“Is that the best you can do?” I teased, though the pain of knowing I’d never see him again had risen to the surface.
He misunderstood my comment, or maybe he didn’t. “I will do my best not to need you,” he replied.
Wordlessly, I nodded, and before I could formulate another reason for him to stay with me a moment longer, he was stepping up onto the bus. Ahmose and Asten waved from a lowered window, but Amon, who sat just behind them, stared straight ahead, an undecipherable expression on his face. I sensed nothing from him and realized he must have completely cut off our connection as easily as he had dismissed me from his life.
Taking a shaky breath, I turned to Dr. Hassan as the bus rounded the corner and disappeared into traffic. “Okay, so I guess we should call my parents first.”
“That will not be necessary.”
“No?” I asked, confused. “They’ll need to know that I’m okay and send me the papers I need to get out of here.”
“Yes, yes. We will call them, but not today.”
“Why not?”
His eyes sparkled as he spoke. “Because you aren’t going home yet, Lilliana Young. You are coming with me.” Darting a glance around, he read an overhead sign. “Yes. It’s this way.”
Quickly, he wound through the many people around us, heading toward a ticket agent.
“Where are we going?” I asked after he finished his conversation with the agent in his native language.
“The pyramids.”
“What?”
Stopping momentarily, Osahar explained, “Despite Amon’s insistence that your presence is not necessary, both Asten and I believe that the fate of Egypt, nay, of the world, might rest in your hands. The question I must now ask you is, what would you sacrifice to ensure Amon’s survival?”
There weren’t too many people in the world I would give up anything for.
Those I sketched who were truly in love saw only each other. It was clear in their eyes. These were the people who would die for one another. Who would rather put themselves through suffering instead of watching a loved one be in pain.
That depth of emotion was missing in my life. Except for my grandmother, I wasn’t sure there was anyone who’d be willing to die for me, who loved me that much. More than anything I craved a deep connection with another person.
When I met Amon I thought I’d finally found it. Here was a person who understood what it meant to sacrifice something for someone else. Now I knew exactly what my type was. It didn’t have to do with eye color, or height, or how muscular his frame was. It was that elusive quality, so difficult to capture. I wanted someone who loved me so much he’d be willing to die for me.
I believed Amon was that person. He was willing to die for the world, anyway. And even though he’d turned me away, I was still pretty sure he’d sacrifice anything for my safety. Perhaps it was his sense of duty that kept him at a distance. Perhaps he wanted to die and be finished with his celestial calling. Or perhaps he just wasn’t as interested in me as I was in him.
Regardless, I decided that even if the feelings I had for Amon weren’t mutual, he deserved my support. He was a man worthy of love, and if I was ever going to be the kind of person who might be worthy of someone’s attention in return—not that I really believed I’d find someone else like him—then I needed to be willing to sacrifice myself for something outside of my own wants and desires.
I had to take a leap of faith and see where it led me.
“Anything,” I replied after letting out a deep breath. “I’d sacrifice anything to help him.”
“Excellent. That is all I need to know. We must hurry to beat them there. It shouldn’t be too difficult. The bus will get them there in time, but the two of us will get there faster.”
“How?”