by Leena Maria
"The religious work of a temple priestess, even a minor one, is also very demanding. They dance and sing before the deities, to please them," Lilith smiled at her. "I know that you have the skills to fulfil that role. It keeps you in good physical form, being a Guardian. You must be ready to fight as well."
Diana nodded.
"I like that too."
I had never seen Diana fight, and never really considered her a Guardian, but looking at her cat-like, alert posture, I could well believe that she had mastered some Oriental fighting techniques that would take any ancient would-be assailant by surprise.
"We shall have our researchers too," Lilith went on, "and who better than Reggie?"
Reggie stood up and bowed to our applause.
"Delighted to join you, truly delighted... to be able to study the times up close is a great honor. Thank you, thank you."
"You'll need some soldiers with you, or no one will take your story of being royalty seriously," Lilith continued. "So: we have Jason and Aemilius here."
Jason grinned at me and Aemilius nodded gravely.
"Jason has been taught at the Centre here to be a Gatekeeper, but has asked to join you in the role of a Guardian. He has great strength and fights well, so we agreed."
"Aemilius's strength is his knowledge of ancient battle techniques - in 31 BC they used swords and spears and Aemilius has trained many of our people in those ancient fighting skills. He will be carrying an ancient sword as well," Lilith said.
"My own sword." Aemilius lifted a sword to the table in front of him. "This is a gladiolus. I used in the naval battle in which Octavian defeated Marc Anthony and Cleopatra. Right before I was brought here. And it has served me well in many an occasion after that."
He stroked the big scar on his cheek, a response to some fighting memory, no doubt.
Reggie whistled.
"That's going to cause quite a stir. There was no steel yet in Akhenaten's time. Iron was virtually unknown, because the Egyptians did not know how to use it, nor did they appreciate its strength. They thought there was no one to threaten the country at that time, not seriously with the deserts protecting it from east and west, and Nubia was held off behind a row of fortresses in the south. Though, come to think of it, Tutankhamen was buried with an iron dagger. It was a royal thing to own. That sword alone will assure everyone we are royalty."
"If all goes well, no one will be seeing this sword at work," Aemilius said gruffly.
"Let us hope that will be the case," Lilith said. "Now, I have one more thing to ask you. There is someone who is willing to come along, but who may not be strong enough for the part. We'll need to vote, to see whether he's allowed to join your team. He wishes to study the creation myths of the time. There was a great conflict in Egypt when Akhenaten chose to rewrite religious history according to his beliefs regarding the light of the Aten. Our proposed team member would like to research this conflict."
"I can guess already..." Elijah said, "Mr. Donnelly, if I am not much mistaken."
"Indeed," Lilith nodded. "The question is: do we trust him?"
"I do," Reggie said enthusiastically, "he is a true researcher. And he also learned hieroglyphs during his stay in the City of Immortals. His Coptic studies, though he modestly says he is not an expert in the language, are an asset too. The ancient Egyptian language's pronunciation was unclear, because they only wrote in consonants, but the Coptic language was a direct continuation of it, and as such is used as the basis of the pronunciation we use today."
"What harm could he do?" Elijah wondered. "If we notice any trouble, or that he doesn't have what it takes, we can bring him back."
"Is it agreed, then?" Reggie asked enthusiastically.
"Let's vote. Raise your hand, if you agree he can come," Lilith said.
All hands rose.
"Good, you can let Mr. Donnelly in."
Jason was closest to the door and opened it. Flustered Mr. Donnelly walked in.
"Welcome to the group, Mr. Donnelly." Lilith smiled at him. "Do take a seat."
Mr. Donnelly looked so happy he made us smile.
"I'm honored, truly honored." He bowed to us many times.
"And then we have our Gatekeepers and Weavers at this end. Anna and Paris are the Weavers we have chosen. We will need to send one of them with you, because Dana has not yet been taught the skill of staying connected to another Weaver in our time."
