“I have some contacts in the area that can drop off some supplies for us,” Hassan said.
I nodded feeling a little depressed over the idea of leaving him and Nana behind.
Climbing the stairs, I noted that I didn’t even need to rely on my night vision. The passageway above us had been left wide-open. I put my hand on my blade as I exited, scanning the desert in both ways, but relaxed when I saw Ahmose crouched down in the sand tracing furrows with his fingertip while the three unicorns looked on curiously.
When he saw us, he stood and strode over to me. “Nebu and Zahra will take us. Kadir will stay near and help if Hassan and your grandmother need him.”
“Gotcha,” I said, narrowing my shoulders and striding toward the unicorn that trotted up to me. Apparently, I’d be riding Zahra this time. Kicking up onto her back, I turned and gave Nana a weak smile and handed her the Feather of Justice. “Wish me luck,” I said.
“You girls take care of my Lily,” she replied.
Tia was going to respond, but the mummy guy beat her to it. “I vow to protect her with my eternal soul,” he said as Nebu trotted up beside me. Nana gave him a tight nod, while I just lifted an eyebrow.
The mummy lifted his arms and began chanting a spell:
Great ancestors who rest in your tombs
You who built this place,
You who have found rest,
The walls you raised have crumbled to dust
But the power you imbued in it remains.
Lend your strength to this stronghold.
Secret it from our enemies.
Protect it from the Unmaker,
From the one who never sleeps.
As you obeyed your pharaohs
Obey me now.
Serve the gods,
Serve the Sons of Egypt,
And your hearts will be weighed with favor
On the day of judgment.
A rumbling shook the ground, and little pockets of sand hissed all around the area in a wide circle. Something tunneled beneath the sand, and I gasped when dozens of snakes emerged, their black bodies writhing. They positioned themselves end to end, creating a vast circle of reptile flesh around the temple. Then they opened their jaws wide and clamped on to the tail of the snake preceding them. Once they were all attached, they froze in place and turned to stone.
“Can…can they cross that circle?”
“Do you mean your grandmother?” he asked.
I nodded.
“Crossing the boundary isn’t recommended, but the spirits of the dead will not cause them harm.”
I looked over at Nana, who was breathing quickly, but she gave me a bright if not entirely genuine smile and wave.
After returning the gesture, the man leapt upon Nebu’s back. “We must go now, Lily. Do not worry over them. They are safe for now.”
With that, Nebu spun and raced toward a sand dune that opened up like the mouth of a cave. Zahra followed, and I turned to look back at Nana until we plunged into darkness right behind him.
Even with our combined senses, I couldn’t see. Not even my hand in front of my face or the gleaming mane of the unicorn. Finally, I could discern a light far in the distance and a dark shape moving in front of it, which I assumed was Nebu. Zahra assured me the darkness was natural in this passageway, but every part of me strained toward the light.
When we burst out of the darkness and into the sunshine, I expected the terrain to be similar to the Road Less Traveled, but this landscape was totally different. It was almost…alien. No. It was alien. We emerged at the opening of a mountain cave overlooking a wide valley. A glistening river wound across the plain before us, twisting and turning, but the water wasn’t blue. It was violet.
Tall trees stretched out wide arms, but the shape of them was umbrella-like. Beside us was a thorny sort of cactus with arms that branched out and made it look a bit like an upside-down, living Chihuly chandelier. Spiky, almost black, plants were topped with golden flowers that gave off the scent of caramel.
The birds nesting on the mountain side looked more like lizards. Their wings were speckled blue membrane instead of feathers, and their long tails and the skin of their bodies were scaled. Though I noticed when one squawked in alarm that they did sport feathers, after all. They had crests of them on the tops of their heads.
Two moons graced the sky: A reddish one, currently a crescent, was thin and wide like a Cheshire Cat smile. And a smoky blue–colored second moon peeped just over the horizon like a winking eye. Both of them were visible despite the fact that a burning orange sun sat at high noon.
