Every Last Kiss - The Bloodstone Saga_Book 1 - Courtney Cole

Every Last Kiss By Courtney Cole Copyright © 2011 Courtney Cole Published by Lakehouse Press All rights reserved.

This novel is a work of fiction. Some people, places and events have historical merit, while others are entirely a product of the author’s imagination. The author holds all rights to this work. It is illegal to reproduce this novel without expressed written consent from the author herself.

DEDICATION To my husband. If I believed in soul mates, you would be mine.

PROLOGUE ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT THE MAUSOLEUM OF QUEEN CLEOPATRA AND MARC ANTONY 30 BC “Charmian! Is there any sign of her?” I hurriedly rushed back from the outer room of the mausoleum, looking nervously over my shoulder as my bare feet padded lightly on the cool stone floor. “No, my queen. Only the guards.” Queen Cleopatra nodded solemnly, her golden armbands glistening in the lamplight. She rose from her perch on a jeweled chaise lounge and gazed sadly at the golden sarcophagus that glittered mutely in front of her. Ornate and beautiful, it held the remains of her husband. Lovingly, she slid her hands along the golden shell that would protect him for eternity. From the open windows of the outer chambers, the tangy sea breeze blew softly into the inner rooms and I found myself wishing that it could carry me away, somewhere far from here. I fingered the birthmark on my wrist. It was not throbbing, not even an ache, and I knew that I would not be leaving this crypt. A sudden, soft knock on the doors echoed in the quiet room, causing both of us to whip around. Tension immediately formed in my neck. This was it. It had to be. Cleopatra squared her shoulders, then bent to brush a soft kiss on the golden mask covering Marc Antony’s face. “Forgive me, my love,” she murmured. There was another low knock and I felt my shoulders ripple with the stress that they carried as Cleopatra reached out to grasp my hand. “Iras, love… could you answer that?” Cleopatra whispered. She squeezed my hand tightly, but I barely noticed. Cleopatra’s other handmaiden nodded obediently and slipped silently from the room to answer the door. She returned a scant moment later with a tiny shriveled woman who looked not a day younger than 200 years old. The glinting eyes that stared from under her brown hood were ageless, full of wisdom and I felt my heart begin to race. It was time. There was no doubt. Cleopatra squared her shoulders, her face a perfect regal mask as she walked purposely toward the old woman. “Do you have it?” “Yes, your highness,” the old woman rasped throatily. She held out a woven reed basket. I wouldn’t have thought it was big enough to conceal anything and apparently the Roman guards hadn’t either. Nowadays, they checked everything that came in for the queen. I rushed to Cleopatra’s side and we peered into the interior of the basket together. It was full of plump figs and I inhaled their sweet, heavy scent. My eyes raised questioningly to the old healer. She nodded at my unspoken question. “It is hidden under the figs.” “How long will it take?” Cleopatra whispered, her voice not reflecting even a bit of the fear that raced through my veins. “Only a few moments.No longer.” The healer’s faded eyes searched Cleopatra’s bright ones. “You must be certain, your highness. Once the poison enters your body, there can be no turning back.” Cleopatra nodded. “No, there is no turning back, old woman.” The healer nodded gravely and held out the basket as if it were an offering. Cleopatra took it and sank back into her chaise lounge, staring absently at the opulence surrounding her as she reached into the basket, withdrawing a fig. Slipping it into her mouth, she chewed it delicately, then smiled. “Delicious,” she announced, swallowing calmly. She eyed the basket again pensively. I sucked in my breath. It was time. I felt it coming, the air crackled with it. Death was an unseen presence in the room, waiting for our last breaths. Reaching into the basket once again, Cleopatra withdrew a long, thin black snake. It draped itself along her arm and she stared into its black slitted eyes. “You will take me to the afterlife,” she instructed it firmly. “And do it quickly.” Leaning back into the silk cushions, she shook the snake lightly. It hissed, its large mouth yawning open ominously, revealing glistening fangs. As it stared at her, one drop of deadly venom dripped from its mouth. Nothing more. Impatient, Cleopatra shook it again. It struck her so quickly that I barely had time to register the movement before I heard her gasp. “It is done then,” she murmured, dropping the snake once again into the basket. I flew to her side, my arms around her slender shoulders. Two drops of blood dripped from her breast. “Cleopatra…” My voice broke as pain flooded through me. “Charmian, do not fear. We have done what we must. All is well.” Her obsidian eyes met mine and I saw peace in them. My breath caught in my throat just as she drew her last. Her lips quivered and then she was still, her dark eyes staring sightlessly at me. My heart shattered silently. “All is well,” I whispered as I reached out and gently closed her eyes. “Is it? Is it well where you are now, my queen?” Her face was peaceful and even in death, she was beautiful. I swallowed hard as I looked up at Iras. She was shaking her head in grief as she rocked back on her heels. The old woman watched me silently, waiting to see what I would do, waiting to see if I would follow our queen. Shakily, I picked up the basket and reached inside. The snake’s body was surprisingly dry, not scaly in the slightest. It writhed beneath my hand, agitated already. My fingers closed around it determinedly, pulling it back out into the light. Staring into its flat black eyes, I implored it softly. “Please be quick.” And it was.

CHAPTER ONE Pasadena, California Present Day The country music singer’s spunky voice ripped through the silence in my room as she began singing loudly from my nightstand, causing my phone to vibrate against the espresso colored wood. I smiled. The lyrics about demolishing a cheating ex-boyfriend’s car with a baseball bat was tempting. Too tempting. I answered my phone before I got any more ideas. “Stop obsessing.” Jessa’s voice was authoritative and bossy. And so on the money that it was ridiculous, not that she needed to know that. Even as she spoke, my eyes were glued to my computer screen, where Derek’s face grinned at me. His perfectly mussed blonde hair draped just-so over his green eyes, and I shuddered. Cheater. “I don’t know what you mean,” I sniffed, trying my best to sound both innocent and offended at the same time. I could practically hear my best friend roll her eyes through the phone. “Macy.” One word, perfectly conveyed disbelief. I sighed. “Okay, fine. There might be a small amount of obsessive behavior going on. How did you know?” “Because I’ve known you since kindergarten, that’s how. Mace, seriously. Anyone who would do what he did isn’t worth the time that it takes to obsess over him. Instead of wasting your time going over every detail, and yes, I know that’s what you are doing, you should be plotting your revenge. And I mean, in a big way.” Apparently, she hadn’t heard my new ringtone. I was way ahead of her on that one. “Yeah…I should totally get on that.” I tried to sound innocent again. “Have you showered yet?” I looked down at my unwashed body clad in old sweats and nodded. “Yep. Why?” Loud sigh, long pause. “Macy, jump in the shower. I’ll be over in two.” And she was gone. And since she only lived two streets over, I knew that I literally only had two minutes to shower before she arrived and saw for herself that I had lied. I dropped the phone and ran for the bathroom. 2.5 minutes later, I was still rinsing the conditioning balm out of my hair when her smug voice drifted through the steam. “So, how’s that shower coming along?” Did I mention that my BFF is a total snot? “Does the word ‘annoying’ mean anything to you?” I shot over the shower wall. “Yeah, um, I would think that after taking a pumice stone to yourself last night, that that hot water probably feels pretty annoying, doesn’t it?” She was right again. Yesterday, after someone had ‘mistakenly’ texted me a video of my boyfriend Derek doing the nasty with Tara Wilson at Haley Beckman’s party last weekend, I had felt the urgent need to vigorously (and I mean vigorously!) wash every place that Derek had ever touched me. It had taken a while. I had stayed in the shower with my loofah, scrubbing myself until the water turned cold and my skin was bright pink, until I was certain that I had scrubbed away any memory of his touch. And Jess was right. My skin was a little sensitive (and still pink) today. The hot water was annoying right now, to say the least. I turned it off and took the thick blue towel that Jess handed to me. Toweling off, I stepped into a clean bra and undies and pivoted on the stone tile to face my friend. She tucked her light brown bob behind her ear as she watched me contemplatively with her lips pursed. “Why are you here, anyway? I was perfectly happy obsessing alone. And don’t roll your eyes. They’re going to get stuck one of these days.” I tossed my wet towel in her face as I walked back into my room to get dressed. “I came to plot revenge. I already told you that,” she reminded me as I dug through my drawers for a pair of jeans and my favorite comfy tee- the light purple one that said MAN EATER across the boobs. It was perfect for my mood. “What makes you think I need help with that? Trust me, that part’s coming pretty easily right now. I need you to reign me in.” She grinned her ornery Jessa grin at me, the one that lit up her entire face and made me instantly nervous about the fate of mankind, with an emphasis on the man. Women probably didn’t have much to worry about. Well, except for maybe Tara Wilson. “Yeah, don’t count on me for that part. I already have plans.” As she spoke, she dug through my closet, pulling out Derek’s favorite red hoodie that I had borrowed after our last swim meet, his letter jacket that I wore to make him feel good even when it was too warm outside, the oversized stuffed bunny that he won for me at a carnival, the pink hoodie that he bought for my birthday… and threw it all promptly into a pile in the middle of my room. As she moved to my dresser to continue her search, I stared at her in confusion. “What the hell are you doing, Jess? Have you lost your mind? I’m going to have to clean all that up!” In answer, she tossed the lacy black bra that had also been a birthday gift from my lying ex-boyfriend onto the pile. I was beginning to sense a pattern. “Hey, I like that one...” I stepped forward to rescue it, but she silenced me with a stare and I stopped in my tracks. “The asshole bought it for you, Mace. We’re not keeping it. We’ll get you another one.” I stepped back silently, marveling at the way she said we’ll, as if it was her bra that she was throwing out. As I moved, my attention was snagged by the lovenotes taped to my mirror. His sprawling, bold script mocked me now.

I love you today.

You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. You have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. My heart is the property of Macy Lockhart. Lies. All of it. I suddenly saw red, something that has never happened to me in my entire life. I was literally so pissed off that my vision blurred together in a swirl of inky red shades and I couldn’t think straight. In my mind, all I could see were his lips; the luscious, soft lips that had kissed me so many times, kissing a trail down Tara Wilson’s neck- right after whispering obscene dirty-talk into her ear. And I was seeing red again. In my underwear and bra, I furiously ripped every single note off the mirror one-by-one and threw them violently onto the big pile on the floor. Jessa watched with a satisfied grin as I got further into the spirit and added his favorite CD to the top of the heap and then another. A few minutes later, I gazed at the large mound in satisfaction. I felt a tiny bit better seeing his things littering my floor like unwanted garbage. Staring at the pitiful pile of bad memories, I realized that I desperately wanted to set fire to it. But, obviously, that would be crazy. And probably against some sort of city ordinance. Plus, it would also burn my house down. So, I settled for pulling on a pair of boots and stomping on it instead… like an insane Italian woman making wine. After the very last cd had been adequately smashed and my legs were literally shaking from the effort, I finally turned to Jessa. “Okay, now I’m ready to go,” I announced, slightly out of breath from the exertion and still almost naked…except for my boots, of course. She stared at me wide-eyed and then burst into laughter. I couldn’t help but giggle too, as I imagined what I must look like…face flushed and half-naked and insane. “Go where?” she gasped as she laughed. “To Derek’s house, of course,” I answered matter-of-factly. “I need to drop a few of his things off.” I stared pointedly at the broken pile of his belongings and then cracked up again in a high-pitched giggle that bordered on hysterical. I should feel guilty for ruining his things, but I SO didn’t. It almost seemed like Poetic Justice since he had broken my heart. I really just hoped he wasn’t home when we got there. In the mood I was in, I might be tempted to slash his tires. I quickly pulled on my MAN EATER shirt and we piled into Jessa’s little blue Volkswagen bug because she didn’t think I was up to driving, even the short distance to Derek’s house. She was probably right. Two minutes and three streets later, we pulled up onto his driveway, right behind his little black Ford Ranger with the dent in the fender. He was home. I fought the itch in my fingers to dig a tire iron out of Jessa’s trunk and give it a matching dent on the other side. It was so very tempting. But I resisted, using an extraordinary amount of self-restraint. We climbed out and I reached into the backseat to pull out the trash bag filled with his broken belongings as Jess watched me in anticipation. “What are you going to do with it?” she asked curiously, her light blue eyes developing a sadistic gleam. Without hesitation, I marched straight to the bed of his truck, emptying his things out over the side. Everything tumbled out, small pieces of his CDs scattering onto his bed liner like the trash that it was. My battered black bra settled to a rest on the top of the pile, a garish reminder of the intimacy we used to share. Grabbing it, I looped it around his antenna, letting it hang as a limp banner for everyone to see. I could only imagine his mother’s face when she saw it. I smiled in grim satisfaction as Jess started laughing again. And then I remembered his class ring. Pulling it off of my middle finger, I tossed it in as well, listening to the metallic clink as it bounced along the truck bed. It tumbled to a stop, the blue stone glittering in the light. And then his front door creaked open. I froze in panic as he stepped onto the porch, bare-chested and in a pair of running shorts. It hadn’t occurred to me that I might actually come face to face with him. Now what? “Macy?” He stepped lightly from the porch and walked towards us, his handsome face hopeful. My heart started racing as he approached, his blonde hair wet from a shower. He smelled so clean and masculine. I steeled myself with the reminder that I hated him now. He was no longer my perfect, green-eyed Poseidon. “I’m so glad you came,” he sighed as he reached for me. “I was afraid that you were never going to speak to me again.” I side-stepped out of his reach and glared at him. “I’m not planning on it,” I spit, beginning to see red again. Did he seriously think I was such a pathetic push-over? That he could humiliate me in front of the entire school and I would just forget about it? That his little frownie-face on his ‘please talk to me’ text yesterday had worked? Not hardly. Not even close. “I had some of your things at my house and needed to return them.” I gestured toward the back of his truck. He circled the fender and peered inside. “What the…” his astonished gaze flew to my face. I couldn’t quite blame him for being surprised. I was normally such an easy-going person. I wasn’t accustomed to fits of rage. I had to admit though, it was pretty satisfying. I stared directly into his green eyes. “See you around,” I murmured coolly, walking past him and dropping into the front seat of Jessa’s car. She quickly started the engine and backed out of the driveway before Derek could say another word. As we pulled away, he stared after us dejectedly. I desperately pushed down the guilty feelings. He deserved nothing less than this. He had broken my heart by impaling it with one of Tara Wilson’s tacky stiletto heels. As we pulled back up to the curb in front of my house, Jess turned to me. “Do you want me to come in?” Her voice was doubtful because she knew me well. She knew that after the huge rush of revenge, I was going to crash down hard and would want to mope alone. And she was right. I shook my head. “No thanks, Jess. I’m just going to suffer in silence tonight.” I looked at my driveway, where my mom’s shiny silver car was now parked. “And I won’t be alone, so you don’t have to worry. Thank you for coming over.” The smile that I gave her was starting to get a little watery. Uh-oh. I needed to make a run for it before I started bawling. I reached for the door handle. “Okay,” she reached over to hug me. “But don’t forget, Mace… this is his problem, not yours. You’re perfect and he’s an idiot. Call me if you need me.” I nodded and got out, rushing without a backward glance toward my brightly lit house.

I’d barely stepped in the back door, though, before my mom waylaid me. So much for suffering in silence. My chattery mother didn’t know the meaning of the word. “Macy, is that you?” she shouted from the kitchen. “Yes,” I called as I kicked my shoes off inside the door. Who else would it be? My dad hasn’t stepped foot in this house since last year, something he complained about regularly since he still had to pay half of the mortgage payment. Mom appeared in the doorway with a piece of half-wilted lettuce in her hand. “Was that Jessa?” I nodded. “She missed her check-up today. She probably hasn’t been flossing and was afraid to see me.” That was probably exactly right. My mom had been Jess and Jenn’s dentist since they had cut their first teeth- and she regularly slapped them on the backs of their heads when they didn’t floss. Literally smacked them. Italians are colorful people. “Oh, hey. While I’m thinking about it… this was on the porch for you.” She ducked back into the kitchen and re-emerged holding a small brown box out to me. It had my first name written on the top in bold black marker and nothing else. I didn’t recognize the writing. I raised my eyebrows as I stared at her questioningly. “What is it?” “I don’t know, honey. It’s yours. I didn’t open it. Maybe Derek left it for you as an apology.” She shrugged nonchalantly, but the interested expression on her face betrayed her. She was dying to know what it was. I carefully opened the top and peered inside. For all I knew, Tara had left me a bomb. But it was harmless. A necklace glittered within tissuepapered folds. “It’s a necklace,” I stated simply. Mom gave up on subtlety and yanked the box from my hands, pulling the odd necklace out to examine it in the light. It was the most unique stone I had ever seen… a dark red quartzy looking thing, the size of half my fist with veins of black running through it. It was beautiful. I’d never seen anything like it. “It’s a bloodstone,” mom observed. “You don’t see these much anymore. And they’re usually green, with only a little red. This one is very unique. It has to be from Derek. He knows how much you love old things.” And I did. I loved retro jewelry, vintage dresses, old movies. But I had just come from Derek’s house- and this box had hadn’t been on the step when I left. I shook my head. “Why wouldn’t he have left a note? Besides, it couldn’t be from him. I just came from there and he didn’t mention it.” Surprise filtered across her face as she studied mine. “Really? Do you want to talk about it?” My rebellious chest started to quake. No, I didn’t want to talk about it. And I didn’t want to break down, either. He didn’t deserve my tears. I took a few shaky breaths before I spoke, gripping my own hands tightly so that my mom wouldn’t see them shake. “No, thanks. I don’t want to waste any more time on him.” The words sounded wooden, my voice flat. I was surprised at my own ability to get through them without screaming or throwing something through the window. I was also surprised and overwhelmed by the level of emotions I had been consumed with today. For being an easy-going person, I was feeling uncharacteristically violent. It was mildly alarming, even if I did have a very good reason. My mom looked concerned at the look on my face. I rushed to reassure her. “I’m fine, mom. I’m just really tired of dealing with it right now. We can talk about it later, if you want. But I need a break from thinking about it. And if he comes here, please don’t let him in. I don’t want to see him. And the next time he comes in for a cavity, if he has the nerve to face you, that is… don’t give him any Novocain.” She nodded quietly and stepped forward to hug me. Her dark hair, just like mine, swung forward and brushed against my shoulder, bringing with it the scent of apples and strawberries. “I’m sorry, sweetie. You didn’t deserve this. But it will be okay, I promise. If you need anything…” her voice trailed off uncertainly and I nodded. “I know. If I need anything, I’ll let you know.” How about a baseball bat for his car? Or a tire iron for his femurs? But obviously I didn’t say those things. If I did, my mother would stick to me like Velcro for the rest of the night. Instead, I just walked calmly past her and trudged toward my room. “Honey?” I turned back around. “You forgot this.” She put the necklace back into the box and handed it to me. “It must be from your dad or something. It looks expensive.” I nodded as I turned around again and trudged away. I needed to get far, far away from her pitying looks. Tossing the box onto my bed, I dropped next to it like a sack of bricks, my breath whooshing out of me. Regardless of the fact that it was only 6:00, I was bone-weary. I didn’t even take the time to take my clothes off or stop to pee. I knew that if I thought about this mess for one more second, I might start screaming. Ramming a pillow over my head to block out the dying sunlight, I closed my eyes and slipped mercifully into the silent oblivion of sleep. But sleep betrayed me. Dreams of Derek cheating on me plagued me off and on as I tossed and turned, slept and woke. Pissed off and frustrated at my subconscious psyche, I crammed the pillow over my head again, inhaling the cool, cottony smell of my sheets as I tried to ease myself back into slumber. Before long, a pair of dark eyes stared at me. Blinking, I walked toward them, and they morphed into a man. A breathtakingly beautiful man. I literally couldn’t breathe as I stepped up to him, the sunlight bouncing off of his angular handsome face. His dark eyes, almost black, sparkled in the sun as he pulled me close, his strong arms wrapping around my back. His scent was intoxicating and familiar and I buried my face in his chest. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured into my ear, his voice husky against my cheek. “Don’t leave me again…” My eyes snapped open and I stared at the green numbers on my alarm clock. 2:00 a.m. Who the heck was that? I had never met that man…but I knew him. The familiarity was unmistakable. It was so strong that it was overwhelming. And I was annoyed that I had woken up. But something had woken me. Something had pulled me from my delicious dream. And I knew it wasn’t a noise or a light that had disturbed me. It was a feeling. A strange feeling. It took me until 2:01 to wake up enough to realize that I was clutching the bloodstone necklace in my hand. Apparently, I had grabbed it in my sleep. The cool stone was polished and smooth in my palm and as I turned it over, vivid images assailed me like a lightning bolt. Sloe-eyed, dark skinned people, the heavy scent of jasmine and blue eye paint. I gasped just as soon as I could breathe again and dropped the stone onto the floor.

What the hell was that? I could swear that I still smelled jasmine. I pulled my knees up to my chest and stared at the necklace in the corner. If I didn’t know better, I would think that the red splotches were glowing, rising above the surface of the stone and pulsing. But that would be impossible. Or I was crazy. And that was entirely possible. I waited until my raspy breathing returned to normal and then curled up in bed. Every two seconds, I glanced back toward the necklace. It was lying motionlessly on the floor, as innocuous as ever. And it was not glowing. Either I was crazy or I had imagined it. I finally drifted back off to sleep as I desperately tried to convince myself that I had dreamed the whole thing… because I didn’t like the alternative.

CHAPTER TWO

To: Macy Lockhart From: Jessa Gray Subject: Advice for the day

Stop Obsessing. Seriously- I mean it. Jenn said to tell you that if we survive, we’ll stop back by your house to check on you after our yearly torture session (aka Getting dragged to the Gray Family Reunion kicking and screaming). Love ya! Jess (aka The hotter Gray sister)

I rolled my eyes. Jess was made of drama…everything she said or did was usually blown way out of proportion. She and her sister, Jenn were identical- from the tips of their delicate noses to their size 6.5 feet. Very few people could tell them apart so they were definitely on an equal ‘hotness’ plane, although Jess always insisted that she was the beauty queen in the family. It made me laugh. Suddenly, though, an image flashed through my mind that instantly stilled my smile. Green street signs, 34th and Elm, were being pelted with rain. My knees turned weak as I saw a black SUV barreling toward the intersection. And Jenn. She turned, her face frozen with surprise and fear. She scrambled backward, slipping in the rain and fell to the street- directly into the path of the SUV. I squeezed my eyes closed. And the vision stopped. Oh my God. Jenn. Did I just have a premonition? What the hell was happening to me? I wasn’t even touching the stupid pendant and my thoughts were being invaded by…strangeness. Something was definitely wrong with me. And every ounce of my being told me that it had something to do with the anonymous gift left on my porch. My heart was still pounding as I started clicking my mouse and within seconds, I was faced with hundreds of web pages devoted to bloodstones. I clicked on one.

Bloodstone makes one more knowledgeable in ways of the world. Hmm. As in seeing strange visions of the future? I kept reading.

Bloodstone is a hero’s stone and instills courage. Bloodstone enables one to see the benefits and patterns of change and to recognize the ‘turmoil prior to perfection’. Ancient Middle Eastern civilizations believed that wearing bloodstone could promote wisdom, protect from evil spirits and undo what had already been done. Bloodstone can help the wearer find what is lost. I sat back in my chair. Interesting. It was quite a piece of jewelry. Too bad it was all superstition and ancient mystical folklore. But still. Prior to the bloodstone’s entrance into my life, I had never had even one crazy vision. Now, it was like a floodgate had opened- I couldn’t stop them. And I couldn’t help but remember how the veins in the stone had throbbed wildly last night, glowing as if blood actually pulsed through them. It gave me shivers just thinking about it. A bloodstone. Even the name sounded…ominous. I glanced into the corner of my bedroom. It was still there, lying right where I had tossed it last night. It seemed perfectly harmless- there was no glowing, no throbbing veins. I sighed a long sigh and got up. There was no way I was going to be able to leave this be. I was just that compulsive. Hunching over it, I poked it with my finger. Nothing happened. No strange visions, no throbbing stone. I chewed on my lip then took a big breathand picked it up. Almost instantly, white-hot heat rushed into my fingertips from the stone itself, racing up my arm and spreading throughout my entire body, radiating from my shoulder. I couldn’t even breathe as vivid images assailed me. A woman crying, dark eyes, swords, soldiers, blood…. the images broke apart and swirled together. I closed my eyes as the sensations became almost too much to bear, overwhelmed with waves of emotion too great to comprehend. I almost couldn’t stand it. I forced my stiff fingers open and I dropped the bloodstone to the floor once again. It nestled quietly between my feet on the carpet as though it was a perfectly normal necklace. But it wasn’t. I didn’t know what exactly it was, but normal it was not. My breathing came in ragged gasps and I tried to calm myself by taking cleansing breaths. Cleansing breath in, cleansing breath out. It didn’t work. Panic still overwhelmed me. What the hell was that? Apparently, it needed to be in contact with my skin in order to… do what it did, whatever that was. So, I carefully picked it up using a pair of clean underwear and hid it in my underwear drawer next to my cotton-candy colored bra. But I couldn’t shake the dark eyes so easily. They were still haunting me from my dream. Deep and dark- almost black, they were the color of melted dark chocolate, surrounded by a fringe of thick lashes. The expression in them had been familiar, loving. I knew him. Who the heck was it? I rushed through every memory that I’ve ever had and came up empty. And then a realization emerged out of nowhere, firmly planted front and center in my mind as if it was dropped there. I had dreamed about that stare before, off and on for years. The dark eyes of a stranger that I apparently knew, but couldn’t remember. Intriguing. And frustrating. My sense of wonder was rudely interrupted by a loud buzz on my dresser. I got up to find a text message waiting for me- an annoying text message from a pale, blonde cheater.

Please, Macy. Can we go have coffee? I need to explain. Oh My God. What did he not understand? I never wanted to see him again- except for school when I absolutely had to. He had thrown away two good years for an orange colored tramp. And she definitely was a tramp. She had the stamp on her back to prove it. I saw it on her back in gym one day when her shirt slid up. Tramp stamp, fake boobs, overly-tanned skin…that whole mess was his to own- I was so done with it. Besides, I had other things to worry about now—like a pair of dark, brooding eyes and an insane necklace. I typed back Leave me alone and resisted the urge to throw my phone at the wall. What was it about relationships that made you feel so vulnerable? Oh, right. A relationship. In any relationship, you put yourself out there. You exposed all of your sensitive nerve endings and your heart and you just had to hope that you trusted the right person. Stupid me, I didn’t. But I wouldn’t make that same mistake twice.

