Though I didn’t ask if he needed energy to heal, he seemed to read my thoughts and touched his glowing fingers to a lock of hair on my cheek. In my peripheral vision I could see the change to my hair’s color. For a moment, the lock glowed like Amon’s skin. When he let go, it fell to my shoulder, a sparkling blond that faded to a sunshiny gold.
He asked if I was okay and I nodded, but he continued to fix his glowing hazel eyes on me, presumably to discern whether I was being truthful. The palpable heat that always existed between us was intensifying, and I became very aware that I was sitting in Amon’s lap, hands wrapped around his neck, my body pressed against his. I had no intention of moving.
Nothing I was doing was even remotely Lilliana-like. Lilliana didn’t fawn over boys, especially ones who seemed to only want to use her only for her parts, and not even in a normal-boy way. Lilliana was not a thrill seeker by any stretch of the imagination. And Lilliana definitely did not leap before she looked. It felt like another girl—let’s call her Lily—had taken over my body, and her life was so much more exciting than mine. I liked seeing the world through her eyes, but it scared me at the same time. Lily survived ancient booby traps. Lily simply shrugged when impossible things happened. Lily aspired to be in a relationship with a boy who was not only unacceptable but who also came with his own mummy wrappings.
I mean, realistically, what was I expecting here? A sarcophagus built for two?
Still, there was one thing about this new version of myself that I really liked. Lily was brave—much, much braver than Lilliana had ever been. Lily would never let someone else decide her fate. Lily took her destiny into her own hands.
Amon held me loosely and cocked his head as he watched me, probably trying to figure out what was going on in my mind. It was confusing for me, which meant it would likely be next to impossible for him to sort through. The thought occurred to me then, that if I, Lilliana Young—no, scratch that, Lily Young—was brave enough to risk my life helping a sun god, then I was brave enough to make the first move, despite all the looming questions and unknown future possibilities that came along with it.
Sliding my hands into his gleaming hair, careful not to put pressure on any injuries, I stretched up to kiss Amon. But my lips never made it to his. Opening my eyes, I saw him leaning far away from me with a look of horror on his face.
“Lily, what are you doing?” he asked, though it should have been very obvious.
I stammered, “M-making the first move. I thought maybe you were afraid to.”
Gripping my shoulders, Amon held me still as he scrambled away. He moved so quickly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he used the wind to help him in his getaway.
Turning his back to me, Amon took a deep breath and said, “You must not continue to pursue this…this type of attachment.”
“I don’t understand. You wanted to kiss me, I could feel it.”
Amon’s frame stiffened. “You were mistaken,” he said, and grimaced as if his shoulder was killing him.
“I don’t think so.”
“I have no interest in pursuing a relationship with you. The very idea is”—Amon had turned, fixing a steely gaze on me, but then he looked away—“odorous.”
“Wait a minute. Are you saying I smell? As in stink?”
He sighed. “That is not what I mean. Can you smell that?”
I rose and took a step closer to the ledge, lifting my nose to sniff the air. I began to cough violently. “What is it?” I asked.
“A side effect, I believe, from the caustic substance on the steps.”
We were soon encompassed by clouds of noxious fumes that made our eyes water. I was pretty sure that whatever gas was filling the cavern was eradicating the oxygen as well, since I was having trouble breathing. Either that, or I was allergic to the toxic rejection I’d just received. Maybe it was a combination of the two.