“Prets can’t be destroyed by fusion and they can’t be trapped by gravity. I’d die, but my pret would return to Duat. And Set is already nothing but a naked pret. So he’d just relocate back to Earth. Nothing accomplished.”

“Even if we can gather up all the Sutahites,” said Pat, “there’s no chance Set would join with somebody else in a subservient role.”

“Which is why I’m not inviting Hermia,” said Danny.

“She’ll see that we’ve gathered,” said Pat, “and she’ll show up.”

“I’ll deal with that when it happens,” said Danny.

“Or I should say, Set will see that we’ve gathered, and he’ll show up, wearing Hermia.”

“Let’s get this started and see what happens.”

“You mean now? This second?”

“What will we gain by delaying?” Even as he spoke, Danny had already begun. He knew where all the others were, the ones who had become aware of the prets. He didn’t use words, he just … wanted them to come to him. Invited them.

It’ll be like this with the Sutahites, he thought. And as they each winked into existence around the bench by the shingle oak, he showed them what he meant to do. As I invited you, you can invite the Sutahites. Only not just to come near you. To come into you. To become part of you. To become part of your outself. Instruments of your will. A permanent place, as part of the power of a mage.

“Let them see what kinds of magery you do, if you know,” said Danny. “Let them see what they’d be a part of.”

Loki was the last to arrive. “You already have them,” he said. “Why are you weakening your hold on them?”

“I don’t have them,” said Danny. “They don’t have anything, and nothing has them. Unless they come to us. Look at how bright and powerful you are, Loki. See how they long to be part of you.”

Then Danny realized that as he freed the Sutahites to make their choice, he was also freeing his own ba. It only existed in Loki’s hearthoard, because he had given his gates to Loki. But now some of them chose to be, not on loan to Loki, but truly part of him. Truly his.

Danny felt a stab of regret, but then he remembered what he had learned on Duat. These prets came with me freely. Not as slaves, but because they wanted to share my life forever. The prets of the ba are the highest and strongest, only just short of being human. Now I’m setting these prets free, and some of them have come to love and admire Loki. Of course they choose to stay.