present you with my gift, you’ll deign to give me that kiss we both so very much desire.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “I don’t think so. What is that?” I asked.
“It’s an amulet. The stone is lapis lazuli, not precious as far as the value mortals assign such things. Its worth, instead, lies in what it can do.”
“So what does it do?” I asked, unable to resist stepping closer to touch the stone.
“This side”—he indicated the carved emblem—“holds a lotus plant, the symbol of Upper Egypt, and the other is a papyrus plant, which is the mark of Lower Egypt. These markings”—he indicated the silver ring around the stone—“hold the three signs of the gods—power, endurance, and life. A portion of my power is contained in this. It is the Healing Stela of Horus.”
“And you’re giving it to me?”
“I’m lending it to you,” he corrected. “It will heal you on your journey but you must still be careful,” he warned. “If you lose a limb, the Stela cannot regrow it. If your head is removed from your body, you will die. I do not wish to recover my Stela from your bloated corpse,” he said ferociously.
“I understand.” My mouth twitched in a smile.
Horus turned me around and clasped the necklace around my neck. “While you wear it, no path will be hidden from you. One side turns to the sky and the other to the earth. If you ever have a problem telling which is which, use the stone. It will help you right yourself.”
As I was pondering what kind of a place I would be in where I couldn’t tell the land from the sky, he spun me back to face him and cupped my shoulders with his strong hands.
“I’m serious about the peril, Lily. Your journey is a hazardous one full of ancient menaces and dark paths.”
I nodded. “I know. We’ll be careful. I promise.” I touched my fingertip to the blue stone hanging from the silver chain around my neck and said, “Thank you.” Looking up at the worried god still holding on to me as if his sheer willpower alone were enough to keep me safe, I stood on my tiptoes and pressed a kiss against his smooth cheek.
He smiled warmly, but his expression immediately changed to something darker. “That’s not exactly the reward I was seeking, Lily.” Wrenching me against his body, Horus kissed me again, and this time it went beyond passion. It was anxious and desperate, hungry and clutching. It was as if I could save him from drowning. When he began to lift his head, I pulled him back, and I wasn’t sure if it was me or Tia, but I kissed him more deeply, only dimly aware that the heart scarab was still on the table. In that moment, the beat of Amon’s heart was as distant to me as a speck of sand on the beach an ocean away.
Horus groaned, running his hands up my back and burying them in my hair. Tia trembled with delight, and her thrill filled my mind until I could no longer remember who I was or what I was doing. Horus held me tenderly yet firmly. I felt like his air, his life, and nothing could make him let me go. That is…until the room exploded.
I stumbled, and if Horus had not been holding me so tightly, I would have fallen. Waves of power washed over both of us as the room filled with light. It undulated in a steady rhythm, one that was very familiar. It was the flapping of wings.
My heart thrilled for a moment; I thought Amon had somehow gotten free and was here. That he’d found me. But even as I allowed my eyes to adjust, I recognized that it couldn’t be him. The gleaming orange and red bird that hovered in the air above us was much too small to be Amon’s golden falcon.
Still, the creature was resplendent, regal. And as it regarded me, Horus inclined his head in respect, though his expression seemed sulky. “It would appear your cause has influenced the great benu bird to come out of hiding,” Horus said.
“Benu bird?” I asked out of the corner of my mouth as the gorgeous winged beast moved to a protruding beam and settled there. He danced on his crimson legs, flapping his wings and preening the feathers that flickered like fire. Two long tail feathers stretched all the way to the floor, and when they