Hathor's Return

by T. M. Grinsley

  My lungs burned for fresh air, but if I didn’t make it out of here alive, it wouldn’t matter anyway. I jumped over fallen rocks and gave it everything I had. A large rock fell on my shoulder, causing me to cry out in pain. Ropes touched my shoulder, and several large blades started to swing, looking for their prey.

  Using skills I never knew I had, I weaved in between the blades, and plastered myself against the wall. The doorway just ahead was on the verge of closing, locking me in here for all eternity.

  Ignoring the stabbing pain, I held my arm tight to my stomach. I waited for the blade to pass me, feeling its breath barely touch my arm, and ran for it. The doorway was about to close, when I slipped through the small gap and tumbled forward.

  Landing face first, with my shoulder and ribs screaming in pain, I thanked the gods for letting me make it out alive. Pushing myself up to look at my surroundings, my short reprieve was gone too soon. A massive sand wall was closing in on the temple, destroying everything in its wake. Before, when Jo and I were here, there was nothing outside, but now there stood several massive pillars and statues. I was back at Hathor’s Temple.

  But if I am back at Hathor’s Temple, where were we before?

  I went to look back at the door that shut me out, when I noticed the wall was completely different. The plain bricks from earlier, now held pictures from Hathor’s Temple.

  Violent tremors racked the temple, causing me to look at the storm in front of me. Not a single soul was in sight. Another violent tremor shook the temple, making me brace for whatever was to come. The tremor lasted for a few seconds, then my worst fear happened. At first I thought the sand was rising to reclaim the temple, but in reality it was starting to sink.

  Pushing myself up, I leaned against the column, looking for a way out. The wall of sand crept closer, wind whipping around me, causing me to shield my eyes. My hair flew in all directions, smacking me in the face and causing me to taste dirt and blood in my hair. Pushing my hair out of my face, I looked ahead of me and prayed the naked woman who visited me before would help me.

  “I’m here, my child.” I heard her voice inside my head, offering comfort.

  “I failed you. Jo is trapped with that woman and I am about to be buried alive. Not to mention, I just saw Hathor kill me!” Keeping the panic out of my voice, I squinted my eyes, trying to see my surroundings, but the harsh winds were making it impossible.

  “Hush, daughter of Eayni. Do what you must to get out. For what lies ahead will not be easy. He will be waiting for you on the other side. Run.” The woman’s voice shook me to my core, giving me the strength and courage I needed to do the unthinkable.

  Running out into the middle of a sand storm, I was headed straight for the eye of the storm. Way to go, Bulfer. Squatting in front of a statue, I narrowly missed a large rock aiming for my head. Taking a look around the statue, I used my forearm to deflect the sand from penetrating my skin and looked for a way out. I knew where I was, but with everything falling down around the temple, I had no idea which way the entrance was.

  Looking to the far right, I saw a small opening with something on the other side. Well, here goes nothing. Pushing off the statue, I ran as fast and as hard as I could. Visibility was pretty much non-existent. I was able to see a few feet in front of me before the wall of the sand storm took over. Rocks flew at every angle, causing me to dive onto the ground or take cover behind whatever I could find. My hair whipped around in all directions and rocks pelted my skin. Ignoring my body’s screams of protests, I dodged falling debris and nearly lost my life when a massive statue fell beside me. Nearing the small opening, my arms began to tingle and the familiar glow was back.

  Without looking, I knew the markings were there. Power surged through my blood, giving me the strength I needed to get out. Leaping over the large rock, I was near the opening, when the earth began to growl and suck me back to where I came. Loud thuds sounded around me, large rocks flew in all directions and a statue fell to the ground. Dodging one rock, I didn’t see the other one before it was too late. The jagged rock connected with my stomach, knocking me back a few feet.

  My head connected with something sharp and everything seemed fuzzy. A warm liquid started to trickle down my neck, and my arms began to glow brighter than I had ever seen them do before. A hooded figure emerged from the thick sand wall and rushed to my side. His face was covered with a black mask and he looked like the ancient society warriors from the movie, The Mummy. The Madjai.

