It didn’t matter to me, so I told Hassan we wanted to move on to Asten. He nodded and stowed the first mummy’s jars. He then removed the top of the second sarcophagus and pulled away the linen covering the face. Tia rushed to the forefront. “Asten!” she cried, using my voice before she quickly retreated back again, allowing me to take front stage. Her sorrow buffeted us in waves.
Ah. So this is the one you love, I said. When did this happen?
He…I…It is complicated, she said finally. Asten…thought it was you.
You mean he thought I was falling for him?
Yes.
Apparently, you and I need to have a girl-to-kitty-cat talk, my friend.
Do not mock my feelings, Lily. I did not set out to complicate things. It just happened. I have tried to ignore my impulses for your sake, but I…I’ve missed him.
As Tia looked at the man’s face with my eyes, I could feel the waves of longing sweeping through her. This fellow was handsome, too. Perhaps a little too handsome, I thought. Definitely not my type. I didn’t trust guys who were that gorgeous. I did like the little cleft in his chin, though. It added character.
Just as we were locking our minds together again to attempt to raise Asten, a shimmering light filled the room. A goddess stepped out of the light and collapsed to the ground before us, dropping a box she had tucked under an arm. Desperately, she scooped it up.
“My lady!” Hassan leapt forward and helped her stand.
The woman’s hair was disheveled. Her smooth, dark skin was mottled with bruises, and her dress was ripped. Yet she stood as proudly and as stiffly as her body allowed.
“You cannot raise him,” the goddess said.
I took a step forward. Before I could ask the question, Tia provided the answer. “Ma’at,” I said. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nephthys told me you’d blocked your memories. I certainly hope you recover them in time.”
I wanted to ask What do you mean, I had blocked my memories? and In time for what? but I was afraid to hear the answer. Instead, I asked, “Why can’t I raise him? I thought that’s what you all wanted me to do.”
“You can’t raise him because the afterlife has been compromised. I’ve hidden the Sons of Egypt in an oubliette to keep them safe so you’d have time to bring them forth.”
“Oh, well, can’t you just magic them out of there?”
The goddess put her hands on her hips. “The point of an oubliette is to forget. Not even the gods can find it. I, myself, couldn’t tell you where it is.”
“Well, that makes this a little complicated, then, doesn’t it?”
“Not necessarily. There’s still a way.”
She dusted off the box, murmured a spell, and then opened it. From inside, she pulled out a feather.
It’s the Feather of Justice, Tia said.
“Take it,” Ma’at said. “You will be able to protect it better than I.”
“Okay,” I said, taking the feather between two fingers. “So you just want me to hold on to your feather for you?”
Ma’at sighed with exasperation. “No. Yes.” She took a deep breath and explained, “You will use it to summon the heart of the only Son of Egypt who has not yet been judged. He is the pathfinder. With his help, you’ll find the oubliette and free the other two. But do it quickly. We can only hold off Seth for so long.”
She lifted her head as if listening to something we couldn’t hear. “I must go now. Anubis has need of my help.” Ma’at took hold of my shoulder. “Good luck, Lily. Make haste.” She turned but then paused. “Oh, and after you have raised him, leave the Feather of Justice in the safekeeping of your elder. It is best not to risk its being lost in the battle of the cosmos.”
With that, the goddess disappeared, shimmering dust falling to the spot where she’d last stood.
I sucked in a breath. “It doesn’t sound like the battle is going very well.”
“No,” Hassan replied. “It doesn’t.”
“So I guess we should raise this other one. Pathfinder?”
His name is Ahmose, Ashleigh said.
“Ahmose. Right.” Without waiting for Dr. Hassan to remove the lid, I shifted over to the third sarcophagus. Gripping the Feather of Justice in my hand, I locked my mind with Ashleigh and Tia and, with the voice of a cyclone, cried, “Pathfinder, with the Feather of Justice I summon your heart and command you. Return to your mortal form!”
