The Curse in Her Blood

Chapter 12

Set

It was incredibly painful to watch this girl. Because though she looked like the woman who held my heart, she had none of her mannerisms and none of her charm or grace.

But at the same time, I can't look away.

Because it's Astarte's face and her body. Finally, after years of waiting and wanting, I'm getting the reactions I want.

She isn't afraid of me, she often reaches out to grab my hand, especially when nervous, and she stood in front of a host of intimidating gods and attempted to side with me. Which was more than Astarte ever did.

I've taken the mortal girl to Duat. It's a long trip from the Upper kingdom to mine, but returning to my kingdom of sand and shadows has always made me happy. Could always lift my spirits.

Even though we were looking a barren husk of what it could be, I was happy to finally be home. Once I was back in full power the place would be lush and fertile again but until then this dusty version was all he had to offer.

Oh, how he wished that he had the lush Duat to offer the mortal he had with him.

When I brought Astarte here the first time she had been horrified. She tried to hide it but she was. She had dreamed of bright golden palaces with heavenly light and white puffy clouds.

Even when lush, Duat was not that kingdom.

Right now, it's nothing but fine white sand, dead trees clinging to purposely broken columns that line the pathway we're walking. The blackened castle is painted in shadows, only because we are in the place of eternal darkness, so our sun burns black.

It's a very confusing place, you get light but it's filtered. Plants can still grow, though. We cultivate very special crops her, herbs and berries meant for potions and what not.

It could be beautiful, if tended to correct but I've been gone for centuries and that neglect is clear.

My mortal girl, though very excited originally about seeing this place, seems to have the same response that Astarte had.

After looking around at where we're standing, I heard her ask: "But where is the river?"

The question was half whispered. She hadn't meant for me to hear. But I had.

There is a river. It winds through my land. It is small right now, not the usual raging currents but it starts from the back of the castle. I note that she's looking at the troughs by her feet. This is a canal. It too used the water from the river, but, as the waters are low, the canals are empty.

When full they'd be brimming with small aquatic creatures and plant life. But how did she know any of this? She had never been here before.

"What?"

"A river," she whispers. "I remember a river. And the lily pads and the fireflies. Why is everything... dead?"

She remembered a lush Duat? How could she remember a lush Duat if none of Astarte's memories were hers?

Her hands went to her head threading through her hair, her nails pressing into her scalp. "My head hurts."

I reach out for her hands and pull them away from her before she can cause herself damage.

"It seems some of Astarte's memories are coming through," I tell her. And while this is probably true I'm not sure how it's happening. "Maybe you're more of her than I thought."

But then she looks up to me with those impossibly sky-blue eyes of hers and I'm reminded that the only reason I have this girl here before me is because somehow the babe Astarte bore of Horus' had survived. There was no other way to explain eyes that blue.