  Doing what I could to get away, I felt a searing pain in my side and cried out. I looked down to see a sharp rock had penetrated my ribs and I was losing a lot of blood.

  The hooded figure knelt in front of me and started to assess the damage. His hands moved over my wounds and I noticed his arms held the same glow as mine. I tried to take a closer look, but the ground beneath us shook again, causing me to fall on my injured side and cry out in pain. The wind howled louder than ever, then suddenly died without a trace. The sand storm wall disappeared, as if nothing had ever happened.

  The hooded figure swooped me into familiar arms and ran in the opposite direction of the temple.

  “Do not look back, Ruwhi.” Looking back over the man’s shoulders, the temple lay in a pile of rubble, but the ground caved in on itself, then a massive mound shot up into the sky. Scarabs emerged from the mound, running in every direction. But that was not all. Spiders and snakes joined the pack, looking for their next meal.

  “Oh, God.” I cried out. Everything on this planet that I am terrified of, was coming to get us. My body screamed in agony from the jarring motions of him running, but my mind could only focus on what was behind him.

  “Ruwhi. It’s not real.” Moving his arm slightly, he tightened his grip on my legs, trying to get my attention. “Focus on me, Kris. I will get us out of here.”

  Turning to look at the hooded figure, I focused on the dark green eyes that had captured my heart a few days ago. His face was focused on the task ahead, but his eyes betrayed him. The man in the hooded clothes was Malik.

  “Qalbi?” I whispered softly, praying it wasn’t true. The memory the naked lady showed me inside the temple, before Jo and I were separated, was unreal. It had to be a mistake. Something like that can never be real.

  Malik’s steps faltered for a moment, but he recovered quickly. “It’s me, Ruwhi.” He replied, never taking his eyes off of what was in front of him.

  Picking up the pace, I noticed a large black stallion waiting for us. Clinging to him tighter, my body molded to his form. Ignoring the pain, I fought the darkness starting to take hold. With the amount of blood loss I had, I was on the verge of passing out.

  “Hold on, Kris.” The urgency behind his tone, made me fight even harder.

  Closing my eyes briefly, I rested my head on his shoulders and tried to block out everything that happened. It’s not real, it’s not real. This can’t be real. Focus on Malik, Kris.

  Opening my eyes a smidge, I looked over his shoulder and noticed the temple and bugs were completely gone. Relaxing my grip on his clothes, dots started to dance across my vision, making it hard to see.

  “Malik-” My words sounded slurred, as my head began to fall back.

  “No!” Malik yelled. My body jerked a few times and I felt like I was floating on air. Curled on his lap, my head fell into the crook of his neck. The exhaustion and amount of blood loss was starting to win.

  “Don’t you dare leave me! Hold on, Ruwhi.”

  With his final words ringing through my head, darkness took me.

  “What have you done, Malik? She is not to be here.”

  “What the hell did you expect me to do? She is the only one who can save us.” The man snapped back.

  “Get her out of here, or so help me.” The other man sneered back.

  Awakening from the dark abyss, I started to stir but nothing moved.

  “If you so much as touch her, I will cut you limb from limb.” A familiar voice replied back with a threat.
<
br />   “She better be worth it.”

  Losing consciousness, I fell back in to the dark abyss.

  “Any change, Malik?” I heard Ari ask.

  Whatever I was on dipped slightly and I felt someone grasp my hand. “The doctors said she was on the mend. We are just waiting for her to wake up.”

  “Let me watch over her, brother. Go get some rest.” Ari said with concern in his voice.

  “We have been apart since the Fall of Ra. I will not lose her again.” Malik said with sorrow.

  I tried to get my eyes to open, but something pulled me back under.

  “Kris, there is so much I need to tell you. Please wake up.” A soft hand grazed my forehead, causing me to wake.