I wasn’t going to dwell on that now, however, despite my own obsessive nature. I had a much bigger problem than Derek hidden in my underwear drawer. It was a mystery that wasn’t going to solve itself. But before I could think about it for one second longer, I needed sustenance. My stomach was loudly reminding me that I hadn’t eaten yet today. After yanking a hairbrush through my long hair, I pulled it into a low ponytail and threw some clothes on. There was a tiny deli just a few minutes away and I could hear a toasted portabella sandwich calling my name. Grabbing my keys, I ducked out to the garage. And froze. A man with a shaved head and long black robes stared at me. His dark face was damp with sweat and thick black eye makeup lined his eyes. A subtle musky scent permeated the air like incense. He didn’t even look startled to see me- he just stared at me calmly, as though he had been waiting for me. “All was lost, Charmian.” His grave voice was stark, slicing through the garage with hissing precision. Just as I collected myself enough to scream, he was gone. As in…disappeared. He didn’t walk past me to get into the house and there was no way that he exited through the garage door because it was still closed. I quickly walked a circle around my car. He was just gone. Holy Mary Mother of God. Had I gone crazy ? Had this whole mess with Derek stressed me out so much that I had lost my mind? I sat down on the step with a whoosh. Should I call the police? And tell them what? That some man wearing makeup and strange long robes was in my house and then disappeared into thin air? And if I added the fact that some strange necklace was giving me visions, they would strap me to a gurney and send me to a place where lunch consisted of small orange pills. What to do, what to do. I picked up my phone with shaking hands and dialed… but it went straight to Jessa’s voicemail. The Gray family reunion….I forgot. There was no use calling Jenn, then. She was there, too. I didn’t want to call my mother- she would rush home from running errands and then promptly call one of her psychiatrist friends. As I was debating with myself, something rustled behind me, a strange whisper-like sound and I spun around. Nothing. The oddly dressed man wasn’t standing there, which was good…but there was also nothing else to explain the sound. And I knew, beyond any doubt, that it had been real. I scrambled up and looked behind every nook and cranny in the garage, kitchen and family room. Nothing. It was official. I was crazy. And about to get crazier. I suddenly felt an inexplicable pull- the need to begin walking, as though I was being pulled by an invisible cord. I was suddenly overwhelmed with the same sensations that I had experienced when I held the bloodstone. I couldn’t resist it. I felt like some sort of freakish robot as my feet began moving on their own accord, one after the other; through the kitchen, up the stairs and finally stopping in front of my closed bedroom door. As I stared at the wood grain, I knew beyond any doubt that I hadn’t left it closed. So, the burning question was…who had closed it? My heart started pounding and I pushed the door open. Nothing. Not a thing was out of place. My bed was made and my room was neat, except for the shoes scattered on the floor. Most importantly, though, it was empty. I almost took a deep breath of relief. But then the whispering began again. All around me… raspy whispering with incoherent, foreign words, getting louder and louder. The room seemed to spin and suddenly I was moving again, toward my dresser. My hand didn’t even feel attached to me as it reached out, pulling open a drawer. The bloodstone glowed wildly from among my panties, the veins pulsating. I couldn’t help myself- I reached out my shaking fingers and wrapped them around the stone. It felt like I was holding a beating heart in my hand. The whispering stopped. “All will be lost, Charmian.” I would recognize the scary man’s voice anywhere. Clutching the stone to my chest, I whirled around. And screamed. Because that is what a normal girl does when she finds someone in her bedroom. And I’m normal. Damn it, I’m normal. The man from my garage stood perched at the edge of my room, ominously out of place, like an overgrown vulture. His voluminous dark robes hung heavily around him and he stretched a gnarled, twisted hand toward me. As he moved, thick swirls of incense swirled around me and I froze. Unbidden thoughts sprung into my head. I was suddenly consumed with fear. Not for the obvious, sane reason- because a strange man was standing in my bedroom-but because it was rumored that high priests were actually cannibals.

Where did that come from? How the hell did I know that he was a high priest? I wasn’t even in control of my own thoughts as unbidden memories that I didn’t even know I had rushed back to me, flooding my thoughts.

Testing my sanity. High priests were cannibals. They ate the flesh of those they considered wise, hoping that they would gain that wisdom through ingestion. I didn’t know how true my sudden strange thoughts were, but the second they sprung to mind, it was all I could think of. A cannibal stood in front of me with sunken cheeks, razor thin lips and a shaved head. I shuddered and he smiled at my reaction, his thin lips stretching even thinner across his gaunt face. His terrifying expression was startling and my heart ricocheted wildly against my chest like a drum. The thick black kohl lining his eyes was smeared, making him seem slightly deranged as it streaked in murky rivulets down his sweaty cheeks. “Do not fear, Charmian. I am only here to help.”

Why did he keep calling me Charmian? He reached his twisted hand out to me once again. An invitation to grasp his talon-like fingers. I took a shaky step backward. There was no way I was touching him. No. Way. “Take it,” he insisted. “You must. You are the only one who can help.” With a speed I wouldn’t have thought he possessed, he snatched my hand. And I dropped to my knees in front of him with the force of the visions that passed through me. A woman was curled into a ball, weeping. With thin fingers, she frantically clutched at her chest, scratching at the skin, drawing blood. In my vision, she turned her head and stared into my eyes. Cleopatra. I knew it just like I knew my heart was beating. Vivid green paint swept across her eyelids and her plump lips were stained crimson. Don’t ask me how, but I knew that the stain was from

henna and the green was malachite. She wore a short white shift and delicate leather sandals on her feet, the thin straps interwoven with golden strands and wrapping around her slender calves until they tied neatly behind her knees. She rushed to me, her gleaming black hair as dark as a shadow. “Charmian, they’re coming. I can’t bear it!” She gestured through the open balcony doors to our left and then collapsed back into a heap, weeping inconsolably. Gazing over the stone railing of the balcony wall, I stared into the harbor below us. Hundreds of ships were filling the glistening harbor. Rome. Rome had descended upon us.

How did I know that? But I knew. Just as I knew that Rome had been closing in on Egypt for years, a suffocating, overwhelming presence that had creshendoed every day, a presence led by Gaius Julius Caesar. Otherwise called Octavian, with a bland smile and expressionless eyes. Perfectly polite and perfunctory, but seemingly inhuman and emotionless, the adopted son of Julius Caesar methodically worked to fell Cleopatra and acquire Egypt for his own. And suddenly, instead of asking myself how I knew any of this, all I could wonder was …How had I forgotten? I turned from my stance at the balcony doors and caught my own image in Cleopatra’s gilded bronze mirror. I sucked in a ragged breath. My own jade green eyes stared back at me, framed by my long, dark hair. Those things were the same, familiar. But my body was different. It was shorter, slighter, older. Exotically beautiful. Golden skin, ancient clothing. Henna tattoos delicately curled down my arms and thick ornate golden jewelry adorned my neck and wrists. My lips were plump and my skin was perfect- not a single blemish or freckle. But it was me. I knew it as surely as I was breathing and the knowledge was dizzying. “What is happening?” I whispered desperately. As soon as I spoke, the visions snapped closed as though someone had slammed a book shut. I was once again standing in front of the old priest.

Annen. His name is Annen. “Annen,” I murmured. He seemed pleased as he stared back, his obsidian eyes glinting. “Ah, you remember, my lady.” I gulped. He was right. I remembered. I knew him. I had known him centuries ago. Oh, Mary Mother of God. This couldn’t be happening. This is a

dream. This is a dream. This is a dream. But it wasn’t. “Please,” I whispered. “Am I going crazy? How is this happening?” “You’re not crazy,” he assured me. “Give it a moment. Trust me, you’ve been through this hundreds of times. Focus on your bloodstone. Everything will come back to you.” He sat back patiently, his crooked fingers clasped in front of him as he waited and I clutched the cool stone in my fingers. The source of all of my recent problems somehow didn’t seem separate from me- it suddenly seemed a natural part of me. And I realized that it hadn’t just been given to me… it had just been returned to me. It had been mine all along. Annen’s ancient face swirled together as the room began to spin around me and nausea boiled in my throat. My cheeks flushed as heat washed over me. It was almost too much sensation to bear. It literally felt as though every emotion ever felt by any other human being was coursing through me right this second. The sheer force of it threw my head back. Fragmented images of people, places, colors and even scents assailed me and I gasped to breathe. Water, ships, horses, gold, statues, children…. So many things flew in front of my eyes in just a mere matter of minutes, puzzle pieces fitting together and then ripping apart to be replaced by new ones. It was maddening, dizzying, sickening… And then, abruptly, it was over. I slumped limply forward, still on my knees. This couldn’t be happening. But. It. Was. The magnitude of what I knew now was making me feel weak and shaky. But my mind was filled with knowledge…. Knowledge that hadn’t been there before. Knowledge that was irrefutable. “You have remembered who you are?” Annen probed expectantly, his black eyes missing nothing as he crossed the room to me. His claw-like fingers were suddenly gripping my arm and I flinched, not from pain but because he made me uncomfortable. High priests had always made me uncomfortable. I raised my head and nodded. “Yes,” I whispered. “I know who I am.” I lightly fingered the bird-shaped birthmark that hovered directly over my pulse-point. Why had I not wondered about it before? It marked me for being exactly what I was. I had possessed many names over the past hundreds of years; many faces, many bodies. But my soul has always stayed the same, as well as my fate. I belonged to the ancient Order of the Moirae. As a Keeper, my sole mission in every life has been to protect and lead my charge, my Daedal, through the annals of time, gently guiding her into staying on the path laid out for her by the Fates. Because every person in life has a predetermined destiny and unfortunately, there are those who have a more difficult journey in every life. We call them the Daedal. A Daedal…a catalyst, a complication, a change. A Daedal changes the world in some significant way even though their very significance generally causes a tragic end to their lives. They are fated to be something great- something important, in every life. Because of that, I am what I am. A Keeper, marked as such by the phoenix birthmark. And right now, I was Charmian; handmaiden, confidante and advisor to Queen Cleopatra VII, my Daedal. I had been raised with the queen in ancient Alexandria, running and playing with her through the ornate halls of the stone palace as we grew up. I had served her, offered her my advice and became her closest friend. And I had died with her when we were both 39 years old. I could remember every painful detail with bone-jarring clarity, just as though it was yesterday. I stared into the all-knowing eyes of the priest. He nodded, recognizing the realization he saw reflected in my own. The gravity of who I was settled down around me like a heavy cloak and the colors in the room started to run together. And then I fainted.

CHAPTER THREE

Scorching, smoldering eyes. The familiarity they held mocked me as they glinted in the light, framed by lush dark lashes. A strong jaw-line led to soft lips which parted to reveal even, white teeth. And then his face was unveiled to me in its entirety, as though murky clouds in my consciousness had faded away. I gasped in recognition. He was mine. Hasani. The man from my dreams. Bronzed skin, brilliantly white smile, shiny black hair pulled into a leather clasp at his neck. He reached for me with strong hands, his long fingers beckoning. His was the most beautiful face I’d ever seen. “Come to me, my love. I’ve missed you,” he murmured in a deep, husky voice and my heart stopped. I sat up with a gasp, opening my eyes. “Hasani,” I breathed. “Ah, you have returned to us, Charmian,” Annen murmured smoothly. Seated across the room from me on a golden chaise, his dark robes were spread around him like a fan. And this was not my bedroom. I looked around quickly. Polished marble floors, elaborate silken draperies, onyx statues, glittering golden accents. Ebony balcony doors were open, allowing the lush, fragrant seabreeze to blow in, gently ruffling my hair. This was impossible. Utterly impossible. This was my bedroom. But not my bedroom in Pasadena. This was Charmian’s bedroom. In ancient Egypt. “We’re in Alexandria,” I muttered uncertainly, eyeing the priest with suspicion. “I don’t understand this. This has never happened before…” There was no way I should be here. This was the past, not the present. I had never moved through time before. Not ever. There was no need. My job was to ensure that my Daedal’s plan unfolded perfectly. There was never any need to return to a life, because I was very good at what I did. But my surroundings didn’t lie. I had definitely returned. I glanced down at my body and found it to be Charmian’s, not Macy’s. A short filmy shift cut off mid-thigh, belted by several golden cords at my waist. Confusion clouded my thoughts.

How is this happening? I examined my arm. The skin was perfect and golden, buffed to a soft sheen. I knew that we had used sea salt as a scrub to attain that perfection. Glistening gold bracelets adorned my wrists, with agate and jade charms dangling from them. As strange as it seemed to be thrust back into it, I was still perfectly comfortable in this body because it had once been mine. It was a jolting notion. “I hope you will forgive me for bringing you here, Charmian.” Annen rose from his perch and crossed to me, sitting next to my feet. “I don’t understand it,” I murmured. “Why are we here? And why are you here, priest? Where is Ahmose?” Ahmose was my handler, an ancient Aegis priest skilled in magic. It was he who came to me during my seventeenth year in every life to present me with my bloodstone, which triggered my cycle to begin. To my knowledge, Annen was not involved with the Order or the Aegis. I had only known him here… in Alexandria. So why had he sought me out two thousand years from where we were now standing? As I stared at him, I knew that all of my panic and confusion was easily visible on my face. I could feel it. Annen smiled a tiny smile. “Charmian, surely you remember that I’m not simply a priest?” Condescending and self-assured, he stared down his long, crooked nose at me. “No, I don’t remember that,” I answered firmly. “My memories are coming back yet I still only remember you from the Serapis Temple. Are you part of the Aegis?” Annen shook his head. “No, my lady. I’m not part of the Aegis. They do so tamper with your memories, Charmian. It isn’t right.” Confusion clouded my thoughts and I shook my head in frustration, shaking away his words and focusing on my questions. “Then I don’t understand. Ahmose triggers my cycle. Where is he?” “Oh, he’ll be along shortly, I imagine,” Annen replied mysteriously. “But I need to speak with you first. It is of utmost importance.” “Well, you’ve certainly got my attention,” I answered, staring at him both curiously and apprehensively. This was all new. And I didn’t like it. Something wasn’t right here. I could feel it as the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I laid my bloodstone down on the bed and turned back to face him. “Of course. But first, Charmian, would you like to know what happened to Hasani? I know that when you and Cleopatra barricaded yourselves in her tomb, you hadn’t heard of his fate yet. You died without knowing. Would you like to know now?” He stared at me with a kindly expression and my heart stopped. It was forbidden to know what happened to our loved ones. One of the many rules for Keepers. But I suddenly had the compulsive need to know what happened to Hasani. Regardless of the rules, regardless of the consequences for breaking them. I nodded stiffly, despite the ever-growing heavy pit in my stomach. This was wrong, wrong, wrong. But I had to know. “Yes,” I whispered. “I would.” Annen held his wrinkled claw-like hand out to me once again and gritting my teeth, I grasped it. His long fingernails curled around until they scratched my palm. I shuddered, but didn’t have time to dwell on it. Because almost immediately, the visions began. Soldiers were marching, swords were drawn, blood was everywhere. Cleopatra was weeping, people were running. Everything was so vivid that I could smell the blood and taste the dust in the air as the people scattered. Tattered and torn warships filled the harbor and mutilated bodies lined the street. And suddenly there was Hasani, rising up in my vision like an avenging god. My heart stopped as I watched his bronzed face gleaming in the sun. My beautiful warrior was yelling orders to his soldiers, looking this way and that as mayhem unfolded all around them. Even surrounded by the anguish and haunting sadness of war, I couldn’t help but admire his abilities. He was a born leader… tall, fierce and commanding. But suddenly, out of the chaos, the top of a Roman helmet appeared behind him- silent and stealthy. Flat brown eyes were fixated on Hasani, filled with deadly intent. Every fiber of my being screamed to shout a warning, but obviously, he couldn’t hear me. My hands shook as I watched helplessly, impotent to help him. The Roman lunged and forcefully ran his sword through Hasani’s back. He yanked it out and sneered down as blood dripped from the blade.

Hasani looked stunned as he crumpled to the ground, his beautiful dark eyes clouding over, his strong hands falling limply to his side as he dropped his iron shield. His head fell back and blood gurgled from his slack mouth, dripping from his chin to his metal chestplate in fat drops. Absolute horror immobilized me and I fought to breathe as I stared at his lifeless body, the body that I knew every inch of. Tears silently streamed down my cheeks and my chest was frozen, like it was wrapped with steel bands. It wouldn’t constrict or expand and I struggled to inhale. Once I was finally able to take a ragged breath, I reacted in the only way I knew how. I screamed, yanking my hand free from the priest’s. The moment my hand left his, the visions abruptly stopped. I drew my feet up onto my bed, hugging my knees to my chest. “It’s not real,” I murmured shakily, trying to convince myself. “It’s not real.” “But it was real,” Annen confirmed and my heart shattered into pieces. “You can feel it. You know it was real. Just as you also know that something similar to this happens to you in every lifetime.” “But I’ve never seen it before,” I murmured. “Knowing it in theory and actually seeing it are two different things.” “Which is why the Order prevents you from knowing these things,” Annen replied, his onyx eyes glittering strangely. “There is a reason why they wipe your memories clean in every life and only let you regain specific ones- such as what you are. Knowing the other details would only make things harder for you…harder to follow through with their plans for you.” I glared at him. “Again, let me ask.. what is it to you? Why are you so interested in this…and in me?” Annen stared at me contemplatively. “Charmian, have you ever wondered what gives the Fates the right to control destiny?” I stared at him blankly. “Of course not. It is simply how things work. It has always been this way.” “But perhaps it has always been this way because we have allowed it to be so,” Annen suggested. “What in the world are you talking about?” I stared at him in puzzlement. “We don’t allow anything. I don’t write Fate’s plan, I just carry it out. It is what it is.” “Oh, Charmian. You have more power than you know… more power than they will ever let you discover. And that, my lady, is why I am here.” I stared at him blankly again. “And why is that?” “Because before you continue with even one more cycle, there are things you need to know about the Fates.” At his words, I thought about the three ancient white-haired Moirae. They were frighteningly powerful. According to ancient legend whispered from generation to generation for thousands of years, the eldest sister Clothos spun the thread of life, while Lachesis measured the length of each thread, thereby deciding how long each person would live. The youngest, Atropos, was the cutter. She determined how each person would die. I’ve only been face to face with them a handful of times and those few times were enough. That was the legend. Obviously, they don’t literally weave a tapestry of life with a loom full of string, but legend was shockingly close to reality. However you wanted to explain it, they controlled destiny. They literally held life and death in their hands. I turned my focus back to Annen. “What about them?” I asked. I glanced over my shoulder nervously, as though they might appear at any minute simply because we were talking about them. You never know. They were just that frightening. “They aren’t what you think,” Annen stated calmly. “You have always believed that they are good and spiritual beings intent on keeping order in life. But they’re not. They are simply drunk on power. And they have lived so long that they have grown bored. They play games with the lives that they were trusted to protect.” “What do you mean… games?” I asked hesitantly. “I brought you here so you could see firsthand for yourself, so that you don’t have to take my word for it. You and Cleopatra died tragic deaths here, along with Iras, Marc Antony and Hasani. You made sure of it because you thought it was all part of a master plan, correct?” “Of course. That was the path meant for all of us in this life. It was my job to make it so. I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.” “I’m trying to explain to you that there is no such thing as true Fate. You all died horribly for no reason at all. Charmian, you have been manipulated as a tool for centuries at the whims of three old women. Period.” I sat in stunned silence for a moment, staring at him uncertainly. “I don’t believe you.” “Of course you don’t. It goes against everything you’ve been taught. You’ve been groomed to believe that you have a higher purpose- that you have been acting for the good of all mankind. But you haven’t. It’s time for you to realize that and do something about it.” The room seemed to whirl around me as I weighed what he was saying to me. Could it be? But that wouldn’t make any sense. The Fates, the Moirae, had always been. If they weren’t meant to handle destiny, then who was? “Charmian, as I said, I don’t expect you to simply take my word for it. You know what is supposed to happen here. In one week’s time, Octavian will arrive in Alexandria. Rome will crush Egypt. You, Cleopatra, Iras, Marc Antony and Hasani will all die. But I’m proposing something else. I think you should change it.” My eyes flew to his and I gasped. “Change it?” “Yes. Change it. Change it so that you live, so that Cleopatra accomplishes what she most wanted to do… which is to keep a member of the Ptolemy family on Egypt’s throne. “You have the benefit of knowing now how things will unfold. You can anticipate Octavian’s moves before he makes them. Use that ability and change everything. Then you will see that your actions don’t truly matter…because there is no set destiny, Charmian, as the Fates would have you believe.” I was in a stupor. This went against everything that I had ever believed and suddenly the biblical story of the Garden of Eden sprang to mind… how Eve had been tempted by the serpent into eating from the tree of life. This must have been how she felt, because a part of me, a part that was growing larger by the moment, wanted to believe Annen, even though it felt really wrong. The Fates always placed me in horrific circumstances. If I could escape it… if I could save Hasani… nothing else mattered. I would accept the consequences. Before I could think another rational thought, however, an enormous black shadow seemed to overtake the room, stretching from corner to corner. Giant black shadow wings appeared on the wall of my bedchamber before they quickly folded and materialized into the shape of a man standing in front of me. Ahmose. My ancient, wise handler. I breathed a sigh of relief. He would be able to make sense of this. “What are you doing?” he hissed to Annen. “How did you escape?” As they stood side by side, their physical similarities were astounding. They were both ancient and wrinkled with glittering black kohl-rimmed eyes. Their heads were shaved and they both wore long black robes. They seemed to have been cast from the same mold.

“What do you think I am doing?” Annen countered calmly. “I’m explaining to Charmian a few things that she deserves to know. Did you think they could keep me imprisoned forever?” “You know nothing!” Ahmose spit angrily. “And you should not speak of that which you do not know!” He turned to me. “Charmian, you have known me a very long time. I would not lead you astray. Do not listen to his lies.” His tone was almost pleading and it alarmed me. He was all-knowing, always in control. Why did he feel the need to appeal to me? I was just a Keeper. He was an Aegis, an elevated priest who stood directly before the Fates on a regular basis. Before I could consider his motives further, though, Annen leaned toward me. “Remember what I’ve told you, Charmian. Every word is true. We’ll speak more later,” he rasped, before he was suddenly gone. I spun around the room in a circle—but he had disappeared. I turned warily back to Ahmose, who was standing in place, calmly assessing me. “I don’t understand any of this,” I said softly. “Was he telling the truth?” “I’m not certain what exactly he told you, Charmian, but I can assure you that I’ve never lied to you.” “Not that you know of,” I continued carefully. “But maybe you’ve been lied to, as well.” “Do not go down that path, Charmian,” he cautioned. “It is true that I am not always informed of the Moirae’s motives or intentions. But I do know that we have a higher purpose and it has always been just. Think about this- do you really think there is no plan to life? That things are meant to simply fall where they may? I think not. That would be utter chaos.” “But if Annen is lying, then what is his motive?” I pondered. “And who imprisoned him?” “I do not know his motive,” Ahmose admitted. “And I don’t know many details of his imprisonment. All I know is that he was captured by the Moirae here in Alexandria long ago. I do not know their reason and I haven’t seen him since...until now. But let us not waste any more time on it. He is clearly misguided. Come now. Take out your bloodstone- let us return you to where you belong.” Normally, I wouldn’t have let the matter rest, except one important thing distracted me now. My bloodstone was no longer lying on the bed. I whirled around, gazing at every corner of the room. It wasn’t here. My panicked eyes met Ahmose’s. “What?” he demanded. “What is wrong?” “My bloodstone,” I whispered. “It’s not here. Annen must have taken it with him. Which means..” “Which means that you are trapped here,” Ahmose confirmed, staring harshly at me. “I’m sorry,” I stammered. “I had no idea that he would take it…” But Ahmose was already shaking his head. “I cannot be angry with you for that, Charmian,” he muttered. “Annen stole your bloodstone from my safe-keeping. So how could I be angry with you for the same thing?” He turned and stared out the windows at the sparkling sea, his back rigid and ramrod straight. He stayed silent and unmoving for so long that I was getting ready to prompt him when he turned to me again. “Charmian, whatever his motives are, he is trying to force your hand. He has trapped you here for a reason. Perhaps he wants you to change things to an outcome that better suits him. I know not. But you must not change anything. Do you understand the seriousness of our situation? We’re treading a very treacherous line.” I nodded, even as I remembered Annen’s words. He absolutely wanted me to change things. But not to suit him. The outcome was meaningless to him. Annen wanted to prove to me that my whole existence had been a lie. “But Hasani…” I whispered painfully. “Hasani died as he was meant to,” Ahmose said firmly. “His death was not your fault.” “But I could save him now,” I replied, sticking my chin out. “I don’t see what saving one Egyptian soldier would hurt.” “You can’t,” Ahmose reiterated. “You must carry out your mission.” He stared at me with steely black eyes and I felt like crumpling to the floor in a heap. I knew my place in the world. I had been a Keeper for centuries. What I was supposed to do was obvious. I should find Annen, retrieve my bloodstone and leave this place… letting destiny unroll as it was meant. But the attachment I felt to Hasani was absolute. I couldn’t allow him to suffer a horrific fate. Hasani was the only thing that mattered. “Ahmose?” I whispered. “I don’t think I can.” “Of course you can,” he replied firmly. “You don’t have a choice, Charmian. Hasani will die no matter what. Even if you intercede and stop his fate, he will die eventually. Everyone does. But if you change the fate that is meant for him, the ripple effects from that action could be devastating. You cannot.” The confusion muddling my thoughts was sickening. Was he right? Deep down, I figured he probably was. Fate was what it was. I didn’t write itI just carried it out. But that didn’t make the knowledge that my own actions would lead to Hasani’s death any less crippling. The very thing that I had been born to protect and uphold was now ripping my heart out.

