by Meg Ripley
A moment later she felt the woman kneel behind her and loosen the clips that held her hair in place. Her long fingers combed through the blond strands, loosening them until they spread out around Liora's head.
"Slide down," Akusaa whispered, and Liora complied, easing her body off of the step where she sat and onto the bottom of the tub.
Liora felt water stream through her hair and then smelled something fresh and soothing. Akusaa washed her hair carefully, then poured more water through it.
"My brother has been waiting for you," Akusaa whispered.
Liora's eyes opened sharply.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
The lovely woman touched her face gently, tracing it with her fingers.
"He said you would come."
Akusaa placed a stack of towels beside the tub and draped something white across a low bench. Without another word, she walked out of the building, leaving Liora alone and confused.
Liora took a long breath and reached beside her to pick up a sponge. She dipped it into the water and trailed it along her skin, thinking about Akusaa's words and the feeling they created low in her belly. It reminded her of the feeling that came from touching the hieroglyphs and from the heat that radiated from Amasis's skin.
When she finished bathing, Liora climbed reluctantly from the tub and dried herself on the soft towels before picking up the cloth that Akusaa had placed on the bench. It felt like fluid in her hands and when she unfolded it, she saw that it was a long white dress. She dropped it over her head and let it flutter down her body so that the fabric grazed her skin and touched her feet.
Shaking her wet hair around her shoulders, she walked out of the building and back toward the pyramid.
****
"Child of the moon."
Amasis turned from the pyramid and she saw his eyes travel along her body where she stood on the boulder at the edge of the trees.
"That's what your name means," she said.
"I know," he said, approaching her slowly.
"Your sister is older than you?"
"Yes. First comes the sunset, then comes the moon."
Liora smiled as he came closer. The height of the boulder made it so that his face aligned with her belly and she could feel the heat radiating off of him again.
"She said that you knew I would come. What did she mean by that?"
Amasis leaned forward and brushed his face across her stomach, touching it just enough that the thin fabric of the dress moved across her skin. She drew in a breath, startled by the touch but craving more.
"Can I show you something?" he asked.
Liora nodded and he placed his hands on her waist, lifting her with the ease of a doll and placing her on her feet on the ground beside him. His fingers intertwined with hers as he led her toward the pyramid. The touch was not calming like Akusaa's, but hot and electrifying, making her hand tingle and her body respond as though it already knew him.
Amasis led her around the pyramid, walking close along its side until the passed it and stepped out onto a stretch of tall grass. She looked out in front of her, gasping at the sight of more than a dozen pyramids scattered across the bottom of what looked like a massive quarry dug deeply into the ground of the jungle.
"What is this?" she asked.
"Ruins," he replied.
The tone of his voice was reverent, holding the same deep respect and shade of awe that she knew hers had when she spoke of the ancient buildings in Egypt.
"Ruins of what?" she asked.
"Come see."
Amasis guided her along an overgrown path that led down into the quarry. She walked carefully, the ground beneath her pressing painfully into her bare feet, but the lure of his hand kept her from stopping.
"We visited Earth thousands of years ago," he said, walking up to one of the pyramids and resting his hand against its slowly crumbling side.
"Egypt," she said.
He looked back at her and nodded, then guided her further into the eerily silent empty city of pyramids.
"We taught the humans there about our culture and helped them raise their own pyramids just like ours. My ancestor was there."
Liora watched as he ran his hand along a symbol embedded in the side of another of the pyramids and when he moved it she saw that it was the circles she had seen on the wall in the pyramid she studied.
"This is his name in our ancient language. Seker. It means the night sun."
"The moon."
Liora's mind was spinning. She had felt such an intense connection to that symbol, but now she was realizing that it was not that symbol, but the man in front of her, the descendant who had been named for the extraterrestrial visitor who had engraved that hieroglyph into the stone when the pyramid was still new, that drew her toward it.
"He wanted so much for our people and the humans to cooperate, to learn from one another, and to exist together civilly."
"He engraved that into the pyramid. I found that inscription this morning."
"Yes. Unfortunately, the humans were not as open to the relationship. It wasn't long before our people decided that the Earth was a desolate place and the humans there could never be tamed enough for an allegiance to benefit our kind. The ambassadors returned and they sealed the portals that connected our worlds."
"Then how did I get here?"
"I don't know. No one has passed through that portal since they returned. I have been studying these pyramids my entire life and I have no explanation for it."
Amasis pulled her closer so that the front of her body touched his and she felt the searing heat building again.
"Your skin feels so hot," she said, wanting at the same time to pull away from the heat and to press closer to him.
"It's because of you," he whispered back, "It's how the men of my kind react to our mates."
Her eyes raised to his and she felt like she was falling into them, suddenly recognizing the color as the rare shade of the sky when the moon is full and the glow reflects from the clouds, illuminating the area just around it.
"How did you know I was coming?" she asked.
