Curse of the Scarab King

by Wend Petzler

  He was about to say something comforting when he smelt baking bread. His eyes darted to her, hoping she smelt it, too. She had. “Come!” He took her hand in his, leading her over the top of a low rise, spotting a small town nestled amongst clusters of palm trees.

  Excited, Kate grasped his arm tighter when she saw the well, knowing fresh water near. They hurried over to the mud and bricked well. Setti reached over to grab the bucket hanging from the cross bar and lowered it down to the cool water below. Hauling back up the thick rope, he drew the filled bucket to the surface. Setti held it out for her to drink first, keeping watch for any signs of the townspeople. The town seemed tucked in for the night, many of the villagers apparently asleep. When she finished drinking her fill, she nudged him to take the bucket and ease his own thirst. When finished, Setti placed it on the bricked edge of the well, deciding they needed to find clothes next. The woman's odd outfit would definitely draw attention.

  His eyes narrowed, searching the quiet village for any signs of aggression. Slowing his pace, he motioned for her to keep behind him. Oil lamps were lit in long intervals, giving them enough light to see by. Rows of low, two story, mud and sandstone houses designed to keep the heat out by day and the cold away by night from the occupants inside. Setti searched the small courtyards, hoping to find one with clothes carelessly left outside to dry.

  By the ninth house down, he grinned in triumph when he saw linen garments flapping in the soft breeze. He beckoned her to take off his robe and hand it to him. Whispering to her, Setti ordered, “Go and stand over there in the alley."

  Draping it over the clothes line, he exchanged it for the plain, woman's tunic and man's linen loincloth he took. By the front door, he grabbed a pair of small sandals carelessly left outside. Glancing at his companion's feet, he felt certain they'd fit her, knowing the cumbersome footwear she wore caused her excruciating pain. Taking the garments, he crossed the silent street to where she nervously waited for his return.

  In the morning, he would ask around and find out what the year was and where SobeKnefru had made her royal court. Setti knew SobeKnefru never liked living in Thebes and would have chosen another location, one better suited to her needs. Seeing the small movement behind the red-haired woman, a snarl curled his upper lip. A dark clothed man loomed behind her, placing a hand over her mouth to silence her scream. Dropping the items in his arms, he rushed to her aid. To her credit, she fought the man, but he firmly held her still. Suddenly more men surrounded Setti, moving in a threatening circle around him, their swords drawn.

  The man holding his companion ordered, “Give us your jewels or the woman dies!"

  Instinct took over. Setti dodged past one thief, striking another in the nose with his broad fist. Wrenching the crude sword from the unconscious man's limp grasp, Setti swung it from side to side, demonstrating his skill. They looked to one another, unsure whether to attack or not. A bold man rushed forward, wildly swinging his sword. Setti easily hit the man between the eyes with the hilt his sword, knocking him out. The others warily circled around Setti as he shifted, keeping an ever watchful eye on their advances. The nearest man rushed him, distracting him. Another suddenly threw a dagger at Setti. Enraged, Setti roared, striking with both sword and fist until none were left standing. Leaving his attackers bruised and shaken, he stood alone in the sandy street breathing hard, glaring at them, sword held ready.

  The thieves scrambled to their feet, terrified at what they saw. They watched the tall Egyptian stride toward their leader who held the woman.

  "May Allah, be merciful!” The leader whispered fearfully, his dark eyes widened further, suddenly recognizing the expensive belt and shawl necklace which they wished to steal. The ruby-eyed scarabs glittered in their torches’ light as did the blood red amulet hanging from around the Egyptian's neck. “You are the Scarab King! We heard you were buried four years ago. How can you be here and—somehow alive?” Swallowing back the lump in his throat, unbelieving what protruded from the proud Egyptian's bare chest.

  Glaring at the thief, Setti growled at him, “Release the woman and leave before I decide to send you all to the Underworld!"

  Frightened, the clearly shaken man immediately did as he was told. The woman plopped to the ground and scooted away, coming up short when her back pressed against the building. Her violet eyes wide with terror, Setti squatted down on his powerful haunches, making sure she was unharmed. Crying, she started hiccupping, unable to stop. When he reached out a concerned hand to wipe away the dirty tears from her cheek, he stopped short when she frantically tried to stay out of his reach.