CHAPTER FOUR

“My lady,” a feminine voice called, a scant moment before my bedchamber doors were pushed open. I turned to Ahmose in alarm, but he had already disappeared. Not a trace of him remained, but for the sweaty tang of his scent. I sighed. This type of thing only added to my general distrust of high priests. My personal maid, Neeilah, bustled into my rooms, her young face anxious. Watching her rush across the room made me feel as though I had fallen into a rabbit hole of insanity, because I literally felt as though I’d never left this ancient place. Her face was as familiar to me as my own. She stopped in front of me and ducked her head quickly, in deference to my elevated status as Cleopatra’s personal handmaid. “Mistress,” she chirped. “Her Majesty is summoning you already. You must hurry. They say she is in quite a mood today.” In spite of myself, I had to smile. My Daedal was always in a ‘mood’. The question was simply whether it was a bad one or a good one. Oh, how I had missed her. Her life as Cleopatra was definitely colorful. “Thank you, Neeilah,” I smiled as I turned quickly. I couldn’t wait to see her again. Pulling my heavy doors open, I flew into the empty hallway, gazing down the long length. A large black marble statue of Anubis, with his large jackal head and his ivory spear, stood to the right of my rooms in his normal place. It had been awhile since I had seen him and I shuddered slightly. Why I had to have the god of the afterlife guarding my rooms, I would never understand. It was unsettling. His glassy left eye stared sightlessly at me now, his head slightly cocked as though he was beckoning me...to the afterlife. I shivered again. I definitely had no wish to meet him anytime soon. I forced my attention away from his frightening face and hurried quietly down the elaborately decorated hall to the queen’s royal chambers. It should have seemed strange to be back in this ornate, ancient setting… but it did not. It seemed perfectly normal, as though I had never left. It was astounding. Since they were well used to my comings and goings, the guards stationed outside of the queen’s doors barely spared me a glance, instead keeping their dark eyes focused directly in front of them. Their oiled skin gleamed as I walked past, their lithe muscles perpetually tensed, ever ready to spring to action. As I pulled open the heavy golden doors and entered her opulent outer chambers, I could hear murmuring voices and quickly picked up my pace to find out who Cleopatra was speaking to. Not many were allowed entrance into her private chambers, besides myself and her other handmaiden, Iras. For safety’s sake now, during these turbulent times, only a select few house-servants and her husband, Marc Antony, were granted access. I passed through her receiving room and her sitting room before breathlessly arriving in the doorway of her cavernous bedchambers just in time to hear her speak again. “Drink it, foolish girl!” Cleopatra’s voice was hard-edged and impatient. I watched the spindly little serving girl cower, her large brown eyes liquid as she fought off tears. She couldn’t be more than twelve. Her family had probably sent her to the palace for the prestigious job of cleaning for the queen. And now she was testing the queen’s wine for poison. My queen was not all sugared figs and rainbows. “Do it!” Cleopatra hissed, her obsidian eyes glittering like dark jewels. The girl’s hand shook as she raised the golden chalice to her small lips and sipped, just one tiny drink. She raised her eyes slightly over the jeweled rim, looking to the queen for approval before she lowered her hand. “That will do for a start,” Cleopatra nodded. “But it wouldn’t be enough to affect a tiny fruit fly. Now take a real drink.” A single tear slid down the girl’s brown cheek as she took a large gulp. She swallowed and stood uncertainly, her skinny legs shaking. I stepped forward and took the wine from her clammy grip. “Thank you,” I murmured. Her eyes were filled with terror and I had to look away. “Please sit in that chair over there- and let us know if you begin to feel sickly.” She nodded quietly and began to walk away. I grabbed her arm, then loosened my grip so that I didn’t scare her even more. “Don’t be troubled… I’m sure you will be fine. Queen Cleopatra simply has the need to be careful right now… with all that is going on.” She nodded again, but she did appear slightly relieved. I watched her tiny shoulders hunch over in the chair as she sat on her hands. When I turned, I found Cleopatra watching me. Her beautiful face was amused, her kohl-lined eyes crinkled as she smiled her famous grin. She had charmed kings, soldiers, dignitaries and Romans with that smile- and now she was using it on me. But I was immune. I had been with her since we were children. “Dear Charmian, you have a heart as soft as the bedpillow of Isis. What shall I do with you?” Her chestnut hair was unconcealed by her customary black wig today and it hung to her waist in a wavy cascade. On days that she didn’t plan to attend public functions, she liked to forgo the itchy inconvenience of her wigs. I didn’t blame her- they were as hot as the blazes and I personally avoided them at all costs. I grinned at my friend. “I guess you shall have to keep me, my queen. No one else wants me!” It was a backhanded joke- a reference to the fact that I had been orphaned at a young age. Her father had then hand-picked me to be her handmaid, all according to Fate’s plan. She smiled back, her hateful mood broken. “You’ve got that right,” she agreed. “You’re as cheeky as ten people put together.” And just like that, she was fine. The storm clouds hovering above us dissipated, the sunshine of her smile returned. As she ventured outdoors onto her balcony, I knelt in front of the little girl. “You may go now and resume your duties. Don’t be upset with our good queen. She has much on her plate- more worry than you can imagine.” The girl nodded solemnly, appearing surprised that I would even suggest that she was upset with Cleopatra. “Thank you,” she whispered and was out of the room like a shot. I couldn’t blame her. “Charmian, come here!” Cleopatra called. I crossed the room to her side and leaned over the stone balcony railing with her. The sea was pristine and tranquil, the blue water foaming gently against the shore. She tilted her head back, closing her eyes as the sun bathed her face in its warm glow. I closed my own, enjoying the

warmth of the sun on my shoulders. I could practically taste the salt in the air, but it was far from unpleasant. “Thank you for reigning me in, sweet.” The queen’s voice was low and I startled at her words, my eyes popping open. She wasn’t one to thank someone. She usually showed her gratitude with her actions, not her voice. “I fear that I have been taking out my troubles on everyone around me. That is not good form and I’m sorry for it.” I stared at her in shock and she turned to me laughing. “Charmian, do close your mouth. You’re going to trap flies.” She elbowed me in the ribs before she turned once again to the horizon, her expression becoming serious once again. “I just… my responsibilities are bearing down on me and I fear that I will lose everything.” Her almond-shaped eyes welled up as she stared at a massive statue of her father, Ptolemy Auletes, standing at the base of the hundreds of stone stairs leading up to the palace. He was carved from white marble and majestically stared out to sea, his regal expression forever frozen on his face. To the side of the palace, the treasures of our city stretched as far as I could see. Limestone buildings, marble statues, intricate brick streets and walkways. A colossal stone head of Caesarion, Cleopatra’s son, was carved into a hill in the distance. A stone’s throw away, two majestic granite sphinxes gracefully rose from the horizon, their leonine bodies gracefully lounging as their pharaoic heads stared blankly at the city. It was a lot to lose. And she would definitely lose it. She just didn’t know it yet. “Times are becoming so difficult, Charmian, and I must admit that I am afraid. But what makes it even worse is that I can’t speak about it to anyone else but you, because I must be strong. Even for Antony.” At the sadness in her voice, I followed her gaze. And my breath caught in my throat. On the edge of the Mediterranean, just where the water met the sand, Marc Antony, Cleopatra’s husband and commander of her armies, was sparring in the Roman style with his favorite general. Each holding their heavy iron shield in front of them, they lunged and parried with their gleaming swords in practice for the battles they knew were coming. It felt like my heart stopped beating as I watched. Each of them was beautiful in his own unique way. Marc Antony was large and stout, his dark curly hair tumbling across his forehead as he bent forward and then back, splashing in the shallow water. His large biceps bulged and flexed as he hefted his shield to block Hasani’s deft blows. Antony’s profile was distinct and I recognized him immediately. But he did not hold my attention. That was captured by Hasani. Hasani was tall and strong, his silky black hair gathered at the nape of his neck in his usual style. His dark brow was furrowed in concentration, emphasizing his strong features. His teeth gleamed in the sunlight as he grinned at his opponent, laughing as he deflected Antony’s heaving blows. His muscular thighs flexed as he lunged and I gasped at his obvious strength. Modern girls were missing out- there was nothing sexier than this. I made a conscious effort to begin breathing again. “Look at them,” Cleopatra murmured. “So brave and strong. They are training to fight for me, Charmian, and I will fail them, I can feel it. I feel it in my heart that I am going to fail Egypt.” Her voice was both heartbreaking and heartbroken, and sadness welled up in me at the sound of it. Never, in our entire lives, had I heard Queen Cleopatra be anything but confident and strong. She had never doubted herself before. “They have no idea of their fate. They’re like lambs led to slaughter…” her voice caught and a tear escaped from the corner of her eye and slid down her smooth cheek. I wiped it away gently, careful not to smudge her eye makeup. “Don’t think about it right now,” I insisted. “You have good reasons for the decisions that you are making. If you don’t negotiate with Octavian, he will crush Egypt with Roman forces. If you tell Antony about the negotiations, he will want to stop it- he will never agree to surrender. You know that. You have made the right decision, my queen.” My role as Keeper had come back to me fluidly, easily. I knew her current course of action was the right one, but I had to swallow hard, because her decisions were going to be the death of the men we loved. I had seen it. Cleopatra was formulating a back-up plan. Even though she fully intended to fight, she was secretly arranging a surrender of her forces to Octavian in exchange for leniency for her children just in case it started to look as though we would lose. In such a case, we both knew that Antony would never give up. He was too Roman, too proud. He would fight to the death- and Hasani would be at his side. It would be unbearable. Without intending to, my thoughts returned to the Roman soldier who had sneaked up behind Hasani and thrust the sword in his back. I cringed and then gazed restlessly out at the blue water until Cleopatra’s whisper interrupted my musings. “Let us prepare for breakfast, sweet. I will need you to re-apply my cosmetics. I just don’t do it as well as you.” I nodded and silently followed her back into her bedchambers. As I smoothed the thick kohl over her eyelid, I knew that I had to figure out some way to spend more time with Ahmose, so that I could get myself out of this mess. I opened my mouth, then hesitated. Her obsidian eyes met mine in the mirror. “What is it, Charmian? You wish to say something. Go ahead,” she encouraged. “You know that I value your opinion.” I hesitated again. Would this change anything? But the birthmark on my wrist was not aching, a clear indication that I was not making a mistake. At my hesitation, she smiled. “Are you thinking to tell me something about Hasani? I’m not sure if I want to hear it, love. Or wait. Perhaps I do. Entertain me. Impress me. Tell me things about Hasani that no one else knows.” She waited in anticipation and I rolled my eyes. “No, not about Hasani. He is the same as always. Perfect.” I smiled lightly and it was her turn to roll her eyes. But even as she did, I knew that she shared my opinion. There was a reason that Hasani was Antony’s favored general. He was as loyal as the day was long and never, ever failed. Cleopatra could depend on him for anything and she knew it. “Alright then. If you are not going to entertain me with Hasani’s lovemaking prowess, then what is it?” I could see on her face that she was disappointed and I laughed. “It’s something else… just an idea, my queen.” I continued quickly before I could change my mind. “The Bast priest, Ahmose, came to see me about the renovation of the Bastet Temple.” “And?” She was surprised. As she should be. The worship of the cat goddess Bast had subsided gradually throughout the years. Cats were still sacred, of course, but Bast’s popularity had faded. The project to build a bigger temple had been placed on the back burner a couple of years ago. “Ahmose had an intriguing idea. He’s concerned about the morale of the people with this constant fear of Roman invasion lingering over our heads. He proposes that we leave the temple for Bast in its present location, but place renewed interest in finishing the new temple. He would like to use it as a temple for the Phoenix, similar to the current temple in Heliopolis. And I, for one, don’t think it is a bad idea.”

I mentally patted myself on the back for my quick thinking and made a mental note to fill Ahmose in on his idea ASAP. “Why do you like this idea?” She turned to me, puzzled. “Convince me.” “Well, everyone knows that the Phoenix is a symbol of rebirth and eternal life. Let us emphasize to the people that the spirit of Alexandria will live on, no matter what happens with Rome. Besides, it would be a positive distraction for the city,” I suggested. And it would allow me to spend quite a bit of time with Ahmose without being questioned. Cleopatra leaned back in her seat and considered. She nibbled her lip with her teeth as she thought, unconsciously kicking her heel against her vanity bench. “I hate to spend a large amount of gold right now,” she admitted. “We don’t know what is coming. I know that I will need to build more ships. War is expensive, Charmian. But still…” She trailed off and absently fiddled with jeweled hair clips laying in front of her. “Still. You have a valid point. It would be good for the morale of the people.” She nodded her head. “Yes, Charmian. Go ahead and tell the priest that he may proceed with the renovations. However, I wish to be consulted with the plans.” She turned back to her mirror dismissively, the matter settled and out of her mind. The gentle wind blew around us and I took a deep perfumed breath. There was no pollution from factories or cars here. Palm trees and native flowers adorned the land below the palace and the incense from within created a distinct scent, in combination with the gentle breeze that swept in from the sea. I couldn’t believe I had ever forgotten this smell. Just as I couldn’t believe I had ever forgotten the fear and desolation that we had felt here…it was crushing. It rested heavily upon my heart now, as if it had been there all along. “Of course, Cleopatra,” I answered. “He will be thrilled with your kindness.” Cleopatra picked up a silver hairbrush and pulled it through her long hair. Historians had wondered for hundreds of years about her true description. They had theorized that she was Greek and not Egyptian at all, although they could never prove it. The Romans had ordered all likenesses of her destroyed after her death. Of course, I now remembered that the historians were correct. Like every Ptolemy before her, Cleopatra was Greek. She had inherited the distinct Ptolemaic nose, clear proof of her distinguished blood-line. Her eyes were so dark that they were almost black, but contrary to hundreds of modern depictions, her hair was not. It was a thick and glossy chestnut brown, tumbling down to the small of her back. She chose to wear shiny black wigs in an effort to appear more Egyptian, making her more relatable to her Egyptian subjects. Among eight other languages, she spoke fluent Egyptian for the same reason. She was shockingly intelligent. She rose from her little bench and opened a mother-of-pearl wardrobe directly to our left. It was filled with black wigs of every length and type. She stood in front of them, debating which one to choose, before she finally lifted down a shoulder length glossy black wig with bangs and handed it to me. “This one, I think,” she murmured, seating herself at her vanity once again. The light from the balcony shone directly into the room, gleaming against her oil infused skin. I quickly twisted her hair into a simple bun at the nape of her neck and deftly worked her wig down over it. From a nearby jewelry chest, I chose several golden chains and layered them around her crown. Whenever she moved, they tinkled lightly. It was a detail she enjoyed. Leaning back, I examined the finished product. As normal, she was beautiful. Her perfume was delicate, yet distinct. No one else in the world smelled like she did- she had perfume makers custom make her scent. Her slender arms were adorned with jeweled arm cuffs, her ears were decorated with large golden earrings. Her obsidian eyes, as black as night, met mine in the mirror. Hers were twinkling. “Do I pass inspection, then?” she laughed. “You always do, my queen,” I smiled. “Thanks in no small part to me.” “As I said, you’re just as cheeky as ten people put together, sweetling,” she answered. But she smiled and stood, linking her arm with mine. “Come, Charmian. I wish to have a large breakfast, to entirely gorge myself in a very unladylike manner on roasted fish and cinnamon toasted pecans. But first, I have a mind to see my Lotus blossoms. They are lovely this time of year.” I shook my head. Cleopatra, like almost every other woman on the face of the planet, past and present, was a stress eater. She would eat herself silly and then moan about her stomach ache and wonder why I had allowed her to act in such an un-queenly way. But at this point, it really didn’t matter. We would be dead long before she had time to get fat from the bad habit, something that was not a comforting thought. I took her arm and we walked from her opulent bedroom. She was right. The royal gardens were absolutely beautiful this time of year.

CHAPTER FIVE

W e wound our way through the decadent palace, nodding at a pair of house-servants as we encountered them on the wide marble staircase. Regardless of the stairs, they immediately dropped to the floor, their backs hunched as their foreheads pressed firmly to the stone. Both women kept their dark eyes downward until Cleopatra had passed. I had forgotten the level of deference shown to the queen. My western upbringing as Macy reared its head and I suddenly found the behavior insanely hilarious since I had been away from it for so long. They literally stuck their faces into the floor just because Cleopatra walked by. It was… crazy. And it struck me as hilarious. Cleopatra glanced sharply at me as I chuckled. “What?” She demanded, looking around us for the source of the joke. “Nothing, my queen,” I smirked. “There is just a lot of pomp and ridiculousness involved in walking with you. I’ve never really thought of it before.” She elbowed me in the ribs as we both giggled. I looked over my shoulder to find the two servant women picking themselves off the floor, making me laugh all the harder. We swallowed our giggles as we worked our way through the massive rooms and winding halls, finally emerging onto an elaborate stone courtyard behind the palace. It had taken us at least fifteen minutes to work our way across through the sprawling building, but the scenery surrounding us now was well worth the walk. The gentle breeze lifted my hair away from my forehead and I inhaled the floral scent in the air as it drifted towards us over the magnificent royal gardens. Bright blue Lotus flowers drifted serenely in small rock-lined ponds, while white chickpeas softly swayed in the breeze intertwined with intricately sculpted shrubbery. Cleopatra bent and picked a Lotus blossom, tucking it behind her ear as I stood in the serene garden and watched. The scent here was intoxicating. The heavy, sweet scent of Jasmine hung thickly in the air as we walked past the yellow blossoms lining the walkway. It was no wonder that I smelled jasmine when I first picked up the bloodstone. The air here was pregnant with it. We continued on past two silent Nubian guards and a bronze statue of Isis, my bare feet padding lightly on the stone pathways. I had to admit, I felt incredibly elegant and sexy dressed the way I was…now that I had gotten used to it once again. My barely there tunic fluttered lightly in the wind, the soft breeze permeating the thin fabric and brushing against my skin. I felt the urge to release the elaborate up-do wrapped in thin gold chains on top of my head so that I could let my hair blow freely in the wind, but resisted. I needed to blend, not draw attention to myself. As the breeze blew over me, I caught a whiff of my own scent and pulled my wrist to my nose so that I could inhale it. One of the many things the Egyptians had gotten right was their mastery of perfume oils. I had never smelled as feminine as I did right now. It was subtle, soft and exquisite. I felt sexier than I ever had. Cleopatra walked to the short stone wall overlooking the bay of Alexandria. The sea was pristine and tranquil, the blue water lapping gently against the shore. She tilted her head back, closing her eyes as the sun bathed her face in its warm glow. I crossed the terrace to stand at her side, enjoying the strikingly familiar scent. Lotus blossoms, jasmine, sea salt. No wonder I loved the water. I had lived by the sea. After a minute, Cleopatra opened her eyes, staring down at the city below. “Charmian, this is the most beautiful place in all the world. Don’t you agree? It saddens me to think that it might fall under Roman rule.” Her almond-shaped eyes welled up as she stared at the statue of her father guarding the palace at the base. I had to share in her despair, although she didn’t know the half of it. Eventually, everything we were looking at would be sitting at the bottom of the bay. An earthquake would rumble through Alexandria and the entire city would slide right off into the sea. On the bright side, the silt would at least preserve all of Cleopatra’s beautiful things from the sea water. Archeologists and scientists would comb the ocean’s floor, hoping to learn more of the mysterious Queen Cleopatra. “Don’t mind me,” she murmured, reaching out to grasp my hand. “I’m just feeling sorry for myself. I have worked my entire life to skillfully rule Egypt- to reduce our debt, stabilize our relations with Rome and quell civil unrest. And now it all seems out of my control.” She swallowed hard and gazed back out at the water as she composed herself. I hated to see her in such distress. She was right- she had spent her entire life working for the good of Egypt. Her end was horribly unfair. I doubted that there were many who would argue against that fact. “Cleopatra, it is true… Rome is closing in on us and it seems impossible to bear. But you are strong and resilient. Everything will work out the way it is meant to.” Luckily for me, I didn’t have to explain exactly what that entailed—our untimely and tragic deaths. Although, even if I had told her, I was sure she would find happiness in the fact that both she and Marc Antony’s deaths had become legendary. She was dramatic to the core. “Thank you, Charmian. As always, you are too good to me.” She smiled gently and squeezed my hand again before gazing absently out at the horizon once more. Her expression changed and I turned my head to follow her line of vision. Antony and Hasani were still sparring on the edge of the water. I knew she was again thinking of how she would fail them. “Don’t think about it right now,” I insisted. “Let’s just…spend time with them, breathe them in… and love them enough to last for eternity no matter what comes later. Can we do that?” Cleopatra nodded curtly, deciding for once not to press me. We walked quickly down the two hundred stone steps that led to the beach. Tiny stones and sand tumbled off each step as we walked, but we were walking so quickly that we barely even noticed. Cleopatra nodded to the two guards stationed at the staircase as we stepped from the bottom stair onto the sandy shore, but her eyes were focused on the two magnificent men twenty yards away, as were mine. As we approached, Hasani’s eyes met mine and he stopped abruptly in mid-swing, grinning broadly. His beauty took my breath away. Literally. I had to keep reminding myself to breathe. And to breathe again. And again. As a member of the Ptolemaic Guard, he was not a full-blooded Egyptian. He was descended from a long line of Greeks that had served the Ptolemy family for generations. His mother was Egyptian however, and he had inherited the best traits of both of his parents. What had resulted in him was a man that was too beautiful for words. He quickly stuck his sword in the sand and knelt in deference to Cleopatra, his strong shoulders rippling as he crouched in the surf. The breeze

floated in from the water, wafting over the two men. I inhaled their masculine scent- the musky, sweaty tang and felt a flood of warmth. I knew that smell. How had I ever forgotten it? How had I ever forgotten him? It was unfathomable. “Hasani, please get out of the water.” Cleopatra grinned lightly at him, but she wasn’t looking at him. Her attention was focused on Antony. Antony was glaring at her insolently, but his eyes were twinkling warmly. “By the Gods, woman! Don’t you know not to interrupt men when they are fighting?” he demanded. “Don’t you know we’re training to protect your kingdom?” His voice was severe and his brow was furrowed, but in direct contradiction with his words and tone, he snaked out his arm and pulled her to him by her waist, smashing her against his metal breastplate. Cleopatra seemed as small as a child compared to him and he kissed her lustfully, long and sound, before he spoke again. When they finally broke their embrace, she stared up at him, flustered. I can honestly say that the few times in Cleopatra’s life that I had ever seen her flustered… had been because of Marc Antony. No one on earth had ever unnerved her but him, not even her first love, Julius Caesar. “Where have you been, my love?” Antony casually asked, still keeping one arm loosely wrapped around her as he tossed his sword in the air with his other hand- catching it, flipping it and then tossing it again. I grimaced. Only Antony would make a game out of playing catch with a deadly weapon. “Attending to important matters of state, I imagine.” “Oh, just here and there,” Cleopatra murmured and I had to cough to hide my snort. I couldn’t help it. It was all so outrageous that it boggled my mind. Everyone truly thought that we had been safely ensconced in the palace attending to the queen’s private matters, and I guess we had been, but in reality I had been two thousand years away from here. I coughed again to hide my laughter. It was an awkward character flaw of mine… I laugh when I’m nervous. It was interesting to realize that I had always been that way. Hasani stared at me curiously and I found myself mesmerized by his dark gaze. I wanted to rush to him and cling to him as Cleopatra had Antony, but due to convention, I could not. We couldn’t show such affection in front of the queen- it just wasn’t done…not in the daylight hours. It would be considered disrespectful. I was sure that Cleopatra wouldn’t mind, but Antony and Hasani would both think I had lost my mind. So, I consoled myself with looking at him. As I stared at his face… at his deep, fathomless eyes, I pondered the fact that two thousand years after being with him, his eyes would still haunt me. Even though I hadn’t known who he was, my soul had apparently never forgotten him. I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved by that or outraged at the injustice of it all. But I didn’t have time to think about it further because Cleopatra distracted me. “Hasani, I am afraid I need to steal your commander. Can you entertain Charmian in our absence?” She didn’t wait for his answer, but looked pointedly at me over her shoulder before taking Antony’s arm and retreating back toward the palace, leaving Hasani and I alone. Her eyes plainly said You’re welcome and I realized that she was purposely giving me the gift of alone-time with Hasani. I impatiently waited until Cleopatra and Antony were halfway up the stone staircase before I threw myself in Hasani’s strong arms. He dropped his shield in surprise so that his strong, taut arms were free to wrap around me. I didn’t care that his breastplate was hard and rough against my chest or that my feet were sinking in the watery sand… I just buried my face happily in his neck, breathing in his scent. It was unique to him. Intoxicating. Addictive. I would get drunk on it if I could. If I could bottle it and take it back with me to Pasadena, I so would. “Hasani… I have missed you so much,” I sighed. I pressed myself even closer to him, to get as close as two people could possibly get. The tops of my thighs were pressed firmly against his as my arms tried to pull him even closer. But it just wasn’t close enough. He must have sensed my desperation though, because he pulled away slightly, just enough that he could look at my face. “Charmian, is everything alright?” He was clearly alarmed, as though I might know something that he didn’t- something dire or dangerous. Little did he know that was exactly the case, that his death was imminent and I might be the only thing standing between him and it. “I’m fine, my love,” I lied. “I’ve just missed you.” His handsome face creased into a grin as he pulled me close. I sighed as I realized his arms were as hard as steel. Yep, modern girls were definitely missing out. “You just saw me, very intimately I might add, this morning, my beauty.” He bowed his head to kiss my forehead, but that wasn’t enough for me. I tilted my face and covered his soft lips with mine, hungrily wanting more of him. He pulled away in surprise again. We never exhibited such affection in the daylight and certainly not in public. I was not Cleopatra. As queen, she could defy convention and do as she pleased. As her handmaiden, I could not. When people were watching, I had to pretend to conform to the formalities of court, regardless of how Cleopatra and I behaved in private. I glanced over my shoulder at the staid faces of the guards. They were purposely staring in concentration out at the sea, pretending to scan the horizon for signs of attack, but in actuality they were simply avoiding the entire general area that Hasani and I were standing in. I appreciated their gesture. I pulled Hasani down by the neck and kissed him again, more urgently this time. It had been two thousand years since I had felt his kiss. I wasn’t going to let a stupid rule of etiquette keep me from him now. Not when I only had a short time until everything fell to pieces. His large hands brushed across my back, rubbing small circles into my skin before sweeping against my hips, pulling me closer to him still. “You’re going to be the death of me yet, Charmian!” he growled playfully into my neck. But he didn’t stop moving his hands over my body and I laughed gently, enjoying the sound of his husky voice as it vibrated against my skin. I tried to memorize the planes of his face, the sound of his voice, the feel of his hands. This was going to have to be enough and I wanted to remember everything. I finally pulled away, grasping his hand tightly within mine as we began strolling along the beach. If it were a normal day, it would have been a perfect day for a walk. The craggy rocks and weather beaten sand on the shore were beautiful, a perfect outline to the sparkling turquoise Mediterranean backdrop. I unsuccessfully tried to match his long strides with my shorter legs and he laughed as he slowed down. “I’m sorry, Charmian. I forget sometimes that you are so small.” “I’m not nearly so small as Cleopatra,” I replied, smiling up at him. “No, but she is exceptionally small. You are just right my love…for everything.” He grinned at me again; the playful, handsome grin that I loved and I sucked my breath in as he pulled me in to his side. With every fiber of my being, I knew that I couldn’t bear to let him die. There was no way on earth I could do it again. I wasn’t that strong. I took no consolation in the fact that I would die, too… because it would be unbearable now that my memories had been cruelly unlocked. I would remember his face for the rest of my life when I returned to Pasadena. “Sweetling, it appears that we have the afternoon to ourselves. What shall we do to entertain ourselves?” Hasani asked, grinning his impossibly beautiful grin again. He stroked the side of my face gently and bent again to kiss where he had touched. After he pulled away, I could still feel where his lips had

been, and I touched the spot gently. “My love, I see shadows of fear on your face. Please do not worry. All will be well,” Hasani said, as concern flitted across his features. “The Roman bastards will come. And we will fight. And then it will be over. You will see… we will continue on as we were.” He pulled both of my hands to his mouth, where he kissed every one of my fingertips and I closed my eyes, fighting back my fear as hot tears formed behind my eyelids. “I love you, Hasani,” I murmured softly, as I once again nestled next to his strong chest, trying to allow his strong voice to lull me into believing him. But that was impossible, because I knew he was wrong. I glanced sideways at Hasani as my heart overflowed with love for him. He was my life. It didn’t matter how our lives ended here in Egypt- it would always be so. I swallowed a deep breath, thick with sea salt and continued walking, my hand intertwined tightly within his.

CHAPTER SIX

I emerged from my bedchamber a few hours later, leaving Hasani alone as he dressed for the evening. I would need to assist Cleopatra as she readied for dinner. Her banquets were elaborate affairs every night and included acrobats, exotic dancers, flame-throwers, harpists, drummers, oboe-players and anything else that struck the queen’s fancy. Everything needed to be just so, including her appearance and my own. The people expected nothing less. Cleopatra was known for being the epitome of the word ‘Elaborate.’ I had already dressed in evening wear, a long white linen tunic with thin straps and a sheer blue scarf hanging from my shoulders. My dark hair was coiled in an elaborate chignon, interwoven with delicate gold braids. It had taken my own maid an hour to craft the up-do as Hasani lounged in my bed and observed. When Neeilah applied my crimson lip stain, he had leaned forward and whispered in my ear that he could not wait to kiss it off and I had blushed as she giggled. As I walked through the torch-lit halls now on my way to Cleopatra’s royal chambers, I caught a glimpse of a greasy-faced thin man whispering furiously with one of the serving girls in a darkened alcove, and my curiosity was instantly piqued. He seemed familiar. And why was he so angry with a servant? As his mouth twisted into an even uglier scowl, recognition slammed into me like a ton of bricks and I remembered exactly how I knew him. His name was Tehran and he used to be the manservant to the eunuch Pothinus. Pothinus had been the disgustingly fat regent to Cleopatra’s late little brother, Ptolemy. When Pothinus tried to overthrow Cleopatra from the throne, little Ptolemy had ended up dead and eventually Julius Caesar had the eunuch beheaded. It wasn’t pretty. The fat idiot was ugly enough in one piece. His head on a stake outside of the city was even more gruesome. That had been two years ago. So why was Tehran here now? He had no good reason. Red seeped into my vision for the second time in the history of my memory. I knew that my anger toward him was misguided, that I was really just angry at my current situation, but I couldn’t help myself. I stopped in my tracks and wheeled around, stalking to where they stood. “What are you doing here?” I demanded sharply. “Pothinus is dead. You have no more reason to be here. Your services here at the palace are no longer required.” I glanced quickly at the frightened girl peering from around his shoulder. “You may go,” I dismissed her before I glared at Tehran once more. His oily face was arrogant, his expression pinched and unpleasant. He reminded me of an ugly weasel and I found that I could barely look at him. “Well?” I demanded again. “Why are you here?” “Why, for the same reason you are, mistress. To serve our great queen Cleopatra.” His tone was mockingly deferent to me, but his expression was anything but as his eyes snapped. Something wasn’t right here. The hair on the back of my neck stood up once again. One benefit of being a Keeper, was that we have very good intuition. “I have said that your services are no longer required here. Why are you still standing here? Go.” I nudged his shoulder lightly and anger flashed upon his face. His mouth twisted into an ugly sneer and he grabbed my arm roughly. “You uppity whore!” he hissed into my face, his breath rancid. “What gives you the right to command me?” I tried to pull free from his grasp, but he only held tighter, his fingers cutting into the soft flesh of my arm. His expression was absolutely venomous and I scanned the hallway for help. There was no one and I felt the first stirrings of fear. This was not Pasadena. He could actually kill me. “You know that I speak for Cleopatra in household matters at the Palace. I have told you to leave, now unhand me and leave,” I said sharply. “If you do not, I will scream and guards will come running. You will be thrown into prison. Is that what you want?” Unexpectedly, the deep timbre of Hasani’s voice came from behind me, deathly lethal. “If you wish to keep your hand, remove it from the lady’s arm.” He was so quiet as he walked that I had not even heard him approach, but I had never been happier to hear his voice. Relief flooded through me as Tehran’s face changed immediately into an unreadable mask and he quickly released my arm. He appeared unaffected by Hasani’s tone, although I could tell that it had shaken him. “It is simply a misunderstanding, General. I think we’ve had a miscommunication. The lady seems inclined to believe that our great queen would want me gone from here, even though it is my greatest wish to serve her.” “The lady has clearly spoken her wishes and you know that she speaks for our queen. Leave now and don’t return.” Hasani’s voice was still icily calm and he had not moved a muscle from his stance behind me, but the veiled threat was apparent in his tone. He was not bluffing. I could see from Tehran’s face that he heard that, as well. He stepped backward away from me. “As you wish,” he replied simply. “Please give my greatest regards to our kind queen.” I nodded silently as he spun and stalked away. I watched him disappear into the shadows before turning to Hasani, sagging against him in relief. He was dressed in the thin white loin-cloth and bare chest of Egyptian tradition. Only the bronze carved collar signified his elevated position of General in the Royal Guard. His muscles rippled as he encircled me within his strong arms and I laid my cheek against the warmth of his skin. “What was the issue with him, my love?” he murmured huskily into my hair. “Is there a problem?” I closed my eyes wearily, hating that I had to conceal things from him. Hating that I had to lie. I might as well call a spade a spade. I was lying. Sort of. I only had a feeling that Tehran was up to no good. I just didn’t know exactly what he was up to. Either way, a Keeper’s ‘feelings’ should definitely be heeded. “No, no problem. I just don’t think he should be here any longer- not after what Pothinus did.” To me, my voice sounded strange and stilted. When Hasani spoke, I gathered from his tone that he had heard it, as well. “Yet he is not Pothinus, my sweet. He has been here for two years since his master’s death without incident.” I glanced up to find Hasani staring down at me in puzzlement. My words almost tripped on each other as I rushed to fix it. “I know. But I can’t help but feel that he somehow shared in Pothinus’ misguided ambitions to de-throne Cleopatra. He was certainly a loyal servant to the eunuch. I question his loyalty now- I can’t explain it. It’s just a feeling that I have. There is no reason to have him remain here, at any rate.” Hasani nodded, accepting my brief explanation and I felt a rush of relief mixed with guilt. I absolutely hated lying to him. He smiled gently down at me and my heart melted as the candlelight from the torch above us illuminated his handsome bronzed face.

