Sands of Time (Out of Time #6)

by Monique Martin

  The group piled into waiting carriages and enjoyed the refreshing breeze and flyless air as they rode back to the Winter Palace. After agreeing to meet again in a few hours, Simon and Elizabeth split off and headed for their suite.

  Simon put their room key down on the side table. “I think I have half the race course on me. I’ll start the bath,” he said as he went into the bathroom.

  Elizabeth took off her sun hat and was just about to toss it onto the table when she noticed a large white box tied up with a silver bow.

  She put her hat down. “Simon? Did you do this?”

  When there was no answer but the sound of running water, Elizabeth reached for the bow. This was so Simon, always surprising her with little gifts. Although, she thought as she untied the ribbon, this was hardly little. The box was about three feet by two feet and just large enough for a dress.

  “You really shouldn’t have,” she called out as she looked toward the bath and lifted the lid off. But she was glad he had. She loved presents.

  Excited now, she set the lid aside and reached to peel back the tissue paper when it moved. It was so subtle she wasn’t sure if she’d seen it or imagined it. She reached out again and froze as the pieces of tissue paper parted, and the large brown head of a cobra rose from between them.

  The black beady eyes locked onto her as the head rose up, its broad hood fanned out on either side. Elizabeth could barely breathe. She didn’t dare move. She was leaning in toward it, her hand hovering in mid-air just inches away from the snake.

  “Simon,” she said softly, not daring to take her eyes off the cobra.

  “Simon,” she said again a little louder.

  She and the snake stared at each other. His body rising a foot and a half up out of the box now as he held her fixed in place.

  She could see the rest of his length curled inside it. Could it smell her fear? Did snakes smell at all? They had noses, so they probably smelled, but maybe they weren’t good smellers. Could it hear her heart racing? Could it feel the vibrations the way she did? A series of ridiculous questions and answers tumbled through her mind as she stood rooted in place, afraid to move an inch and sure if she did it would be her last.

  “Aren’t you co—” Simon started. “Dear God.”

  Elizabeth’s eyes darted toward Simon. He stood in the doorway of the bath, afraid to move. His face was as pale as she knew hers was.

  Slowly, he began to move toward her. “Just stay still.”

  “I’m trying,” Elizabeth said, her mouth dry.

  As Simon came into the snake’s field of view, its dark brown head swayed to the side, but it didn’t turn away. It focused on her. It was only thinking of her.

  “Careful,” Elizabeth whispered in a hoarse rasp.

  The minute it took for Simon to get near to her felt like an hour. The snake’s black eyes bore into her, frighteningly hypnotic. The markings on his dark gray body and tan underbelly drew her eyes to his. She couldn’t have looked away if she’d tried.

  She felt Simon approach and with each step the snake swayed just a little. She could hear the length of its body shifting, rustling against the dress it was coiled within. Each sway felt like the moment before the strike. Before she would die. She’d read about Egyptian cobras before they’d come; it wasn’t good nighttime reading. Their venom was some of the deadliest in the world, attacking the nervous system and capable of causing death in less than fifteen minutes. Or you could linger with convulsions, blistering, necrosis and paralysis.

  “I love you,” she said, hoping it wouldn’t be the last thing she said.

  “It’s going to be all right,” Simon whispered from behind her. He sounded so calm. How could he sound calm? Ever so slowly, he slipped an arm around her waist.

  She was just about to ask him what he was doing when he yanked her back and away from the snake. It lunged forward as Simon pulled her back. But as quickly as he’d moved, the snake had moved that much faster.

  She felt it strike her arm, and she screamed.

  ~ ~ ~

  Elizabeth’s scream cut straight to Simon’s heart. He’d pulled her away from the snake as quickly as he could, but he’d been too slow, too damned slow. What had he been thinking, trying to move faster than a cobra? It was foolhardy at best and at worst…he couldn’t think about that now.

  His arm still about her waist, Simon spun her away. He turned back to see the snake lying half on and half off the table. He didn’t hesitate, and gathered Elizabeth into his arms and strode for the door.