The feather gleamed as if lit from within, and the light moved down my arm. It filled my body until the glow became so bright that Nana and Hassan had to shield their eyes. A gust of wind whipped my hair straight up, and Hassan dove for the hidden cupboard, pulling out the canopic jars and opening them in quick succession.
Silver particles burst from the top of each jar like four moonbeams. They coalesced into balls of light except for one that became a long-necked bird. One by one, they sunk into the still-closed sarcophagus and disappeared.
When my power dimmed, Tia, Ashleigh, and I broke apart. Hassan, Nana, and I all stood there looking at each other, wondering what to do next.
Then we heard a boom and I leapt back, drawing my knives from the harness. Another boom sounded, and Hassan ran to Nana, holding her against him as she gasped in fear. Dust rained down from overhead, and I narrowed my eyes and cocked my ears, listening for the source of the threat.
When the third boom came, the lid of the sarcophagus exploded upward like a bomb had gone off beneath it. I twirled my knives, shifting my weight to attack, when a wrapped figure suddenly sat up.
I swallowed as the mummy tore the wrappings from its face and arms. Then it turned to look at me. Taking a moment to clear its throat. Its voice was dry and raspy. “Do you think I could get a little help, Lily?” the mummy asked.
I stood immobile, gaping at the creature peeking out at me through torn wrappings.
Lily! Ashleigh said. Snap out of it. It’s just Ahmose.
I don’t…I’m not…I…can’t, I said with a pathetic whimper to my two companions.
Then let me.
All too willingly, I stepped aside and let Ashleigh take over. She quickly walked right up to Ahmose, clucking at him like he was a naughty boy who’d been busy playing in the mud.
“Now look what ya’ve gotten yerself into, laddie,” she said. “This’ll never do.”
Efficiently, she unwrapped the bandages around his head. When it was finally free, he cracked his neck as he twisted side to side.
“Yeah, no doubt you’ll ’ave an ache in the neck for most o’ the day. But ya should count yerself lucky. Better’n bein’ dead, I’d wager.”
“That it is,” the man said and smiled warmly at me…her…us while Ashleigh moved down his arm, unwinding the yellowing linen as she went.
Good heavens, I thought. This one’s as good-looking as the others. His smile could melt the moon. Wait a minute. That didn’t sound like me. It was hard enough to remain sane when two other girls shared your head. It would never do to have our thoughts bleeding together. Tia, I accused, stop thinking so loudly.
It’s not me, she groused. Perhaps it’s you. Though even I admit this one does have nice teeth. If he were a lion, it would mean he’d be an exceptional hunter and protector. Also, his build is very muscular. I quite enjoyed being held in his arms.
What? No. You know what? I don’t want to know. Don’t tell me anything else about his build. Okay? Just…just stop.
I do not understand why you are upset. If I recall, you enjoyed being close to him as well.
I…gah! I really hated the idea that Tia knew things like this about me, about us, or my past. It felt wrong. Almost like my body had been stolen without me remembering it. Wait. That was exactly what had happened.
Ashleigh had moved down to his hand. Each finger was wrapped individually, and the man flexed each one as it was freed from the cloth. Nana moved to his other side, quickly getting over the fact that she was unwrapping a mummy. She always handled things like delivering calves or carin
g for wounds on her animals like an experienced medic. I suppose this wasn’t too different. I’d be jealous of the ability if I actually cared about doing such things myself. In this case, I was happy to let Ashleigh handle it. It was bad enough I could still feel everything.
Nana introduced herself as my grandmother, and the man gave a respectful bow, at least the best he could when he was bound like he was. He said that he was honored to meet one of Lily’s elders. The fact that she was even there in Egypt didn’t seem to faze him at all.
When both arms were done, Ashleigh began unwrapping his chest, asking him to lift his arms when she passed his shoulders. He did so, pushing the dark hair that fell in his face away from his eyes. Tia had been right. This guy’s arms and shoulders were thick with muscle.
Nana moved down to the foot of the sarcophagus to help Hassan unbind the man’s feet. Soon, his chest was exposed. His very naked chest. His very naked chest, which was as hard as granite. If I were in charge of my body, I would have gaped at the guy.
