Tempest Minds: A Time Travel Fantasy Romance (Kingdom of Sand & Stars Book 2)

by Candace Osmond

  Eirik brightened and took a seat on a bench carved of stone. “No thanks is necessary, Andie. We’re…friends, correct?” I nodded. “And your friendship is something I’m very grateful for. You’re teaching me things about myself that I never knew before.”

  A tired laugh escaped my body. “Like the fact that you’re basically an Amazonian warrior?”

  Their eyebrow quirked but they smiled through it. “If you’re referring to my brute strength and agility, then yes. Among other things.”

  Suddenly, the door swung open and in walked the same woman that brought us here. She carried a wide copper tray of fruits and breads, a pitcher of wine balanced perfectly, and set it down on a table before wordlessly seeing herself out. The lock clicked again, and I eyed the tray. Not for the food, but for the liquid promise that beckoned me from the jug.

  I licked my dry lips and stared into it as a sticky sweat broke out under my arms. My hands shook, wanting to desperately grab the thing and put it to my lips. If I could just take a few sips, take the edge off my rattled nerves, maybe I could think straight enough to figure a way out of this.

  But, without a word, Eirik grabbed the clay pitcher and swiftly lunged for the window where they dumped the entire thing out. My heart squeezed, crying for the sweet red drink, but I quickly settled into a cloud of rationality.

  “Thank you,” I said quietly.

  “Have you told Silas of your struggle with this affliction?”

  The corner of my mouth twitched at the use of his other name from someone other than me or Dad. It told me Eirik acknowledged that Amun was a different man now, that they accepted the duality that he’d taken on and that he clearly preferred one side over the other. The side he’d built with me.

  I shook my head and sat down. “No. I’m too ashamed.”

  Eirik walked over and peered down at me. “There’s no shame to be had. We all deal with grief in different ways, some of us just need help to climb back out of it.”

  The door opened again and in shuffled a stumpy looking figure, their arms draped in fabrics of every kind. A measuring tape of some sort dangled around their neck. They turned and I saw their face; an older woman with a pinched expression, years of life wrinkled into her skin. Her dark hair was pulled back in a tight bun and held in place with a beautiful gold cuffing. A cerulean robe hung to the floor, covering her tiny body. She appeared human, but I wasn’t entirely sure.

  Shadow hissed at the stranger as she set down her things and came right for me. My average height towered over her by at least a foot and a half and she reached up to maul my face.

  “My, I wished they’d told me I’d be dressing such a beauty. Perhaps I would have brought finer garments.” She pulled at my cheeks and raked fingers through my hair as she clucked her tongue.

  Eirik intentionally cleared their throat. “I assume you won’t have anything appropriate to dress me in?”

  The woman craned her neck and eyed Eirik up and down. “Dear, I’ve been dressing kings and queens for years. And I’ve had a go at my fair share of beings from other worlds. All sorts of shapes and sizes. It may have been years since I’ve seen one, but I can dress a Venuvian before breakfast.”

  “So, you’re aware of our modest culture?” Eirik challenged.

  “Yes, yes,” the woman replied impatiently and fussed with the heap of textiles she’d brought. “Mostly covered, light linens.” She waved at the air between them. “I know.” She pulled the ribbon from around her neck and held it close to her face, narrowing her beady eyes at the symbols along its length. “Let’s get you both measured, shall we?”

  I stood with my arms out as she sized me up with the measuring tape. Eirik sat waiting by the food tray and popped grapes in their mouth, one after another, while tossing a few for Shadow to catch in his toothy opening.

  “Are you one of the many people under Horus’ thumb?” I dared ask.

  The woman chortled. “He wishes. I’ve been dressing the monarchs of this land for years. And I do it better than anyone else can. I was one of the few who traded with Star People before Horus banned them from the cities. I possess fabrics and materials from all over the universe.” She pushed my legs apart and wrapped the tape around my upper thigh. “They reward me well for my services. Horus among them.”