  “Simon,” she said, breathless.

  His heart pounded so quickly in his chest he couldn’t speak. He fumbled with the door handle briefly and carried her out into the hall.

  “I need help!” he cried.

  A few people were already in the hallway, alerted by her scream, and raced toward them.

  “I’m all right,” she said, but it barely registered with Simon.

  “Get a doctor!” he bellowed at a short, stout man. “Now! And someone close that door! There’s a snake in there,” he ordered another guest.

  Both complied with his orders without hesitation.

  “It’s all right,” Elizabeth said again. “I’m okay.”

  She held out her arm, and where Simon had expected to see two puncture wounds, there was nothing.

  “It didn’t bite me,” she said.

  It took a moment for the news to reach Simon’s brain. “What?”

  “You can put me down,” she said with an embarrassed smile.

  Slowly, Simon lowered her to the floor of the hall where quite a crowd had gathered, including Jack and Diana.

  “What happened?” Jack said, shouldering his way past the other guests. “You okay?”

  Elizabeth nodded and then looked up at Simon. “I’m sorry I screamed…”

  Simon let out a shuddering breath and cupped her cheeks. “You’re sure you’re not hurt?” He scanned her quickly. Miraculously, she seemed unharmed.

  “I don’t understand what happened,” she said. “I felt the snake hit my arm.”

  Jack held up her arm to see for himself. “Snake?”

  Simon tilted Elizabeth’s head forward and rested his forehead against hers. “Oh, Elizabeth,” he whispered. He thought he’d lost her. He thought he’d lost everything.

  “I’m okay,” she said.

  Simon let out another breath, one that barely held back his emotions, before kissing her forehead and pulling her into his arms.

  “What happened?”

  “Did someone say snake?”

  The growing crowd buzzed with questions, but Simon ignored them. His only focus was on the woman in his arms.

  “All right, all right,” Jack said. “Show’s over, everybody.”

  “Come on,” Diana said, joining in his crowd control efforts. “Back to your rooms.”

  Slowly, the guests began to disperse, grumbling and gossiping as they went.

  Simon eased Elizabeth back from his embrace. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  She nodded and held out her arms, her hands trembling. “Biteless and happy to be.”

  “What’s going on here?” a man’s voice came from down the hall. A group of men, including a doctor with his small black bag hurried toward them.

  “My wife was nearly bitten by a cobra,” Simon said. “In our room.”

  The hotel manager blanched and waved to two of the other men who had long poles with wire loops on the end. They opened the suite door and disappeared inside.

  The doctor stepped toward Elizabeth. “You were not bitten?” he asked as he ran his hands up and down her arms. “You’re sure?”

  Elizabeth nodded, but it was clear she was still shaken.

  “Is there somewhere we can take her to rest?” the doctor asked.

  “My room’s right here,” Jack suggested.

  They all moved to Jack’s room where Elizabeth was examined by the doctor and declared “very lucky.” Simon was hardly going to disagree.
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  He sat down next to her on the sofa and despite her protests that she was fine, he could see she was still unsettled as she tucked her legs up beneath her. Simon held her hand and tried not to reach for his watch to get them both the hell out of there.

  After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door. The men had captured the snake and brought it to show them. Elizabeth pressed into Simon’s side at the sight. It was enormous, perhaps four feet long. One of the men grasped it about the neck and held it out. He said something in Arabic and Diana and the doctor both warily approached.

  “What are you doing?” Jack said, reaching out to stop her.

  “It’s all right,” Diana said. “It’s harmless. Well, relatively.” She leaned in to get a closer look before turning back to explain. “I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never seen it. The lips have been sewn shut with a fine fishing line.”

  The doctor cleaned his glassed. “Some of the snake charmers you might find on the streets do this to protect themselves. As you can see, it is an excellent deception, only visible upon close inspection.”