When Ashleigh neared his waist, she leaned across him to pass the bundle of wrappings from one hand to the other, but he stopped her, taking her hand, my hand, and pressing it against his chest. “Thank you,” he said. “I think I can get the rest.”
Even with the cloth between his chest and my hand, I could feel the warmth of his body. I’d expected him and/or the sarcophagus to smell of rot and decay, but he didn’t. The smell of cedar was more prominent that anything else. Without meaning to, my nostrils flared and the power of my enhanced senses kicked in.
Luckily for me, the mummy’s personal scent was pleasant. Almost like a moonlit forest in the fall. Even the wrappings smelled more like recently tilled earth and old leaves. His face was inches away, and his gray eyes were assessing me curiously. My pulse quickened.
I don’t think I’d ever been that up close and personal to a man before. At least, not that I could remember. I found I didn’t mind it so much. In fact, the newly freed mummy was about as handsome a man as I’d ever seen. The idea that I found him attractive made me uncomfortable in all kinds of ways.
Ashleigh said cheekily, “Are ya certain, then? I don’ mind unwrappin’ all o’ ya.”
Ashleigh! I scolded, suddenly embarrassed and realizing we’d been touching the guy way too long. Granted, he hadn’t let go of my hand yet either, but, regardless, it had been too long to pass off as casual contact.
I told her to move away, but she stubbornly ignored me. Then the man laughed, a bubbly, happy sound, like a wave capped with foam breaking on the shore. I found I was more attracted to the man’s laugh than his looks, and that was saying something. “Perhaps next time I awaken.”
“Right, then.” Hassan stepped forward. “I think it would be best if I help Ahmose with the rest. You ladies can take my flashlight and wait in the adjoining chamber.”
The reasons I had for fearing the mummy-turned-man were crumbling as easily as the pillars of the temple above us. I think I’m okay now, Ashleigh.
Are ya sure? I’m vera comfortable with Ahmose. I don’ mind takin’ the lead for a time.
I’ll be fine, I replied. Besides, I need to get used to all this. It won’t help me to remember if I hide behind the two of you every time something scares me.
I could sense Ashleigh’s reluctance, but she switched places with me willingly. While we waited, I promised both her and Tia they’d get a turn at being in charge very soon.
When Hassan called us back, I was surprised to see the new member of our team dressed as a warrior, complete with leather tunic, thick leggings, soft boots, and wrist braces decorated with silver. After giving him the once-over and swallowing back the girlish giggle that rose up from just standing next to a guy who could have clearly stepped off the pages of GQ: Medieval Knights Edition, I asked the only intelligent question I could come up with. “Where are your weapons?”
He tilted his head curiously. “I summon my weapons from the sand. Do you not remember, Lily?”
“I’m afraid Lily doesn’t remember anything,” Dr. Hassan said.
“What do you mean, she doesn’t remember?”
“She forgot everything about Egypt when she entered the mortal realm.”
“Has she been injured?”
“Hello there. I’m right here,” I said, waving a hand in the air. “You can ask me, you know.”
“I apologize, Lily,” Ahmose said. “Were you injured in our last battle?”
“I don’t think so. Tia?” I asked.
We were not injured in any way that would disrupt your mental process.
“She says no.”
He took a step closer and held up his hands. “May I?”
I frowned, feeling slightly nervous next to the big stranger. “May you what?”
“One of my abilities is to heal with magic. If I can touch you, I will be able to sense what’s causing the damage and fix it.”
“O…kay. I guess so.”
Hassan and Nana looked on curiously as the man narrowed the gap between us and lifted his large hands, placing them on my neck. His touch was gentle and light, which was surprising for a guy that could probably lift a truck by himself. He closed his eyes, and I felt his energy humming in my body. It tingled, and a gentle buzz sped through my limbs. It didn’t hurt, though. It actually felt nice. Like getting a shiatsu massage from the inside out.
“Well?” I asked when he removed his hands and stepped back. His hooded gaze told me the news wasn’t good.
