Tut (27 page)

“What's going on, Tia?” I gritted my teeth. I had to prepare for the worst.

“Horemheb's up there.”

“So what? I'm not going to fight him. He can stay up there forever, as far as I'm concerned.”

Tia grabbed my arm. “No, Tut. He's not alone.”

I faced the god-awful feeling that slammed into my stomach.

“Who's he with?” I hated to ask, but I had to.

She grimaced as she told me. “Henry.”

 

23

WHERE I CLIMB THE FIVE HUNDRED STEPS OF DOOM

Horemheb couldn't have Henry. That couldn't be happening. My brain wanted to refuse Tia's words. But then I remembered Henry's cryptic text.
ok b there soon.
I'd never told him to be anywhere. It had to be Horemheb, pretending to be me.

“Please tell me you're kidding,” I said.

But Tia's eyes spoke the truth. Horemheb was threatening death on those around me once again.

Where in the realm of Anubis was Horus when I needed him? I had to get up there now. I couldn't even call Gil to ask for help because I'd ditched my phone.

My brain fogged over with a hatred so dark, I was having trouble thinking. Horemheb had Henry up in the top of the Washington Monument. Horemheb—who'd killed my father. And my mother. And my brother. He had no reason not to kill Henry.…

Except that he wanted the knife. And he wanted me dead. Those were my only bargaining chips.

I grabbed Colonel Cody and took off, running for the monument. I'd get in through the basement. When I got to the Smithsonian subway stop, I tore down the escalator, even though it was closed due to flooding, and hopped the gate. The tracks were filled with water, but I waded my way through until I found the door I was looking for: the one I used when I snuck into the Washington Monument after hours. I ripped the door from its hinges and sprinted inside.

It took only minutes to reach the monument, but each second that passed felt like a millennium. Why had I let myself get so close to Henry anyway? It was stupid and careless, and now he'd pay for my mistake with his life.

Once I was inside the monument, I dashed for the stairs, taking them three at a time until I reached the top.

“Perhaps we can sneak up on the betrayer, Great Master,” Colonel Cody whispered in my ear.

“Good plan,” I whispered back. I crept forward, trying to stay in the shadows.

But Horemheb had been expecting me.

“Our boy king joins us.”

The ball in the pit of my stomach hardened at the sound.

“We've waited so patiently for you,” Horemheb said.

“Tut!” I heard Henry say. “Go away!”

There was something that sounded a lot like a bone snapping, and then there was a yell. I jumped from my hiding place onto the main floor.

Henry lay against the wall holding his arm. He glared at my uncle and tried to stand.

“We thought you'd never show up, little Pharaoh,” Horemheb said.

I let every bit of hatred I felt for Horemheb show on my face. I had to do something to help Henry.

“Are you okay?” I asked Henry. Which was a worthless question. Henry was in the clutches of a murderer.

“He's going to kill you,” Henry said.

“The boy king knows that,” Horemheb said. “He's known that for three thousand years. He's been waiting for this moment as long as I have. But before I kill you, Tutankhamun, I'm going to kill your friend.”

I may have been powerless when my family died in the past, but I wasn't powerless anymore. I had the knife, and thus the upper hand.

“Shut up,” I said. “You're not killing anyone.”

“Of course I am. After I kill your friend, I'll kill you,” Horemheb said. “You never deserved to be pharaoh. And your father, Akhenaton. Don't get me started on him. He cheated me out of my throne. I should have been pharaoh. Then we would have never had any of that religious mess. He ruined everything.”

“You never deserved to rule,” I said. “And you're the one who ruined everything. It all came down to you. Because you were worthless and jealous and angry that your son died. That wasn't my father's fault. Things like that happen. You can't look for excuses and blame other people. You should be thankful he's gone, because he couldn't stand to see what kind of monster his father has become.”

Horemheb's face reddened like he was choking. “Don't you dare act like you're better than me, Tutankhamun. You have never been better than me. You are nothing.”

I'd had enough. “Maybe I am nothing. But I'm not going to play this game any longer. I'm done. Let Henry go, and you'll never see us again.”

