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4- Here Comes Trouble

"You know he'll never get out of his own way," Qebe (Kwee-bee) spooned some sautéed chicken onto his plate, heaping some onto his wife's plate as well. She never had to ask him to do it because doting on her was second nature. Serket (Sir-ket) held up her hand when he'd given her enough and turned her attention back to Horus, ripping a piece of flatbread for herself, "I honestly think this is just what he needs. We've waited long enough for him to find someone for himself. Maybe he needs this push."

“I found women before,” Imset interjected, “As you’re all well aware--”

"Here-here sister," Neith (Knee-th) toasted her glass in solidarity, cutting him off, "Plus he's sulking so much it's giving me hives. We need to take drastic action. Because if he ruins another perfect fall season, I might kill him. You know I live for Halloween. Either we set him up with something to do or we lock him back in his sarcophagus. I'm truthfully fine with either." Her husband, Mutef, (Moo-tef) stroked the length of her neck, his eyes glowing brightly in his affection for her. Whether she was talking about gutting his brother or removing an entire family line of evil men, he was always in awe of her. His perfect match in every way.

Imset tried not to feel anything about it. His brother deserved love.

Hapi (Hah-Pee) poured himself a drink from the carafe of cognac in the middle of the table. His wife, Nephthys (Neff-this) held her empty glass out for him without hesitation. He added two cubes of ice for her and a double shot, exactly as she liked it. They took a second to clink glasses before Nephthys smiled, "What's important to remember here, is we all love Imset and want what's best for him."

Hathor, Horus’ wife, smiled and nodded, "Exactly--"

"And at the moment," Nephthys continued, "That means helping him pull his head out of his ass. Here's to Imset getting his head back in the game. No more mindless fucking."

"AHH too much information!" Hathor cringed, “Although
 the grandbabies
 if you did start trying again
 it’s been so long since I had babies in the house. Yours are all grown and off doing whatever young demigods do...” Her voice turned quiet with nostalgia.

"And plus Imset only needs a push," Serket motioned her hand dismissively, "He's already got Hathor's good looks."

"Well, now wait a damn minu--" Horus raised his fork, pointing it in indignation. He smoothed his hand over his close-cropped hair in vanity.

"And of course he has father's...." Hapi trailed off, “He... has father’s
”

"Hairline!" Neith offered, raising her glass again.

"Yes! Thank you, sister, hairline! Obviously, any human would be lucky to have him," Hapi popped some rice into his mouth and tried not to laugh too hard. They teased their father nearly as much as they teased Imset.

"As long as he never speaks," Mutef rolled his eyes, "A notoriously terrible temper, that one. And coming from me, that's saying something."

“My ill-tempered, lightning bug,” Neith cooed, leaning into him.

"I-- and I cannot stress this enough-- am right fucking here!" Imset waved his hand sharply, growling, "I don't need any help so you, you and you--" he pointed at each of his brothers, "Will mind your business and have your wives do the same!"

"Imsety! Don't be rude," Hathor chastised as his mouth dropped open in disbelief.

"Did you not hear everything they said, mother?!"

"DiD yOu HeAr EvErYtHiNg ThEy SaId, MoThEr?!" Qebe mocked him, "You know it's all in good fun brother. We love you. And none of us can stand seeing you alone for another year, let alone another century. Your sanity might not survive it this time. We need to do something about it."

“Sanity?” Serket sounded like it was the most ridiculous notion she’d ever heard, “What an idea.”

"This isn't the way to go about it father," Imset insisted, taking another approach as he leaned over the table to show his emotion, "I'll find a consort on my own just as the others have." He didn’t want to acknowledge that he had no intention of putting himself out there again.

"HOW?" This time it was Hathor's turn to speak, "Do tell me, son, what happened when you were summoned tonight?"

"That was different, she was never going to be a match for me." Her soul. Her body. His mind tried to justify it all.

"And the one before that?"

"Mother, I know you don't agree, but Halitosis is a valid reason to kill someone."

"Imset, we're worried about you."

