Thunder rolled and lightning skittered across the star-speckled night once more, haloing the silhouette of Anaka's thin frame.

Her hands came up to claw at her sliced neck, eyes wide with terror and confusion as dark liquid bubbled from her lips and more slipped down her throat.

Sarena backed away, dropping the knife like she'd come out of a trance as Anaka's knees buckled, her body typing forward, head smacking off the table unceremoniously before she slumped out of view, the cape of her flowing dress trailing like a last exhale.

No.

I moved toward her, my limbs ridged like wading through quicksand.

No. Gods. No.

Moments felt like life times as I ran in slow motion to the head table.

Ra, Nut, Isis, Osiris. I prayed to them all. Please save her.

Chaos swirled around me. The high-pitched clang of steel clashing as soldiers of black and white barreled into one another like battering rams. But as I turned the corner of the long table, all I saw was my sister.

Hephta sat on the ground, rocking her limp body back and forth against her bosom. Her eyes murky, the life leached from them, and her jaw slack as she gazed directionless. Her mothers wails howled to the moon, head tilted and eye make-up striping her cheeks like warrior paint.

I stopped in front of her. Pressure building in my chest as the air whooshed from my lungs in a soundless scream.

"Nefari!" Zahara yelled.

I turned in the direction of her voice just as an arrow whirled past, brushing my arm and landing in Heptha's forehead with a sickening thump. She went crossed eyed for a second before screaming out wildly.

Another blur of feathers whistled.

Thunk.

Heptha rocked back as another black feathered arrow buried in her chest, silencing her shriek as she slumped over Anaka.

It had only been moments, I'm sure. Breathes between the pandemonium. But my mind still reeled to catch up.

"This way." I felt an arm tug me to the side, my eyes peeling from my Anaka's limp body to Zarahra's steely face. Her mouth was set in a determined line, her blade and copper skin already splattered red with her victims.

"Get to the palace and find a-"

With a shove, she pushed me out of the way as a large southern warrior barreled toward Zahara with a battle cry on his lips. She swiftly sidestepped the swinging arch of his blade and struck low on his belly, gutting him like a fish. The man dropped his sword, trying to hold in the slipping guts of his abdomen, the slick of his innards shining in the orange glow of the fires.

"Go," Zahara yelled, pointing the tip of her blade to the wide palace steps as my eyes followed. With a whisper, her god's blessing sparked to life, snaking up her blade, coating it in a swirling vortex of fire. "Run Nefari!"

My limbs heeded her command as I took off in a sprint toward the stairs. Screams and cries chorused at my back.

A rumble boomed, but it felt too close to be thunder, and then in a split second the earth shook. I lost balance teetering as I climbed the last of the steps. I should have run for the welcoming lamp lit palace entrance, but I turned to survey the carnage from the dais.

Nobles scattered in all directions like antelope among a pride of lions. Any caught in the swing of a blade, we struck down without mercy. Bodies littered what had been a courtyard filled with celebration. The southern warriors had slaughtered over half our men and were driving them back into the corner of the left wall. Our men moved with Zahara, who stood out front and I spotted my father, sword in hand, ringed by guards at the back.

The rumble sounded deep once more, stirring pebbles at my feet, and then I saw it. Like the earth god, Geb had awoken to possess one of the mighty statues of my father that lined either side of the courtyard; it moved.

One limb rose and then another, as the white stone Pharaoh stepped down off his podium and walked toward the clashing warriors with grating stone legs. I saw Hotep, the leopard pelt easily spotted among the crowd, hand outstretched and blood ribboning down from his red eyes. I watched as he strained. He was controlling it. What god blessing could do this?

The statue's foot rose to land on a black skirted soldier with a sickening crunch, its white stone foot stamped red.

I heaved.

Watery bile splashed on the ground and my body turned with a wracking cough, stumbling into the cool dark of the palace, as instinct took over.

The farther I staggered down the long palace hall, the more the battle roaring outside seemed like a fading nightmare. The cries grew faint and the rumble of rock sounded more like thunder now.

Wall mounted lamps flickered, casting the stories of my people on the wall in a reddish glow.

"Is he...?" A male voice echoed through the space.

"Quiet! I'm not proficient in healing magic. I have to concentrate," snapped a feminine voice.

I stopped, frozen in my tracks at the sound. There were a couple hollow heartbeats of silence.

"-he's breathing steady now. You can leave to join the others." The female voice sighed as if in relief.

I crept closer, seeing a pair of feet on the ground sticking out from behind a pillar.

"Are you sure, mistress?" the male voice asked.

"Yes. Go find Captain Kuimet."

"And the Northerner's? Someone should let them know that he's alive, so they can stop-"

"No!" the female snapped. "His instructions were clear. Kill them all!"

Tiptoeing forward on light feet, I rounded the column to find Sarena on the ground leaning over Amon, who had been placed on his back. His head elevated to rest on her lap. The black skirted guard hovering over them whirled, his sword sliding from its leather sheath.

"Who goes there?"

I stood a few paces away, eyes fixed on Amon and the steady rise and fall of his chest. His eyes were still closed but- "he's breathing. He's alive." I affirmed my chest heaving relief. Relief turned to anguish and then caught fire burning fury in my chest.

"You..." I hissed between clenched teeth, pointing at Sarena. "Anka is dead! You killed my sister." I wanted a sword in my hand. I was shaking. I almost had the thought to rip it from the soldier's hands and bury it into her heart if I wasn't so sure he would cut me down first.

"You brought this on yourselves with your treachery!" She shot back, eyes ablaze.

