The frame came together like a puzzle. Arms linked to shoulders. Legs to hips. The vertebrae snapped into their proper places. The right hand shook repeatedly and then I heard the sudden crack of wood as two finger bones that had been wedged tightly in the fragmented side of the coffin shot up into the air and clicked into position.
Shiny beams ran down the limbs of the floating skeleton, and the creature that would easily fit in as a Halloween decoration or hanging in a medical office began to writhe. Newly made veins filled with quicksilver blood, and shining muscle formed over gleaming bone as a heart began pumping. Light shone through the eye sockets in two beams that fell upon me and then Dr. Hassan, and I wondered if Asten’s brother could see already, even before his eyes had returned.
Asten finished the spell.
As you pass through this last portal of death,
Cries of joy will greet you,
Feasts will welcome you,
Your heart will beat again,
Your limbs will leap again,
Your voice will be heard again,
All that was lost will be returned.
Come, Ahmose, and fulfill your destiny!
I shielded my eyes until the light faded, pleased that I hadn’t passed out this time. Asten’s brother hovered above us, resplendent and shining. The skirt he wore was as pristine as if it had just been made, and his body, clean and radiant as a newborn’s, put all of us standing in our filth to shame.
Slowly, he lowered his arms and descended to the ground next to his coffin. He spoke quietly to Asten and then approached me and Dr. Hassan. At first, I assumed Dr. Hassan had fallen to the floor again in a sign of deference to the moon god, but upon closer inspection, I realized he was unconscious.
Concerned, Ahmose knelt and rolled Dr. Hassan onto his back. He asked me a question, but it was in Egyptian. I tried to explain that I didn’t understand, but he smiled kindly and moved closer to Dr. Hassan. Like Asten and Amon, Ahmose had risen naked except for his white skirt. Like them, he was very handsome, but he was larger, with thick muscles on his shoulders and arms.
Ahmose began weaving a spell over Dr. Hassan. As I moved to the other side of the doctor and held his hand, I couldn’t help but study this third brother.
It was easy to see why this demigod preferred an ax to a bow and arrow. At the same time, he treated Dr. Hassan with the utmost care; his thick fingers squeezed the Egyptologist’s shoulders with the lightest pressure. Not something I’d expect in a man of such stature.
When he was finished with his spell, Ahmose lifted his gaze to mine once more, and I felt captured in his silvery-gray eyes. Dr. Hassan recovered and stood up to speak with the men for a few moments before accepting the bottled water I offered. I’d planned to offer a welcoming handshake to Ahmose as I rose from the floor, but seeing how grimy I was, I changed my mind.
“Well, welcome to the world,” I said. “I’m Lily.”
Ahmose quirked his head at me and narrowed his gray eyes, then looked at his brother, who spoke to him in Egyptian. Ahmose nodded and said something that sounded like “Ah” before murmuring a short spell.
“I am Ahmose, the personification of the moon,” he said with a warm smile.
“Nice to meet you, Ahmose. The man you helped is your vizier, Dr. Hassan.”
“I am pleased to know you. Both of you.” He indicated politely.
“Yes…so, Asten, is there anything else, or can we get a move on? I’m worried about Amon,” I explained while Ahmose gave me a considering look.
“Yes.” Ahmose looked around. “Where is Amon?”
“We must find him quickly. The minion of the Dark One has him in his clutches at this very moment. I fear there is little time,” Asten explained.
“Then we will rescue him, Brother.” Ahmose patted Asten’s shoulder.
The three of us had just turned to Dr. Hassan, who was explaining his idea for escaping the oubliette, when suddenly Ahmose and Asten screamed, falling to their knees. The last thing I saw before Asten’s light went out was the two of them cupping their hands over their eyes, blood streaming between their fingers.
As rays of sunlight burst over the horizon, the god Anubis appeared. He did not come in the form they expected—a deity with the head of a jackal and the body of a man—but as a human. Anubis was beautiful by any standard. He seemed a benevolent god, reserved in manner but kind all the same. At his side was a faithful companion, a large dog, black, with brown markings. The dog was muscular and noble in appearance in a way that echoed the god. Sitting obediently at his master’s side, his pointed ears tilted up, he whined quietly, echoing the mood of the people surrounding him.
