“You don’t deserve any tea,” he retorted. Lauren slipped out of the washroom, her hair now free of the loose restraints of her head shawl, and the dragon immediately gestured at me as he demanded, “How do you tolerate him? He’s insolent.”
Lauren’s lips curved into a slight smile. “He does have that flaw.” Before I could protest, she continued, “I wish to thank you, Royal. I don’t know how you even knew to come find us, but thank you. Clearly, our enemies are closer than we had hoped and we would’ve been in serious trouble without you.”
Royal bowed his head as he handed her a mug. “Glad to help. Good job I found you both too or else Khalid wouldn’t be snooping around Giza. He’d be interrogating you.”
Lauren claimed a second mug and brought it over to me before she took a seat at the table. I didn’t move until she pinched my leg. I smirked at her, and she rolled her eyes. Then, I frowned at my tea. “This isn’t earl grey.”
The dragon snorted. “Oh I’m sorry, I used the last of the earl grey two days ago. You get ginger.”
“How could you let your tea stores reach such a sad state of repair? It’s practically sacrilege.”
“I wasn’t expecting visitors,” he countered. “And, you should be on your knees thanking God that I even have ginger.”
I opened my mouth to protest further when Lauren interrupted, “The ginger is fine, Royal. Thank you.” She gave me another look as Royal approached the table with his own mug of ginger tea, of all things, and a tin of biscuits. I resisted asking if he was offering crumbs too. Barely. Lauren didn’t seem to trust me to behave, however, as she hurried to ask, “Do you know anything that might help us with our search? Some clue?”
“Nervous about venturing inside a pyramid, love?” I asked.
I hid a smile behind the rim of my mug when Lauren looked askance at me. “You should be nervous too, Mathias. Rhodes was bad enough with that nest of gryphons. The pyramids are known to be filled with all sorts of traps and curses specifically to deter anyone seeking to loot them.”
“Khufu’s pyramid is the most famous and as the Great Pyramid it is the Ancient Wonder.” Royal’s gaze flickered, turning orange, as he suddenly clamped his mouth shut.
Leaning forward, I rested my elbows on the table as I studied the dragon. We had known each other long enough that I recognized the signs. “The dragons have some differing opinions about the pyramids, don’t they?”
Orange eyes met mine before he gave a curt nod. He expelled a breath then lowered his voice to just above a whisper as he leaned forward and said, “There is a reason Prince Heru’s family line has always dared to take the names of the true pharaohs and the old gods for their heirs. They were once the true pharaohs. There is a story that Khufu and his sons, Khafre and Djedefre, were of that draconic line and that they built the pyramids to guard something more valuable than earning a place among the gods. Djedefre was the first to inherit Khufu’s throne, but he did not last. His people loathed him, so his pyramid, which was never on the Giza complex, was destroyed. But Khufu and Khafre, their pyramids still stand. Even though Khafre’s pyramid could not overshadow his father’s, Khafre is the one who protected the true treasure of the pharaohs by erecting a guardian.”
“You mean the Sphinx,” Lauren asked in a soft whisper.
Royal nodded. “There are different theories as to who truly built the Sphinx, of course. Some scholars say it was Khufu, but others claim it is older than both of them and the pyramids were built here because the Sphinx was already here. I have no idea about which is the truth. You’d need to find a Lore keeper for that. All I know for certain is that the line of dragon princes over Egypt still believe the Sphinx lies as guardian over a treasure so powerful, so dangerous, that it could destroy all the world.”
I stared at him. “And, no one thought to remove it?”
He scoffed. “What do you think? Dragons prefer hoarding dangerous artifacts on their own lands because it’s secure, a matter of pride, and they tend to be shiny. Not to mention powerful.”
Lauren was staring into her tea with a slight frown creasing her brow. Her dark eyes looked . . . haunted when I touched her hand to gain her attention. “What if it’s not hidden in the Great Pyramid? The treasure the Sphinx is said to hide sounds far more like the artifact we’re searching for, don’t you think?”
