She’d never been more wrong.
TWENTY-SIX
BELLY OF THE BEAST
“MOST OF the larger predators indigenous to Egypt are extinct,” Will said.
Lucy glanced back at him. “Why?”
“One predator destroyed them all,” Abasi answered.
“Is it man?” She’d read in her studies that many creatures had become extinct all over the world due to humans hunting them.
Abasi frowned. “Not man, but the ammut.”
Will snorted, grumbling something under his breath.
“Don’t mock what you do not understand, William Godwin.” Abasi took another sip of water.
Sweat dripped down Lucy’s back. She took out her canteen and drank as well. “What are ammuts?” Lucy asked, after she’d taken several swigs.
“They are soul eaters,” Abasi answered, eyeing her.
“Lucy tightened the lid on her canteen. “They ate the souls of all the animals in this forest?” She didn’t want to believe such things existed.
“Yes, they eat the souls of any large creature.”
“But why?”
“The ammut are demons whose desire is to possess a body of their own. It is believed that when an ammut takes a soul, it also takes on the body the soul was housed in for a time.”
“My,” Lucy whispered, searching the forest, hoping she wouldn’t find anything. The hairs on her arms and the back of her neck prickled. She shivered at the thought. Had she been home, within the confines of her own surroundings she might have dismissed Abasi’s story as nothing more than a myth. Within the darkening forest, amongst the silence, Abasi’s words stimulated her fear. Could such a creature exist? She hadn’t believed in ghosts until she saw her grandmother. Nor had she believed time travel was possible, yet she was in the twenty-first century, cutting branches in an Egyptian forest. If she’d learned one thing over the past few days it was that anything was possible, and that included demons who fed on the souls of living creatures.
“Do the ammut feed on humans?” Lucy asked.
“Human souls are what they crave most.”
“What do these demons look like?”
“They come in the forms of the soul they last took.” He pulled a walkie-talkie from his back pocket, turned it on, and pressed a button. “Lateef, what’s your status?” Apparently his words about the ammut had made him nervous, too. Abasi let go of the button and waited. There was only static. After a few moments, he changed the channel. “Madu, what is your status?” He waited again.
“Lucy, bring me a pile of those vines Abasi cut down. We can’t wait for the others to bring back firewood to start a fire.”
There was just a smidgen of light still in the sky, as though it were hanging on for them, waiting until they could get the fire going. Lucy appreciated the effort. She brought the machete over to Will and then went over to the pile to the left of the cave and bent to pick up the vines. As she did she glanced toward the cave’s black entrance. A twin pair of yellow eyes peered at her. They seemed to be hovering, waiting. A low growl sounded. Lucy froze in place.
Will heard the noise too. “Don’t move, Lucy.”
He didn’t have to tell her twice. She became a statue, didn’t even dare to breathe. A large lion strode out. It was nearly the size of a horse. Its mane and fur were dark as the night around them. It opened its mouth, licked its chops.
Lucy’s body trembled. Her heart beat in her ears. She wanted to scream and run away.
The lion padded over to her.
“Hang on. I’m going to shoot it,” Will said, keeping his voice soft.
The lion put its nose to her cheek. The fur around its mouth tickled, but she still didn’t move.
The crack of a gun rang through the night. The lion flinched back, its ears twitching. It pulled its lips back to reveal large pointed teeth. Roared.
Lucy heard rustling and turned. Abasi was running into the forest. The lion chased him out of sight. She heard Abasi scream and then the night was silent once again.
“Lucy,” Will said, his voice low and urgent. He took her arm. “We need to get out of here. Now.”
She didn’t know if she could move. Her legs were shaking so hard, but she said, “I’m ready.”
He went over to her pack and picked it up.
She took it from him. Shrugged in on. “Which way?”
Will had both guns out. “The opposite direction of that lion.” He held out a gun toward her.
“I-I do not think…” She didn’t know if she could kill. She built traps to catch and release little mice and snakes. She’d never even squashed a bug.
