thoth
we spend all our time running for our lives, going nowhere

Dalton unhooked the handcuffs from her hip, her lips curled into a permanent snarl. Who did these kids think they were, throwing her about like that? She’d trained with the Alliance for Pete’s sake. At least these two were being cooperative, for now. She pulled Danny’s arms behind him, a wrist at a time, and cuffed them together. Satisfied that he was secure, she moved onto Cypress and did the same to her, before ordering them both to turn around.

“You walk ahead of me,” she gestured with the gun, “and I’ll tell you where to go. Don’t try anything or I’ll shoot you in the leg and drag you there.”

The Pomeranian fell into step behind them, growling at the two trespassers. Dalton directed them back along the hallway, down the stairs and back round through the kitchen. A backdoor beyond the kitchen led them out into a little courtyard. They crossed the courtyard, went up a short flight of steps and emerged into the garden. There must have been acres upon acres of land which came with the property, much of it, apparently, untamed. An old, rickety seaplane was bobbing on a small lake to their left, and to their right, the grass had been mowed down to create a runway for a more modern plane. The sleek vehicle was small and compact, with a streamlined shape built for speed. It didn’t look as if it could carry more than about ten passengers at a time. Dalton prodded Danny in the back, indicating he walk in the direction of the modern plane.

The great metal bird loomed above them as they neared. A young man, probably late twenties or early thirties, was sat on the ground next to it with a book in his hand and his back propped up against the wheel. He glanced up as they neared, shooting Dalton a questioning look. She jerked her head towards the plane. Shrugging, the man hauled himself to his feet, folded the corner of the page and tucked the book under his arm.

“Looks like those kids gave you a run for your money,” he observed as he began to ascend the stairs leading up to the plane’s door.

“Shut up, Flash.” Dalton snarled back. “That wasn’t these two. That was Thoth.”

Flash paused in the doorway and spun around, his eyebrows disappearing under his hairline. “Thoth is here?”

“Right now he’s in Oxford.” Dalton grumbled. “Which is where you’re going to fly us.”

“Man, I love Thoth.” Flash told Danny and Cypress conversationally as he stepped to one side to let them through. Dalton indicated they sit on separate sides of the plane. “About time we had a proper sea god. Could use some protection on my transatlantic flights, you know? Is he good at answering prayers?”

“Flash.” Dalton growled in exasperation. Flash took the hint and vanished into the cockpit.

Moments later, they were in the air. The flight was smooth, and even Dalton seemed to relax a little. Her Pomeranian partner curled up on the floor by the entrance to the cockpit and dozed off. They were only airborne for about half an hour before on a grassy lawn behind another sprawling mansion, this one even larger than the last. The architectural style of this one was more classical, with windows reminiscent of the Georgian era. Flash waved them a cheerful goodbye as Dalton made Danny and Cypress descend the steps onto the well-kept lawn first. Once they were down, she gestured towards the gleaming white house and had them walk right up to it, whereupon she rapped smartly on the glass door. There was a pause before it opened and a clean, well-groomed woman in a yellow dress suit appeared. Her stone grey eyes flicked over the two teenagers and she clucked audibly.

“Dalton, these are our honoured guests.” She snapped her fingers, causing the handcuffs to unlatch themselves and fall with a clatter onto the wooden decking. “Daniel, Cypress, welcome. Please come in. Dalton, you are relieved.”

She stepped to one side and spread her arm invitingly. Once Danny and Cypress crossed the threshold, the woman clicked the door shut, leaving Dalton locked out. A single strand of strawberry blonde hair slipped from her perfect bun as she closed the door; she reached up to tuck it carefully behind her ear as she studied the two young people.

“My name is Emilia.” She smiled warmly. “I’m sure you’re very worried about your friend, but there’s no cause for concern. The agents employed by the Church really are very over-zealous. Let’s go and fetch your friend, and then I would be very honoured if the four of us could partake in luncheon together.”

She had the kind of sunny countenance which made everything seem right with the world, but it didn’t quite fit with the cool, classical tones of the mansion’s interior. As she led them through it, there was further evidence that something was amiss. The second corridor she led them down had several paintings knocked off the walls and the remnants of a broken statue littered the floor. The carpet and sofas in the drawing room were sodden, and Emilia had to step neatly over the unmoving bodies of several men and women dressed in the black-and-blue robes of the Auran Church. In the hallway beyond the drawing room, two men were trying to free a third from a block of ice, water sloshing around their ankles. The carnage intensified the further they went, and culminated, in the final corridor, with the muffled sounds of thudding and yelling. Emilia opened the door at the end of the corridor to a scene of total chaos.

It had been a dining room once, probably. There was a brief glimpse of a long table and a huge fireplace at the far end before another man in Auran uniform was smashed into the wall next to the door by a powerful blast of liquid. The water in here was up to just below knee-level, and filled with debris; it flowed over Emilia, Danny and Cypress’s legs as soon as the door opened, threatening their balance. Thoth was standing on the table in the centre of the room, holding his own against half a dozen or so Auran agents, all soaked to the skin. He didn’t even glance at the door as it opened, too busy drawing the flood back towards himself by tightening his fists. A split second later, he bowled over three of the men with a miniature tidal wave while simultaneously throwing up a shield of pure ice to protect himself against a strong blast of air from one of the women.

Emilia sighed and straightened her skirt. It seemed a silly thing to do now that the hem and her tights were dripping wet, but she did it nonetheless.

“Thoth!” She called, cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice. “Your friends are here! For goodness’ sake, all of you,” she scolded, putting her hands on her hips, “will you all stop attacking one another for five minutes?”

The agents backed up, some with expressions of relief. Thoth spun around and locked eyes with Danny. With a wary glance back at the agents, he hopped off the table with a splash and waded over to them.

“There now.” Emilia smiled. “Do you want to do your little drying trick before we all have luncheon?”

If looks could kill, the one Thoth threw her then would have stopped her heart in an instant. He twisted his hands, generating a giant ball of spinning water over the four of their heads, and then threw his hands in a downwards motion. The ball of water dropped, drenching Emilia, Cypress and Danny. Thoth was already soaked from head to toe.

The Auran lady sighed, as though this wasn’t the first time today this had happened.