“Shall I escort you to the queen’s chambers? It appears that you have a knack for finding trouble today. And just in case you feel the need to terminate anyone else, I should be there for your protection.” I smiled at him and grabbed his arm, enjoying the way his hard muscles bulged under my fingertips. “I would be proud to have you as an escort, General,” I answered formally, grinning up at him. “Just in case I need to fire anyone else, of course.” He smiled at me again, his entire face lighting up and I felt my knees grow weak as I remembered how we had spent the afternoon. I quickly pushed the fluttery feelings out of my mind. I couldn’t think about that now. As we walked the remainder of the way to Cleopatra’s private rooms through the darkened, hushed halls, I simply focused on enjoying the feeling of his arm linked with mine and the strength that exuded from his every pore. I was disappointed when we arrived at Cleopatra’s carved golden doors far too quickly. “I will leave you here, my lady. But I will see you at dinner.” His dark eyes sparkled as he bent to kiss my lips softly. “Try to stay out of trouble.” I closed my eyes and inhaled him, pulling him closer. “Wanton woman!” he whispered into my neck. I could feel his smile against my skin and knew that he was only joking. “You will need to be patient and wait until tonight.” He pulled away and walked on, glancing sideways at me impishly as he passed. I stood still and watched him retreat for just a moment, watching the distinct lope of his stride before quietly entering Cleopatra’s chambers. I found her sitting on her balcony gazing absently at the city below. The stars had come out and were twinkling far above us, as the gentle Alexandrian night breeze caressed our skin. Torches had been lit in the streets and the rich golden glow from them lit the night. I sat at the base of her lounge wordlessly, examining her pensive expression. “What are you thinking, my queen?” I asked softly. “Of everything, Charmian,” she sighed. “Only of everything.” “That is quite a lot to think of, Cleopatra,” I answered lightly, although I completely understood. Ever since my afternoon with Hasani, thoughts of everything had swirled non-stop in my head, as well. I couldn’t stop it, no matter how hard I tried. “Thank you for today, by the way.” I turned to her again. “It was nice to spend quiet time with Hasani… with all of the stress that we’ve been shouldering of late.” I glanced at Cleopatra to find her smiling knowingly. “Somehow, I doubt your afternoon was quiet, love,” she murmured wryly, nudging me. I rolled my eyes and she laughed. “I see that you’re still offering no details. And that’s fine,” she grinned impishly. “I know you will spill it eventually. You’re horrible at keeping secrets. Shall I dress for dinner?” She didn’t wait for my answer which was good, because she didn’t notice my snort when she announced that I was horrible at secret-keeping. My middle name might as well be Secret. She strolled to her armoire, sifting among the hanging clothing. She chose a long, turquoise shift with an elaborate embroidered belt and tossed them onto her bed as she stripped off the clothing that she was wearing. I helped her dress and then sat her in front of me as I wound her hair into a coil to be concealed by her elaborate black wig. As I worked, I decided to casually mention my run-in with Tehran. My fingers deftly continued to tuck her hair underneath the wig’s cap as I spoke, making sure no errant tendrils escaped. Cleopatra was used to this ritual and sat patiently while I worked over her. “I saw Tehran a few minutes ago.” I didn’t elaborate, just waited calmly for her certain questions. She had never trusted him either. She spun quickly around, her face frozen with anxiety. “And?” “He was in a corner, whispering with a house-servant. He seemed… agitated. I decided we didn’t need his antics here any longer. I marched over and told him that we no longer required his services since his master was dead.” “And?” Cleopatra’s voice rose an octave. “And he grabbed my arm and got quite mean. If Hasani had not come across us, I don’t know what he would have done. Do I have a bruise?” I twisted my arm around to show her where Tehran had grabbed it. I could feel the black and blue welt even as I touched it. She examined it and nodded. “Yes, he bruised it. Don’t let Hasani see that- the last thing we need right now is retribution. Why did you approach Tehran now, Charmian? He’s been here for two years with no incident.” Her words echoed Hasani’s almost verbatim. The difference, I knew, was that Cleopatra was relieved. She didn’t want him here anymore than I did. Apples don’t fall far from the tree… and his master had been evil. I rubbed my wounded arm before I answered. She was exactly right- if Hasani saw that Tehran had hurt me, all hell would break loose. “I’m not sure, my queen. I just feel unsettled whenever he is near. I don’t see the reason to keep someone like that around the palace… not in such close proximity to you.” She nodded absently and I watched in the flickering candlelight as she rubbed her perfume oil lightly into the skin of her neck, arms and wrists. She started to put the little jar away and then added a dab to her cleavage as an afterthought. Glancing at her reflection, she sighed and set the little perfume jar in a cabinet next to her vanity. “Can you do my eyes?” She turned to me, handing me the little jar of green malachite. I carefully lined her eyes with the small brush and then added crimson to her lips and crushed pearl powder to her face. She examined herself again. “Much better,” she said in satisfaction, slipping jeweled arm bands onto her slender arms. I had to agree. The powder had given her face a luminescent sheen, sparkling when the candlelight hit it just right. She was beguiling, just she always was, but the tension that she had been carrying had kept her face pale today. The added cosmetics tonight hid it perfectly. “Shall we dine?” She held out her arm and I took it, and we strolled arm in arm to the cavernous banquet hall on the other side of the palace. As we passed the mammoth ivory double-doors to the children’s suite, I paused and turned to her. “You lunched with the children, of course?” She grinned broadly, her smile lighting up her entire face, as we resumed walking. “Of course. Caesarion was ruling over the nursery with a little iron fist, as usual. The twins were rambunctious and running laps throughout all of their rooms, running their nurses ragged. They are well. I…” her voice trailed off pensively and she stopped speaking. “You what?” I prodded. “Nothing, my love. We can speak of it later.” She stopped walking in front of the giant arches of the banquet hall and turned to me. “Do I look alright?

She looked beautiful, as she normally did, her elaborate black wig piled high onto her head and her thin shoulders gleaming in the candlelight. But I straightened her diadem anyway, because if I didn’t make some sort of last-minute adjustment, she would worry that she didn’t look perfect. Another trait of hers that history books had not captured… she was a perfectionist in every way. “Now you are perfect,” I murmured. She nodded silently as we gazed into the teeming room. At least 50 large sconces were lit within, not to mention the dozens of oil lamps lining each long table. The subtle scent of incense wafted from the room, stirred by the movements of the mass of people within. Scent was important to the Egyptians, and the perfume of each individual in the room combined to create an overall scent in the air that was not unpleasant in the slightest. It contained musky, fruity and spicy notes all at once. I scanned the crowded room, looking for the most important face and found him at Antony’s right. He and Antony were speaking in earnest- in a conversation that I had to assume was about military tactics. They tended to get fairly animated when they discussed such things and both were gesturing wildly now. As I watched, a serving girl flaunted her topless body to Hasani as she knelt in front of him to fill his wine chalice, but he barely glanced at her. I smiled in satisfaction. Hasani continued his conversation as though she was not even there, even as she purposely swung her pendulous breasts into his face. He simply leaned to the side so that he could see Antony better, completely unaffected. Antony, on the other hand, known for his ravenous appetite for the other sex, pulled her into his lap when she stepped over to him. He roared in laughter as the girl squirmed, but she was not really trying to escape and everyone knew it. To catch Marc Antony’s eye was considered an honor and she was flushed with pleasure because of it now as her naked breasts spilled over onto his thick forearm. I glanced at Cleopatra, and found her watching him with a small amused smile. One of the things she loved the most about Antony was his joy of living. Antony’s transgressions with other women never mattered, because Cleopatra knew his heart. It was she that he loved and no one knew that better than she did. As for me, even though Egyptian culture condoned promiscuity, I was blissfully happy that Hasani had always been happy with only me. I marveled at that as I looked around the room now and observed the rampant sexuality surrounding us. Even though proprietary rules reigned during the day, it was an entirely different world once night fell. I watched as naked serving women fawned upon the banquet attendees and random couples embraced in dark corners and even out in the open. People living in the western world now would have a heart attack at what they would consider the immorality of it all. It was a miracle that Hasani felt the need to be monogamous in this place, but my western upbringing as Macy was thankful for it. I couldn’t bear to watch Hasani with another woman as Cleopatra so patiently did with Antony. As I watched him, Hasani glanced up and met my gaze, pausing in his conversation as he smiled at me. His wide, white smile made my toes tingle and I took a step in his direction. “Cleopatra?” I turned to her because she had not moved from where she was rooted in the doorway. “Look,” she whispered, gesturing subtly with her hand into a direction to our right. I followed her line of vision and saw Annen talking in agitation with Tehran. I automatically took a step in Annen’s direction, but stiffened as I watched the priest’s face transform into anger. Tehran grasped his arm firmly and began to pull him toward the door.

What the heck was Annen doing? “What should we do?” I asked anxiously. “I told Tehran to leave and so did Hasani. I can’t believe he is still here. If Hasani sees him…” The last thing I wanted was a scene. But still. We needed a diversion- something to distract the attention from Annen. The priest could not use magic in public and there was no way that the frail old man could defend himself otherwise. And Annen needed to stay safe so that I could kill him myself for stealing my bloodstone. “Point him out. Hasani should see him,” Cleopatra muttered. “Such blatant disregard for your dictate is a slap in my face. He knows you act on my behalf.” Cleopatra was annoyed and I desperately tried to catch Hasani’s eye again. A brief moment later, during a lull in their conversation, both Antony and Hasani looked at us, wondering at our tardiness. I frantically gestured toward Tehran. Antony looked at me curiously, not comprehending, while Hasani sprang from his seat immediately. Antony might not have understood what was going on, but once he saw the murderous look on his general’s face, he quickly got up to cover Hasani’s flank. The two large men stalked through the room, trailing Tehran as he attempted to drag Annen from the crowded banquet hall. I absently checked to make sure that my scarf was covering the bruise on my arm before Cleopatra and I hurriedly rushed to follow them. Unfortunately, it took us much longer to maneuver. Each person that we tried to slip past bowed and addressed the queen in some way, out of respect. In times like these, being with her was a huge inconvenience. It slowed us down and when we finally reached Hasani and Antony, we had missed the entire first part of the animated conversation. By the time I stepped to Hasani’s side, the crowd had already swallowed the priest. “What did you say?” Hasani demanded, as he grabbed Tehran by the front of his tunic. Tehran finally looked genuinely afraid as his weasley face paled. “I said nothing, general,” Tehran whimpered. “I said nothing at all.” “That’s odd,” Antony interjected as he slowly drew a large dagger from his belt. “I could swear that you just threatened our great queen.” He moved closer with slow, lethal purpose. “My wife, the queen,” he added needlessly. “No sir- no, I did not,” Tehran’s eyes were wide and frightened as he stared at the large knife that Antony calmly held in his hands. “I’m pretty certain you did,” Hasani countered, with deadly calmness. I felt as though I was watching a hunting lion as Hasani appraised Tehran. His dark eyes had gone cold as he calculated the man that he was grasping. “Do you know what we do to murderous traitors?” Before Tehran could answer, Antony lunged forward like a lithe jaguar, plunging the dagger smoothly into Tehran’s side. Blood gushed, staining an ever-widening spot on Tehran’s tunic. Antony yanked the knife back out and stepped back. “We kill them,” he announced as he wiped the blade on the hem of Tehran’s shift. Cleopatra gasped and took a step forward, but restrained herself, stepping back. In her opinion, a queen never showed dismay or distress. Only I noticed the panic in her eyes, as she clenched her fists at her sides. Her knuckles quickly turned white. Tehran stared at her with glittering eyes. “It doesn’t matter,” he rasped, coughing as blood gurgled into his mouth. “He is here and he will kill you.”

“Who is here?” Hasani demanded, yanking the servant closer, but Tehran went limp as his life drained from him. Hasani dropped him unceremoniously to the floor, where he crumpled into a heap. “My queen, you must retire immediately to your chambers until we can determine what is happening,” Hasani implored as he swiftly turned to us, his face an impassive mask. “Charmian, come-- I will escort you both to the queen’s chambers.” I could tell by the firm set to his chiseled jaw that there was no use arguing. I nodded silently as he grasped my arm, while Antony and Cleopatra followed closely behind us. I noticed that Antony was protecting Cleopatra from the curious crowd with his own body as we walked away quickly, leaving Tehran bleeding on the expensive rug as someone called for a servant to drag his lifeless body from the hall. Before we disappeared into a private back hallway, I looked back over my shoulder. Annen was nowhere to be found.

CHAPTER SEVEN

The sound of the Mediterranean crashed comfortingly below the palace as Cleopatra paced restlessly, her lovely face drawn and anxious as she walked circles around her large bedchamber. I had almost allowed the soothing sound to lull me into sleep as I waited for Antony and Hasani to return, but at Cleopatra’s loud sigh, I rose tiredly from the chaise I was seated upon and grasped her arm. “My queen, it does no good to worry. You’re going to wear holes in your carpets. Sit down.” I tried to pull her to one of the many lounges in the room, but she resisted. “Since when do you get to order me, Charmian?” she asked grumpily, pulling her arm from my grasp and returning to the open balcony doors to stare out at the city. “Since you don’t listen to anyone else but me,” I answered firmly. She didn’t intimidate me. “Well, no matter. I am still queen here and I answer to no one.” Her voice was sharp, apparently even sharper than she had intended because she turned to me and sighed. “I’m sorry, Charmian. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m just worried…and that is not your fault. I seem to be taking my worry out on everyone today.” I thought of the poor little serving girl and had to agree. “I know, my queen. I’m worried, too.” Was I ever. Hasani and Antony had left us secluded in the queen’s chambers with guards at every entrance while they searched for Annen. They meant to question him regarding his involvement with Tehran, to see if he knew anything of the servant’s claims. But that wouldn’t do. I needed to find him first. Cleopatra turned to me, her smooth face creased with worry. “What do you suppose Tehran meant? Who is here to kill me? Octavian? That can’t be right. We would have heard. And what was he doing with that priest?” That was something I would like to know, too. Surely, Tehran couldn’t have meant Pothinus. Surely. If the eunuch had figured out a way to defy constraints of time in order to secretly beat death… Well, it just couldn’t be. I ran my fingers over my little scar, but unfortunately, it wasn’t speaking to me. That might be a good sign, but it still offered me no guidance. “I know not, my queen,” I answered softly. “But it would seem to me that it has more to do with the fact that I dismissed Tehran today than anything else. Perhaps he chose that priest at random as an object for his anger… and we interrupted so he turned his tirade toward you. Perhaps his words were just lies. It is difficult to say, my queen, when we are speaking of such a seedy person.” She nodded. “You’re right about that, Charmian. I’ve never trusted him. I honestly don’t know why I allowed him to stay for so long.” “That doesn’t matter now, my queen. Our problem now is that Annen will likely be frightened when he hears that Antony and Hasani are seeking him. I doubt he will come out of hiding. Which means that we can’t find out if he knows who the ‘he’ was that Tehran threatened you with.” But I already knew. My gut was whispering to me, I just didn’t want to listen. It couldn’t be Pothinus. It just couldn’t be. Because I didn’t know what to do if it was. “I know,” Cleopatra sighed again, dropping into a heavily embroidered arm chair. “But what can we do? If we defy Antony and Hasani and leave the palace, it will be wondered why. There has been a public threat on my life. It would seem odd if I simply disregarded it. Plus, it will seem as though I doubt my husband’s abilities.” Her shoulders slumped and she turned toward me. “And I do not,” she clarified. “Of course you don’t,” I said soothingly. “But you’re the queen of Egypt,” I added firmly. “You can defy anyone, even your husband. However…there has to be a way around it. I wonder if we could send Iras to the temple in search of the priest?” Iras was Cleopatra’s other royal handmaiden, second only to me in her service of the queen. “Perhaps she could inconspicuously slip into the temple… and perhaps the priest would come out of hiding if he realized that she was there at your behest.” The idea formed as I spoke, and for once, it seemed like a good one. Everyone knew that Iras and I acted on Cleopatra’s orders. It was a sound plan- one that might bring Ahmose to me if he heard of it. Because I was floundering here. I had no idea what to do. I couldn’t believe that I was wishing for his wrinkled, scary face, but I was. I needed his input. Cleopatra nibbled her lip, considering the idea carefully. “That could work, I suppose. But what if the priest is still too afraid to emerge? We will have gained no knowledge whatsoever.” “You are the queen of Egypt, Cleopatra,” I reminded her again. “He will not refuse you.” She nodded again, even though her expression was uncertain. “Iras will have to be crafty and take pains not to be seen by Antony and Hasani,” she warned. “I do not want Antony’s feelings injured.” “I know. But if we explain that this is a very delicate situation, even too delicate to share with Antony, she will understand, my queen. She is as loyal to you as I am.” “Yes, I know,” Cleopatra said absently. “I know she is. Summon her.” I walked quickly through her chambers, opening one of the floor-to-ceiling carved doors. I quickly poked my head out to speak to one of the Nubian guards stationed there. “Please send for Iras,” I commanded firmly, before disappearing once again into Cleopatra’s chamber. It wasn’t necessary to linger and ensure that he was carrying out the order. It would be done without question. As I waited, I crossed to a long ivory table lining the far wall of her sitting room. Opening the carved doors, I pulled out a jar of shedeh, an Egyptian specialty wine, and poured it into a jeweled gold chalice. A loaf of fresh bread had been placed on a stone warming plate by a serving girl and I cut a slice of the thick rye bread as well. Carrying the food and drink to Cleopatra, I implored her to eat it. Neither one of us had eaten anything since our dinner had been disrupted by Tehran. I prepared a plate for myself as well and sat next to her, nibbling on the bread as I spoke. It seemed that bread had always been a comfort food for me. This was no soft loaf of Hawaiian sweet bread, but it would do. There was no small talk as we waited. Both Cleopatra and I were too immersed in thought to speak. She was thinking of the supposed plot to

kill her and I was simply wondering what to do now. I absolutely hated it when I came to impasse. I didn’t know what Annen had been doing in the banquet hall and I certainly didn’t know why Tehran was trying to drag him away. It was intriguing. And worrisome. I needed to speak to him ASAP. I swirled the last mouthful of dark red shedeh around in the bottom of the golden chalice before swallowing it, enjoying the rich wine. As Macy, I had not even sipped an alcoholic beverage yet. I never felt the need, even though Jenn was always sneaking gin from her dad’s liquor cabinet for weekend parties. And gin smells disgusting so I’ve never even been tempted. Tonight, I found the wine to be… okay. Sort of bitter, actually, and not something I would write home about although I did feel my cheeks flushing nicely as I drank it. I imagined that the color was becoming. There was a soft knock at Cleopatra’s doors and we rose to greet Iras. Tall, slender and Nubian, she glided into the room, her dark skin glistening in the muted light of the candles. She had not been feeling well this week and had been recovering in her chambers, not wanting to expose the queen to illness. Dressed in a simple cotton frock, she looked much better than the last time I had seen her….which was when we committed suicide with Cleopatra. And to be honest, death doesn’t become anyone. I realized that my two thousand year old memories had not done her justice. She was beautiful as her deep brown eyes flashed in the light. She knelt in front of Cleopatra, her dark skin gleaming. “My queen,” she murmured, keeping her eyes to the floor. Unlike me, she was never insolent. She was wonderfully calm and perfectly deferent, in all things. I honestly don’t know how she did it. But then again, she had not been raised with Cleopatra as I had. Cleopatra and I had known each other since we were girls. “Iras, please stand, love. I’ve told you that you do not need to kneel when we are alone,” Cleopatra admonished lightly. “I hope you are feeling better. There is a task that we need you to perform- it is of a delicate nature. I can trust no one but you.” Iras nodded solemnly as she rose from the floor, her white shift fluttering in the night breeze. Her deep, mahogany skin appeared even darker against the light fabric. She was surrounded by the thick scent of amber. It suited her. “What is it you require of me, my queen?” Her low voice was as smooth as velvet. As I stared at her in fascination, everything about her reminded me of warm, melted dark chocolate. “I require that you steal quietly into the Serapis temple and locate the priest Annen. I believe that he is hiding from Antony and General Hasani. I am only guessing, of course, but I think that he will be hiding himself in the labyrinth beneath the temple in which he serves.” When Cleopatra mentioned Hasani’s name, Iras’ gaze flickered briefly to me, her dark eyes curious, before returning to the queen as Cleopatra continued. It was common knowledge that Hasani and I had been together since we were teenagers. If it hadn’t been for my position with the queen, we would have married long ago. “You must attempt to find him before Antony and Hasani do. We are afraid that he won’t come out if they are there and he might possess knowledge that I need. Upon finding Annen, give him the message that I need to speak with him. That it is vitally important. Can you do this for me, Iras?” Cleopatra’s face was perfectly calm and smooth- no one but me would have known that internally, she was a mess. Iras nodded smoothly. “Of course, your highness. I will leave right now.” She quickly disappeared into the corridors as quietly as she had come in, leaving Cleopatra and I to stare at each other wordlessly. “I hope she finds him,” I finally said, walking to the open balcony doors. I was at a loss to say anything else. The air smelled delicious as the night jasmine released the scent from their blooms into the breeze and I inhaled deeply as I watched the pathways below the palace for signs of Hasani and Antony. “So do I,” Cleopatra answered as she stripped off her wig and began brushing her long brown hair. Seated at her vanity, she curled her slender legs around the elegant padded stool that she was sitting upon. Feeling restless, I paced back inside and crossed the room to her. I dipped a cloth into a basin of water and wiped away her make-up, leaving her face shiny and clean. Freshly combed, her long hair fell softly onto her shoulders and spilled down her back and she looked no older than a teenager. “You are never more beautiful than when you allow your natural beauty to show, my love.” Cleopatra and I both turned in surprise at Marc Antony’s voice. His large body filled the doorway of her bedchamber as he observed the queen’s night-time beauty rituals with interest. “But then, I’m sure you know that.” He smiled tiredly at his wife and crossed the room, placing his large hands on her shoulders as he bent to kiss the top of her head. “We could not find the priest,” Antony muttered dejectedly as he dropped heavily into a chaise lounge next to Cleopatra. “There are hundreds of hidden passageways throughout the city. It will be very difficult to search through them all. And we’ve got the pressing Roman problem, as well. Things always seem to happen at once, do they not?” Cleopatra gazed at him softly, before walking to where he reclined, her hips swaying gently. She knelt in front of him and rested her head against his henna-tattooed chest. “It will all work out, my love. Do not trouble yourself.” “Cleopatra, don’t be naïve. There are things that even you cannot simply wish away.” Antony muttered morosely. Cleopatra looked up at me. “Charmian… I can manage for the rest of the evening. You may leave.” Her eyes implored me and I knew she meant that I was free to leave… to find Hasani and to leave her to deal with Antony’s dark mood. I smiled and turned to go. “Charmian?” Antony interrupted me. I turned back in surprise, staring at him curiously. His face was damp in the heat, causing the kohl lining his eyes to smear slightly. “Yes?” “Be careful. Until we know if there is actually a plot to kill Cleopatra, you could be in danger, as well. Do not stray too far from the palace without a guard.” His gaze searched my face, as though he was looking for something. Color flooded my cheeks and spread to my chest as I took deep breaths. Keep it together. He doesn’t know anything. He’s just waiting for an

agreement. “Thank you, my lord. I always try to be cautious.” I nodded calmly and retreated, leaving Antony and Cleopatra alone. As I left, Cleopatra was climbing on top of him to kiss him soundly. I was sure she was trying to distract him from his worry. It was best that I not be there for that, anyway. As Charmian, I was quite accustomed to remaining in the room while Cleopatra and Antony were intimate- it was Egyptian custom to not leave the queen unattended. As Macy, however, that was just so embarrassing. There were some things that were just best done in private…. Such as making love with your husband. I quietly closed the door behind me as I left the royal chambers and leaned against the elaborately painted wall. I could feel the curious sideways