He slid one of his guns in its holster. “This is the trigger.” He touched it with his first finger. “The safety is off. Just point and shoot.” He gave a quick demonstration. “Take it.”
Lucy took the gun from his outstretched hand. It was heavier than it looked.
“Let’s go.” Will had only gone a few steps before he stopped.
Lucy ran into the back of him. “What is it,” she hissed, as pain shot through her wrist.
“More lions. At least a dozen.”
She peered around him. It was completely dark now. All she could see were their eyes. “What should we do?”
“Run. I’ll hold them off.”
Lucy didn’t want to leave him. “We’ll fight them together.”
“No. Go on.”
“I won’t leave you. I won’t.” Lucy ground her teeth. Scared or not, she wouldn’t leave him.
“Okay. Aim for those on the right. I’ll take the left.” Will sighed. “I’m sorry.”
Anger like she’d never felt before rose up inside her. “We’re going to get out of this.” She wanted to wrap her arms around him, hug him, tell him they were going to be fine, but there wasn’t time.
“Move back toward the cave while you shoot. On the count of three.”
“One,” she began.
“Two,” he said.
“Three.” She squeezed the trigger. The gun bucked. She hadn’t had a tight enough grip.
Will fired rapidly as he moved backward.
Lucy kept up, tightening her grip on the gun. She fired again, this time aiming for a lion on her right. The bullets didn’t seem to be doing any good. The lions kept coming, but surprisingly they didn’t attack. They seemed to be corralling Will and Lucy toward the cave.
Will recognized what they were doing as well. “They want us in there,” Will said and just then his gun clicked. “Damn.”
Lucy’s gun was out of bullets. She glanced back at the cave. It was dark but her eyes had adjusted to the lack of light. Her eyes caught hold of a tall presence standing in front of the entrance. “Will,” she said, stopping.
Will turned. “What?” He saw what Lucy had and raised his weapon.
“I am Mihos. You have entered upon sacred land. Your lives are forfeit. They belong to me.”
Lucy had heard that name before, but where?
“Mihos, my name is—,” Lucy tried.
“Silence,” he shouted, his voice shaking the ground.
Lucy leaned closer to Will. Mihos wore a white wrap around his hips. A multi-colored belt held it closed. He was barefoot and bare-chested with a shaved head, except for a line of hair in the middle of his head that went down to his neck. It was long and hung to the middle of his back. It’d been secured with some kind of bright orange tie. He had gold bands around his wrists and ankles and carried a black staff with the head of a lion at the top. Lucy racked her brain again trying to remember where she’d read about him.
A lion appeared next to Mihos. He sat beside the man. The remaining dozen or so lions surrounded Will and Lucy.
One of the lions pressed his nose into her shoulders, forcing her forward until she lost her balance. Lucy fell to her knees.
Will helped her stand. Another lion pressed his nose into Will’s shoulders. They were nudging them into the cave.
Mihos lifted his face. Closing his eyes
, he breathed in deeply through his nose. As he released the air, his golden eyes zeroed in on Lucy. “What have we here?”
The lion pressed Lucy to Mihos. As they moved forward the lion’s head began to glow like a small sun, filling the area with light.
“Don’t hurt her,” Will said, his voice strong and confident. One of the lions took his shoulder in its mouth. It didn’t bite down but Will clamped his mouth shut. He got the lion’s meaning.
Mihos didn’t acknowledge Will. He kept his focus on Lucy. “You’ve been touched by a god.”
Up close he was even taller than she’d thought, at least seven feet. She could feel a thick darkness surrounding him. Like he was the source of dark and it radiated from him. “I’m unclear about your meaning,” she began, and then remembered the amulet within her locket. She glanced down. It was still tucked under her shirt.
A sly grin twisted his features. “I think you do.” His long fingers bushed against her neck. They were cold like ice. Lucy flinched as he found the chain and pulled out the locket. “Your soul will be especially delicious.”
