The results list brought up mostly suspicious-looking sites. A Wikipedia entry led with the warning the information required verification. The description read like fiction, going on at length about a secret society formed after the Queen Pharaoh Hatshepsut’s death.
She’d already known the part about Thutmose III, her brother-husband—ick!—going to great lengths to erase Hatshepsut’s name and likeness from most structures, but not the allegation that Thutmose and friends had prevented the queen pharaoh from receiving any peace in the afterlife. Her soul remained trapped, the article said, until a brave soul dared release her by performing the ancient burial rites. The Pyramid Text spells.
A ripple of dread froze Sanura. The article repeated everything that Iker had told her. But wait, he could easily have uploaded these details himself. The very problem with Wikipedia, that any crackpot could upload false information. Iker—or whoever he was—could have posted this entry, lending greater credence to his pretense about being the ancient warrior returned from the dead.
Then again… he couldn’t know about the mummy deteriorating. And it couldn’t be coincidence that the mummy had seemed to deflate after Iker appeared as the security guard. Oh, this was all too much.
Shutting down the laptop, she rolled onto her pillow and stared into the night.
Finally, light seeped across the sky. Frazzled, she rose and went to the door.
In the living room, Iker crouched beside the window wielding her broom like a staff. Alarmed, she searched for any sign of danger, then relaxed when he performed a sparring routine. Holy moly, she’d never witnessed anything more stunning.
Framed against the sunrise, he evoked power with each jab and stroke, every bit a warrior. His physique was nothing short of magnificent, a freaking modern-day Adonis. He could stand by an ice cream cone kiosk and appear every bit as striking.
She slipped on a robe and padded out. “Hey.”
He turned, his expression inscrutable as he leaned the broom against the wall. “Hey.”
Such an easy exchange, they might have repeated it a thousand times before, after which she might have come up behind him, encircled her arms around his waist, laid her head on his shoulder to gaze out the window with him.
No more of that kind of thinking. Must be the sleep deprivation talking, a dangerous thing. She stopped beside the sofa. “Have you been awake long?”
“I have slept through too many lifetimes.” The way he spoke, he hardly believed it himself.
Could such a thing even be possible? The logistics boggled her mind, and it wasn’t yet six o’clock. “I need coffee. Would you like some?”
“Yes, please.”
Caesar circled her ankles, so she picked him up. “These guys are hungry. I hope they didn’t bother you last night.” Only three cats had slept in her room. The rest, surprisingly, had stayed on the sofa with him.
“Not at all,” he said softly, with no trace of sarcasm.
Caesar purred against her chest as she carried him to the kitchen, the others trailing behind. After doling out cans of cat food, she started the coffee maker, all too aware Iker was watching. Waiting for some signal from her.
She wasn’t ready for that yet. “You can turn on the TV if you like.”
He quirked a brow. “The tee vee?” The cautious way he repeated the words, they might have spoken about an infectious disease.
Not a TV addict? Maybe there was hope for him. “To catch the news? The remote’s on the table.”
He glanced around, then strode to the coffee table and lifted the gadget. “This?”
“Yep, just push the power button. The red one.”
With the gadget pointed at the ceiling, he pressed the button. The television blared.
He whirled to face the flat screen, crouched as if for battle.
Uh oh. The neighbors wouldn’t appreciate early morning noise. She hurried over and lowered the volume. “Sorry, it’s a little loud. I was dancing to music videos.” And that was too much information.
Wide-eyed, he scowled. “What is that box? An enchanted mirror into the past? Or into the future?”
Seriously? He took the act a little far. “A television. A modern device to provide news and entertainment. Here.” She handed him the remote and pointed to the arrow buttons. “Press these to check out the different channels.”
So adorable, the way he aimed the remote at the flatscreen like a weapon, and jumped each time a new show appeared on screen. “You’ll get the hang of it. Once you do, I’ll be sorry.”
