The Golden Scarab (Chasing Chaos Book One)

Chapter Fifteen

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Adara, Dean, and Christian looked ready to kill. Jonathan thought they had the right idea. He hadn't known Jennifer, but this was a woman they were discussing and she was dead. She must be avenged. He looked to the others for guidance on what the next step should be.

      Keisha began sobbing hysterically. Nina and Greg clung to each other for comfort. Li let out a soft "mew." Lily and Mindy hugged each other as they wept. Alison was shaking. Julian lowered his head and began chanting an Egyptian prayer for honoring the dead. Richie looked confused, as if he had no idea what to do with this new emotion that clearly wasn't joy. Zane stared in a shocked state of horror, unable to speak.

     Ryan didn't look angry or sad or emotional in any way. He took a deep breath and said, "It's starting again. What's the plan?"

     "There isn't one," Zane replied calmly. "We have no idea what we're doing."

     "I'm sorry, Zane. I tried to fix her. I tried so hard," Janna said. "I called on Osiris. I used the very spells my soul used on His. Nothing worked."

     "This is not your fault, Janna. I'm sure you did all you could do for her."

     "How did it happen?" Christian asked.

     "From what I could tell, she was ambushed as soon as she stepped outside of her apartment. She put up a good fight, but in the end, they slashed her throat..." Janna shuddered. "They cut out her heart. Osiris said they must have destroyed it, or we would have been able to fix her... They probably burned it."

     "No," Lily whispered softly.

     "I know it's terrible..."

     "No, what I mean is, they didn't burn her heart. They're his followers. They used venom."

     "He has no followers," Ryan said. "No one is foolish enough to worship him. Even in Ancient Egypt, he never had his own cult. All the rituals involving him were specifically created to banish him. He's literally the only God in the entire pantheon who was never worshipped by the mortals."

     "He has them now," Lily insisted. "I've seen them walking around the city. I didn't know who they were, but I knew they were bad news. Now I understand. They belong to him. They think they'll be given positions of power when he rises. They have no idea that they're already dead. He'll never let any of them live, and he is slowly draining their souls."

     "Lily, how do you know so much?" Adara asked suspiciously.

     "I know more than most people give me credit for."

     "If it was venom, why didn't she call me for help?" Alison asked. "I could have saved her. I can cure venom. My soul is fully unlocked. I have no trouble in that area."

     "I don't think she had time to realize what they were planning," Janna replied. "You know Jennifer. She would never have been easy to kill. They must have carried it out very quickly."

     "How did they even find her? She was off everyone's radar. I mean, half the time, even we couldn't find her," Mindy said.

     "No one's ever truly safe," Ryan replied. "Chaos is everywhere."

     "We'll beat him," Richie said. "We have to. I believe in us."

     "You're an optimist. I'm a realist."

     "You're a fatalist, actually."

     "Look at the world we live in and tell me that's not being realistic."