“Get away from her.” Will’s voice was quiet, strained.
Lucy glanced over. Another lion had taken his other shoulder in its mouth. Her mouth went dry and her heart dropped into her stomach. It beat so hard it made her nauseous. Will couldn’t die. “If you let him go, you can do whatever you’d like with me.”
Mihos’s sneer grew, nearly swallowing his face. “How touching, but I’ll do whatever I like with you both. You have no leverage.”
Lucy knew he was right, but it’d been worth a shot.
“Get them in the cage. I must prepare.” He went inside the cave, his staff illuminating the darkness.
The lions pushed Lucy and Will after him.
Lucy stepped on something hard. It crunched underfoot. Whatever it was covered the entire cavern. They looked like bones. They’d been stacked along the edges in various sized piles. Some were stark white. Others still had blood, flesh and sinew clinging to them. Lucy kicked a skull. It rolled forward and a hairy brown spider with large pincers climbed out of an eye socket. Lucy’s already nauseated stomach rolled. She leaned over and was sick.
“Keep moving, humans,” Mihos growled.
“Give her a second. Can’t you see she’s ill,” Will shouted, wrapping an arm around Lucy’s waist.
The lion behind Will roared. It was so loud Lucy’s ears rang. The lion behind her pushed her harder. She stumbled, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. The lions drove them through a smaller opening that led deeper into the cave. With Mihos in the lead they walked for a long time, their steps taking them downward.
When they came to a stop, they were in another cavern, much larger than the one at the opening of the cave. Sand covered the floor along with more bones. These were much larger than the human bones they’d seen at the entrance.
A chasm split the cavern in two and a cage rested on the side closest to them. Attached to a thick white chain the cage was made entirely of bars—all four sides, top and bottom—and the bars were white like bleached bones. Lucy wondered what animal had given its life for the cage.
Mihos opened the cage. “Get inside,” he commanded with a loud boom.
Will stepped inside first. Lucy followed. Mihos shut the cage behind them and locked it.
“What are you going to do with us?” Will asked.
Mihos walked back toward the opening they’d just come from. “Whatever I want.” He stopped. “Keep them company, my pets.” He ducked into the entrance, taking with him the light from his staff.
Except for their golden glowing eyes, Lucy couldn’t see the lions. Once they settled, some of the eyes vanished. Lucy guessed they’d closed them.
“Are you okay?” Will asked, searching her for wounds with his hands. It was highly inappropriate, but Lucy didn’t care. She needed to feel his nearness. His touch on her was comforting.
“I’m not hurt. What about you?” She took off her pack and let it drop to the ground. “Take your gun.” He placed a hand over hers, feeling for the cold steel. She heard him slide it into a holster at his hip. “It appeared as though our bullets didn’t harm the lions. Was it because I can’t shoot or did you have the same issue?”
Lucy heard Will sit. “Mine didn’t affect them either and I’m an excellent shot.”
Lucy pressed her back against the bars and slid down next to him. “What do you think he wants?”
“I’m guessing he and his beasts are the ammuts Abasi spoke of.”
Lucy swallowed. It sounded loud. “He wants our souls?”
“If the stories Abasi told us are true, then yes.” Will took her hand. Hers were cold.
“We’re going to be lion food, aren’t we?”
“I won’t let that happen,” Will said, running his thumb along her knuckles.
She wanted to believe him, but their predicament didn’t look good.
“Why don’t you try to get some sleep?”
She closed her eyes, mostly because it was so dark her eyes couldn’t adjust to it, but sleep was out of the question.
TWENTY-SEVEN
SON OF BASTET
THE LANDSCAPE was barren. Holes, large and small, pockmarked the ground. Lucy walked and walked, searching for something that would explain where she was. With every step, dust danced in the air. A quick glance down allowed her to see she was wearing her nightdress. She checked to make sure the locket was still around her neck.
“Hello,” she called. It echoed. “Is anyone there?”