He quirked those already-quirked brows. “Why?”
“I might never get to watch the few shows I like.” Whoa, huge leap. Iker hadn’t moved in. She couldn’t let him sleep there anymore, especially after her whopper of a mistake last night. “Oh good, coffee’s ready.” It gave her an excuse to go back to the kitchen, away from him. “I really need some.”
His expressions morphed from amazement to frustration in a hurry. He clicked the power button and the TV screen went black. “So do I.”
Two cups in hand, she turned, and found him already seated at the table beside the window. “Here you go.”
He sipped and stared outside, concern in his eyes.
She set down her cup. “What’s wrong?”
“I do not know if I can learn your ways.”
“Of course you can. You’re intelligent and strong and…” Crazy gorgeous, and off-the-charts sexy, which were both irrelevant and extremely distracting. Who needed a television? She could watch him all day.
“In my time, I understood everything. Here, I understand nothing.”
“I’ll help you. All you have to do is ask.” She clamped her mouth shut. Oh wow. Did she actually extend an open offer to him?
Might not be so bad. Except when he requested her to transport a pharaoh’s soul to the afterlife.
Yep, that might present a problem.
****
Gladness welled up in Iker’s chest. Thank the gods, she has agreed to help. Not only that, but her tousled hair, and her lids heavy from sleep, gave him a sense of intimacy, though they hadn’t shared so much as a ‘good night’. “Many thanks, Sanura. I pledge my loyalty to you as we endeavor upon this quest.”
Her eyes flew wide. “Quest? Oh, no. I meant I’ll help you learn how to use modern devices like televisions, radios, computers, that sort of thing.”
He reached toward her. “But goddess—”
She shot her hand toward him. “Uh uh. Don’t start that again.”
He reined in an impassioned plea to an even tone. “The vizier will strike again. Soon.”
“Was the moon full last night? People do crazy things during full moons.”
Gods, was she trying to blame the moon for her seduction? “I know not what you mean. We must prepare for our journey. The Egyptian Preservation Society has already learned of your existence, and will do whatever they can to stop us.”
Humor fading, she gulped. “Stop as in ‘kill’?”
“Yes, but not before torturing you.”
She paled, a lovely fragile flower wilting. “Don’t say any more.”
“Do not worry. I will not let them hurt you.”
The chair wobbled backward when she lunged for the bedroom. “I have to get ready for work. So do you.”
He had hoped to ease her mind. She hurried off like a frightened rabbit.
On her heels, he was determined to convince her. “The vizier will attack again. So far he has not succeeded in killing you, but he will never stop trying.”
He nearly bumped into her when she halted and looked up at him. “The knife.”
He nodded. “Yes, a knife, possibly poison. You can trust nothing and no one. Except me.” Did she not understand?
Her wide eyes searched his. “No, I have his knife. He dropped it yesterday, and I put it in my messenger bag.” She rushed to the bedroom, opened her bag and drew out the bejeweled weapon.
Iker had paused in the doorway but stepped to her si
de as she examined the ancient blade. In the morning sun, the silver hilt revealed the symbols imprinted into the crocodile’s back.
She ran her fingers across the clustered gems. “I’ve never seen such a beautiful weapon. But I have to admit, I find the design very puzzling.”
Beautiful to behold, perhaps, but the weapon held a deeper purpose. “The blade is fashioned after a scarab created for the queen pharaoh. Her devotees had buried the gems with Hatshepsut, placed over her chest to accompany her to the afterlife, where her heart would have been weighed against the feather of truth.”
“Oh gosh, really? This once belonged to Hatshepsut?” Her fingers lightly caressed the ornate treasure, obviously a rarity in this modern time. “The vizier must even more angry he lost the knife, then.”
And angrier that Sanura now had the spoils of User’s former victory, but Iker wouldn’t worry her with such details. And having the weapon in their possession meant one less hurdle to cross, and one step closer to their goal.
