I padded over to the door, pressing my back against the wall next to it and waited. I wasn’t stupid enough to rush into unknown danger, especially when Sed’s priests would have security covered. I was a good example of why it was important to keep temples secure, he wasn’t idiotic enough to have ignored that. On the contrary, he was a smart man. That would all have been in place long before I arrived, dragging my problems behind me.
“What’s going on?” Sed demanded.
Relief flooded through me along with something else at the gravelly, sleepy, tone in which he spoke. I could listen to that voice for hours. Hopefully I wouldn’t do anything that would make him realise how badly I had it for him.
“We heard screaming from the lady’s room,” a man answered, sounding much more awake than Sed. Did he have someone actively guarding my room?
Warmth spread through me at the realisation. I liked being protected like this. No one had done it for me in so long.
“Thank you, Mo, I’ll take it from here.”
Only footsteps retreating answered. I assumed the man must have nodded, leaving Sed just on the other side of the door. I released the hold on my already weakening magic and it retreated back inside me, hopefully to grow some more. I didn’t want to think about how vulnerable the lack made me. My sanity was far too important for that.
“Sera?”
“Yes?” I answered instantly.
“Will you let me in?”
Without even thinking about it, I turned the door handle and let him in. The lack of hesitation should have stopped me but I didn’t think I was ready to truly consider what that meant.
“Are you okay?” Sed slipped through and closed the door behind him.
“I think so,” I replied honestly. The dream was already fading.
He looked me up and down, clearly trying to assess whether or not I was actually hurt.
“A bad dream, nothing more,” I muttered, turning away as I said it so he wouldn’t see the embarrassed look on my face.
Lightning fast, Sed’s hand closed around my wrist. Not very tightly and not enough to startle me, but I knew he was there. He pulled me back towards me and I crashed into his chest, leaving me looking up at him and completely aware of just how thin my sleep shirt was. And how short. I might be completely covered but only just.
“Tell me about it?”
“There’s not much to tell,” I answered honestly. “I woke up thinking something was strangling me.” I didn’t add that it wasn’t the first time I’d had the dream. It’d been going on for about five years from my best guess. Not every night but enough that I knew it was a regular thing. And one I couldn’t do anything about. It was what it was.
“Sera…”
“There’s nothing that can be done about it, Sed,” I whispered. “Can we drop it please?”
His gaze flitted to my lips before his eyes moved back to meet mine. “Of course, I’m sorry for making you feel uncomfortable.” His voice lowered, probably due to the intimacy of the room. The dim light was certainly affecting me more than I wanted to.
I wasn’t the only one wearing sleeping clothes either. All Sed appeared to have on was a thin t-shirt and a pair of shorts. His body was warm against mine and surprisingly comforting. I wasn’t used to this and didn’t know how to deal with it.
This time, it was my eyes that flitted to his lips. I wondered what it would be like to kiss him. He’d taste warm, I somehow knew that would be the case. I didn’t want to examine how I was so sure. Or how much I wanted to discover if I was correct or not.
We stared into each other’s eyes for a few more moments, both of us lost in the moment and the atmosphere around us. My magic made itself known within me again, no doubt reacting to Sed’s being in a similar way my body was. I knew his magic wasn’t the same variety as mine. It would manifest in stronger stamina and strength rather than the ability to perform magical feats like mine.
Without any clue who initiated it, our lips were suddenly pressed together. I melted into him, slipping one of my arms around his waist and flattening my palm against his back, pulling him as close as I possibly could. His body felt incredible against mine and he tasted just as warm as I expected.
A small involuntary moan escaped from me and we broke apart. He looked at me with glazed eyes and an expression of pure want on his face. For the first time in centuries, I felt like the only woman who mattered in the world, all because of Sed. Without thinking about it too hard, I drew him back towards the bed. It might be risky to introduce something physical between us, I couldn’t ignore the desire building within me. I wanted this far more than I’d wanted anything in recent years, who was I to deny myself when Sed was just as willing.
I tugged him onto the bed beside me and leaned in to kiss him again, our hands beginning to wonder all over each other’s bodies, searching beneath fabric for the smooth skin that lurked there.
“Are you sure about this?” he whispered against my lips, the hot breath tickling and only making me want this more. I hadn’t even realised I could want this even more. He was driving me far more insane than anyone else ever had.
“Yes,” I whispered back. “More than anything.”
He didn’t wait a moment longer than he had to and deepened the kiss between us while tugging on the hem of my shirt and drawing it up my body. We broke apart so he could pull it over my head and I missed the feel of his lips against mine.
He threw my shirt onto the floor and began peppering kisses over my collarbone. I whimpered and pushed my now naked body up into his. Tugging on his shirt, I soon had it on the floor next to mine, with his shorts following just after.
Our bodies moved against each other, our skin slick and warm, the two of us fitting together as if there was no other possible piece that could fit. My magic twitched inside me, feeling stronger than it had in awhile. As if it knew it was the only thing that could make this moment better.
