“It did, but when you’re up for it, I have a few questions,” Calla Lily said.
Nathan shot her a sideways glance. He too had questions, but with the way Amani looked at the moment, he thought it would be better for her to rest. They could clear up the gray areas later.
“Or maybe we should go back to the inn and try again later,” Nathan interjected.
“No, I will be fine. What is it you wish to know?”
Calla Lily paused and then blurted, “You had insight into your mother’s deepest secrets. Do you have the sight?”
“No. With everything that happened that day, my mother’s blood seeped into my skin, and I at once knew all of her memories—felt her every emotion. It’s how I know Nathan’s thoughts as well. His blood was what freed me.”
“Hmm. Okayyy . . .” Calla Lily dragged out the words. “And since Khalida never touched your mother’s blood, she never knew the depth of Neema’s love for you both.”
Amani shook her head. “And no amount of explaining would ever make her understand. She’s angry. All she has ever wanted was revenge.”
Calla Lily nodded her head. “She’s a formidable force, from what I could see.”
“Wait, so let me understand,” Nathan interrupted. “Blood is the link to you being able to see a person’s memories?”
“I see and feel everything,” she said as she laid her hand on Nathan’s cheek. “I wish I could ease the pain you are feeling with answers as to what happened to Samuel, but the only way I can tell you what happened is to have his blood or the blood of the one who had a hand in his disappearance. I’m sorry.”
“We’ll figure it out. For now, I’m only worried about you.”
“Have you sensed Khalida since you’ve been free?” Calla Lily interjected.
“Yes. I felt her emotions, and I . . .” She blushed. “I think I was experiencing the connection between her and Khaldun.”
“The watcher?” Calla Lily narrowed her eyes, trying to piece all this together.
“Yes, this morning before she woke, she called out his name and—” Nathan swallowed hard. “Let’s just say she was in a precarious state,” Nathan admitted as he helped Amani to her feet.
Calla Lily arched a brow, but from the bashful looks on both their faces, she’d use her imagination as to what they meant. “Well, this is not my expert opinion, but it is an opinion. I think you couldn’t sense your sister because you were once again trapped, and now that you are free, the twin connection is working. The question remaining is what is your sister’s link to this watcher.”
Amani gripped her chest and cried out. “Khalida! She’s near.”
Calla Lily’s eyes went wide. “Here in Havenwood Falls? Are you sure? We’re hidden from most—even supernatural beings struggle to find us sometimes because of the magic surrounding us.”
“And Khaldun is with her.”
“Well, the Court is definitely going to need to know about this, then.” Calla Lily sighed. “Let’s get you two out of here, and I will find you later, after I have spoken with them. Don’t worry. Our magic is strong. You’ll be safe here.”
“Thank you,” Amani said. Nathan lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the inn. Calla Lily stopped to explain to Mihail, Irina, and Madame Luiza what was going on, while Nathan took Amani upstairs. There was still a lot to discover, but for now, all the two of them could do was relax and wait. Nathan laid Amani gently on the bed and covered her with the blanket. When she was comfortable, he grabbed his father’s journal and began to read through it. The jars from the memory had stuck in his mind.
“Does this look familiar?” he asked, showing her the hand-drawn images.
She sat up and leaned against her arm. “Yes, but how do you have these?”
“My father drew them.”
“I do not understand, Nathan. How does Samuel connect to Khalida and me?”
“If I had to venture a guess, I would say my father and his team of Egyptologists stumbled upon you by sheer accident. They were uncovering Hatshepsut’s tomb, nothing more. Hathor and Ma’at’s hiding place had to have been there. And based on my father’s notes, you should have been safe. Your jar was sitting on a ledge with a barrier of red stones carved like scarabs and a shimmering liquid no one could identify. That, along with the mysterious hieroglyphs, should have kept most treasure hunters at bay, but for some reason, someone gambled on it being nothing more than for show.” Nathan flipped through the journal and read further down the notes. “It says here the jars sat undisturbed for weeks, but one night raiders came in and stole several items from the belly of the tomb. Your vessel was broken and lay in pieces next to one of the men who tried to steal it. Apparently, his hands and face were badly burned, leaving him unrecognizable to the local workers.” Nathan shrugged. “I don’t understand that.”
