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I scanned the darkness for a jail cell, chains, a pit or so All I saas an endless expanse of dead beetles

"Where?" I asked

I a you this place in a way you can understand, Horus said If you were here in person, you would burn to ashes If you saw this place as it really is, your limited mortal senses wouldainst the shore, stirring up a few live scarabs The whole beach seemed to squirm and writhe

Once, all these scarabs were alive, Horus said, the sy back the enemy Now only a few remain The Serpent slowly devours his way out

"Wait," I said "You mean…"

In front ofunderneath pushed upward--a vast shape straining to break free

I gripped th and courage of Horus, I found lowed beneath the scarab shells They crackled and shifted as the thing below surged toward the surface Through the thinning layer of dead bugs, a ten-foot-wide red circle stared up at odly for overinto my soul--and I believed what Horus had said If I were here in the flesh, I would be burned to ashes

"It’s breaking free" My throat started closing up with panic "Horus, it’s getting out--"

Yes, he said Soon…

Horus guided my arm I raised my spear and thrust it into the Serpent’s eye Apophis hoith rage The riverbank trembled Then Apophis sank beneath the dead scarab shells, and the red glow faded

But not today, Horus said On the equinox, the bonds eaken enough for the Serpent to break free at last Becoods into battle Together we may be able to stop the rise of Apophis But if you awaken Ra and he takes back the throne, will he have the strength to rule? Is this boat in any shape to sail the Duat again?

"Why did you help me find the scroll, then?" I asked "If you don’t want Ra awakened--"

It must be your choice, Horus said I believe in you, Carter Kane Whatever you decide, I will support you But ods do not feel the same They think our chances would be better with ainst the Serpent They see your plan to awaken Ra as foolish and dangerous It is all I can do to prevent open rebellion Ito prevent you

"Just e need," I said "More enemies"

It does not have to be that way, Horus said Now you have seen the eneainst the Lord of Chaos--Ra or Horus?

The boat pushed away from the dark shore Horus released my ba, and my consciousness floated back to the ht, I drea fro prison

If I acted a little shaken up the next , now you knohy

I spent a lot of ti why Horus had showedof the gods He didn’t want Ra coe his authority Gods tend to be selfish Even when they’re helpful, they always have their ownthem

On the other hand, Horus had a point Ra had been old five thousand years ago No one knehat kind of shape he was in now Even if we uarantee he would help If he looked as bad as his boat, I didn’t see how Ra could defeat Apophis

Horus had asked ainst the Lord of Chaos Scary truth: when I searched icians Not even all of us working together Horus wanted to be the king and lead the gods into battle, but this ene he’d ever faced Apophis was as ancient as the universe, and he only feared one eneht not work, but my instincts told me it was our only shot And frankly, the fact that everyone kept telling me it was a bad idea--Bast, Horus, even Sadie-- to do I’ht choice is hardly ever the easy choice, my dad had often told me

Dad had defied the entire House of Life He’d sacrificed his own life to unleash the gods because he was sure it was the only way to save the world Noas time for me to make the difficult choice

Fast-forward past breakfast and h the portal, I stayed on the roof with no coriffin

He screamed "FREEEEK!" so much that I decided to call him Freak; plus, it fit his personality I’d expected hiht--to either fly away or return to the Duat--but he seemed happy in his new roost I’d feathered it with a stack ofheadlines about the bizarre sewer gas eruption that had swept through Brooklyn the night before According to the reports, the gas had ignited ghostly fires across the borough, caused extensive dae at the museum, and overwhelmed some people with nausea, dizziness, and even hallucinations of rhinoceros-size hu Freak more roasted turkeys (jeez, he had an appetite) when Bast appeared next to me

"Nor"