Recreated (20 page)

“Are we going to talk about it?” he murmured.

“About what? There are a lot of things we could talk about.”

“Yes. But there's one thing in particular you're avoiding.”

“There is,” I whispered, and couldn't help feeling a swell of emotion. A small stir in my mind told me Tia was listening. She'd been so quiet that I'd barely remembered she was there. It was likely she was giving me time to be with Amon.

Amon waited patiently, slowly rubbing my hand between his palms.

I sucked in a breath. “There's sort of someone in here with me,” I said.

“The lioness?” he asked.

Nodding, I removed my hand from his and tugged at the grass, yanking it out and making a little pile next to me.

“I couldn't let her die. She knew I didn't want it and now we're both in here and…”

“What is really bothering you?”

“What do you mean?” I said, keeping my eyes locked on his for the first time since the topic came up.

“You're at peace with her. At least, as best I can tell. The Eye of Horus showed me that you will come to love one another if you don't already.”

I blinked and realized that he was right. Having Tia around was disconcerting, but I did care about her.

“I do. I mean, I'm happy that she's alive. She…she's special.” Tia's consciousness spread out a bit further, and I felt the contented brush of her mind touch mine. It was almost as if she was curled up next to me, offering her supportive companionship. Licking my lips, I wiped my sweaty palms against my thighs and got to my feet, nervously pacing. “I guess I've just been wondering if I…if we…I mean, if you…could still love me this way.”

My back was to him, and I rubbed my hands along my arms. He didn't answer. Why? Was he taking a moment to think about it? Was he unsure? I heard him get to his feet, and his palm grazed the crook of my elbow as he gently turned me around.

The expression on his face carried so much pain, so much confusion, that tears sprang to my eyes. “You…you don't, then,” I sputtered. “You can't. It…it's okay. I understand.”

“No, Lily. You don't,” he said as he grabbed hold of my upper arms.

Fat teardrops spilled down my cheeks, blurring my vision, but Amon's warmth as he touched his thumbs to them dried them instantly. “It's not a little thing,” he began, “to gift another with your heart, let alone a heart scarab.”

“Yes, but…”

“Please allow me to finish.” I nodded weakly and he went on. “When I first met you, there were certain things the Eye of Horus allowed me to see. I knew what kind of person you were, what motivated you, what things made you happy, and what things caused you sadness. Your qualities were what sustained me during my time on Earth. Our bond went beyond the physical. We were stronger together than we were apart.

“I don't know what the future holds for us, exactly. Terrible dangers and struggle lie ahead, but I've also been given tiny glimpses of such exquisite happiness that I cannot feel anything other than hope. I'd do anything to make them come true. My heart is fused to yours, and there's nothing in this universe that can divide us. Not Seth. Not the netherworld. Not death. And certainly not a lioness, especially one that kisses as well as she does.”

Amon winked and I laughed amid my sadness. “You knew it wasn't me?”

“Let's just say when a lioness kisses you, it's unforgettable.”

“Hey!” I slapped him lightly on the chest as he wrapped his arms around me.

He sighed, pressing his cheek against mine as he murmured in my ear, “I love you, my sweet Young Lily. Nothing will ever change that.”

Hugging him tightly, I teased, “How'd you like an unforgettable Lily kiss?”

“I thought you'd never ask.”

Amon trailed his lips down my cheek until his mouth met mine. The warmth and heat of a thousand suns filled my frame. Amon's kiss burned and teased and promised me things I never even knew were possible. Experiencing the real thing was so, so much better than reliving the memory. My fond recollections hadn't given Amon the credit he deserved.

He traced a path with his fingertips down my spine to the small of my back, cupping my hips and tugging me closer. Everywhere he touched he left tingles of energy behind, reminders that he'd branded me his. When I sensed he was being careful with me, as if I were still a mere mortal girl, I returned his ardor with an intensity that surprised and delighted him. I'd just run my hands up his powerful arms and into his hair when, abruptly, the vision of Amon was wrenched away from me.

I cried out, just as Tia and I found ourselves in a dark enclosed place.

“Where are we?” I asked her. “Heliopolis?”

We are still in the world of dreams, I think.

Using my enhanced vision, I was able to make out the distant shape of stars above and behind me but they felt beyond my reach; I was bound in a thick nothingness like a black hole. Suddenly, I realized that I wasn't alone. The huntress within me sensed another presence, a predator, and a dangerous one.

I spun in circles, trying to locate my enemy, but their scent or sound eluded me. They watched me, and the feeling was invasive, like they could see into the depths of my soul and could easily detect every weakness. My heart raced as I tried to suppress the scream building up inside me.

Then a voice spoke in my mind, and it was unlike Tia's or Amun-Ra's. It was a voice full of power, one that terrified me and left a chill reverberating through my bones. I knew then who it was.

We meet at last. I've been waiting for you for a very long time. My servant got a taste, and the scent of you has been tickling my nostrils ever since. You don't know how happy I am that you've begun this journey. You're so much more…interesting now than you used to be.