Where have you brought us, Nebu? Tia asked as the unicorn unfurled his wings, preparing to leap off the side of the cliff. This is not the same path you took us on before.
No, he replied. It is not. This is the only remaining passage open to us, and it is the most dangerous. The others are compromised. Seth’s guards have destroyed the one we took before. His sentinels watch for us everywhere.
Nebu leapt off the side, the mummy clinging to his back, and Zahra quickly followed. This time I couldn’t enjoy the flight like Ashleigh did. It was all I could do not to throw up at the quick descent. I clung desperately to Zahra’s back. When we neared the bottom, both unicorns touched the ground, skidding slightly as they tucked their wings. They slowed to a walk and proceeded ahead, picking their way gingerly alongside the river, their hooves clicking against the bed of smooth, multicolored river rocks that sparkled in the alien sun.
Why aren’t we still flying? I asked Zahra.
There are creatures here that would devour us. They consider unicorn flesh a delicacy.
Then wouldn’t it make more sense to get out of here as quickly as possible?
The distance is too far for even a unicorn to navigate quickly. Besides, the vegetation becomes…agitated when animals move too fast through it, and it would alert the hunters that fly through the air. Our bright coats make us easy targets when we take to the sky in this place. They can see us from far off.
So…that means we move at a snail’s pace?
Not quite that slow, but yes. We go carefully here. It will take us the better part of one of your weeks to cross this path, more if our going is slowed by the fauna.
I’m not sure what I expected, but it wasn’t that I’d be gone that long. Clothing I had covered thanks to my abilities, but we had no other supplies. My two inner companions appeared not to be overly worried. I glanced at the purple river and swallowed, already feeling thirsty.
We didn’t bring any food, I said to the unicorn.
We can graze, Zahra said.
Yes, I answered impatiently, but what about us?
We will hunt, Tia said.
Yes. You will hunt, Zahra echoed. We will tell you which animals are edible and won’t hunt you in return. There aren’t many, but edible grasses are plentiful and there are many fish in the river. Some of them don’t even bite.
Perfect. I was suddenly replaying all the monster fish shows I’d seen on the National Geographic Channel. Drinking from the river became even less appealing, especially when I realized that all the basketball-sized, potbellied, green melons spread out in the sunshine were alien frogs. They cried out and collapsed at our approach, tumbling over one another to escape into the river, where they peeked at us suspiciously, blinking Ping-Pong-ball-sized yellow eyes.
We continued on for several hours traipsing through an episode of Land of the Lost meets My Little Pony. I spent the time asking the unicorn questions in an effort to avoid listening to Tia. It hurt her feelings that I was ignoring her, but everything she talked about seemed to involve our past history together or devouring bloody meals, and it made me uncomfortable.
When I wasn’t talking to the unicorn, I studied the man scouting the path ahead of us. He often got off Nebu, walked off a ways, and crouched down to study the ground. His shoulders were stiff, his body taut, like he was as uncomfortable in our environment as I was. I was hyperaware of him, though. It was like
he was a silent pillar of fire that moved around me. Sometimes he was in front, sometimes behind, but I could always feel him there watching over me.
Nana loved studying the Bible, and so I knew the story of the Israelites following Moses through the wilderness. I didn’t know if this mummy could part the purple sea or pull water from a rock, but there was no denying that I felt a kind of comfort being in his presence. I was content to follow my own personal pillar of fire, even if my nerves prickled when he drew near. Both Tia and Ashleigh trusted him implicitly. They were irritated every time I thought of him as a mummy instead of a man, but they didn’t push me to talk to him.
Once, he froze holding a hand in the air. Nebu nickered softly and angled his head at a copse of thickly shaded trees. There was a shuffling sound, and a family of yellow-fleshed, prickly-backed animals broke cover, heading to the river. My senses heightened, and I pulled my bow and let an arrow fly without even thinking about it. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding and felt as if I was collapsing in on myself. My hands shook as I moved the bow back across my shoulder. To say I was surprised at my own action was an understatement.
Tia? Did you? I asked.
It wasn’t me.
Ashleigh?
