“Yes,” Amon said, and then looked away. I sensed emotion rising in him. It tasted bitter, like regret mixed with a gritty determination. Standing in front of the angled shaft, he chanted, and I heard the hiss of sand shifting inside the tunnel. The hiss grew and became more agitated as small rocks and debris began to tumble. Curious, I stepped closer and peered down. It looked like a whirlwind was twisting inside the shaft. Everything, each loose grain of sand or rock, spun, gradually increasing in speed. Faster and faster the rocks and pebbles moved until I could see only streaks of black, gray, and brown.
What at first sounded clunky, like shoes thumping in a dryer, began to even out, and after several minutes, Amon took my arm and had me step behind him. With a thrust of his hand, what was left inside the tunnel whipped out past us and blasted against the far wall. As Amon braced his hand against the curved shaft, eyes closed, I approached and placed my palm against his cheek.
Amon’s hand slid up my arm to cup my hand and he opened his brilliant eyes. “Take what you need,” I offered.
“I will try not to hurt you,” Amon pledged. The siphoning off of my energy was less invasive this time, but I still felt hollow. It left me with a deep emptiness, a hunger I wasn’t sure could be filled. No wonder Amon liked feasting. If a feast had been set in front of me at that moment, I would have pounced on the food like a starving animal.
The once square shaft had now become almost circular, thanks to the wind funnel Amon had created. I wasn’t sure what the water had done. It seemed too insignificant an amount to have aided the process and yet, he’d accomplished his purpose. Crouching at the edge, I ran my hand along the inside. It was smooth; the rocks lining it were even, flat, and polished.
Amon crouched down next to me. “I am unsure if the entire shaft is smooth like your slide, so you will ride on my legs.”
I was suddenly uncomfortable. “I think I’ll just take my chances behind you.”
“I will not allow you to be further hurt, Lily.”
“No, really. It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”
“Lily, do not make me force you.” Amon positioned himself at the top of the shaft and held out his hands. “Come,” he beckoned.
“You know, for a god, you can be kind of a bully,” I mumbled.
“I am not a god. I am a—”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. You’re just imbued with powers, blah blah blah. Let’s just get this over with.”
Awkwardly, I sat on Amon’s legs, and without any hesitation, he pulled my body back against him, nudging my legs up so they rested on top of his. He folded my arms across my chest and wrapped one arm over mine, leaving his other hand free to push off. “Are you ready?” he murmured in my ear.
“As I’ll ever be,” I grunted.
The awkward feeling turned into cold fear mixed with exhilaration. Amon whooped loudly, both arms now wrapped protectively around my body. Air whipped past us as we plummeted, and I had the sick sensation of being in free fall. Unable to stop myself, I screamed while Amon’s laugh reverberated in my ears. The thought occurred to me that if we lived through this whole experience, it might be fun to take Amon to a theme park.
The shaft became steeper and the ceiling lowered, so Amon angled his body back and I could feel the tightening of his abs against my back. My cheek rested against his, so I had a good view as the ceiling dropped toward us. I worried that if it got too low we’d be wedged in a tunnel that would likely rip us apart at the speed we were going.
Just when I was sure the ceiling was going to rip off my nose, it widened again and the angle started to even out. Suddenly, the slide beneath us disappeared and my scream echoed in what must have been a much larger space.
Amon, no longer laughing, cradled me even tighter against his chest and we landed with a heavy thump on a pile of sand. Though Amon took the brunt of the fall, he kept me locked in his arms as we rolled down, finally sliding to a stop with Amon’s body ending up on top of mine, pressing me into the stony floor.
Amon lifted his head. “Are you harmed, Lily?”
“I don’t think so…,” I answered, my words trailing off as his concerned expression was replaced by something else.
I could feel a delicious sort of torment rise within him, tempting him.