Reawakened (The Reawakened Series) (26 page)

“Ah, that I can speculate on,” Dr. Hassan said. “Each time Amon sleeps, a new sarcophagus is made. Perhaps they hid him in the place I’d be least likely to look. I wouldn’t think of looking in one of the old ones.”

“They likely knew that without my jars, my powers would wane quickly,” Amon explained. “And being an ocean away from Egypt would make completing the ceremony very difficult.”

“Okay, but then they could still take the canopic jars and hide them somewhere else.”

“It is unlikely since I hid them many years ago, prior to Amon being taken,” Dr. Hassan said. “I always thought it was foresight on my part, but perhaps there were other forces at work lending me inspiration.”

“Doctor? Where are my brothers?” Amon asked.

“Ah, yes. After you went missing, I had them both moved. The incarnation of the god of the stars is hidden in an underground cavern at the Oasis of the Sacred Stones. Do you know this place?”

Amon nodded.

“Very good. As for the embodiment of the god of the moon, he will be found in—”

A sudden wind whipped Dr. Hassan’s hat from his head. After excusing himself to retrieve it, he turned back to us and stopped cold, staring over our heads into the distance. The whistle of the wind became sharper and stronger and Amon pulled me close, wrapping his arm protectively around me.

“What is it, Doctor?” he cried over the noise of the wind. We stood up and turned to look in the direction Dr. Hassan was staring. In the distance the stars disappeared one by one as something dark and sinister began to fill the horizon.

Amon gripped my arm tightly as the cushions whipped up and flew across the rooftop, a few of them fluttering over the railing and tumbling away far below.

“Amon?” I called out, worried.

“It’s a sandstorm!” Dr. Hassan shouted. “We must get inside immediately!”

I turned to follow him, but Amon stood rigidly in place. “This is no sandstorm. The Dark One has found us.”

Sharp bits of sand stung my skin as the storm grew closer.

“Go inside with Dr. Hassan!” Amon shouted. “I will attempt to draw the storm.”

I shook my head vehemently. “It’s too dangerous!”

“I will return for you. You will be safe here, Lily!”

Amon’s eyes burned brightly. Pressing his hands together, he thrust out his arms, a burst of light emanating from his frame. The great golden falcon materialized where Amon had just been standing, and he lowered his head toward me. As he soared into the sky, I tried to see which direction he went, but the bird was soon swallowed by the dark swirling sand.

Despite Amon’s warning, I stayed outside watching for him, hoping he would return quickly, or that, at the very least, our bond would assure me of his safety. But in a matter of moments, the entire house was swallowed in darkness, the sand even more brutal as it whipped across my skin. I shielded my eyes and had just decided to give up, since seeing even a few inches in front of me was no longer possible, when something clamped down on my arm.

I cried out in pain and glanced down. Tremendous force was crushing my forearm, bruising the muscles, grinding against my bone, ripping into me, but nothing was there. Suddenly, the pressure lifted and a crescent-shaped puncture appeared on both sides of my left arm. It looked as if a large creature had sunk its teeth into me.

Tears filled my eyes as blood welled in the wound and began running down my arm in little rivulets. The blood branched down to my elbow, dripping from there onto the roof. I stood still, shocked, my arm throbbing, when the invisible creature bit me again, this time on my leg.

The soft pants I’d dressed in ripped at the knee, flapping in the wind as jagged claw marks and scratches appeared on my calf. Dr. Hassan grabbed me as I staggered, and pulled me into the house. I sank into a chair as he doused all the lights, running from door to door and window to window, locking them and drawing the curtains, as if doing so would keep the storm, and whatever was attacking me, at bay.

He returned with ointment and several kitchen towels. Kneeling beside me, he dabbed at my wounds. Whatever elixir he used stung, and I clenched my teeth. “What was that? Did you see what bit me?” I asked.

“It is an omen,” Dr. Hassan whispered gravely. “A very bad sign.”

“An omen? An omen of what?”

“The Dark One rising.”

“The bad guy? Seth?”

“No. If the god of chaos had risen, then the world would already be beneath his boot heel. This is merely a sign of his coming.”

