From the moment he stepped into the inner court I recognized him. Alexio! With shaggy dark hair that hung about his shoulders, he wore a clean blue tunic, leather leggings and sandals. Beside him were a few others: Biel, the young man with the scarred face, had now grown even taller, my uncle Horemheb who always dressed as an Egyptian and a child. A child barely walking and with red hair!
I felt Tiye’s eyes upon me, and I forced myself to breathe normally as the group approached. Alexio had not changed—he looked a little older, a little unhappier. He showed no excitement at seeing me; nor did I expect any. I had betrayed him at the highest level. I had taken an oath under the stars, swearing to love him always and call him mine. Then I sent him away.
Shaking myself out of my reverie I listened respectfully as Huya announced the leaders of the Meshwesh. “Horemheb, friend of Egypt, brings gifts of turquoise to Pharaoh and his queen, Nefertiti. May he present them?” Dutifully, I nodded my permission, careful to keep my movements smooth and easy so as not to disturb the scented wig and crown that rested uneasily on my head. Horemheb stepped forward stiffly. He knelt on his long legs and held open a round cedar chest full of bits of turquoise jewelry. It was not a fine prize—not so fine as the gifts the Hittites and Cushites offered—but I knew it was the tribe’s best. The Meshwesh were not a stingy people. I barely looked at it but thanked them for their kind gifts to Pharaoh.
“Welcome, my father’s people,” I said warmly. There could be only one reason why they were here—to see their mekhma and, if possible, bring her home. And I understood that although I was the mekhma who had saved them, brought them back to Zerzura, raised them to a seat of respect in Egypt, I was not the one they came to rescue.
I would never be rescued.
Read more from M.L. Bullock
The Seven Sisters Series
Seven Sisters
Moonlight Falls on Seven Sisters
Shadows Stir at Seven Sisters
The Stars that Fell
The Stars We Walked Upon
The Idlewood Series
The Ghosts of Idlewood
Dreams of Idlewood
The Whispering Saint (forthcoming)
The Haunted Child (forthcoming)
The Heart of Idlewood (forthcoming)
The Desert Queen Series
The Tale of Nefret
The Falcon Rises
The Kingdom of Nefertiti
The Song of the Bee-Eater (forthcoming)
The Sugar Hill Series
Wife of the Left Hand
Fire on the Ramparts (forthcoming)
Blood by Candlelight (forthcoming)
The Starlight Ball (forthcoming)
Athena’s Revenge (forthcoming)
The Sirens Gate Series
The Mermaid’s Gift
The Blood Feud
The Wrath of Minerva
The Lorelei Curse (forthcoming)
The Island Jinx (forthcoming)
The Fortunate Star (forthcoming)
The Southern Gothic Series
Being with Beau
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About the Author
Author of the best-selling Seven Sisters series and the Desert Queen series, M.L. Bullock has been storytelling since she was a child. A student of archaeology, she loves weaving stories that feature her favorite historical characters—including Nefertiti. She currently lives on the Gulf Coast with her family but travels frequently to exotic locations around the globe.
The Falcon Rises (The Desert Queen Book 2) Page 16