The Vessel of Ra

Chapter 13: The Unbound

As Carlo plowed through the soggy ground, he found black cakes of serpentine in his grandfather's pockets, as well as flint. Explosives, then. If only Paolo had thought to put a cannon in his pockets, Carlo might have been able to do something. Well, at least there were raw materials. The Borgias liked to live on the mad edge of the precipice indeed. Carlo imagined even Octavia and Khun, for all their magic, would prefer to avoid gunpowder.

As expected, Carlo found Paolo's signet ring. The power of the Borgias in one stab. Generally, Paolo coated it with a powerful narcotic, not the poison everyone expected. Carlo placed it on his finger, point inward.

In the distance, Carlo could see a red dome where they had decided the circle for the ritual would be. The magic from the dome didn't feel demonic, and as Carlo neared, he could see Lucy underneath it. Carlo didn't see his grandfather, but he did see Khun pacing the muddy ground. Why didn't he sink?

Carlo knelt. Time to get to work before he was noticed. He plucked out long, wet grass from the ground, weaving it into nests, and struck a spark on the flint. As he touched it to the serpentine, harsh smoke fizzed up from the cake. While the grass would burn, the wet swamp would keep the fire from spreading. He scrambled away to place and light more. The result would be dark gray smoke, obscuring the ceremony.

Now he had to attract Khun to him. He winced and ran toward the demon, yelling.

The goat man leaped and landed by Carlo, who raced back from where he came, into the smoke. Khun pounced on him, sharp nails raking his face. "Since we are brothers now," Khun said, "I will not kill you." He bared his teeth. "Here is an alternative, then, that lets you live." He hit Carlo in the stomach.

Carlo crumpled, smoke seeping into him. He covered his mouth with his hands. Khun, ignoring the smoke, held him down.

"Where's your mistress?" Carlo coughed.

"Seeing to familial business."

"You can't find Lucy," said Carlo. "With this smoke, you can't see or smell her now."

"It doesn't matter," said Khun. "I know where Lucy is. She is trapped and she can't do anything."

"You're right," said Carlo. "You do know all those things. But if you are asleep, your knowledge will do you no good." Carlo scratched across Khun's neck with a sharp point on the ring's gem. Khun staggered back.

"You cut me."

"Nothing so vulgar," said Carlo. "Welcome to my kind of magic."

Khun staggered and fell forward into the muck. Carlo looked up in time to see Drusus plummet from the sky. With a glance back at the red dome, he made himself slog toward Drusus. Paolo could look after Lucy. He hoped he wasn't making a mistake.

***

Lucy broke her spell as Paolo Borgia appeared outside the dome. "It is the last moment," he said. "Carlo has removed Khun. We must take our chance."

"What's in the bag?" Lucy asked.

Paolo pulled out the flat package. "Our contingency," he said. "We have set the circle."

"About that. I don't think we are protected."

"Yes, we are. We are not in your England. Venice's chief element is water. You will see."

Above them, the sky cracked open. Fire licked toward them, and Ra, a tiny speck in the sky, grew as he dropped. Lucy first touched the pinafore pocket with the bundle of love letters in it and then touched the pocket with the Isis Scroll. She unfurled it and read out the words in Demotic, using the pronunciation of Binder-speak she had learned as a child. She hoped the intent would be enough.