“So since your sarcophagus was taken, what you’re saying is that somebody stopped watching.”
Amon shrugged as if it meant nothing, but I could tell my words hit the mark. “It is a different time now,” he said after a moment. “Perhaps in this world they have forgotten.”
We stopped at a cave opening that was almost completely boarded up. I consulted my map. “This one is called KV29. The guide says that it’s likely just a shaft, that it hasn’t been excavated yet, and that it’s full of debris.”
“This is exactly what I seek.”
Amon began ripping the boards off the entrance with a godlike strength.
Nervously, I said, “Uh…I might be a little claustrophobic. Just saying. Also, I don’t have a flashlight. Or a rope. Or mountain-climbing gear. Or a death wish!” I called out as Amon disappeared inside the dark hole.
Sticking his head back out, Amon held out his hand. “You will not die, Young Lily. I will be with you.”
Gingerly, I stepped closer, avoiding the rotting wood that might hide rusty nails. I should’ve gotten a tetanus booster and probably a dozen other shots before I agreed to go on this crazy trip. If only the girls at my school could see me now. My classmates would be shaking in their designer shoes at the thought of trekking through the desert and entering an unexcavated tomb. I could tell my skin was getting sunburned, and there were grains of sand ground into my hair. If I ended the day with just those irritants I’d consider myself lucky.
We made it only fifteen feet or so into the tomb, the light from the opening still showing the way, before we were stopped by a wall of loose rocks. “How exactly did you expect to get through here?” I asked. “Tunnel?” Coughing from the thick dust we’d stirred up, I took a sip from a water bottle to clear my throat.
“I must use my power. Prepare yourself.”
“Prepare myself? For what?”
Amon didn’t answer, instead raising his hands in the air and closing his eyes. A rumble shook the cave, almost knocking me off my feet. “Hold on to me, Lily!” Amon shouted.
I didn’t hesitate and quickly wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my face into his chest and yet unable to resist turning just enough so I could see the magic he’d caused.
Rocks and debris shifted, rising into the air. At first, it was just a light layer, but then loose gravel ascended and even the heavier rocks moved in their stony beds. Amon continued to murmur in ancient Egyptian and the rubble rose higher, shooting past us in a cloud of stinging dust. Pebbles came next, firing through the air like bullets. They blasted out of the cave opening, ripping off the remaining boards that covered the entrance and cascading down in a shower outside the tomb, where they quickly built up a large pile.
Amon strained a bit as he focused on the bigger rocks. They weren’t moving as fast as the lighter debris, and he had to move them one by one. The last two were massive boulders and Amon brought us up against the gritty wall, pressing me tightly against his body as the rocks passed. I could feel him shaking as he guided them. With a heavy thump, they hit the entrance and blocked out all the sunlight.
“I guess we aren’t getting out the way we came in,” I murmured as Amon bent over, panting. His breaths echoed in the black space, and I felt his hand gripping mine.
“I am sorry, Lily, but I need you.”
“It’s okay, I’m here. What do you—” I cried out midsentence as Amon drew energy from me. This time it was very different. Before, it felt like a gradual draining, but now the pull was sharp and painful, like someone was vacuuming out my insides with a steel wool attachment.
After a moment of agony, Amon let go, though he was still panting. “Lily?” he called. “How do you fare?”
Little twinges of aftershocks rippled under my skin. Being pretty much blind didn’t help, and I began experiencing extreme claustrophobia as well. “Not good,” I gasped, feeling like I was going to throw up. “A little warning next time would be nice.”
“But I did warn—”
“Never mind. Oh, boy, it hurts.” I ached all over. “Is that normal?”
“The longer we are connected, the worse the pain will be for you when I borrow energy.”
“Well, that’s just fan-freaking-tastic.” My head began to pound at the base of my neck.
“I will try to spare you as much as possible.”
“Thanks,” I murmured dryly. Fishing sightlessly in my bag, I found a small bottle of ibuprofen and popped a few, downing them with water. Amon groaned. “Are you in pain, too?” I asked.
