Runihura thrust his fingers into his eyes and yanked the bloody orbs from their sockets. As the people watched, horrified, he squeezed each eyeball, then opened his hands, a puff of light rising from each palm. The light undulated in the air like a snake, and, with jaws gaping, one arc of light shot toward the son of Nassor, the other toward the son of Khalfani.
The light pierced their foreheads, and the boys cried out as the dark magic lifted them into the air and threw them across the temple. As the kings raced to the sides of their sons, the son of Heru drew his sword and barreled toward the evil priest. The once peaceful and pristine temple became a chaotic mash of clashing swords, screams, and slick blood.
Heru’s son raised his sword, but before he struck, he asked, “Why? We worshipped Seth. We did what was asked. Why have you done this?”
Firestorms lit the empty eyes of the priest of Seth, who, with a crocodile smile, said simply, “Chaos. Egypt was once a wild, powerful nation, but I have captured it, domesticated it, and lulled it into complacency. For twenty years, I have tended it and spoiled it. And now I have led tame Egypt to the altar. It is time to throw the fat into the fire, a final sacrifice that will do in your once-great nation, utterly.”
The son of Heru could stand to hear no more and plunged his sword into the traitor’s chest, but the dying man just clutched the sword and laughed as he collapsed to his knees.
“Runihura was just a vessel,” the possessed man uttered. “True, he was a devoted disciple, but”—he paused and gestured to Heru’s son to come closer—“others will rise to take his place. Between you and me, young prince, the world as you know it will end. The three of you are the keys and one way or another you will submit and bow your heads beneath my heel.” Delighted at the prince’s horrified expression, a crazed Runihura began to laugh, but the sound quickly diminished as the man slumped weakly to the temple floor.
Having finished off the other possessed priests, soldiers surrounded Heru’s son, who had gotten down on one knee to better hear Runihura. The prince grabbed the evil man’s tunic. “What do you mean? How are my brothers and I involved?” he demanded.
Wheezing, Runihura answered, “You will find out for yourself soon enough, I should think.” The disciple of Seth touched bloody fingers to his forehead. “I have turned my eye of vengeance upon you,” he said in a rasping voice to King Heru, who had finally reached them. “Be warned that I demand the lives not only of your three royal children but of all the young men of Egypt.”
The dying priest gathered his remaining strength and spat. Blood and saliva splattered across the king’s cheek, spraying his white robes with red.
In a burst of anger, King Heru surged forward and plunged his own dagger in the neck of the priest, whose body finally slumped in death.
Heru’s son let the body fall to the ground and was about to stand when he saw a gleaming light in the center of Runihura’s forehead, where a third eye would be. Before the king could react, the light shot toward his son like a snake and pierced his forehead. With a brief shriek of agony, he collapsed in his father’s arms.
The evil priest was dead, defeated, the cost being the lives of the three young princes, a price more than their families could bear. But Heru was king, which meant he needed to set his suffering aside and try to figure out a way to help his people. Though Runihura was dead, the king was not a fool. He would take the warning about the young men of Egypt seriously.
Everyone, king and soldier, queen and handmaiden, scribe and farmer, dropped to their knees and prayed. They did not, however, pray to the one who had caused the destruction of the young princes. Instead, the queens encouraged the people to seek the aid of the gods they’d long abandoned. And at the dawn of the next day, their prayers were answered.
Amon stood very still. I’d linked my arm with his and was now digging my fingers into his forearm, deathly afraid for the two of us now that we’d been found out.