"I shall stay at this end for a change," Anna said, "I've been traveling so much these last months that I am exhausted. Paris will go with you."
She did indeed look tired - there were dark rings around her eyes and her whole appearance was somehow subdued. Shocked, almost. She had been working too hard, obviously.
Paris on the other hand smiled so that little laughter lines appeared from the corners of her eyes.
"I love anything to do with ancient Egypt, so I volunteered when I heard Anna needed a little vacation from traveling."
"Well, there we have our group then. Daniel, Elijah and Dana. Diana, Layla, Reggie and Mr Donnelly. Jason and Aemilius, Anna here and Paris with you. Eleven in all."
"How about you?" I asked.
"I hardly ever travel across time," Lilith shook her head. "I keep the Centre running, and travel in the dreamscape, and it is safest if I stay here for those reasons. If I need to contact you, the Weaver on this end will help me get my message through. The Weavers can send thoughts also, using the strings."
There was obviously a lot more to Weaving than I had realised.
"Now, you need to start seriously researching the times. Reggie - you could start with the amber, perhaps?"
"Ah yes, amber!" Reggie darted to the front of the room. "The amber we talk about comes from the coasts of the Baltic Sea. It is pine tree resin. We know amber was used right at the time we shall be traveling to - the famous shipwreck of Uluburun which dates from around this time shows that. Several amber beads were found there - amazing that they were still there, as normally they float on water... also Tutankhamen had a breast ornament of large Baltic amber beads. So it is a fact we know that the royal family appreciated amber."
He lifted one of the beautiful, polished lumps of amber and looked at it admiringly.
"The Egyptians believed that amber was the tears of the sun god Ra. It was also connected with Ra's daughter, the horrifying lioness Sekhmet who almost annihilated humankind because of their disrespect for her father. Amber was considered to have protective qualities, and it was sometimes inserted beneath the skin on the hands of Egyptian mummies - they believed it protected their way in the afterlife..."
"How did all that amber then come to Egypt? The Baltic Sea is a long way from Egypt..." Jason asked.
"The so called Amber Road was the ancient trade route used. At first the route crossed the Alps, but later the Vistula and Dnieper rivers were used to reach the Mediterranean countries, and from there it was transported to Egypt," Reggie's hands were drawing lines in the air. Most likely he was sketching out a map of Europe, "and our story is that this is the route we've taken to see the famous King of Egypt in his Horizon of the Aten. Aketaten. His city," he explained further.
"Now, let's start the history lesson. First of all... the country was not called Egypt. That is a later word, from the Greek word Aegyptos. The Egyptians called their country Kemet. The Black Land."
"Black? But there's nothing black about it," Jason looked baffled, "or at least I have not seen any black sand in the deserts there."
"Yes, there is black land," I interrupted, "Kemet refers to the black silt the river Nile brought during inundation. It's fertile, and the reason for the prosperity of Egypt."
"Indeed!" Reggie was pleased, "and now we're going to study the history of the Eighteenth Dynasty, so you know the background of what led to Akhenaten abandoning the old gods, and beginning the worship of the Aten..."
CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR
74. Destination Revealed
"We have received news from our infor
mant." Angel walked into Cain's office.
"Yes?" Cain lifted his eyes from the computer screen.
"They have a Time Walker team in training for the journey. They know now where the Trail begins."
Cain's eyes were shining.
"Where?"
"We - are not sure yet. Our contact is discreetly trying to find out more, but the word Egypt was definitely mentioned. Also we have another possible source of information now. Much more accurate information - one of our newest servants is going to arrange that. Through him we believe we can get hold of someone who knows everything."
"Good, very good... find out where and to what time they are going. We need to be ready."
"Consider it done, father." Angel turned and left.
Cain appreciated his youngest daughter. She was no-nonsense, beautiful, lethal, and obedient. A good replacement for Nathaniel, whom Cain had planned to be his second in command. Also she showed no fear. If Cain had been an Egyptian pharaoh, he could have married her in an instant. Not that anyone would dare to oppose him, if he chose to do it now.