Her touch grazed the engraved symbols. “What do these mean?”
If he told her, she might never help him. “My apologies for my ignorance.”
She lifted the knife higher and tilted the blade. “This is supposed to be a scarab beetle’s leg, isn’t it? And the crocodile’s swallowing the beetle?”
“I… do not know.” Or, didn’t want her to know.
Her gaze sharpened on him. “Yes, you do. Tell me. If the vizier had this made, he wanted these two symbols to mean something. What?”
For the first time he could remember, he floundered for words. “It… I mean, I think they might signify… a warning.” The monstrous creature consumed Khepri, the beetle-headed sun god of creation and existence. The vizier had wanted all to know the queen pharaoh would never cross the skies to her eternal peace.
She squared off against him. “You know exactly what these mean. Why won’t you tell me?” She paled. “Are the symbols a curse? Against anyone who touches the knife?”
“No,” he could truthfully say. “Otherwise the vizier would not have handled it.”
“That’s true.” She glanced at the blade, then back to him. “But what aren’t you telling me?”
“Sanura, there is much you do not understand. I will tell you along our journey.”
“The only journey I’m taking is to work.” Her gaze swept over him. “Where are your work clothes?”
He toed the floor. “I hide them in the closet at the museum.” It made him uncomfortable to behave subversively, but he had no choice.
“Oh, no. Don’t you have a place to sleep?”
He forced an arrogant laugh. “Of course.”
“Where?”
Her lilting tone did not fool him. He would avoid her female traps, enticing as she may be. “Do not worry yourself.”
“Where do you sleep?” Each word punched the air between them.
No getting around the issue. He muttered, “Across the street.”
She rushed to the window. “You have an apartment across the street?”
He took refuge behind her cat, which he lifted against his chest. “Uh, not an apartment. Exactly.”
“Then what, exactly?” She peered outside, and her mouth dropped open. “Not… please tell me you don’t sleep in the tree.”
“All right.” Gladly, he would not say the words. The cat pushed away from him, its claws grazing his skin before it landed on the carpet. “Ow.”
She stalked up to him and searched his face. “Do you sleep in the tree?”
He knew she’d find the truth there, but maybe he could soften it. “Mostly not. More like cat naps.” He lightly brushed the scratch on his chest, hoping for sympathy.
Her finger wagged in his face. “No. No more sleeping in the tree.”
His insides leapt and twirled in a joyful dance. “You will allow me to stay inside your home?” After what they shared, the idea appealed to him with great force. But why did a goddess live in such modest accommodations?
“I never said that. Find your own home.” She shoved hair back from her face.
The soft morning light lent a lovely glow to her skin. “I must be near you.” By the gods, he had made it sound like a declaration of love—the last thing he could do, even after last night. Especially after last night.
Shoulders sagged, she tsk’d. “Don’t.”
“To protect you, goddess.” Any other reasons, he could not admit, even to himself.
“I know you mean well…” Her sigh hinted at exasperation.
If he had to give her the hard truth, he would. “I have already thwarted three attacks.”
She straightened to her full height. “What?”
“Thrice, I have deterred assassins who sought to attack you. So you understand why I must remain close to you.”
“Three separate times?” Her gaze empty, she sunk onto the sofa.
No need to answer. It might take her a little while to absorb the fact. Once she finally accepted him as her protector, she might also accept her role as the pharaoh’s liberator.
Otherwise, according to the pledge he vowed to the queen pharaoh during their lifetimes, he would employ the secondary plan to enlist Sanura’s aid.
Bind her and drag her to the temple. With every gentleness, of course.
After that, his skills might fail him. This new world was uncharted territory. In Sanura’s presence, he felt powerless, even helpless until a threat befell her, and then he had the strength of ten lions to defend her. His oath to the queen pharaoh bound him, but each day, his loyalty shifted to Sanura. A dangerous position.