stares of the guards, but I paid them no mind. The gravity of what I was going to soon lose was closing in on me and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I had to pretend that I knew nothing of our fate- that to the best of my knowledge, we would prevail in the battle against Octavian and we would all live happily ever after. I swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the horrid thoughts, but I couldn’t. They were there to stay. “Charmian?” I didn’t even have to look to know it was Hasani. I would know his voice anywhere. I opened my eyes to find him hesitantly standing two feet from me. He was visibly concerned as he watched me. His strong features instantly caused my heart to start fluttering as the flickering torch light caught every angle of his beautiful face. I quickly put my game face on, hiding any sadness that might betray my thoughts. I stepped toward him, allowing a wide grin to stretch across my face. It wasn’t hard to smile … I was infinitely happy to see him. “My love,” I murmured, reaching for him. He willingly pulled me into his strong arms and I buried my face against him, marveling at how his skin could be so soft, while his body was so hard. “Are you alright?” He asked as he held me tight. “I am now.” I smiled gently up at him. “Cleopatra does not require me further tonight. Shall we retire?” He smiled broadly and wrapped his arm around my waist as he steered me quickly down the dimly lit hall. “Of course, my sweet. I find that I am… exhausted and quite ready to rest.” His mischievous smile made me laugh, relaxing the tension I had been holding in my shoulders as he let his hand slip from the small of my back to trail suggestively across my hips. “Exhausted, hmm?” I asked lightly, leaning into his strong arm. “Oddly enough, you seem quite energetic to me.” “Energetic enough, my lady,” he countered lightly. We had walked into a deserted stretch of hall way and he pulled me into a small, darkened nook. He lowered his face to mine, kissing me soundly until I felt that I was going to hyper-ventilate. It should be illegal to be as sexy as he was. I broke the kiss, staring up at him wide-eyed. “Yes, general,” I confirmed breathlessly, “You appear to be quite energetic.” Satisfied, he grinned and once again took my arm. As we walked toward my bedchamber, I watched the happy smirk on his face and I had to secretly smile. The man was pleasantly arrogant. He opened my door for me and I entered, waiting until he passed to close the doors. I peeked down the hall first, though, and saw nothing but the glassy eye of Anubis staring down at me. Shuddering, I clicked the door closed.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Before daybreak the next morning, soft rapping on my bedchamber door woke me from a restless sleep. My eyes flew open to find Hasani sleeping soundly next to me, his face relaxed and boyish as he dreamed. In the dying light of the flickering oil lamps, I hurriedly pulled on a dressing gown to answer the door before another knock woke him. Carefully opening it just a crack, I peered into the hall. “My lady, our majesty wishes to see you immediately.” The stoic face of the guard was impassive, as though pre-dawn summons were normal. We both knew that they were not. Cleopatra would rather die than get up before day break. “I will get dressed and be right there. Please tell her that I will only be a moment.” The guard nodded curtly and disappeared silently into the darkness. I closed the door lightly behind him, lowering the bar quietly to lock it. It didn’t matter, because as I turned back around, Hasani was watching me. “What is it, my love?” he asked, propped on his elbows on the thick, soft mattress of my bed. Despite my effort, the quiet whispering had woken him. Against the crisp white bedding, his bronze skin glistened even more than usual and I couldn’t help but notice the definition of his arm. I could practically see the individual striations in the muscle. Amazing. I realized then that I hadn’t been breathing and forced myself to take a deep breath. He certainly had an effect on me, that was for sure. “Charmian?” He was looking at me strangely and I realized that I hadn’t answered his question. His bulging biceps had distracted me. I forced my gaze away from them and back to his face. Not exactly a hardship. “I’m not certain. Cleopatra needs me already,” I sighed as I sat on the edge of the bed next to him. Reaching out my hand, I brushed the long silky strands of his hair away from his face. He closed his eyes and leaned into my hand, the roughness of his morning stubble scratching my skin. “I wish you could stay,” he murmured huskily, staring at me with his fathomless dark eyes. I knew I could get lost in eyes like that, so I pulled away with another sigh. “Trust me, so do I,” I mumbled as I stood so that I could dress. I felt his dark gaze penetrating my back as I stripped off my clothes and hurriedly dressed in a cotton day shift. I quickly brushed my hair and twisted it into a simple bun at the nape of my neck, securing it with slender ivory pins. Bending quickly, I brushed my lips across Hasani’s brow. He used my off-balance stance as an opportunity to pull me down until I was lying on top of him. His hands roamed liberally over my body, tracing the henna phoenix tattooed on my back. I closed my eyes, enjoying the weight and warmth of his fingers through my thin shift. “You are not making it easy for me to leave, Hasani,” I sighed into his soft lips. “I wasn’t trying to,” he replied as he kissed the side of my neck so softly that goose bumps formed. Lord, he was cocky. And I loved that about him. I groaned as I pushed his hands away and stood up. “Trust me, I would rather stay here with you, but I need to see what the queen needs. It must be important at this hour.” He nodded and grudgingly released me, but I could tell from his expression that he understood. He was a general in Antony’s army, after all. He understood loyalty- it was in every strand of his molecular make-up. He was burying his head deep under a buckwheat pillow as I was slipped out the door. Making my way hurriedly to Cleopatra’s chamber, I wondered what the heck would be waiting for me when I arrived. The guards stationed outside of her door were nonplussed at my early appearance and seemed as calm as always. Their staid normalcy was comforting- whatever the issue was must not be too bad, but I still hurried to get to her just in case. They didn’t have all of the information that I did about our current situation... and ignorance was bliss. As I threw open the doors, my rushed entry was anti-climactic. Cleopatra’s chamber was completely silent as I entered it. Her bed was rumpled, but empty. The balcony doors were closed against the cool morning air, muffling the noise from the sea. I gazed around the darkened room but didn’t see anything amiss. Everything seemed just as I had left it last night. Except that Cleopatra wasn’t here. “Cleopatra?” As I called for her, I made my way around each room, lighting the castor oil sconces. She had let them burn out and there was no reason for the room to be so dark. “I’m here.” Her voice was so tiny that I barely heard it. I followed it and found her huddled on the floor next to her bed with her knees clutched to her chest. Her face was pale in the darkness, her eyes dull and tired from lack of sleep. “Are you alright?” She nodded, but I rushed to her side anyway and gave her a quick once-over. She appeared to be fine. Her hair was uncombed and she was still in her dressing gown, but I guessed that it was because she had never gone to bed. “Where’s Antony?” I asked as I slid down to sit next to her. She scooted over to make room on the thick carpet for me. “He was feeling melancholy last night and slept in his own chambers,” her voice was small and sad and I instantly felt sorry for her. She didn’t like sympathy, however, so I took pains to hide it. It wasn’t unusual for Antony to succumb to melancholy, in fact, it was the very reason Cleopatra had his own palatial addition built… so that he had a vast private place to surround himself with while he moped. I knew she wasn’t upset that he had chosen to sleep alone—she was only sad because of the timing. She wanted to soak in his strength so she could maintain her own. “Are you alright?” I struggled to make my voice devoid of sympathy and matter-of-fact. “I’m fine,” she sighed. “But I’m concerned because Iras hasn’t returned. If she wasn’t able to find Annen, she would have come back and reported that to me. But she hasn’t come back at all. I have a bad feeling, Charmian… do you think something has happened to her?” “Cleopatra!” I gasped. “That’s horrible- don’t even think that! What could possibly have happened? She probably returned to the palace too late

and didn’t want to wake you.” But even before I had finished speaking, Cleopatra was already shaking her head dejectedly. “She didn’t come back. I had the guards check her rooms.” Panic bubbled up in me, even though I tried to hide it from the queen. It wasn’t like Iras not to complete a task. She was nothing if not obedient. If she could’ve returned to the palace, she would have. I had a sick feeling that where ever she was now, she didn’t want to be there. Pothinus. She’s with Pothinus. Ahmose’s raspy voice appeared in my mind, out of nowhere and I startled, glancing around me. I hated it when he did that. If he wanted to talk to me, he should show up and talk to me, not whisper things in my mind. And unfortunately, he brought bad news. Just as I had feared, Pothinus was here. Somewhere. I shoved the panicky feelings down and turned back to Cleopatra. “What do you think we should do?” I was impressed with how strong and calm I sounded. Cleopatra would have no idea that my knees were shaking. The scar on my wrist began to throb, the tell-tale sign that everything was wrong. I needed to fix it, but I wasn’t sure how. Cleopatra turned to look at me, as lovely as always and seemingly calm. The dark purple circles beneath her eyes didn’t detract from her beauty even a little. Her voice was cool and detached when she answered. “I’m not certain. I can’t allow Antony to know that I sent her. I’m tempted to wait and see what happens.” She turned away from me again so that I couldn’t see her face, but I couldn’t believe my ears. “We can’t do that. For all we know, there is something wrong- we can’t fail Iras in such a way.” She sighed heavily again, laying her head down on her skinny arms. “I know…and I don’t want to. But I just don’t see what else we can do. I don’t want to order soldiers to look for her, because Antony will find out. And we don’t even know yet if there is anything to be concerned about. For all we know, she was waylaid by a handsome, strapping soldier.” I shook my head. “You know Iras wouldn’t do that.” I quickly ran through several scenarios in my head, trying to formulate a plan. The only thing I could think of, though, was to send myself. “I’ll go,” I announced calmly. “I’ll go to the temple today and try to find out what happened to her.” “You can’t,” Cleopatra shot the idea down even though I could tell she was tempted. “You heard Antony. He warned you not to go too far from the palace unaccompanied. We really might be in danger. I just don’t know…so we can’t risk it.” As she spoke, she gracefully rose from the ground and seated herself at her vanity, staring at me in the mirror. “Well, my queen, I don’t see what other option we have. You obviously can’t go. But we can’t tell anyone else, so… that leaves me.” She thought for a moment, her smooth brow pulled into wrinkles as she brushed her hair. “It’s too dangerous, Charmian. We can’t. I think what we will do… is send a personal guard to the Serapis in search of her. Just one guard in secrecy. If he is unsuccessful, we’ll have to handle it ourselves.” “As you wish, Cleopatra,” I murmured, gazing outside. Below us, Hasani walked with long strides through the lush courtyard as he spoke with one of his officers. I briefly wondered how he was going to spend the morning before I looked again to Cleopatra. “You are right, my queen, as usual. You should send a guard first.” I shot her a small smile and then helped her dress. When we were finished, she stood in front of me, a vision of perfection. If historians could see her now, they would be beside themselves to realize that their depictions were so wrong. She was breathtakingly beautiful… not passably handsome, as some had written. Plutarch, the old goat, hadn’t even known her… yet his descriptions are what so many modern historians based their opinions upon. And that was a shame, because he so obviously favored the Roman opinion of Cleopatra… which of course was not a positive one. The only positive thing she ever did, in his eyes, was kill herself. Thinking of him now was making my blood boil, so I decided to think of something else. “What will you be doing today, my queen?” I inquired politely as I put away her cosmetics jars. “I thought I would spend the morning in the nursery with the children.” She grinned broadly. I should have known, of course. She would want to hold them in her arms as much as she possibly could. Another thing that history had not recorded…She was an excellent mother. Even in a time when royalty allowed nurses to raise their children, she was very hands-on and affectionate with hers. “Charmian… what I was saying last night- before we were distracted by Tehran… about the children? I was going to confess something.” Startled, I turned around quickly. Cleopatra never felt the need to confess anything. “What is it?” “I… that is, to say… my decisions in the immediate future will be based upon the children.” I was confused. “I already know this. It is how it should be. Why are you pointing it out to me now?” I took a few steps closer to her as she spoke again. She looked positively guilty and repentant as she explained, her small shoulders hunched as she sat on her hands. “It makes me sad, because I know it will seem that I have no faith in my husband or in my armies or that I went behind Antony’s back. But Octavian’s army is larger and so far, he has been ahead of us at every turn. My children must survive to stay on the throne, Charmian. And I will do what I must to ensure that.” “I would be surprised if that were not the case, Cleopatra,” I answered mildly. “I think any mother in your shoes would do the same. Of course, I can’t speak from experience, but I’m making an educated guess.” I bent and hugged her lightly. “Don’t feel guilty, my queen.” “I don’t,” she assured me, her face a tranquil regal mask now. “I just feel badly for the way it might appear. I hope that I am not forced to make such painful decisions, but there may come a time when it is necessary.” She implored me silently with her eyes to not be angry and I tried very hard to make it seem as though I struggled with it. In truth, I was ecstatic. She was still continuing down her path. She hadn’t swayed. I need only worry about Iras, at this point. “It’s fine, Cleopatra. I understand. I am mostly worried about Hasani. And of course, Antony.” My voice was pained- even I could hear it. And my emotion was real. I was worried about Hasani. “You will have children someday too, you know,” she added as an afterthought, changing the subject from the painful one that I was headed down. “And you will be a wonderful mother. So, congratulations.” She smiled. I had to laugh. Congratulations were in order for children that I hadn’t had yet. The thought was funny until the laughter died on my lips. I would never have children; not now, not two thousand years from now. It was impossible for a Keeper. We were barren. “Now then,” she continued, patting my shoulder as she glided past me. “I am off to the nursery to play with the children. Let’s lunch together, shall we?” She didn’t wait for an answer, because it wasn’t really a request. She knew I would be waiting for her in the banquet room at lunchtime to dine

with her. She disappeared into the hallway, leaving me alone in her chambers. I reveled in the quiet peacefulness for just a moment before I felt the twinges of restlessness. Walking to the balcony, I leaned over the edge, searching every direction for some sign of Hasani. No such luck. I didn’t see him anywhere. The day was warm and balmy as normal, though, and I found the sea calling to me. The gentle lap against the shoreline enticed me and I had the sudden urge to swim. I made my way quickly through the palace and down the two hundred stairs to the beach, enjoying the crisp salty air with every step. The guards posted at the base of the staircase wordlessly allowed me to pass and I found myself facing the giant open expanse of the sea. It was magnificent. More beautiful than words or any picture could express. The smell of the salt, the feel of the breeze coming off the water, the scream of the sea gulls over head… it was all so familiar to me. The sand was hot under my bare feet, so I quickly stepped onto the cool foam lip of the water. My feet found instant relief from the burning sand and I felt myself sink into the wetness. The water was fairly warm and I knew it would feel heavenly the further out that I walked. Looking down the beach, I saw that there was no one else as far as I could see, except for the guards that I had already passed. I waded further into the water, trailing my hands lightly on the surface behind me until it was chest high and I was wonderfully buoyant. I quickly dove into the waves, enjoying the reprieve from the sticky Alexandrian heat. It felt so good that I spent the next several minutes splashing and swimming in the sparkling blue-green Mediterranean water.

Charmian, come here. I froze mid-stroke as the voice resounded inside of my head, as clearly as if it had been spoken aloud. Ahmose. Again. Inhaling a long, agitated breath, I rose from the water to find the old priest standing on the edge of the sea, watching me with placid eyes. His dark robes billowed around him in the wind, making him appear even more intimidating.

What have you done, Charmian? I plowed through the waist deep water to reach him. Impatient, agitated…angry. “I haven’t done anything, priest,” I hissed through gritted teeth. “Everything is falling apart and it is not of my doing.” “Is it not?” he asked calmly, eyeing me curiously. Did he really think it was? “Of course not!” I snapped. “What could I have done to cause this?” “You banished Tehran from the palace, something that you did not originally do. You were not to change anything—yet you did and it tipped our hand. And now, of course, Tehran is dead and Iras has been taken.” “We don’t know that for sure,” I murmured hesitantly. “About Iras? Of course we do. Or I do, I should say. Pothinus definitely has her.” I knew better than to question the mysterious way the Aegis just ‘knew’ things. It was unsettling, but always correct. “Where? And how in the world did that happen? He died two years ago.” “That I do not know. But I know that he has her. It is unmistakable. Our question now, is how to repair this. She needs to be here to die with you and Cleopatra in a week’s time.” I swallowed hard. He spoke about our deaths so easily, as though we were simply blips on the pocket-watch of time. And I guess we sort of were. His eyes glinted in their creepy, all-knowing way as he continued. “I’m afraid, Charmian, that we must do the unthinkable in order to rectify this.” His eyes were black and ominous as he stared at me. I raised one eyebrow and he sighed. “You will need to explain everything to Cleopatra. You’re going to require her assistance to put things back on track. She trusts you. And we must hope that she will trust you enough to listen to your wisdom- that she must continue to make the decisions slated for her to make.” I was aghast. “We can’t. She will be devastated. I don’t know if she can follow through with what she needs to do if she knows that it will kill Antony.” “Haven’t you done that very thing, life after life?” I gazed at the old priest. He knew that I had. I nodded. “Are you saying that you are so much stronger than your Daedal that you can handle that type of sorrow and responsibility but that she cannot?” His raspy voice mocked me. “Of course not. But clearly we are not meant to explain anything to her. We have kept our secrets for thousands of years for good cause. It is too tempting to change fate if one doesn’t like what it holds for them.” He shook his bald head slowly from side to side. “That matters not. We have no other alternative. Do your job and control your Daedal.” And he was gone. God, I hated it when he did that. I looked down the beach to find him and was surprised to find Hasani striding down the beach. No wonder Ahmose disappeared. I waved and waited for him until he approached me through knee-deep water, wearing only a simple white loincloth. “Hasani! What are you doing out here?” I put dark thoughts aside for the moment and felt my face light up as I smiled widely at him. I continued wading toward him, perfectly aware that my thin cotton shift was virtually transparent now and clinging to my curves. He was entirely too aware as well and his eyes were frozen to my wet form. “Charmian… the better question is, what are you doing out here all alone?” His stern words did not match his pleased expression, but I expected no less from him. My safety was always his utmost priority. “You know that times are not safe now.” I reached where he stood and stood toe-to-toe with him. I ran my wet, cold hands along the flat planes of his bare chest, smiling when he shivered in response. “Are you cold, my love?” I laughed lightly, but did not remove my hands. “Warriors do not get cold, my lady,” he answered arrogantly. “You know that.” He clasped both of my hands in one of his and bent his head to kiss me. “What do warriors get, then?” I asked saucily after the long kiss was over. I felt my cheeks flush. “Anything they are brave enough to take,” he answered, his shiny dark hair blowing around his face. I reached up and tucked it behind his ears, leaning up to whisper in his ear. “And what are you brave enough to take, General?” I whispered, as I let one hand trail down the side of his face. He went completely still next to

me at the brashness of my question. “Charmian…” he began hesitantly, but I interrupted. “You are brave, are you not?” I asked innocently, while I stared at him sweetly, running my hands over his hard chest again. He squeezed his dark eyes shut and then opened them wearily. “Charmian,” he sighed, “You will be the death of me.” He grasped one of my hands and pulled me from the water and I trailed woodenly behind him, transfixed in horror at his words. He was right. I would be the death of him. He just didn’t know it yet. “It’s not safe out here, my love. Please promise me that you won’t come out here alone again,” he beseeched me once we were on dry sand. The white fabric of his loincloth was every bit as drenched as I was and it left very little to the imagination. I tried to keep my eyes on his face as I nodded in agreement. I found it to be difficult…my gaze kept flickering downward. “I promise. I won’t come swimming alone again.” I hoped he didn’t notice that I didn’t promise not to come out of the palace alone. And he didn’t. He nodded in satisfaction, pulling me close him. “Woman, I love you. And it’s a full-time job keeping you safe.” He kissed me gently and sweetly. “But it’s worth it.” “I love you, too, Hasani,” I murmured, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him down to me. He broke the embrace a moment later, taking a deep breath as he stepped away. I had to admit that I liked the effect that I had on him. It was only fair that it was reciprocal, because he turned me completely inside out most of the time. “My lady, we should get back to the palace. I’m sure that you will want to dress for lunch.” Drat. I had completely forgotten that I was to meet Cleopatra. I would need to hurry, because I sure couldn’t meet her looking like this- and she hated to wait. We walked quickly across the hot sand of the beach toward the towering staircase, the warm breeze quickly drying our clothes. Hasani kept his arm wrapped tightly around my waist and I leaned into him as we climbed the stairs. Every time I climbed them, it seemed as though more had been added. When we reached the top, we turned to the left and continued strolling on the stone walkway towards a smaller entrance that was closer to my chambers. As we reached the door and I waited for Hasani to open it, I glanced absently towards the street bustling below the palace. The fat, doughy face of Pothinus stared back at me.

CHAPTER NINE

His head was almost completely obscured by the scarf covering it, but I could easily make out his face as it tilted backward to look up at me. The second that Pothinus recognized me, he disappeared quickly into the crowd. My breath caught in my throat and I froze in place. “Charmian?” Hasani prompted, as he held the door. “Are you coming?” I quickly pulled myself together and entered the palace with him, parting at a T in the hallway. He needed to return to his own chambers to change his clothing. I hurriedly by-passed my own chamber and practically ran for Cleopatra’s, ignoring the curious stares of the servants I encountered on the way. Ahmose had been right. Pothinus was here, actively seeking out the queen. She would need to be told if we were going to set things right. I could see no other way. Without knocking, I burst into the suite abruptly and barged into her bedchamber. In my panicked state, it hadn’t occurred to me that she might not be alone. The last I knew, Antony had barricaded himself in his quarters to mope. That was so not the case now. He froze as he balanced above her, his startled gaze locked with mine. The top of Cleopatra’s head was barely visible beneath him… and her leg was wrapped around his naked hip. His wide grin mocked me and my eyes instantly flew to the floor while color exploded into my cheeks, mortified by barging into such an intimate moment. It was clear that they were making up. “I’m sorry… so sorry. I’ll just be… out here.” I backed out as quickly as I could, dropping into a chair in her seating area. I wished I could just melt into the floor or drop into a gaping hole or something. I couldn’t remember the last time I had felt so humiliated. It was worse than the time I had killed my car at a red-light in Pasadena right after flirting with a carful of hot guys next to me… worse than the time I had lost my balance on the diving platform and had tumbled into the water before my race even began- and that had been in front of a huge crowd. This was much, much worse. I nervously bounced my leg as I waited, trying to make my face cool down and return to its normal color. I was so not looking forward to looking Antony in the face when they eventually emerged. I got up and restlessly began straightening up the already spotless room, trying to occupy myself while I waited. A half hour or so later, Antony emerged with a self-satisfied smile plastered on his handsome face. His hairline was damp and mussed and his face was flushed as he adjusted the pleats on Egyptian-style kilt. He looked back up at me in amusement, noticing that I was trying to avoid his eyes. “What’s the trouble, Charmian? It’s nothing you haven’t seen before!” He laughed as he crossed the room and I felt my face once again explode into flame. “Yep, I’ve still got it!” He gloated as he swaggered out of the room. I wanted to laugh, but didn’t as I remembered the reason that I had come here in the first place. The dreadful, horrible, startlingly serious reason. I took a deep breath and walked toward the bedchamber, but stopped as Cleopatra stepped into view. “Charmian?” She lingered in the doorway, naked as the day she was born. “Can you summon a house-girl? I need hot water brought up for my bath.” “I bet you do,” I grumbled as I turned to obey her request. “What was that?” she asked, surprise evident on her face. She might not have heard the words, but she had certainly heard the inflection. “Nothing, my queen…I’m just sure you need a bath.” She smirked, in a smug expression not unlike Antony’s, but I continued on in a rush. “I do need to speak you, though. About something… important. It is why I rushed in here as I did.” The smirk quickly disappeared from her face as she stared at me. “What is it?” Her voice was tight and she was frozen in place, as though she knew I was about to reveal something earth-shattering. The delicate henna scrolls that curved across her shoulder blades shimmered in the light. “We should sit,” I advised softly, grasping her bare arm and guiding her toward her bed. I draped a dressing gown around her slender shoulders and then sat gingerly next to her. I spent the next twenty minutes explaining the Order of the Moirae, my role as Keeper and our current predicament… praying the entire time that the priest’s counsel was as infallible as normal and that we were doing the right thing. I wasn’t sure exactly what would happen to me if he was wrong. I was breaking an oath by spilling our secrets. But honestly, what was the worst that could happen? We only had a week more to live in this life. I had to trust that when we were reborn, her memories would be wiped clean, just as mine always were. When I was finished speaking, her face was entirely devoid of color as she stared at me. “No…” her voice trailed off as she stared out the window past me, her hands shaking as she twisted them restlessly in her lap. “Yes,” I confirmed needlessly. I had left out a few details, however, such as the fact that she was fated to live a tragic life every time. There was no reason to trouble her with that. “Every word I spoke was the truth. In this life, you are meant to lose Egypt. I’m sorry, my queen, it is just the way it is meant to be. But everything will work out in the end. You just aren’t able to imagine it right now.” She stared at me once more, her dark eyes bleak. “What have I ever done to offend the gods so much?” she murmured painfully. “You’ve done nothing wrong, Cleopatra,” I replied. “There is a plan for life, a gigantic master plan, and this is just one of your parts in it. We’re all players in a huge production and Egypt, right now, is your stage.” “But I will lose it. Egypt will slip from my grasp.” I nodded slowly. “What about the children?” she whispered. Icy fingers wrapped around my stomach and squeezed, stealing my breath. I couldn’t tell her that Octavian would eventually have Caesarion, her oldest son, killed. There was no way she would follow-through with anything if she had that knowledge. I steeled myself to lie. With a perfectly calm voice, I answered.

“They will be fine,” I assured her. “Octavian will take care of them in his own home.” And he would. He would raise her twins, Selene and Ptolemy, and marry them off into good marriages. But he would have Caesarion killed for the simple reason that they shared the same father… Julius Caesar. Since Octavian was only the adopted son of Caesar, it was too threatening for him to risk having Caesarion challenge him as Caesar’s rightful heir. None of this I could mention to Cleopatra, of course. “Are you certain?” she asked suspiciously. “Your face betrays you. You are bothered.” “Of course I am,” I rushed to assure her. “I am only bothered because of our fate in this life and because of this unexpected snag with the priest Annen. Your children will fare well.” She nodded, trusting my answer, trusting me and I felt sick to my stomach. Why was it part of my job description to be such a good liar? “So, now on top of the fact that Annen has stolen my bloodstone, it appears that Pothinus is seeking us out. He is supposed to be dead, yet he was out in broad daylight. I don’t know why and I don’t know how he got here. And that is troubling to me. We have one week until our ends will play out. He doesn’t have much time left to act on whatever it is that he is planning. Have you heard from the guard that you sent to look for Iras?” She shook her head wordlessly, her hands still clenched in her lap. “Well, then, it’s time that I see what I can find out. We’ve only got a week left to put everything back into place. Which means, we’ve got a week left to send Pothinus back to where he came from. We cannot die while he is still here- he doesn’t belong here. I will need your cooperation to make sure that we are successful, my queen.” She started to protest but closed her mouth. I had to admit… Ahmose was right, just as I knew he was about this particular thing: Cleopatra had always acted for the good of Egypt. Always. And now was no exception. She nodded limply. “I’ll be very careful and I’ll be back as soon as I can.” She nodded again slowly, her dark eyes staring into mine. I turned around and quickly left the room before I could change my mind. I knew that the hopeless expression in her eyes would stay with me forever. My heart thudded wildly against my chest as I walked quickly through the palace corridors, my thoughts in a whirlwind. I needed a plan, but since I didn’t know exactly what I was planning for… it presented a small problem. Closing my door behind me, I leaned on it and closed my eyes… for the one split second that it took me to realize that I wasn’t alone. The creepy sensation that someone was watching me caused my eyes to pop back open almost immediately. Hasani sat in the corner watching me curiously. “Charmian… is everything alright?” There was no danger. I exhaled a deep sigh of relief that it was only Hasani and crossed the room, bending to brush a kiss across his forehead. He looked at me quizzically. “You still haven’t changed your clothes…” “I know. I was called to assist Cleopatra before I made it to my room, but everything is fine,” I hurried to reassure him, when he didn’t look convinced. “Charmian, you haven’t been yourself lately. There is something wrong, I know. You can trust me.” His beautiful face was turned up to me, his lips full and so kissable. I bent over him and kissed his upturned face; first on each cheek, then on the forehead again and then finally on his soft lips. “Hasani…” I trailed off, uncertain how to phrase my thoughts. He waited patiently, his scorching dark gaze burning my face, distracting me. I tried again. “Hasani…there are some things that because of my position with Cleopatra, I am not at liberty to discuss, even though I want to. Cleopatra has a personal problem that I have been involved in here of late and it has been troublesome. But I don’t want you to worry about it. It will all work out just as it is supposed to, I am sure.” And that’s what I hated about it, but I didn’t add that part. “But it troubles you, my love,” he protested, pulling me down onto his lap. “You can share your troubles with me… in confidence. I will share them with no one.” “I know you wouldn’t, Hasani. But I am sworn to secrecy. I cannot break my word to Cleopatra.” My voice was resigned and weary. He studied me for a second longer and then nodded quietly. “I understand, Charmian. Because of my position with Antony, I understand better than you think. But know this: if you need help, with anything, you can come to me. I won’t demand an explanation. You can leave out as many details as you need to. You can always come to me.” A knot the size of California formed in my throat and my eyes welled up. I turned my head quickly so that he didn’t see my tears, but I should have known that he missed nothing. He swiveled my chin around with one finger, his eyes full of concern and growing panic. “Charmian, please. I can’t bear to see your distress. Something is wrong. If I can help, tell me. You know that I’ll do anything in my power for you.” His utter helplessness at the sight of my tears leaked through his confident voice. It was almost funny that such a great warrior as Hasani was reduced to panic at the sight of a stupid little tear or two. On that same token, as one of the fiercest warriors in Egypt, it had never occurred to him that it was possible that he couldn’t help… that there might be things out of his control or above his skill level, such as tangling with the fabric of time, for instance. I decided a distraction was in order. I would answer a question with a question, classic deflection. “Hasani, why are you in here? Shouldn’t you be out punishing your soldiers with some sort of hellish drill? You know that Octavian is on his way to Egypt even as we speak.” I looked at him pointedly. In response, he almost looked amused. “Don’t change the subject, Charmian. Although, that was a valiant effort…invoking Octavian,” he said wryly. “But it won’t work. Tell me what is wrong. Right now.” I closed my eyes and leaned against his chest as though the weight of the world was on my shoulders. Because, well… it sort of was. “I can’t,” I murmured. “Hasani, please. Just trust me. I can’t tell you. But if I need help, you’ll be the first person that I come to. Okay?” Pleading was evident in my voice and Hasani heard it. He paused for a moment, completely silent before he sighed a long drawn-out sigh. “Alright, love. I won’t continue to pester you.” He stroked my back softly in resignation and I sighed in relief. “And Hasani… please don’t mention this to Antony. Cleopatra would kill me.” Not necessarily. But Ahmose would- and I couldn’t say that. Hasani stayed silent, but I felt him nod reluctantly. “Thank you,” I whispered. I sat curled up on his lap, enjoying his touch on my back for a few more minutes before I stood up and sifted through my wardrobe for a clean day-shift to wear. I pulled an identical clean shift out and tossed it on my bed and suddenly Hasani was behind me, pulling my tunic over my head.

