“Yes, vaguely,” I answered.
“And what is the difference between the Egyptian and the Greek depiction of a sphinx?” she asked.
“Hold on. He told me this.” I paced away a few steps and then returned. “The Greek version is female.”
“Yes, and what else?”
“It has wings?”
“Very good. The day I left you to your fate on the African plains, I gave you not two but three weapons.” She paused, waiting like an impatient teacher for me to answer her unasked question.
“The spear-knives,” I said, “and the bow and the arrows that make creatures answer my questions and bend to my will, and then there was the…”
Isis lifted a hand. “That isn’t what my arrows do.”
“They don’t? Then why did the reapers—”
She interrupted, “My arrows have healing powers. In the netherworld, the arrows healed the mystical wounds caused by true evil. The reapers were not true minions of the Devourer, so the arrow freed them from her control. In the case of the hellhounds, they must bow to the arrow’s power, but they are dark in nature in and of themselves. So the arrow did not heal or transform them.”
“It didn’t kill him either,” I said drily.
“No. Hellhounds are not living, nor have they ever been. They are simply shadows that are born in the netherworld. Their sole purpose was to chase the dead toward paths of healing, so that those assigned there might leave it one day. The Devourer has used and corrupted them.”
“Fine. Whatever. Let’s get back then to the third weapon you mentioned. It is…?”
“Your wings, of course.”
“Okay, even assuming I have them, which all indications show that I don’t, how would I use them as a weapon?”
“When my feather entered your back, it hurt, did it not?”
“Of course it hurt. Still does on occasion.”
“It hurts because you keep your wings locked away. Close your eyes.” When she saw me obey, she went on. “Focus on that nub between your shoulder blades. The place the feather entered. Now allow that irritation to expand.”
I twitched uncomfortably and stretched my back, rolling my neck back and forth. The tiny itch turned into something burning. Hissing, I said, “It stings.”
“It will the first time they emerge. Think of the hurt like a splinter. It will feel better once your wings are out.”
My skin tore open, pain exploding along my spine, and I cried out and sank down to one knee, placing my hands on the ground as I gasped. I bit the inside of my cheek and tasted blood. My claws emerged and drew furrows in the dust as I panted. With a last heaving push, the agony escaped, leaving behind a relief so palpable I laughed.
Retracting my claws, I shifted to my feet but almost fell backward from the weight. Then something picked me up and steadied me. The moon had risen, and though we stood in its direct light, shadows moved across my face. I turned my head slowly and saw a wing hovering near my shoulder. It definitely didn’t belong to Isis.
“They’re yours,” she said. “Quite a lovely pair, too.”
I took two quick steps back and had the overbalance issue again, but this time my body actually rose into the air. The wings above me flapped once, twice, and then set me down. Apparently, gravity worked differently now. I curled my right wing around myself until I could press my hand against the soft feathers.
“You control them with your mind,” Isis said. “They will not be as difficult to navigate as you might think. You can send them away again with a mere thought.” I shivered, thinking about the suffering they caused when they first emerged. The goddess must have read my mind, because she added, “It will not hurt any longer. Not now that they’ve been released.”
Testing out her statement, I bit my lip and willed them away. The wings tucked up behind my back and shrank down, disappearing. I reached my hands over my shoulders, patting my shoulder blades as best I could, but the wings were completely gone.
“Before you summon them back,” Isis said, “may I suggest a slight change in your wardrobe?”
I nodded dumbly, realizing just then that my wings had effectively torn the back of my shirt in two. Moving behind me, the goddess murmured something and sand shifted, rising up behind me. “There,” she said after the sand stilled. “I have modeled your clothing after my own. Your wings will emerge from a long slit in the back of your shirt above your vest if you’re careful enough. If not, they might damage your clothing too much for it to continue covering your body.”
Licking my lips and glancing over at the boys, I said, “I’ll be sure to watch out for that.”