  Simon didn’t know whether to be relieved or angry. It wasn’t meant to kill; it was a message. You are vulnerable. He glanced down at Elizabeth. They were indeed, and he’d never felt it more acutely.

  She squeezed his hand and looked up at him. He could see the same thoughts mirrored in her eyes.

  After repeated sweeps and promises that there were no other surprises in their room, Simon and Elizabeth, and Jack and Diana went back into their suite.

  “So, it was in the box?” Jack said as he carefully poked the tissue paper inside the box with the tip of an unlit candle.

  “I thought it was a gift from Simon,” Elizabeth said. She’d regained her color, although, he noticed she kept her feet up off the floor.

  “It sure as hell wasn’t from me,” Simon said as he crossed the room. Sitting inside the box was a small, folded card. He picked it up and opened it. The earlier choice between relief and anger was made. “Jouvet.”

  “He wouldn’t—” Elizabeth said. “I mean, the dress, but not the other.”

  Simon’s rage was white hot. He would break the man’s bloody neck.

  “Really,” Elizabeth said.

  Her trust in the man only fueled Simon’s anger. With a remarkable veneer of calm considering the anger boiling inside him, he nodded and slipped the card into his pocket. “I’d like to have a word with the manager. Will you be all right?”

  Elizabeth eyed him for a moment and he thought she saw through his ruse, but she nodded. “I’m fine, really.”

  “I’ll stay with her,” Diana offered.

  “I think I’ll come with you, if that’s all right?” Jack asked.

  “I won’t be long,” Simon dismissed him and left.

  He was only a few steps down the hallway when Jack grabbed his arm. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

  Simon stopped and swiftly turned to face Jack. “I am going to hit someone. And unless you get out of my way, you will be the first.”

  Jack’s expression changed from concern to relief. “I thought you were going to kill him,” Jack said. “Beating him up sounds good.”

  He let go and Simon resumed his march down the hall.

  “Leave a little for me,” Jack said.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Despite the repeated assurances from the hotel staff that the room was safe, Elizabeth couldn’t help but look around nervously. Snakes could hide in places. Like big boxes or small crannies. Nagini’s smaller cousin could be hiding somewhere, waiting.

  Diana sat down opposite her in the seating area and started to say something, but just offered an awkward, but reassuring smile. Elizabeth gave her one of her own, before the curtain fluttered and she jumped a little.

  Diana leaned forward. “I know they said they checked everywhere, but maybe we could give it one more look?”

  Grateful for the offer, Elizabeth nodded and got up. She’d definitely feel better if she saw for herself the coast was clear. But she didn’t relish the idea of sticking her head under the bed to find out what was there. “We need something pokey.”

  Diana cocked her head to the side.

  Elizabeth mimed jabbing something. “To poke with.”

  “Right,” Diana sad and chewed her lip in thought.

  Elizabeth looked around the room for something that would do, but there was nothing long enough.

  “I’ll be right back!” Diana said suddenly, and bolted from the room.

  She was back less than two minutes later with two golf clubs and handed Elizabeth one.

  “Courtesy of the Everetts’,” she said.

  “They let you borrow them?” Elizabeth asked skeptically. The Everetts didn’t seem the generous type.

  Diana smiled. “Not exactly.”

  Elizabeth liked this woman more and more.

  Diana moved to the window and pulled the curtains back with the club. “You start over there. If you find anything suspicious, don’t be a hero.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “I’m not feeling all that heroic at the moment.”

  “You could have fooled me.” She prodded at the other sheer and looked out on window ledge. “I would have fainted dead away.”

  Elizabeth found that hard to believe. “You?”

  “Snakes,” Diana said with a shudder.

  Elizabeth laughed and poked behind a potted palm. “You really are like Indiana Jones.”

  “I don’t know him,” Diana said, distracted by her search.

  Elizabeth smiled. “You’d like him.”

  They poked and prodded the living area to Elizabeth’s satisfaction before moving to the bedroom. “Oh, we should call for ice,” she said as she swiped the club under the dresser.

  Diana looked at her blankly.