Without responding, Amasis guided her toward another pyramid and ducked inside. The cool, dark interior was a welcome relief from the bright sunlight outside, but being in the small building made her even more aware of Amasis's body.
"This is the portal my ancestor used. When he engraved the pyramid on Earth, the message appeared here," he touched the wall to show the section of hieroglyphics, "These," he said, pointing to a much newer set of engravings, "are mine."
Liora stepped forward and squinted in the faint light of the chamber at the engravings. They looked like the ones from the tiny chamber she entered behind the false wall.
"You made those?" she asked incredulously.
"Yes. Every time you touched my Seker's mark, I could feel it. I knew you belonged here with me and I wanted to connect with you, so I started making carvings. It wasn't until today that I knew you found them. I never imagined that they would bring you here."
"Why didn't I come to this pyramid, then? Why did I end up in the other one?"
Amasis shook his head.
"I don't know."
He took a step forward, the increased pressure of his body causing her to step back. She pressed against the wall just as she had when he guided her up against the first pyramid, but this time he flattened his hands to the wall on either side of her.
"What does your name mean?" he said, the sound of the impending storm rolling through her body and sending a shiver into her core.
"It means 'my light'."
Amasis rested one hand against her cheek and she tilted her face to brush her lips across his palm.
"Yes," he said so softly she barely heard him, "That is exactly what you are."
His lips touched hers gently, cautiously as if he gauging her reaction. The burn of his skin intensified until she worried she couldn't stand touching him any longer. He could sense her discomfort and tucked his h
ead into the curve of her neck and shoulder.
"Only you can feel the heat," he said into her skin.
He touched a kiss to her neck and she shivered.
"Will you always feel this way to me?"
"No. Only for now."
Liora raised her lips to his and he caught them, letting his mouth nurture hers patiently until it opened and he could glide his tongue inside. She whimpered against his mouth, sighing at the feel of his mouth and the taste of his kiss. Her hands grazed across his back, the ever-increasing temperature of his skin stinging on her palms but she didn't care as she reveled in the curves and planes of his muscles.
Amasis deepened their kiss and Liora gave in to the temptation that had been driving her to the brink of her control since the moment she laid eyes on his stunning body. She ran her hands along his hips to the front of the tan pants that were his only garment. Slim brown strings tied them in place and her fingers worked quickly over the knot, releasing it so that she could ease the pants off his hips.
"Does anyone else ever come here?" she asked, kissing the middle of his chest.
"No," he replied through labored breath.
"Good," she said, running her fingertips along the hard length of the erection she had revealed.
Amasis gasped and his elbows bent, bringing his body closer to hers. She lifted her mouth to his and continued her slow torment, tracing her fingers along the ridges of his veins and the edge of the head, pausing to swirl into the most sensitive place on the underside. His breath came in ragged pants as if he was struggling to control himself. Liora touched one fingertip to the very tip of his erection, making it slick with the droplet of fluid that had formed there, and then ran it back down to the base.
Suddenly Amasis tore his mouth away from hers and looked down at her, his eyes flashing and his jaw set.
"If you are going to touch me," he said, reaching down and wrapping her hand tightly around his shaft, "Then touch me."
Liora gasped as he pressed her palm even more firmly against his cock and guided it to stroke him. She used her free hand to push his chest until he stepped back, forcing him against the small chamber until it was his back that was against the wall. He groaned as she held him still and stroked him with a fast, smooth rhythm that belied the patience she had maintained only moments before. His hands came forward to grip her hips and his eyes closed.
The sounds pouring from Amasis's chest grew desperate and she could feel his shaft hardening even more as he rushed toward climax. He made a gasping sound that told her he was right on the brink and she lowered to her knees, bringing him into her mouth just as her name came from him in a strangled gasp and he began to pulse against her tongue. She swallowed deeply, milking him until his loud cries quieted and his body relaxed. Even as she climbed to her feet she noticed the temperature of his skin dropping.
Her heart swelled as he drew her close to him. She suddenly felt whole for the first time in her life and she knew exactly what Amasis meant when he called her his mate.
"So, that's all it took to cool you off?" she asked.
He gave a short laugh through breaths that were still trying to normalize.
"That's all," he confirmed, "We are bonded now. You belong to me now."
"Oh, really?"
He nodded and kissed her.
"And I belong to you."
Liora ran one hand along his chest and nuzzled against him.
"Well, if that's the case," she lifted her head and bit his bottom lip playfully, "Then come cool me off."
****
She pushed away from him and ran from the pyramid, gathering her skirt higher so that it didn't tangle under her feet. He growled as he came after her and she squealed, picking up speed so she could elude him. They ran throughout the pyramids, sliding from the dark shadows into the dying light of the gradually setting sun and back as he chased her.
