The Dark Evolution Chronicles
Page 23
There on the temple steps lay Arsinoe. No Roman soldier remained in sight. They had already fled the scene on horseback. Artemis and I ran to her. I knelt at Arsinoe’s side and pressed my head to her chest, praying to hear her heartbeat. But she was already cold to the touch. Artemis fell to her knees and wailed.
“We let her down!” she gasped, grabbing Arsinoe’s hand and pressing it to her lips. “I am so sorry,” she wept, her face crumpled with agony. I sat back and brushed the blood-soaked hair away from Arsinoe’s face. She was as beautiful in death as she had been in life. I closed her glazed eyes and let the tears roll down my cheeks.
“I tried to stop them,” a voice came from the top of the steps. It was the eunuch who had been entrusted to take care of her. “But they hit me on the head and knocked me out. The night-guard is dead too,” he said apologetically, as though this made the murder of our ward any less painful.
“I’m too late,” a voice behind us made my heart stop. I sniffed back my tears and held my breath tight in my chest. I dare not turn around for fear that it was not he. I knew it could not be, and yet every fibre of my being told me that it was. I glanced at Artemis and saw that she was just as shocked as I, though there was something else in her expression. My lips began to tremble and I felt my heart rise in my chest and sit in my throat.
“I came as soon as I heard the orders. I had hoped to stop them.” The more he spoke the more I knew him. Yet I was still too afraid to turn around. I heard his footsteps approach closer.
‘Forgive me Artemis, I am so sorry,” a familiar hand rested upon my cousin's shoulder.
The light blond hair on the back of his hand caught in the torchlight. I pressed my hand over my mouth for fear I would sob. I looked at my cousin. As she looked back at me her eyes were wide with fear. Slowly, my whole body shaking, I turned and looked up. He was so perfect, like all the times I had dreamt of him. His face was a little older, but barely, and just as beautiful. As his attention shifted to me his eyes grew wide with confusion.
“I am sorry I did not tell you. I was going to. I was going to tell you back in Alexandria. But then everything happened. And then once we came here it just never quite seemed the right moment. I had not heard from him since Gaza and I could not be certain that he was still alive. The longer I kept quiet the harder it became,” Artemis was babbling at me. I could hear her but the words were barely registering.
“The records in Rome only name you as protector of Arsinoe, there is no mention…” he looked from Artemis to me.
“If you knew I was here, then why did you not send word that you were alive?” she spluttered.
He shook his head,
“I thought you were safe. I did not want to intrude on your life here.”
“It was you fighting at Gaza. You who took care of the children?” I slowly got to my feet and stood before him. “How?” I rasped.
“I thought you were dead,” he said so quietly I was not certain I had heard right. “I saw the branch pierce your heart. I watched you drown.”
“Ramses saved me,” I replied, unable to comprehend. My whole body felt numb.
“I am so sorry,” Artemis said again. “I just did not know how, or if it was for the best.” She began to cry harder now. I could not tell if it was for the princess or from guilt.
“It is all right,” I said to her. It is done now.” I raised my hand to his face.
“How?” I asked him again, daring to touch his cheek. The moment my fingers met with his skin I flinched, for he was cold as death. “You were turned?” I could barely speak. “When? Who?” I glanced at Artemis with accusation. But she shook her head.
“It is a long story,” Paris replied, taking my hand.
THE END