"None of you have to worry. I have my work. I have my scrolls. And on days when I don’t hate you, I have my family."

"You'll go to the girl I have selected for you and that's final," Horus slammed his hand down on the table hard enough to rattled the glassware, "You'll do as I've asked for the simple fact that I am your father and you owe me your life--”

"Technically, he owes me his life. You know because I actually pushed him out," Hathor mumbled under her breath and when Horus cut his eyes at her she laughed, "Sorry, continue, husband."

"The fact is, I have a good feeling about this one. You'll go and make a bargain. Honor it. See if something develops."

"And what shall I take as payment? I’ll not blindly make her my consort again."

"JUST MAKE HER A DAMN SERVANT IMSET!" Neith huffed, "It's not that hard to not kill every person who summons you. And if, gods forbid, something develops, you can always change the terms of the bargain later. And we’d all die happy deaths to hear you’re finally not alone anymore. You’ve got to be the bluest man in all of Egypt."

“You think because I don’t have a wife means I don’t have sex?” Imset nearly laughed in her face, “As if my brother was a vir--”

“Now, now, brother, let’s not rattle other people’s cages
 be nice, love,” Muted turned to kiss Neith’s fingers. Imset rolled his eyes but let it drop.

“Sleeping with a fertility goddess and random human women can’t possibly keep you happy,” Neith scowled. The words felt like a blow. Of course, she was right. Imset flexed his jaw.

"How can you ask me to accept someone I've never even met? After everything I’ve already been through?" Imset cast his eyes wildly about the room. They were all cornering him, pigeonholing him into taking on the summons, "I mean, she didn't even summon me. Technically she summoned you. And who the hell knows how that even happened." Imset pointed to Horus. Imset tried not to let panic leak into his voice.

"I don't care. I've looked into her life and while I might not know her specific request, she is one of the few who still know of the old ways. That’s how she got my attention. Perhaps this is a real way for you to get a better idea of how mortals operate, even if nothing comes of it for the two of you. You certainly haven’t been doing a very good job of it on your own. Do your normal job and whatever request she has of you, take her on as a servant, and try son. Just try to be the kind of man a woman would choose to stay with."

"We know you have it in you," Hathor jumped in, trying to soften the subtle jab of Horus' words, "We know it's not your fault, time can be cruel, but this is a good chance for you. At the very least, it'll give you something productive to do."

"FINE!" Imset threw up his hands, "I'll go the next time she calls, okay?!" He could feel his father’s magic feeding her essence into him. A thread to follow back to her. A way to hear her call. He stood suddenly, turning to head for his own wing of the palace, "And for the record, I hate you all."


Tucking a hand into her jacket, Aisha hurried across the parking lot towards the library. After ditching class with Evan, there wasn't much else to do but hide out until her next one. That gave her at least three hours before she had to brave the campus again. Slipping through the library door, Aisha avoided the crowded lobby and headed straight for the elevator in the back. Her normal routine was to study on the top floor, filled with the old resource manuals and reference books no one needed. As dusty and unused as it was, she enjoyed the space. From the window seat, she had a clear view across campus and at night, the streetlights made the campus glow.

Exiting the elevator, she headed to her usual seat at the table near the window. Aisha spread her belongings out, hoping her shirt would dry soon enough because it was always drafty up here and she was already feeling a breeze. Setting up her laptop, she pulled up her homework and scrolled through social media. She sat in quiet reflection, for the most part, these last two weeks, trying her best to be strong. But she realized that without a friend, she spent a shocking amount of time being silent. Alone. Lonely. At work she was around others but outside of pleasantries and taking someone’s order, there wasn’t much to say.

Aisha let herself get caught up in the simple beauty of campus life. Some sororities were selling baked goods in the walkway, a few social activists were collecting signatures on a recycling effort, students were hanging out at the picnic tables, playing frisbee in the open field. Aisha watched a couple settle into a passionate kiss. She wondered what it was like to be a part of the common experience. What it was like to love and be loved. Gods, why couldn’t she connect to anything except Aiko? She hadn't really ever had that for herself. She was always the weird kid who developed too fast and liked morbid things. High school had been a nightmare. Plenty wanted to sleep with her but none wanted to know her. None wanted to be seen with her.