Hopefully his ultimate loyalty would not be tested before they completed their task.
Chapter Nine
“We need to leave soon. If I don’t stop for more coffee, I’ll never make it through the day.” Sanura said it more to herself than to him. Flustered and unable to fully awaken after so little sleep, she was the one who’d taken forever to get ready. He didn’t need to fuss. He looked perfect as usual.
Before leaving the apartment, she’d mustered the gumption to bring up her brazenness. She focused on a cat as she said, “We have to talk. About last night.” The cat narrowed its eyes as if in disapproval. “It was a mistake. One that can never happen again.” The cat shifted, turning its back to her. Startled, she lost her train of thought.
“Never is a long time,” he’d said sadly.
And she’d almost melted into his arms again.
“Do not worry.” More businesslike then. “I know my place.”
“No, I didn’t mean to…” She shook her head. “I’m so confused. Between the exhibit and all this inexplicable weirdness, I don’t know what to think.”
He lifted his chin. “Think about your duty. I shall as well.”
All righty then. That put enough of a damper on the situation. She gestured him outside, and locked the apartment door behind her.
Riding beside her on the bus, his shoulder bumped hers every now and then, and when he looked at her, her belly did backflips, then hung suspended. A little like the time in Greece, during her overseas study, when she’d leapt off a cliff overlooking the sea. As exhilarating as it was terrifying. And one of the stupidest things she’d ever done. Yes, but you have wonderful memories of it now. The dream could come true… Iker worshipping you in the most amazing ways…
He leaned his shoulder into hers. “Is something amusing?”
Good thing she didn’t play poker. She erased her sloppy grin. “I was remembering something crazy I once did.” And imagining another crazy thing—the two of them as an actual couple. He was so far out of her league.
His eyes crinkled in a smile. “What?”
“Jumped off a cliff into the sea.” What she wouldn’t give to return to those days, so young and full of life, nothing seemed impossible.
“You did?”
If she could land in his arms, she might be tempted to again. “In Greece. Too much studying, I suppose it went to my head. Other kid
s in my overseas group made it look like fun.”
“And was it?”
“Yes.” Despite the bruised ribs she suffered.
A rare smile softened his face. “I can almost see you diving gracefully from cloud height.”
“Gracefully? Hardly.” More like a cat falling into a pool, scrabbling the air for purchase and finding none.
“But you and your friends enjoyed yourselves.”
“Yeah, we laughed about it for days. Weeks, maybe.” And the incredible sensation of freedom stayed with her almost as long.
“It’s natural to form a closer bond in dangerous situations.”
Like when someone attacks you? He’d said it so casually. So why did she feel like her veins had thickened with ice? “I suppose.” Come to think of it, she and Iker had grown a little closer since then. She attempted to send him a smile, but it probably resembled a mask of horror.
The bus slowed, and she lurched from her seat. “Here’s our stop.”
Trailing close behind, he said, “But the museum is blocks away.”
“I need coffee.” Until she consumed her morning dose, she acted more like a mummy than he did.
“Pardon. I’d forgotten.” He bowed his head.
“Please don’t do that. It’s not normal.” The city might boast a multicultural population, but no one acted so formal these days.
“I understand, and will modify my behavior. Nonetheless, we must remain on guard.” As if to demonstrate, he scanned their surroundings.
Unease filled her. “They wouldn’t try anything in daylight, would they?”
“You are safe. They must kill me first.”
He spoke so nonchalantly, the words didn’t register at first.
“What? No. I can’t let that happen.” No murder allowed.
All seriousness, he said, “I am sworn to protect you.”
“I could never let you die for me.” She would die too. The thought of him as a corpse again stabbed her heart.
Ironic as it was, she had never felt more comfortable around a guy than she was with Iker, born thousands of years before her. He understood her passion for Egypt, shared her love of animals, and didn’t judge her dancing as risqué. He accepted her for herself and didn’t take her at face value.
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