Me either.
Well, it wasn’t me, I insisted.
Nebu trotted over to us with Ahmose on his back.
“What just happened?” he asked.
“I…we aren’t sure.”
He cocked his head, studying me with steady gray eyes. “Will you give me your hand?”
When I did, he cupped it in his own and murmured a spell. Then he turned it over and studied my palm as if he was checking out my lifeline. “It was the power of Wasret,” he finally said.
“But none of us can remember wanting to shoot that animal. Even Tia hadn’t thought of hunting it yet.”
“Wasret ensures your survival.”
“You’re talking as if Wasret is a person.”
“She is, in a way.” He must have seen that I was clearly distressed by this revelation. “Come,” he added. “We will talk more of this. There is much you need to understand. This is as good a place as any to make camp for the night. The unicorns say it is best if we do not travel in the dark.”
I was grateful to stretch my legs anyway. I collected wood for a fire while he inspected our kill. He noted with interest that I had not used one of the precious arrows given to us by Isis. Since those were all that rested in the quiver, the plain wooden arrow tipped with blue feathers, which looked suspiciously like those that adorned the lizard birds, was of great interest. Where had it come from? How had I known to draw that one instead of one of the others?
Thankfully, he prepared the meat, so I didn’t have to gut anything. He started the flame by snapping his fingers together. It served to create a sort of lightning from his fingertips that soon sparked on the kindling I’d gathered.
By the time the meat was propped up on spits, juices dribbling, the sun had gone down and another moon had risen. This one had an apricot hue. The scent of the meat was making my mouth water despite my reservations. “Look at that,” I said, pointing at the purpling horizon. “Another moon.” I turned to my companion, only to find he’d wandered off into the woods somewhere. Nebu and Zahra had gone off to find a good patch of ground to graze on. For the moment, I was alone.
Of course, I was never truly alone. I always had Tia and Ashleigh with me. The idea of it didn’t bother me so much anymore. At least not like it did at first. I suppose I was getting used to having them around.
“I guess it’s just us girls,” I said. Apparently, I spoke too soon, though, because right after, Ahmose emerged from the trees carrying a dripping leather bag.
“Whatcha got there?” I asked him.
“Water,” he answered, handing the bag to me.
I took it, peering at it dubiously. “Is it, uh, purple?” I asked.
“It is. That is the natural color of the water in this world, but it is clean. I summoned it from the sky and have ingested it myself. The unicorns assured me that it is safe for drinking.”
“Huh,” I said after taking a tentative sip. “It’s sweet.” I tipped back the skein of water, drinking deeply.
“I find it delicious also.” The man took a seat beside me and leaned forward to turn the meat.
“So you can summon water from a rock, eh?” I said, wiping my mouth. “I guess I got that Moses analogy spot-on.”
“I forget that you do not remember my powers. One of my names is Bringer of Storms. I can call upon wind, rain, and lightning.”
“That’s handy.”
His smile was slight, as thin as the crescent moon above. “It is, on occasion.”
The flickering flames of the small fire danced in his eyes like a blushing gemstone beckoning from their storm-gray depths. I got the impression that there were many secrets hidden behind those eyes. Perhaps even a treasure trove for a hunter bold enough to seek them out. I also sensed, not danger, but movement, as if a surging tide stirred through him, daring anyone to swim without being drawn beneath. Though he appeared as still and as calm as a frozen lake on the surface, there was more to this man. Much more.
“So,” I said. “Since we’re getting to know each other all over again”—I stuck out my hand for him to shake—“I’m Lily. It’s nice to meet you.”
He took hold of my hand but not to shake it. He held it gently and then let go almost reluctantly, our fingers lingering for just an extra moment. Then he smiled, and it was full and genuine and, I noted, as beautiful as a poet’s love sonnet. His expression of solemnity had been chased away by his smile, as if the two things couldn’t exist simultaneously. “It is nice to meet you again, Lily. My name is Ahmose.”
