Chapter Ten

Day 5.

"Holy crap!" I yelp, falling back in such a fright that I unintentionally backflip, narrowly missing the fire. The Sphinx chuckles, flicking me back up to my feet with her tail.

"What's the matter child? Have you never seen a sphinx before?"

I gape up at her, slowly shaking my head. The Sphinx smirks haughtily as she towers over us, her body the size of a house and her head the size of a Range Rover. Her golden lioness pelt shimmers under the low light, the flickering fire casting dancing shadows across her body every time her lean, sinewy muscles ripple menacingly under her skin. Her face is what has me gawking like a cartoon character though: it's the beautiful face of an exquisite Egyptian woman, decorated with elegant makeup and heavy eyeliner. The way she holds herself is almost regal as she gazes down at me through a lidded caramel gaze.

"Well now you have. You should stop staring, however. The slack-jawed look you have going on right now is bordering on tiresome." The Sphinx sighs.

My jaw closes with a snap.

"That's better. Now..." She pauses for so long that it feels like she's a Broadway star stopping for a dramatic moment, her gaze wandering over our little campsite. "You arrived as a triplet, but now there are only two of you. I wonder where the little blind mouse is?" Her gaze screeches to a stop on the tent. A feral smile stretches languidly over her lips. "Found you, little mouse."

Her tail whips past my face and through open zip of the tent before I can even process what's happening. Seconds later, it reappears, Hazel wrapped up in it like the victim of a boa constrictor.

"This better not be another goddamn nightmare!" Hazel yells. She kicks and struggles like a girl possessed. "Because I've already had this one and I was not amused!"

"Nightmare?" The Sphinx echoes, bringing Hazel right up to her face. My best friend blanches, her eyes widening to the size of saucers when she realises what's holding her hostage. "I could have your head for that insult, little mouse."

"I'm sorry." Hazel squeaks. She stammers to get her words out. "Please don't eat me."

The Sphinx chuckles and drops Hazel down next to Ahmose and I. Hazel scrambles to her feet and grips my arm tightly.

"Sphinx." She wheezes. "That's a sphinx. A sphinx."

"Yes Hazel, I can see that!" I hiss back.

Ahmose shushes us both, keeping his gaze fixed on the mythical being before us. The Sphinx sits back on her haunches and sweeps her tail around, trapping us in our camp. Her eyes settle on Ahmose. A languid smirk dances over her features.

"I was wondering when I would be seeing you again, little godling." She purrs. The look on her face sends shivers of pure repulsion down my spine. "I was beginning to miss our last little chat."

Ahmose doesn't respond, staying in the same position that he defensively dropped into when the Sphinx first appeared. The Sphinx sighs overdramatically, rolling her eyes.

"Talkative as always, I see. I much preferred it when you had a looser tongue." She turns her gaze on me. I flinch at the intensity I'm abruptly bathed in. "And who are you supposed to be, little sparrow?"

"Kiara."

"Oh, I see." The Sphinx nods, settling down into a comfortable sitting position and crossing her front paws. "You're a lot more... original than I expected. I guess that's why I took no notice of you at all."

"Was that meant to be an insult?" Hazel whispers. "I feel like that was meant to be an insult."

"Astute observation." The Sphinx drawls. Her keen gaze narrows. "Are you also going to tell me that the sky is blue and my coat yellow? Nobody likes a know-it-all, little mouse."

Hazel's mouth open and closes several times, words escaping her. The Sphinx raises a finely tuned eyebrow.

"Cat got your tongue?" She teases. Hazel still doesn't speak up. Chuckling, the Sphinx turns her attention back to Ahmose and I. Her voice deepens. "You have spoken with the gods and they have given you their counsel. Your minds should now be clear and free of all mortal distractions. Are you ready for your first trial?"

