“This is not the only power you will have at your disposal,” Oscar added, twitching as he glanced my way, as if uncomfortable to be addressing my inner lioness instead of me. “There are other powers that Isis hinted at that you will discover on your journey. They will manifest only when you’re ready to wield them. I am aware of some legends that may lend inspiration but they could be complete fabrications as well. You are the only one, er, ones who will be able to determine the reality of your gifts. Calling forth your claws is the easiest to master since the huntress is well versed in how to use them.”
He gave us a sheepish look and said, “I wish I’d had more time. This is everything I could remember off the top of my head. I hope some of it helps.” He ran his fingertip down the notebook and began. “ ‘A sphinx is said to have the power to manipulate the wind, find the truth in a man’s words, and kill by strangulation.’ ”
“That much is likely true, though I do not see how I may strangle my prey with teeth duller than a newborn cub’s.”
We’re not biting into the jugular of anything, I warned her.
Dr. Hassan went on. “ ‘She is a fierce hunter, has ferocious strength, and is typically depicted with the head of a woman, the body of a lioness, and the wings of an eagle.’ ”
At least two of those are accurate, Tia said to me inwardly.
Shhh. I’m listening, I chastised.
“ ‘She is a protector and a shield. The guardian of the eastern and western horizon. She walks the paths of yesterdays and tomorrows. She’s associated with death and rebirth, which is entirely obvious at this point, and once her wrath has been unleashed, only her mate can cool her blood.’ ”
Interesting, Tia said. And the places where her thoughts took me made me blush.
Stop it and pay attention.
He’s taking too long, she complained.
This is important!
“ ‘She stands between mankind and the Dark One of the cosmos, absorbing the tides of evil he rains down upon the world.’ ”
Oscar glanced up at me when he said it, and I knew we were both thinking the same thing. “Seth,” I whispered.
He gave a brief nod, acknowledging he’d heard me. “ ‘In one myth, the sphinx is thought to be responsible for the destruction of mankind, but another says she sees through the eyes of Amun-Ra and uses that power to save the universe.’ ” Sighing, he closed his little notebook. “As you can see, the conflicting stories and brief descriptions won’t be of much assistance. But I will endeavor to obtain everything I can on the legends of the sphinx while you are away, and hopefully I’ll find something that will…help.”
Dr. Hassan looked at me with raised eyebrows and a meaningful nod. I knew what he meant. He wanted me to know that he’d try to find a way to get me back to normal, to separate me from Tia. What he didn’t know is that Tia caught, if not the full meaning, then the gist of the idea, and the concept made her…not angry as I would have believed, but sad.
Don’t worry, I assured her. We’re in this together. It’s unlikely this is anything but permanent, and even if it could be reversed, I wouldn’t do it if it meant you’d die.
She hesitated before speaking. There is no need to dwell on the likelihood of it at present, but should such a thing ever be possible, I would move on.
That I was shocked at the firmness of her resolve was an understatement.
Dr. Hassan interrupted our inward communication. “I apologize that this is all I was able to come up with while you were gone, Lily.”
“Thank you,” I said, attempting to take control of my body again. I found it interesting that I nearly had to push the words out through my lips. Tia wasn’t feeling grateful at all. “It is more information than we had before,” I said with a voice that felt stilted and unnatural. “It will have to be enough.”
It isn’t really enough, though, is it? Tia countered mentally as she reasserted control and raised my arm to study her too-human hand, wishing once again to release the dangerous claws.
Though I knew the claws made her feel more like her old self, they freaked me out. What worried me more was what would happen if she decided to stay in control of my body. Could I