The sweat on my face and arms cooled, and the air around me felt moist and wet, like a forest in Oregon, a welcome change from the dry desert we were actually in. Amon murmured against my neck, “You taste like melted desert honey.”
Unable to remain still any longer, I slid my hands up his arms to his shoulders, but Amon immediately straightened, raising his head. The urge to pull him close again was strong. Instead I asked, “What was that?”
“I sucked the excess warmth from your body and took it into my own. I have a great tolerance for heat.”
“That’s the understatement of the year,” I mumbled as he moved farther away.
Without him near, I actually felt cold now, and wasn’t sure if the sensation was due to Amon removing too much heat or if I simply craved his warmth.
“Thank you,” I offered, and even though I was disappointed with his abrupt reaction to my touch, I couldn’t help the contented smile I wore on my face. “I feel much better.”
Amon took in my expression and replied stonily, “You are welcome. Come, Lily.”
We came to a fork in the shaft and Amon stopped to consult some hieroglyphs. He pointed to the various pictures. “This is the map. To those who simply read it in a straightforward manner, it tells stories of pharaohs and of battles, but to those few who know of us, there is a hidden code. Do you see the crescent moon?”
“Yes.”
“This is a sign of my brother. It means that his tomb has been hidden in an antechamber near the Egyptian leader mentioned here.”
“What is his name?”
“My brother or the leader?”
“The leader.”
“I do not know. He is recognized by his picture. I must seek the burial chamber of this man, and because the moon appears to the right of him, it means my brother’s antechamber will be found off this man’s right hand.”
“But if that mummy has been discovered, then he has been removed. How will we know where he was positioned?”
“There will be a hidden door marked with the sign of my brother, the crescent moon. If we cannot discern which doorway is on the right-hand side, then we will seek the sign, but it is likely that there will be more directions found in the tomb of this leader.”
“So do we go right or left? Anubis sent the funerary cone from your tomb, correct? So shouldn’t we be looking for your tomb first?”
Amon bit his lip. “Let us begin by exploring the old tomb of my brother. If he is there, we can raise him quickly and he can help me find our remaining brother. Besides, nothing on this map indicates where I might have been discovered.”
Amon led us toward the right, and it wasn’t long before the shaft angled down steeply. “How are we supposed to get down there?” I asked “Skateboard? Slide? Mine cars?”
“What are those things?” Amon asked.
“A skateboard is like a wooden board with wheels. You ride on it. Mine cars are small chariots that run on tracks, and children play on a slide. It’s made of smooth metal, and there’s usually sand at the bottom so kids don’t hurt themselves when they land.”
“I will choose the slide.”
“Wait a minute. There are all kinds of bumps and pits and rocks down there. It’s not exactly going to be smooth sailing.”
“May I have a bottle of water, Lily?”
I handed him one and, to my dismay, he poured the entire thing down the shaft instead of drinking it.
“That was a waste of perfectly good water,” I mumbled.
“I must use some power again, Lily, but I am warning you now.”
“Okay, fine. At least I know what to expect.”