Amani shifted on the bed. “I do. I overheard the watchers talking about it once. Anyone who tried to move the jar would unknowingly awaken the protective magic surrounding us. The scarabs were made of carnelian, a powerful crystal used to protect the living and the dead. If touched, the scarabs would come to life and run into the mercury, creating a toxic combination. The person who dared to touch them would die a slow, painful death.”
Nathan huffed. “Well, someone not only attempted, but succeeded in breaking the vessel, and in doing so, freed you and Khalida.”
“We didn’t know what happened, only that we were free. Khalida said it was our reward for good behavior.” Amani paused, dropping her head. “And I believed her. I was so naïve.”
“What reason would you have to doubt her? Besides, she didn’t know you’d be released by human greed.”
Amani sighed. “I’m not sure about that.”
Nathan gave a quick shake of his head. “Why?”
“Remember when I said we met Samuel the morning we were released, and that Khalida saw a man using a box to capture people’s images—said we should get one as a gift to ourselves?”
“Yes.”
“And the blurred image along with the one that looked like I was standing next to someone?”
“Yeah, right here,” he said, reaching for the stack on the nightstand.
“She was next to me, and the blur was her disappearing in a wisp of sand.”
Realization dawned on Nathan’s face, and he reached for Amani’s hand. “You think she tricked you, and my father was collateral damage.”
Amani nodded. “I think so. I doubt your father is alive, Nathan. I’m so sorry.”
“None of this is your fault,” he said as he squeezed her hand. “Khalida has a lot to answer for, but the question remains: with her close, how do we keep you safe and not susceptible to entrapment again?”
“You don’t. I will keep myself safe. I’m wiser now, and my concern is for you and Calla Lily. I care for you both, and Khalida will try to use anything or anyone to get to me.”
“Amani, I don’t want to lose you. Yes, the circumstances of how this all came to be are insane and unbelievable, but I feel a connection with you. I . . .”
“I feel the same way, Nathan, but if I lost you after all this—after finally knowing what a life beyond my prison could be like—I would rather be dead.”
Nathan caressed her cheek. “Well, if I have anything to do with it, that is not going to happen,” he said before leaning down and kissing her forehead. “I want you to rest for a little bit. I’m going to go downstairs and see if Madame Luiza can make us some food,” he said as he moved off the bed.
“I’ll try,” she replied.
When the door clicked shut, Amani let her mind wander to her sister. The first weeks in their new home had been the hardest for her and Khalida, but the goddesses hadn’t lied when they said Thoth had calculated all they’d need. The doors to the chamber led into an opulent palace fit for a pharaoh. It had servants and animals mingling about, with grassy knolls just beyond the gardens for the cows and chickens to graze. Sunlight and moonlight spilled onto the
balconies as the days turned into night. It even had running water that fell into rectangular pools for them to either swim or bathe. They never wanted for anything. They had all the food and provisions anyone could ever need, all contained in the space of the dual vessels. They should’ve been happy, and they were for a time, but only having one another and the occasional visit from the watchers and Khaldun grew old quickly. Neither of them knew how long they’d live, and the infinite number of days and years hung over them like a boulder.
The pieces of the puzzle were becoming clearer to Amani after the stroll down memory lane with Nathan and Calla Lily. Khalida’s flirting with Khaldun may have been innocent at first, but now Amani knew the initial manipulation must have turned into something more. Amani thought back to all the times he’d come to “check” on them. Khalida would disappear for long periods of time, but when it was happening, Amani assumed it was because she despised being watched and scrutinized by the watchers—she said she preferred to hide and avoid his questioning. How foolish she had been to think her sister was on her side.
