he said, and inclined his head respectfully. You’ve been quiet. I nearly forgot you were there.
“I did as you asked,” Tia said simply with a shrug.
You did. I appreciate your patience on the journey.
“And I appreciate you for not dragging Lily off to be your virgin sacrifice,” she said with a smirk.
Nebu nudged her shoulder softly and she froze, but at my urging, she was soon able to relax again. She even awkwardly patted his nose in a stiff sort of way. I was proud of her.
You don’t need to be so rough, the stallion remarked with a jerk of his head.
Tia dropped her hand. “I apologize. I’ve never petted a unicorn, or any other creature, for that matter. My type of caress usually ends in death. But from your reactions when Lily does it, it would appear that you enjoyed it. Perhaps I was mistaken.”
I normally do enjoy it, he said as he took a step closer. You may attempt it again, Lioness. If you wish to, he added.
Stretching out her fingers once more, Tia gently cupped the unicorn’s cheek. After a moment, she said, “I find it strange that you endure a human’s touch.”
You would like it, too, he answered, if you were in your old form.
“Perhaps,” she said. “But that is never to be again.” There was a hint of sadness in her voice, and it was the first time I noticed that when she spoke, my voice sounded different. It was throatier, rougher, a bit like she’d swallowed sandpaper and was trying to speak around it. I thought about all that she’d given up to make me what I was. It seemed to me that sharing my body with her was a little thing to give.
After a moment, Tia asked Nebu again, “Is there anything you can do to help us?”
No, he replied. There is nothing I can do. But there is something you can do.
“I? What can I do?” Tia asked as she took a step back.
You are sphinx, he answered simply. Focus on what you want together.
“But I do not know exactly what Lily needs.”
Then let her take the lead, but open yourself to allow the power to flow through you.
Tia nodded, and in the blink of an eye we switched places.
Whether Nebu knew the switch had happened or not, he patiently guided us. Close your eyes and think of what it is that you want.
I obeyed, envisioning clean and appropriate attire to meet Amun-Ra and Horus. At first I didn’t notice anything was happening. I thought the warmth on my arms was from being inside the gleaming temple, but I soon felt the sting of sand. I opened my eyes and found I was surrounded by a little storm cloud of dust. It whipped around me in a circle, beating softly against my limbs, scrubbing my skin until it shone.
The rags of my dress disappeared in the cloud and the grains settled against me, forming a new dress. This time, instead of the jade green of the heart scarab, I was clothed in cream and gold. A tight bodice beaded in sparkling gems wrapped around my torso. Strands of gold cinched my waist. The scarab was now a brooch attached to the right shoulder of my gown where the bodice met the sleeve, and starbursts of tiny green beads shot from it and tapered off, disappearing altogether when they reached my belt.
The floor-length skirt was adorned with gold-tipped feathers sewn into the fabric, the tips angled out in such a way to make me look like a bird. As I touched one, I realized that the feathers were identical to those of Isis. Comfortable slippers adorned my feet, and bands of clinking gold bracelets wound up my arms. Reaching up, I was comforted by the feel of the spears on my back and the tips of the feathered arrows still sticking out of the quiver.
My hair was tossed in a cyclone of sand that pummeled through the strands until they were soft and smooth. The grains tickled my scalp, and my hair was soon swept up in loosely pinned curls. I touched the top of my head, which still tingled, and glanced into a polished shield that was mounted on the wall. The last bits of sand above me solidified and created a golden winged headpiece that crowned my face in such a way that it was reminiscent of a lion’s mane.
Tia was pleased with that effect and bragged that the last part