I nodded. “True enough, I suppose. But it’s a Sphinx and that means we can’t find whatever secrets it guards without knowing the riddle.”
“Riddle? Like the Greek Sphinx?” Lauren glanced from me to Royal. “Are we absolutely certain there’s a riddle for an Egyptian Sphinx?”
Royal and I exchanged a look before we spoke in unison. “There’s always a riddle.”
“And fortunately for the two of you,” Royal continued, “I happen to know this particular riddle.”
Now, I frowned at him. “Since when do you know riddles? You’re the only dragon I know who hates riddles.”
“If you must know, I went on a couple dates with Heru’s eldest daughter.”
“Hatshepsut? His heir?” I shook my head. “You have been in the desert too long if you’re willingly dating an heir apparent to a dragon prince.”
Royal scowled at me. “You’re an ungrateful snot, Mathias.”
“What is the riddle?” Lauren interrupted with a warning glare at me.
As though I was the one who needed it. Most unfair. I leaned back in my chair, nursing the remainder of my tea, then motioned for the dragon to get on with it. He tugged his keffiyeh off and laid it on the table next to his tea and biscuits before he cleared his throat. Dragons. They are the truly dramatic species of the paranormals. Always.
“The riddle hasn’t been unlocked since the days of Khafre himself. No one has been inside the Great Sphinx since that time either. Not even today when they finally cleared away the sands covering him.”
Royal lowered his voice further as he continued,
“Beneath the palace of Pharaoh in the sky
Follow the line of kings
When Khonsu is high
Beneath the watch of he who guards
Power ancient and terrible does reside
There the treasure of the kings lies
Undisturbed save in the midst of Thoth
Let all who thieve perish.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose then muttered, “That doesn’t even really rhyme.”
That observation earned me a snort before Royal rumbled, “It is a riddle, man, not a limerick. Lauren, how do you tolerate him?”
“The accent helps,” my wife answered mildly. When I glanced at her, however, her brow was furrowed with her lips tilting down in a slight frown. “Pharaohs were believed to live in the heavens in their afterlife with the stars as their palace, right?”
“Yes. And the line of kings is most likely the three pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure,” Royal confirmed, his gaze watchful as he regarded Lauren.
She nodded. “It makes sense. The guardian must refer to the Great Sphinx.”
“Something we had already sorted out,” I murmured. “People know where the treasure likely is, but not how to access it.”
Lauren raised a slim hand and brushed her dark hair out of her face, eyes narrowing in thought. “The riddle said that this power, the treasure of kings, that it lies undisturbed except in the midst of Thoth. That sounds like a date, doesn’t it?”
Royal tapped his fingers against the table and abruptly shoved to his feet. “I hadn’t considered it. Normally, we only hear about Thoth as the god of knowledge and the moon or as Prince Heru’s grandfather. But, you may be on to something.” He hurried to the back of the flat and returned only moments later with a large leather bound book in hand. He held it up. “This book is all about Ancient Egypt, including their calendars. Let’s have a look, shall we?”
He flipped through the pages quickly before he stopped about two thirds of the way through the book. “Here we are. Take a look at this, Spotter.”
/> Lauren took the book from him. She studied the page for a moment before clearing her throat and reading, “‘Thoth was the first month of the Egyptian calendar and the first month of the Season of Akhet or Inundation when the Nile flooded bringing new life to the heart of Egypt. It traditionally falls between September eleventh and October tenth on the Western Calendar of Gregory.’” She paused and then looked at me. “That means we’re right in the middle of the month. It’s the twenty-first of September, and this calendar says that translates to the eleventh day of Thoth.”
“So we have a range of dates,” I said. Leaning back in my chair, I folded my arms over my chest. The sounds of people screaming outside made Lauren flinch, and I tensed. Khalid was being as thorough as ever. Something I’d always disliked about the dragon, he was efficient to the point of cruelty and he enjoyed it.
Forcing myself to stay seated felt almost herculean in effort. Then, Lauren reached over to touch my elbow. The knots in my muscles uncoiled, and I reached out to catch her hand in mine. Giving it a reassuring squeeze, I forced myself to focus on the conversation at hand and not on the situation in the streets. Clearing my throat roughly, I stated, “It would help if we could pinpoint a time. Narrow things a bit.”