“She’s here. I can feel her. She’s weak.”
“Where?” Khaldun snarled.
Khalida waved her hand in a wide swath. “Down there somewhere. We have a connection, but it’s not exact. It’s still flickering for some unknown reason.”
“You stay here. I’ll go. I do not want you alerting her to my presence.”
Khalida stood in front of him. “Actually. I think it’s you who should stay. You she’d see as a threat, but me? She won’t know if I’m a victim or a willing participant.”
“She can sense your every emotion. She will know.”
Khalida gave Khaldun a malicious grin before she dug her nails into her arm and dragged them downwards, leaving deep gouges. The open wounds began to ooze blood and the iridescent element that made her and Amani unique.
“Now hit me,” she commanded.
He shook his head slowly. “There has always been something different about you, but this is taking it to the extreme, don’t you think?”
“I think you’re a vicious man who’s kept me captive and made me his plaything for the past eighteen years, and you must be punished for your wicked ways,” she teased.
Khaldun pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard and deep before biting her bottom lip. Blood dripped, and he grinned. “I’ll expect you back in two days’ time. If not, I will burn the town to the ground to find you, understand?”
“I do, my love,” she answered before she kissed him once more. “Now hit me.”
The blow Khaldun struck was hard enough to knock her out, but when Khalida came to, she was alone. She grinned. The marks on her arms were black and blue, and the blood was now dry and cakey. There was only one thing left to do—
“Amani, help me,” Khalida cried out.
Amani winced. She could feel Khalida’s pain, but decided to block her link to her twin. It was something she had learned to do a long time ago, but never told her sister was possible. Khalida’s rage was too much to bear, and sometimes Amani needed a break from the link that bound them together. It became a secret she held dear and something that was only hers. When they were young girls, Amani never minded sharing things, but after the change and the truth was revealed, she didn’t want to be like Khalida anymore. Amani’s heart was heavy with grief, and nothing Khalida said or did felt like she even cared about Neema and Garai. True, they weren’t blood relatives, but the couple had loved the sisters and cared for them unconditionally nonetheless.
The fact she and Khalida were mistakes born out of anger weighed heavily on Amani. Was their only destiny to wreak havoc on the world? Could they not be something more than what was assumed of them? Khalida truly embraced the aspects of Sekhmet, while Amani tended to have more of Shu’s traits, but the truth was they transformed often. Like the tide, their emotions and personalities shifted and changed. Amani knew now, after all the time locked away with Khalida, that was the reason for their imprisonment. They were too unpredictable. However, Amani never enjoyed the moments when her rage rose to the surface. She may have had this power, but she never wanted to use it to harm anyone. Disconnecting her emotions from Khalida was the only hope she had of freedom from this impossible situation.
Chapter 13
Nathan ran into Calla Lily in the foyer of the inn. The look on her face spoke volumes.
“What’s wrong?”
Calla Lily sighed. “The Court is worried. You were only supposed to be a visitor who’d be leaving in a day or two, but now, with Amani arriving unexpectedly and her sister and a watcher tracking her . . .” She paused. “It puts Havenwood Falls and all its residents in danger, and that is something they are adamantly opposed to.”
“The court? Is this your judicial system here in Havenwood Falls?”
Calla Lily chuckled. “In a way. They govern the town and everything that goes on here. They have a vested interest in all visitors because they can adversely affect the balance.”
“I understand, but what can we do? Where can I take Amani to be safe?”
“I don’t know, Nathan. The Court members were split in regards to letting you stay and marking you with our protections. Did Amani say if she knew how close Khalida was?”
“No, but I left her upstairs to come get us some food. Maybe she’ll have a better sense now.”
“One of the members suggested trapping Khalida this time, thus keeping Amani safe.”
“Oh sure, and how do I go about doing that?” He huffed. “I’m only human, remember? And what about this watcher? Does anyone know what he is capable of?”
