Even if I believed he could do what he said he could, what would I wish for? Love. The idea burst into my mind like a sunrise. Before Asten could grasp the thought, I tried to distract him by saying something else. “I’d like Amon to be well again. Can you do something like that?”
Asten was quiet for a few seconds, and then replied. Ahmose is the healer among us. He will do what he can after he is awakened.
“But will Amon even have the power to awaken him?”
If he does not, I will bolster him.
“Thank you.”
You care for Amon.
“Yes.”
Even though you are aware of his calling?
“Yes.”
Then he is fortunate to have found one such as you.
I wet my wind-chapped lips and asked, “And what is it you would wish for, Asten? Surely you’ve thought of something in all those years stuck in the afterlife.”
After a heartbeat, he spoke. I dare not disclose the desire of my heart. To express it, even to one as understanding as you, is to cast my fate upon a cold universe. When I hold it within, I spill over with possibility, but once it escapes I am left bereft and empty.
“I am sorry for the fate the three of you share. It seems very lonely. “
We three have each other. For that, at least, I am grateful.
He seemed melancholy, and for one as full of life as Asten, the mood was too sad. Changing the subject, I asked, “What is your favorite thing to do when you awaken? Other than the women, I mean. Amon says he enjoys the feast most of all.”
Asten laughed. Yes, food was always foremost in Amon’s mind. The thing that I find most fascinating is to see how the world has changed while we slept in our tombs. I am the one who liked to head off to unknown places and find adventure.
“Well, quite a bit has changed in the last thousand years.”
Tell me.
“I don’t even know where to begin.”
Why don’t you start with your own city? Where are you from? Your skin is pale, but you do not seem to be of Greek or Roman descent.
“No, I’m not from Greece or Italy. I live in New York, which is a part of the United States. That’s where Amon rose.”
Is that nearby?
“It’s across the ocean.”
Shifting, I burrowed into the soft feathers of Asten’s back and started telling him all about New York and how I met Amon. The hours passed quickly as he listened, stopping me only to clarify terms he was unfamiliar with. So it came as a surprise when we began to descend, circling a small outcropping of hills.
Amon says we are here. Hold on to me tightly.
Asten tucked in his wings, and we plummeted toward the desert valley below.
My stomach sank as I closed my eyes briefly and gripped Asten’s long neck. In the middle of the barren desert valley there was a small brown dot, barely recognizable, and I wondered if it was an animal that had died in the sun, or a plant that had sprouted in the middle of nowhere. It turned out to be neither.
The supersized ibis banked, lifting his wings to slow his descent, then flapped them quickly as he bounced across the sand toward the object. Asten turned, lowering his body so I could slip off. When I hobbled away, he turned a brilliant white before bursting and coalescing into his human form. A moment later, the golden falcon landed nearby and shifted form as well.
“Lily,” Amon said as he approached me. “Thank you for taking care of her,” he added, gripping Asten’s arm.
“It was indeed a privilege.” Asten winked at me and then headed off across the sand with Dr. Hassan.
Amon slid his warm hands down my shoulders, gently passing his fingertips over my bound arm. “Does it still hurt?”
“Yes. But not as bad as a worm bite would have been.”
“Do not jest about such things.” Amon’s expression was sober. “It could have killed you, and my power would have been insufficient to stop that from happening.”