  “I can see that.” I wanted this woman to trust me. Perhaps I could convince her to leave the door unlocked when she left. It was a longshot, but I had to try. “Um, my name is Andie Godfrey, by the way.”

  Her brown beady eyes met mine and she searched them. “Mera,” she offered and, after a beat, turned to pluck some black netting from the pile and hung it across my body as she examined it with scrutiny.

  “Mera,” I said cautiously, trying to play it cool. “So, what’s this event for, anyway?”

  Eirik caught my line of sight from over the woman’s back and I discretely pleaded with a shake of my head for them to remain quiet.

  “Lord Horus is throwing a party in honor of the king’s birthday. Everyone important will be in attendance, and the common folk will be gathered outside in the city square in celebration, too. It’ll be quite the affair.”

  “So, my friend and I aren’t really the partying type,” I told her. She stopped rummaging through the fabrics and stood straight. “I was wondering if, maybe, you’d be so kind as to leave the door unlocked when you leave?”

  She threw her head back in a raspy cackle of laughter. “Nice try. But I’m not just rewarded for my expert sewing ability, dearie. My loyalty also collects a pretty price.”

  My stomach clenched and I exchanged a doomed look with Eirik.

  Mera looped the tape over her neck again and scooped up the pile of fabrics she came in with. “I’ve got what I needed. I’ll be back in a few hours with your outfits.”

  “A few hours?” I squawked. “What are we supposed to do in here for a few hours?”

  The seamstress stopped in the doorway and half turned with a shrug of nonchalance. “You seem tightly wound. Perhaps a nap would do you some good.”

  She shut the door and I waited for the click of the lock, hoping maybe she’d forget. But she didn’t. I flew into pacing-mode and wiped the sheen of sweat from my forehead. I had to find a way out of here, one that would safely get Silas out with us.

  “I wonder what ridiculous garb that wretched woman will stick me in,” Eirik spoke and lobbed off a chunk of bread. Shadow protested up at them from the floor and they tore off a piece to throw to him.

  Something didn’t sit right with me about the whole thing. Horus was a notorious narcissist. There was no way he’d throw a big birthday party for the king. To willingly give attention to someone else other than himself. A jittery breath of air pressed from my lungs.

  I stopped and plunked my hands to my hips. “I think the real question is what’s Horus really up to with this party?”

  Chapter Nine

  I closed the door and turned to join Eirik and Shadow behind the guard that came to escort us to the party. Another winged man, different from the other two I’d met before. I considered making Shadow stay behind, but I needed him with me in case we stumbled upon an escape route.

  Eirik was speaking to me but all I could hear against their muffled noise was the sounds of my own rampant heart banging in my chest, thrumming in my ears. The fear of having to be around Horus again sent my nerves on the fritz. What if Silas was right? What if his brother just kills me, if given the chance? Or what if he truly does find a way into my mind?

  I wasn’t sure which was worse.

  Eirik’s hand touched my arm, ripping me from within my own chaotic brain, and the sound of the approaching party rushed in with the volume cranked. I shook my head and blinked at my friend.

  “Are you alright?” they asked. “You haven’t listened to a word I’ve said.”

  “Sorry,” I replied. “Just nervous. When someone wants you dead, accepting an invitation to their party isn’t exactly the best idea.”

  We emerge
d through a wide archway and the jam-packed courtyard faced us. People gathered in bunches; talking, drinking, enjoying the melody of a live musician that carried through the air. The person sat near the fountain in the center and played something that resembled a harp made of bone.

  Tables littered the party, filled with food and drink, all leading toward the front where a tall young man stood by a throne-like chair. Joyfully chatting with those around him. He wore a pleated skirt and a striped nemes on his head. The markings of a traditional king.

  “That must be Menakaure,” I whispered in awe. To witness an Egyptian king in the flesh and blood…this was something archaeologists could only dream of. And here I was, literally living it.

  I noticed that our guard had disappeared, leaving Eirik and I standing in the elevated opening, unsure what to do or where to go. Then, one by one, eyes around the room began to fall on us and stared intently. Some even whispered to one another and pointed in our direction.