I got lost in the sensation of Sed surrounding me, unable to think or feel anything else. The only real thought going around my head was how perfect this was. How right. And how this was like nothing I’d ever experienced before.
I just hoped Sed would feel the same when Ra shone his light once more.
Chapter 9
I waited on the runway, trying not to focus in on how I’d felt when I’d woken up alone. It didn’t matter that Sed had left a message for me. He’d still been gone from my bed, almost as fast as he’d ended up in it.
A smile twisted at my lips. I knew that realistically, there was nothing to worry about. He’d spent well into the early hours of the morning with me. I had vague recollections of him whispering in my ear before he left but I’d been too asleep to be able to remember what he’d said.
“We’re ready now.”
I shivered just at the sound of his voice, not worrying about how far gone that made me. I’d promised myself I’d never fall for a god again and be satisfied with being celibate for the rest of my days and yet, here I was, falling all over again. A small voice in my head kept telling me this time was going to be different but I really didn’t have much proof that was going to be the case. For all I knew, I was going to end up with a broken heart again. Whether I liked it or not, that was my lot in life.
The plane’s engines were already up and running, reassuring me that we were going to be on our way within minutes. I needed that given the realisations of the night before. I didn’t quite understand why Kuk was so upset with me, it had been so long since we’d parted ways and it hadn’t been a bitter break up. At least, I hadn’t thought it was but maybe I was a bad judge of that. I never intended to hurt him, I was sure of that.
Stepping inside, I was surprised by how relaxed the whole environment was.
“Never flown private?”
I shook my head. “How can you afford this?”
“I’ve made a few good investments over the years.” Sed indicated to one of the plush seats settled around a table and I took it.
&n
bsp; Within seconds, I had my seatbelt secured and was readying myself for take-off. I might be flying in luxury but I wasn’t risking my safety. I didn’t even know what would happen if I fell out of a plane and through the air. I couldn’t technically die but that didn’t mean hitting the ground at high velocity wouldn’t majorly hurt me. It would hurt my pride too.
“They must have been some really good investments.”
Sed gave me a proud smile, clearly, he felt he’d done well with his investments. “Thank you. I’ve dabbled in a lot of things but it’s art that made me a lot of money. You can’t be that badly off yourself, either?”
He’d seated himself to look effortlessly causal but I could tell there was real curiosity behind his question.
“I wouldn’t say I’m well off but I have savings.” I’d had the distinct disadvantage of being a woman. Not just that, a tanned woman. Earning decent money for my skill level hadn’t started until the past hundred years or so. Before that I’d had to find a sympathetic male doctor who’d let me help out. Except for the decade I spent as part of a secret society of female doctors. That had been a particularly fun time. I’d been able to see similarities between how they acted towards each other and how our priesthoods had worked. It was certainly the place I’d felt the most at home outside of Egypt.
“That’s always good. I know some of the gods are still running off the wealth they used to have.”
I gave him a weak smile. If I tried, I was sure I could put more than one name to the gods that felt that way. They were always the most dangerous ones. They didn’t think the end of our culture meant anything to them. They were fools. We all had to adapt with the world or we’d end up completely forgotten.
Not unlike me.
“Have you always trained in medicine?”
I nodded. “It’s part of who I am, there’s no escaping it for me.”
“Don’t you ever get tired of that?”
“It’s part of who I am,” I repeated, a frown pulling down between my eyes.
“That doesn’t mean it has to be all of who you are.”
I took a deep breath, trying to work out what I wanted my response to that to be. Deep down, I knew he had a point but I didn’t want to think about it too hard. Without being a healer, I wasn’t sure what I had anymore. I liked animals but that was all linked to the same thing. I liked to cook but that was more of a necessity in life.
“Hey, I’m sorry.” Sed’s hand settled over mine, a calmness spreading through me as a result. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
“You didn’t,” I lied.
He gave me a pointed look that revealed just how unconvinced he was of that statement. There wasn’t anything either of us could do to change the way I felt though. Nor did I want to. I’d been so preoccupied with surviving and my waning magic that I’d forgotten to live my life. I used to love to dance and play music. I wasn’t very good at art but I loved to watch the masters of it at work. And yet I couldn’t work out when the last time I’d done any of that was.
“I like to dance,” I blurted out, the words slipping through my thoughts and out into the open.
“Any particular style?” There was no accusation in his tone, nor was there any amusement. He genuinely cared about my answer.
Warmth filled me. After the night we’d shared together and our conversation now, I was starting to think there really could be something between us. It would take time to work out still but I could probably relax enough to let myself fully fall for Sed. And this wouldn’t be like any of the other times. I wasn’t sure how I knew but I was certain of it.
For him, I’d take a chance. One I’d never expected to take again.
“I don’t think so,” I answered honestly. “I learned in Egypt but there’s been a lot since that I’ve wanted to try…” Images of swirling skirts and perfect makeup swam through my head. I’d never compete in a dance competition, I wouldn’t believe that to be fair to the humans around me, but getting dressed up and learning the moves properly? That was something I wanted.
