Natti gazed over at Seth as well, curiosity peeking through her teary eyes.
“No trick, Father. Unlike you, I read the letter and found the answer at her house.” Seth turned his attention to Natti. “She doesn’t know. Even attempting to translate what she could, she didn’t realize what it was, never did.” Her eyes widened, and Seth knew she understood what he was speaking of: The locket she wore to school. Seth glared back at his father. “I’ll tell you what possesses the location, but only if you release her.”
Sean rubbed his chin, calculating his next move carefully. “You truly know the secret?”
“Ask Natti. She can tell you I speak the truth.”
“Well?” Sean glanced at Natti. She turned away, refusing to respond.
“Look,” Seth continued, trying to turn this situation in his favor. “You can have me. Take me in her place as the sacrifice.”
Natti’s head lashed around. “Seth, don’t!”
Sean snorted. “You for her?”
“As you said before, dawn approaches, and you need a sacrifice to satisfy Set. But you have a choice to make. You can either kill us and lose the secret forever or take me in her place, and I’ll tell you what you need to know. Your choice.”
Sean smiled. “Very well. Tell me the secret.”
Seth eyed Natti. “Release her first!”
Sean shook his head. “I will release her when you tell me what and where the item you speak of is!”
Natti’s eyes widened. “Seth, he’s—”
Sean placed his hand over Natti’s mouth, cutting her off. “Tell me, Son. Tell me want I want to know.”
Natti shook her head. Sean rolled his eyes in frustration and in one swift stroke he looped the sickle along her throat. The blade pressed into her flesh.
“The necklace!” Seth hollered. “She was wearing a necklace, the Eye of Horus. Inside you’ll find a series of hieroglyphs. That should lead you to the secret name.”
“Are you sure?” Sean asked.
“Yes!”
The rays of the sun started to peek into the room from the shaft in the ceiling, the light gently shining over Natti and Sean. “Ah, and just in time. Ar nefer.” He opened an old papyrus scroll in front of him and raised his hands toward Set.
Speaking in the ancient’s tongue, Sean addressed the starting prayer, “Hail to you, O Set, lord of darkness, bringer of chaos, wielder of the scepter of power, rightful ruler of Egypt. You have been wrongly banished from your throne and cast into the sacred desert of the west by your enemies, Osiris and Horus. For it was you who have done the impossible. You killed a god and destroyed his body to take your place as king, your rightful status. Through this act, you have shown your might to the world, and we, your people, honor you, O Set.
“Hail to you, our god, our leader, our teacher. I belong in your company, O Set. I have fought for you and serve in your name. I am the priest of your royal house in Setemple; I am he who protects your name; I am he who reads the ritual books; I am the hem-netjer.
“I have come before you, O Set, to make this offering, to satisfy your living needs. To you, O Set, I present an offering of flesh and bone and beauty. I offer to you this woman, Natara Stone, a Daughter of Isis—”
“You said I could take her place!” Seth barked.
Sean paused and glanced back at him. “You? A traitor? What kind of sacrifice would that be?”
Seth’s anger spiked. He tried to charge, but Ky’s fingers sank into his shoulder in a death grip.
Sean returned to his scroll, the Egyptian words ringing out for all to hear. “I offer to you this woman, Natara Stone, a Daughter of Isis, to give you pleasure as you see fit. To have her do as you please with her. Enslave her soul to your will, to serve your every need.”
Seth tried again to rush toward his father, looking to wring his neck. Ky held him firm in his place, grasping his arm and twisting it behind his back.
“Let her tremble at your feet as you feast on her blood and take hold of her heart.”
Sean picked up the amber liquid and passed it to the subordinate priests, each taking a single sip and handing it back to their hem-netjer. The priests began to chant, bowing and praising Set. The date wine potion began to take its effects, sending the priests into a trance.
Seth focused his attention on Natti. Her beautiful, silver-violet eyes locked onto his. The horror she expressed burned deep into his memory. He realized she had no clue what was happening, what was being spoken.
Sean brought forth the date wine to Natti. Seth’s lunged forward, his fear starting to consume him. “Natti, don’t drink it!” he called. “It’s a potion!”