Calla Lily shook her head. “No, but I do want to help you, Nathan. I want to help you both. Maybe the Luna Coven can help? Give me a little more time, and I will try to get you an answer, okay?”
“Yeah,” he replied with a nervous laugh, “I doubt an hour is going to clear this up, but sure.”
When Calla Lily turned to leave, Nathan made his way up the stairs with a pot of Madame Luiza’s tea and some homemade biscuits and jam in hand. He hoped Amani would like it and that it would tide her over until lunch was ready. Madame Luiza said she’d bring a tray up right away. When he opened the door, he saw Amani sleeping. She looked so peaceful, and he wondered how in the world he was going to help keep her safe.
Nathan set the tray down and walked over to adjust the blanket. “All of this feels like some crazy dream, but it’s become something I don’t want to wake up from,” he whispered. “You’ve gotten to me, Amani.”
Nathan reached for his father’s journal and went to sit in the chair across from her. He had too much on his mind to even think about resting. He read all of his father’s notes—twice, in fact—but nothing stood out to him as anything he could use to help Amani. Everything here was benign, regarding the tomb and its contents, but now that Nathan knew the truth, nothing about this situation was normal. The quest to find his father’s satchel had consumed him for so long that he felt off as he sat here with the truth before him. He’d lost his father a long time ago and had grieved that loss for too long, yet knowing he was truly gone was hitting Nathan hard. Amani stirred, and his heart beat a little faster. Would he end up like his father after all this was said and done? Amani was an innocent victim, but there was no doubt in Nathan’s mind she had the ability to bring down entire cities if she wanted to.
“Nathan?” Amani whispered. “Are you okay? I can feel your sadness.”
“I don’t want you worrying about me. How are you?”
“I’m feeling much better.”
“You had me worried. I didn’t know how to help you or what I could do.”
Amani sat up and let her legs hang over the edge of the bed, a sadness falling over her features. “From the moment you freed me from the camera, you’ve done nothing but take care of me. I’m so grateful for you, but I want you to know I need to leave to keep you and Calla Lily safe. I need to leave to keep everyone here in this town safe.”
�
��You can’t go alone. They’ll get you for sure, and I don’t want—” He stopped. “No. I will not lose you too.”
“But if I stay, Khalida will use you and anyone here in Havenwood Falls against me. I think it’s best to call on the goddesses and end this once and for all.”
They stared at one another for a long moment. “But that will seal your fate for sure,” Nathan responded.
Amani gave a faint smile. “I’ve never known anyone human other than my parents. You and Calla Lily have been wonderful, and I will never forget either of you.”
Nathan cast his eyes to the floor. “Another impossible dream that will end in heartache,” he mumbled.
Amani stood and walked over to where Nathan was sitting. She climbed into his lap and caressed his face. “If I had one wish, it would be to have you look at me every day the way you are now, but I know that is impossible.”
“Why? Why can’t your wish be possible? I don’t want to lose you, Amani.”
“You never know. Sometimes things turn in your favor. Fate has a funny way of shifting. Maybe we’ll get lucky. All I know is I want to feel more of what I am feeling right now. Is that selfish?”
Nathan shook his head and then drew her mouth to his. “No,” he said before he kissed her.
A knock at the door startled them both.
“That’s probably our food. Madame Luiza said she’d bring it up when it was ready. Are you hungry?” Nathan asked.
Amani didn’t speak. Instead she moved off of Nathan’s lap and went to sit on the bed.
The smell of the food wafting from the other side of the door was a good distraction from the tension in the air. Sadness fell over Amani’s features as she watched Nathan walk to the door and open it. There on a tray were two covered dishes with drinks, a white rose, and an envelope with his name scrawled on the front. Nathan brought the tray inside and set it on the dresser before reaching for the letter.
Dear Nathan and Amani,
Legends of Havenwood Falls 2 Page 8
