Shadow crawled up a flimsy fern tree and took a massive bite out of one of the leaves. Some kind of cloudy liquid oozed from the gash and dribbled down his scaly face.
“I still can’t believe it,” I said to him as I gently rubbed a leaf between my fingers. It hung from a low branch and felt like silk against my skin. A slight pinch told me it was filled with liquid. Like a thin cactus leaf. “I mean, there’s theories and some evidence that Egypt was once lush with forests and wetlands, but not like this.”
Shadow ran ahead, scampering after bugs and other critters. He offered me a grasshopper of some kind and I politely declined before he stuffed it in his mouth. We emerged through a far treeline and came to a halt. Nothing but sand connected us to the next closest patch of land.
The moon above was not quite full and lit up all the tiny facets of glass in the sand. They sparkled like diamonds, like the stars above. Shadow wove around my ankles and settled between my two feet as he peered up at me with a look of concern.
“I don’t know,” I replied and strained to see any possible dangers moving across the landscape. “It’s a long way to go with no cover. But it’s so late in the night, I doubt anyone would be lurking around.” I looked down at Shadow. “Would they?”
He let out a string of chirps and pointed in the distance, off to our left toward a sand formation. A larger dune than all the rest. If we could make it to the next patch of forest, then we could easily close in on the area without too much trouble. Shadow touched my leg and I felt the same warmth as before.
“Is that where we need to go?” I asked. “Is that Horus’ temple?”
He nodded.
I sucked in a deep breath and assessed the task before us. A football field worth of sand stood in the way. I was confident I could sprint across it in no time. I used to run every day. But Shadow might not make it with his little legs.
I let my bag slide down my arm to set it on the ground before I knelt. “If we’re going to make it without being seen, we need to be fast.” I pulled the drawstring and moved around the contents inside. “I’m going to put you in my backpack. Okay?”
Without a sound, Shadow climbed inside, and I admired how much he blatantly trusted me after knowing me only a few days. He was a bit too big, his little lizardy head poked out. But I tightened the string around his shoulders and left the flap open before securing the straps over my arms.
“Okay,” I said mostly to myself. I eyed the goal and stretched my legs. “Let’s go.”
I took off, my runner legs a bit out of practice, but I fell into a speedy pace within a few seconds. The cold sand was hard to keep my footing in, but it didn’t stop me. My lungs squeezed and protested at the sudden spurt of strenuous exercise, but it felt good. Familiar.
The edge of the next oasis neared and grew as I ran. My calves burned, wanting to take a break but I couldn’t risk stopping, for fear Horus’ men might find me. Assuming they patrolled the area as Anubis alluded to.
Just a couple more yards and I’d be home free. I could smell the musty earth and hear a trickle of water. Just as the toes of my boots touched the edge of the lush grass, a screech pierced the sky and I stumbled forward before hitting the ground. My heart pounded as I turned over and searched the skies above. Two falcons circled overhead. Crying to one another.
They spun around and began a rapid descent to the ground as I frantically scrambled over the cold, wet grass in search of cover. But it was too late. The two birds dove to the sand where they immediately morphed into plumes of smoke on impact and two human-like figures emerged from the thick clouds. I stared in disbelief, locked in place with nowhere to run. Behind me, Shadow squirmed and chirped in my bag and I quickly wretched the straps from my arms. If these guys were going to take me, at least I could leave him behind to run back to the colony. I pushed myself backward until I brought up against a tree as the two figures slowly pursued me.
“Shadow,” I whispered. “Stay still until they’re gone. Then you run back home. Okay?”
He cooed sadly but did as I said.
“You are trespassing,” one of the figures bellowed. “Do you come from the rebels?”
They both came to a stop just a couple of feet away. Dark skinned, clad in gold arm cuffs and gear around their necks, with beautifully colored linens of teal and rust hung from their muscled waists and dangled around their knees.
“Uh, what?” I played dumb while carefully feeling my belt to make sure my knife was still secured there under my jacket. “I was just out for a walk.”