  “For Simon’s bruised hands.”

  Diana’s eyebrows arched in surprise. “You mean you know why he really left?”

  “He’s my husband,” Elizabeth said simply. “Hopefully, Jack will keep him from getting into too much trouble.”

  Diana rested her club on the floor. “You know, in spite of how it looks, I don’t think Henri has something like this in him.”

  “I don’t either,” Elizabeth admitted. “But Katherine Vale can be quite…compelling. In an evil witchypoo sort of way.”

  Diana thought about it and nodded, before going back to searching the room. “What do you think she’s after? Why would she spend all this money on what most people think is a pointless dig?”

  Elizabeth paused. “I don’t know. All those things you found…There must be something in the tomb she needs,” she said. While it wasn’t exactly a lie, she didn’t like keeping Diana in the dark. Magic spells were one thing and time travelers from the future another.

  “Well, we’ll—” Diana started as she carefully flipped open the door to the armoire, jumping back a bit as she did.

  Elizabeth’s heart raced. Diana fished around inside and laughed as she pulled her club back out. One of Simon’s belts dangled from the end.

  She turned to Elizabeth with a smile as she took the belt off the end of the club. “We’ll just have to get it first, won’t we?”

  ~ ~ ~

  Simon found Jouvet in one of the salons holding court as usual. He smiled broadly when Simon entered, looking around him and expecting to find Elizabeth. He frowned when he saw Jack instead.

  “Where is your beautiful wife?” Jouvet asked, coming to his feet. “The dress, it is—”

  Simon’s right cross connected with the man’s chin so solidly it sounded like a Hollywood sound effect. Jouvet flew back narrowly missing his chair and stumbling around behind it. Simon stalked forward and threw the chair aside. Jouvet’s party of sycophants screamed and scrambled out of the way.

  Jouvet grabbed his jaw and shook his head, as he slowly backed away. “What are you doing? Are you mad?”

  Simon pressed forward. “Stay away from my wife!”

  “It was just a dress,
” Jouvet protested, as he found himself trapped between Simon and the wall. “To replace—”

  Simon lunged forward and gripped the man by the lapels. “And the cobra just found its own way into the box, did it?”

  Jouvet blinked in confusion. “Cobra?”

  Simon shoved Jouvet back against the wall and pressed his forearm against the man’s windpipe. “She could have been killed.”

  “I don’t understand,” Jouvet croaked.

  “Don’t play games with me, Jouvet,” Simon ground out.

  “I have seen jealous husbands before but—”

  Simon buried his fist in the man’s stomach.

  Jouvet grunted and gasped for air.

  Simon forced him back against the wall and leaned in. His own chest heaving from effort, from anger. “Tell Vale that your little trick didn’t work. We’re not going anywhere.”

  Simon heard voices behind him and shoved Jouvet back against the wall as he released him.

  “Vale?” Jouvet croaked out. “What does she—?”

  Simon glared at the man and was about to explain things again, when Jack stepped forward. “That present you sent Elizabeth had a little something extra in it.”

  Jouvet looked surprised. “A snake?”

  “Don’t pretend—” Simon said, as he balled his fist again.

  The voices behind Simon grew louder and he felt Jack’s hand grip his arm.

  “What is going on here?” the manager said, and then saw Jouvet. He hurried over to him. “Monsieur Jouvet!”

  Jouvet stared at Simon for a long moment.

  “What has happened?” the manager demanded.

  One of the men in Jouvet’s entourage stepped forward. “That man,” he said, pointing at Simon, “simply attacked poor Mr. Jouvet.”

  Simon glared at him and the man took a step back, but nodded toward the manager. “You see? He’s raving.”

  Jouvet kept his gaze on Simon and then reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. “It was simply a misunderstanding.”

  He wiped the blood from his lip, arching his eyebrow in surprise at how much there was. He looked again at Simon as he dabbed at his lip and then refolded his handkerchief, stuffing it back into his pocket. “Isn’t that right, Mr. Cross?”