Page 51 of Dead End

“Except it sounds like Unas consumes their very essence,” I said. “I think when they talk about obliteration, Unas is what they mean.”

Camryn chewed her lip. “Do you think they might’ve used him to eliminate your parents?” A thump punctuated her question, followed by a sharp cry. She glared at her cousin. “What? It’s a reasonable question.”

“Lorelei has enough to think about in the present. Youdon’t need to dredge up the past.” He scoffed. “And you accused me of making things worse.”

Goran set a plate of steaming lasagna in front of me. It looked and smelled delicious. “Are you sure Unas is a safe bet? What if he turns on you?”

“Even worse, what if he actually succeeds,” Kane said. “Would you be able to live with those consequences?”

“It’s her or them,” Gun interjected. “If they’d leave her alone, she wouldn’t need to resort to drastic measures.”

“I understand that,” Kane said smoothly. “I also know Lorelei.” He tucked into the dish in front of him. “Thank you, Goran.”

I sucked down the melted cheese with vigor. There was a new favorite dish in the rotation. Bonus points for inexpensive ingredients.

“Lorelei said that Unas will only consume gods he considers worthy,” Gun said.

“But we don’t know how he defines worthy. Maybe he only likes the taste of the decent gods,” Camryn pointed out.

Ray materialized in the kitchen. “Lorelei, I’ve been thinking…” His eyebrows shot up at the sight of lasagna. “Once in a blue moon I wish I was alive again, and this is definitely one of those moments.”

“What’s up, Ray?”

“Unas is an Egyptian god, right? Wouldn’t Apep know where to find him?”

It was a good idea. “If he knew, why not use Unas when he invaded? It might’ve turned the tide in his favor.”

“Apep isn’t the supreme god of gods, right? Maybe Unas doesn’t answer to him, but he could still know how to contact him.”

“If he doesn’t answer to his own gods, why would he answer to me?”

“That I don’t know, but if he’s been willing to do TheCorporation’s dirty work, they must offer an incentive that appeals to him.”

I nodded. “You’re right, Ray.”

The ghost broadened his chest. “I am, aren’t I? I’m going to go tell Ingrid.” His form dissipated.

“Ray thinks you should contact Unas through Apep?” Kane asked.

I nodded. “It’s a solid idea.”

“Do we know whether Apep survived the invasion?” Gun asked.

“Only one way to find out.”

After inhaling a second plate of lasagna, I ventured outside and sent a crow through the crossroads with a message for Apep, requesting a meeting at the crossroads at dusk. We’d met there once before when he was on the hunt for Anubis, which was when I’d shared information about The Corporation. With that memory clear in my mind, I also asked that he leave his serpent buddies at home and come alone, as would I.

There was no response, whether because he was dead or simply decided to ignore me, I couldn’t be certain. When dusk rolled around, I stood at the crossroads. There were still no guards on rotation at present, for their own safety.

The wind stirred, and I felt a shift in energy. Fog billowed toward me, enveloping me in a haze. My spirits lifted as I spotted a large serpentine silhouette emerging from the crossroads. Not a scarab or snake in sight. Phew.

“You survived,” I said. “Well done.”

Apep inclined his scaly head. “And I left with Anubis. As far as I’m concerned, the mission was a success.” It sounded like his sandpaper tongue was hard at work forming those raspy words. “Is this why you summoned me? To learn my fate?”

“That, and I’d like to get in touch with a god in your pantheon.”

“I only acquiesced to your request because your help was instrumental in the return of Anubis. This will make us even.”

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