When I couldn't speak out loud, I communicated with him using my mind. What do you want? And why am I here?
I asked.

Do you mean to unmake us? Tia demanded.

I heard a laugh and the harsh din caused my body to shiver.

Unmake you? No. Well, perhaps not yet. Before I can capitalize on unmaking anyone, the impossible triangle must be fully formed. You're nearly there.

What are you saying? I challenged, not wanting to understand but also knowing I needed to.

All will be revealed in time, young ones. Perhaps you should focus on your current priorities. Speaking of which, I hope you enjoy your visit with the Devourer. She's a greedy hostess,
he said, almost fondly,
but I'll make sure she welcomes you appropriately when you enter her home.

The wisp of an ice-cold breeze tickled my cheek and I suddenly got the impression that I'd been touched. My skin crawled.

It would appear as if my mind-numbing…confinement has finally proven interesting. Watching your dreams will offer me a most pleasant diversion until such time that my release is assured.

What? How is that possible? I demanded.

Fortunately for me, your new powers coupled with your bond of love with the carrier of the Eye of Horus made my eavesdropping on and, I'll admit, appropriating, your dreams, a reality. Destiny draws us closer, my dear.
He paused and chuckled.
Come now, don't fret. This is a good thing…for me,
he added.
I look forward to meeting you again. Next time, I hope to introduce myself more…fully.

Next time? I thought.

Goodbye, Sphinx.
Laughter echoed around me. Though I knew it was happening more in my head than in the space I was in, I turned in circles, pressing my hands to my ears, imploring it to stop.

A knock at my door jolted me awake. I sat up suddenly, pressing my hand against my racing heart and then my flushed cheeks. “Just a moment!” I called out as I padded to the door to open it a crack. The servant girl was back. Had it really been several hours? I rubbed my hands across my face, trying to wake myself up from the terrible dream that I desperately hoped was just a bad nightmare. “What time is it?” I asked her.

“It is nearly dawn. You must finish the bathing ritual and then be on your way. If you do not arrive at the pier by sunset, you will miss your opportunity.”

“Okay. Let's get this show on the road, then,” I said nervously.

She lowered her eyebrows in puzzlement but asked no questions.

The only things I took with me to the bathing room were the weapons we'd been given and the leather shoulder harness. As I walked, it struck me again just how totally unprepared I was. I had no food. No canteen for water. No backpack full of supplies. My phone had been left with Dr. Hassan. I knew next to nothing about where I was headed or how I was going to get there. If I didn't have Tia with me, I was sure I would have freaked out and run screaming all the way back to New York. I was in way, way over my head.

Tia tried to reassure me.
The only way out sometimes is to move forward. The path is not always clear, but your instinct will guide you.

I don't have instinct. Not like you do, anyway,
I said.

We
have instinct,
she corrected.
We can hunt when we hunger. We will find water when we thirst. We will save your young man. And we will
stop
the Unmaker.

I wish I were as confident as you are.

A lioness cannot indulge in doubts. She must kill or be killed. Hunt or be hunted. Hesitation makes us weak. It is a human trait.

And if we make a mistake? If we die?

If we die, we leave this world knowing we tried. There is honor in that.

I fell silent. There was something comforting in looking at the world through Tia's eyes. Everything was so clear to her. It was black-and-white. She was brave in a way I wasn't sure I could ever be.

It was easy to be brave when Amon was with me. I relied on his abilities. His knowledge of the world he moved in. Now I knew he understood very little about the assignment he'd been given. He was being used by the gods. I was, too, of course, but at least Amun-Ra and Horus had summed things up pretty well. I now knew Seth's agenda and the reason the brothers had to do the things they did.

I wasn't sure if that information would change his perspective or not. Whatever that understanding brought, at least he'd know. He and his brothers. They could make an informed decision. Recognize their true place in the Egyptian pantheon. They'd see Seth for what he was. At the very least I needed to make sure they were made aware of everything Amun-Ra and Horus told me. For a moment, I wished I'd had more time with Amon to tell him everything I'd learned, but then I thought perhaps it was better that I hadn't. Especially now that I knew Seth could spy on our dreams together.

We soon entered a large bathing chamber with a sunken tub. There were three women already in the room. One stirred fragrant oil into water that was so warm, steam billowed out. When she looked up at me and smiled, I saw her blink sideways, like a crocodile. Another, whose short-cropped hair resembled something more like fur than hair, set candles on the tiled corners of the tub and lit them with a wave of her hand. The third, a beautiful blonde who could have graced the cover of any NYC fashion billboard, spread white flower petals on the water, and the girl who entered with me began tugging on the ties of my robe.

I gathered the edges tightly in my fist. “Um, is this ritual something I can do by myself? I'm not entirely comfortable with getting naked in front of a bunch of strangers.”

“You do not wish us to be present?” She frowned.

“Maybe you can just teach me the spell and I can do it on my own?”