  Frowning, Setti glanced down at where she stared. Shaken by what he saw, Setti swallowed hard and took hold of the ivory-handled knife embedded deep in his heart. Yet, he lived and breathed. Pulling it free, he grew amazed no blood gushed from the wound, remaining only a dark stain on the blade.

  "Are you well?” Setti asked her, alarmed by the color disappearing from her freckled features.

  "Am I ... well?” Kate exclaimed in total disbelief. “I'm not ... the one ... who had a ... knife in my ... heart!"

  Sighing, he truly knew what his curse meant—a freak, an abomination in the eyes of the world. “Come, woman, we need to leave this place.” He held his hand out to her, hoping she would trust him again as she had before. To his eternal relief, she hesitantly accepted, placing her small hand in his much larger one.

  Glaring at him, Kate grumbled, “Quit calling me woman!"

  The thief, who held Kate, raised his hand, stopping them. “Wait!” He took a step forward. “Please, allow us to take you to our camp and properly clothe and feed you. It would be my honor to serve the great Scarab King."

  Pondering the situation, Setti gave a small nod of acceptance. “We will go with you. Show us the way."

  Kate raised a worried gaze up at him. Whispering so the thieves did not hear her, “Do you think it a wise idea to go with them when they just tried to kill us?"

  Amusement lit his eyes, tinged with bitterness. “They already know they cannot kill me, so I am quite certain we will be safe.” Knowing she was unsettled by the way she kept staring at the ugly wound in his chest, Setti squeezed her hand comforting. Feeling pleased when she held onto his with a death grip, he knew she was more afraid of the harsh-looking men than him. The thieves assembled, helping those hurt to their feet. Urging her to follow him, Setti went back to the house where he left his burial robe. Retrieving it, he shrugged on the warm garment and returned the items he'd taken where he found them. The thieves surrounded them and led the way toward a thick stand of palm trees at the outskirts of the village, shielding the camels awaiting their riders.

  "My lord, please forgive me, I have not introduced myself. I am Raj, the most feared outlaw in Egypt. My men and I live to harass the bitch who rules like a man and commands we worship her as a Crocodile Goddess.” He spit on the ground, accenting his hatred.

  Setti's face hardened perceptibly. “SobeKnefru rules as Queen Pharaoh?"

  "Yes and if we do not worship SobeKnefru, we find mutilated bodies of those who openly protest being forced to worship a god not of their choosing."

  Grim, Setti snorted at the irony. “SobeKnefru finally got what she wanted most in life."

  Kate looked up at him, frowning at his words. “What's that?"

  "Her fondest desire was to be worshipped. All will love her and pay homage, those who don't, die.” Setti ground out, disgusted by his sister's vanity and trivial-mindedness.

  She remained quiet as they neared the long-legged camels. Three men wearing dark robes guarded them. Raj spoke softly to his men, and they bowed with great reverence to Setti. A camel settled to the ground for them to mount. Kate gasped when Setti effortlessly lifted her onto the wooly animal, placing her on the blanket covered saddle.

  Accepting the dark robe from one of the thieves and a pouch containing dried meat, Setti handed the items up to her, ashamed he hadn't noticed she shivered from the cold. Swinging up behi
nd her, Setti urged the animal up on its feet.

  The huge, fluffy furred animals ambled along in a single file, making their way into the dark desert. The motion of the camel's lulling walk made her drowsy. Relaxing in Setti's arms, she trusted him to keep her on the tall animal lumbering along after the one in front of it.

  Setti's mouth pulled to a half smile when she leaned back against him, getting comfortable for the long ride. Wrapping his arms protectively around her, he drew her trembling body closer. It suddenly dawned on him that he did not know her name. Leaning over her shoulder, he whispered in her dainty ear, “What are you called?"

  Straightening from the unexpected shock of his warm lips brushing against the sensitive skin of her earlobe, she turned in his arms to see him better. “What?"

  "What is your name?” he asked once more, amused by her obvious nervousness being in such close proximity to him, his much larger frame overshadowing her smaller one.