Closing my eyes, bracing for the pain, I called to my wings again. This time I felt nothing but a comfortable relief. It was like kicking off high heels at the end of the day. Experimentally, I flapped them, and my body lifted from the ground several feet before I sank back down.
With my cat eyes wide, I gulped. Holy Egyptian heaven, I thought. I have wings. If only Nana and Dr. Hassan could see me now. I missed them.
Up close, I noticed that the feathers were variegated, much like my hair, the colors a palette of rich metallics—including silver, platinum, and gold. Finding a tiny, downy feather, I plucked it out and yowled. It was like wrenching out a handful of hair. I rubbed out the sting on the injured wing, and the pain slowly ebbed.
Amon came closer and lifted a hand, pausing as if asking for permission. When I nodded, he ran his hand down the inside of the wing, marveling at it the way I had. The sensation was heady, almost sensual. I could feel it in the wing, but I could also feel it in my back. It was like the ultimate back massage from the hottest guy in the world, which wasn’t too far from the truth.
A shiver ran down my spine. Taking hold of Amon’s muscled arm, I tucked my wings back like a bird, shaking my head slightly in apology. Willingly, he stepped aside, lowering his head, his hair falling in his eyes. Any other time, I’d be over the moon to have him close, exploring them with me, but I couldn’t afford the distraction right then.
With my wings folded neatly behind me, I could no longer see them, but there was still no way on earth I could forget they were there. The entire distribution of my weight had changed. I felt not unlike when I first became a sphinx. I was a new animal.
Ashleigh was thrilled, and I mean absolutely thrilled, at the idea of trying them out. It was hard to talk her down from her excited ready-to-leap-off-the-mountainside enthusiasm.
“Tell us how our wings are a weapon,” I said to Isis. Then I winced and added, “Please. And thank you”—I raised a hand indicating our wings—“for this, by the way. It must have killed you to pull out a feather of that size.”
“I’ll admit it was painful but I hope worth it, in the end. Now you see why I did not wish to see my gift squandered.”
“I do.”
“The wings of a sphinx,” Isis explained, “have the power to draw great winds. She can bend them to her will, creating cyclones, sandstorms, and tempests. You do this with your mind, though it can be a natural response to danger as well, much like your claws.”
“I see. Well, all of that would have been nice to know before.”
“Unfortunately, I do not have the leisure to teach you all the things I know about the power of the sphinx. I wish I did,” she said sadly. Straightening, Isis turned to her sister. “It is time for me to go,” she announced.
Nephthys nodded, and the two women embraced. Isis stroked the long white-blond waves of her sister’s hair. When they separated, Isis plastered a smile to her face, though all of us could see right through it to the fear and doubt that lay beneath. Horus came forward and wrapped his arms around his mother. Tears rolled down his cheeks, and his eyes were bloodshot.
The dark mountain was quiet. When Isis pulled away, she took hold of Horus’s arm and whispered something in his ear. He nodded, his chin wavering. Unfurling her wings, Isis blew a kiss to her loved ones, looked up at the shining moon, and with a mighty flap, soared into th
e sky.
When the darkness swallowed her, my gaze drifted down to Nephthys and Horus. They stood leaning against one another, supporting each other’s sorrow.
“He’ll unmake her,” Horus said as he wiped his eyes.
“It won’t come to that,” Nephthys replied. “Remember, he’s still shackled.”
Horus sneered in open contempt. “There is much a man can do to cause pain even without the powers of a god.”
“Seth believes he loves her, nephew.”
“He was supposed to love you.” Horus’s face was a thundercloud. For the moment, the storm inside him was far off, but we would be wise to prepare for the onslaught.
“In his own twisted way, he does,” Nephthys replied quietly.
“That snake in the grass does not know what love means,” Horus said and stalked away, leaving us with his aunt.
Nephthys turned to us, her lower lip trembling. “Come, let us get you on your way, then, shall we? But first we must tell you of our plans.”
