The taste of copper and salt hit the back of my throat, and though I tried to keep my mouth closed, I constantly gave in to the temptation to wet my lips. Unfortunately, there was no relief found in the process; my tongue only ended up coated with a thin layer of grit and minerals.
No matter which direction I looked, Amon and Dr. Hassan weren’t visible, so I pressed forward, following the strange flash of light that appeared to be coming from the stone every so often and illuminating the area directly around me. Unlike a lighthouse, which helps guide boats and warns of hidden rocks, the illumination felt to me like it was drawing unwanted attention, and I fully expected a monstrous creature with a gaping maw to find me because of it.
Each time my surroundings lit up, I stopped breathing until I was sure there was no immediate danger. I began to sense little vibrations in the area that became more pronounced every time the beam turned off.
I pressed on until the blinking light vanished and I was left in the dark root of the mountain without a guide. Blindly, I took one step forward, then another. I began hyperventilating, wondering if the mountain would ever end, when suddenly I emerged from the rock.
Though it was still dark, there was an immediate, recognizable difference in the atmosphere. The weight that had been dragging on my limbs was gone; I felt a wisp of air brush my cheek and my ears popped. My hand came into contact with the solid rock behind me and I turned, touching nothing but empty space until my fingers found the wall again. Scuffling sounds echoed in the darkness. Then I heard Dr. Hassan. “Lily!” he cried. “Over here.”
I stretched out my free hand and took a few cautious steps forward. “Where are you?” I called.
There was the sound of movement nearby, and I listened carefully, trying to make sense of the noises. Someone, or something, had emerged from the rock behind me. When I turned toward it, I saw its green orbs flashing in the darkness.
“Lily,” Amon said as he closed the distance between us, “are you all right?”
“I’m…I’m fine. I think.” Amon ran his hand over my arm and a light powdery dust as fine as talc slid and then settled on my skin, making me cough. I patted my clothing, trying to get rid of some of it. Apparently my brief hiatus into the world of being clean was over. Amon didn’t seem to care that I was coated with grit. He took my hand in his and lit his body enough for me to see where we were—in a large cavern.
“Dr. Hassan?” I called as I spotted his form. He was on his hands and knees patting the dirt.
“Another foot and I would have had it,” he announced as he got up.
“What were you looking for?” I asked as Amon and I made our way over to him.
“This.” He lifted a thick, blackened stick and began fussing with one end.
“A torch?”
“Yes.” He glanced at Amon and was momentarily awed by his natural light. “Unfortunately, those of us who are mortal are not born with inner flashlights.” He raised the torch. “Shall I?” he asked Amon.
“If you would.”
“Of course.”
“Where are we?” I whispered nervously.
“We are still in the Oasis of the Sacred Stones, but we are deep within the mountain,” Dr. Hassan said. “If you listen carefully, you can hear the waterfall. I hid Amon’s brother behind it.” He lit the end of the torch and Amon immediately turned off his light, which I assumed helped him conserve his energy.
“What was that strange light in the mountain?” I asked as Amon guided me around a large cluster of stalagmites.
“The light can be seen only with a true adder stone,” Dr. Hassan said. “It allows passage into the mountain. The flash you saw was activated by the sun shining through the stone.”
“A path forged by the sun god,” Amon mused.
“Yes, in a way. It’s a little trick passed down by grand viziers through the centuries. To direct the light we had to be in the right spot at the right time.”