Page 114 of Until the End of Ever
If we needed justice, we could demand it.
“I need to go.” I shook my head, my eyes taking in the people around me. A quick headcount, and I was certain. “No, weallneed to go, now.”
“What?” Ronan frowned. “I just got here.”
“Dad, do your thing. If Lucian’s dead by the time we’re back, you’ll be the first I kill.” I didn’t bother to wait for a reply, “Cassius, there’s a boy in a spare bedroom. He ate all the lasagna leftovers and crashed. If we’re not back in the morning, make sure he has whatever he needs.”
Then I was off like an arrow.
“But where are we going?” Silver shouted, racing to catch up with me as I rushed to the summoning room.
Wasn’t it obvious?
“Beyond death!” I yelled back. “Theke, bring me all books on traveling to the Duat.”
49
KLEOS
"If you need to go to theunderworld, I can help beyond babysitting duties," Cassius said, catching up with me, not even winded, although I was panting. "I've been there a time or two."
I looked around our gathered friends, frowning. This was the initial group who'd been with Lucian and me for thePerthro Root, and it felt right, but Cassius did have experience.
"It needs to be five of us," I stated,obsessively running the words around and around in my head.
Two by sea, five beyond death, and seven to rise as all the walls fall.A new goddess shall stand or descend by the grace of the one who judges all.
We'd all assumed it was gibberish and more or less dismissed it, but if we'd actually listened, Lucian and I would have just gone to Poseidon's temple and prayed to the god as soon as we'd gotten back from Delphi. I wasn't about to waste time now.
"By all means, you kids can travel," the patriarch replied. "But I'll open the way for you. Faster than researching it."
I briefly hugged the man, who froze, visibly confused.
He tilted his head, musing, "I don't think I dislike that."
"A Regis trait. You all secretly love hugs. Sorry, Theke," I said as several runes flew towards me. "Cassius is going to lead us, so I don't need the books."
I would have sworn the runes dipped a few inches lower in disappointment.
"Are we actually going to the Egyptian underworld?" Lucky checked, hopping onto the spot she'd occupied through the weekend. "I mean, no big. But why, exactly, are we doing that?"
"Because my new granddaughter is smart," Cassius replied smugly. "The magistrates will vote with the council against Lucian if they have an excuse to. This is Highvale, where unders are guilty until proven innocent."
"And this brings us to the Duat because?" Silver asked, not hesitating to take her place in the circle either.
Meanwhile, I kept looking through the busy, messy shelves, frowning as I muttered, "I could have sworn I saw it the other day."
"The Weighing of the Heart," Ronan guessed. For Gideon and Silver's sake, he explained, "The underworlds all have their various ways of judging souls passing through. In Hades, three kings render judgement. But in the Duat the souls are judged by an object: a scale, which weighs the souls against a feather of the goddess of justice, Ma'at."
"Ahah!" I exclaimed, triumphant, recovering a large flask filled with golden seeds. I sensed a permanent charm glinting over them.
"What's that?"
"Evergold seeds," I replied, hurrying to take Lucian's place on the circle, to the north point. "Spelled to bloom in the underworld. Lucian told me he owed it to Osiris. It can't hurt to have a bribe."
"You ought to also bring gold,” Cassius said, checking his own back pocket, removing a shrunken bag the size of a single coin.
So, that was where Lucian took up that habit.