“Why don’t you settle on one to try first and we’ll learn after we’ve sorted this out,” he promised.
“You mean that?” I could hear the eagerness in my own voice but I didn’t even care. At this point, I was sure he knew how I felt about him.
“Of course. It sounds like it could be fun. I always want to learn new things.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“For?”
I opened my mouth, readying myself to say for the opportunity to dance. Almost instantly, I closed it again, realising it wasn’t just that I was thankful for.
“Everything,” I answered instead.
“You don’t need to thank me, Sera. I’m just doing the right thing.” But something in his eyes suggested he didn’t quite believe what he was saying. He had another motive, I just hoped it was the same one influencing me.
Chapter 10
I‘d been worried I wouldn’t be able to remember the way to the temple. I hadn’t been to it in a long time. Even longer than to my main temple, and the world had changed dramatically in that time.
Ducking between two large stones, I pushed some greenery out of the way, holding it out of the way so Sed could come past too. I didn’t want him getting his face scratched because of a careless moment. Especially when he’d done such delicious things to me on the plane. I was hoping for a repeat performance on the way back. Not that I’d admit it if anyone asked. I was determined to keep my feelings under wraps for now, though I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think he’d already caught on.
“How much further is it?”
I waved away his puffing. He wasn’t out of shape and we both knew it. We couldn’t really put much weight on no matter what we ate. One of the many perks we had. As if the immortality and magic wasn’t enough.
“Just another few corners,” I replied.
I’d told myself I was being paranoid when I’d first built this temple. Now I thanked myself for it. If I didn’t have this one, I might have lost my magic completely. Though Kuk did know about this temple, we’d gone on a retreat there once to get away from the stresses we’d been dealing with at the time. I couldn’t remember what those even were anymore. I might be immortal but my memory wasn’t infallible.
We passed through the next set of trees and I sighed in relief. The temple rose up before us with trees poking through the windows. Abandoned but safe. This place hadn’t been an oasis before which was a little confusing for me but I didn’t question it too much. The world had changed, I shouldn’t expect this corner of it to be trapped in a time void.
“It’s beautiful.” I could hear the awe in his voice.
“Thank you.”
“I didn’t expect it to be so big.”
“Was your secret temple smaller than your main one?” I turned back to see his face.
Sed grimaced, as if unsure how to respond to that. “Not all of us felt the need to have a secret temple.”
I shrugged, not in the slightest bit insulted by that. “It’s not looking like such a stupid idea now.” I looked at the temple longingly.
“I guess we’d better get in there and check your cartouches?”
I nodded, a sense of foreboding settling in my stomach. There was no way of knowing what we’d find in there but I was starting to suspect it wouldn’t be good.
Sed slipped his hand into mine and gave it a reassuring squeeze. I gave him a weak smile, grateful for his support but still unsure about what we’d find inside the temple. I’d never dreaded anything quite this much.
We approached the front door in silence, both of us lost in thoughts of what was going to happen once we were inside. Even if everything was fine, there’d still be work to do. The damage at my normal temple was enough to cause issues and it needed undoing regardless. We just needed to work out how which was certainly easier said than done.
The air cooled the moment we got inside and I took a deep breath.
> “It smells stale in here,” Sed observed.
“Trust me, that’s a good thing,” I murmured.
“Where do you want me to start?” he asked, glancing around and trying to find a bit of wall free of plant growth. Things really had gotten crazy in here. A river must have gradually changed its path over the past few centuries to have changed the landscape this much. No matter, hopefully it would have confused Kuk if he’d tried to find it.
“Anywhere is good. I have something I need to check.”
He nodded but didn’t ask me more, even if he should have. I let go of his hand, instantly missing its warmth in mine. But it was necessary. I couldn’t do what I needed to with him in tow. It wouldn’t be right.
Walking deeper into the temple, I saw the true extent of the plant life creeping in. After our visit today, there was a good chance my temple would disappear completely into it. Which was fine by me. This temple being forgotten about completely was the best thing for me given the circumstances. If no one could find it, they couldn’t remove my name from the walls and cause my complete destruction. At least, in theory.
But before I could let that happen, I needed to check on the biggest secret of my secret temple. Pushing back vines, I found what I was looking for and ducked through the arch. One step to the right and I’d find what I was really here for.
I pushed the button in the wall, causing a grating sound to fill the air. It had taken a lot of time and patience for me to learn how to set up a secret room, especially as it wasn’t something I was naturally good at. But I’d known that this was the best way to keep myself safe.
Slipping through the small opening, I used the little magic I had to create a tiny light in front of me. Shadows danced across the carved grooves in the wall. The carvings were another thing I’d spent a lot of time learning how to achieve them properly. Some of my early attempts were a lot cruder than the perfectionist in me would have liked, but they still served their purpose.
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