But no. He would keep the bloodline pure. Purebred Nephilim were needed in the new world order. Maybe it was time he looked for another daughter of Seth to be his concubine.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE
75. Longing
"Wow, Diana - you certainly don't look all that respectable!"
"Me? Ha, look who's talking!"
We were inside one of the vast wardrobes in the center's costume department, having our Egyptian clothing fitted. We were taking several coffers, all made especially by a carpenter who had researched ancient Egyptian woodwork. These would be crammed full of breathtaking clothing and jewelry. We'd been wondering how all this would be carried when we arrived there and had learned that finding a boat wouldn't be a problem. The Nephilim who lived in ancient times in Egypt would help our group as soon as they saw the seal of the Council. The seal was so ancient that it even predated Old Kingdom Egypt.
While I had been trying on some of my clothes, Diana was already in front of the mirror dressed in... well, nothing much. She was wearing a revealing temple costume. She swirled around, made swaying movements with her hips, which were decorated with an embroidered belt and jumped up and down in a way that revealed she was a gifted dancer. She laughed at her own reflection in the mirror, then stepped aside so I could see myself too. I stared at the person that I had become.
I was wearing the thinnest linen dress, which almost showed everything underneath when I moved. Only the clever pleating hid my nakedness when I stood still, but at the slightest movement I made, my skin showed through the sheer fabric where my body pressed against it. I knew this was the fashion of the nobility of the time, but still the sight made me feel slightly embarrassed.
I had grown to my full Nephilim height, and the dress emphasized my slender waist and long limbs beautifully. I had never been round, and my breasts were firm and small, barely covered with fabric. I turned sideways in front of the mirror, lifted my hands and pushed my breasts into a better place inside the sheer fabric, much to Diana's delight.
"Looks like there's not much to choose between us as far as revealing clothing goes! They left only just enough to the imagination back then," she laughed.
I did a few dance moves, and the sensuality of my movements and the flowing dress elegantly swaying around my long legs made me stop in embarrassment. I had left home a teenager, and now I looked like a woman. I wasn't used to seeing myself look so... sexy. And I was embarrassed by the fact that I enjoyed it.
My hair had grown a lot these last few weeks. It had been quite short when I had met Daniel at the bookstore. Now it was almost reaching my shoulders in wheat-colored locks.
I had no makeup on, and my skin was a beautiful pale shade, which emphasized my blue eyes.
Suddenly I felt the now familiar tingling in my spine and skin that meant a Nephilim was near. I thought I saw the slightest movement in the shadow of the cupboard, but did not turn to watch. Instead I kept looking at myself in the mirror, trying to see out of the corner of my eye whether someone really was there. But nothing moved in the shadows.
Daniel! The thought came to me in an instant, raising a warm glow all over my body. The idea that he might have seen me moving, dancing even, in this beautiful and revealing garment raised mixed emotions. A part of me wanted it so badly to be true. I wanted him to want me, to come to me, to press me against him, and kiss me until I melted into him, and let nature take its course. I wanted it so badly my whole body ached. And the hardest part was that I knew he wanted the same. I could read it in his eyes, I could sense it in his vibrations when he was near.
Why did he not give in? Was...was he afraid of the strength of my emotions? Why had he not answered out loud to Elijah when he asked him in the desert if he loved me?
Diana saw me staring at the mirror and could sense that somehow my mood had changed.
"Ok, enough shopping for clothes now, it seems," she said. "Let's change back into something more respectable and go have a coffee or something."
I tried to ignore the sadness and longing that was sitting in my chest in a lump as big as an iceberg and changed quietly back into my jeans and T-shirt without a word. We walked past the cupboard when we left costume, but there was nothing - and no-one - there. Well, of course not. If he had been there, he would have taken care when he left to ensure that we wouldn't see him. But - I was sure that it had been Daniel.
