I am dragged to the shiny new palace of Bastet. I try to wrestle myself free, but these chains are imbued with magic. The Ashura warriors have no difficulty pushing and pulling me along like a cow. I feel my blood boiling. But I try to remain composed. I will finally be able to see Ptah. And with his help, we will burn this wretched place down.

The castle interior is still very much unfinished. Rough walls. No lighting. But Ashura do not need light to see. They enjoy the darkness. In the middle of the pyramid, there is an incredibly large hall spanning almost the entire floor of the castle. Pillars allow the dim daylight to permeate the room. I see a few notable Ashura around me. One of them carries Sobek on a leash. Poor man. His transformation failed as well. Now he resembles a broken version of his beloved pet. When he sees me, he tries to snap at me, but the man holding his leash keeps him away. I look to the middle. On a set of stairs resides a large throne. Of course, it is fashioned after the throne seen in Father’s castle. I see Bastet sitting there, dressed in a large flowing gown that matches her crimson eyes. Gold trimmings. Trying hard to imitate the real thing she never got.

Even though we had seen each other only a few moons ago, she has an entirely different aura. Elaborate braids. Shiny objects woven into her thick black hair. She actually looks like a real queen. The warriors kick me in the knee, forcing me to kneel.

“Ooh, what is this?” I hate her voice. I look away. “This is a beautiful gift, indeed. Sent by his Majesty?”

“No, my Queen. She seems to have snuck into the quarry where she was conspiring with one of the workers.”

She yawns audibly, pretending to be bored. “Tsk, tsk. Always causing trouble. Your father warned me that you might try something funny.”

Father. No, Geb. I refuse to call you ‘father’ any longer. You never saw me as your daughter anyway. You are probably smiling, knowing she will deal with me instead. Right now, I don’t know who I want to kill first, Bastet or Geb. Both of them need to die. I hear steps and look up at her. Bastet has risen from her throne and walks a few steps down. I notice that she is with child. It doesn’t seem that far yet, but the bulge is unmistakable. She sees my gaze wander.

“Aah, this?” She smiles, over-enthusiastically, pets her inflated abdomen. “It is the greatest gift your beloved Ptah has given me.”

A flash of seismic energy almost sends the warriors flying. With all their might, they hold their ground. “Lies!” I scream. Ptah never was keen on making love. A kiss was as far as he would go. I dread finding out what she must have done to him.

“Oh? Are you jealous that he bestowed upon me a child, whereas he never bothered much sleeping with you?” She continued to calmly walk down the steps until she stood right before me. “Poor Sekhmet. Never got the chance to bear him children.” She gestured the warriors to pull me up to face her.

“Where is he?”

“Now would you like to know.” She grins. I feel her cold hand brush against my cheek.

“Stop with this nonsense. Where is he?!” I have been scanning the room, looking for signs. If he was held captive, it was not here.

“I fear you are too late, little princess.” She laughs. I am tired of her mocking me. I try to break free, but I fail again. The magic is too strong.

“Let me fill you up on what happened, then.” She grabs my face with both of her hands. And kisses me.

I see pictures flash before my eyes, so vivid as if I am reliving her memories. There he is. He is kept in chains, together with the other villagers. I see the one who talked to me earlier. In every way possible, he tries to shield Ptah from harm. But they get separated. He gets sent to the quarry while my beloved is dragged to the unfinished palace. I see Anhur. He places magical chains on Ptah. Now my beloved no longer can cast magic. It hurts to see him so vulnerable.

Pictures continue flashing. I see her. How she undresses him. How she forces herself on him. Over and over again. For days. I can see the suffering in his eyes. She plays with him like a toy. Fondles him, but he cannot withdraw. There are four warriors in the room. Watching them with hungry eyes. Jeering. Mocking him for screaming in agony. If he thrashes too much, they pin him down. Touch him as well. Leave him naked on the floor when she is done. My rage increases. My blood is boiling. How dare she do this to him.

There she is again. This time Ptah is prepared. He has managed to grab a knife from one of those cursed guards. He threatens Bastet, but she laughs. As always. She commands one of the warriors to deal with it swiftly. But Ptah has enough. He chops off his cock. But the knife is blunt. He needs to cut twice into his body. It is painful to look at. But he doesn’t scream. All the male warriors feel the pain. They hunch. Bastet cannot believe what she sees. My beloved is losing a lot of blood. He throws the knife away and looks directly in her eyes. No. It is as if he is looking straight at me. As if he knew Bastet would share her memory with me. His lips form the words ‘I’m sorry,’ but he does not speak it. He seems to be at peace. And collapses. Bastet is raging. She grabs the blade of one of the warriors and stabs him in the heart with it. Then she kills all the remaining who are present. When she is done, she walks up to Ptah and grabs him by his hair. He does not react. She grabs a blade from one of the dead warriors and chops off his head. Walks with it to a window. Tosses the head out like garbage.

The images start to blur. I no longer can contain myself. I bite Bastet on her lips, forcing her to retreat. She tumbles back, licks the blood off her lips. Laughs. She taunts me again, but I cannot perceive her words. They have become distant ramblings. I feel my heartbeat in my chest. It’s pounding like a fast drum. In the back of my mind, a dark feeling approaches. It is seductive, compelling. It promises me power. Strength. That I will be able to break free. And get rid of that twisted person in front of me. I like the idea. I want it. I let it in.