Tell-Tales of Usher: Lady of Slaughter, Mistress of Dread, Chapter I

The Egyptian goddess Sekhmet, with an insatiable taste for human flesh, smells the blood still flowing within the pump of the circulatory systems of the throngs gathered so closely in antebellum Boston, reeking so of blood that the perfume ignites her killing frenzy. Are the Ushers powerful enough to stop her murderous rage and send her back to the deep pockets of eternity whence she came?This is a continuation of The Tell-Tale House of Usher and The Tale of Hatotep. Hatotep, a few thousand years old but none the worse for wear and tear, continues to reside at the Usher town house on Franklin Square in Boston. He's gone from frightful novelty to a houseguest who is beginning to wear out his welcome. Not that he isn't charming and good company but his continual shedding of his earthly remains keeps the fastidious Madeline in an exhausting state of alert.While enjoying a cup of tea, Madeline and Edmund notice drops of blood condensing from the air of the parlor. When Hatotep is told of this phenomenon, he becomes despondent at the news, knowing that this is a first sign that the Lady of Slaughter herself has entered this world and that now his friends are in danger of their lives. In this first chapter, Madeline is made to see the only course open to her if she is to defeat the goddess Sehkmet and send her away. She vanishes without trace or explanation leaving the others to face a terrifying confrontation with the Mistress of Dread. Can Madeline return in time with the knowledge she has sought to save them?