Page 54 of Pandora: Alien Games

“Why?”

Leaning closer to my brother, I explained my plan. It was simple. I’ll use my appearance as a Bastet and act like a soldier bringing in a prisoner.

“Let me guess.” Eray frowned. “I’m the prisoner.”

“Your mind is working again. Good.”

We always shared good-natured banter. This was either the best idea ever or the absolute worst. Either way, I had no other idea how to get into the Pyramid. I was ready to kill, maim, and torture to free my brothers and my mate.

My mate.

Pandora Sky, you are my mate and I’ll drown the world in blood to get to you!

Pandora doesn’t need me to save her. Whatever the armor from Dadoo did to her, it was a huge change not only in her fighting ability but also in her demeanor. Still, I need to get to her. And I need to find my brothers and help them. Whatever is inside the Pyramid, nothing good could come from it.

I pushed Eray in front of me in silence, his head still covered in blood. The wound had closed, but the blood gave it more credibility.

The dark pyramids stood there like monoliths from another time, telling me something, I couldn’t understand. I pushed Eray along, who looked like a personified prisoner. Poor guy, he was still hurting from the fight and I had to be rough with him. It looked better that way. We passed a few lines of guards because I used May’s name, saying I report only to Princess Kya’s right hand.

May stood only a few feet from Kya, who was surrounded by other high-ranking Bastet. May ran toward me, her eyes filled with questions I had no answer for.

“I need to get in. Can you help me?”

“What happened?”

“My brothers are inside. Can you get me in?”

“I can, but I can’t get you out once you enter.”

I nodded. Eray waited for something to happen.

“Follow me,” said May.

May moved fast with elegant motions. It was difficult to keep track of her but, the closer we got to the Pyramid, the less people were around. We all feared them. You could only see the Pyramid when the moons aligned and shone down on The Sphinx. Then they would rise from the core of the Underworld. Myths and legends were all connected to the Pyramids. Ashok, my brother who survived them, refused to say a word about what he had experienced inside.

May used her privileges to walk us close to one of the entrances. I couldn’t see my brothers or Pandora, but my instinct told me they were close.

“I can’t go any further, Hassym. Good luck. I hope to see you all on the other side.”

May hugged me. I could feel she was being honest. As with me, her power was limited.

Pointing me toward an entrance that looked like a maw into the tall, slippery Pyramid didn’t calm my nerves. Looking back, I saw the crowd cheering. Pandora was carried to the main entrance of the Pyramid. Hope dies last and I hoped I’d find a way to meet her inside and team up with her.

Sweet Pandora, my mate.

The jackal inside me showed his teeth and I knew I’d even fight the first Anubis, God of the Underworld, for this woman. She was my mate, my all.

Guards approached us and one threw a spear in my direction. Did May betray me? There was no time to enter slowly and mind my surroundings. Instead, I pushed Eray, making sure he wouldn’t get killed. Well, at least not by the palace guards. Who knew what was going to happen to us inside the Pyramids?

Full, deep darkness engulfed us like a thick blanket. My eyes needed a few seconds to get used to the darkness because there was no source of light. I freed Eray. Whatever was waiting for us in the darkness, we both needed our teeth, claws, and all our power to fight it.

21

Pandora

A tall man poured scented oil on my head. Nephthys whispered into my ear, “It’s all going to be well. Just breathe. Let the ceremony take its course.”

I ignored the Bastet and the Ra, who performed tasks I couldn’t understand, and who spoke in a language my translator chip could not understand.

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