Lauren’s grip on my fingers tightened even as she returned her attention to the book. “This has the gods of Egypt listed, yes?”
“Of course,” came Royal’s simple reply as he moved to the window and peeked out the shade for a moment before returning to the table. He poured us all a fresh cup of tea and then glanced at Lauren who was skimming through the book. “What are you thinking?”
“Khonsu.” She paused as she slid her finger down a page before she smiled. “He was a moon god. Like Thoth. The riddle says when Khonsu is high . . . What if it’s the equinox?”
“Equinox?” I repeated. “Did the Ancient Egyptians mark it especially?”
“Wouldn’t matter,” Royal interjected, “because dragons always mark the equinoxes as well as the solstices. If Khufu and Khafre were dragons, they would pay attention to such things. Which means, her guess is most likely the best chance you have at unlocking the riddle of the Sphinx.” He paused and then a slow grin spread across his face until his teeth shone white against his dark beard. “I’ve always wanted to say that.”
“That is because you have no sense,” I grumbled.
“What? Unlocking the riddle of the Sphinx is practically poetic.”
“Only in your draconic mind.”
“My draconic mind is a wonderland of details and humor unlike yours, crazy Myrmidon.”
Lauren cleared her throat and cast a pointed look when I opened my mouth to respond. Shutting my mouth, I pretended not to notice the annoying dragon’s smirk and turned my attention fully to my wife. “Yes, dear?”
“We need to figure out when the equinox will occur.”
“September twenty-third at oh three hundred hours and fifty-four minutes.” When we both looked at Royal, he merely shrugged. “What did I just say? I’m a dragon, and we always mark the equinox. As it is, it wouldn’t be very wise of you to attempt to venture out from the flat today or tonight. So, be grateful I know this kind of arbitrary information.”
I grinned at Lauren. “Now we have a plan.”
She rolled her eyes. “I question your definition of a plan, Mathias. What we have is a time and date. And, Weard’s hunters lurking right outside. It hardly qualifies as a true plan.”
“We have a day and a half to get the details sorted,” I replied lightly. “First, I think you should get some more rest.”
“Probably best,” Royal agreed, “what with your delicate condition and all. Oh and congratulations.”
I hung my head as Lauren stared with wide eyes at the idiot dragon and then turned to me. “Mathias, what have you been telling people about me?”
Grinning, I shrugged. “Can I possibly convince you that the dragon is delusional and has no idea what he’s talking about?”
Lauren raised both eyebrows at that. “No.”
“Well, blast.” Clearing my throat, I rubbed the back of my neck before I simply spread my hands wide and grinned. “I might have implied you were expecting in order to make the dragons reunite us faster.”
Lauren shook her head, exasperation lacing her voice, as she said, “Mathias, you drive me crazy.”
Leaning forward, I caught her face in my hands and touched my forehead to hers. “I know, love.” Then, I kissed her.
* * *
Chapter Four
Lauren
The pyramids rose above us, looming dark giants in the night. Mathias held my hand, his 10 glowing brightly above his head, as we crouched behind a timeworn block of sandstone. I glanced up, trying not to worry too much about the overcast sky. The equinox would reach its zenith soon, and if we missed it . . .
I shook away the troublesome thought. There was no time to indulge in a useless exercise of what ifs. Royal had cleared the way from the safe house allowing us to reach the Giza complex without too much trouble. Now, he was baiting the hunters from Weard to pull them further away from the pyramids.
Scanning the length of the sand between us and the paws of the Great Sphinx, I could only sigh in relief as the landscape appeared devoid of any glowing numbers. I squeezed Mathias’ hand twice as agreed. He immediately took off running in a low crouch and pulled me along in his wake. The sand flew beneath our feet, and I nearly tripped over some exposed stones but managed to stay upright.
