Recreated by Colleen Houck Page B

the details I could remember, and when I was done, I asked, “Amon? Are you still there?”
    “I am here, Nehabet.”
    “So do you see? This isn’t just about us anymore. This is about protecting the world.”
    Quietly, he asserted, “It would have been better had the two of us never met. Perhaps then I would be, if not happy in my calling, then at least compliant.”
    I swallowed. “Do you really regret meeting me?” I asked, almost afraid to hear his answer.
    “Lily.” His voice broke and there was such longing, such despair attached to my name that the weight of it crushed my heart.
    “I love you, Amon, and I have no regrets either,” I declared. “That includes doing what I have to do now. I will find a way to you. I promise.”
    “If you are determined to walk this path, then there is nothing I can do to stop you.”
    “But you would rather I didn’t.”
    “The loss of the whole world holds less meaning for me than the loss of one lovely hair on your head.”
    “Amon.” I sighed his name, wishing he were holding me in his arms. “I’ve got to do this.”
    “Then I will watch over you and advise you when opportunity permits.”
    “Just stay alive until I get there. Otherwise, this will all have been for nothing.”
    “I will make every effort.”
    “So do you have any advice for me now?”
    “Embrace your instincts.”
    “That’s not very specific.”
    “You will understand when the time comes.” I sensed there was more he wanted to tell me but he couldn’t bring himself to. Finally, he said, “I wish I could be with you. Protect you. I am pained to know that danger stalks you.”
    “I think danger stalks you more than it does me.”
    “There is no beast, no demon, more ferocious than the fear I feel knowing there is nothing I can do to help you.”
    “Isis did give me her tears. That is supposed to protect me from at least some of the monsters.”
    “Yes.” He sighed. “But only those that fear her wrath. And in the netherworld, those are not many.”
    “If it makes you feel better. I wish you were with me, too.”
    He said nothing for a moment as he thought, and then murmured, “Perhaps I can be.”
    “Really?” I asked, excited by the prospect. “How?”
    “To be clear, it won’t be me. Not really. But since we are linked, you can use my power to call upon Nebu.”
    “Nebu, the desert stallion?”
    “Yes. There is the possibility that he might not heed your call, but seeking his protection is worth trying.”
    “Okay.”
    Amon and I practiced the spell to call Nebu until his words changed from warnings and instruction to soft promises and whispered wishes that warmed my heart.
    At some point, our minds drifted, but the memory of our entwined thoughts sustained me in my sleep. I took comfort that at least this time I’d told him I loved him. I didn’t know how many hours passed, but when I sensed a change in the environment, I woke instantly and saw that a crescent moon was high in the sky, spilling its waning light over the landscape as dawn approached.
    It was time. My skin throbbed, the anticipation jarring my bones.
    I rose from my earthen bed, not even bothering to swipe the clumps of dirt from my dress and hair, and brushed the back of my hand against my mouth. The night creatures had settled into their beds and the day creatures had not yet risen. I was alone.
    After sating my thirst once again and adjusting my skirts so I wouldn’t trip, I briefly contemplated which way to go, but as I searched my instincts, I knew I needed to head toward the rising sun. The sun brought life.
    I ran.
    The sun was not quite at its zenith in the sky when I stopped. Panting lightly, I scanned the horizon in all directions, but it appeared the plain was deserted.
    I knew it wasn’t.
    The brush of tall golden grass tickled my fingers and the dry stalks snapped under the heels of my golden sandals. On the left I scanned a copse of umbrella-shaped trees with thin leaves. On the right