She took a moment to collect her thoughts. She had only been five when her mother died, yet there were days when the images were still vivid in her memory. She never talked about it before. Not with anyone, and particularly not with her father. It was something she locked up deep inside, letting it feed her fears. She wished she could just forget, though she knew she never would.
“She was killed while in Luxor, Egypt,” Natti finally whispered, surprised how easily the words spilled out. But there was more to the story than she was willing to share. Like the fact that her mother’s body had been dumped outside Luxor Temple. Her liver, intestines, lungs, stomach, and even her heart all had been removed, like she was being prepared for mummification before they discarded her.
Seth muttered in his soft honey voice, “That sucks.”
Natti couldn’t help but smile slightly at his comment. “Basically sums it up.”
Kandi placed down two mugs of steaming hot coffee, shoving one toward Natti so that it spilled over, nearly catching her sleeve.
“Gee, thanks,” Natti hissed.
Seth chuckled while Kandi swayed her hips and walked off. He grabbed some napkins from the metallic dispenser and handed them to Natti.
“It seems being with you is a hazard to my health,” Natti commented.
“She’s just jealous.”
“Which of your girlfriends isn’t?”
Seth laughed and took a sip of his coffee. Natti pulled the creamers from the center of the table and poured two into her mug.
“So I guess that explains why Egypt creeps you out so much,” Seth finally stated. “But you shouldn’t let that dim your view on everything Egyptian. The ancient culture we celebrate with the festival basically died out thousands of years ago.”
Natti stroked the collar around the jackal. “There are other reasons, too. The ancient tombs and temples. The pyramids. And of course, some of their beliefs and traditions: mummification, curses, magic, and human sacrifices. I’m just . . . not a huge fan.”
Seth chuckled while he twiddled a wooden stirrer between his fingers. “I can understand mummification. I think it creeps almost everyone out on some level. As for human sacrifices, you might be confusing the Egyptians with the Aztecs.”
Natti shook her head, stubbornly. “Several pharaohs’ servants were buried with them after being poisoned,” she corrected. “I call that a human sacrifice.”
“Ah.” Seth nodded, an amused smile on his lips. “As for curses and magic, I thought you didn’t believe in that stuff.”
“I don’t. But I also won’t deny that some odd things have occurred during tomb explorations and discoveries. Like diseases being released, and there’s the traps they built. They totally freak me out.”
Seth’s smile grew wider. “And see, I’m the opposite. The magic, the curses, and all old texts. Even the tombs and pyramids. They fascinate me.”
“Why?”
“Because they’re the foundation of society. Magic, the five elements of man, Duat . . . They all dictate how citizens should live by learning through their gods’ teachings.”
“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”
Seth fumbled, the stirrer clattering onto the table. “I’ve read a lot of books on the subject.”
Natti glanced at his collar. “So, what does the hieroglyph stand for? The one on the back of your neck?”
Seth’s hand shot to his neck with a look of panic. “What?”
“Hey, it’s cool. I got one too, except mine’s henna. See.” Natti pulled off her jacket to reveal her shoulder. Seth brushed his fingers over her skin, sending pleasant shivers down her spine. “Jen talked me into it. Though I think my dad is going to have a shit-fit when he sees it. He hates tattoos, of any kind.”
Seth smiled. “The ostrich feather. Very appropriate.”
“I’m sorry?”
“The ostrich feather. It’s the symbol of Ma ‘at, or truth.”
“Oh.” Natti felt her cheeks growing warmer. “I didn’t realize that. . . . Um, so what about yours? I didn’t see it at any of the shops.”
“You wouldn’t have. I had this done a little over five years ago, and it’s not a design you would find the parlors offering at the festival.”
Natti stretched her neck to look at his tattoo again. “But it’s a hieroglyph, right?”
“How did you even know?”
“My grandmother was really into Egyptian culture.” That and she had been researching the hieroglyphs of the locket on the internet. There were a TON of symbols, each meaning something different; some even representing more than one word. “I think I’ve seen that symbol before. I just can’t recall what it means.”
Seth tapped his mug with the stirrer and chewed on his lip. “It’s called the was scepter. The symbol of the ancient Egyptian god, Set.”
“Set?” Natti thought for a moment, the name sounding familiar. “Didn’t he kill someone?”
“His brother, Osiris.” Seth tilted his head and studied her. “You know the story of Isis and Osiris?”
“No, not really.” Natti leaned a little closer, intrigued. “I wouldn’t mind hearing it, if you would tell me.”