Clear and free of all distractions. That's a joke, right? I glance over at Ahmose, incredulity paralysing me to the spot. It's almost like he senses the moment I look over at him, because he turns and locks gazes with me without a single word leaving my lips. Although his expression is sincere, I can see emotions burning in his golden gaze like embers. A question hovers in the air between us, unspoken, but clear as the stars in the sky.

Do you trust me?

I nod at him, gritting my teeth and squaring my shoulders. "Let's do this."

"Very well." The Sphinx's tail whips past us once again. Seconds later, Hazel flies through the air, screaming her head off as the Sphinx throws her away as far as she can. The minute her feet touch the ground she scrambles back to us, but the Sphinx freezes her to the spot with one thundering command. "Stay. This trial is not for you, little mouse."

Hazel stays.

The Sphinx turns back to Ahmose and I. "To achieve what you seek, you must complete three trials. Fail one of these trials, and you must suffer the punishment the gods decreed. Succeed, and you will gain the one thing you desire most in the world. This, you understand?"
Ahmose nods impatiently, like he's heard this all before. When the Sphinx looks to me, I shrug and nod at the same time.

"Very well." She sits up straighter, her pose as imposing as a queen's. "The rules for my trial are simple. I will tell you my riddle, and you will have one minute to give me your answer. Answer me correctly, and you may continue on to the next task. Answer incorrectly, and you will suffer the consequences."

"What are the consequences?" I ask Ahmose, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I would not know." He replies just as quietly. "I have never answer incorrectly."

I gulp. "That's reassuring, then."

"Are you ready, Ahmose and Kiara?" The Sphinx asks, and we both nod. "Let the trial commence, then. Oh!" She stops, remembering something. A sinister look twinkles in her eye. "I have one more rule."

"What is it?" Ahmose eyes her suspiciously. Yet, for some reason, he doesn't look entirely surprised by her capricious behaviour.

"You may hear my riddle, but you are not allowed to answer me, little godling." The Sphinx replies coolly. Outrage registers instantaneously on Ahmose's face. "Only the little sparrow may answer."

"That has never been one of the terms of the trial before!" Ahmose snaps.

"I know. But you were late. I got bored. And you are more than aware of what happens when I get bored, little godling." The Sphinx bares her razor-like teeth at him. "As I so clearly told you the last time you raised protest at my spicing up the rules, the gods may have tasked me with this trial, but they never specified it should stay the same. Need I repeat myself again?"

Ahmose's jaw tightens. "The last time you 'spiced up the rules', a life that was not destined for death met an untimely destiny."

"Yes. And many times before that, too. If I do remember correctly, on several occasions that life was lost because of your arrogance." The Sphinx replies, her tone as sharp as her teeth. "Your serrated words do not change my mind. You already know the answer to the riddle, and too many times you have passed my trial with ease because of that. It is high time that the rules be changed in order to make this trial as challenging as it was meant to be. So. In order to pass the trial, only she may answer. Do you understand, little sparrow?" This she directs at me.

I stare bug-eyed up at her, paralyzed with horror.

"That's not fair." I stutter.

"Not fair?" She laughs gaily, throwing back her head. "Little sparrow, did you really think the gods had fairness in their minds when they first created this curse? Life is not fair, and it would do you well to realise that before you continue any further on this little adventure of yours. You are not standing in front of me because of fairness. The little godling standing next to you will be able to tell you that."

Ahmose bristles next to me, and I can tell that she's struck a nerve. The previously pleasantly peaceful night air surrounding us starts to hum dangerously, as if the very air particles are gearing themselves up for a bloody fight. I take one look at the expression on Ahmose's face and step forward, speaking up before he does something I know he'll regret.

"I accept your rules."

She nods once, respect filtering into her gaze.

"Kiara, no." Ahmose catches my wrist, giving me a look. "You can't—"

"Is what she said true?" I ask quietly. He nods begrudgingly. "Then I can, and I will. Don't worry; I've always been good at riddles. I can handle this. But you have to trust me Ahmose."

