“Hang on," Sadie said. She stomped right up to the throne. Ammit growled at her, but Sadie growled back, which confused the monster into silence. "What are you?" she demanded. "My dad? Osiris? Are you even alive?" Dad looked at Anubis. "What did I tell you about her? Fiercer than Ammit, I said." "You didn't need to tell me." Anubis's face was grave."I've learned to fear that sharp tongue." Sadie looked outraged. "excuse me?”

“What are you?” She demanded. “My dad? Osiris? Are you even alive?”Dad looked at Anubis. “What did I tell you about her? Fiercer than Ammit, I said.”“You didn’t need to tell me that.” Anubis’s face was grave. “I’ve learned to fear that sharp tongue.”Sadie looked outraged. “Excuse me?”

“There’s my baby!” I cried, quite carried away. “There’s my Poochiekins!”Ammit ran at me and leaped into my arms, nuzzling me with his rough snout.“My lord Osiris!” Disturber lost the bottom of his scroll again, which unraveled around his legs. “This is an outrage!”“Sadie,” Dad said firmly, “please do not refer to the Devourer of Souls as Poochiekins.”

“She blinked. "Hmm? Oh, don't care. What did Anubis look like to you?""What did... he looked like a guy. So?""A good-looking guy, or a slobbering dog-headed guy?""I guess... Not the dog-headed guy.""I knew it!" Sadie pointed at me as if she'd won an argument."Good-looking. I knew it!"And with a ridiculous grin, she spun around and skipped into the house. My sister, as I may have mentioned, is a little strange.”

“Why didn’t you sleep with the headrest?”I shrugged. “It was uncomfortable.” I looked at Sadie for support. “You didn’t use it, did you?”Sadie rolled her eyes. “Well, of course I did. It was obviously there for a reason.”

“Zia turned toward us, her expression grim. “I will show you to your quarters. In the morning, your testing begins. We will see what magic you know, and how you know it.”I wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but I exchanged an uneasy look with Sadie.“Sounds fun,” Sadie ventured. “And it we fail this test?”Zia regarded her coldly. “This is not the sort of test you fail, Sadie Kane. You pass or you die.”

“The truth is harsh." Anubis said. "Spirits come to the Hall of Judgement all the time, and they cannot let go of their lies. They deny their faults, their true feelings, their mistakes.......right up until Ammit devours their souls for eternity. It takes strength and courage to admit the truth.”