Anubis motioned for the kings to stand and, though speaking primarily to them, addressed the crowd. “People of Egypt, your great loss is ours. Seth has done much damage this day, and though we cannot undo what has been done, we can offer you this.” He paused as his eyes swept the crowd.
“We will protect the young men of Egypt by keeping the Dark One at bay through a ceremony that must be enacted once every thousand years. Because your young sons of royal blood were willing to sacrifice themselves for their people, we will honor them. Instead of spending eternity in servitude to Seth, they will devote themselves to protecting those they love—a noble enough cause to gladden the hearts of any mortal, I should think.
“Though they are dead, they will be called back each millennium and will be granted a short reprieve from death so that they may continue to do the work of the gods until such time comes that the gods”—he gave a faint flourish of his hand—“and Egypt, of course, need their services no more.”
The kings and queens fell to the feet of Anubis and wept in gratitude. The bodies of the three young men were brought to him. When he came to the first, he said, “Prince of Asyut, son of Khalfani, I, Anubis, god of the stars, have answered the cry of your people, and to protect them, I grant unto you a portion of my power. You are now scribe, mediator, celestial magician, cosmic dreamer, and speaker of words. Henceforth, you will be called Asten, which means ‘a star newly lit.’ ”
Anubis cupped his hands, and when he opened them, tiny stars swirled between them. The god blew on his hands, and the stars sped toward the fallen prince, settling on him like delicate dandelion snow before sinking beneath his skin, leaving in their wake little pulsing lights that eventually faded.
Then the Egyptian god moved to the second brother. “Prince of Waset, son of King Nassor, Khonsu, god of the moon, has granted unto you a portion of his power. You are now healer, master of animals, pathfinder, and bringer of storms. Henceforth, you will be called Ahmose, which means ‘a waxing moon.’ ”
After he spoke, Anubis put his wrists together, and in the space between his palms and fingers, a soft silver light grew until it formed a crescent. Once it had solidified to his satisfaction, he took the object between his fingers and flicked it. The tiny moon circled in the air like a discus until it struck the forehead of Nassor’s son. There it grew brighter upon his skin until, like the stars, it, too, sank, and the light diminished and disappeared.
Finally, Anubis stood before Heru’s son. At a worried look from the king, the god paused and put a hand on his shoulder. “Both the great god Amun-Ra and his son, Horus, wish to bestow gifts upon your son.” Anubis addressed the queen. “Your special prayer for your son will be answered, but this will happen in our own time, and in a different place. Is this agreeable to you?”
Fresh tears fell upon the woman’s cheeks as she nodded. “It is, Great One.”
“Very well. Prince of Itjtawy, son of Heru, Amun-Ra, god of the sun, has granted you a portion of his power. You are now revealer of secrets, champion of the troubled, bringer of light, seeker of truth, and protector of the Eye of Horus. You will take upon yourself the very name of the sun god. Henceforth, you will be known as Amon.”
Lifting his hands, palms up, to the morning sun, Anubis collected its golden rays, and when the light spilled from his hands, he thru
st them toward the body of the third royal son. The light arced off his palms and fell upon the chest of the young man, who breathed in and opened his eyes.
Sunlight bounced from his chest to the other two fallen princes, and as their chests expanded with breath, they sat up. When the last of the sunlight was absorbed, each prince stood and embraced his parents.
“Tonight you will feast,” Anubis said. “Spend this precious time with your loved ones, for this evening we must complete the ceremony to align the sun, the moon, and the stars so that the sons of Egypt will be protected from the chaos of the Dark One.”
The people feasted in celebration, but their happiness was short-lived. Though Anubis had indeed returned life to the fallen princes, their time in mortality was short. That evening, he returned to complete the ceremony, and when it was time, he took the three royal princes with him, leaving behind three families in mourning, a legend that would be passed down from generation to generation, and three mummies with a special purpose to fulfill—a destiny that would cause them to rise again.
