“No?” Amon said. “What is your worry, then, Doctor?”
Rumbling shook the mountain once again, and this time a giant crack appeared in the ceiling. Rocks and debris tumbled down, destroying Asten’s sarcophagus and shattering the canopic jars. Out of the crack emerged a creature that belonged in a science-fiction movie—a worm the size of Godzilla.
Its gray skin oozed. The front half was all mouth with sharp, circular teeth that went back as far as I could see. As if sensing fresh meat, it angled its body toward us and squirmed farther into the cavern, its gaping mouth opening and closing, the sharp teeth clacking together like scissors.
Dr. Hassan gulped. “That’s what I was worried about.”
“Run!” Amon cried as he grabbed my arm, pulling me toward the other end of the cavern. Dr. Hassan and Asten followed close on our heels.
Rocks fell all around us, and the creature emitted a frustrated screech before whipping in our direction, its razor teeth cutting through the space we’d recently vacated. The monster couldn’t seem to wriggle out any farther from its hole, so it retreated, burrowing back into the mountain.
Even though rock separated us, the creature seemed to know exactly where we were. Amon said he thought it could hear us, and sure enough, when we stopped running, it stopped, too. Quietly, we made our way deeper into the cave, and for a brief time I thought we’d lost it, but Dr. Hassan accidentally brushed against a stalagmite, sending pieces of crumbling rock tumbling to the ground. With a loud cry that echoed from every direction, the giant worm chased after us and closed in fast.
Debris tumbled down as another crack appeared in the ceiling. It wasn’t big enough for the worm’s body to fit through, but a long purple tongue protruded, tasting the air directly around us. Catching our scent, the creature screamed and beat its body against the rock, trying desperately to break through.
“This way!” Amon cried as the top of the worm’s head pushed through the crevice, tearing chunks of flesh. Its mouth snapped vainly as we ran past it to another section of the cavern and hid behind some rocks. I panted from our short run, still feeling the effects of Amon’s power drain. The worm tunneled into the mountain, its body quaking the cave as it moved.
“We have reached a dead end,” Asten said quietly.
“What do we do?” I hissed, panicked that I would shortly become worm food. “We only have two adder stones!”
“It is too late to escape,” Asten murmured, almost gleefully. “Perhaps the time has come for us to fight.” Amon’s brother called upon the sand and it rose into the air, forming a bow and a quiver of arrows with diamond heads. “Will you join me?” Asten asked Amon. The god of the stars seemed completely unafraid and rather pleased at having the opportunity to test out his recently re-formed body. Amon, however, was hesitant.
“My powers are weak, Asten. I must get Lily to safety. She is my priority.”
Asten stopped examining his newly made weapon and turned to his brother, studying him for a moment. “I see.” With a brief glance at me, he added, “I believe she will be safe enough. You know the creature wants us, not a mortal.”
“No. He will come after her. He has already sent his shadowy beasts once and they have a taste for her flesh now.”
Asten raised his eyebrow and smiled brazenly. “I can hardly blame them,” he said in an aside before giving me a puzzled glance. “But I confess that I do not understand why—”
“I will explain when our situation is not so dire,” Amon interrupted, uttering the words quietly while watching the walls for signs of the creature.