The other figure stepped closer. “Out for a walk in the dead of night?” He bent down and grabbed my arm with a roughness that didn’t sit well with me. But I bit back the urge to struggle. “Unlikely. Come with us.”
I let him haul me to my feet. “And you’re taking me where, exactly?”
“To Horus,” they answered in unison. “You’ll answer to him.”
I pretended to resist a little, hoping my eagerness to go with them wasn’t too obvious. Yeah, these weird shapeshifters were dragging me across the desert to see an ancient God of Vengeance, but they didn’t know it’s exactly where I wanted to be.
I threw a quick glance over my shoulder as they hauled me away, to make sure Shadow still hid in the safety of my bag. He held the flap over his head, and I could see his giant eyes blinking sadly in the moonlight. Part of me was deeply grateful that he’d be okay, that he could run back and tell Dad where I was. I cringed at the thought of his face when he discovered I flat-out disobeyed him.
But he’d understand if I managed to save Silas.
My two captors dragged me across the oasis and then over more fields of sand before we reached the top of a massive dune. The same white light from the pyramids filled the gaping space below and beamed up at my face. It soaked into two titanic stone carvings of falcons that flanked a firelit entrance to a temple that was nestled into the embankment. Like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.
A giant stone wall was in the process of being erected around the perimeter and a dense group of tents collected together in the distance near a bushel of trees.
“So, what’s Horus going to want with me?” I asked. The proper amount of fear now seeped into my veins and my heart raced with the threat of unknowing. “Are people not allowed to take a late-night stroll?”
One of them squeezed my arm and hastily nudged me forward. “That’s not what you were doing, Rebel. And you know it. Save your words for Amun. He’ll decide whether or not you should meet the wrath of our Lord Horus.”
He pushed again, and I stumbled forward a few steps before finding my footing in the sand. A sturdy wooden walkway led us down from the top of the tsunami sized sand dune and my feet hit the ground below with a deep, hollow thud.
Smooth stones paved the way toward the grand entrance. Fiercely carved figures of birds and other strange beings patterned with circular pillars towered overhead as I marched along with my two captors. From this close, I could see the columns were etched with runes and hieroglyphs, but I didn’t have time to stop and read them.
We entered the sharp, rectangular entrance and I tried to imagine the ruins and how they must have looked in the future. Egypt was littered with old temples and hidden gems like this one, all partially uncovered and holding centuries of secrets.
A courtyard opened up, with a dozen columns on each side, supporting the beautifully designed ceiling above. The smell of incense was thick in the air as I admired the intricate artwork. Images of beings sailing on narrow boats, coursing through waves of stars, sparkled with fresh navy and gold paints. More falcon headed humanoids adorned the smooth surfaces and I laughed to myself at the fact that we, in the future, assumed they were just costumes.
How much has really been lost or mistranslated of our history?
We came to a halt in the middle of the courtyard and my two guards backed away to block the exit. I had nowhere to run and, before I could utter a word, the sound of footsteps echoed through one
of the many openings that clearly led deeper into the temple. I watched as two more bird-headed men stepped into the vast empty space where I stood, and they parted to let a taller, broader figure emerge.
Clad in beautiful garments of gold and teal, a fancy cloth head piece hiding the gorgeous brown waves I knew were underneath, my body responded immediately. My blood ran hot and sent my heart into a frenzy at the very sight of him.
“Silas?” I cried in disbelief. Wetness filled my eyes and a crazed laugh escaped my throat.
My body acted of its own accord and I found myself running straight for him. My chest tight with anxiousness. I stretched my arms out for him, ready to collide with his body and wrap myself around him. Could it really be this easy? Was Silas just freely wandering around the temple? Or were these two his guards?
His expression flitted from blank and uninterested then morphed into a stare that bored into me with rage and disgust. Before I could touch my hands to his exposed chest, Silas stomped the floor with his foot and a giant golden staff appeared out of thin air.