She spent the next hour explaining her proposal in detail. The gods were going to head out in three groups in an attempt to distract the Devourer. Two groups would attack the Devourer’s first wave of minions. Their job was to destroy as many of the sky-demons as they could. The third group would sneak into Amun-Ra’s palace and save Osiris, taking him back to the mountaintop so he could recover. We were to wait until they were clear and then take out the Devourer when she inevitably chased him. Hopefully, we would catch her by surprise.
Two groups of gods left, Anubis leading one and Amun-Ra the other. They headed down the mountainside as nimbly as deer. The third, led by Ma’at, would leave when we did. We had just enough time left in the night to return to Heliopolis and find a place to hide. Nephthys shooed us away, indicating that I should take to the sky.
I unfurled my wings just as Amon and Asten were about to change into bird form, when Nephthys stopped us. “I nearly forgot,” she said. “Horus has to see you all before you leave. I must go now and confer with the last group.”
With Asten, Amon and Ahmose trailing me, we sought out Horus and found him sitting on a stone bench beneath the trees, his head in his hands.
When he glanced up at our approach, his mouth twisted, the ghost of a cheeky grin. “Come to give me a goodbye kiss?” he asked, taunting the men behind me.
“No. Nephthys said you needed to see us.”
“Ah yes. It’s regarding your clipped bird.”
“My what?”
Horus waved a hand, indicating the brothers. “You know, the one who can no longer fly.”
Glancing at Ahmose, I could almost sense his longing to cuff Horus right in the chin.
The god, either not noticing or not caring about Ahmose’s reaction, stood up and headed over to the stump of a tree, purposely bumping Ahmose’s shoulder as he did so. He knelt down and brushed at the roots.
Leaving the brothers behind, I trailed after Horus. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry,” I said to him. “About your mother, I mean.”
“I am, too,” he replied quietly.
Satisfied with his efforts, Horus stood and chanted a spell—one that sounded slightly familiar. “Stand back now,” he said when he was finished, taking hold of my arm. “He wanted to help. I have to admit, I was surprised. You must have had an effect on him. Then again, beautiful young virgins usually do,” the god finished with a halfhearted snicker.
The ground rumbled, and I staggered against Horus, my wings lifting to help steady me. At that moment, a hole opened in the ground and a glimmering, golden shape burst from it.
“Nebu!” I cried, happy to see my old friend again.
Hello, goddess. It is good to see you.
“And you. Thank you for coming.”
You are welcome.
“I thought you didn’t want to join the fight,” I said, stepping forward to stroke his back.
I did not. But after we left you, I was racked with terrible guilt at the thought of what you would face alone. My purpose is to shield you from Seth to the point of my own demise. Though my preference, of course, would be not to find my end in such a way. The unicorn lifted his head so I could scratch his neck. Do you think me a noble beast? Nebu asked with a stamping of a hoof.
Laughing and backing away as he shook out his mane, I said, “Extremely noble.”
Circling me, his head bobbing up and down, Nebu exclaimed, Your new wings are lovely! With gifts such as those, you are a befitting companion for a unicorn.
“Getting ideas in your head, old man?” Horus provoked with a chuckle. “You’d have to stomp on the competition first.” He tilted his head, considering. “I can’t say that I’d mind that too much. Could possibly free up a spot for a lonely god. What do you say, unicorn? Want to work together to trim the ranks?”
Snorting, Nebu said, When a unicorn throws his horn in the ring, there are none who dare interfere, not even a god.
I rolled my eyes but then sniggered as Nebu whinnied and quickly went off to greet the others.
When he was gone, Horus took my arm and turned us so my back was to the brothers. “Thank you,” he said.
“For what?”
“For distracting me from my sorrow. You are very good at that, you know.”
“You’re welcome,” I said and offered him a smile. “You’re not so bad. In fact, you’re a pretty good guy, all things considered.”
Horus took a step closer and trailed a fingertip down a gleaming feather. “So generous,” he murmured. “And so beautiful.”
“Thank you,” I said, giving him a pointed look as I lifted my wing away from his hand.
He lowered it and smiled. “Now, about that goodbye kiss?”