Sucking in a breath, I wrapped a clean towel carefully around my wounded arm. “This doesn’t feel like ‘merely.’ ”

“No, it doesn’t.”

I gasped as claws scrabbled and several large objects thumped heavily on the rooftop deck. Monstrous hissing and the sound of something trying to break down the door provoked me to peek through the curtains. Though I could hear the hefty creatures prowling on the deck, I could see nothing. Dr. Hassan’s hands shook as he retrieved a first-aid kit and asked me to sit again.

“Does this kind of thing happen every time Amon rises?”

“No. This rising is…unique, in more ways than one.”

A deck chair hit the door with a resounding boom and I cried out, but Dr. Hassan remained rooted in place.

“What if whatever it is gets in?” I demanded. “Aren’t you frightened?”

“They cannot enter my home. It has been blessed,” he stated, sounding like he was trying to convince himself as much as me.

“Blessed, cursed, it doesn’t seem to make much difference to the bad guys. You grand vizier types rely a bit too much on your spells, don’t you think? Common sense tells me we should vacate the premises. Preferably in a fast car.”

“No!” Dr. Hassan paled. “You would be ripped to shreds should you venture outside at this time. We are safe in the house.”

“Well, that’s great for us, but what about innocent bystanders? Aren’t you worried about your neighbors?”

“This storm is aimed at us. Those nearby might experience the strange weather, but the attack was meant to target you and Amon.”

“Right.” I shifted doubtfully in my seat as I listened to the splintering of wood. The creatures had apparently grown irritated with being denied another taste of my juicy self and were taking out their aggression on the patio furniture. Carefully, Dr. Hassan dressed my leg and then began tending to my arm. “So the Dark One likes to bite girls?” I asked as I peered at the wound. “I couldn’t help but notice that you are pretty much bite-free.”

“If the creatures were to bite me, then I would be able to see who is directing them. They avoid me on purpose.”

“Someone’s controlling them?” I asked in confusion.

“Yes.”

“I thought it was the god of chaos, Seth.”

“No. If it were, we would be facing much worse than these creatures. His powers are limited until the passing of the full moon. Until now I did not believe it was possible, though I must admit that I have sensed an increasing evil. I have shrugged off my niggling suspicions as the imaginings of an old man, but the creatures outside leave no room for doubt. The one directing them is his minion. His servant. My dark equal.”

“Another priest?”

“I believe so. His power is…it’s unprecedented.”

“But you don’t know who he is.”

“I know
what
he is, but I remain unaware of his identity.”

“So he’s human?”

“He once was.”

“What do you mean?” I asked hesitantly.

The white-haired Egyptologist sighed. “In a city called Shedyet there was a cult of priests devoted to Seth. The leader of that group was a necromancer named Apophis. Modern Egyptologists consider him the enemy of Amun-Ra and a god himself, but the records passed down through the viziers tell a different tale.”

“So you believe he was not a god but human.”

“Correct. Apophis was a vile, lecherous man who abused anything or anyone he considered weak and soft. He identified with the Nile crocodile and even kept several as pets, delighting in throwing them live creatures to consume. Believing himself to be a great seducer of women, he sought out the most beautiful, pure, and innocent girls from a variety of backgrounds, offering them riches, luxuries, or the illusion of power. Whatever it was he thought they might want—shelter, money—it was provided.

“It was all a part of his game. He’d lie in wait, much like the crocodile does when it seeks prey. When the girl took the bait…
snap!
She was caught between his teeth and there was no escape for her but death.”

His story was interrupted when a fierce ripping sound by the window distracted us. Invisible claws hit the glass and then drew slowly down it, leaving large scratches. The glass didn’t break. Dr. Hassan grunted. “The protection spell appears to be working.”

“Let’s hope it continues,” I remarked. “You were telling me about Apophis?”

“He lured women, and when they were at their most vulnerable, he’d strike. In the temple he proudly displayed his conquests, and when he was ready to move on to the next victim, he would sacrifice the young maiden to a giant croc that he adorned with golden bracelets and a jewel-studded collar.

“All feared him. Many idolized him. Seth loved him.

“The city was renamed Crocodilopolis in honor of Apophis and his crocodile temple, and he was given a new power as a reward for his devotion to Seth.”

“What was his new power?”

