The Golden Scarab (Chasing Chaos Book One)

Chapter Nineteen

CHAPTER NINETEEN

For a moment, Alyxx could not process what had happened. Then she remembered. Angie was gone. She'd been swallowed whole by some unknown force because of a creepy little girl who had vanished immediately afterward.

     Alyxx began hyperventilating. She pulled her knees to her chest and rocked. Angie was gone. Angie was gone and she had been unable to save her. Tommy's daughter, the one thing keeping him sane, was dead. He would never forgive her for this, and she didn't think she could forgive herself either.

     Mark and Tommy found her quickly. "Where's Angie?" Tommy asked.

     Alyxx couldn't bear to look at him. "She's gone... I'm so sorry, Tommy... I tried to save her but I was too late..."

     Tommy's face fell. "No," he replied. "That's not possible."

     "We can debate that later. Right now, we need to go. Chaos is coming," Mark said.

     Tommy was clearly in shock. Alyxx knew how he felt. She took his hand as if he was six years old again and led him toward Mark's car. Wordlessly, they got in and Mark began to drive toward the battle that lay ahead.

*

     Things went wrong almost immediately. As soon as they entered the building, the Gods were surrounded by Chaos and his minions. Chaos was far more intimidating than Jonathan had imagined as he slithered close to him.

     The battle was getting too intense. Jonathan could see Adara, Christian, and Li fighting some of the minions on the other side of the hall.

     Adara flung a ball of fire at someone's head. Christian was struggling to hold off six cult members. Li was holding her own. She was in leopard form and she was covered in other people's blood.

     Suddenly, a terrible cry ripped through the hall. Jonathan stared in horror as Li transformed back into a human and collapsed. He raced toward her.

     "Li? Li, hold on!" He said. "Someone! She needs a medic!"

     Li shook her head. She clutched her side. A giant gash split open her entire right side. Her blood was seeping out too quickly. Her breathing was growing shallow. Jonathan could see her muscles and tissue as she struggled for air.

     Christian noticed and immediately tried to reach her and Jonathan, but he was attacked again. Jonathan watched in horror as a cult member swiftly raised a sword and cut off his head. It happened so fast, he wasn't even certain he had actually witnessed it.

     "No!" Jonathan shouted. "Gods, what's happening?"

     Adara was screaming now. She wasn't home anymore. It was clearly Sekhmet, and she wanted blood. In fact, she was demanding it.

     "You will pay! You will all pay for what you've done!" She screamed. "Ra will rule for all of eternity! Chaos cannot win! Order will be restored, and you will all perish! Bleed, mortals! Bleed for your Goddess!"

     Jonathan was thoroughly creeped out but wanted to try to comfort Li as she died. He knew better than to jump into the middle of Sekhmet's battle anyway. She was clearly in charge.

     "Don't be stupid," Li whispered.

     "What?" Jonathan asked.

     "Don't be stupid. Kiss her already."

     "You aren't making sense. You're in shock, Miss Li."

     She smiled weakly. "Josie. Kiss Josie. She's head over heels for you, and Heket is Khnum's consort. It's okay to want to be with her. Your soul loves her. Deal with it. You know you love her, too." She exhaled and a soft "mew" escaped from her lips before she went limp.

     Sekhmet joined him and he was startled. "Oh, Bastet," she whispered. She kissed Li's forehead. "I'll miss you, my fallen friend."

     "Where did everyone go?" Jonathan asked.

     "Look down," Sekhmet replied with a wicked grin. Blood tricked from her lips.

     Corpses littered the floor. She had killed every single person left in the room. "How in the heck did you do that?" He asked in awe.

     "It's never a good idea to piss off a cat," she replied simply. "Come on. We have to go. It's not going to be safe here for long." She whispered something and Jonathan felt magic in the air.

     "What did you do?" He asked.

     "Christian and Li's bodies will be safe now. The cult can't harm them anymore, and neither can Chaos."

     "We need to find Zane and the others."

     "You're right. Let's go." She set the room ablaze and led Jonathan through the flames. He was stunned that he felt no heat. She was keeping them safe from the fire.

     Zane and Panya were together. "What happened?" Jonathan asked.

     "They took Dean... And Ryan went with them willingly," Panya replied in shock.

     "He betrayed us?"

     "I don't think so," Zane said. "I'm fairly certain he just went along with them to try and help from the inside."

     The snake slithered into the room, passing through Sekhmet's fire with no difficulty. Sekhmet lost control of herself and Adara was back.

     "Run!" She shouted. "I'll hold him off as long as I can."

     "We can't leave you," Zane said.

     "I'll be fine. Just go."

     Zane hesitated and that was when the snake struck. Chaos only got a small chunk of his flesh before Janna jumped in front of him and cast a spell.

     "Get out of here!" She shouted. "Take Zane and get him help."

     Adara and Janna stayed behind as Panya and Jonathan supported Zane and tried to lead him toward safety. They found Nina and Greg clinging to each other as they looked at the gaping hole Greg had opened in the ground.

     "I had to do it," he said in stunned horror. "They were going to kill us."

     "You did well," Jonathan assured him.

     "I love you," Greg whispered to Nina.

     "And I love you," Nina whispered back. They embraced each other. They were still clinging to each other when a spear shot through the air and impaled them both.