He gripped it tightly and swung it around his head before widening his stance. It all happened so fast; I didn’t have a chance to register what he was doing. I was fueled only by the foolish emotion that urged me toward him. Foolish because, in a single act of utter betrayal, the man I loved brought his staff down and it crashed into my chest with a lethal blow.
A blinding, crisp green light exploded from the contact and my body slammed to the floor where I gasped for air. My lungs suffocated with pressure as they filled with blood. The room faded to black and I desperately choked for breath. The last image I saw as I drifted into darkness was that of my beloved raising the staff above his head once more and bringing its tip down on my chest one last time.
Chapter Fifteen
I was wrong about death before.
It wasn’t replete with pain and suffering. No, only the fragility of life could bring about those sensations. Death was…freeing. I floated along, my eyes closed, as my formless body filled with a welcome emptiness. Alcohol numbed my agony, but death was the ultimate high.
Darkness surrounded me, but an eerie green light emanated in the distance and I happily floated toward it. Something brushed my fingertips and I slowly peeled my eyes open. Another soul coasted along the same channel I seemed to be headed down. My hand passed through them as if they were made of liquid smoke and the touch filled my arm with a tingly static.
Then another, to the opposite side, floated by and my sleepy mind began to awaken. The darkness suddenly sharpened and jagged lines of wet stone quickly came into focus. I was underground. In some strange cave-like channel. Formless bodies filled the canal and a strange, uncomfortable warmth expanded in my chest where panic should be. Then the fresh memory of what happened slammed into my mind’s eye like a cold shock.
I found Silas…and he killed me.
I pushed against the ethereal current that dragged us all along. I kicked and clawed my way back in the direction I came from, with no idea of where I was going. I just didn’t want to go into the light at the end of the metaphoric tunnel.
But the weightless tide refused to let me go.
Something hard and solid reached out from the void beyond the confines of the stream and grabbed hold of my arm, yanking me out of the pool of souls. It felt unnatural to be here. The touch of reality burned and itched my shell-less form and a part of me ached to be back with the others.
“Andie!” Anubis scolded. “What are you doing here?” His beady eyes narrowed over his long snout. But I noticed his arm, the one that pulled me from the water. His beautiful dark skin had withered and exposed some of the bone.
“Oh my god!” I exclaimed. “Are you alright?”
Anubis looked at his arm and nursed it at his side, his stern expression unwavering. “It’s fine. It’ll heal in time.” He stepped closer, his figure towering over me. “Now, tell me, what did you do?”
“I left the colony,” I replied, my voice trickling through the dense air like music. “In search of Silas.”
He let out an impatient groan as he rubbed at his face. “The lost lover you spoke of? You said he was dead. What makes you think you could find him out there?”
“My father said he was alive, that Horus had him held prisoner in his temple.”
“Yes, your father,” he replied with a thoughtful nod. “I was shocked to discover your connection to the Wise Man. It makes sense now, the things he said about you. How he knew the way you’d behave.” Anubis began pacing the ground we stood on. “But how does any of that explain how you wound up here?”
If I were capable of tears, they’d surely be streaming down my face. “Well, I found Silas. He was…alive and well. And he…killed me. Struck me down with a stupid golden staff.”
Anubis stiffened and regarded me with a sharp stare. “A golden staff?”
I shrugged. “Yeah.” Then the memory grew in my mind. “And he, uh, made it appear out of nowhere. Like…magic.” The words came from my own mouth and I had seen it with my own eyes, but I still couldn’t believe it.
He began to pace again. Then I watched as his body seemed to freeze with a sudden realization. “Do you still possess the necklace?”
Instinctively, I reached up to my chest where I kept the necklace hidden under my shirt, but my hand went right through. But I could feel–no–sense the necklace still there. As if I were still somewhat tied to my body. Wherever it may be.
“Yeah, I think so,” I replied. “Why?”
Anubis heaved a deep sigh. “Because it’s the key to saving the man you once knew.”
“What?” Confusion held me in place. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“There will be time to explain later,” he replied. “Right now, we need to get you back in your body.”