“Lucy, so nice of you to come.” Bastet materialized in front of Lucy.
“Where am I?” Lucy asked.
“You’re on the moon. This is where I reside.”
Lucy remembered Bastet telling her that she was the moon. She examined her surroundings with new eyes. Of course, she thought.
Bastet took hold of the locket. She opened it. Lucy wanted to stop her but her arms wouldn’t cooperate.
“I implore you not to touch my locket.”
“You need to find the other half. The pieces must be returned to each other.”
Lucy shook her head. “I can’t. I’m being held prisoner by a man named Mihos.”
Bastet frowned. “I’ll take care of Mihos. He thinks he’s protecting me, but he’s wrong. I do not need his protection.”
Lucy remembered where she’d seen his name. “Mihos is your son.”
“Technically that’s correct. I gave birth to him.”
“He’ll listen to you?” Lucy asked.
“Of course he will. He won’t have a choice.” She turned away. “Follow me.”
***
Lucy opened her eyes. Light filtered into the cave from somewhere, shining on the bones that surrounded them. It was daytime. The lions were gone. Her head rested against Will’s shoulder.
“You awake?” Will said softly.
“Yes.” She lifted her head. “Sorry.”
Will smiled sadly. “It was the least I could do.” He tried to stand, but the cage shook.
Lucy glanced down, expecting to see the sandy floor. Instead she saw that they were hanging above the chasm. She grabbed onto Will’s shirtsleeve. “I’m frightened.”
Will wrapped his arms around her. “It’s okay. We’re going to be fine.” His voice sounded scratchy.
Lucy nodded, studying his face. “Are you sick,” she asked.
“No, but I am thirsty. Do you have any water left?”
“Yes. Of course,” Lucy said, opening her pack.
She took the canteen out. It was more than half full. She handed it to him. “Drink as much as you’d like.”
“Thanks.” He took a long drink from the canteen.
Lucy nodded. “Have you been awake all night?” She readjusted, trying not to move the cage.
Will gave her a strange look. “I’ve been awake the past two nights.”
“What? How long have I been asleep?” She checked her watch. It showed time and the date. It
said seven thirty in the morning, but the date had to be wrong. How had she slept nearly two days and two nights? That seemed impossible. She thought about her dream. She’d spoken to Bastet, then followed her around the moon while the goddess spoke. About what she wasn’t sure. The details were just out of reach of her mind. “I’m so very sorry, Will. Why didn’t you wake me?”
Will’s features turned grave. “I tried. Several times.” He shook his head, “You wouldn’t wake up.” His blue eyes darkened. He looked away, glancing at the darkness below. “I thought you were dead. You didn’t have a pulse. At least not that I could find.”
She squeezed him tighter. Going against all propriety, she rested her head against his shoulder again. “I’m sorry I had you worried.”
Will tightened his grip. “You don’t need to be sorry. I shouldn’t have allowed—” As he spoke the ground began to rumble. Bones tumbled from the piles. Those on the floor danced. Below Will and Lucy the floor filled up with lava. The heat burned. Red cinders flew into their cage.
“What’s happening?”
Five lions entered the cave. Each held a limp body in its mouth. The one in the middle had Abasi. Lucy recognized his clothes. One of his shoulders dangled at an odd angle and one of his feet was missing. The other men were just as ragged. Like dolls that’d seen too much playtime.
Lucy wanted to look away, but she couldn’t. Will wrapped his arms around her. “It’s okay. We’re going to be okay.”
Lucy knew he didn’t mean it. There was no way they were going to get out of this alive. Their end was near.
The lion carrying Abasi walked over to the chasm and dropped Abasi’s body into the boiling lava. She watched as he was consumed. The smell of burnt flesh reached Lucy’s nose. Her stomach roiled. She pushed away from Will and retched until her stomach muscles hurt and the tears in her eyes had dried.
Across the Ages (Across the Ages Book One) Page 16
