Reawakened (The Reawakened Series) (41 page)

“Don’t apologize.” Daring a final touch, I cupped his cheek, slowly moving my hand down to his shoulder and squeezing. “Despite my ragged emotional state, it’s been the time of my life.” Amon took my hand and brought it to his lips. After he pressed a warm kiss on my wrist, I cleared my throat. “Now let’s go wake up your brothers.”

Lacing my fingers through his, I guided him to the other side of the suite. Asten was already awake and having a serious conversation with Dr. Hassan. I left Amon with them while I sought out Ahmose.

The incarnation of the moon slept with his cheek pressed against his hand. The other bedroom was parallel to mine, so the rays of the nearly full moon fell upon his face, giving his skin a silvery sheen.

“Ahmose?” I said quietly. “It’s time to wake up.”

Blinking, the big man shifted as glowing silver orbs met mine. He smiled. “You look better, Lily.”

Twisting the ends of my tunic, I answered, “It was thanks to your healing and many, many hours of sleep.” He leaned up on one elbow and the sheet slipped down to his waist. Though I’d been around him when he was bare-chested before, it somehow seemed a bit more intimate now. Ducking my head, I said, “We’ll wait for you outside.”

Quickly, I vacated the room and took a seat next to Asten. He gave me a long look and then glanced at Amon. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

“I’m all right. I’m actually more worried about the three of you.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“Well, the fact that Amon is sending me packing means I won’t know if the three of you are going to make it through the final ceremony. I suppose I would know if you failed because then the world would end, darkness would reign, et cetera. Still, it would be nice to know that you, you know, survived to return another day, so to speak.”

Asten frowned as if trying to fully understand my speech, and then he looked at Amon, who sat with his sunglasses aimed at nothing. Amon’s expression was unyielding, his jaw tight.

“I see,” Asten answered slowly. “I thought we talked about this.”

“Lily is under my care,” Amon said. “I will decide the level of risk that is acceptable. She is returning to her life in New York and that is the end of the conversation.”

“The end of what conversation?” Ahmose said as he entered the room, tugging a too-tight shirt that said
I
♥
EGYPT
over his head.

After stifling a giggle that made all three brothers turn in my direction, I sat quietly, curious to hear what Amon would say.

“I was telling Asten that my wish is to send Lily home,” Amon said.

Ahmose sighed. “You know that the odds are not in our favor.”

“It does not matter. I will not risk her life.”

“Should she not be able to weigh the risk on her own terms?” Ahmose continued.

“It is not fair to use her for our gain. Lily goes.”

Asten joined in. “Brother, we are not saying we wish her harm. On the contrary, we, too, would wish to protect her from the perils of our world, but should the need arise—”

Furious, Amon spat, “Should the need arise? We have served the gods for millennia, acted as their sacrifices time and time again! Perhaps, in seeing our failure, they could deign to manage their own affairs for once. I, for one, refuse to compromise this innocent mortal girl simply to grant more leisure to those who have long been silent.”

“The gods have blessed us,” Ahmose started.

“They have
cursed
us!” Amon countered. “Abused us. Bled us dry. And for what? To stop a problem they allowed to fester in the first place. Why is it that we must continue to act as their cosmic gatekeepers?”

I bit my lip. Apparently, the information Dr. Hassan had shared with me about the gods protecting the brothers from Seth was not common knowledge. The Eye had shown him much. I felt a twinge of jealousy that I hadn’t been able to access it as well.

How nice it would be to have instant answers to any question. I glanced at Dr. Hassan, who gave a slight shake of his head. Evidently, he didn’t want to share that information with them just then. I decided to wait and question him about it later before I brought it up to the brothers.

“Brothers,” Amon went on, “we agreed to this bargain to serve our ancestors, but they have long since entered the afterlife. We protect the world, but the world fears us, or worse, does not care. We exist, but have no life. We do our duty, but there is no joy in it, at least not for me. I will not steal the precious opportunity to live, to be mortal, and to be free, from Lily. She deserves more. I will not take from her what was taken from us.”

Quiet descended, and finally Ahmose reached out and placed a hand on Amon’s shoulder. “Very well. We will respect your decision.”

“But—” Asten began, then stopped when Amon raised his head. Asten muttered unhappily, “We will respect your decision.”