I melted into his arms, enjoying the smooth, velvety feel of my skin pressed directly against his. He groaned and bent his head to crush my lips against his, his hands running lightly across my back and down my hips. I kissed him solidly for a moment before reluctantly stepping away from his warmth and out of his embrace. “I wish that I could stay, but there is something I must do for the queen,” I murmured as I picked up my clean shift, avoiding eye contact. I was afraid I might lose my resolve if I stared into his dark eyes. I could lie, but my eyes could not. He nodded and took the shift from my hands. The filmy, almost transparent material looked too delicate for him to handle with his large, masculine hands but he smoothly pulled it over my head and skillfully secured the looped scarf of my belt. When he finished tying it, he pulled me to him by the edges of the scarf, looking down into my eyes seriously. “Send for me if you need me, Charmian. No matter what the situation might be.” His face was stern, concerned and unbearably handsome all at once. I swallowed hard, feeling the knot begin to form again. I nodded silently and turned my back to him as I picked up my hairbrush. As I quickly twisted my hair into another simple knot, I tried to lighten the conversation. “Will I see you at dinner this evening, my lord?” He allowed me to change the subject and smiled at me patiently. “Just try to avoid it, my lady, and see what happens.” He grinned lightly at me and I smiled back. Lord, I loved this man. His smile was as bright as the sun. “Alright, I shall see you then.” I rose on my tip-toes and kissed him squarely on the mouth, inhaling his earthy scent as I did. “I love you, Hasani.” “As I love you, my sweet.” His eyes were scorching me again, so I turned my back and quietly walked away, leaving him in my chambers alone. I had no sooner stepped into the hallway when I literally bumped into a serving girl from the main floor. She looked up in surprise, her black hair tied up into a white scarf. “My lady… you have a message.” She pushed a small piece of rolled papyrus into my hands and turned to leave. “Wait…who left this?” I questioned urgently. She noticed my tone and turned back to me, her face instantly anxious as though she was afraid she would be in trouble. “I’m so sorry, my lady. I know not. A boy brought it for his master.” She waited with her head bowed for me to reprimand her, but of course I didn’t. It wasn’t her fault. She had no idea there was a madman on the loose. “It’s okay. Thank you,” I murmured dismissively and she turned once again, walking rapidly away from me before I could change my mind. My hands were shaking and I didn’t know why. It was a piece of paper. Unless it had somehow been dipped in poison or wrapped around a scorpion, it couldn’t hurt me. I gritted my teeth and unrolled it quickly. Two words were scrawled in bold black ink.

The Lighthouse. In confusion, I thought about Alexandria’s magnificent lighthouse, the Pharos. It was a landmark… in fact, it would later be classified as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world because for centuries it had remained the tallest man-made structure in the world. It seemed to rise hauntingly out of the sea, situated on the small Pharos island, just off the coast of Alexandria. The building itself was magnificent, its base a perfect square made from white stone blocks with sixteen arch-ways carved on each of the four sides. A giant statue of a triton was posted at each of the four corners. But it was the octagonal tower that rose majestically almost 500 feet into the air that travelers first saw when they sailed into the Alexandrian harbor. During the day, a giant mirror reflected the sun as a beacon for sailors, drawing them in from far out at sea. Massive fires were burned all night for the same reason. As a crowning touch, a magnificent statue of Poseidon, god of the sea and storms, stood at the top of the tower watching over the harbor. It seemed humorous to me that I had once called Derek my Poseidon. I had known nothing. He was just a gangly boy on a high school swim team who paled sharply in comparison to the fierceness of the fabled Poseidon’s face. A mighty god of the sea, Egyptians believed that Poseidon held their lives in his hands as they sailed on his oceans. They fervently prayed to him and brought him bountiful offerings to the base of the lighthouse before they embarked on any journey on his waters. Therefore, the lighthouse was as much a beautiful temple to Poseidon as it was a functional piece of safety equipment. Eerily haunting at night, it earned its place on the list of Seven Ancient Wonders. Even Julius Caesar, who was well-accustomed to the archeological magnificence of Rome, commented on its beauty when he first arrived on the shores of Egypt. I felt a rush of regret that it had not survived the passage of time. Archeologists would only recover its toppled stones from the floor of Alexandria’s Eastern Harbor in the early 1990’s. But it was still intact right now. And it appeared that Pothinus was waiting there for me. I quickly rushed through several plans of action- and unfortunately, none seemed to end well for me. But one thing was obvious. I couldn’t go there right now. I would stand out like a sore thumb in the daylight. There was only one way onto Pharos Island from the mainland, a small causeway called the Heptastadion. Only sailors, travelers and servants of the lighthouse could be found walking on it. My presence would certainly be noticed…particularly now, with the impending battle with Rome approaching. If I was seen traveling to the harbor, it would likely be interpreted that I was arranging a journey for Cleopatra. Because of the timing, her people would wonder if she was abandoning them. I couldn’t let that happen…there would be riots. I would have to go to the island to meet Pothinus after dinner this evening. Under the cover of night. I gulped hard, knowing that I would somehow have to get through another banquet trying to avoid Hasani’s concern, without giving anything away. Being Charmian was certainly complicated. Cleopatra would need to know this latest turn of events. I was sure that she was waiting breathlessly for me to return from the temple… little did she know that I had never even left. I sighed heavily as I turned and trudged toward her royal chambers with the crumpled message clutched in my hand. As I walked past an open window, the warm breeze tickled my face, bringing with it a whisper.

Charmian. The hiss of the whisper startled me and I spun around, seeing nothing but the golden opulence of the empty hallway.

Charmian. I rushed to the window and stared down. Annen stood partially concealed on the lower walkway of the palace, staring calmly up at me. The wind blew his dark robes around him, making him look like a human tornado. I sprinted for the nearest door.

As I emerged on the lower level, I glanced around and saw no one. I would be alone with the priest. Marching up to him, I held my hand out. “Give it to me,” I commanded. “It’s mine. You had no right to take it.” He smiled, the action making him seem scarier than ever as his lips stretched wide and thin over his jagged teeth. “I only desired your attention, dear Charmian.” “And you have received it,” I answered. “Now give me my bloodstone.” Before I even registered movement, my bloodstone was in my hand. I closed my fingers around it and clenched it tight. “Annen, I don’t appreciate any of this. I realize that you think you know things about the Order… but I believe that you are mistaken—“ He interrupted curtly. “We’ll need to discuss that at a later date, my lady. I apologize, but there are more pressing matters to attend to currently. I wanted you to have your bloodstone when you meet Pothinus at the lighthouse this night. You will need it.” “How did you know… You know what? Never mind. That’s not important. What can you tell me about Pothinus? Something tells me that you were involved in his presence here.” “And I was.” His pleased expression showed no sign whatsoever of remorse. “Bringing you here with your bloodstone opened a portal that will remain open until you leave. I used the opportunity to make this a learning experience for you. I bent time just a little bit more… and brought Pothinus to our little party. You need to see that changing history won’t really change anything at all.” I stared at him in disgust. “You have no idea what you have done, priest. Pothinus has kidnapped Iras. She has nothing to do with your stupid plot and doesn’t deserve to be harmed by that fat eunuch. If he harms even one hair on her head, I swear to god that I will make you a eunuch as well.” Annen clucked my threats away. “It matters not, Charmian. She will be dead in a week, one way or another. But you… you cannot be harmed by him. I cannot allow that. That would ruin everything.” “What do you mean by that?” I demanded. But it was too late. No sooner had the words left my mouth before he disappeared into thin air yet again and I was left standing alone in the hallway, talking to myself.

CHAPTER TEN

Cleopatra was already in a panic when I arrived in her rooms. “Charmian, all is lost.” She was wringing her hands and distress practically dripped from her face. Adrenaline instantly burst through me in reaction. “What is it, my queen? Has Pothinus…” “No, no. Not that cur.” She turned her frantic gaze toward me. “I have come to terms with what you told me. My whole life is lost, Charmian. It is lost.” She collapsed into a heap on the floor and began rocking with her eyes closed. Her alarm was contagious and my heart pounded hard against my sternum as I watched her composure disintegrate. I rushed across the room and knelt in front of her. “Cleopatra,” I started firmly, grasping her arms. “You have to pull yourself together. We cannot do what we must unless you are calm and clearheaded. You are a queen, your highness. You have been bred to make difficult decisions. All is not lost. It’s only a matter of perspective.” She raised bleary eyes to me and whimpered and I felt my heart break just a little more. “So, you are saying that we won’t die—that Hasani and Antony won’t die? And I won’t lose my throne to Rome?” She paused her muted hysteria, tiny glimmering rays of hope emerging in her dark eyes. Hopeful of what? That I had lied before? I didn’t know what to say, so I stared at her helplessly for a minute before answering. “No, my queen. That is not what I’m saying. Everything I said before is true. We will all die. But we go on to live in other lives. You will live over and over. And you are always magnificent and important.” She whimpered again and dropped her head back down, her hair swinging forward and surrounding her face like a curtain. I brushed it back for her and tucked it behind her ears. “My queen, I’m sorry. To expect your usual composure and grace in the face of this enormity is unfair. But I still need to ask it. I need you to be the strong leader that I know you are. You’re the strongest person that I know.” “You’re right,” she agreed softly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “I am strong, aren’t I?” As I nodded, I felt the soft texture of the papyrus in my hand, reminding me of why I was here. And now was just as good a time as any to show her. She was already upset. I handed it to her and watched confusion and then realization ripple over her lovely face. And then she started wailing. There was nothing I could do but stand by calmly and wait, as I stroked her back comfortingly. Her eyes finally flew open and stared at me in panic. “What can we do, Charmian? What shall we do?” Her voice was drenched in hopelessness and I flinched. I had never heard that from her before and I had to be honest and admit that it unnerved me. She was the strong, confident queenly one. Her distress just drove home our dire situation like a stake to the heart. We were screwed. But we were screwed in every life. She just didn’t know that. “I don’t know, Cleopatra,” I murmured quietly. “I suppose I will just meet him and see what happens.” “You’ll see what happens? How is that a plan?” She screeched. “We need to think this through! We can’t make a mistake- not with fate itself hanging in the balance. You’ve already said that everything hinges on us- on our decisions. We cannot allow him to ruin everything. He must have taken Iras for some specific reason- probably to strong-arm us into doing something. But what?” She wrung her hands as she stood and paced restlessly across her carpets, before she finally sank onto her cushioned vanity table stool. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. I am the queen of Egypt. My life was not supposed to end like this.” Her eyes were unfocused and wild and my alarm grew. “Cleopatra, you must calm yourself. We cannot think of a plan if you are hysterical.” As I spoke, I grasped her shoulders and silently willed her to calm. As I felt each vein in my hand throb against my palm, I literally felt peace from inside of me ebb into her. I had no idea how I knew to do it, but it didn’t matter. It was working. I kept my voice quiet and soothing, a difficult feat in the face of her hysteria. She looked at me in utter amazement, and I could see that my surprising little parlor trick had worked. Her breathing had slowed, her chest was no longer heaving, her eyes became focused and bright. Leveling her obsidian gaze at me, she murmured coolly, “Who are you and what have you done with my friend? You’re not the calm one, I am. How did you do that?” I smiled, crossing the room to kneel next to her, grasping one of her hands within my own. “I wouldn’t go so far as to say that you’re the calm one. And I don’t know how I did that. I keep discovering interesting tricks like that. But Cleopatra, I want you to realize that this is not the end. It will only be the end of Charmian and Cleopatra. We’ll be other people and have other full lives. And I know that if we fall apart now, either one of us, we will accomplish nothing.” She nodded slowly, her astonishment still evident on her face. “Who will I be, Charmian?” She turned watery eyes to me. “In the next life, who will I be?” “That’s something I don’t know, Cleopatra. I am not able to recall anything between the time that we died here and the time that I am reborn 2,000 years from now. That’s the way the Order works- it’s for our own protection, to ensure that we are able to do what we must.” She nodded and stared absently into space, tapping her toe nervously against the stool leg. “Cleopatra, you were right. This particular incident with Pothinus wasn’t meant to happen. But this is just a blip. A mistake. And we will fix it. As long as we are able to figure out what he wants, we can continue with our lives as we were meant and everything will be fine.” “How will we do that?” A level of calmness had returned to her voice and I felt a rush of relief. This was the woman I knew and loved. “I’m not sure just yet. We’ll figure out something. I need to speak with Ahmose. He’ll surely have some ideas.” I noticed that she was staring in fascination at my pendant. “You have your bloodstone! How did you retrieve it?” “I didn’t. Annen delivered it to me.”

“You saw Annen! Did he say anything about Tehran or…“ “No, he didn’t. And he disappeared before I could ask. But he was cryptic enough—he wanted me to have my bloodstone for my meeting with Pothinus tonight. He said I would need it.” “Then by all means, make sure you wear it. We cannot take chances with your safety.” I looked up at her with my eyebrows raised. “You think it offers me protection?” “I know not. But the powers that you have described it as having… they are strong. Who knows that it doesn’t offer you protection as well? May I see it?” I pulled it out of my tunic and over my head so that it could set it on my upturned palm. She reached for it, but I stepped back. “No, don’t, your highness. I don’t know how it would affect you. You were right in that it’s magic is powerful. You shouldn’t touch it.” I was secretly terrified that it would trigger her other memories, in the same way that it released mine every life. She would have a nervous break-down. She nodded. “You’re probably right. But wear it tonight, sweet.” “I am never without it, my queen. And perhaps you are right and it has abilities that I don’t even know about. Maybe it will work some sort of magic tonight,” I tacked on wryly. She shot a glare at me. “I’m not doubting!” I assured her. “I was just saying that I hope it works. I haven’t actually seen it protect anything yet.” “It will if you believe that it will,” she muttered as she re-seated herself at her vanity and arranged her cosmetics jars neatly in front of her. Antony’s words from the other night came back to me. Cleopatra did have the ability to believe that she could wish things into reality. Not so. “We should prepare for dinner,” I changed the subject. “No one must know that there is anything amiss.” I calmly picked up her brush and began the evening ritual of winding her hair neatly so that it could be tucked away under a wig for dinner. As I worked, I felt the constant heavy presence of the bloodstone against my chest. Regardless of being nestled against my warm body, the stone remained cold. Almost as big as my fist, it was obviously visible under the thin material of my shift. I found myself absently wondering if it did possess powers that I was unaware of. My current situation was a glaring reminder that I hadn’t seen everything yet. I finished her makeup and dug into her armoire for a jeweled collar. I chose an intricate blue-beaded affair that would look lovely topping her white linen sheath. Fastening it, I stood back and gazed at her. She looked perfectly normal, every inch the queen that she was. Gazing into the mirror, I found that I, on the other hand, looked out of sorts. My cheeks were flushed in excitement and worry and tendrils of my simple bun had escaped, drifting around my face. Cleopatra followed my gaze. “Well, that’s certainly not going to do, Charmian. You can’t attract attention.” She rose and walked past me, trailing her musky scent behind her. Digging through another jewelry box, she came up with coiled simple golden chains that ended in a snake’s head on each end. I gulped at the poetic irony when I saw them. We would die by snake bite. I couldn’t say that I was excited about wearing one on my head, fake or not. But I didn’t say anything. She gently pushed me into her vanity chair and stood behind me, piling my hair onto my head and securing it with golden pins from her own drawers. Winding the golden chain around my crown, she secured the snake heads in the front. I gazed at her in amazement through the mirror. “What?” She asked innocently as she finished with my hair and then she smiled. “Don’t get used to this. You have your own maid.” She picked up her lip stain and brushed it carefully across my lips followed by her crushed pearl powder on my face, her slender fingers working quickly. “Charmian, you are pale as a ghost. Remember, you must act as though everything is well,” she admonished as she finished applying the makeup. I stared into the mirror again with a sigh and realized that I did look better, almost normal. I pinched my cheeks for more color and then stood. “Alright, let’s get this over with,” I grumbled as I stood at her side, waiting for her to start moving. Custom dictated that I couldn’t walk ahead of the queen. She grinned sideways at me and took a small step forward, then turned to me. “All will be well, Charmian,” she insisted, her face drawn into a determined expression. “Well, if you mean that we will somehow manage to fix this mess so that we can tragically commit suicide in the prime of our lives right on schedule… then yes,” I muttered sarcastically. “All will be well.” She rolled her eyes and started walking. “Charmian, you are so melodramatic. Are you like this in every life?” I shook my head and accompanied her as we tried to casually appear that we were simply walking to another routine banquet as usual. *** Dinner was hell. Hasani kept one hand on me throughout our meal, whether it rested on my back, my thigh or slung loosely around my shoulders…a tell-tale giveaway of his concern. Normally, I wouldn’t complain about it. But being anchored to him so tightly tonight just reminded me that he was completely aware that I was hiding something from him and it tore at my heart. He acted as though he was afraid to let me out of his sight… for fear that something would happen to me. As the drums beat and the oboes played, scantily clad dancers undulated around the room, clapping and banging tambourines against their bare thighs. The candlelight glistened off of their damp skin as they moved and I allowed myself to stare absently at their lithe movement, avoiding Hasani’s gaze as much as I could. I caught Cleopatra’s gaze several times throughout the evening and each time, she nodded reassuringly at me. I must be carrying off the “normal as can be” routine adequately enough, but on the inside I was anything but. My heart raced erratically and my hands were sweaty and jittery, bouncing nervously on the table in front of me, inadvertently keeping time with the beating drums. Knowing me as well as he did, I didn’t fool Hasani even a little bit. He watched my nervous movements and restless stares silently, but he comfortingly rubbed small circles on my back. I knew it was in an effect to reassure me, even though he was unaware of the source of the problem. As an acrobat twisted and turned in front of us, Hasani bent his head to huskily murmur into my ear. “My love, you are as nervous as a young doe. Are you alright?” As he spoke, he wrapped both of his strong arms around me, clutching me to his chest from behind. I nodded and then leaned my head back against his rock-solid body. “Yes, I’m fine, sweet,” I lied through my teeth. “Then relax and enjoy the dancers,” he instructed calmly, knowing full well that I had lied.

I nodded, not commenting further. More than anything else, I hated lying to him. I tried to relax my body so that I folded liquidly into his chest, a feat that was increasingly difficult as my pounding heart continued to pump adrenaline through my veins. Finally, as soon as she possibly could without drawing undue attention, Cleopatra stood from Antony’s side and excused herself early. Everyone around us looked up in surprise, since she and Antony typically stayed all evening, outlasting all of the guests. “I’m sorry,” she apologized again. “I have a slight headache and wish to retire early. The pounding from the drums is agitating it.” She waved away her personal physician’s offer to bring a herbal dressing to alleviate it. “I think I will just retire early,” she reiterated firmly. “But please, everyone stay and enjoy yourselves. Charmian?” She looked at me and I hurriedly got up to accompany her. I felt Hasani’s reluctance as he let me slip from his grasp. But he couldn’t say anything… the queen herself had summoned me in front of the entire table. As we made our way out of the room, I turned in the doorway and glanced at Hasani. He was watching me with a troubled look on his handsome face. He knew that we were up to something. I hadn’t fooled him at all. I swallowed hard and walked from the room without another backward glance. Once inside the privacy of Cleopatra’s chambers, I quickly began stripping off my light-colored clothes and exchanging them for a brown linen sheath from Cleopatra’s closet. I removed the shining gold chains from my hair and replaced them into her jewelry box and she handed me a dark brown scarf to wrap around my head and shoulders. Kicking off my leather sandals, I examined myself in the mirror. Other than my vivid green eyes, I knew I wouldn’t stand out in the darkened streets of Alexandria. I would need to keep my eyes down though. My eyes were fairly unique. I didn’t want to be recognized. “Alright,” Cleopatra breathed as she stood in front of me. “You look like a peasant. This is good- you won’t draw attention. Now, what are you going to do when you get to the lighthouse?” “I’m going to enter quietly through a side entrance, trying hard not to attract the attention of a harbor master.” She nodded, interrupting. “And there should only be one in the lighthouse at night, just so that he can tend to the fire. It should be fairly easy to evade him.” I nodded in agreement. “After I’m in, I will try to stay in the shadows as I locate Pothinus. And after that… I’ll play it by ear.” She sighed long and loud. “I wish I could go with you. I don’t feel right sending you alone.” She stared wistfully at the door, probably picturing the guards stationed on either side of it. They would certainly notice Queen Cleopatra sneaking out in peasant’s clothing. “It’s alright, Cleopatra. I’ll be fine. Iras didn’t know what we were sending her into. But I do- and I’ll be careful.” A twinge of guilt stirred within me. Poor Iras. She’d had no idea and in hindsight, I should have given her some sort of warning about the danger. But I would do my best to make it right. Cleopatra hugged me quickly, her musky scent enveloping us. “Come back to me safely, Charmian,” she commanded queenly, but her warm eyes were those of a friend, not a pharaoh. “I will, my queen,” I replied softly, stealing out of her room quietly. I definitely fully intended to, that was for sure. I ignored the curious stares of the guards as I made my way past them dressed in my peasant’s garb. I could feel their intense gazes burning into my back as I walked quickly down the hall. They were probably pondering what to make of it and I wondered if Cleopatra would offer them some sort of explanation. I doubted it- the queen was above questioning. She didn’t answer to anyone. I steered clear of the hallway leading to my quarters as I made my way to the ground floor of the palace. I felt fairly confident that Hasani was waiting for me in my bedchamber. I uttered a quick prayer that I was able to return to him later tonight unscathed. If I didn’t return, he would be sure to sound the alarm. I opted to make my way quietly through the gardens behind the palace rather than stay on the stone walkways, hoping that I would run into fewer people. Anyone I ran into while I was still on the palace grounds would be sure to wonder why a peasant girl was so close to the palace and might even call to have me removed, which would draw unwanted attention. As I crept silently through a sculpted section of the garden, I inhaled the night breeze deeply, enjoying the fresh, clean scent. But I stopped abruptly in my tracks as I heard Antony’s loud voice. “You little minx,” he laughed. “Get back here- I’m tired of your games.” I peered from behind a row of tall shrubbery to find a drunken Antony pulling a servant girl to him. She twisted as she reached him, allowing herself to be crushed against his barrel-like chest. He quickly bowed his head and kissed her wildly. While their eyes were closed, I darted quickly from behind the shrubbery, disappearing into another row of small trees directly to their right. They never saw me and I continued on my way undetected. As I descended the many steps down to the beach, I pondered Antony and Cleopatra’s complex relationship. They loved each other wildly, completely uninhibited. Yet, because of his giant appetite for women, Cleopatra willingly allowed Antony to be with servant girls at any given time. Because she knew his heart. He loved her completely. But it was behavior that no modern girl in the western world would ever stand for, including me. I remembered smashing Derek’s CDs and dumping them into the bed of his truck and smiled even now at the memory. As I approached the guards at the base of the staircase, they turned to me in surprise. As each of them glimpsed my eyes, I saw the flash of recognition in theirs. They uncrossed their spears and allowed me to pass, but just as the guards upstairs had stared at me, so too did these. I felt their curious gazes burn into me as I quickly made my way along the darkened beach. I tried to breathe slowly, allowing the crash of the sea to calm me as I made my way along the beach to a pathway that led to the streets of the city. Emerging onto the city streets, I looked around me. Luckily, the streets were not overly busy tonight. Hopefully no one would recognize me. I hurried down a main thoroughfare until I reached a cross street that led to the Heptastadion, keeping my eyes averted from anyone that I came across. As I finally stepped onto the stone causeway, I felt my pulse pick up until it was racing. I was almost there. My trembling hand fingered the bloodstone through my tunic. Once again, I hoped that the lump of stone would work its magic and keep me safe. Any other time, I might have found the experience of walking across the Heptastadion at night exciting. Large waves crashed against the elevated causeway, splattering me with the salty spray. The night air was chilly, so I drew the dark cloak-like scarf around me tightly as I made my quickly down the slippery stones. Several hundred feet later, I stood hesitantly at the base of the giant lighthouse, staring upward at the golden glow of its fire. It seemed deserted—there was no one in sight, which was just fine with me. I glanced both ways and then quietly stole closer to the building, walking in the protection of shadows as I had promised. It didn’t seem to matter however, as I didn’t encounter another living soul. When I came to a darkened doorway, I pulled it softly open, just far enough that I could slip inside. The large entry room I was standing in was

dark with only a few small torches lit at widely spaced intervals. I could see well enough to see where I was going, but just barely. I kept walking even though I didn’t see anyone, continuing into the heart of the light house’s large base. As I walked into a long hallway, I wondered if I should be trying to find a doorway that led to the bowels underneath the building. It seemed appropriate that that is where I would find Pothinus. He was a snake, so he would want to hide beneath a rock. Even as I pondered the idea, though, I caught a glimpse of a dark figure at the end of the hallway in front of me. Pausing my footsteps, I focused in the darkness, trying to see more clearly. It was definitely a person, and the person was walking directly at me- coming more and more into focus the closer that they got to me. I could now make out that he or she was wearing long robes that were dragging on the floor. I wondered briefly if I should hide in case it was the harbor master, but I didn’t have the time. I had clearly already been spotted. And it turned out that my fears were unnecessary in that regard anyway. The fat, fleshy folds of the eunuch Pothinus slowly came into view. I tried to still my pounding heart as he came to a stop in front of me and stared at me calmly, just as a snake might right before striking. He smelled like a hamster. “Do you have Iras?” I questioned him coolly. He stared at me in amusement. “Right to business, then, Charmian?” He countered. “I thought we might have an interesting conversation first… regarding the future.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Pothinus lunged forward quickly and grabbed my arm, moving surprisingly quickly for someone of his girth, and yanked me along the hallway back into the same direction that he had come from. “You don’t need to hold onto me. I’m coming with you willingly,” I pointed out as his fingers dug into my arm… the same arm that Tehran had bruised. I ruefully realized that it was still sore. He glanced at me. “Perhaps,” he conceded, withdrawing his arm. “But if you scream, I will kill Iras in front of you and then it will be your turn.” He smiled a sadistic smile that made his neck rolls scrunch together. I took note of the rivulets of sweat that ran from his neck and dripped onto his clothing. The man was a pig. “I’m sorry Tehran got killed,” I said cheerfully as we walked along. With each step, his breathing became more and more labored. I realized that the exercise was difficult for him, considering his ridiculously enormous belly. I briefly wondered if being a eunuch contributed to a weight problem, before returning my attention to the matter at hand. “No, you’re not,” he snarled, glaring at me. “Yes, you’re right. I’m not,” I answered agreeably. I wasn’t sure why I was provoking him, but I couldn’t seem to help it. He was scum. We had not encountered another person yet, a fact that was beginning to give me pause. He opened a doorway on the side of the hallway, which led to another steep set of stairs leading downward. I was correct. He had been hiding in the bowels of the building. We made our way carefully down the stone stairs, but it was difficult as they were poorly lit. Pothinus grabbed a torch from the wall as we passed and held it in front of us to help light the way. “Is Iras here?” I questioned again. “Where are we going?” An earthy, musty smell clung to the inside of my nose and got stronger the further down we descended. It seemed as though I could almost hear water trickling from somewhere, but I couldn’t see where. “Don’t worry about it,” the eunuch growled. “You’ll know when we get there.” Apprehension began a slow build in my stomach. The further down we got, the further we got away from anyone who could help me if I needed it. The notion was unsettling at best and I quickly felt to see if my bloodstone was still hanging around my neck. And of course it was. I would have noticed if such a large rock had dropped off. “Your queen is a nuisance,” he announced quietly as we continued feeling our way down the stairs. “Do you have any idea how long she and I have battled for the throne? She’s like a pesky fly… never giving up.” “Is that what this is about? Have you somehow managed to cheat death… because you want the throne?” I couldn’t conceal my amazement. “Don’t you know?” He stared at me with conceit. “I thought you knew everything.” “Oh, I’m just a girl who’s always in the wrong place at the wrong time,” I drawled. “I don’t know everything.” “Annen made me a promise,” Pothinus snarled. “And I intend to hold him to it.” “Then by all means, don’t let me stop you,” I replied. “But if it concerns Egypt, just know this. Cleopatra will not give up the throne to you. She won’t do it.” “She won’t have a choice,” he replied smugly. “No? She would gladly die fighting you. She’ll never give up,” I pointed out. “She hasn’t given up on a single thing since she was born. It’s not in her nature. She is quite willing to fight for what is right.” He growled again. “What is right!? Isn’t that a matter of perspective?” “I suppose it is,” I acknowledged. “But her priority has always been what is right for Egypt. I would imagine that is far different from yours.” “You know far less than you think you do,” he sneered as we finally neared the bottom of the seemingly endless stairs. We stopped talking as I looked around. We appeared to be in a narrow canal, musty and dark, surrounded on both sides by moss-covered stone. Murky water flowed slowly and a small dingy was moored next to us. Pothinus shoved me toward it. “Get in!” he demanded. For the first time, I resisted. I stood firm as I turned to him. “Why? Where are we going?” He smiled at me, a frightening vision in the dark. “Don’t question me. Do you want to see Iras alive?” I considered the situation briefly. Of course I wanted to see Iras alive. But I also knew that I needed to make it out alive, as well, so that we would get half of history right, at the very least. He saw the uncertainty on my face and took a step toward me. “I said get in the boat,” he growled. As he spoke, I saw a glint of metal from the edge of my periphery. I hadn’t thought that he had a weapon, but I was mistaken. He had a knife. I suddenly wished that I had strapped a dagger to my thigh. Why on earth hadn’t I thought of that? I mutely stepped into the rickety little boat and sat on the bottom in silence, the splintery sidewall scraping my back. As Pothinus stepped in, the boat rocked vicariously to one side from his massive weight. I grabbed the sides to brace myself, clenching the side until my fingers turned numb. He finally got himself situated, even though the little boat remained sunken quite a bit on his end. He picked up a wooden oar and began rowing smoothly down the murky canal. Just a few minutes later, we came to another water-filled passageway. He rowed our boat into it and we came out on the other side in a large room, brightly lit by at least twenty torches. Cleopatra’s resplendent golden barge was floating peacefully in front of us, filling up more than half of the space with its gigantic girth. I was astonished. I had never actually wondered where they stored the royal barge when it wasn’t in use, but now that I thought about it, of course it made sense to keep it hidden… both for the safety of the queen and because it was expensive. Her barge was plated in gold. I couldn’t imagine how they managed to float it from the harbor to beneath this lighthouse. Creating those secret canal-ways must have taken a Herculean act of engineering. As we rowed up to it, I marveled once again at its beauty. Its extravagance was unparalleled anywhere in the world. Three times as long as an average ship, it sparkled under the gentle light of the torches. Its magnificent purple sails were tightly rolled, but the thick richness of the cloth was apparent even from my viewpoint in the tiny dingy.

