Page 90 of Hex You

“You did well, my Green Witch. So, so well,” Khenti murmured to her as he held her carefully and walked to the palms. “I shall always remember your courage.”

It was hard—so hard for Mercy to form words—but she had to. “You have to go home now, Khenti.”

He nodded, his eyes dark with sadness. “I know. And now you must die.”

“It doesn’t hurt. It doesn’t feel like anything.” Mercy looked around them. “Hunter. Where is H?”

“I’m here, Mag!” Hunter rushed to her and took her hand. “We did it! We got rid of the sea hag!”

Mercy’s lips twitched up. “You did it. Not me.”

Hunter snorted. “Your giant green Jell-O barrier made it all possible.”

Then Mercy did actually grin at her twin. “I thought it looked like a Jell-O mold, too.”

“Great minds…” Hunter returned her grin.

“What do we do now?” Emily said as she and Jax joined them while Khenti gently placed Mercy on the ground near the clump of palms. “Should we cast a circle so you can grab some of the power from Amphitrite and give it to Mercy to cure the poison?”

Mercy saw Hunter exchange a look with Jax that had his eyes filling with tears. Then his gaze met hers and she saw understanding there. She held out her hand and Jax took it, bending close to her. “Be there for Hunter. Don’t let her be alone. Promise me,” Mercy said softly as she held tightly to her sister’s best friend.

“I promise,” Jax whispered back to her.

“What does that mean?” Emily’s voice had risen several octaves. “Hunter, what does she mean? You’re going to fix her now, right? That was the plan.”

In human form, swathed in Abigail’s grass-stained bathrobe, Xena limped to them and put her arm around Emily. “Oh, kitten, our Mercy is beyond even Hunter’s power to save.”

“No! That can’t be true!” Emily’s frantic gaze went from Xena to Hunter. “You just killed a goddess! You can save Mercy!”

“Em.” Mercy’s voice had faded to a whisper. “No one can save me.”

“Mag! No no no no no!” Emily went to her knees, tears cascading down her fawn cheeks as she clutched her best friend’s hand as if she could physically tether her to the world of the living.

“Shh, it’s going to be okay,” Mercy soothed. “We’ll always be friends, remember?”

“B-but you won’t be here!” Emily sobbed.

“But we get to take love with us,” Mercy said. “Em, I’ll never forget you. I promise. I don’t have much time left, and Khenti needs to return to his home. Help me see him off, okay?”

“O-okay.” Emily wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, though her tears continued to fall.

“Help me stand. I want to walk with Khenti to the tree,” said Mercy.

They all lifted Mercy to her feet. Then Khenti put his arm around her shoulder and Hunter put her arm around her waist. Xena took one of her hands and Jax took the other. Together, joined by love, then went to the doum.

“I can stand by myself now. Thanks, guys,” Mercy said.

“Do we have to do some special magic to open the gate?” Jax asked Hunter.

Khenti answered before she could. “No, my friend. I may open the gate to my home easily, and then I must deal with the jackal-headed guards who await me.” He stared grimly at the center of the cluster of doum palms.

“Khenti kitten, I have researched your patron goddess, Hathor,” said Xena. “I believe if she is invoked the jackals will have to stand down until your goddess appears, even should your father try to bully you, but he is only a demi-god, so he must wait upon your goddess before he acts.” Xena sighed dramatically. “But goddesses can be quite busy, so…”

Khenti nodded. “Yes, magnificent Xena Warrior, I had already concluded that I must invoke Hathor’s presence or my father’s guards will simply hold me hostage until he arrives—to send me back to Duat.”

“Does Hathor usually come when you invoke her?” Hunter asked. She stood beside Mercy—remaining close—watching Mercy with worried turquoise eyes.

“The divine Hathor and I have spoken frequently, but usually when she was visiting the Underworld and was near the gate I guarded.” Khenti cracked his knuckles nervously. “Truthfully, I have never before invoked her presence.”