STAY WOKE
Jagger was startled by the bright stars of deep night as the fresh air hit him—the stars put Amenhotep’s painted tomb ceiling to shame. Aria would love it. That thought was like a punch in the gut.
“Stop,” he mumbled. “I want to see her.”
Tatia put her hand on the dog-headed guard. He was surprisingly gentle for an oversized, metallic creature as he set Aria carefully on the red, desert dirt in front of the tomb.
Jagger dropped to his knees next to his sister’s body.
He draped himself over her. Sobs wracked him—he couldn’t breathe. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. He’d done his part. He’d helped lock the General and that vile traitor, Herihor, in coffins, alive. It didn’t help his sister. He didn’t feel one bit better.
“I’m sorry, Jagger Jones.” Tatia’s hand pressed against his shoulder.
He shook his head and hiccupped. She’d lost sisters too. He should give her back her amulet. He didn’t need it. He didn’t need anything anymore. He’d go home, tell Mom, then … what? He hiccupped again, pulling the amulet off. He clutched it to his chest, praying for his sister to come back. He’d be a better brother if only Aria didn’t have to die. He’d never complain about her again. If only.
Jagger didn’t believe in prayers. He’d always put his faith in science. But science didn’t explain the powers of the necklace wound around his fingers. He’d learned that gods existed. Even a scientist had to acknowledge the divine when it slithered in front of him. “If you really existed, you could bring her back,” he babbled. “You could prove you’re real. You could give me another chance. Please.”
The amulet seared his palm.
“Ah!” He shook his hand.
“Jagger Jones.” Tatia’s voice quivered. “Look up.”
A light hovered above him. “What?” He flinched. Something was … Jagger looked down at his chest, and watched in shock as another light drifted out of his body and climbed up to jangle next to the first.
The Seshep ny Netjer.
“Two Gods’ Lights.” Mut stared up, fingers twined behind her head. “Why? And what are they doing?”
Tatia shook her head.
Jagger kept his eyes on the lights. He leaned farther over his sister, but what was the point in protecting her now? He blinked away tears, struggling to see. Why had they …? He’d been … What if?
If ancient Egyptian gods were real, maybe Isis really had brought Osiris back to life. Wouldn’t that mean she could do the same for Aria? He’d been praying when the lights … Maybe …
For the first time in his life, Jagger wanted to believe in miracles. An image of Grams nagging Gramps popped into his mind. Faith is like happiness, she’d said one Sunday when Gramps had refused to go to church, you have to choose it! She’d slapped the counter on the word “choose.”
Jagger had never chosen faith. He’d never believed in anything not proven by science. But back in Chicago, everything was about science: soaring buildings, fast cars, computers and smartphones, a river that had been forced to reverse course, even the food was famous for its molecular gastronomy. But ancient Egypt was different. Not different like other modern cities—they had cars and architecture too, even the small and poor ones—but different in its bones, like it was made up of unknown gene strands.
With all the magic he’d witnessed over the past few days, anything was possible. In this moment, he believed that the same way he believed his heart was pumping blood through his tricuspid valve, or that J was the only letter not found in the periodic table.
“Please, Isis. Please bring my sister back.” Tears streamed down his face. Mut and Tatia were crying too. The dog guards and their captives stood back, away from Jagger and the girls. Smenkare’s mouth hung open as he stared up at the Seshep ny Netjer. Jagger closed his eyes, thinking back to how Tatia had addressed the gods. He cleared his throat, squeezing the amulet tight. “Come to me, Isis. Help me. Help my sister. Please.”
A tug.
Jagger’s faith bloomed brighter.
“Bring Aria back, Isis. Give her the gift you gave your husband, Osiris. Take my life if you need to, but bring Aria back. Please. I know you can.”
Something was happening.
A sensation …
Jagger opened his eyes. He watched the lights. They seemed to be watching him back. One light shifted toward him. It paused, then flew into his chest. He gasped. What if the other …
The other light pulsed bright. Jagger held his breath. “Please, Isis. You have a sister too. I know you can—”
The light shot into Aria.
Aria!
He could feel her!
She gasped and opened her eyes.
“Aria!” Jagger fell onto his sister. Then realized he might be hurting her and sat up, letting his hands rest on her shoulders. His pulse was racing with joy.