Horemheb laughed as if I'd told a joke. “Please. I will never give up my quest for revenge. Now give me the knife.”

“No.”

“Careful, Great Master,” Colonel Cody whispered from my shoulder.

Horemheb wrapped his fingers tightly around Henry's throat. “It's going to get hard for him to breathe.”

I stood frozen in place. What could I do? There had to be a way out of this that didn't end up with Henry dead.

“I don't have it.”

“You're lying, Boy King,” Horemheb said between his gritted teeth. “I can sense its power.”

I couldn't sense anything but my situation spiraling out of control.

“The knife. Or your little friend dies.” Horemheb looked down at Henry, struggling in his arms. “Hanging out with the royal family can be dangerous.”

“Let Henry go,” I said. Even as it came out, I knew it sounded like a plea, because that's exactly what it was. I was not going to let this happen. Henry had done nothing to deserve this. Nothing except be my friend. And even if that meant a death sentence for me, it was not going to be one for Henry.

“What did you say?” Horemheb asked.

“Let him go, and I'll give you the knife.” I pulled it out from under my shirt.

Horemheb's eyes widened. “Ah, now that's more like it.”

“Don't give it to him, Tut!” Henry said. “Take the knife and run!”

I smiled inwardly. Henry had no idea. There was zero chance I'd run away and leave him here to be killed by Horemheb. The earth was more likely to implode on the spot.

Horemheb ignored Henry, licking his lips at the sight of the knife. “Bring it to me slowly.”

I took a deep breath … and felt the scrolls from the
Book of the Dead
still tucked under my jacket. And remembered that I still had one spell left.

Maybe I couldn't kill Horemheb in vengeance. I couldn't use the knife. But I didn't have to be the one to sentence him to death. He deserved to be judged. And he would be.

In my mind, I went over the spell from the
Book of the Dead
.

I took another step toward him.

Horemheb reached for the knife.

I held it out. And in one swift motion, I slashed at him, nicking the side of his hand.

Blood sprang up from the cut. Horemheb let go of Henry, and the cut on his hand sizzled as his exposed blood hit the air. Just like when he'd cut my side, the knife had wounded him. Not enough to kill him—but I didn't need to kill him.

Horemheb snarled at me and grabbed the knife. And then before I could stop him, he lunged out for Henry with the blade.

Henry dropped to the ground. I barely had time to see his blood before Horemheb was on me. He held the knife over my chest, directly above my scarab heart. Great Osiris, he really was going to use it.

 

24

WHERE I END MY IMMORTAL LIFE

“Ready to die?” Horemheb asked. He shifted his grip on the knife and blood from the cut on his hand dripped down on me. I moved so that the blood would fall on my chest. And then the words came to me—the same spell I'd chanted so long ago in my tomb: “The Judgment of the Dead.” It hadn't worked back then because I didn't have power over the
Book of the Dead
. But this time I did. The words to the spell were hidden in my memories. I was going to get them right. I was out of time and options. This had to work. Horemheb's blood seeped through my shirt and onto the scrolls. I chanted faster.

Behind Horemheb, the wall of the monument started to glow. Light sprang from the scrolls. I kept chanting.

“Don't waste your time,” Horemheb said. “It's too late.”

He thrust the knife downward.

Colonel Cody leapt from my shoulder onto Horemheb's hand, knocking his hand to the side just before the blade pierced my skin. He struggled with Horemheb, trying to pry the knife from his fingers.

Edges became distinct on the glowing wall and a portal appeared, pure gold and glittering with gems. Engraved with spells from the book itself. This was it. The spell was working. This was the door to the afterworld. When the last word dropped from my lips, the spell was complete. The portal to the afterworld was active.

“It's not too late for anything,” I said.

With every bit of strength I still had, I kicked Horemheb away from me.