He blew out a breath as he leaned back against the wall. “Yes. I experience pain when I expend a great amount of energy without having absorbed the power found in my canopic jars. Our connection is such that I experience your pain also.”
“Talk about a double whammy. Here, hold out your hand.” I stretched my hand out and bumped into his chest. Moving my palm up to his shoulder, I skimmed it down his arm and took his hand, opening it and holding it in place. I shook some tablets into his palm, counted, took back the three extra ones, and then handed him the bottle of water, placing it in his other hand.
“What is this?” Amon asked.
“Medicine from my world. It will help with the headache.”
Grunting, Amon popped the pills and chewed. “The taste is abhorrent,” he spat.
“You’re not supposed to chew them. You swallow them whole. So,” I asked as I put the ibuprofen back in my bag and felt for his arm, “what exactly are we going to do now with no light?”
“We will go down the shaft.”
“How? I can’t see a thing.”
“I can see in the darkness.” Amon turned toward me and two shimmery lights materialized in the pitch black just about where his eyes would be. It reminded me of the reflective eyes of animals at night.
“That’s a little creepy. So you have night vision?”
“I call it eyeshine.”
“Right, so I’m just supposed to follow you? Blindly?”
Amon’s glowing eyes turned away from me and then returned. The effect was eerie. I felt like I was being haunted. “Perhaps it is not the most effective way,” he admitted reluctantly.
“Will it be steep?” I asked.
“Possibly. It depends on what the intended use of the shaft was.” Amon slowly turned, tucking my arm in his.
“I thought it was for air,” I said as I walked beside him tentatively, testing out how to move in absolute darkness in a strange place. I clutched his muscular arm like a lifeline.
“Some of them are. Often there were secret shafts built for the priests who tended to our resting places. They kept funerary lamps lit and left behind food and other items they thought we might need should we awaken.”
The heel of my boot rolled over a round stone and I staggered. Amon pulled me upright, placing one arm around my shoulders. His other arm was now in front of me so I could hold on to it like a safety bar on a roller coaster.
“Didn’t the priests know that you rose just once every thousand years?” I asked as we started walking again.
“Sometimes records were kept and they knew exactly when we would rise, but other times they were wrong by a few hundred years.” After progressing only about a dozen feet, Amon turned and rubbed his palms lightly up my arms. “How do you feel, Lily? Are you still in pain?”
“It’s mostly gone now. I’m just tired.”
“I do not feel we will make swift enough progress if you cannot see.”
“Right, so what exactly are we going to do about it?”
Amon didn’t answer but launched into a chant, his richly accented voice echoing off the walls. Gradually, I began to make out my surroundings. I gasped when I saw the light was coming not from a torch or a flashlight or a magic wand but directly from Amon’s skin. His entire body glowed with a buttery light that illuminated the chamber around us, but wasn’t so glaringly bright that I couldn’t look at him.
“Oh, wow,” I murmured in appreciation. Amon was be
autiful. Glorious. He looked like a resplendent angel. His eyes gleamed like green embers burned within their depths. Amon said he was only the personification of Horus and Amun-Ra and had, at one time, been a mere mortal like me, but there could be nothing or no one as magnificent or as worthy of worship. Amon in his normal form was crush-worthy enough, but if he had appeared like he was now in ancient Egypt, civilization would have fallen at his feet.
Amon didn’t seem to notice my speechlessness and just cocked his head at me as he offered his hand. I slid mine into his and thought that this must be what Lois Lane felt like when Superman offered to take her flying. At that moment, I felt all the pain, risk, and inconvenience was definitely worth it if it meant being on the arm of a man like Amon.
Even if he wasn’t interested in me. Even if I was a lowly human girl trying to keep up with a man who had godlike powers. Even if the time spent with him was only because he needed me. I pledged to myself that I would enjoy every minute while it lasted. I was in a waking dream and having the experience of a lifetime. I’d never forget it as long as I lived.