“How do we do that? Is it even possible?”
“Possible? Yes,” Anubis said with hesitation. “Permitted? Not quite. But I’ll gladly answer to those repercussions if you can truly help me.”
Before I could respond, Anubis stomped on the rocky floor of the massive cave and a large golden staff appeared in the air next to him. Just like Silas had done. Only this staff was different; thicker, more intricate, and topped with a gilded skull.
He pointed it toward me. “I’m going to force you back into your body. The sensation will be painful, you’ll most likely beg for the comfort of death again. But it’s necessary.”
I took a couple of steps back. “And how exactly are you going to find me once you do that? What if I’m left lying in the middle of the desert somewhere?”
“In my jackal form, I’m an expert tracker,” he assured. His eyes closed as he inhaled slowly. “And I already have an idea of where you may be. I promise I’ll find you, Andie. You just have to hold on until I get there. Okay?”
The idea of unease twirled in my empty form. But I wanted to trust him. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
Anubis gripped his staff tightly until the skull at the top began to glow. Then he gently touched the tip to my chest, causing the light to expand until everything washed away and my vision filled with the blinding glare.
In the blink of an eye, I was sucked through a thick void until I felt myself slip into the pores and orifices of my lifeless body. Filling the curves and deadened limbs. But I was met with a deep pressure from all around and, when I gasped for that first breath, nothing but sand filled my mouth. Followed by the searing pain that rushed over every inch of my body. A cry wretched from inside but it only let more sand pour in. It hurt like hell, but I forced my limbs to move, to climb to the surface but I couldn’t tell which direction that was.
Just when I thought all hope was lost, five strong fingers wrapped around my arm and plucked me from my sandy grave. Just like before, when he hauled me from the river of souls, Anubis pulled me to safety, and I collapsed on the ground while I coughed up a heap of dirt. My arms trembled under my own weight, but I managed to hold myself up in a half-seated pos
ition. In the distance, I could see the lights of Horus’ temple.
With the gift of life came the burden of emotion, and the reality of what Silas did to me came crashing down. Along with the sand that spewed from my mouth and nose came a wave of vomit as I purged what little contents were in my stomach. Fresh, hot tears burned my face and only came heavier when I felt Anubis’ comforting hand rub against my back.
I turned my head and looked at him. “Why?” My tear-stained mouth trembled, and he had to look away. “Why would Silas do this to me?”
Anubis’ canine head melted away until Niya appeared by his side and he regarded me in his human form. The whites of his eyes shone in the moonlight and he continued to console me with a gentle pat on the back.
“The man you know as Silas is gone, Andie,” he replied. “But we’re going to work together to bring him back.”
“What do you mean?” I asked and wiped the sandy wetness from my face. “H-how are we going to do that?”
He shifted in the sand next to me and lowered his head. “With that necklace you keep hidden under your clothes.”
My abdomen protested as I attempted to sit up straight and pluck the chain from inside my tank top. “Silas’ necklace? I-I don’t understand.”
Anubis stood up and helped me to my feet. My knees buckled but he caught me and looped a long arm around my back. “I’ll explain more when we get to the safety of the colony–”
“No,” I replied sternly. “Tell me now. How does my boyfriend’s necklace help any of this?”
He peered down at me with pity. “Andie. This man you call Silas? He…is the necklace.”
Chapter Sixteen
“I know you’re strong-willed, Andelyn,” my father roared as he paced the dirt floor of his quarters. “But that’s no excuse! We’re not back home. We don’t have the luxury of breaking rules here. Not like this.”
I stood silently and leaned against the rough surface of a wall while I cast my gaze to the floor. I had no response. I knew he was right. But the betrayal of being murdered by the man I loved still sat sour in my heart and I wanted nothing more than to hide away in my room to lick my wounds. But Anubis insisted we come here and speak to Dad. I dared a glance across the room where he sat with Niya at his feet.
Ancient Hearts: A Time Travel Fantasy Romance (Kingdom of Sand & Stars Book 1) Page 13