  I leaned toward Eirik. “Why is everyone staring at us?”

  A cheeky grin spread across their face. “While I know I’m simply a vision in this beautiful garment, and my kind aren’t exactly welcome here, I do believe they’re looking at you, Andie.”

  My face pinched in confusion. “Huh? What? Why–”

  I followed my friend’s gaze down toward my outfit and gasped. I hadn’t even paid attention while Mera was dressing us, my mind had wandered so far to thoughts of escape. While Eirik looked like an ethereal angel in a stunning sleek silken robe that draped over their body like liquid ice, I wore a black netted dress that snugged my shape and showed far more skin than I was comfortable with. Gold cuffs and thick braided straps of leather covered my bits, but I still felt naked. Exposed. I could feel heavy makeup tugging at the skin around my eye and I began to panic.

  “Jesus!” I wrapped my arms across my body. “I can’t go in there like this!”

  Eirik laughed and gently pried one of my arms away. “You look amazing, Andie.” They shrugged. “Albeit it’s a far cry from the modest culture I’m accustomed to, but I can’t deny that you look like something worthy of a queen. Perhaps,” they couldn’t stop a giggle from bubbling out, “we could use you as a mighty distraction while we make an escape.”

  “Shut up!” I hissed but then fell into laughter with them. I rolled my eyes. “Let’s get this over with. We need to find Silas and get the hell out of here.”

  Eirik’s silver gaze raked over the crowd. “Shouldn’t be too hard. He’s already found you.”

  I trailed their line of sight that cut through the people and met Silas’ widened stare. His jaw hung open; mossy eyes unblinking as I made my way through the swarms of guests. This was perfect. We could grab him right now and slip out under the cover of the party. No one would even notice. Then I realized as I got closer…he stood next to his brother, and my heart plummeted.

  So much for a quick escape.

  They were both dressed similarly. Double pleated kilts, bare chests that showed off their perfect soft muscles. Horus’ dark curls kissed his shoulders while Silas’ messy brown waves sat messily atop his head. I veered as far from Horus as I could and sidled up next to his brother.

  “What on earth are you wearing?” Silas whispered in my ear.

  Some part of me delighted in his discomfort over my outfit. “What do you mean? I’m sure you’ve seen women wear stuff like this before. Here, before you met me.”

  He shook his head. “I spent thousands of years in a rock, remember? Women definitely never wore anything like…” he gestured up and down my dress, “that.”

  “My, Andie,” Horus chimed in with a slick purr in his tone. “If I’d known you cleaned up so well, perhaps I would have found you more comfortable accommodations during your previous stay.” He raised his brow and gawked at my exposed body.

  I glared at him. “Accommodations?” I spat. “You mean being locked in a cell and left for dead like an animal?”

  The man heaved an indifferent shrug, as if my time spent here under his capture meant nothing. Like it was no big deal. But it was a nightmare I’d carry to my grave. Being in his presence made my skin crawl. He turned and plucked two glasses from a passing tray and handed them out to Eirik and I.

  “Care for a drink?” The sound of his voice was simple and sincere, but his chilling stare bored into me with dubious intent. His eyes fell on my mouth. “To…wet your lips.”

  Half of me wanted to accept the glass just so I could throw it in his face. But the other half of me knew that if I held the wine in my hands, I didn’t have the willpower to not drink it. Silas’ arm wrapped around my lower back as Eirik leaned in front of me and plucked both glasses from Horus’ fingers before placing them back on another passing tray.

  “We’d be fools to accept anything from you,” my friend said.

  Horus tensed and grimaced at the nearness of Eirik, as if he were repulsed by the audacity that they dared to speak to him. Anger toiled in my gut and I grit my teeth, trying with all my might not to make a scene. But Silas slipped his fingers in between mine and gently tugged at my hand. He turned from his brother, nudging my shoulder.

  “Let’s dance,” he said curtly and swayed me away into the crowd.

  The farther I got from Horus, the better I felt. The more I could calm my temper and wade through the fog that clouded my mind. I inhaled a deep, warm breath, let it fill my lungs, and peered up at the man in my arms.