Docilely, I let Amon take the lead, and we moved ahead quite a ways. The air was oppressive and hot, and despite the marvelous distraction that Amon provided, being in the middle of an Egyptian desert started to overwhelm me. Sweat pooled on my neck and lower back. With my free hand, I fanned my shirt to move air around my face. I asked Amon to stop so I could take another drink.
“Aren’t you sweating at all?” I accused as I greedily sipped water.
“I am used to the heat of Egypt. Compared with the afterlife, the desert sun feels as comfortable as springtime.”
“Your Egyptian afterlife sounds suspiciously like hell.”
“It has its…challenges,” he replied cryptically. He studied my face for a moment. “I can help”—he averted his eyes—“if you wish it.”
“Will it hurt?”
“No. It may be slightly draining, but there will be no pain.”
“Do it, then.”
Amon slid an arm around my waist, pulling me close, and ducked his head up against my neck. “Wh-what are you doing there, exactly, Vlad?” I stammered nervously, ultra aware of the trickle of sweat making its way slowly down my neck right about where his lips were. “I thought you were a mummy, not a vampire.”
Amon blew softly on my neck, the sensation causing goose bumps to rise pretty much everywhere on my body. “You must remain very still, Lily,” Amon whispered, his breath tickling my ear.
“Um, okay.”
Amon whispered and pressed his lips to my hot neck. Though I let out a little squeak, I remained stiff and unmoving, trying to remind myself that the very exquisite sensation of Amon’s kissable lips grazing my neck had nothing to do with romance. I noticed that though the heat in the cave had begun to lift, the heat Amon was generating between us, however unintentional, was through the roof.
The sweat on my face and arms cooled, and the air around me felt moist and wet, like a forest in Oregon, a welcome change from the dry desert we were actually in. Amon murmured against my neck, “You taste like melted desert honey.”
Unable to remain still any longer, I slid my hands up his arms to his shoulders, but Amon immediately straightened, raising his head. The urge to pull him close again was strong. Instead I asked, “What was that?”
“I sucked the excess warmth from your body and took it into my own. I have a great tolerance for heat.”
“That’s the understatement of the year,” I mumbled as he moved farther away.
Without him near, I actually felt cold now, and wasn’t sure if the sensation was due to Amon removing too much heat or if I simply craved his warmth.
“Thank you,” I offered, and even though I was disappointed with his abrupt reaction to my touch, I couldn’t help the contented smile I wore on my face. “I feel much better.”
Amon took in my expression and replied stonily, “You are welcome. Come, Lily.”
We came to a fork in the shaft and Amon stopped to consult some hieroglyphs. He pointed to the various pictures. “This is the map. To those who simply read it in a straightforward manner, it tells stories of pharaohs and of battles, but to those few who know of us, there is a hidden code. Do you see the crescent moon?”
“Yes.”
“This is a sign of my brother. It means that his tomb has been hidden in an antechamber near the Egyptian leader mentioned here.”
“What is his name?”
“My brother or the leader?”
“The leader.”
“I do not know. He is recognized by his picture. I must seek the burial chamber of this man, and because the moon appears to the right of him, it means my brother’s antechamber will be found off this man’s right hand.”
“But if that mummy has been discovered, then he has been removed. How will we know where he was positioned?”
“There will be a hidden door marked with the sign of my brother, the crescent moon. If we cannot discern which doorway is on the right-hand side, then we will seek the sign, but it is likely that there will be more directions found in the tomb of this leader.”
“So do we go right or left? Anubis sent the funerary cone from your tomb, correct? So shouldn’t we be looking for your tomb first?”
Amon bit his lip. “Let us begin by exploring the old tomb of my brother. If he is there, we can raise him quickly and he can help me find our remaining brother. Besides, nothing on this map indicates where I might have been discovered.”
Amon led us toward the right, and it wasn’t long before the shaft angled down steeply. “How are we supposed to get down there?” I asked “Skateboard? Slide? Mine cars?”
“What are those things?” Amon asked.