“A type of hypnotic control. Those subject to his gaze became spellbound. They had no choice but to do his bidding. He was given a new nickname, the Eater of Souls, not only because he threw victims to crocodiles but also because of his ability to control the undead.”

“Creepy.”

“Yes. Apophis relished his new power but soon found he was not satisfied merely to lead mere mortals, so he made a pact with Seth, who promised him immortality if he could find a way to displace Amun-Ra and Horus, Seth’s longtime enemies. Suffice it to say, Aphophis was defeated.”

“What happened to him?”

“Seth never intended to keep his promise, so Apophis attempted to extend his life in other gruesome ways. However, in endeavoring to cheat death, he ended up turning himself into a monster.”

“A monster like the ones roaming outside?”

Dr. Hassan raised his head, listening, while he considered his answer. “Let’s just say that the creatures outside would be considered exuberant, yipping puppies compared with what he became.”

“So you think that Apophis has returned,” I stated, not really wanting to hear the answer. The idea that there was a powerful magician even more monstrous than the things outside that wanted to devour me frightened me more than I liked to admit. I wrung my hands, wondering where Amon was.

Dr. Hassan continued, “Not him exactly, but another like him who has taken his place and who serves Seth in a similar manner—a dark necromancer with the ability to summon the creatures that attacked you.”

“But how do you know?”

“That we have another necromancer on our hands?”

I nodded.

“The fact that he raised dark shabtis was the first clue. Only one with the power of a god or the ability to summon the dead can give life to a shabti.”

“And the second clue?”

“The presence of the
biloko
outside.”

“Biloko?”

“Invisible demons with crocodile snouts that, like Apophis, have a taste for females, though, in their case, they prefer the sweetmeats of the eyes, intestines, liver, and heart.”

I shuddered. “Glad they didn’t go for those first.” My arm throbbed and I fingered the bandage Dr. Hassan had wrapped around it. “I’m not…” I gazed at him in the darkness. “I’m not going to turn into one of those demon croc things, am I?”

“I shouldn’t think so. According to the legends, there are no female biloko. In the stories about them they do not replicate like a vampire or a werewolf might. Their only desire—”

“Is to consume my flesh.”

“Yes. I am sorry.”

“Me too.”

The crash of the patio table caused me to jump to my feet and duck behind Dr. Hassan, clutching his arm. The wind pushed even harder at the windows, gritty sand thumping against the house like small hailstones determined to rip it apart, and then, suddenly, the wind was gone. Silence descended, and I found the lack of noise even creepier than the heavy thuds of the creatures roaming the deck. The sound of our breathing seemed louder than the rushing wind had been.

Cautiously, Dr. Hassan lifted the curtain and we peered into the darkness. The rooftop deck was trashed. The furniture looked like it had been spat out of a wood chipper. The cushions that remained had been ripped apart, and soft white fluff drifted across the deck like falling snow. But the storm was moving away from us, back in the direction it had come, and the stars were visible once more.

“Do you think it’s safe?” I asked.

“It would appear to be. Please stay here while I check.”

I watched through the window as Dr. Hassan walked across the deck. When he put his hands on the railing, it broke off. He stood watching the storm retreat, and after a moment or two, I joined him.

The door was bent from repeated impacts, with pieces of siding ripped away all around it. Deep gouges and claw marks covered every inch of the roof. I stooped to pick up a shredded pillow. Fluff stuck out prominently, and I couldn’t help thinking that was what my intestines would look like spilling out from my slashed belly. I wondered what would happen if all my insides were consumed by demons. Would Amon still be able to benefit from my organs, or would he need a new donor?

“Do you think Amon is safe?” I asked.

“If he had been defeated, the world would be in chaos.”

“It feels pretty chaotic to me already.”

Dr. Hassan sighed. “I don’t believe the Dark One has gained enough power to defeat Amon, at least not yet. But you need to know that even should Amon be safe, there is still the possibility that we will lose this fight.”

“It’s a little ironic that the grand vizier who serves the god of the sun is adopting the attitude of a gloomy rain cloud, don’t you think? Personally, I’m not going to go there. We
will
find his brothers and we
will
complete the ceremony. I won’t allow myself to think otherwise.”