Lost in Amon

Chapter Three

The Pond of Love

Part Two

'You're awake.' A statement, not a question. I groaned in reply. My body slowly began to join my brain in its alertness, and pain erupted across it.

'It will hurt for some time.' The voice moved away and suddenly something cold was at my lips. I tried to open my eyes, but it was so bright I scrunched them closed again. I gulped down a cool liquid. I didn't realise how hot it was, or how thirsty I was until I had swallowed. Heat seemed to rise from the ground to sizzle around me, and I felt sweat begin to pool on my lower back.

'Thank you,' I whispered harshly, coughing loudly. My throat felt like it was shredded. I opened my eyes slowly this time, letting them adjust to the blinding light around me.

I half-expected to be in a hospital. I expected fluorescent lights and the smell of antibacterial disinfectant and the steady beat from a heart monitor. Instead, I awoke to a giant mural of a ram's head painted on a stone ceiling. The bed I laid on was less of a bed a more of a simple flat stone. Instead of the chunky, semi-soft pillow of a hospital, my head rested on a square stone which made my neck ache.

The ceiling was held up by four stone pillars, one in each corner. Each pillar had something carved onto it, but I couldn't quite see. Instead of walls, soft white mesh-like curtains hung from the roof and draped until it touched the sandy ground. The material closest to my bed blew in the wind gently, rising to reveal a sandy dune to my right that stretched out as far as I could see. I felt calm. Too calm for the situation I was in. I jerked my head to the left, not caring that it cracked loudly in protest.

A shirtless man stood with his back facing me. The curtains were parted wrapped around pillars, opening the large gazebo up to the view of water. He stood for a moment, watching the water. A white piece of linen wrapped low around his waist, tied together with a brilliant gold rope. Rippling muscles curled under skin the colour of a deep caramel; it was smooth and unblemished, without a hint of sweat even in this gruelling heat. I struggled to sit up as my broken arm was wrapped tightly to my torso. The man turned around to look at me. I watched him silently in return. His bare feet carried him forward smoothly until he stood in front of me.

'That was some fall.' His voice was deep but soft-spoken. He had piercing pale blue eyes which seemed at odds with his darker skin and hair. He was gorgeous, but even that word seemed not good enough to describe him.

'Thank you for helping me,' I replied softly. I looked down at my body, broken and bruised yet healing. I had material strapped tightly around various hurting parts of my body, and loose white linen enveloped me in a make-shift dress. I felt slightly embarrassed and hoped it wasn't the gorgeous man who'd undressed me.

'Well, I'm not one to ignore begging humans.'

He moved away and sat in a wooden chair facing the foot of my stone bed. It was low to the ground and covered in golden embellishments which looked uncomfortable to sit on. My brain was fuzzy and slow as I tried to think about what I should be asking.

'Where are we?'

'This is my home.' He leant back comfortable and kicked his feet up, so they rested on the edge of the bed.

'And where is that?' I probed, flicking the thin blanket off my legs.

'You can't walk yet.' I ignored him and stood up, only to promptly crumble back to the bed. He didn't bother saying "I told you so" because I could read it on his face.

'I need to call my boss. She thinks I'm dead.' He watched me curiously.

'What makes you think you're not dead?'