“A skateboard is like a wooden board with wheels. You ride on it. Mine cars are small chariots that run on tracks, and children play on a slide. It’s made of smooth metal, and there’s usually sand at the bottom so kids don’t hurt themselves when they land.”
“I will choose the slide.”
“Wait a minute. There are all kinds of bumps and pits and rocks down there. It’s not exactly going to be smooth sailing.”
“May I have a bottle of water, Lily?”
I handed him one and, to my dismay, he poured the entire thing down the shaft instead of drinking it.
“That was a waste of perfectly good water,” I mumbled.
“I must use some power again, Lily, but I am warning you now.”
“Okay, fine. At least I know what to expect.”
“Yes,” Amon said, and then looked away. I sensed emotion rising in him. It tasted bitter, like regret mixed with a gritty determination. Standing in front of the angled shaft, he chanted, and I heard the hiss of sand shifting inside the tunnel. The hiss grew and became more agitated as small rocks and debris began to tumble. Curious, I stepped closer and peered down. It looked like a whirlwind was twisting inside the shaft. Everything, each loose grain of sand or rock, spun, gradually increasing in speed. Faster and faster the rocks and pebbles moved until I could see only streaks of black, gray, and brown.
What at first sounded clunky, like shoes thumping in a dryer, began to even out, and after several minutes, Amon took my arm and had me step behind him. With a thrust of his hand, what was left inside the tunnel whipped out past us and blasted against the far wall. As Amon braced his hand against the curved shaft, eyes closed, I approached and placed my palm against his cheek.
Amon’s hand slid up my arm to cup my hand and he opened his brilliant eyes. “Take what you need,” I offered.
“I will try not to hurt you,” Amon pledged. The siphoning off of my energy was less invasive this time, but I still felt hollow. It left me with a deep emptiness, a hunger I wasn’t sure could be filled. No wonder Amon liked feasting. If a feast had been set in front of me at that moment, I would have pounced on the food like a starving animal.
The once square shaft had now become almost circular, thanks to the wind funnel Amon had created
. I wasn’t sure what the water had done. It seemed too insignificant an amount to have aided the process and yet, he’d accomplished his purpose. Crouching at the edge, I ran my hand along the inside. It was smooth; the rocks lining it were even, flat, and polished.
Amon crouched down next to me. “I am unsure if the entire shaft is smooth like your slide, so you will ride on my legs.”
I was suddenly uncomfortable. “I think I’ll just take my chances behind you.”
“I will not allow you to be further hurt, Lily.”
“No, really. It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”
“Lily, do not make me force you.” Amon positioned himself at the top of the shaft and held out his hands. “Come,” he beckoned.
“You know, for a god, you can be kind of a bully,” I mumbled.
“I am not a god. I am a—”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. You’re just imbued with powers, blah blah blah. Let’s just get this over with.”
Awkwardly, I sat on Amon’s legs, and without any hesitation, he pulled my body back against him, nudging my legs up so they rested on top of his. He folded my arms across my chest and wrapped one arm over mine, leaving his other hand free to push off. “Are you ready?” he murmured in my ear.
“As I’ll ever be,” I grunted.
The awkward feeling turned into cold fear mixed with exhilaration. Amon whooped loudly, both arms now wrapped protectively around my body. Air whipped past us as we plummeted, and I had the sick sensation of being in free fall. Unable to stop myself, I screamed while Amon’s laugh reverberated in my ears. The thought occurred to me that if we lived through this whole experience, it might be fun to take Amon to a theme park.
The shaft became steeper and the ceiling lowered, so Amon angled his body back and I could feel the tightening of his abs against my back. My cheek rested against his, so I had a good view as the ceiling dropped toward us. I worried that if it got too low we’d be wedged in a tunnel that would likely rip us apart at the speed we were going.
Just when I was sure the ceiling was going to rip off my nose, it widened again and the angle started to even out. Suddenly, the slide beneath us disappeared and my scream echoed in what must have been a much larger space.
Reawakened (The Reawakened Series) Page 14
