Dissonance: An Echo Trilogy Novella (Echo Trilogy, #2.5)
Page 7
“Oh, Marcus,” I said, my voice hushed. I rose up onto tiptoes and leaned my forehead against his. “Even if they try something like this again, it won’t work, because I know what that anti-At stuff feels like now. I could sense it all morning, I just didn’t know what it was I was sensing. You don’t have to worry about me being unmade or anything like that. You’re not going to lose me to this.”
Marcus closed his eyes. “But what of the thousands of others ways I could lose you?” His eyelids opened, his eyes blazing like twin golden suns. “Every day, I’m afraid.”
I smiled one of those weak, joyless smiles. “I think they call that living.”
“It hurts.”
“I know,” I said, my voice soft. And then I closed the distance between our lips and kissed him gently, then pulled away. “Now how about that bath?”
His lips curved upwards, and he kissed the corner of my mouth. “In a bit, Little Ivanov. We’ll call an emergency Council meeting first. These Kin have gone too far.”
I snorted a derisive laugh. “As the would-be victim of an un-making, I couldn’t agree more.”
“I know he’s disinterested in taking part in Council politics, but having Re there would be beneficial.” I heard Marcus’s unasked question loud and clear.
Sighing, I leaned my head on his shoulder once more. “I’ll ask him.”
“And he’ll say yes, because it’s you who is asking.”
There was a hint of jealousy in Marcus’s voice, just humming along the edges of his words. I could’ve called him on it. But honestly, it was nothing new and hardly worth the effort. I rested my chin on his shoulder and smirked. “I don’t know if you heard, but I’m kind of a big deal. I’ve got sway …”
Marcus turned around to face me, golden eyes burning. “Yes, Little Ivanov.” His arms slipped around me, fitting perfectly along the curve of my back, and he lowered his head, his mouth hovering over mine. “I’m quite aware.”
His lips touched mine, a gentle kiss. A plea, or maybe a question. A reassurance. As his lips parted mine, he slid the slightest tendril of his ba—his soul—into me to caress the edges of mine as only a truly bonded pair of Nejerets can do. And for a few, blissful moments, the Kin didn’t matter. Ma’at and the fate of the universe didn’t matter. Only this kiss, this moment mattered.
Shakily, I let out a breathy laugh against Marcus’s lips. “So … the meeting …”
Marcus made a displeased noise low in his throat. He kissed me one last time, then pulled back and nodded. “Let’s gather the others. This is war.”
This concludes Dissonance. Lex’s story continues in Ricochet Through Time, coming soon.
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GLOSSARY
Ankhesenpepi Nejerette. Nuin’s eldest daughter and queen and consort to many Old Kingdom pharaohs, including Pepi I and II.
Apep (Apophis) Netjer or “god.” One of two Netjers responsible for maintaining balance in our universe, the other being Re. Apep was historically worshipped against as Re’s opponent and the evil god of chaos.
At Ancient Egyptian, “moment, instant, time”; The At is a plane of existence overlaying our own, where time and space are fluid. At can also be used to refer to the fabric of space and time.
Ankh-At Nuin’s power. Includes (at least) the power to travel through time, to create and remove memory blocks, and to manipulate the At on this plane of existence.
Aset (Isis) Nejerette. Heru’s sister. Aset was worshipped as a goddess associated with motherhood, magic, and nature by the ancient Egyptians.
Ba Considered one of the essential parts of the soul by the ancient Egyptians. In regards to Nejerets, the ba, or the “soul,” is the part of a person that can enter the At.
Bahur Arabic, “of Horus” or “of Heru”.
Council of Seven The body of leadership that governs the Nejerets. The Council consists of the patriarchs of the seven strongest Nejeret families: Ivan, Heru, Set, Sid, Moshe, Dedwen, and Shangdi. The Meswett, Alexandra Larson Ivanov, is also an honorary member of the Council.
Djeser-Djeseru Ancient Egyptian, “Holy of Holies”. Queen Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple in Deir el-Bahri.
Hatshepsut (ruled 1479—1457 BCE) Female Pharaoh during the Middle Kingdom of ancient Egypt. One of Heru’s many wives, and mother to the Nejerette Neferure.