  Using whatever energy I had to awaken from this internal slumber, I felt a tingle on my arms and soon my eyes fluttered open. Trying to regain focus, I turned to the left and looked into the eyes that were boring into my soul.

  “Thank the gods.” Malik breathed a sigh of relief and kissed my hand.

  “Hey.” I croaked.

  Malik released my hand and brought me a cup of water. Taking small sips, my eyes were able to focus and take in my surroundings. We were in a large circular tent, with different colors on every surface. Carpets littered the floor to cover the sand, and small wooden pieces of furniture laid about.

  “How are you feeling?” Malik asked, while stroking my cheek with his thumb.

  That was a great question. Looking back at all that happened, I didn’t know how I felt. Hathor was back. I was reincarnated from thousands of years ago to save Jo from becoming god meat. My past self was once in love with an elite warrior who was charged with protecting me, but we ended up falling in love and were given the blessing from Iabet and Ra to marry. Then I had my heart ripped out by Hathor, the night before our wedding, to stop me from destroying her for good. Then to find out, Cleo was actually Hathor in disguise and she kidnapped Jo and I have no idea where they are.

  “I don’t know.” I replied honestly.

  Setting down the water glass, Malik took my hand and sat on the edge of the cot. “What do you remember?”

  Taking a deep breath, I told him everything that happened. Since the moment I met him, I knew there was something familiar about him and now it was confirmed. I decided to keep that part quiet until I talked about everything with Hathor. I needed to know if it was true and not a mirage. I mean, some of my memories from the past life were starting to come back to me, all thanks to the sadistic bitch, Hathor. Wow, Jo would be proud of me for that. But Hathor was the queen of manipulation and I needed answers.

  “We will get Jo back.” Malik kissed my hand and walked to the front of the tent to ask one of the men something. When he was done talking to him, it was time to ask.

  “Is it true, Qalbi?” I blurted out. My hands slapped over my mouth, trying to stop the word vomit from starting.

  Malik froze mid-stride and turned slowly to face me. His face showed a look of relief, but his eyes showed that he was terrified.

  “You… you remember?” He asked, trying not to stutter. He took careful steps towards me, until he was kneeling before the cot.

  Being careful not to move too fast, I pushed myself, with Malik’s help, into a sitting position and waited. The stitches on my neck and ribs protested, but it was bearable.

  Looking into his eyes, the gold sparkle that made my stomach flutter was back. A memory from long ago flashed in my head.

  “Where are they? I put them here last night.” Looking around the room, I tossed aside scrolls on the table, trying to find the journal containing the ingredients for the elixir. “Qalbi? Do you know where I put my journal? Ra needs it for tonight.”

  “It is right here, love.” Malik walked into the room with my journal in his hand.

  Running towards him to retrieve my journal, he put it over his head so I was unable to reach it. He gave me his signature smile, the one only I am blessed to witness. I stretched up on my tippy toes and kissed him on the cheek.

  “Always my hero.”

  Placing the journal in my hands, Malik wrapped me in his arms and held me tight.

  “Keeper of my soul, protector of my heart, guardian of the secrets. Tomorrow, with the blessing of Ra and Iabet, we shall finally be wed. You are a true gem in this world full of darkness. I am truly blessed to call you my own.” Dipping his head down, his lips grazed mine and stole a kiss.

  Everything inside of me screamed for more, but I promised Ra that I would wait until the moment we were wed.

  “Kris?” Malik lightly shook my shoulders, bringing me back to the present. My heart filled with emotions I have never felt in my life. Looking at the man who knelt in front of me, my heart filled with a love that overpowered all my other senses.

  “What did you say to me the night before our wedding?” I tried to keep the smile off my face, but I doubted I was succeeding. Looking at Malik, I watched for any signs that he was lying. I knew in my heart it was true, and that everything that I have seen is real, but sometimes a girl needs to hear it for herself.