“What’s happening?” I shouted. “Did something go wrong when we raised Ahmose?” Reaching out blindly, I caught the sleeve of Dr. Hassan’s shirt. The labored breathing and pain-filled gasps of Amon’s brothers was agonizing. Making my way over to them, I crouched down and ran my hands up a powerful pair of arms until I cupped a man’s face. It was Ahmose.
Sticky blood caked his cheeks and I tried to wipe the wetness away with my thumb. “Tell me,” I said. “How bad is it?”
“It…it is not us.”
“I don’t understand. What do you mean, it isn’t you?”
Asten reached out to touch my shoulder. “He means we are fine. It is an attack against us, but we will heal from—”
Ahmose cut off Asten. “That is not what I meant to say. The thing that injured us—”
“Is not something we need to discuss at this time,” Asten pressed on. “It will only cause unnecessary worry. Trust me on this, Brother, and leave well enough alone.”
Pausing, Ahmose said, “Very well. I will trust your judgment.”
“Is one of you well enough to give us some light to work with?” I asked.
“Perhaps, if you can heal me, Brother?”
Ahmose grunted. “Yes, of course. Give me your hand.”
I scooted back so Asten could take my place, and Ahmose’s deep voice wove a spell over his brother. Whatever he’d done was finished quickly, because Asten’s body lit from within once more. The light started off at a very low wattage, sort of like an energy-saving bulb, but then it grew in intensity.
Without turning to me, Asten asked, “Do you have enough water to create a damp cloth?”
“Sure. Just a minute,” I said. Dr. Hassan offered a handkerchief and I used the little water remaining to wet it. “Here,” I said, handing it to Asten.
He took it from me, keeping his back turned. I heard a ripping noise, and both men began cleaning their faces. The bloody trails were not obvious on Asten’s cheeks since his face was still coated with grime and muck, but Ahmose now had unmistakable marks on his otherwise pristine new skin. His gray eyes were bright with tears, but they didn’t appear to be injured.
“So? Does one of you want to explain what just happened?”
Ahmose looked to Asten, who calmly replied, as if bleeding eyes happened every day, “It was merely one of the signs that we are getting close to the time of the full moon.”
I gave him an I-don’t-believe-a-word-you’re-saying look and turned to see what Dr. Hassan thought of this, but he wouldn’t make eye contact—a sign that he was also keeping something from me. “I don’t buy that for a second,” I finally said. “Do you think I’m just a docile female from your century who will believe anything a man tells her?”
Ahmose cocked his head and smiled. “I have never met a woman in any century who takes a man at his word. My experience has always been that women are generally more discerning and harder to deceive than men.”
I wagged my finger at Ahmose. “See? You’re quickly becoming my favorite brother. And as such, you will surely be willing to tell me the truth.”
Shrugging, Ahmose said, “I must defer to Asten’s understanding of the situation. He has been awake longer than I have.”
“Yeah, for less than a day!”
Turning to Asten, whose mouth was set in a stubborn line, Ahmose entreated, “Perhaps she needs to know.”
Asten folded his arms across his chest and sighed. “She will find out soon enough. I fear the blow may weaken her further.”
“I’m not weak.”
“You are weaker than you know.”
“Dr. Hassan, please tell them that I’m fine.”
Dr. Hassan stepped forward and took my hand. “There, there. All will be well. Perhaps we could continue this discussion after we find Amon?”
Amon was pretty much the only thing that would distract me. “Yes,” I acquiesced, remembering we’d left him in the hands of an evil priest. “Let’s get out of here and rescue Amon, and then the three of you have some explaining to do.”
Spinning, I scooped up my bag and threaded my arm through Dr. Hassan’s, waiting for him to guide us out. As he began to lead, I heard Ahmose whisper to Asten, “Oh, I like her.”