Hat-hur (Hathor) Ancient Egyptian goddess associated with love, fertility, sexuality, music, and dance. According to the Contendings of Heru and Set myth, Hathor is the goddess who healed Heru’s eye. She is often depicted as a cow or a woman with cow ears or horns, and a sun disk is frequently cradled by the horns.
Heru (Horus) Nejeret. Osiris’s son, Nuin’s grandson, Aset’s brother, and former leader of the Council of Seven. Heru stepped down from his role as leader to function as the Council’s general and assassin, when necessary. Heru was worshipped as the god of the sky, kingship, and authority by the ancient Egyptians. He is often depicted as a falcon or falcon-headed.
Ivan Nejeret. Leader of the Council of Seven. Alexander’s father and Lex’s great-grandfather.
Ma’at Ancient Egyptian concept of truth, balance, justice, and order. To the Nejeret, ma’at refers to universal balance.
Men-nefer (Memphis) Ancient Egyptian city. Men-nefer was the capital city of Egypt during the Old Kingdom.
Meswett Ancient Egyptian (mswtt), “girl-child”. The Meswett is the prophesied savior/destroyer of the Nejerets, as supposedly foretold by Nuin upon his deathbed, though none actually remember it happening. The prophecy was later recorded by the Nejeret Senenmut.
Neferure (Neffe) Nejerette. Daughter of Hatshepsut and Heru.
Nejeret (male)/Nejerette (female)/Nejerets (plural) Modern term for the Netjer-At.
Netjer Ancient Egyptian, “god”.
Netjer-At Ancient Egyptian, “Gods of Time”.
Netjer-At Oasis The ancient, historic home of the Nejerets, deep in the heart of the Sahara Desert.
Nuin (Nun) Netjer/Nejeret. One of two Netjers responsible for maintaining balance in our universe, the other being Apep. Also known as the “Great Father”, Nuin was the original Nejeret and the father of all Nejeretkind. Nuin was worshipped as a god associated with the primordial waters and creation by the ancient Egyptians.
Old Kingdom Period of Egyptian history from 2686—2181 BCE.
Re (Ra) Netjer. One of two Netjers responsible for maintaining balance in our universe, the other being Apep. Re was historically worshipped as the ancient Egyptian solar deity.
Ren Considered one of the essential parts of the soul by the ancient Egyptians, closely associated with a person’s name. In regards to Nejerets, a ren is the soul of a Netjer, like Re or Apep, much like a ba is the soul of a Nejeret or human.
Set (Seth) Nejeret. Nuin’s grandson, father of Dom, Genevieve, Kat, and Lex, and member of the Council of Seven. Possessed by Apep, Set went rogue when the Council of Seven chose Heru as their leader after Osiris’s death around 4,000 years ago.
Sheut Considered one of the essential parts of the soul by the ancient Egyptians, closely associated with a person’s shadow. In regards to Nejerets, a sheut is the power of a Netjer, like Re or Apep, or the less potent power of the offspring of a Nejerette and Nejeret.
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MORE BOOKS BY LINDSEY FAIRLEIGH
ECHO TRILOGY
1: Echo in Time
1.5: Resonance
2: Time Anomaly
2.5: Dissonance
3: Ricochet Through Time (coming soon!)
THE ENDING SERIES
0: The Ending Beginnings Omnibus
1: After The Ending
2: Into The Fire
3: Out Of The Ashes
4: Before The Dawn
World Before (coming soon!)
World After (coming soon!)
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON LINDSEY FAIRLEIGH & THE ECHO TRILOGY:
www.lindseyfairleigh.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lindsey Fairleigh lives her life with one foot in a book—as long as that book transports her to a magical world or bends the rules of science. Her novels, from post-apocalyptic to time travel and historical fantasy, always offer up a hearty dose of unreality, along with plenty of adventure and romance. When she’s not working on her next novel, Lindsey spends her time reading, planning her farm, and trying out new recipes in the kitchen. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her rather confused cats.
www.lindseyfairleigh.com