  "Oh!” She looked even more confused when it dawned on her she had never told him her name. “My name is Kate Martin."

  "It is of the greatest honor to make your acquaintance, Kate Martin.” he spoke her name slowly, pronouncing it carefully so not to get it wrong.

  "The pleasure is all mine, Lord Setti.” She beamed up at him.

  Laughing softly, Setti grinned, his white teeth bold against the honey brown color of his warm skin. “I do believe, Kate Martin, the pleasure is all mine.” And truly meant every word.

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  Chapter Thirteen

  Riding throughout the night, the early morning radiance broke the dark skyline. A small oasis arose from the shadowy waves of the desert. To this destination, the thieves urged their camels toward.

  A hailing shout roused Kate from a half-sleep. Disoriented, she rubbed the sleep from her gritty eyes. Able to focus on her surroundings, she gaped at the wild beauty of the savage terrain, the desert awakening with the sunrise.

  Smiling, she shifted to look at Setti. “How are you holding up?” Suddenly aware of his lower body moving with the swaying motion of the camel, growing quite disturbed how erotic he felt behind her.

  Weary lines made his face appear older, the right corner of his sculptured mouth curled upward. “One would think with so much rest during the last three thousand years, I could keep going for days.” Setti joked, feeling thoroughly worn out.

  "How is your wound?"

  Opening his robe to examine the stab wound, they both were astonished it had completely healed and no scar remained. “I believe ... I shall live,” he replied cryptically.

  Rolling her eyes at his strange sense of humor, she straightened, seeing Raj ride toward them. “Will we be safe here?” she whispered, praying the thief an honorable man.

  Sensing her doubt, Raj placed a brown-skinned hand over his heart and inclined his turbaned head, grinning. “Rest your fears, kind lady. Once I have given my word, I never break it. Our humble home is yours.” He waved at a woman with long, dark hair covered by a bright green veil. “My wife—Zola."

  A man riding nearby barked a loud laugh. “One of them anyway!"

  An unashamed grin brightened his swarthy features. “Ahh but Zola is my first and favorite.” Children swarmed around the marauders, and one by one the riders separated and went to their own tents. “My lord, you and your woman shall have a tent of your own. For your comfort, food and water will be provided."

  "I will never forget your generosity.” Setti signaled the camel to kneel for them to dismount, holding onto Kate when the sudden forward lurch nearly sent her off the animal.

  Kate blinked in surprise at being called Setti's woman, barely registering she was almost tossed off the camel. “Excuse me, but there seems to be a mistake. I am not his woman.” she declared quite firmly.

  Amusement brightened Raj's ebony-colored eyes. “I see. You are an available woman.” A sly look was tossed at the Egyptian. “Does your friend not realize she can be claimed by any of my men, if she does not have a protector?"

  Schooling his features, Setti arched an eyebrow at Kate whose lush, pink mouth dropped open in distress. “Are you telling our host you do not have a protector?"

  The realization hit her. Being in a completely different time period meant she had to adhere to the rules. A woman on her own was vulnerable to either be taken against her will, claimed as a slave, or sold into slavery. Her mouth opened and closed, she tried to form a response, except her anger much too great. Finally she crossed her arms and glared at the two men, knowing they silently laughed at her predicament. “Yes, I have a protector!” Kate ground out, hating the fact that she needed Setti's protection.

  Raj asked her with a brilliant grin, “And whose woman are you?"

  "His.” The words grated out through gritted teeth, knowing she was cornered. Kate jumped off the camel after Setti, refusing to look at him.

  Swinging off his camel, Raj clapped his hands, and servants rushed forward carrying water and towels. “Wife, please have a tent readied for our honored guests and clean clothes assembled, something durable for traveling in the desert.” Bowing low to Setti, “Rest, my lord, and later today, I will answer all your questions and hopefully you will be gracious enough to answer mine. May Allah watch over you and yours.” Boldly winking at the fuming woman, Raj placed his hand over his heart.

  Setti inclined his gleaming head, “And over yours.” Placing a guiding hand on Kate's back, they followed Raj's smiling wife who indicated they should follow her.

