Setne turned. “Okay, here’s the score, you guys. I’m gonna have to cast a disenchantment to open this wall. The spell takes a few minutes. I don’t want you freaking out hallway through and wrapping me in pink ribbons, or thin^ could get ugly. Half- finished magic right here, and this whole tunnel could collapse on top of us.”

I managed to avoid screaming like a little girl—but only barely.

Zia cranked the fire on her staff to white- hot. “Careful, Setne. I know what a proper disenchantment sounds like. If I
suspect you’re casting anything else, I’ll blast you into ectoplasmic dust.”

“Relax, dolL” Setne cracked his knuckles. His diamond pinky lings flashed in the firelight. “You gotta keep that scarab
under control, or you’re gonna turn yourself into ashes.”

I frowned. “Scarab?”

Setne glanced back and forth between us and laughed. “You mean she hasn't told you? And you haven’t figured it out? You kids today! I love the ignorance!”

(Additional text cut)

She gestured at Setne, who was in the middle of his spell

Okay, probably not a good time to talk. 1 didn’t want the tunnel corning down on us. But my mind was reeling.

You haven’t figured it out? Setne had taunted me.

I knew Ra was iascinated with Zia. She was his favorite babysitter. Setae mentioned that Zia was having temperature
control problems. The old man is getting to you, he’d said.

And Ra bad given Zia that scarab—literally a piece of his soul— as if she were Iris high priestess... or maybe someone even more important.

The tunnel rumbled. The dead-end wall dissolved into dust, revealing a chamber beyond.

Setne glanced back at us with a smile. “Showtime, kids.”

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