Ahmose presses his lips into a thin line and scowls up at the Sphinx, muttering several expletives under his breath in Arabic.

"Ahmose." I say his name again, prompting him to look at me. "Do you trust me?"

All frustration melts from his expression when he catches the determination lighting up my own. He sighs and nods once. "I trust you, Kiara Collins."

"Okay then." I square my shoulders, turning back to face the Sphinx. Let's try not to screw this one up, Kiara. "I'm ready."

"You got this Keeks!" Hazel yells from her spot of exile, her voice slightly muffled. "If Oedipus can beat that overrated cat, you can too!"

A growl rumbles in the Sphinx's throat. Seconds later, her tail flicks past us and Hazel is sent spiraling through the air, landing even further away than before with a loud groan.

I stifle a giggle, plastering a look of earnest innocence when the Sphinx's scowl whips around to me. "What is your riddle?"

The Sphinx sits up straight, going as rigid as the famous statue. She speaks in a deep, monotonous tone.

"I am round but not always around,

Sometimes I'm light, sometimes I'm dark, sometimes I'm both,

Sometimes I'm whole, sometimes I'm not,

Sometimes a glimpse of me is all you'll get.

What am I?"

Beside me, Ahmose makes a small noise of vexation and looks up at the sky, almost like he's praying. The Sphinx narrows her eyes at him, clicking her tongue.

"Careful, little godling." She warns. "I will cut your tongue out if you disobey my rules."

The look Ahmose shoots her is withering, but apart from that he stays dutifully silent. The Sphinx smiles, baring her teeth.

"Good boy." She purrs. "Little sparrow, your time is ticking."

A shiver of panic floods through me. Swallowing back my fear, I run the riddle through my mind once again.

I am round but not always around,

Sometimes I'm light, sometimes I'm dark, sometimes I'm both,

Sometimes I'm whole, sometimes I'm not,

Sometimes a glimpse of me is all you'll get.

Frustration chews away at me. Where am I even supposed to start with that? It's fully of oxymorons! I mean, most riddles are, but this one is just ridiculous! How am I supposed to figure it all out in one minute?

My attention wavers over to Ahmose for a split second. He meets my gaze and offers a small smile. A voice whispers over the wind.

I trust you.

He trusts me. He trusts me. C'mon Kiara. Breathe. Ahmose is relying on you. You can't panic now. You can't let him down. I let out a long breath and close my eyes. I can do this. I just have to take it apart and put it back together, like a puzzle.

I can do that. I do that all the time.

Okay. First line. 'I am round, but I am not always around''. That sounds like something that comes and goes, almost like it's seasonal—

"I'm not hearing a lot of cheeping, little sparrow." The Sphinx's voice rips through my train of thought, her tone lathered with impatience. "If you do not start singing soon then you will not be able to pass the trial, and you and the little godling will be back to where you started again. Dead."

"I'm thinking!" I snap. She raises an eyebrow at me. "You want me to answer the riddle? I'm trying to figure out the answer! Unlike Ahmose, I haven't done this trial before, and I don't already know the solution. So let me think."

"You've already had time to think." She replies prudishly. "But your minute is now up. I require an answer, and I require it now."

"Now?" I look to Ahmose wildly. Desperation rises in me, as deadly as lava rising in a volcano. I silently plead with my gaze. Help me! At least give me a hint, or something! I can't figure it out right now!

"You can do this, najmay." He tells me. The calmness that his soft tones radiates with momentarily stuns me.

He was furious before! How can he be this calm? He knows the answer, and he won't even give me a hint, yet he's acting like there's—

I pause, a realisation striking me.

What if... what if he has given me a hint? Before, when he looked up at the sky... I thought he was praying, but what if...

I cast my gaze skyward. The answer shines right above me, glimmering like a majestic white crystal amongst the twinkling stars.

I glance back down at Ahmose again. He nods at me, the slight smile turning up the corners of his lips growing into one of genuine authenticity. A grin ricochets across my lips in response.