  Rolling her eyes at the outlaw's humor, Kate gulped, entranced by the way the rising sun made Setti's stark beauty breathtaking. Chucking up her runaway imagination to exhaustion, Kate forced her feet to move. Ignoring the people gawking at her, pointing at her clothes and strange boots, Kate trudged on. When Zola halted by a small tent and held back the woven papyrus curtain for them to enter, Setti motioned for Kate to enter first. Inside, she found a bed of cut grass covered by bleached linen and a gray, woven blanket folded to the side. She turned to thank the woman, perplexed to find her gone.

  Setti ducked inside, forced to sit on the bed since the tent refused to allow his height. Exhausted, he shed his robe and stretched out, closing his eyes in delighted relief at the cushioned softness under his aching body. “You may undress and cover with the blanket over there. I promise not to look.” A brief, amused smile curved his lips. Setti sat up and unlaced his sandals. Fluffing the rolled, cotton filled pillow behind his, he relaxed, preparing to sleep.

  Unsure if he meant what he said, she took the offered chance and started removing her filthy clothes. Kicking off the heavy boots, she sat down to remove the sand-encrusted socks. Biting her lower lip from crying out from the pain, she eased them off, exposing the ugly blisters along the sides of her feet and toes. Checking to make sure Setti's eyes remained shut, she shrugged out of her clothes and stood clad only in a delicate, lacy white bra and matching panties. A clay water washbasin and a rough-textured towel sat on a small, wooden table. Washing off the sand and sticky perspiration from her body, she winced as she carefully washed her arms, the skin bright red. Gently running the rough cloth over her tired face, neck, and chest, she tried not to sigh, the pleasure of being slightly clean felt fantastic.

  Peering from under thick, black-brown eyelashes, Setti watched in fascination as Kate bathed. He held his breath, viewing her full breasts strain against the strange garment she wore, hard nipples rosy against the white, near transparent material. Her waist was narrow, but her body was rounded and soft, hips flaring perfectly for a man's touch. Following the path of the wet cloth over her inner thigh, he grew hard. Closing his eyes against the sweet agony of watching Kate, his determination not give into his lust wavered. Although in pain, Setti thanked Ra for feeling once again, even if it was bent over with an erection with no way of relieving his raging need.

  Rolling onto his side, away so she would not see his discomfort, a disturbing thought entered Setti's mind. Had Ra allowed him to be curse
d because of his desire for Yoshabel, a woman of Israeli descent? Had he angered Ra when he chose a foreign woman over one of his own people? Never being one of a superstitious nature, Setti felt he might have to rethink his rash decisions of the past. If it were true what his people believed, he must stay clear of Kate Martin. Who knew what more could happen to him if he pursued the lovely young woman with hair the color of cinnamon.

  Finished with her sponge bath, Kate wrapped the soft blanket about her shoulders. Startled at the soft knock against the tent's doorframe, she opened the curtain to find Zola holding a small jar.

  "I bring you a soothing balm made from juices of the Aloe Vera plant mixed with herbs. It will help your skin burned from the desert sun."

  Grateful, Kate accepted the gift with a relieved smile. “My heartfelt thanks. I shall put it on immediately."

  With a short bow Zola left her.

  Ducking back inside, Kate dipped her fingers in the ointment and rubbed it over her hot skin. She felt an instant relief from the pain. Spreading it over her legs and arms, careful of her burnt nose, she at last found some relief. Exhausted, she knelt on the bed, careful not to wake Setti who slept soundly on his side, his wide back to her. She slowly lay on her back and breathed a deep sigh. Not long passed when sleep enveloped her, too.

  Hours later, groggy, Kate woke, feeling a heavy weight pressing down on her. Her blurred vision focused on bronze-colored skin. Eyes widening, she realized Setti's arm was draped over her chest, his bare leg thrown over her legs, pinning her down. She tried to jerk her head up to look if he still slept, forced to stay, her long hair trapped under his other arm positioned behind her head. Gritting her teeth, Kate knew she would have to wait until he awoke. Nearly coming out of the bed when a warm hand closed over her bare breast, his palm engulfed her, capturing her.