  “Keeper of my soul, protector of my heart, guardian of the secrets. Tomorrow with the blessing of Ra and Iabet, we shall finally be wed. You are a true gem in this world full of darkness. I am truly blessed to call you my own.” Malik spoke the words to me from so long ago. His eyes never strayed from mine. The fear that shown in his eyes was now gone and in its place, was hope.

  “That night you were going to meet Ra and prepare the elixir for Hathor. You were an absolute mess, so Iabet made sure I was with you always. I was charged with protecting you, but fate had a different plan. We fell in love immediately, and when your powers began to grow, you became a target. Every god and human thirsting for power wanted to get their hands on you.” Grabbing my arms, he turned them so my markings glowed brightly and his did the same. “These markings are only for us to see. Iabet and Ra created a spell that bound our souls so we were never to be apart. For the prophet cannot survive without her protector and a protector is nothing without his charge. You bear the markings of Ra and your true name on your right arm and your left holds the markings of Iabet with my true name. We are forever linked, for our hearts are one.”

  “When Hathor found out about Ra and Iabet, she was out to destroy everything in her path. The problem was, you were the only one who knew how to kill a god. She was born to feed off the sins of others and kill those who have wronged the gods. You were her target. After she took care of you, she would destroy Iabet and make Ra hers. I tried to stop her. I placed several dozen of my best men at your gates, but they were no match. I was at the temple preparing the ceremony with Iabet, when I felt you perish. I ran as fast as I could to our room, where I fell to my knees at what lay before me. Your heart had been ripped out of your chest and you were dead. Hathor was able to break down our defenses and take what she needed.

  “I screamed until my voice was hoarse, begging Iabet and Ra for forgiveness. Iabet was furious that our prophet was taken so soon. I went to join you, when Ra stopped me. Iabet told me there was still a trace of your soul left, so she put a spell on you, for you to return when the time was right. While Iabet was saving your soul, Ra told me he would grant me immortality, so I could live until you were reborn. That one day we would be reunited again and put a stop to all this. He said I will train, and learn the ways of this world, so that when the time came for you to return, we would stand a fighting chance.”

  Tears started to stream down my face at his words. The memory of my death was fresh in my mind, thanks to Hathor’s torment in the temple.

  “I am so sorry, Ruwhi.” Tears escaped Malik’s eyes and traveled down his face. He knelt down on one knee and bowed his head, with his hand over his heart. “Keeper of my soul, protector of my heart, guardian of the secrets. Can you find it in your heart to forgive your protector?”

  Throwing the thin blanket off of my legs, I grabbed his wrist and brought his attention back to me. The words that I had spoken so long
ago, when we first met, came back to me like it was only yesterday. “Protector of Ra, keeper of my heart, guardian to the prophet. Arise.”

  Malik raised his head, sporting a smile that made me melt into a pile of goo.

  “It’s been centuries since I felt your lips upon mine, Ruwhi.” Malik placed both arms around my body, trapping me from going anywhere.

  Sliding my hands slowly from his collarbone to his hair line, I felt a small tremor rack his body. Weaving my fingers through his hair, I looked into his eyes. He fought to take me here and now, but waited for me to make the first move.

  “Your wish is my command, Qalbi.” Bringing his lips to mine, his kiss started off tender and sweet, but soon turned into passion. Opening my mouth to let him in, he deepened the kiss to show me the love he still had for me, after all these centuries apart.

  CHAPTER 11

  ~Josephine~

  I tried to fight Cleo, but she was unusually strong. She hit me in the side of the head and everything went black. When I woke up, I was shackled to a stone block in the middle of a room. I had no idea where I was.

  I looked around, but it didn’t look like anything that I had seen before. I could feel my heartbeat pick up as panic began to overwhelm me. I tried to take a deep breath, but it was no use. I was too freaked out to settle down. I pulled on the shackles, causing the chains to rattle against the stone, telling me it was useless. The more I fought, the more the metal cuff dug into my skin.