  “Your brother makes my blood boil.” My hands wrapped around his neck and I played with the curls at the back of his head.

  “He has that effect on people.”

  “So, what’s really going on here?” I asked and discreetly searched around for the closest exit. But it didn’t matter, Horus’ stare never left his brother’s back.

  Silas’ hand firmed against my lower spine, splaying his fingers through the sparse netting that covered my skin. “What’s going on is that you’re half naked and I can’t take my eyes off you.”

  “Focus. I still haven’t forgiven you for what you did.”

  “What?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Coming back here after everything we went through to save you. What’s happening in your head? What were you thinking?”

  His expression turned solemn. “I was thinking about you. It’s always you.” He sighed. “Andie, when you’re in picture, nothing else matters. I gave myself back to my brother to save you.”

  “And ship me off back to the future to what? Resume my life of misery without you?”

  We spun and swayed to the music.

  “At least you’d be alive.”

  “That wasn’t living,” I muttered under my breath and let my chin fall to my chest.

  Silas slipped his hand under it and lifted my face to look in my eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  I opened my mouth to speak, to finally tell him about my dark days wasted away in my father’s home with a bottle of vodka in my lap. But Horus appeared at our side, hands behind him as he rocked back on his heels in wait.

  “What do you want?” I snapped.

  He held out a hand, palm up. “I’d like to ask for this dance.”

  Silas’ grip on my waist tightened and he pulled me closer. “Not a chance.”

  Horus arched an eyebrow mockingly. “You dare challenge me, brother? Twice I one day?”

  I could feel the stifled rage burning under Silas’ skin. He practically vibrated with it. “Our deal was Andie’s total safety.”

  The vile man feigned offence. “Of course. You have my word. Our new agreement binds me from harming her. Now,” he pulled a chalice of wine from behind his back and handed it to Silas, “The king needs a drink.”

  I expected him to say no, to tell his brother to get lost. But, instead, Silas’ arms hesitantly slid from my body and accepted the task.

  “Silas,” I practically whined and flashed him an incredulous look.

  “I’ll be right back,” he replied and kissed my forehead befo
re disappearing into the crowd.

  My feet moved to run after him, but Horus yanked on my arm and spun me around where I collided against his chest. I squirmed in his grasp, but he refused to relent. The more I struggled, the closer he held me to him. He gripped my hip while his other hand forced fingers through mine, practically breaking my fingers, ready to dance. His hold tightened, squeezing my fingers and asserting dominance in the most subtle way. But I wasn’t about to let him intimidate me. I squeezed back, cracking a few of his knuckles, and Horus’ brow rose in surprise.

  He chuckled and immersed us into the crowd as he spun us around. “I like you,” he noted. “You’ve got spite. I can relate to that.”

  “Don’t waste your energy,” I spat. “Because I despise you.”

  His chin rose proudly as his eyes scanned the room. I whipped my head around, trying to see what he was looking for.

  “Give it time,” he said. “I can be quite likeable.”

  I guffawed and pushed back when he tried to bring me closer, keeping at least a few inches between us. “I find that hard to believe.”

  He didn’t reply, just kept prancing me around like nothing was wrong.

  “You know,” I added. “If you hate your brother so much, why keep him alive? Why toy with him like this?”

  His dark gaze scrutinized me for a moment. “Destroying my brother is a harder task than one would think. I can kill his body, but his soul will always live in that damn amulet.” He stopped and spun me around, then hauled me back to slam into his chest. He held me there, refusing to even allow me the room to wiggle. “Besides,” his warm breath smoothed over my face, “Who says I hate Amun? I love my brother dearly, almost as much as I love myself. It is he who hates me.”

  “If you think that’s true, then you’re a fool,” I replied as I managed to shimmy my arm between us and pried some space there with my elbow. “Sil–Amun loves you more than you deserve. Why do you think he left his life behind to come here and save you from yourself? Why do you think he was willing to sacrifice the relationship he has with me, and send me away, just so he could stay here and appease you?”