Diana led me to the cafeteria and found the most private table she could find – it was in a dark corner behind a big monstera plant. This made an effective hide-away - you could see through the gaps in the leaves of the plant if anyone was approaching while still remaining hidden from general view.
"I'll be right back." Diana left.
She came back with two steaming mugs of cocoa and more pieces of chocolate on a plate. These she dropped unceremoniously into our mugs for some additional sweetness.
"Heck, Diana - what's this? This has to be about a month's worth of sugar for the average person..."
Diana ignored my attempts to avoid what I knew was on the way.
"Now. What is bothering you? I saw a pretty young woman flirting with the mirror, and then suddenly her shoulders slumped and she withdrew into herself. Speak."
By now I knew there was no point in trying to keep secrets from Diana. She was observant and sharp-witted and after all, we'd been room-mates for a while. I sighed.
"OK: Here goes. I think Daniel was watching us just now."
"Well, I wouldn't wonder," Diana shrugged, "we could have sold tickets to the male population of the Center this afternoon, what with us in those see-through outfits. Does that bother you? You feel embarrassed by it?"
"No... yes... I mean..."
"You mean why did he not show himself? Is that it?"
It was more of a statement than a question, and I had to nod. I felt a familiar blush rising up my neck and cheeks.
"Ok, here's the deal. You are wondering if he loves you. No need to nod, I know that's what you're thinking. And here's my theory. Are you sitting comfortably?"
I sipped my cocoa, wiped the cream moustache off, and sighed.
"Ok, let's hear it."
"You remember when you touched his wings in the library when you arrived? How he behaved so oddly?"
"How could I forget..."
"Well, the wings of a Nephilim are extremely sensitive. You have noticed their energy hum, of course. OK. So. Have you ever heard of twin souls?"
"Yes..."
"I have been working with Nephilim long enough to know what happens if a twin soul touches the wings of a Nephilim. And I mean Nephilim soul, of course. Two Nephilim. I'm not putting this into words very well, I'm afraid, but you know what I mean?"
"Two Nephilim who are twin souls, yes, I get it."
"Well, the thing that happens is...if the Nephilim in question is dumb enough not to recognize a twin soul, the wings do their very best to inform him or
her of the fact. They get an electric shock if a twin soul touches their wings - you with me? Not a painful one but so pleasurable it takes the breath away. And every Nephilim knows only a twin soul can cause this kind of shock. I looked at Daniel and I have never seen an expression like that on his face. He was shaken to his core, in a way he obviously had not expected. If I had known at the time you were Nephilim, I would have booked a date for your wedding in my calendar right there and then."
"Oh, cool it, Diana..." I was glad of the shelter the plant gave us, because by now I was as red as a tomato.
"Oh no I won't. You need to know that twin souls - Nephilim who were meant for each other – feel as though their blood is singing to one other. Even their hearts begin to beat in unison, when they are near each other. It is an attraction that defies any laws of logic. And twin souls bond for all eternity, not only in body, but also in mind. If one dies, the other one can't go on living alone. "
I stared at my cocoa mug, watching how the whipped cream melted.
"The connection is too total, too strong. If it is broken, the one left behind often loses their mind - as though half of their being was gone for good. Most such Nephilim simply waste away, or commit suicide. All their will to live is gone. The effect is exactly the same, if it's the other one who is infected. It changes their mental makeup to such a degree, that the connection is severed. And so, the infection of one often causes the death of the other."
Diana took a long sip of her cocoa, maybe to give me some time to take in her words, and after a while continued.
"Daniel knows Cain's Nephilim are hunting him. He thinks it is more than likely he will be caught at some point, and we all know he would not give in to being infected. He would fight until death, or kill himself. And knowing what would happen to you as a result makes him keep his distance. He has seen that the pain Elijah went through and has kept him from killing himself after his wife vanished - yes, I did know about his tragedy, but it was not my place to tell you about it until now. After having seen his brother's suffering, Daniel does not want you to experience the same."