---
But this time, Sekhmet forced his hand to do something else first.
He turned and grabbed Lily.
Lily's eyes fluttered, half opening.
"Sekh—"
Sekhmet struck her with the edge of his hand against the side of her neck.
THUD.
Not a killing blow.
A controlled, practiced knockout.
Lily's eyes rolled back. Her body went limp.
Silence fell heavy.
The guards froze, stunned.
Bat Bat squeaked from the ground where it had fallen during the sudden motion.
"Hey!"
Sekhmet lifted Lily into his arms again, breathing hard.
The hunger whispered that knocking her out was smart. She could not scream. She could not run. She could not see what he was becoming.
That whisper made him hate himself even more.
The second guard stepped back, voice shaking.
"Why did you hit her?"
Sekhmet's voice came out raw.
"So she does not see," he said.
"So she does not remember," he corrected himself, then realized that sounded worse.
He clenched his jaw and tried again.