“Good,” Amon answered as he rose. “Now, let’s get this over with. Dr. Hassan?” Osahar stood quickly and moved next to Amon, who placed his hand on the vizier’s shoulder. “Take us to the airport.”

“Yes, Master.” This time Amon didn’t protest the title.

In a matter of moments, Dr. Hassan and I had gathered our meager belongings and we were in a taxi before dawn, headed to the airport. After we arrived, Dr. Hassan purchased tickets for the three brothers on a tour bus headed to the pyramids of Giza. He told them he would join as soon as possible.

Ahmose and Asten held me close as they hugged me goodbye, wishing me well in life. Amon merely took hold of my shoulders and planted a brotherly kiss on my cheek. “Farewell, Lily,” he said stiffly.

“Is that the best you can do?” I teased, though the pain of knowing I’d never see him again had risen to the surface.

He misunderstood my comment, or maybe he didn’t. “I will do my best not to need you,” he replied.

Wordlessly, I nodded, and before I could formulate another reason for him to stay with me a moment longer, he was stepping up onto the bus. Ahmose and Asten waved from a lowered window, but Amon, who sat just behind them, stared straight ahead, an undecipherable expression on his face. I sensed nothing from him and realized he must have completely cut off our connection as easily as he had dismissed me from his life.

Taking a shaky breath, I turned to Dr. Hassan as the bus rounded the corner and disappeared into traffic. “Okay, so I guess we should call my parents first.”

“That will not be necessary.”

“No?” I asked, confused. “They’ll need to know that I’m okay and send me the papers I need to get out of here.”

“Yes, yes. We will call them, but not today.”

“Why not?”

His eyes sparkled as he spoke. “Because you aren’t going home yet, Lilliana Young. You are coming with me.” Darting a glance around, he read an overhead sign. “Yes. It’s this way.”

Quickly, he wound through the many people around us, heading toward a ticket agent.

“Where are we going?” I asked after he finished his conversation with the agent in his native language.

“The pyramids.”

“What?”

Stopping momentarily, Osahar explained, “Despite Amon’s insistence that your presence is not necessary, both Asten and I believe that the fate of Egypt, nay, of the world, might rest in your hands. The question I must now ask you is, what would you sacrifice to ensure Amon’s survival?”

There weren’t too many people in the world I would give up anything for.

Those I sketched who were truly in love saw only each other. It was clear in their eyes. These were the people who would die for one another. Who would rather put themselves through suffering instead of watching a loved one be in pain.

That depth of emotion was missing in my life. Except for my grandmother, I wasn’t sure there was anyone who’d be willing to die for me, who loved me that much. More than anything I craved a deep connection with another person.

When I met Amon I thought I’d finally found it. Here was a person who understood what it meant to sacrifice something for someone else. Now I knew exactly what my type was. It didn’t have to do with eye color, or height, or how muscular his frame was. It was that elusive quality, so difficult to capture. I wanted someone who loved me so much he’d be willing to die for me.

I believed Amon was that person. He was willing to die for the world, anyway. And even though he’d turned me away, I was still pretty sure he’d sacrifice anything for my safety. Perhaps it was his sense of duty that kept him at a distance. Perhaps he wanted to die and be finished with his celestial calling. Or perhaps he just wasn’t as interested in me as I was in him.

Regardless, I decided that even if the feelings I had for Amon weren’t mutual, he deserved my support. He was a man worthy of love, and if I was ever going to be the kind of person who might be worthy of someone’s attention in return—not that I really believed I’d find someone else like him—then I needed to be willing to sacrifice myself for something outside of my own wants and desires.

I had to take a leap of faith and see where it led me.

“Anything,” I replied after letting out a deep breath. “I’d sacrifice anything to help him.”

“Excellent. That is all I need to know. We must hurry to beat them there. It shouldn’t be too difficult. The bus will get them there in time, but the two of us will get there faster.”

“How?”

He smiled as the agent handed him a set of keys. “We’re driving.”

It was normally at least a ten-hour drive to Giza from Kom Ombo, but Dr. Hassan made it in eight, stopping only after I insisted it was absolutely necessary. When we entered Cairo, instead of continuing on to the pyramids, he asked me to wait in the car while he entered an outdoor market. He returned twenty minutes later, arms loaded with bags, which he threw carelessly into the backseat.

