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His eyes narrowed and a thin, cruel smile stretched his lips. “I’m going to make a mess of your face,” he said, as if answering my thoughts. “You won’t reach your grave pretty.”
“Don’t touch him!” Tauseret reared up between us, sunkencheeked and cadaver-like.
Ceecee cringed from the corpse that hissed at him, and horror twisted his face as her dry skin took on flesh. Then he snarled and lunged at her.
My heart lurched and my hands flew to my bandolier. Tauseret ducked. My first knife sliced the dark. I don’t know where it went. My second, a silver streak, sank into the wall of a stall. I yanked more knives in a panic as he came at me, waving his razor and grinning—casual and sure. One knife tore his sleeve and spun to the ground. Another sliced into the hay behind him. I was going to die. I grabbed for more blades. Stop being a fool, I chided myself. You have the skill. Concentrate. I had to make the next knife count, or he would kill me.
The knife left my fingers.
Ceecee dropped his razor and clutched at his throat. Blood spurted between his fingers, and his eyes bulged as red foam escaped his lips. He went down, gurgling and twitching as his heels beat a tattoo on the ground, a blade stuck in his neck. It had sliced the artery.
My gorge rose. I’d only wanted to wound him and slow him up.
He gave one last convulsion and lay motionless, his mouth agape. Cold struck me to my core, but I couldn’t look away. I opened and closed my mouth as if I, too, were gasping my last.
Tauseret climbed from the trough, clothed in beauty once more. Her white chemise draped her like the garb of a Fury. She put her cold hands on my cheeks and forced me to look at her. Her eyes were wise with the ways of death and bet
rayal. “We must leave here,” she said calmly. “The bone man has other minions.”
I clutched her to me and choked back a sob. She was right. We should take the chance and flee before Mink realized his plan had gone awry. “You saved me,” I whispered harshly into her neck.
“You saved yourself,” she answered gently. “You took the chance I offered you. Go. Wake the others. I will deal with this.”
Tauseret pulled the knife from Ceecee’s neck. She gave it a vicious twist as she did. “To be sure,” she said, and wiped the knife on a handful of hay.
I turned and left hastily before I vomited.
“Apollo, rouse the children,” I yelled up the ladder to the loft. “Ceecee’s been here, we’ve got to leave!” I ran to shake the adults awake, thankful to leave the corpse behind me.
The children scrambled down the ladder, crying questions all at once.
“I’ve killed him. I’ve killed Ceecee,” I blurted out to Mr. Ginger as he threw his cover off. I heard Miss Lightfoot’s scream from the other stall. My words had reached her. Mr. Bopp cursed. They all followed me to the trough, where Tauseret handed me the knives she had retrieved and cleaned. I took them numbly and resheathed them.
The children gathered around the body, whispering with excitement.
“You did that?” Apollo asked, eyes wide.
I was too distraught to answer.
“He did indeed,” said Tauseret.
“Dead suits him real good,” Moses said, and kicked the corpse for good measure.
Willie raised his eyes to the roof—whether he prayed or thanked, I couldn’t tell.
I could hardly bear to look at Ceecee myself. I still shook from my abominable act.
Tauseret moved close to me. “You acted with the hand of Ma’at,” she whispered. “Justice makes you tremble with the awe of her presence.” How good of her to try to comfort me.
Minnie wiped at her nose with her fist and bent over Ceecee’s face. “No more buzzing,” she said. “All empty.”
Bertha put a crooked arm around Minnie. “Good and empty,” she said.
I was appalled at how calm and satisfied they were, but I blamed life. No amount of love and care could return their innocence. “We have to get out of here,” I said. I looked in desperation at Mr. Ginger.
“Pay mind to Abel, children,” said Mr. Ginger. He glanced at Ceecee and crossed himself. “Bring the horses in, Moses. We have to hitch them up.” He shooed Moses off. “Children, gather our belongings.”
“You did Bess proud,” said Mr. Bopp, rising up by my knee. “No one will blame you, lad. I only wish it was me what did the world the favor.”