He flew toward the portal. Colonel Cody still struggled on Horemheb's hand, pulling at his fingers. The knife Horemheb clasped finally fell to the ground. Horemheb passed through the portal. I barely had time to see Horemheb open his mouth to scream before the portal sealed and the light extinguished. And then Horemheb was gone. He'd have to face Maat now. It was the only way to pass on to the Fields of the Blessed. She'd weigh his rotten heart and feed him to the crocodile goddess, Ammut. He would be devoured.

It was only then that I realized Colonel Cody was gone, too. My faithful shabti. He'd passed through the portal with Horemheb. I'd never see him again. He'd given his life helping me defeat my enemy. The price was too high. My heart ached, but I didn't have time to mourn him. As the power from the spell drained from me, I jumped up and ran over to Henry.

“Great Osiris!” I knew it was useless, but I pressed my hands over his neck.

The ground below him was a pool of blood. His neck looked like someone had done a bad job of trying to cut off his head; the cut extended from just under his left ear almost to his chin.

Henry's eyes opened. “Is … he … gone?”

“Shhhh!” I said. “Don't talk. I'm going to get you to a hospital.”

“You … did … it,” he rasped. “Horemheb…”

I nodded, hoping the horror wasn't showing on my face. Not that Henry would have recognized it. I'd seen people die before. I knew what death looked like. Horemheb had delivered a fatal wound to Henry, and now he was going to die.

“We did it,” I said. “I sent him to be judged by the gods.”

A small smile reached Henry's white lips. “Thanks … for being … my friend.”

He had a hard time getting it out, but I had a harder time listening to it. What kind of friend was I? Henry was going to die.

I slammed my fist into the ground. “It's not fair! You can't die.” I couldn't believe I'd let this happen. “I never should have let us become friends!”

“No…,” Henry started, but stopped from the effort of it.

How could I even look him in the eye? I may as well have sliced his throat myself. If only I could heal him. At that moment, I would have done anything, and yet there was nothing I could do.…

… except …

I dug up every bit of faith I had.

“Please, Osiris, save him,” I prayed. “Take my immortality. Take my life. But please save him.” I knew it might be futile, but it was all I had left.

I had to have faith. Without faith, there was no hope. Without hope, there was nothing.

Osiris heard me.

He appeared in front of me and bent down, placing one hand on my chest and one hand on Henry. And then every bit of energy that filled my scarab heart drained from me.

 

25

WHERE GIL TURNS UP THE HEAT

I guess that's where Gil found us, even though I didn't wake up until the next day. I opened my eyes and found Gil hovering over me on the futon back in our town house.

“You almost died,” he said. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. His dark hair hung in greasy strands, escaped from a bad attempt to be pulled back. His face was the color of rice. And the bags under his eyes could have held a gallon of water each.

My hand went to my chest. The warmth I'd known for so long was gone. My scarab heart was dead. “Are you sure I didn't die?”

“Pretty sure.” Gil handed me a glass of water.

I took a long drink and set the glass on the table. Lieutenant Virgil rushed forward and filled it back to the rim. I instinctively looked around for Colonel Cody.

He wasn't there.

He'd been lost in the battle, giving his life to ensure Horemheb reached the afterworld without the knife.

Great Amun, I was going to miss the little shabti. I could almost imagine his small golden face offering to end his own existence for some ridiculous oversight. I'd counted on him for everything. He was the only one who'd never lied to me, never failed me. I'd never told him how much he meant to me. Now I'd never have the chance.

The rest of my shabti army stood at attention, with one arm crossed over the other, in concentric circles around me. They didn't move, almost like they were truly statues instead of sentient beings.

My head spun as I sank bank into the futon. “I feel horrible.”

Gil tried to smile, but it couldn't seem to fully form on his face. “You looked horrible when I found you.”

“Thanks,” I said. “How's Henry?”

“He's fine,” Gil said. “Happy to be alive.”

Would it be hard for me to adjust to my drained scarab heart? Already I felt the emptiness in my chest like a hole begging to be filled. But there was nothing to fill it with. Henry needed the energy from my heart more than I did. He would have died otherwise. And anyway, I'd been immortal an awfully long time.

“You know, what you did up there—” Gil started.