“I do as well,” Asten replied. Then he said more loudly, “Though she makes a poor devotee, and she has a bad habit of decidedly not swooning at my feet, as any female in her right mind should.”
“Then I like her even more.” The two brothers followed us.
“Stop,” he commanded.
“What? Did you see something?” I asked.
“You are injured.”
“Yeah. Some biloko demons got ahold of me.”
“Biloko?” Ahmose traded glances with his brother and then knelt down to inspect my leg. “I can heal this, but the other must wait until the three of us are united. Even then…”
“The other?”
Asten interjected. “Ahmose, just do what you can for her leg and arm.”
“Very well.” Ahmose nodded. “Please, take my hand, Lily.”
He had a very nice voice, deep and comforting. I placed my hand in his and he wrapped his big fingers around it, cupping the top of it with his other hand. Warmth trickled into my veins as little pulses of silver light lit his skin.
The soothing sensation traveled to the injury on my arm and flowed down to my leg, an itching, tickling tenderness washing over my damaged limbs. I gasped as the burning feel of the bite disappeared, leaving a warm, relaxed tingle, as if the two limbs had just been given a shiatsu massage.
Ahmose opened his eyes. “There. How does that feel?”
“It feels amazing! Thank you!”
“It was a small kindness to thank you for the sacrifice you are making in helping us.”
“Yes, she has done much.” Asten rushed in and took my arm, guiding me away from his brother, who tagged along behind us good-naturedly.
Winding our way through the ghoulish boulders, I glanced back, wondering why Asten was trying to keep his brother and me apart. His diversions would be obvious even if I weren’t an astute observer of people.
Dr. Hassan strode ahead, then suddenly stopped, staring hard at the nothingness in front of us. He held out his hands and patted the air, running his fingers along invisible lines until I heard a click.
“Found it!” he exclaimed with a smile. Grabbing on to a piece of something imperceptible to my eyes, he pulled, and then thrust his hands away. A large section of the space in front of us slid aside, revealing a long tunnel with steps at the far end. “That portal is our way out.” Dr. Hassan pointed to the hole he’d made.
“How? How did you do that?” I asked.
“Oh.” He blew out a breath and scratched his head. “Well, it’s difficult to explain.”
“There is no time, Doctor. Amon awaits,” Asten reminded him.
“Yes, yes. After you, my dear.”
Carefully, I stepped through th
e hidden door and into the tunnel. Again we needed to rely on the light created by Asten and Ahmose. Black chains with cuffs hung from metal hooks. High overhead I saw broken stonework that had once been crisscrossed arches. Sunken alcoves held carved statues of Egyptian gods that wore tortured expressions.
“What is this place?” I said, and cringed as my voice echoed through the empty halls.
“I believe this is a secret gathering place for the minions of Seth,” Dr. Hassan whispered.
We passed a large room that contained a floor-to-ceiling statue of the horse-faced god. Great puddles of dark liquid pooled in the cracks and crevices of the stone floor. “Is…is that blood?” I asked hesitantly.
Dr. Hassan kept his eyes forward and draped an arm across my shoulder, effectively blocking my view. “It is best not to think on such things,” he said after we passed. “But suffice it to say, I am very certain that the god of chaos has been worshipped here.”
We climbed the stairs of the long passageway and were met with a series of doors and tunnels. “Which way?” I asked.
“Follow me,” Dr. Hassan said.
Neither Asten nor Ahmose protested Osahar’s leadership, so I made a mental note of it, adding to my list of strange things regarding the relationship between the brothers and their grand vizier. I continued along without asking more questions, despite the fact that I was bursting with them, as usual. Something was definitely going on between Dr. Hassan and Asten, and I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Ahmose, newly risen though he might have been, was caught up in it, too. Why they would feel the need to keep secrets was driving me crazy.
When Dr. Hassan found the door he wanted, his face brightened as if he’d just discovered the secret of the universe. At last we came to a final set of stairs and he announced, “We are freed.”
At the top was a heavy wooden door locked from the outside. The four of us pushed against it, but thick chains rattling on the other side made it seemingly immovable.