"He's alive! We have to stop the fighting!" I looked between her and the guard, who's gaze still held the glint of murderous intent. And then Sarena's words sank in as I stepped back and the guard advanced. Kill them all. His orders. His.. Who was he? The only one Serena seemed to respect was Amon.

No.

No. It can't be. He's not capable of this... Is he?

How many had he killed in our years apart? How much of the soft sweetness had his father stripped to make this hard shelled man?... Was this his answer to my rejection?

A cold sweat bloomed across my skin as I looked down at the gentle rise and fall of his sleeping body. My mind whirled as I continued to back track while the guard advanced. Was this a set-up? A scheme to take the city by force?

"Why?" it was the only word my mouth could form around the shock.

A sickening grin curled on Sarena's ruby lips. "Why don't you ask Anubis when you get to the afterlife?" Turning to the guard, she added, "kill her."

The guard advanced quicker and I turned and ran back toward the courtyard. His running footsteps echoed his pursuit. I made the mistake of looking behind me, catching the gleam of his sword as he advanced. He's catching up.

My lungs burned and my legs pumped as I saw the opening of the palace, a bright flicker of orange snaking across the white stone floor like the mouth to the deepest parts of the afterlife.

The courtyard was ablaze.

Men ran like burning torches with strangled cries, their bodies conflagrant. A swirling vortex of fire whirled in the center, Zahara. Two firefly blades circled and she spun, creating a ring of fire that cut down any who approached.

Stone soldiers stomped toward the Northern fighters, crunching over dead bodies of nobles as they went. I saw the other high priest Atenekam with his arms stretched controlling the other on the far side as I descended the stairs.

My foot slid out from under me, the unyielding stone digging into my ribs as I rolled down the rest of the steps, my face grating to a stop against hard packed earth. Shakily I rose to my feet. My body wound tight, as I hobbled toward the center of the courtyard. Whatever wounds I had the pain muted against the rush coursing through me.

"Zahara!" I screamed, tripping over a fallen corpse as I ran to her.

She turned eyes widened. Pointing to me and yelled at one of the guards by her side who ran toward me spear raised.

"Down!" he ordered and I crouched low as he launched his spear, it spun over my head before finding it's target landing in the pursuing soldier's body chest who had been right behind me. My pursuer gripped at the shaft of wood, sinking to his knees with shock.

The strong arm of the guard who flung the spear lifted me to my feet.

"This way." He dragged me toward Zahara's fiery circle. The light in the courtyard was almost blinding as the wooden watch posts on the battlements and the tables across the square blazed like pyres.

"Zahara!" I yelled for her again and she lowered the flaming metal to her sides, its burn dimming to a humming glow as if an extension of herself.

"You fool!" She spat at me. "I told you to hide!"

"Amon, he's alive!" I worked to get my words out through huffing gasps.

"Sarena, she said-" I huffed again and Zahara placed a hand on my shoulder, encouraging me to continue as I tried to yell over the roar of combat. "She said he ordered, to have us killed. All of us!"

"A set-up," Zahara seethed. Her eyes scanned the carnage with knitted brows. "We need to regroup!Make for the gates!" She pointed her sword between the massive wooden gates where the sphinx stood guard outside. "I had a chariot tied there. Take it and flee."

"You're coming with me!" I clawed at her forearm, but she pulled away with a shake of her head.

"I have to warn my men. I'll catch up," she promised, offering me a sad grin and my heart sunk.

Zahara nodded to the guard. "Take her to my chariot!"

He nodded his promise to his captain and future pharaoh.

"This way!" He pulled me by the hand, the orange blaze shining off his copper skin and short cropped hair. A man whose name I didn't even know had his bearded jaw set with firm determination to die protecting me if needed at my sister's command. He scooped a sword off the ground as we ran through the center of the courtyard, through the line of stone pharaohs. Two of which were stopping around the north side of the courtyard trying to corral a group of enemy soldiers.

Hotep's bloodshot eyes caught sight of me as I ran. We locked eyes for the briefest of moments, the stone statue pausing its march and I saw relief reflected there. A black skirted man charged toward us, but my protector parried his thrust checking him to the ground with his shoulder and pushing past. Our goal was the gate.

My guard recoiled suddenly backing into me and turned. An arrow protruded from his chest and I let out a scream. He wrapped his arms around me as another sunk into his back, shielding me. I squinted into a patch of darkness on the battlements where the light did not reach, and the shadow of a figure stood. Another arrow whistled, sinking into him, and he roared out a cry.

"Go, my priestess," he ground out, his body hobbling over me like a moving shield as we moved toward the gate. A patch of white moved like a spirit in the darkness, accompanied by whinnies. My sister's white charges still tied to the post, the gold of their harnesses twinkling, showing us the way.

Thunk.

With a groan the guard sunk to his knees. Three arrows protruding from his back. I tried to haul him to his feet, but he weakly swatted my hand away.

"Go," his voice barely a whisper. I lingered for a second, but the firmness in his gaze spoke to his decree. Don't let my death be in vain. "Go," he repeated, a little blood leaking from his lips.

"Thank you." I dipped my head to honor his bravery before sprinting toward the horses.

An arrow whistled past my head, sinking not two paces away from my feet. I could see the horses closer now. Snorting and stopping as the wheels of the chariot came into focus.

I can make it. I can make it.

I heard another arrow whirl. 

Authors note:

I know I left this on a naughty cliffhanger and as an apology Midnight Lotus will update twice next week once on Wednesday and then as usual Friday. Stay tuned for more and please like and comment if you are enjoying to let me know to keep writing!