“Both of you will be flying with me,” Asten said. “Amon is too weak to carry someone right now. As to the matter of educating you regarding our plan, I will instruct you on the way.”
I glanced at the golden bird. He stood, listless, and I wondered if Amon even had the energy to take off. He refused to draw on my energy and was slowly killing himself to save me, and I wouldn’t have it, not if he was about to face down a powerful, necromancing evil priest, if not the god of chaos himself.
Asten changed into the starlit ibis, and Dr. Hassan and I mounted him, with me in front. With a jarring run and a mighty flap of his wings, the ibis took off and the golden falcon followed. Okay, spill, I thought.
Spill what?
“Talk. Tell me what’s going on,” I voiced out loud.
“Perhaps I might venture to explain?” Dr. Hassan politely inquired.
You may, the ibis replied. But do remember your boundaries this time.
“Yes, Great One.”
“What boundaries?” I demanded.
“The brothers simply wish me to be mindful of the information I share. Some of the things that I…have discovered…are not my stories to tell,” Dr. Hassan said simply. “What I can convey to you is this: on our way here, Amon shared his thoughts with me, and together we came to the conclusion that there is still time. Not all the signs are in place for the Dark One’s rising.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that we believe the chaos we’ve encountered comes from a different source than Seth himself. If we can raise Ahmose and the three can finish the ceremony, it will be too late for Seth to rise, and he and his power, no matter how great it seems to be at the moment, will remain dormant for another thousand years.”
“So does that mean we are or aren’t going to trade Amon’s special eye for Ahmose?”
Dr. Hassan paused for the briefest of moments. “We are…not.”
“That’s better. So then, what’s the plan?”
Dr. Hassan stuttered, “W-well…you see—”
Amon will distract the priest of Seth while we three locate Ahmose, Asten interjected.
“But what if he gets hurt?”
There was a long pause. As long as Amon is in possession of the Eye of Horus, he cannot be overcome, the starlit ibis stated matter-of-factly.
I waited a bit before replying. “Then you promise me that we will do everything in our power to get him out of there as soon as possible.”
That is an easy promise to keep. I do not relish the idea of allowing my brother to remain in the hands of a demonic priest.
“Fine. As long as we’re on the same page.”
Dr. Hassan piped up. “She means—”
The ibis interrupted him. I understand the general meaning. Amon is fortunate to have a devotee as loyal as you, Asten said.
The rest of the flight was spent with Asten and Dr. Hassan talking about ancient Egypt. As I listened, the heat of the day thrummed in my body and I realized just how utterly exhausted I was. The fact that I hadn’t eaten since the night before probably didn’t help, but strangely, I didn’t have an appetite.
My eyes felt sticky and dry, a condition that the wind made worse. Luckily, Dr. Hassan was with me, since I fell into a sleep so deep that I let go of Asten’s neck. Hours must have passed as I slept, because when I opened my eyes, it was to a golden-orange sunset.
I woke with Dr. Hassan securely holding on to me. He must have seen that I was getting sunburned, because he’d placed his beloved hat on my head. Embarrassed, I thanked him for making sure I didn’t fall.
Amon will be separating from us now, Asten said. Is there a message you wish me to convey?
I watched as the giant golden falcon shot past us, heading to an outcropping of hilly dunes on the other side of the Nile, while we continued southward.
“Tell him I…” Again I refrained from expressing what I really wanted to say. “Tell Amon I expect to see him again. And soon.”