Silver oars were visible on racks and a portable jeweled throne sat on the mast, in exactly the spot that Cleopatra liked to sit while the barge was rowed down the Nile. Typically, several servants dressed as sea nymphs fanned her as we sailed. Cleopatra liked to say that I was dramatic, but honestly, she was as well. She had a flair for performing- and she loved a good spectacle. And whenever we took out this magnificent barge, it was certainly a spectacle. Tonight, a muffled voice and heavy thudding caught my attention as we got closer. “Iras?” I called uncertainly. My voice echoed through the large room, making it seem even more desolate and remote. The muffled yelling got louder and more frantic, a sign to me that it was, in fact, Iras. “What have you done with her?” I demanded. “Oh, calm yourself. You’ll see the whore soon enough.” “She’s not a whore, you disgusting pig,” I said through clenched teeth. “Where is she?” He ignored me, focusing instead on pulling the dingy up close to the large ship. He moored it and we climbed out, but turned abruptly to walk up the extended plank of the barge. The moment we climbed aboard, I spotted Iras. She was bound and gagged and laying directly on the plated gold deck of the barge. Her dark eyes flashed to me and widened once she recognized me. Her body instantly went still as she waited to see what would happen. I took a tentative step toward her, but was stopped by Pothinus’ meaty hand restraining me. “Not so fast,” he drawled. As I watched his face, I decided that his beady black eyes hidden under the fatty folds of his eyelids made him resemble a hog ready for slaughter. “We need to discuss the little matter of the Bloodstone.” My heart stopped as I stared at him in shock. How did he know about the Bloodstone? “What do you mean?” I forced out. I tried not to shudder as I stared at his face. “I need it. And I know that you have it.” I was speechless as I watched him carefully. “I know what you are,” he hissed. The blood drained from my face and I stood weakly in front of him. “And what is that?” I asked limply. “Nevermind. I know. And I want that bloodstone. Hand it to me now and I will turn Iras over to you.”

How did he know? My astonishment kept me rooted to the deck of the barge. My feet were concrete blocks. But there was no way I could give him the bloodstone. He would have to kill me first, although I certainly didn’t suggest that when I spoke. “That’s not going to happen, Pothinus. And you should know that neither Iras or I are important enough to barter for it. Queen Cleopatra will not barter Egypt—not for anyone. If you took control of Egypt, it would be catastrophic. This whole little situation is futile.” “It got your attention, didn’t it?” he snarled. “But it is not only Egypt that I am wanting now. I have expanded upon that quest for something more....important. With your Bloodstone, I can manipulate time- I can manipulate those around me into doing my will. My will. With your bloodstone, I can choose my fate. And there is nothing more important than that.” He quickly smoothed out his face and turned to me again, apparently trying to seem cooperative. “What you and Cleopatra don’t realize is that I don’t simply wish Ptolemy to rule Egypt. I wish to set everything right—restore magnificence to Egypt—take away the power of the Roman dogs. Isn’t that what Cleopatra would wish, as well? Isn’t that what she has wished all along- to undo Octavian’s atrocities?” His cunning smile glinted in the soft firelight of the torches and I stared at him hesitantly. What was his strategy here? “Of course Cleopatra has wished for that. She wanted nothing more than for Egypt to regain its power from Rome. However, the window of opportunity for that has passed. It is not what the Fates have planned for her or for Egypt.” He scoffed. “Your queen is a bigger fool than I realized. We have all of the power in the world at our fingertips. And if we would work together…. Everything could be ours. Don’t you see that, Charmian?” He tried appealing to me, gazing at me as though he only wanted the best for everyone involved. Was he really so foolish to think that I would fall for that? “I thought you cared nothing for Egypt now? Pothinus, whatever angle that you are trying to work here, I know that you simply want personal glory. You want the history books to proclaim you as a ruler, a great man… but you are not. You’re not really even a man, are you?” My backhanded reference to his lack of testicles was cruel and I saw on his face that my arrow had struck its mark. It was a sensitive subject. I continued before I could lose momentum. “You were never royalty. You were and are… simply a misguided eunuch drunk with power who doesn’t want to give it up. And you are mistaken about my bloodstone. It can’t control fate. Fate was written long ago- I simply use the bloodstone to carry it out. Its power is limited.” As I spoke, I circled around him slowly, never taking my eyes off of his face, but subtly getting closer to Iras, who was watching our exchange with wide, terrified eyes. She now knew of the bloodstone, although there was no way she could understand it without an explanation. I could only imagine her confusion. “You don’t know as much about your own organization as you think, Charmian. Why do you think your memories are wiped clean each life? Do you really think it is to protect you against your own nature? Don’t be naïve,” he scoffed. “It is so that none of you are tempted to manipulate the power that you are entrusted with. The bloodstones are more powerful than you’ve ever been told. Don’t be foolish, Charmian. Everyone enjoys power. It is intoxicating. If you share the bloodstone with me, I will explain its secrets and together, we will have more power than you have ever dreamed.” “Don’t be absurd,” I answered weakly. Could he possibly be right about the bloodstone? Was it the key? “I don’t wish to have power. I simply wish to do my job, to restore fate.” “Do not act so superior- you cannot pretend that you do not enjoy the power of being Cleopatra’s confidante, of knowing that your advice helps shape an entire nation. You enjoy overseeing the palace and dispatching your wisdom to the queen…. Just as I did the same for young Ptolemy. You and I are not so different. We enjoy power.” I felt literally sick being compared to this animal. “You and I are nothing alike, Pothinus. Nothing. Of course I enjoy my relationship with the queen. She is my closest friend and I love her dearly. That is the difference between us, however. You did not love her brother. You only attached yourself to him for what he could do for you. You pinned your hopes on the wrong horse, eunuch. And I will not help you now.” As I walked backward, my foot bumped into Iras’ leg and I knelt at her side, keeping my eyes on Pothinus. “Are you alright, Iras? Have you been hurt?”

She shook her head and I glanced at her body. She didn’t appear to be injured, although I was certain it wasn’t comfortable for her to be lying on the hard floor of the deck as tightly bound as she was. She watched my face, waiting for what I would do. I stood again. “Pothinus, untie her. Keeping her here is not helping anything. I cannot hand you the bloodstone. It is bound to me- it is mine and it will stay mine. The history of the world is more important than all of us put together.” I tried to make my voice soft and friendly, hoping that it somehow might sway him to reason. I should have known better. “Well, I’m sorry to hear that, Charmian. Your decisions now are forcing me to kill you both.” “I have to say, you don’t sound sorry at all, Pothinus.” Another voice, loud and deep echoed throughout the mooring room and we turned in surprise toward it. Marc Antony was treading quietly up the long plank to the barge, dripping wet. Apparently, he had waded through the murky canal to get to us since we had the dingy. I watched as he shook the dirty canal water from his hair. “Antony! How did you…” I was so astonished that I couldn’t form a cohesive sentence. My initial reaction was joy… joy that he had come to save us. But it quickly turned to horror as I realized what that meant. He had probably overheard everything… and Ahmose was not going to be happy. It was yet another thing that we had now inadvertently changed. I sighed dejectedly. “What, Charmian? You’re not happy to see me?” Antony stepped lightly on board the golden deck of the barge, a thick gleaming sword in his hand. I was certainly happy to see that. I once again regretted not bringing my own dagger. “Did you really think that I didn’t see you in the courtyard? Did you think that the little production I staged there was real? I had been waiting for you. I knew that you and my wife were up to something- I was quite aware all throughout dinner. It was only a matter of time until you emerged… and I followed you.” He smirked in satisfaction, before he looked at me sharply. “What is going on, Charmian? How are you standing here with a dead man? Pothinus died two years ago. What kind of trickery is this?” His face was puzzled, but he kept a close eye on Pothinus, who had remained silent thus far. “Antony, be careful,” I cautioned. “He has a dagger.” Antony flashed me a ridiculous look, rolling his eyes. “Really, Charmian? A dagger? That’s not much of a match for my good Roman sword, now is it? He would have to get close enough to me to use his little knife… and that’s not going to happen.” Quicker that I would have ever thought possible from such a large man, Pothinus lunged from where he was standing to where I was, roughly grabbing me and holding me to his chest… his dagger to my throat. I sighed. “Um, Antony?” I called, raising my eyebrows and staring at him. “What now? I told you he had a dagger.” Antony rolled his eyes at me again as he tossed his long sword from one hand to the other, circling around us. “This is not the time, woman. Be still. I don’t want to accidentally hit you.” I froze. “Antony, you can’t possibly mean to…” My hesitant voice trailed off. He did certainly look as though he intended on striking Pothinus even though I was clutched so tightly to the eunuch’s chest. My thoughts swirled… this couldn’t be happening. I was going to be sliced open from head to toe. I just knew it. Suddenly, I remembered my bloodstone. The heavy fist-sized stone still hung motionlessly from my neck, pulsing against the soft skin of my chest. Pothinus’ arm was snaked around my neck, leaving my arms uninhibited. I glanced nervously at his face, but he was completely distracted by the large sword that Antony was brandishing. He somehow didn’t notice that it rested against his arm. Before I could change my mind, I yanked the bloodstone out of my tunic, snapping the thin golden chain that it dangled from. As hard as I possibly could, I smashed it into the eunuch’s sweaty forehead. Taken by surprise, he released me and stumbled backward, clutching both hands to the large gash in his head. Blood had already started gushing from the wound, flowing heavily over his hands and into his eyes. “You bitch!” he snarled as he continued to stumble backward. He frantically wiped at the blood streaming into his eyes, trying to see. Unfortunately for him, however, he didn’t see the railing of the barge directly behind him. Stumbling against it, it knocked his knees out from under him. He teetered briefly on the edge, frantically trying to regain his balance. His fleshy face terrified, he reached out to me for help. I offered none. But before I could move, he grabbed my hand. Instead of pulling me with him as I expected, he wrenched my bloodstone from my hand and then toppled over into the water. I gasped as I heard the confirming loud splash below us. Rushing to the rail, I peered over it into the murky water below. Pothinus hadn’t surfaced yet. I watched for a few more minutes, but still didn’t see him emerge. He was gone… and so was my bloodstone. Again. I sighed and turned to find Antony kneeling on the deck as he swiftly cut through the ropes that bound Iras. She sat up stiffly, rubbing her wrists and ankles as she stared at me, her face shrouded in uncertainty. I couldn’t imagine her confusion… at having been kidnapped by a dead man. “Charmian,” she asked, her voice confused. “What is going on?” As she spoke, I noticed that one of her cheekbones was swollen, her ebony skin bruised and puffy around it. I hadn’t noticed it before and I felt instant rage at Pothinus for having injured such a gentle, kind woman. But my anger was quickly forgotten as Antony stood and turned to me, his eyes glinting mockingly as he stepped toward me, watching me as I gazed into the water in horror. As it turned out, my bloodstone had protected me after all. I could never tell Cleopatra. She would think that she willed it to be so. But now it was gone- and I didn’t know what we would do. Antony gently grasped my arm and turned me toward him. “Yes, Charmian,” he drawled, “It seems that you have some explaining to do.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

The walk back to the palace was a long one. Not because I was supporting Iras’ weight as she limped along on her sore ankles, but because I wasn’t sure how to answer Antony’s demands for information. And one thing about Antony… he was definitely demanding. He expected to get what he asked for. “Antony, I told you,” I leveled my gaze at him once more as we trekked along the beach to the palace. “We’ll go straight to Cleopatra and get the answers that you seek.” I was desperately trying to buy time, to decide what to do, so I allowed him to think that Cleopatra was the mastermind behind our deception. “And I told you, Charmian,” he replied through gritted teeth. “She won’t give me the answers that I seek. She’ll give me what she wants me to hear. I want the real answers from you, right now.” I sighed and stared at the fiery light of the lighthouse across the harbor. It was hard to believe that I could’ve died beneath it just a scant hour ago. It seemed so benign now as its beacon guided sailors safely in from the sea. “Antony, please. You know that I cannot do that. Don’t ask me to- You know that I am loyal to you, my lord… but my loyalty is first to Cleopatra.” I implored him with my eyes and he grunted in frustration, looking away. “Oh and Antony…” He glared sullenly at me once more. “Yes?” “Thank you for saving my life.” His taut mouth stretched into a grin. “You saved your own life, Charmian. You’re quite the feisty hell-cat!” He slapped my shoulder and we continued on past the guards stationed at the staircase in silence. He abandoned his efforts to get information from me, as he scooped Iras up in his arms and carried her up the stairs. As we re-entered the palace, Antony led the way, barging down the quiet hallway with the subtly of a charging bull. I sighed again. At this rate, he was going to wake the entire palace. He pushed open the doors to Cleopatra’s chambers without knocking, as I trailed along in his wake. Cleopatra was reclining in a chaise lounge by her open balcony doors, reading thick papyrus scrolls by the light of an oil lamp. She looked up in surprise as we barged into her chamber. “Antony, what in the world…” her voice trailed off. “Iras!” she breathed, obviously relieved. “So you did know,” Antony hissed at her as he towered above her. “You knew that Pothinus was holding Iras hostage… because he wants some sort of magical stone. And you never thought it was important enough to share with me!” His voice elevated to a thunderous pitch and I cringed. Antony was a kind man, but he did have an explosive temper. “My lord,” Cleopatra purred soothingly as she rose from her lounge. She took one look at my face and read the unspoken message there. She rolled with the punches and I had never been so impressed. The woman was good. “I did not share it with you because the more people that knew, the more dangerous the whole situation became.” I was certain that she was dying to know what had happened with Pothinus, but she didn’t show it. She reached up to touch Antony’s face, but he jerked away from her hand. “Cleopatra, this is unacceptable. You will explain what is going on!” he thundered. She glanced quickly at me before returning her gaze to her angry husband. I knew that her wheels must be spinning a mile a minute, thinking of damage control and trying to decide what to say, probably wondering what I had already said. Unfortunately, as far as I could determine, there wasn’t much she could say… except for the truth. She must have come to the same conclusion, because she sank back down into her chaise with a sigh. “Alright, husband. If you will have a seat and be calm, I will explain to you all of the complexities that I have been dealing with. I’m warning you now, though, you won’t like it.” He nodded curtly, accepting that. She nodded too, in resignation as Antony lowered Iras into a chaise lounge and then dropped his large body to sit next to Cleopatra on hers. He tapped his foot as he waited expectantly. I crossed the room to sit with Iras while Cleopatra began to speak. It took her the same amount of time to explain to Antony as it did when I explained it to her. At the end of which time, both he and Iras’ eyes were the size of silver dollars. He rose shakily from his seat, paced to the balcony and stared at the sea and then paced back to fall on his knees in front of Cleopatra. “You know our future?” he asked again uncertainly. “Yes, my love. I do,” she confirmed. She reached out and grasped his hand. “And trust me, there is no place I would rather be than here with you right now.” His face softened as he gazed at her. “I feel the same, my queen,” he murmured. “But tell me. What happens to us? She hesitated. I bowed my head. I dreaded this next part. “We die, Antony,” she whispered. “I’m sorry… we what?” He asked incredulously. “We die, Antony.” She gestured toward Iras and I. “All of us in this room will be dead in a week’s time.” Iras inhaled sharply and her nails dug into my arm. I gently uncurled her fingers and placed them at her side. She looked at me apologetically, but didn’t say anything. Instead, her gaze was glued to Cleopatra. “But that was before,” he rasped in frustration. “Before you found out. You can change it now. We can live.” Her face was inordinately pained as she stroked his back gently. “I could change it, yes. But my love, I cannot. Don’t you see? We cannot change history. We have already upset things that were never meant to be upset. And now here we are, worse off than ever...because even more people know about this situation.” Her shoulders were slumped as she realized the gravity of our predicament. Antony was staring at the queen in disbelief, flexing and unflexing his large fists at his sides.

“You mean to say that you could save all of our lives, but you will not?” he asked in astonishment. “I don’t believe you, Cleopatra.” His disbelief and puzzlement was written all over his face. I knew it must pull on Cleopatra’s heartstrings, because it certainly pulled on mine. And when she spoke, her pain was clearly evident in her voice. “Antony, that was my initial reaction also- that we must save everyone. But think on this. History has already been written. We cannot change it, because things happened as they were meant to happen. But don’t you understand what I am saying to you? We will die here and now in Alexandria, but we will go on to live… over and over again. Death is not forever, my love. It is not the end.” His jaw was set mulishly as he glared at her. “You are impossible, Cleopatra. Do you not love me enough to save me? I would die for you! I love you that much!” “I know, husband,” she whispered. “Do you not see how much this pains me? You did die for me. Charmian has told me that you impaled yourself on your own sword and died in my arms. I have no wish to live through that—you might as well rip my heart from my chest right here and now. Yet, it already happened… and it will happen again, We cannot stop it.” “Do you die with me?” Antony asked thinly. “Not at the same time. Apparently, Octavian sneaked someone into a window of my tomb and apprehended me before I could. It took me a few days to outsmart him and manage to join you in death.” “It took you a few days to outsmart Octavian? That stupid boy?” Antony asked dubiously. “How did you…” his sad voice trailed off. “Snake.” She stared at him firmly. I heard Iras’ small gasp at my side and I reached down to grasp her hand. She squeezed it tightly. She inherently knew that if Cleopatra died by snake, so would we. “But Cleopatra…” Antony pleaded. “There is no ‘but’, Antony. It is done. We cannot change it. But take comfort in the fact that the sniveling weasel Octavian did not triumph over us. He did not kill us. We chose our own ends.” He nodded sullenly, but knowing Antony as I did, I knew he was simply biding his time until he could think of a way to change her mind. I looked up at Cleopatra to find her gazing at me pointedly. I raised my eyebrows questioningly. She looked at the door and back to me. I released Iras’ hand and she nodded gratefully as I placed a pillow behind her back. “Is that better?” I murmured. She nodded again. “Thank you, Charmian.” As I began to straighten, she placed her slender dark hand on my arm. “And thank you for coming to find me.” Her voice was smooth and musical, her eyes liquid. I swallowed hard and nodded. It was the least I could do. It was partly my fault she had been taken in the first place. “I’ll get you some wine, my friend.” I turned and quickly fled the room, leaning on the ivory banquette that housed the wine. A jug of shedeh was clearly sitting right in front of me and I focused on it as I called to Cleopatra. “My queen, did you move the wine? I do not see it.” A moment later, she appeared alone in the doorway, her face tired. Her gaze darted to the shedeh and then to me as she crossed the room quickly to me. “Where is your bloodstone?” she hissed. “I do not see it!” “You do not see it because I’m no longer wearing it,” I replied wearily. “Pothinus took it.” She stared at me in shock. “What are we going to do?” she asked. “There is only one thing to do,” a raspy voice interjected from the corner. We whirled around. Ahmose lurked nearby, his black robes twisted around his bare feet. “Charmian, what have you done? You were to retrieve Iras from Pothinus, not come back without your bloodstone and reveal every secret that you know to Antony and Iras,” he chastised. “Don’t lecture me,” I snapped. “I’m doing the best that I can- without your help, I might add. And apparently, there is more to the Order of the Moirae than you have ever explained to me.” “Now is not the time,” he murmured, closing the distance between us. He quickly pulled his cloak around the three of us and I gasped as he grasped our hands. He began murmuring quickly, reciting the same incoherent words over and over in a monotone. “What is taking so long? Iras and I require wine to swallow this tale.” Antony appeared curiously in the doorway. As soon as he saw us huddled together, he began taking long strides across the room to reach us, his face shocked and suspicious. But it was too late. Warmth was spreading into my body, the electrical impulses throwing my head back. Before my eyes fluttered closed, I caught a glimpse of Antony’s astonished face and then I saw only blackness as Cleopatra, Ahmose and I were rocketed through the channels of time. When I was able to open my eyes again, we were alone in Cleopatra’s chambers, standing in the same exact spot. Only now, daylight was shining into her chambers. There was no sign of Iras or Antony anywhere. “When is this?” I glanced at Ahmose as I made my way into the bedchamber to verify that we were truly alone. And we were. They both followed me and we walked to the open air of her balcony. “This is the day that Antony kills Tehran,” Ahmose answered, as Cleopatra ran her fingers absently back and forth on the stone railing. “Iras has not yet been taken- she is still safe and sound in her rooms, because you have not yet asked her to find Annen. We need to carefully consider our next steps… we do not want to get ourselves into a deeper mess. I sighed heavily as I sunk into a chair. This was beginning to seem impossible. “Ahmose, I don’t see how a deeper mess is even possible. The fat eunuch has my bloodstone and who knows what he will attempt to do with it? But that aside, it is just simple physics. Everything that we do… every single action, has an equal and opposite reaction. It’s Newton’s law of motion, but it seems to apply to time, as well. I think that everything we do, no matter how careful we are, is going to have an effect.” Cleopatra nodded dejectedly. “Charmian’s right. It’s like a ripple in a pond. It starts out small, but creates an ever-widening circle. It seems our smallest actions have big consequences.” She walked back into the room, dropping down onto her bed in a heap, covering her face with one arm. “Ahmose, what was the eunuch talking about? His words were strikingly similar to Annen’s. Is there more to the Order than you have explained?”

