Page 33 of Pandora: Alien Games

“Hassym, no. We’re in public. Go tell your brothers. Meet me after dark at the back entrance to the palace.”

“I’ll be there.”

As soon as I turned my head, she disappeared. How did she do that. Was she involved in tech magic like Ramy?

I got back to the table. My brothers looked so sad, touched by despair.

“Let’s get some sleep,” I said. “I’m tired.”

We kept a house in the city. Sometimes our business took longer than usually and we preferred to have our own place instead of a hotel. The house is a square with four wings and a small garden in the middle. I loved that small oasis. It was green, lush, and reminded me of the real oasis out in the desert.

What May offered had sobered me up from my drunken stage. The light buzz was gone. Now only Pandora was in front of my inner eyes. I should tell the guys but, somehow, I was sure they’d all have too much to say about my decision. It’s not that I suddenly like Pandora. It’s just she’s female and a stranger. We found her and we’re bound to protect her as one of our own.

She’s going to annoy the living patience out of me. She’s weak.

* * *

I left a note for my brothers telling them I’ll be away for a while. It was not the first time I left and it would not be the last.

My steps sounded in my ear on the pavement. I snuck around like a thief in the middle of the night, the two moons shining down on me. Just thinking about becoming a Bastet made my skin crawl. Why was that servant so ready to betray Princess Kya?

Keeping my paws ready for an attack, I entered the tall arch of the back entrance.

The palace is a sight to behold. The moons bathed its golden towers in light. Beautiful jewels encrusted its walls. Statues of Gods, new and long forgotten, decorated the area.

The door opened for me and I stepped through with nothing but myself to rely on.

No one knew where I was.

No one knew if this was a trap.

A hooded figure that moved elegantly approached me. It had the fluid grace and elegance of a desert python, deadly and beautiful. The figure pushed its hood back. It was May.

“We don’t have time to waste.” She grabbed my wrist.

“Wait. What’s going on?”

She turned toward me with a feral snarl that did not leave much place for negotiation.

“Are you going to help Pandora or not?”

I shrugged. “I don’t care about her. She’s trouble.”

May moved her head from side to side. “You’re a liar!” The words sounded harsh and like a bad accusation. She did not stop. “Your honor binds you, Hassym. Pandora was under your packs’ protection. Pack comes before anything else.”

“How do you know about the laws of the Anubis?”

Her voice became a purr. “I know. Now follow me before the guards see us.”

She didn’t ask twice. I followed along on the pure white marble, wondering at the flowers I had never seen before. Exotic birds sang in the bushes and the sound of a stream was close by. We entered a hallway that smelled like Bastet. The scent was so strong it hurt my nose. May pulled me after her until we entered a small chamber.

Nothing was in there except a weird looking chair. She closed the door in silence. May pressed her paw against the wall and a drawer slid open. She bent over, looking for something, and returned to me with a blue glowing vial.

“Drink.”

“Is this the potion? How long will I be Bastet? Will I switch back gradually or at once?”

“So many questions. You’ll be Bastet for two weeks until the Games start. Help Pandora!”

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