“What’s all that for?” I asked.

“You’ll see.”

He’d been cryptic about this top-secret vizier plan for the entire drive, skillfully evading my many questions. I only knew that I was an important part of his plan and that he’d arranged everything with Asten.

When I reiterated Amon’s desire for me to leave Egypt, Osahar said that if all went according to plan, Amon would never even know I was there, which suited me fine. Maybe my rejected heart would heal just a tiny bit if I knew I’d helped save the world, and if it also meant I could avoid being spurned by Amon once again, then all the better.

It wasn’t long before the pyramids came into view. Dr. Hassan wound through the busy crowded streets until he arrived at the edge of the pyramid complex. Tour buses were lined up on the hard-packed sand. A few white-shirted men wearing hats policed the area on camels. I was surprised to see tourists climbing up the sides of the pyramids.

“Aren’t the sites under protection?” I asked.

Dr. Hassan waved his hand in the air. “Don’t get an archaeologist talking about site preservation. It would take weeks for me to come down from my soapbox, and frankly, I don’t have the time right now.”

“Okay, but with all these tourists, how are we going to accomplish anything?”

“Ah, the tourists and merchants will leave the moment the brothers arrive.”

“How?” When he grinned, I said, “Wait. Don’t tell me. I’ll see, right?”

“Right.”

He parked the car and we grabbed the many bags before heading toward the Great Sphinx. At least the monument we reached was roped off so no one could touch it. Flashing his credentials to the one guard fending off dozens of tourists, Dr. Hassan opened a gate and bade me to follow him.

I stepped in the footprints he made in the sand, looking up when we reached the front of the Sphinx. It was hard to believe I was actually standing there. I was so absorbed in my surroundings that I jumped when Dr. Hassan nudged my arm.

“This way,” he said.

After leading me into an ancient stone structure that looked like a series of empty chambers, he reached behind a brick that jutted out a bit at the end of the room and pushed on something. A mechanical rumbling shook the area we were in, causing a cascade of sand to drop over the entrance. The back wall moved aside, revealing a series of steps that led down into darkness.

“Archaeologist hideaway or grand vizier secret?” I asked as I pointed to the opening.

“Grand vizier,” he mumbled as he gathered his things. “Come.”

I stumbled along, descending steadily until the door closed and we were surrounded by complete darkness.

“Dr. Hassan?” I whispered worriedly.

“Wait a moment.”

My eyes began to adjust and I noticed a series of large stones placed in alcoves. They glowed like the rock Asten had given me in the Oasis of the Sacred Stones.

“Did Asten make those?” I asked.

Osahar shook his head and started down the steps again. “Perhaps he did at one time. All I know is that they are regenerated each time the ceremony is complete. The light has faded over the last thousand years, but when our task is done, it will be so bright down here you would think it was our own personal sun. My theory is that the pyramids generate the power somehow.”

“Interesting.” The heavy bag bumped against my leg. “So are you going to tell me what all this stuff is for now?”

“I am creating an effigy.”

“You mean like a voodoo doll?”

“On a much larger scale.”

“Why?”

“There is a spell that will weaken if not destroy Apophis.”

“And you hope it will work on Sebak?”

“Yes. I will need your help to construct it.”

We arrived at the bottom of the stairs and stopped in front of a heavy door. Osahar took a key that hung from a chain around his neck and fit it into the ancient lock. I was almost afraid it wouldn’t turn because the lock was so old, but the key worked and the door opened without even a squeak. Inside the large room were a worktable and a giant dresser-sized glowing rock.

Pressing my hands against the rock, I found it warm, but it didn’t burn me. I could feel a hum of energy coming from it. Old parchments and books lined handmade shelves, and various tools, both modern and ancient, hung from a pegged wall.

“Did you make this space?”

Dr. Hassan shook his head. “I have added to it over the years, but this has been here since the time of Amon’s birth.” He pointed to one tunnel and then another, in a different corner. “These underground passageways connect to the pyramids and even run beneath the Sphinx. It is how we viziers recover the bodies of the brothers when their time on Earth has elapsed,” he finished quietly.