Annoyingly confused, I hop down from the stone altar, fleetingly wondering why on earth I’d ever choose to take a seat there, and walk over to my brother’s desk. The only two books he has are part of The Book of Life with a listing of various spells for the afterlife, ones that involve people turning into light so they get a free pass to attack any snakes that may follow you to the afterlife.
The only topic I know about the books on Immortals and Book of Life is that one explains the Egyptian lifestyle of worship and the gods. I hazily remember a few names of people who have died and conjured spells into the afterlife. Every family member would record their line as to not be forgotten and earn a spot in the afterlife. I’m sure my history is a bit fuzzy since I’m not as far through the program as Jake but if this is what he was looking at, then I’m curious.
I frown and slowly crack open the first page of the historical book.
I read, thankful I actually know some Egyptian and Greek words. “These are the accounts of Ra, God of the Sun, the Forefather of Heaven, Earth, Hell.”
I almost drop the book.
The statue I saw earlier, that was Ra. I know him, he’s like…Cronus from Greek mythology, but according to the myths and legends he was chased by Chaos his entire life. Apep would stop at nothing to destroy him, so day and night, Ra would fight him with his spear. I gulp and look over at the wall and shake my head, even though the spears in the other room it’s like I can see it. It’s fine. It’s not real. He would fight him and in order to keep humanity human, he would spear the God of Chaos in the skies only to fight him again. The only reason the world exists, according to this mythology, is because Ra does as well.
I turn the next page.
Then the next.
And I see a picture of something I didn’t expect and almost shut the book.
Ra, shining like the sun, overlooking the earth, encompassing half of it with his body, and he’s smiling.
And Apollo? Wait, why is Apollo in this? Anubis? Osiris? I jerk back and look at the title of the book again. Why are non-Egyptian gods in this book?
Ra stands tall, the sun behind him, and then he bows. The rest of the gods do the same around him. What sort of book is this?
No, he’s…smiling as his hands are spread wide and blood drips down his body, while everyone raises weapons around him.
He’s smiling like he’s happy he’s about to die.
Why would he want to die?
Wait, why is he getting thrown off a mountain? Or is he falling? Is the sun falling? The next picture has him landing on earth in fire. That’s terrifying. The sun actually falling out of the sky. Why was Jake studying Ra, of all gods?
I turn the next page carefully and find another picture.
Ra falls and his blood spills over an altar eerily similar to the one in the other room, his hand is reaching up toward the sky, fire engulfs it..
The page next to it shows more pictures and one specifically of a feral looking storm with teeth trying to devour Ra.
It’s the same bloody scene I saw at the pub. Is it Ra and Apep then? Chaos chasing the sun?
I hate it even more now that I’ve seen the other pictures.