something to wrap around his hand to cut off the poison coursing through his body. She felt his body jerk and, out of the corner of her eye, saw the belt She-Aba had dressed him with being yanked away. Fighting tears, Lilith looked up.
Tau now had the belt in his hands. He wrapped one end around his hand, turned, and whistled at the dazed cobra. “Sorry, Kheti, you leave me no choice.”
Tau stepped forward and cracked the belt like a whip. But instead of hitting the cobra in the head, it returned with a smack to his nose. Blood spurted everywhere. Tau released the belt, took a few strides back until he smacked into the arch, and crumbled to the floor. He cupped his nose.
She-Aba clicked her tongue. “If you want a job done right, give it to a girl.”
She lunged for the belt and lashed out at the cobra, using the heavier end as leverage. One of the spiked metal disks struck the snake’s right eye. The serpent hissed before hitting the floor. She-Aba didn’t give it time to recover. She rushed over and, with the heel of her shoe, crushed the cobra’s skull. Its tail gyrated until there was no life left and went limp.
The Arch of Atlantis ceased showering the room with its golden lights and began to draw the light back through the archway. The humming dropped in resonance to a sickly sound, as if something inside of it was preparing to die.
“What has happened?” an old voice wheezed from the doorway.
“Istulo!” Lilith shouted. “Please, come and heal my father! He’s been bitten by Mica’s cobra!”
The high priestess gasped. She ambled over as fast as she could, trying not to get her feet caught up in her white robe, and bent down over Segund. Lilith heard her knees crackle like dry papyrus. Istulo glanced at Tau slouched on the floor coddling his face. “Is he bitten as well?”
“Tau will be fine.” She-Aba crouched next to Lilith. “Unless you think belts are poisonous.”
Istulo frowned, then examined Segund’s hand. She grunted. “I trusted Mica. I see the gods have tested me, and I have failed.”
“Why would Mica do this?” Lilith asked, aware of the sharp pains in her throat.
“He seeks revenge,” Istulo replied. “His heart is still in darkness.”
“Revenge?” Tau said through his hands, sounding muffled. “On whom?”
“On those of his past, and of Atlantis’s past. He hates the Sons of Belial, who killed his parents, and will do whatever it takes to change his future.”
Before Lilith could ask Istulo what she meant, Istulo wheezed and said, “This is bad. She-Aba, go get me a bowl of water, some linens, and the dead cobra.”
She-Aba arched her perfectly plucked red brows. “The dead cobra?”
“I need to mix a potion using the cobra’s sacrifice. Pray Ra has seen to it that I have what I need in my pouch.”
Tears now streamed down Lilith’s face. “I…I will.”
“Me too, we’re in this together.” She-Aba squeezed Lilith’s shoulder before she left to do Istulo’s bidding.
Tau groaned. “I don’t care what She-Aba says, that belt bit me. Hey, what is this?” He pointed at the small book on a tile in front of him.
Lilith took her eyes off her father for a moment. “Father’s record keeper. He uses it to scribe the messages from the Children of the Law of One.”
“Your father is a scribe?” Tau asked, wiping blood from his nose. He reached for the record keeper.
“He’s a lot of things, Tau. Right now, he’s just my father.”
Istulo started to chant. She retrieved a small, crystal mortar from her pouch, opened the dead cobra’s jaws, and squeezed the inside of its mouth near the fangs. Droplets of a yellow liquid dripped into the mortar. Continuing to chant, her gravelly voice grated against Lilith’s ears, and Lilith winced. She didn’t know what was worse—Istulo’s chanting or the Arch of Atlantis’s discordant droning. Loud, scraping footsteps announced She-Aba’s return. Her snakeskin satchel was back over one shoulder while
Tau now had the belt in his hands. He wrapped one end around his hand, turned, and whistled at the dazed cobra. “Sorry, Kheti, you leave me no choice.”
Tau stepped forward and cracked the belt like a whip. But instead of hitting the cobra in the head, it returned with a smack to his nose. Blood spurted everywhere. Tau released the belt, took a few strides back until he smacked into the arch, and crumbled to the floor. He cupped his nose.
She-Aba clicked her tongue. “If you want a job done right, give it to a girl.”
She lunged for the belt and lashed out at the cobra, using the heavier end as leverage. One of the spiked metal disks struck the snake’s right eye. The serpent hissed before hitting the floor. She-Aba didn’t give it time to recover. She rushed over and, with the heel of her shoe, crushed the cobra’s skull. Its tail gyrated until there was no life left and went limp.
The Arch of Atlantis ceased showering the room with its golden lights and began to draw the light back through the archway. The humming dropped in resonance to a sickly sound, as if something inside of it was preparing to die.
“What has happened?” an old voice wheezed from the doorway.
“Istulo!” Lilith shouted. “Please, come and heal my father! He’s been bitten by Mica’s cobra!”
The high priestess gasped. She ambled over as fast as she could, trying not to get her feet caught up in her white robe, and bent down over Segund. Lilith heard her knees crackle like dry papyrus. Istulo glanced at Tau slouched on the floor coddling his face. “Is he bitten as well?”
“Tau will be fine.” She-Aba crouched next to Lilith. “Unless you think belts are poisonous.”
Istulo frowned, then examined Segund’s hand. She grunted. “I trusted Mica. I see the gods have tested me, and I have failed.”
“Why would Mica do this?” Lilith asked, aware of the sharp pains in her throat.
“He seeks revenge,” Istulo replied. “His heart is still in darkness.”
“Revenge?” Tau said through his hands, sounding muffled. “On whom?”
“On those of his past, and of Atlantis’s past. He hates the Sons of Belial, who killed his parents, and will do whatever it takes to change his future.”
Before Lilith could ask Istulo what she meant, Istulo wheezed and said, “This is bad. She-Aba, go get me a bowl of water, some linens, and the dead cobra.”
She-Aba arched her perfectly plucked red brows. “The dead cobra?”
“I need to mix a potion using the cobra’s sacrifice. Pray Ra has seen to it that I have what I need in my pouch.”
Tears now streamed down Lilith’s face. “I…I will.”
“Me too, we’re in this together.” She-Aba squeezed Lilith’s shoulder before she left to do Istulo’s bidding.
Tau groaned. “I don’t care what She-Aba says, that belt bit me. Hey, what is this?” He pointed at the small book on a tile in front of him.
Lilith took her eyes off her father for a moment. “Father’s record keeper. He uses it to scribe the messages from the Children of the Law of One.”
“Your father is a scribe?” Tau asked, wiping blood from his nose. He reached for the record keeper.
“He’s a lot of things, Tau. Right now, he’s just my father.”
Istulo started to chant. She retrieved a small, crystal mortar from her pouch, opened the dead cobra’s jaws, and squeezed the inside of its mouth near the fangs. Droplets of a yellow liquid dripped into the mortar. Continuing to chant, her gravelly voice grated against Lilith’s ears, and Lilith winced. She didn’t know what was worse—Istulo’s chanting or the Arch of Atlantis’s discordant droning. Loud, scraping footsteps announced She-Aba’s return. Her snakeskin satchel was back over one shoulder while
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