She stared at him. Her eyes were blank—dark and dead and empty, like Lake Michigan on a cold, winter’s night.
“Do you know who I am?”
She gaped.
“Do you remember your name? Do you know what year it is?”
She shook herself. “You didn’t tell me the year, Brainy.” Her voice was scratchy.
“You’re you! How are you—?”
Aria covered her face with her hands and moaned. “Can we just not with the ten million questions right now?” She rolled onto her side.
“Yeah. Yeah, okay. Anything.” Elation rushed through him. “I mean, you’re alive!”
“And I’m …” She pushed herself up onto her elbow, glancing around at the strange gathering. “I missed it.” She shook her head at Mut and Tatia. “You guys are here.” Her eyes drifted to Mut. “Guess you’re not such a crappy Protector after all.”
Mut’s smile outshone the stars above.
Aria glanced back toward the tomb. “We won!”
Jagger wiped his nose. Everything was wet and gooey. “Yeah, lil’ sis.”
She pointed a shaky finger at the tomb door. “Why are those two sleazy, rat-poop balls still in there?”
Tatia knelt next to Aria. “How did you know—”
“Tatia locked them in coffins. Alliiiivvvve.” Jagger wiggled his fingers, laughing.
“Safe keeping until we can deal with them,” Mut added.
Jagger glanced at Tatia, saw her trembling chin, and paused. “Wait.” He turned to her. “Your sisters too?”
The princess shook her head. “No. This gift is from the gods to you. Nothing like this has ever happened in our history—”
“Why now?” Mut tapped her cheek with her finger. “Why Aria? Why would the gods …”
The princess shrugged. “The gods are a mystery.” She wrapped her arms around Aria.
Aria’s eyes were wide. She stared, mouth open, over the princess’s shoulder, patting her back, then shoved a braid away from her nose.
Jagger exhaled. He was trembling. “You okay?” What if this wasn’t real? What if it didn’t last? He reached out and put his hand on her head—it was warm with life.
“I’m …” She paused. “Different. But okay, yeah. I … hey!” Her eyes darted to Smenkare. “Why isn’t Smell-kare locked in a coffin alive with those other snot-covered, dung pellets?”
Jagger laughed, then felt guilty. His sister had sprung from the dead, miraculously. But Tatia’s little sisters were still back in Amarna, drained of all that life that filled them when he’d seen them, only a few days ago. And Mek’s life was fading.
“Funny you ask about him.” Mut glared back at the prince. “I was just thinking we might need a do-over.”
“We need to get to Mek.” Aria struggled to stand.
Tatia sagged. She reached her hands down to pull Aria up.
Jagger put his hand out. “She needs rest—”
“No.” Aria jumped up and brushed the dust off her butt. “That last thing I need is rest. Mek needs us. Now, before it’s too late.”
Tatia sniffled, staring at her toes.
Jagger helped Aria balance, thrilled with the feel of her warm hand in his. She turned to him and sighed. Jagger took a deep breath, closing his eyes. His sister was safe. They had, in spite of the crazy odds, managed to stop the spell and save their own lives along with who knew how many ancestors. He pulled her in tight for a hug. They weren’t done yet, but their lives were no longer dangling by a thin thread.
“When did Tatia show up?” she whispered. “And Mut looks like crap. I didn’t know that was a thing. Where’d she come from? What happened to Babi? Why is Smell-kare—?”
“I thought you said no questions.” Jagger released her, smiling down at her.
“No. I said you couldn’t ask questions.” She limped forward. “I died and came back to life. I get to do whatever I want.”
“Uh, okay. How long is this royal princess routine going to last?”
“Well, since we now know I really am a princess, it might last a while. You should probably get used to it.”
Jagger chuckled. He felt guilty for the happiness that flowed through him. Tatia’s sisters were dead. And Mek was going to die soon, hopefully not before they got to her.
Aria must have read his mind. “Now,” she said, leaning into him, her voice tired and tense. “Let’s get these soul stones things to Mek so she can have her happy Death Life. Even I’m ready for chocolate chip cookies and TV!”
Tatia turned away, hands in tight fists at her side. Mut bit her lip, eyes scrunched in concern, as she watched the princess motion at the guards and walk into the night.