"It's the moon." I tell the Sphinx confidently. "The answer to the riddle is the moon."

She regards me in a steely gaze, her expression not wavering an inch. My smile slowly fades at her silence, and I lose a little more of my previous bravado the longer she stares at me.

Oh, crap. Did I speak too soon?

After what feels like an infinity of torture, she inclines her head once. "That is... correct."

I let out a long sigh, a huge weight lifting off my chest. I run a shaking hand through my curls. "Oh, thank god!"

"I knew you could do it, Kiara." Ahmose finally speaks up, relief shining out of his golden eyes.

I smile at him. "Thank you."

He doesn't miss the double meaning behind my words. His smile shines in the dark of the night. "Anything for you, najmay."

"You did it Keeks!" Hazel launches herself at me out of nowhere, throwing her arms around me in an ecstatic hug. "Didn't I say you could do it? And you did! You did it! Take that, you glorified cat!"

She throws that at the Sphinx, her hand punching the air. This time, I can't help my laughter.

If there's one thing you can say about Hazel Lee, it's that she never, ever learns.

Instead of throwing my best friend to the end of the world like I expect her to, the Sphinx laughs.

"Oh, do you think that's it? Do you think you've passed the trial successfully?" She asks amusedly, her eyes twinkling. I freeze, staring up at her. Ahmose looks just as lost as I do. "Think again."

"There's only ever been one riddle." Ahmose says, a frown creasing his brow. "We have only ever had to answer one riddle in the past to succeed."

"Think again." The Sphinx repeats. A dangerous look flashes through Ahmose's eyes. He flicks his nose angrily, opening his mouth, but she stops him with one look. "If you wish to see your halqa again little godling, I suggest you stop that very angry sentence from passing your lips."

"My halqa?" Ahmose straightens so quickly you'd think someone had shoved a rod up his spine. "Do you know where it is?"

"Of course not, silly boy." She scoffs. "I don't care about any of those niggling little logistics of your curse. But I know who has it."

"Who then?" He demands, stepping forward. The Sphinx clicks her tongue, shaking her head.

"It is never that simple with the gods, little godling. You know that." She replies bemusedly. "The answer to my second riddle will be the clue you need to find it. But remember, the rules for the first riddle still apply, should you decide to answer it."

"All of them?" I question. She arches an eyebrow at me. "I think Ahmose should have the chance to solve the riddle considering he's the one it affects, don't you?"

"Fine." The Sphinx sighs, her twitching tail betraying her annoyance. "The little godling may also answer. Do these rules appease you?"

"Yes." I nod, adding as a hasty afterthought, "Thank you."

She inclines her head. "What is your decision, little godling?"

"I accept." Ahmose replies immediately. Hazel's jaw drops.

"Now hang on a second Mummy-boy, don't you think that you should discuss it with us before—"

"There's no need for discussion Hazel." I interrupt. "He needs that ring."

"For what?" She scoffs incredulously. "The dude's pretty enough as it is without bling dangling off his fingers. We don't need it."

"Yes, we do." I reply firmly, nodding at Ahmose when he looks back at me. "He needs it."

"Thank you, Kiara." He says quietly. Then he turns back to the Sphinx. "We'll hear the riddle."

"Very well." She clears her throat, her voice deepening a second time.

"Born of sorrow, grows with age, you need a lot to be a sage. What is it?"

Ahmose stills so much that one passing by would mistake him for a statue. All the colour slowly filters from his face. I stare at him, worry injecting into my veins the paler he gets. After almost a full twenty seconds of terrifying silence, I reach out, touching his shoulder with a featherlight touch. He jolts like my fingers were loaded with electricity, turning to stare at me blankly.

"What's wrong?" I ask, my forehead furrowing in confusion. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I've never heard this one before." He whispers. Shivers run down my spine. "I don't know the answer."

My heart sinks. Oh crap.