From her vantage point, Aisha could see birds cleaning off their branches, squirrels scrambling from treetop to treetop, and even the lines left by the landscaper when he cut the fresh grass. It all held a lot of simple happiness for her as it would have for Aiko. Small joy, she called it. Aisha wasn’t even aware of time passing.

"I did tell little witchie she was gonna regret it, didn't I?" Evan said, walking straight for the table. Aisha startled suddenly, shocked to see Zach and Josh bordering him, all of them closing in around her table like a pack of wolves. Either they were silent as they approached or she had zoned out again. It was a nasty habit but she never thought it would be a dangerous one.

"She didn't think she'd get away with putting all that shit on our cars, did she?" Josh laughed, "What the hell do you mean, ‘I know what you did’, witchie? What exactly do you think we did?"

Aisha tensed, covertly looking around to see if there was a quick way to get past them. But to her horror, she realized they were boxing her in and nothing she did would be fast enough to get away. There was nothing she could think to say, nothing she could think to do that would help right now. She already knew librarians and students alike stayed off this floor... And she also knew, the walls were concrete and there was at least one floor separating her from the nearest person to hear her scream. Aisha's body chilled, goosebumps raising everywhere. It was like someone was breathing on her neck.

"What would you say, if I told you that I know what you did, witchie?" Evan casually tucked one hand into his jean pocket, "I know you asked around about us... I know you went to campus police... every single day last week." Oh gods, she thought, had they been stalking her the same way she'd been stalking them? How stupid could she be? Thinking she was the only one suspicious. Obviously, they would find out about her questions, about her harassment, about her accusations.

"I know, " Evan looked at her wet shirt quickly, "That you've been following us around campus... and looking through our windows at night. That you think you’re going to figure something out
 but we’ve got nothing to hide. Unless you’re peeping through our windows for another reason, witchie?”

"I-

Shit, she thought. How had they known about that? She'd stayed in the darkest part of the window ledge and they'd never given any sign they saw her. Hell, Zach even slept with a girl with the window wide open.

"No need to lie about it, Aisha," Zach smiled, "Did you like what you saw? I did try to put on a show for you
 if that’s what you want, you should have just asked. I don’t mind knocking that virgin status down."

She started to panic. If they really had done something to Aiko, as she suspected they had, would they do the same to her? As much as Aisha understood that she was in danger, she was also bombarded by the feeling that this wasn't really happening. It was denial, she knew that. It was her brain trying to keep her from panicking but it wasn't working. They weren't just playing. This wasn't just another way to tease her.

She understood she was in danger but her mind rebelled. They wouldn't actually hurt her in public right? She was almost frozen in place. Those were the kinds of thoughts that got girls killed. Misplacing her trust in men who didn't deserve it. Giving them time to corner her when what she needed to do was attack and do it fast. She couldn't trust them. They would hurt her if she let them.

Of course, they will, you idiot! She yelled at herself, GET OUT NOW!

She stood, grabbing for her bag to get out the pepper spray but Zach was faster, pushing all her belongings clean off the table, "Aht Aht. You wanted our attention, you got it. Did I ever tell you I have a thing for desperate girls?"

“I told her you like stalker chicks. Hell if I know why,” Evan joked.

Aisha slid under the table, desperately putting in her face unlock on her phone. But her hands were sweaty and she couldn't stay still enough. Josh had reached under the table to drag her by the ankle at the same time Zach snatched the phone out of her hands. Aisha screamed. Screamed so loud she thought her eardrums would burst, and then she kicked Josh in the face.

"Ah sh-" he covered his nose.

"FUCK YOU!" she roared, scrambling over his flailing body as she tried to run for the stairs.