“Young Lily is not yours to kiss, Horus.”
“Amon,” Horus said, disappointment coloring the tone of his voice. “Never far enough away, are you?”
“I was about to say the same about you.”
Bending over my hand, Horus kissed it, a wicked twinkle in his eye. “Until we meet again, Lily,” he said. “May fortunate winds blow in your direction.”
“And in yours,” I answered.
Horus left us, and I twined my arm through Amon’s, heading over to Nebu. Ahmose was settled on Nebu’s back, and Asten had already transformed into the starlit ibis. Amon kissed my cheek and asked, “Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
Once I was in the air, the golden falcon on one side, the starlit ibis on the other, and Nebu with Ahmose on his back behind us, I whooped, arcing in a big circle. I let Ashleigh take over, since she was a natural and was practically dying to do so. We sped quickly over the landscape, Ashleigh tutoring me along the way. Tia had zero interest, telling both of us that flying was unnatural for cats, but to me flying was so, so much better than hiking. I was amazed at how easily I’d taken to it. Though I didn’t have a fear of heights and had long been used to skyscrapers, roller coasters made me slightly queasy. I’d thought flying would be the same, but being in control of the swoops and dives was not only exhilarating, it served to stave off any motion sickness.
Ashleigh gave back control, content to enjoy the ride as I practiced. I swept over the tall trees, reaching out to brush the needled tips with my hands. The dark landscape was punctured by icy veins of sparkling blue and purple with shimmering rocks that moved. Curious, I drifted down closer and saw the glimmering purple-blue light was coming from a river. The rocks were winged fish, gleaming with color. They leapt from the river, flapping wildly to reach the top of a waterfall.
They are spawning, a voice in my mind said. Their scales light up during this time.
I gasped. It was Ahmose’s voice, not Amon’s like I’d expected. I realized then that Ahmose could hear my thoughts now, too. The night breeze was swollen with moonlight. I could almost taste the cool freshness of its beams. The moonlight made me think of Ahmose and the long hours we’d traveled together. I found I’d missed how close we used to be.
I miss being
with you, too, his familiar voice echoed in my mind.
Why can you hear my thoughts? I asked him. Amon couldn’t hear Ashleigh’s or Tia’s voices, and you have Ashleigh’s heart. You shouldn’t be able to hear mine.
If it bothers you, I apologize, Ahmose said.
It doesn’t bother me, exactly, I replied. It’s just a bit shocking.
Interesting, a new voice added. It was Amon. It could be due to the spell enacted by Isis.
My wings flapped quickly, causing me to drop and my heart to race. Slowing the beat, I steadied myself.
You heard all that? I asked.
Yes, Amon answered. Though I do not wish to eavesdrop.
Too late now.
It is not something we can help, Amon said. At least, not anymore.
Could it be because of my connection to all three through Wasret? Ahmose asked.
There is one way to find out, Amon answered.
How? I asked.
Call to Asten. If he can hear you, then we know this ability comes from Isis, Amon instructed.
Asten? I asked mentally. Can you hear me?
There was no response.
Tia? Can you try?
Tia made an effort to communicate with Asten, but the ibis coasted silently alongside us, starlight winking off his feathers. He showed no signs of hearing us.
Perhaps it is because he could not absorb my heart, she suggested sorrowfully.
Maybe, I replied.
We flew on until we came to the edge of the forest and then descended, Asten and Amon transforming back into their human forms. A signal lit the night sky on the far horizon. It was only a matter of minutes until we heard the screeches of the sky-demons. Backing into the dark shadows of the trees, Asten immediately wove his cloaking spell over us just in case. We watched them pass overhead by the hundreds.
Another signal came, and a horde just as large as the first soon headed in that direction. It was time to move. Ahmose threw me up on Nebu’s back, and we made our way swiftly to the outskirts of Heliopolis. The dark, crumbled buildings rose above the purple-dark sea, the still-gleaming tower of Amun-Ra standing out among the heaps of destruction like a precious gem.