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.