With a whip of the reins, Setnakht drove his steed into a gallop and was soon flying down the main road out of the city.
Taking slow, deliberate steps, Shesmu repositioned himself in front of Sita.
She had never purposefully harnessed the power of heka before, so Sita didn’t know how much longer she’d be able to maintain the circle.
Given how quickly the light was fading, it wouldn’t be very long.
Behind her, Aya buried her face in Elyas’s chest, heedless of the blood soaking his tunic.
It cannot end like this, Sita thought, staring at the green copper blade gripped in the butcher’s hand.Not after everything that’s happened…
The courtyard was still. The hopeless moans of the mortally wounded had gone quiet forever, and the other ushabti had left to root out any stragglers from the streets.
Sita gazed at Karim’s body, held upright by the spears that had run him through. He was kneeling, as if frozen in a moment of supplication.Where are the gods now?she wondered.Have they led us here only to abandon us to this fate?
She remembered Karim’s smile. His hand in hers as they danced. His kiss.
If she’d known it was to be their last, she would have told him—
Sita blinked. Was she imagining it, or had Karim’s hand moved?
The interruption in her concentration caused the circle of light to flicker.
She focused on Karim, begging him to somehow do the impossible. “I need you,” she whispered. “Come back to me.”
The thief’s arm hung at his side. Then, with what looked like immense effort, it lifted.
Sita watched, transfixed, as Karim reached for the spear in his side and tore it free, dropping it to the dust. Straightening his back, he gripped the haft of the spear in his chest with both hands and pulled it from his body with a grunt. Then, using it for support, he rose to his feet and turned to face her, the last spear still lodged in his body. His eyes flashed with that otherworldly light.
Sita gasped, the shock stealing away the last of her endurance. Her concentration broken, the protective circle pulled in on itself, the light receding and withdrawing back into the staff.
Shesmu raised his knife.
“Karim!”Sita screamed.
Spear in hand, Karim released a battle cry and sprinted toward them. Midstride, he pulled the final spear from his body, drove it into the ground, and used the momentum to vault himself into the air at the stone butcher.
Shesmu turned as Karim flew toward him, a spear in each hand. Karim’s feet struck the butcher full in the chest, the force driving Shesmu back. The butcher fell to the ground and landed with an earthshaking boom that sent a tremendous dust cloud into the air. When the dust cleared, Karim was standing on top of the stone warrior, his chest heaving. Then he drove a spear through each of the stone man’s shoulders with mighty force, pinning him to the dirt.
Karim jumped clear of Shesmu’s slashing blade and bounded over to Sita. “Can you walk?” he asked. “We need to go quickly. Those spears won’t hold him long.”
Sita stared at him, agape. Karim’s clothes were torn, but there was no blood. “I-I don’t understand…” she stammered.
“I don’t either,” Karim admitted. “But now isn’t the time to figure it out. You heard Setnakht. Shesmu won’t stop until you’re either dead or gone. Let’s make sure it’s the latter.”
Over Karim’s shoulder, Sita saw Shesmu writhing and tugging at one of the spears, levering it out of his body. Karim was right. If they didn’t get beyond the city limits, Shesmu would hunt them down. And neither she nor Karim might have any strength left to stop him.
“I can walk,” she said. “Elyas is injured but alive. Can you carry him?”
Karim beamed. “Sena, I’m pretty sure I can do anything!” He bent down. “Go with Sita,” he said to Aya. “I will get your sabba to safety. I promise!”
Aya looked at him in wonderment and nodded. Sita took the girl’s hand as Karim gently lifted Elyas and positioned the old man’s body over his back.
“Time to go,” Karim grunted, and gave Sita a nod before breaking into a sprint.
***
They tore through the streets of Perset, and what seemed like mere moments later, there was an earsplitting roar behind them, which Sita knew could only mean that Shesmu had broken free of his bondage and was in pursuit.