Grabbing her roughly by the arm to throw her into the table, Evan pinned her down, "Calm down! Calm down!" He tried and failed to cover her mouth as she snapped at him, desperate to bite off at least a few of those terrible fingers. He punched her stomach. Aisha made a sound that mixed between a yelp and a gasp and clutched her gut. All the air in her lungs had fled. There was nothing but the awful sensation of not being able to breathe. Tears built in her eyes as she felt a hard shove send her to the tile floor.

"Fuck man, we weren't supposed to hit her," Zach pushed Evan. She watched behind bleary eyes as they argued about her.

"She forced my hand, you saw it. Why the fuck do you keep fighting?!" Evan hollered at her.

A hard boot cracked into her back, "Fucking bitch," she heard Josh yell through closed hands, "I have a fucking game tomorrow!"

"Dude, CHILL!" It was Evan's turn to reign him in. Aisha clutched at the ground, tears falling, diaphragm buckling, her body sprawled and shaking like a baby. She ignored the blinding pain and the sudden lack of air as she willed her body to move. The time they spent arguing was her time to escape. But she had to move!

Anywhere. She had to get anywhere but here at this moment. Her jacket suddenly disappeared, ripped savagely from her back as she tried to crawl, as she continued to clutch and pull at anything that would help her up. She still couldn't take a breath. But she kept moving, kept inching towards that door.

"No fuck her, she broke my fucking nose!" Josh screamed from behind her. Then she heard the sounds of a scuffle. Someone dragged the weight away.

"Stop, don't do this bro," it was Zach's voice now she could hear, “Accidents turn intentional real fast, man.”

The next hit was a stomp to her leg and she felt her shin give way to a snapping sound. Finally, her air returned just in time to let a scream rip upward from her body. Someone was shoved. Then there were hands on her waist. They could have been trying to help her up but she couldn't focus on what they were doing. She could only focus on the fact that they were on her without permission.

"I'm not doing this shit again, guys," Zach growled, "We agreed not to do this again. Get off her!"

"So she can tell everyone what she thinks she knows?" Evan yelled, "Fuck that. You know what happens if my dad finds out?"

“Scaring is not the same as hurting!” Zach tried to reason, “She’s not going to tell anyone else, right Aisha?”

"Honestly, I'd better get something out of this to make up for my fucking nose," Josh moaned.

“It’s not her fault you’re not getting laid, bro,” Zach grumbled, “This isn’t my scene.”

Aisha's heart beat a mile a minute. She was going to die and be raped. Or be raped and then die. The order was of little consequence. What mattered was keeping it from happening at all. She couldn't fight off the handful of athletes at her back. She tested a bit of pressure on that leg but the nerve-endings shot hot pain up her bones until it hit her spine. No, she couldn't run.

Someone grabbed her legs and yanked them backward. Gods, this is it, she thought. This was it for her. She felt hands on her hips as she thrashed wildly, pinned down under Evan's weight. She knew from the cologne assaulting her nose. He grabbed a fistful of hair and slammed her head into the ground, snapping it across a hard tile. Lights exploded behind her eyes.

"Yea break her shit," Josh cheered, if she turned her head to the side she could just make out his bloody face. Aisha's head began to swim and it felt like she was underwater. All her limbs seemed to go numb. She could never make them suffer if she died. She could never find out what they did to Aiko if she didn't stop them.

She didn't know the words. She didn't have an incantation. She had nothing but intense emotion and intention. And blood. The floor began to smear red with blood from her forehead as she lay still.

Please. Please Horus send me help. A son, a creature, something, anything, she begged. Her heart beat frantically, so full of fear and rage she could hardly contain it. I will give anything. I will let the whole world burn if it means I can destroy these shitty people. Her mind was full of everything she'd endured for the last few years, not only in college but in high school too. Hell, even her parents. The whole world could burn if it meant avenging Aiko. If they were doing this to Aisha, she could only imagine what they'd done to sweet Aiko, gentle Aiko. Her only friend.

Aisha's heart burned. She thought of Aiko and her whole body burned. I offer blood. I offer body. I offer soul. I offer whatever you request. Help me.

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