Seth began to breathe a bit easier when Natti finally started for the converted stables. What was she thinking, coming to his house? It was dangerous here. If his father had shown up while she was visiting . . . His mind stilled. He didn’t even want to complete that last thought.
He turned to his mother, took hold of her arm, and led her inside. “Come on, Mom. I’ll help you to the couch where you can rest.”
“What about Natti? Is she not coming in?”
“No, she is not.” Seth voice was stern. “I have to get her back to her family.”
Michelle nodded as if she understood his meaning. Seth gently guided her into the sitting room and pushed her onto the long, red sofa. Taking her hands, he began to rub a little of his magic under her skin.
“Now, Mom, I’ll be back right. I’m just going to drop Natti home. Until then you should lie down and rest.”
His mother began to stand up, her body trembling. “But I have to prepare the evening offering for your father.”
Seth cupped his hands over her shoulders and forced her back into the soft cushions. “No, Mom. The offering can wait.”
“My son! You know it’s my duty to our god, to my hem-netjer.” She shivered, trying to fight off his magic. Her fear and Set’s magic overpowering his charm. “He’ll scorn me otherwise. Punish me. I must prepare the meal.”
Seth exhaled a heavy breath. He couldn’t leave his mother alone for his father to find. Not only would he scorn her for not doing her duties, he would also ask questions. And without proper instruction, she would tell Sean about Natti’s visit for sure. His only hope was to take Natti home and return before his father got home, and Michelle struggling against him was making things even more difficult.
Left with one last resort, Seth placed his palm on her forehead and chanted an ancient Egyptian spell just under his breath. “I call on the power of Set, lord of darkness and chaos, to drown this woman’s mind in sleep.”
He watched his mother’s eyelids begin to droop and her arms hung heavy at her sides. Her lips hardly moving, she mumbled, “I am suddenly exhausted, though.”
Seth gave her his best charming smile. “See.” He kissed her cheek. “All that gardening and conversation has worn you out. It’s probably best if you stay here and sleep. The offering will just have to wait.”
His mother nodded while her lips moved silently; her body and mind were already too ensnared in the spell to speak. She finally closed her eyes, slipping into a coma-like state. Seth leaned her gently onto a pillow and lifted her feet up onto the cushions.
“I promise to get back before Father comes home,” he whispered in her ear before taking off for the back door.
He rushed from the house. His every nerve was on edge, and his body physically shaking. He had to get Natti away from his house, and he had to do it fast. He had maybe another twenty minutes before Sean returned, if lucky. Enough time to drop Natti home, make it back to his mother, and weave some sort of story for her to believe and tell his father.
However, when he finally reached his Jaguar, he found Natti gone. “Shit!”
He looked around, finding no trace of her near the stables. Jumping into his car, he shoved the keys into the ignition, turned over the engine, and whipped around the looped driveway. But he had no idea where to look or which direction she might have taken.
As he sped along the streets in search, a series of horrifying images flashed into his mind: his father, parked along the side of the road, charming Natti into the backseat of his car with him; Sean casually seducing her, taking her under his power; her lovely silver-violet irises, the ones that mesmerized Seth since the first time he saw them, becoming nothing more than slim, shimmering rings around her pupils; Natti sitting in her quarters of Set’s Temple, an anklet dangling over her bare feet.
“Damn it, Natti! Why don’t you ever listen?” Seth slammed his palm against the steering wheel in rage and forced down the gas petal.
Catching a glimpse of wavy, dark hair, he abruptly slammed the breaks and skidded. The tires screeching against the pavement until the car came to a stop. He threw the car into reverse and rolled it back, spotting Natti traveling along a perpendicular road. Her arms were clinging onto a gray colored cat over her shoulder, and her hips gently swaying while she walked.
Seth exhaled in relief, all his fears subsiding. He turned down the street, blasting his horn. Natti wheeled around, trying to hold onto her frightened cat that was clawing at her shirt. He pulled up alongside her.
“Did I not tell you to stay with the car?” he snapped.
She glowered at him. “And I told you, I’m perfectly capable of walking!”
“Oh, I know you’re capable. You’re also capable of being the most stubborn chick I’ve ever met.” Seth pushed open the passenger side door. “Now get in!”
“Why are you—?”
“This is not a debate, Natti! Get your pretty little behind into this car!”
Natti gaped. “You can’t just go about—”