“Ahmose. I like it.” I drew up my knees and wrapped my arms around them. “It’s not your only name, though. You said Bringer of Storms is one of your names. You have others?”
“Yes. I have many. Pathfinder is another.”
“Names are my superpower, you know.”
“Wasret has many abilities.”
“Right. Speaking of that, what’s your theory on the whole killing-the-alien-critter thing?” I asked, gesturing at the meat on a stick.
“I think…” He paused, looked at me, and then leaned over to pull the skewer of meat from the fire. He blew on it before handing it over. “Careful, it’s hot.”
“Go on,” I said, nibbling at the meat. It tasted a bit like gamey pork. “You said you thought Wasret was a being separate from us.”
“Perhaps ‘separate’ is not the proper term, for I do not believe she can exist without you, at least not fully. Wasret is you, but she is all three of you. She comes into being only when you are locked together.”
“Well, right, we already know that.” I pulled off a chunk of meat with my fingers and popped it into my mouth, chewing heartily and licking the juice from my thumb.
“No, you don’t. Not really. Lily, I’ve traced your path, and at the end of your journey, the one where you defeat Seth, there is only Wasret. Tia, Lily, Ashleigh…The three of you cease to exist. Wasret is born of you. Your thoughts, your feelings, your desires, are something she can access, but she is not you. Not any of you, not entirely.”
I swallowed, the meat sticking in my throat. Tia and Ashleigh were gripped by the cold fear I felt. “We will disappear completely? Are you…are you sure?”
“I am as certain in my abilities as I am in wielding my cudgel.”
“You sound pretty certain, then,” I said staring at the fire, my skewer of meat all but forgotten.
“For what it’s worth, I am sorry to be the bringer of this news,” he said. “I know this must be traumatic for you. And you are already in a fragile state….”
“Yeah.” I set the skewer on the rock so he could finish my portion, and pasted a pathetic form of bravery on my face. “If you’ll excuse us. I…we…need to head to the little girls’ room.”
When his brow furrowed i
n confusion, I explained further, “We won’t be gone long.”
He appeared to figure it out and nodded.
After I passed the tree line, I started running. My breaths came heavy. My senses heightened, and I heard the far away hoot of an alien bird, the scratching of rodents underground, and the rustling of something moving through the grass. Angry at these enhanced abilities, and wanting nothing more at that moment than just being human, I tried to stifle them and turn them off. I panted at my efforts, and panic blossomed in my chest. Ahmose’s words had effectively strangled the little seed of hope I’d nurtured that I’d come out on the other end of this thing okay.
It took a few moments for me to notice the golden streams of light that turned on behind me like spotlights trailing an actor on a stage. I staggered and slowed, turning to see the wreckage I’d rent upon the land. The light of the three moons made the landscape glow like the inside of an oyster shell. Plants of all kinds that had been green or greenish purple had exploded with color. They were lit up from the inside as if someone had painted them with glow-in-the-dark paint, and the moons acted like a black light.
Not only was there a long, lit path tracing back the way I’d come, but the plants had angled themselves in my direction. I heard a thwap as something hit my cloak. I pulled the fabric toward me, and I saw a thick fruit had been thrust at me. It was about the size of a kumquat, but it was soft and fleshy and, apparently, easily destroyed. It had burst upon impact and plopped to the ground, trailing a gleaming path of sticky juice and seeds behind it.
Hesitating, I backed up a few steps, and another plant spat at me, but this time with thorns. One pierced the thick cloth covering my thighs. “Ouch!” I cried, pulling a thorn as big as a knitting needle from my leg and dropping it.
We’ve got to move slowly, Tia reminded me. We’ve agitated the plant life. The unicorn warned us of this.
Right. Slow.
Taking measured steps, I moved out of the path of the glowing fauna and through the darkness, letting my night vision take over. I kept the luminous plants in my sight but moved far enough away that they couldn’t lob their fruits or needles at me. But then, one by one, the lights winked out, and I was left in the dark again with only my senses to guide me back along the path I’d come. That wouldn’t be a problem, since a lioness can follow scents like nobody’s business.