Finally, she ducked into one of the pyramids, turning to the entrance as his silhouette appeared against the darkening sky. He stepped toward her and she stepped back, catching herself on the wall as she stumbled over something she had not seen on the floor. Her fingertips touched the stone, dipping into the grooves of a hieroglyph, and in an instant the chamber around her was gone.
Liora felt the pull deep in her stomach and a scream tore through her as she realized what was happening. In the next moment, she lay on the ground in the pyramid in Egypt, the voices of the crew filling the space around her as they gathered around her.
"No!" she screamed, pulling onto her knees and clawing at the wall, trying to find the hieroglyphs that would bring her back to Amasis.
"Liora!" Ethan's voice broke through her own frantic screams and she turned to him. "What the hell happened?"
She let him bring her to her feet and as she looked around she realized she was not in the small chamber behind the false wall, but another, larger chamber she hadn't seen before.
"How did I get here?" she asked.
"I don't know. You were beside me one minute, and then the next you were gone. We've been searching for you for hours. Where did you get that dress?"
Liora gathered the dress in her hands, balling as much of the skirt into her palms as she could and pressing it to her face. Sobs racked through her body and she felt like she couldn't hold herself up. She couldn't get back to him. Amasis himself had said he didn't understand how she had managed to use the portals that had been sealed for thousands of years.
Ethan wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she let him lead her out of the chamber and along the corridors until they stepped out of the pyramid. She was still sobbing as he guided her into her tent, the pain threatening to crack her chest in two. His hands eased her down onto her sleeping bag and she heard him mutter to someone who had followed them to get the doctor.
"I don’t need a doctor," she said, her crying now quieted and replaced by an aching emptiness. "I need Amasis."
"Who is Amasis?"
"The descendant of one of the extraterrestrials who came thousands of years ago and helped build these pyramids."
"Please don't start that again, Liora. This is serious. You were missing for hours. Something must have happened to you."
Liora shook her head against the pillow, curling into a tight ball.
"I am serious. He has been waiting for me."
"Where?"
"I found a hidden chamber in the pyramid and it transported me to his planet. He showed me the ruins of pyramids that have been there for thousands of years, since they decided that the people of Earth weren't worth their alliance and left."
Before Ethan could reply, the doctor came into the tent. He instructed Liora to sit up and poured water down her throat, insisting she was suffering from heat exhaustion.
"She should leave tomorrow," he said over his shoulder to Ethan, "We can finish this investigation without her. We have enough of her notes on the hieroglyphs to get through."
His words sank in and suddenly Liora was on her feet, running back toward the pyramid. She leaned down as she passed the tool tent, scooping a chisel off the ground without stopping. Behind her she could hear Ethan and the doctor screaming at her, but their words were drowned out by the pounding of her heartbeat and the rush of her blood in her ears.
Liora ran down the corridor into the chamber and through the false wall into the smaller space. Lifting the chisel, she began pounding at the wall, desperately trying to engrave a symbol into the stone.
"Stop! Liora, what are you doing?" Ethan shouted, climbing through the false wall into the chamber with her.
She continued on, screaming with the exertion of each movement, frantically hitting the wall until her arms gave out and she couldn't lift the chisel again. Her body crumpled to the ground, the tears pouring again, and Ethan dropped to his knees beside her, gathering her against him as she cried.
Suddenly she noticed a flicker of light out of the corner of her eye. She looked up and saw a new hieroglyph glowing in the stone. A moment later, a
nother appeared, closer to the false door. She touched it and in an instant, another appeared, this one right outside the false door in the main chamber. As she followed them, more of the glowing symbols appeared, guiding her along the wall of the chamber to the opposite corner.
Light pulsed along the seam of the corner as she drew closer, and Liora touched her palm to it. Instead of another false wall, she felt the entire wall shift slightly and blinding light poured into the space. The stone beneath her hand gave way and was replaced by soft, warm skin. Strong fingers intertwined with hers and she stepped back, helping Amasis step through the wall into the chamber.
As soon as he was standing beside her, he gathered her against his chest.
"My light," he whispered into her hair, "I thought I had lost you."
"Dear god," Ethan said from behind them, "You were telling the truth."
Liora raised her head to respond, but she heard the commotion of the rest of the crew racing down the corridor and she looked up at Amasis desperately.
"Go," she said, pushing him back toward the gap in the wall, which was starting to ease closed.
"Not without you," he said.
"Take me with you."
Amasis tightened his grip on her hand and stepped back through the wall, pulling her along with him. She felt a hand close around her wrist and she screamed, yanking against the doctor's grip so he could not pull her back through. Amasis tugged hard on her and finally she ripped out of the doctor's hand and stumbled into Amasis's arms just as the wall sealed behind them.
****
Liora and Amasis tumbled backwards and landed on the dusty floor, him on his back and her sprawled on his chest. They both lay still for a few seconds, their hard, uneven breath the only sound in the isolated chamber, before Liora dipped her mouth down to his.