“There is nothing to be healed. She is well and whole, as are the two hearts linked to hers.”
“Ah,” I said. “And you’re upset because…”
“Lily,” he said hesitantly. “If there is nothing wrong with you physically…”
“Then there’s something wrong with…what? My soul? My…my brain?” If I had to choose, I think I’d rather something was wrong with my soul than my brain, but really my preference would be neither of those things.
He placed a hand on my shoulder. “There’s no way for me to tell. Perhaps I can sense more once we leave the mortal realm.”
“So Hassan told you I can’t raise the others?”
Nodding, he turned to look at the bodies of the other two mummies. “I’m going to have to take you to them. You will need to enter the oubliette before you can reunite them with their bodies.”
“And you’re sure this oubliette isn’t, like, in Arizona or Taiwan or something?”
He shook his head. “It is not. The place Ma’at hid us was tucked away at the far corner of the cosmos.”
“The far corner of the…” I trailed off, unable to finish. I turned, eyes wide, to Nana, who reached for my hand and squeezed.
“It’ll be all right, Lilypad.”
“I’m afraid you and Hassan will need to stay here,” the man said, directing his comment to Nana. “Mortals cannot traverse the paths we will go.”
Turning to Hassan, he added, “You will need to stay and guard the bodies of my brothers. Watch over them, lest Seth’s minions discover their hiding place. I will cast a spell to hide this temple from all but the most discerning. There is a certain power the grand vizier has in caring for his charges. As long as you are alive, their bodies cannot be destroyed.”
Dr. Hassan straightened proudly. “I will, of course, fulfill my duty.”
“Good,” the man replied. “Can you fetch me the items necessary to raise them when we access the oubliette?”
Hassan nodded and disappeared back into the chamber with the sarcophagi.
The mummy touched my shoulder briefly. “Now I will leave you to say your goodbyes while I seek out the best path. We need to make haste, Lily.”
With that, he marched up the narrow, sand-dusted stairs heedless of the waning torchlight. I was left to gape at his departure. “Nana, I can’t,” I sputtered, gesturing wildly. “You guys really expect me to just head off to who-knows-where on the other side of the freaking cosmos with this, this…stranger?”
He’s n
ot a stranger to us, Ashleigh said.
Pipe down, I replied. I could feel their frustration with me. Keep in mind that he’s pretty darn strange to me.
Nana put her arm around me as Dr. Hassan entered with his bulging pack. “Oscar, are you certain we can’t go?”
“If Ahmose says we can’t, then it is impossible. The fact that Lily had to become a sphinx to traverse these paths before is proof enough to me that we wouldn’t survive the journey.”
Neither of them offered anything else. I could tell Nana didn’t want to try to sway me one way or another. She wrapped me in a hug and squeezed hard. “What do you want to do, Lilypad?” she murmured in my ear.
My grandmother always knew exactly what I needed to hear. She would let me rant, get out my frustration, and then turn the problem back to me. Nana expected me to act responsibly, consider my options, and make the right choice.
I sighed against her soft shoulder and acted the part of the grown-up I was supposed to be. “What I want to do is go shoe shopping. What I’m going to do is head off to the middle of the cosmos and raise some more mummies.”
When I stepped back, she cupped my chin. “You’ve always been a brave girl.”
“I don’t feel particularly brave. I think this is one of those cases where greatness has been thrust upon me whether I wanted it or not.”
“You’ve always been great to me.”
“Yeah. Well. Put that on my tombstone.”
“Don’t be morose, Lilliana,” she said and then tempered the comment by taking hold of my shoulders and kissing my forehead.
She almost never called me Lilliana, and it hit a nerve. Probably too close to the truth. She didn’t want to think about having to bury me next to my granddad. That is…if there was anything left of me to bury.
The more likely scenario is that we’d end up lost in space, floating through the stars, Tia said.
Great. Thanks for the clarification.
We probably wouldn’t die, though. At least not for a few millennia, she added.
Even better. Well, girls, let’s get this show on the road, I said.
“Will the two of you be okay here?” I asked as we headed toward the stairs.