We dashed between the Sphinx’s towering paws and then Mathias slowed. I checked my watch. Three fifty-three. I glanced up at the sky again. The clouds were still low hanging. I worked on catching my breath as Mathias led me closer to the Sphinx’s chest where a stele had been erected. I checked my watch once more. The numbers rolled over. Three fifty-four. Then, the sky lightened.
The clouds rolled back, revealing the moon, and the air in front of us shimmered. A glamour. I tightened my grip on Mathias’ hand as we stepped through together. The air seemed to grow thick and heavy, almost repelling, before we emerged on the other side. The stones of the Sphinx seemed to shimmer where the right paw and leg connected to its chest. Moving closer, I reached out instinctively and touched a stone marked with a hieroglyph.
Nothing happened. Then something grated deep inside, and the stones formed an outline of a door. Mathias and I pushed against the door, but it didn’t budge. I scanned the stones and found a smaller hieroglyph about waist high. I pushed it, and the door slowly rose up to reveal a dark tunnel.
I swallowed hard. Egypt was known for traps, especially in monuments created by paranormals and dragons tended to be even worse about it. I hated having to go inside when every instinct screamed I shouldn’t. Mathias’ hand rested at the small of my back, warm and steadying. “We don’t have much time. This will likely close as soon as the moon disappears again.”
Right. We had to find this treasure. I had made promises after all. And, I would not turn my back on my promises.
Taking my flashlight out of my satchel, I switched it on as I stepped into the tunnel. Smooth sandstone covered in hieroglyphs was carved into the rock and then painted with bright colors. As we walked through the tunnel a short ways before descending a steep and long flight of stairs, I could only pray that the builders of the Great Sphinx hadn’t actually included a curse in here. Something that dragons in particular were rather infamous for in regards to their treasure hoards.
The air was musty and stale. I adjusted my head shawl to wrap one end over my mouth and nose. A peek over my shoulder showed that Mathias had done the same with his keffiyeh. The stairs ended, and we walked down a short hall before being forced to climb up another flight of stairs. Then, we arrived in an unadorned square chamber.
My flashlight caught on a narrow opening at the bottom of the wall to our right. I dropped to my knees and shone the light inside. The opening was clear of any bugs, scorpions, or snakes, thank God. But . . . “You’ll never fit.”
Mathis crouched next to me, worry clear in his blue green eyes. He was long and lean, but his shoulders were wide enough that there was no possible way he would be able to get through the narrow tunnel without getting stuck. “Lauren, you don’t have to go.”
I swallowed hard. I didn’t want to go. Who in their right mind wanted to go crawling through a narrow tunnel leading God only knows where? Especially when there was also the chance of falling into a nasty trap left by an ancient dragon. Not me. Yet, here I was . . . Ugh, my life was easier when I was just hiding from Weard.
Taking a deep breath, I adjusted my satchel so it would fall against my hips instead of banging against the ground. I nodded to Mathias. “I won’t be long.”
For a moment, I thought he would argue but then he nodded. “Good. We don’t have much time to get back.”
Then, I dropped down to crawl into the narrow tunnel. It was barely tall enough for me to move on my hands and knees. My shawl and back kept brushing against the stone, my clothes catching on the rough patches where the stone wasn’t perfectly smooth. I kept my gaze on the tunnel and attempted to keep my mind off the fact that thousands of pounds of stone were directly above my head. Controlling my breathing became more challenging when I turned left and nearly smacked face first into stone. The tunnel’s ceiling had dropped further, forcing me down onto my belly.
It felt so small, so tight. I could barely breathe with all the stone around me, pressing against my back, my sides. Just when I was about to scream in a full panic, the tunnel abruptly emerged into a larger space. I scrambled to my feet gladly and took huge gasps of air. My racing heart made my hands tremble as I slowly shone the flashlight’s beam around the room. Another square chamber. This one was decorated with paints that depicted scenes of people. And, dragons.
Taking my phone out of my bag, I snapped pictures of the scenes on the walls. There was something odd about a couple of them, but I didn’t have time to linger. I stepped to the right and immediately yelped as I ran into a stone object. For the love of all things bright, that hurt!
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