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.