Chapter 1

Eli POV

The currents of the Duat pulled at me. Usually I could keep my soul in my body, but that didn't work this time.

If you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about then, hi: the Egyptian gods are real (and terrorizing the mortal world) and Disney characters come alive at night. Yes, even the evil ones.

I'm Eli: one of the DHI's (Disney Host Interactive or Daylight Hologram Imaging, depending on whom you ask) and a magician of the Twenty-First Nome. Until that night, neither side knew of the other, which I thought was for the best. Turns out I was wrong.

Anyway, when I could see clearly, I was in Town Square, the heart of Magic Kingdom. I looked down, but my luck was not to be; my head was still mine, but my body was that of a chicken or something. I was a ba.

But why? I could cross over. I didn't have to be like this.

Unless I was supposed to have crossed over, but the Duat was preventing me.

My spirit drifted beyond Cinderella Castle, into the woods. In a clearing, a fire was blazing, but the light didn't reach past the clearing and there was no smoke. Whoever was here didn't want to be noticed. Overtakers. But who?

A voice drifted across the clearing. "Have you casted the spell yet?" The woman stepped into view, and I hoped I really was invisible. The woman was the Evil Queen.

Another voice replied, "Yes, my Lady."

"And you're certain it will work?" the Evil Queen continued.

"Of course, my Lady."

"And no one else is here?"

"Yes, my—" He stopped. I felt a sudden blast of heat. I looked down and saw I was back in my body, but now I was glowing with a blue light. I started backing away, when I stepped on a twig. It broke with an incredibly loud 'SNAP.'

The Evil Queen looked at me. "Excellent," she purred. "Well done, Setne."

Setne. Where had I heard that name before?

Setne's voice said, "Just doing my job."

I turned and ran. I burst out of the woods and kept running.

And ran right into Willa.

"Eli?" She looked surprised. "What are you doing? What happened?"

"Overtakers." I gasped for breath. "Trap."

Finn, Amanda, and Maybeck came over, though I didn't see Charlene or Philby anywhere. "Eli?" Finn asked. "What are you doing here?"

I asked curiously, "What do you mean?"

"I mean Philby didn't cross you over. You shouldn't be here."

That unnerved me. If Philby didn't cross me over, then who did?

"Forget that for now." Amanda was looking at me strangely. "What happened?"

I told them, leaving out the part about my ba.

"Setne." Finn pondered the name. "Doesn't ring any bells; he's not a Disney character."

Maybeck groaned. "Great. The Overtakers are back, and now they're recruiting people. Just freaking great." Except he didn't say 'freaking.'

"The name sounded familiar though." I was sure of it. "I didn't recognize his voice, but I know I've heard his name before"

"Well," Willa said, "there was a Setne in Egyptian mythology, though I'm not sure why anyone would name their kid after him; he was a really evil dude."

My heart sank. I realized why his name sounded so familiar. Carter and Sadie both had experiences with Setne. And now he's an Overtaker.

"Eli?" Amanda asked. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. But why are you guys here?"

Willa said, "We were just doing the usual check. You know, to make sure the Overtakers aren't back."

Usual check. They had been crossing over without me.

"Should we Return?" Finn asked.

I nodded with the others.

He checked his pocket to reveal the ever important Return. We held hands, forming a circle. "Ready?" Finn said. "One, two, three."

He pushed the button.