I watched him hopefully for a good answer. I didn’t receive one. “I don’t know what you speak of,” he muttered vaguely. “You know what you need to know.” “That’s not what I asked. Is there more that you aren’t telling me?” My hands were on my hips and my feet were planted as I demanded answers from the priest. I knew I looked intimidating, but after the night I had had, I deserved answers. I could see from his wrinkled old face that he knew more than he was telling. “Obviously whatever Pothinus knows of us, he learned through Annen. And I do not know how much of what Annen knows is truth. I have wondered at his motives for quite a while. I do know that he learned about us when he was at the Temple of the Phoenix in Heliopolis. Not long after, he was imprisoned by the Moirae.” “What did he learn that caused his imprisonment?” I whispered. “That I do not know,” Ahmose admitted. “Then there is only one way to find out,” Cleopatra interjected. “We must find this priest. It appears that nothing will be resolved until we determine his true motives.” Ahmose nodded reluctantly. “Yes. We must find Annen. It shouldn’t be too difficult- I am guessing that he is at the Serapis. But we must be incredibly careful to not disturb time again.” Cleopatra quickly flipped over onto her stomach so that we were lying head to head on her thick embroidered bedding. She grabbed my hand, holding it as she listened to Ahmose speak. “To begin with, you cannot dismiss Tehran when you see him in the hallway. I am not certain, but that might have been the trigger to the series of events that led to his death and Iras’ kidnapping. And then, I think we should find Annen today- before Tehran sees us tonight at the banquet.” “Okay,” I agreed slowly. “But once we find Annen, then what?” “Hopefully, he can explain how much Pothinus knows and why he brought him here in the first place. And then, obviously we still need to get your bloodstone back from the eunuch.” I nodded. “Alright. We’ll begin with Annen. I’ll go there today and speak with him. Will you be joining me?” I turned to Ahmose. “No. I am already participating too much. I cannot accompany you.” “I’ll go with you. We’ll use the underground corridors to avoid being seen,” Cleopatra offered. I hadn’t been in the underground corridors for quite a while. But the damp, poorly lit passageways wound underneath the entire city of Alexandria. Of course, they didn’t come straight up to the Palace, because that would risk a security breach to the queen. We would have to travel down to the beach once again- without arousing suspicion. “Well, we have all afternoon until we are expected back here for dinner, my queen.” “Then there is no time like the present, is there?” she asked. I shook my head. “No, I suppose not. I can’t help but feel apprehensive, though. I can’t explain why.” That was an understatement. My instincts were all screaming at me that we shouldn’t go. “Don’t think about it,” Ahmose advised. “Just get in there, find out what you can and return safely to the palace.” Easy for him to say. It seemed that he always had the easy part- he got to sit back and watch me unfold Fate’s tapestry. I didn’t point that out for him, though. There was no use. The only way we would ever fix this mess and get things back to normal, was to begin by seeking out Annen, the most frightening man I’d ever met. Cleopatra was right. There was no time like the present, because we didn’t have much of a future left.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa were actually built as a series of tombs in the bedrock beneath the city. However, they evolved into being a complex labyrinth of passageways that led to many locations throughout Alexandria, often secretly entering into one of the many temples. Oddly enough, by the time the catacombs were discovered by modern archeologists in the 1900’s, the passageways had all collapsed. Only the tombs remained. Right now, however, they were perfectly intact…and very, very dark. Cleopatra and I stared down the empty, darkened hallway that led to the Serapis temple, both of us thoroughly creeped out by the scurrying noises emitting from the corridor. I felt fairly certain that there were even nastier creatures than rats and mice down here, but I wasn’t going to think of them…the kind of creatures with stingers on the ends of their curled tails or the huge, unhinged mouths with fangs. I shuddered. Cleopatra lifted down a torch from the wall and lit it. “Are you ready?” she asked, turning to me with a grimace. She wasn’t any more excited than I was to be doing this. But it couldn’t be helped. We couldn’t be seen, so this was the only way. I nodded reluctantly and grasped her arm as we started walking. We had worn sandals for this venture and I was now so very glad that we did. As we walked, I could hear the continual scurrying of animals that lived in the dark… and I was extremely glad that my bare feet weren’t going to bump into them. Every twenty feet or so, we stopped so that Cleopatra could light a torch on the orange-ish clay wall, lighting the way for our return trip through the catacombs. So, behind us glowed softly, but the way in front of us still loomed in darkness. The blackness was all encompassing, chill inciting. And it smelled like a tomb. Every so often, we would come to a side passage and I would pause in the dark doorway, wondering if we should turn. But every time, Cleopatra would shake her head. She seemed to know exactly where she was going. “How do you know these passage ways so well, my queen?” I asked curiously. “I don’t recall coming down here with you.” “Well, my love, you aren’t nobility, are you?” she answered a touch smugly. “I learned these routes from my father during the Cyprus uprisings. We memorized escape routes.” She glanced at my face and added, “And don’t worry about not being nobility- you aren’t missing much. At least your siblings haven’t tried to kill you.” I had to smile. It was true. Each of her sisters, Arsinoë and Berenice had tried to have her assassinated. I could remember even back in our nursery days, Cleopatra had been afraid to drink or eat things that had been sitting around her sisters- for fear that they would try to poison her. It wasn’t the most emotionally healthy way to grow up. In fact, her sister Berenice had tried to overthrow their own father for the throne, but failed. He had her beheaded soon after. So much for close family ties, although Cleopatra’s relationship with their father was much better… mainly because she respected his authority and made it clear from the get-go that she only wanted to learn how to make Egypt grow. It was apparent from the time she was small that Egypt was her top priority. She had disliked her little brothers because she felt that they were useless. They were spoiled and lazy- and she had little use for that. She had spent her days growing up learning languages, Egyptian custom and educating herself. Her brothers had spent theirs whining, playing and backbiting. Regardless, Cleopatra had always denied to me that she had her little brother Ptolemy XIV killed. The physicians weren’t able to determine a cause of death, although they suspected poison. Cleopatra swore to me at the time that it hadn’t been her- and I believed her. She had never lied to me. There was no point- she didn’t answer to me. And besides, Arsinoë was much more ruthless than Cleopatra. It could just as easily have been her. “Why are you so distracted, Charmian?” Cleopatra asked curiously as we walked. “You seem to be miles away from here.” “You are very perceptive, my queen,” I smiled. “I was just remembering your childhood. It’s a wonder that we made it this far with all of the deception and murderous trickery. We probably should have been dead long ago.” “Bite your tongue, Charmian!” she exclaimed softly. “Things happened the way that they were supposed to happen. Isn’t that the song you keep singing? My sisters were vipers, only out for their own profit. My brothers were pathetic. None of them had Egypt’s good at heart.” She made a pfft noise as she wrinkled her nose in disdain. I nodded. “I know, Cleopatra. But I’m still surprised that we have made it this far.” “Well, let us not muck everything up now, my sweet.” At her words, she stopped outside of an inscribed door, the short train of her deep purple sheath dress dragging on the floor. The Serapeum. Temple to the goddess Serapis. I turned to Cleopatra in apprehension. “Cleopatra, Ahmose has very powerful magic. The fact that he is sending us here to Annen, makes me nervous. I can’t imagine how powerful this priest must be if he possesses knowledge that Ahmose does not. Let us tread lightly in here.” She nodded solemnly in agreement before she pushed the door inward and we walked through. Almost immediately, a priest appeared in the doorway, his face startled. As soon as he saw Cleopatra, however, he dropped to his knees, face down on the sandstone floor. “My queen,” he murmured into the stone. “We didn’t expect you today. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was you.” “Please rise,” she commanded. “We’re here on a whim.” The priest rose from his knees, holding onto the wall to steady himself. He was older, his face lined with wrinkles. In the typical custom of the priests, his head was closely shaven. Writing and designs were carefully drawn upon his bare arms and chest with kohl, the moist blackness starting to smear only along the edges. “My queen, how can we assist you?” The priest was certainly eager to please her, his black eyes anxiously waiting for her orders. He had started to back down the hallway leading into the bowels of the temple. Already, the heady scent of the incense was beginning to envelop us. “I am searching for someone. The priest, Annen. Have you seen him?” The priest froze, apprehension clearly written all over him. “Your majesty?” “Annen,” Cleopatra repeated firmly. “Is he here?” I could see on the priest’s face that he was. I waited patiently to see if the priest would confirm it. After just a moment, he did. “Yes, my queen,” he murmured with a small bow of his head. “He is. Follow me and I will take you to him immediately.”

Cleopatra threw me a sidelong glance and I followed her up the long inclined hallway. We passed the enormous oblong room that served as a library for Alexandria… it was crammed full of thousands of rolled up papyrus scrolls, shelf after shelf of them. Yet another archeological find that would never be discovered. I shook my head at the loss. It seemed so senseless that these important things would be destroyed by ignorant soldiers…it was simply the way it would work out. But it was still a pity. We passed every main underground room and the priest led us into a darkened section. I felt myself tense up. Since I knew that Pothinus was lurking somewhere around Alexandria, my protective instincts were on overdrive. The cold darkness under this temple caused my hackles to rise. I didn’t like the feeling. Entering a small, poorly lit room at the end of a deserted hall, I could just barely make out the silhouette of a hooded man seated behind a desk, surrounded by scrolls. I could tell that he looked up as we approached, but I couldn’t see his face. “Annen?” The priest approached him tentatively, almost reverently. “Queen Cleopatra is here to see you.” “Of course. Thank you, my friend.” Annen stood before he lowered himself carefully onto the ground in front of Cleopatra. I could practically hear his old bones creak. “Your highness,” he uttered. “Annen, it is good to see you. Please rise,” Cleopatra instructed. “We’ve been searching for you. We have heard that you may possess knowledge that we are in need of.” Well, so much for small talk. But Annen didn’t seem bothered. He nodded understandingly, almost as though he expected it… and us, for that matter. “Of course you have,” he agreed. “I am glad that you have come.” He rose from the floor and lit an oil lamp on the desk. I didn’t bother to ask him why he had been sitting in the dark. As a High Priest, he did many strange things, I was sure. My mind flitted back to that pesky cannibalism rumor and I shuddered. I reminded myself that it was just a rumor. I couldn’t prove it. Looking at Annen now, though, I wouldn’t doubt it. He was so creepy that it was chilling and that was putting it mildly. It wasn’t just his appearance, although that was unnerving enough. His slanted obsidian eyes were fathomless, bottomless. They glittered with unexplainable knowledge, missing nothing. His fingers were long and crooked and the backs of his wrinkled hands were tattooed with incantations to Anubis. Looking at him gave me shivers. Annen turned his black gaze to me now, making me uncomfortable. It felt as though he was looking directly into my thoughts. “Charmian, my lady, you do not wish to be here,” he observed. “Do not trouble yourself. No harm will come to you here,” he said reassuringly. He patted my arm and the curls of his nails scraped the soft skin of my wrist, touching the outline of my birthmark. I tried not to shudder. His eyes darted to mine as he quickly lifted my wrist and examined it. I could feel the exhale of his moist breath on my skin. “My mother was a Keeper in your honorable organization, my lady. Did you know that?” He released my arm gently and clasped his hands, staring at me again with his knowing eyes. “You lie,” I accused, my cheeks instantly flushing with agitation. “Keepers cannot bear children.” I heard Cleopatra’s sudden gasp but ignored it. “That is true,” he admitted. “I apologize, my lady. I misspoke. I should have specified that she was my adopted mother. She raised me from the time I was an infant and she was the only mother I knew.” My alarm quelled slightly. He wasn’t lying. Adoption. Briefly, it seemed like a good idea. But it wasn’t feasible. I was fated to die an untimely death in every life. That wasn’t exactly fair to a child. “She explained her role to you? She broke her vows?” He stared at me gently, his face suddenly kind. “My lady, when did you ever take vows? You were simply born to be what you are. You’ve never chosen such a thing. Your vows, so to speak, were inherent.” My throat tightened. How right he was. I had certainly never chosen. “But you can change it,” he added. “The bloodstone is very, very powerful. Using it, you can change your situation. You can disavow the Order and live a normal life- a life that doesn’t end in tragedy. If you choose,” he added. “I am weary of listening to this!” I snapped. “You have brought me here to a place where I should no longer be… and to make it worse, you brought Pothinus here as well, and now the treacherous snake has stolen my bloodstone.” “Ah, Pothinus the eunuch,” Annen sighed. “That poor soul is lost. He is evil through and through. There’s no hope for him.” Bewildered, I stared at him. “Then why would you reveal the Order’s secrets to him? Your mother’s secrets?” “I did no such thing,” he objected, his black eyes flashing. “Before he died, he unearthed secret scrolls that were well-hidden, scrolls about the Order. He already knew. I only brought him here so that you could see that if you chose a different path, it wouldn’t matter. But things are going so wrong.” He stared at Cleopatra. “I’m sorry, my queen. I have failed you.” “Why do you say that?” Cleopatra asked softly. She had seated herself behind Annen’s desk, her slender legs curled beneath her. As she spoke, she sifted absently through the piles of scrolls. She unrolled another scroll, gazing at the scrawling Egyptian written in bold, black ink. I only caught a glimpse of scrawled incantations to Anubis before Annen gasped and hurried around the desk, gathering it away from her with his talon-like fingers. “I’m sorry, my queen. I mean no disrespect, but there is some magic that is much too dangerous for you to be exposed to.” He quickly rolled it back up and stacked it with the mounds of others along the wall behind him. “If it is so dangerous, Annen, perhaps you should not leave it out in the open,” Cleopatra admonished lightly, but she didn’t ask any further questions about it. She turned to me. “Charmian, what else would you like to ask this priest?” Her face was drenched in weariness and I found myself wishing that I could take her concern away for her. But I couldn’t, because I felt it myself. “I want to know how I am going to get back home if we can’t retrieve my bloodstone from the eunuch. And I’d like to retrieve it before he uses it for something horrible.” “My lady, I thought you knew. Your bloodstone is tied to you, in every way. There is no way that Pothinus can use the magic of your bloodstone unless you are present and wearing it. On that same note, there is also no way that you can leave here without it.” I felt a lead weight drop into my stomach and I stared wordlessly at him. “Why?” I whispered. “Why have you done this? In bringing me here, you have wrecked everything that I have worked for for so long.” He nodded miserably. “Yes, my lady. I know. I have failed our queen and I have failed you. I meant only to help, to help you escape what killed my mother…” his voice trailed off as he dropped to his knees, his ancient back curving as he groveled at Cleopatra’s feet.

“Please forgive me, your highness,” he begged. “I did not mean to inflict this onto you.” “Please stand,” she asked, pulling at his arm. “We need your help now, not theatrics. I am sure you meant no harm.” He raised sad eyes to her. “No, my queen, I meant only to help. I saw the future and I knew what would happen if I did nothing. But now it is being used against Egypt and I am very sorry for that.” “You meant no harm,” I murmured. “What else can you tell us?” “What else would you like to know?” He rose slowly to his feet and folded his hands in front of him, waiting for the onslaught of questions as the light from the lamp flickered on the wall behind him. “Annen, we have to get my bloodstone back from Pothinus. Speed is of the essence now. I will discuss the secrets of the Order with you later… I am curious as to what you know that I do not. But for now, I need my bloodstone.” Annen shifted his wise gaze from me to the queen and then back again, eerily calm. When he finally spoke, it wasn’t reassuring. “My lady, I will happily speak to you at any time that you wish. But you should know that your situation right now is certainly dire. Maybe even more so than you realize.” Cleopatra and I eyed each other apprehensively. How could it be even more dire? He turned to face me before he continued, impaling me with his intense stare. He shook his head and my gaze was drawn to the large black discs in his earlobes. They had to be at least two inches in diameter. Amazing. It must have taken years to work up to that size. Gazing at his gnarled hands and wrinkled face, I tried to imagine how old he was. He pierced me again with his onyx stare and opened his mouth, but whatever he was about to say was interrupted when another priest quickly entered the chambers. “Annen, we require your assistance. Thutmose has fallen- his ankle is broken. I can see the bone. Can you bring your herbs? We need to make a poultice to wrap it with.” With a quick bow to Cleopatra, the other priest was back out the doors and Annen turned once again to us. “I’m sorry, my ladies. My services are required. But we can discuss this further at a later date.” “How about this evening?” Cleopatra suggested. “Please come as my guest to dinner tonight. We can discuss it further then. As you know, time is of the essence.” “Of course, your highness. It would be my great honor.” Bowing low, he rose slowly and gathered a few foul-smelling jars from the dark shelves behind him. We followed him out and when we came to a T in the hallway, he turned to me. “There is one thing, Charmian. If you should die while you are back here, every life you have had in the interim will disappear. As you can imagine, that will create giant rips in the fabric of time, affecting hundreds of lives. You must endeavor not to die.” “Don’t worry,” I muttered, rolling my eyes. Endeavor not to die. Was he serious? My shoulders slumped as Cleopatra and I walked back toward the tunnels. I don’t know what I had been hoping for, but it certainly wasn’t this. I wanted answers and an idea of how to acquire the bloodstone from Pothinus. What I had received was an even more jumbled mystery surrounding my own life. We were back to square one. As Cleopatra and I stepped into the shadowed underground passage, she turned to me, her beautiful face serious and composed. “We will need to seek Pothinus out today, Charmian. I am growing weary of these games. Time is running out.” Her voice was firm and determined and I was inclined to agree. I was tired of playing, too. “Where do you think we should start, my queen?” “With Tehran, of course. I had an idea while speaking with Annen.” “And?” I prompted her when she paused dramatically. “We will summon Tehran to my quarters and we will lure him to our side. We will promise him an exalted place in my court, a place that will be cemented in history, in exchange for his defection.” “But Cleopatra, we can’t do that—we can’t change history in such a way!” She looked at me demurely. “I didn’t say we would follow through with our promises, Charmian. Really… keep up! We will be lying, of course.” And once again, Cleopatra’s determination and cunning showed through her beautiful exterior facade, leaving me impressed. She was willing to do anything to save Egypt’s rightful place in history, even though she knew she herself was doomed. Lying to a house servant would be nothing in comparison to that. We would just have to be convincing.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Annen was dead. As we ate at the heavily laden carved banquet table, a soldier rushed in to Cleopatra, rasping quickly into her ear. She stood, her face drained of color and fled the room without a word. Antony, Hasani and I stared at each other in shock. My immediate thought was that something had happened to one of the children. Her expression had been that grave. “I’ll go,” I murmured, pushing away from the table. Hasani’s expression was concerned as he placed his hand gently on my back. “If you need us, call quickly,” he instructed. If only I could. I nodded as I turned and chased after the queen. I could feel the stares of everyone in the room between my shoulder blades and I had to say, I was surprised that Antony didn’t follow. But he didn’t. He simply trusted that we would send for him. Cleopatra was already in her room by the time I caught up with her, pacing holes in her carpet again and wringing her hands. Her face was as pale as I’d ever seen it. I rushed to her side, grabbing her arm lightly. “Cleopatra, what is it?” I demanded, my eyes frozen on her colorless face. Her colorful eye makeup and lip stain looked brash against the suddenly white tone of her skin. She practically blended right into the paleness of her white evening shift. She shook her head morosely, opening her mouth. But nothing came out. “Cleopatra, you’re scaring me. What is it?” My voice held wild notes of alarm. She turned to me, placing her hand comfortingly on my shoulder, but it wasn’t comforting at all, not with her tension so palpable. “Charmian, Annen is dead. I have to assume that Pothinus killed him. He was found on the altars of the Serapis, run through with a sword.” I gasped sharply. “No. If he is dead, then…” “Then he cannot further help us.” Her mouth was a thin line, pressed tightly together. “And I have no idea how to leave here,” I added tentatively, my voice small. I dropped onto the lavish softness of her bed. “Cleopatra, I have to admit… I’m at a loss for what to do. It seems as though fixing this is impossible! Do we beg Ahmose to go back in time once again and repair this? Because Annen wasn’t meant to die this way.” Cleopatra’s face was thoughtful as she stared out the balcony doors at the twinkling stars. A golden statue of Ra the sun god gazed down at me, his expression stern and judgmental… as though even he, a mythological creature, was holding me responsible. I stared back defiantly. This wasn’t my fault. I hadn’t asked for this. “I think not, Charmian,” Cleopatra finally murmured, turning back to face me. “I wish that we could, but as you know, we seem to make things worse when we attempt to repair them.” That was the honest to god truth. It seemed we could do nothing right. It was discouraging. “Then what shall we do?” I whispered. “We will continue with our plans. Tomorrow morning, we will summon Tehran and put our plan into motion. We must get this going, Charmian. Every minute that you are here, we risk changing history, rather than repairing it. It is becoming exhausting.” I nodded silently and helped her prepare for bed. After removing her wig, brushing her long hair and helping her wash off her make-up, I stood back as she shrugged into a sheer nightgown. The breeze from the window fluttered the hem around her legs, making her seem almost ethereal in the lamplight. “Are you good here, Cleopatra? I think I will retire as well.” “Yes, you may go, Charmian,” she sighed. “Try to sleep well and I will see you in the morning. We have our work cut out for us. We’ll have to depend on your dramatic prowess.” She smiled in the moonlight. Even now, she couldn’t help but tease me. “And Charmian? Will you send someone for Antony?” “Of course, Cleopatra. Good night, my queen,” I smiled back before I quietly walked out into the hall, pausing only to instruct the guards to send someone for Antony, before I continued on to my chambers. Opening my door, I sensed Hasani’s presence before I even entered my room. “I thought you would never get here,” he murmured, stepping from the darkness to cup my face gently. Tilting it up, he ran his thumbs along my lips, before he kissed them softly. “Silly man,” I murmured, as I inhaled his woodsy fragrance. “I wasn’t with Cleopatra long. And weren’t you with Antony? Strategizing?” I smiled gently at him, twining my fingers into his hair and pulling him close. Something about his solid, muscular frame pressed against me made me feel oh-so-safe, even though I knew how my future was written. I silently cursed the bloodstone again. Knowing the future really sucked, because I couldn’t fully enjoy the present. “Don’t you worry, woman,” he assured me, running his big hands lightly over my body. “We’re both here now.” Goosebumps formed every where he touched and I shivered in the cool night breeze from my windows. “You are in good hands,” he grinned, his white smile dazzling, as he dropped onto my bed and pulled me down with him, running his lips along the soft skin of my neck. Maybe I could enjoy the present after all. *** Hasani was gone when I woke and I squeezed my eyes shut against the light from the flickering wall sconces. He must have lit them for me before he left and even in my grumpy morning mood, I had to smile at his consideration. I pulled the covers over my head and rested my cheek against the comfort of my pillow for a few minutes longer before I finally sighed and emerged into the reality of daytime. It couldn’t be much past daybreak, since the orange fingers of the sun were just starting to curl around the horizon. Hasani must have risen early to run drills with his soldiers before the Alexandrian heat rolled in. Antony was probably with him. I got up quickly, tying a soft white scarf around my waist and putting on a jeweled golden brassiere. As I pulled my hair away from my face and fastened gold earrings into my ears, I briefly pondered my older body. As Charmian, I may be thirty-nine, but my body was as svelte as a teen’s. Fascinating. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that ancient Egyptians didn’t have French fries or ice cream.

Sitting down at my vanity table, I pulled out the multiple jars required for my daily skin care and cosmetics application, sighing as I did. As Macy, I was a very low-key, low-maintenance person. Charmian’s intricate, Egyptian beauty regime was tiresome. But I had to admit that it was effective. I had a perfect complexion. Dipping my fingers into a jar of scented oil, I glanced back into the mirror as I began to apply it. And froze with my fingers at the base of my neck. A woman, pale and beautiful, sat on the bed behind me as though she belonged there. Her eyes were ice blue and her long hair was so blonde that it was snow white. I whirled around to face her. “How did you get in here?” I demanded. “How did you get past the guards?” She smiled peacefully at me, but didn’t answer. “Can you speak?” I asked. “Who are you?” She studied me again, unmoving and silent from her perch on my bed. She wore silvery robes embroidered with rich blue which were spread around her and her long fingernails were silver. They sparkled in the muted light from my window. She reminded me of what a fairy would be like. An odd sensation began to build in my chest and I hesitated. “Who are you?” I whispered again. “You know who I am,” she said gently, as she rose from the bed. She was so graceful that it seemed as though she floated as she walked toward me. “I don’t,” I argued, as she came to a stop behind me. “You do,” she insisted softly, as she placed her hands on my shoulders. And in that instant, the second that her hands touched me, I did. I was standing face to face with Lachesis, the middle sister of the Fates. Terrifying and powerful, the last time I had seen her, she had been an ancient, stooped hag. My eyes flew in amazement to her lovely, young face. She smiled. “I can appear as I wish, Charmian,” she said lightly. “You are beautiful. So, of course I wanted to appear beautiful, as well. I have no wish to scare you.” “Then what is your wish?” I asked quietly, keeping my eyes locked on her face. She reached past me and picked up the jar of oil, dipping her long fingers into it. Picking up my arm, she gently began rubbing the scented oil into my skin as she spoke. “You are one of twelve, Charmian. Did you know that?” I shook my head, instantly intrigued. “Yes. Twelve very important people were chosen so long ago to assist us throughout the millennia. You were chosen for your bravery and your heart.” She turned my wrist over and fingered my scar. “I placed the mark of the phoenix upon your wrist myself. The phoenix is sacred to the order, Charmian. It symbolizes re-birth and life, the very thing that we stand for… the things that we protect. And we gave you that mark. It is an honor.” I nodded. “Yes, of course it is.” “Then why have you been doubting us?” she turned her large blue eyes to me, beseeching me. “I haven’t!” I protested. “The priest Annen has tried to convince me of his theories… but being a member of the Order is all I know. I have no wish to believe him.” “But you’ve wondered.” She stated it as a fact, watching my face as she absently held her open palm out to a butterfly that had flown in from my window. The delicate yellow wings quivered as it crawled onto her hand and sat still. “I know your heart, Charmian.” I sighed. “I couldn’t help but wonder how much truth was in what he said. But I have no wish to believe him. I’ve put his claims out of my mind.” “As you should,” she instructed with the first trace of a harsh tone. She watched the butterfly for a moment more, her blue eyes glinting, before she snapped her hand shut, crushing the delicate insect between her fingers. I gasped as she put it in her mouth, chewing calmly as she contemplated me. “You are one of the best we have, Charmian. Yet you’ve lost your bloodstone.” My heart dropped into my toes. I couldn’t deny it. “Yes,” I admitted in a whisper, my head bowed. “Get it back,” she hissed, her face clouding over and for a split second, one brief moment, I saw a glimpse of the ancient hag that she was. I sucked my breath in, waiting for a storm. She calmed herself, resuming her tranquil tone, her face regaining its youth and beauty. “Our bloodstones are powerful, as you know. They are the keys to everything. That sniveling eunuch will not be able to use it- because it was made for you. But the bloodstones were made from one stone. One. When one is lost, we all suffer.” I stared at her intrigued, as she pulled her own bloodstone out of her robes. Hers was larger than mine and set in an intricate setting surrounded by rubies, but it had clearly been cut from the same mother stone… glistening blood-red, with black veins. “Our power as a whole should not be diminished because of the carelessness of one, should it?” she purred, sliding her hands smoothly over my shoulders and stopping with her fingers wrapped lightly around my neck. I gulped, then shook my head quickly. “Then, fix it,” she instructed pleasantly, removing her hands. “No matter what you need to do to repair your error, you have my support. Do you understand?”

Did I? Was she saying that retrieving my bloodstone using any means necessary was more important than restoring history? Before I could speak, she nodded. “I see that we’ve come to an understanding. You’re such a bright girl. Confusion flooded through me as I watched her adjust her clothing. How could this be happening? My entire being was dedicated to enforcing the plan of the Fates. Never had we deviated before, under the threat that chaos would ensue. How could we deviate now? Unless the threat was just that… an idle threat. I had forgotten that my thoughts were not safe around her, until she snapped me from my reverie with a growl. “Do not question us again, Charmian! There are times when the Plan is not as important as protecting the Order. It is as simple as that. And I will not explain myself to you!” But she just had. The Order had a weakness. The Bloodstones. And nothing on earth was as important as keeping them. I quickly blanked my thoughts so that she couldn’t read them again and nodded. “Yes, Lachesis. I’m sorry. Rest assured, I will fix this…” My voice trailed off hesitantly.

“But?” she prompted. “But can I just ask one thing? Can I just know one thing… because I know I will not remember it in my next life anyway.” She studied me quietly, reading my thoughts and hearing my unspoken question. Her face an unreadable, lovely mask. “In each life your memories from your previous lives are wiped clean for your own benefit,” she finally explained. “It benefits you in many ways. If you were able to remember the sadness from your previous lives, it would drive you to insanity. You would lose your effectiveness as a Keeper.” I nodded. Ahmose had been right. “And you forget the gifts you are capable of through your bloodstone as a safeguard,” she added. “The power that we are able to harness is exquisite and enormous. Too much burden for any one person to be aware of, life after life.” “But you…” “My sisters and I have each other to keep us in check. You have no one. But your Aegis.” Realization settled upon me like a cloud. So, Ahmose wasn’t just there to assist me… he was there to keep me firmly in place. “So, now you know.” She stared at me. “For now. You’ll forget it again soon enough.” That thought was not comforting. “Charmian?” I looked up at her. “Yes?” “Be good.” And she was gone. I took a shaking breath and sank into my bed, allowing the softness to comfort me momentarily. I wasn’t sure what to think. She had just confirmed that at least some of the things that Annen had told me were true… but since she openly admitted them, didn’t that mean that the Order had nothing to hide? I was at a loss. My hand brushed against a rolled up papyrus on my bed. Staring at it suspiciously, I picked it up. How had she left it? I hadn’t seen her with it at all. As I unrolled it, the yellow butterfly that I had just seen Lachesis eat flew from the confines of the paper and out my window. I watched it fly away in shock, alive and well, before I turned my attention to the paper in my hands. Delicate, feminine writing flowed across the page in English.

There are things you were never meant to understand. You will have to trust me. Before I even had a chance to ponder its meaning, the cryptic message burst into flame and I dropped it to the stone floor, watching it burn on the stone. Within a minute, it had disappeared completely… as though it had never existed. I exhaled shakily, suddenly realizing that I had been holding my breath. Forcing myself to calm, I reminded myself of my reality. I was a Keeper and my job right now was to get my bloodstone back so that I could return home to Pasadena where I belonged. And I would do it while disturbing my ancient life as Charmian as little as possible. I took a last glance into the mirror before I slipped into the hall, intent on waking Cleopatra up and forming a plan of action for the day. But my plan was waylaid when a house servant rushed to my side, her face drawn and pinched with worry underneath her tied scarf. “My lady, I am so thankful you are up,” she uttered quickly. “Please, can you come with me? It is Iras. She needs you.” Iras?! What on earth could possibly be wrong now? I quickly sailed through the empty corridors of the palace to Iras’ bedchamber, the servant trailing behind me. Pushing her door open, I scanned the room. Iras was thrashing in her bed, her forehead glistening with sweat. I turned in alarm to the servant girl. “How long has she been like this?” I crossed the room quickly to Iras, putting the back of my hand against her cheek, but withdrawing it just as quickly. She was burning up, her eyes glazed as she moaned. In her delirium, she didn’t even recognize that I was there. The servant girl shook her head quickly. “I know not, my lady,” she admitted reluctantly. “I found her this way this morning.” She hesitated and then continued. “I do know that the priest Annen was going to be bring her an herb… to help her get over her sickness. As you know, she has been ill for the past week or two. I came this morning to tell her that Annen has died. And she was like this.” My gaze returned to Iras as my stomach dropped like a lead weight. This couldn’t be happening. Apparently, Annen had been meant to heal her. But he couldn’t… because he was dead himself. If Iras didn’t get better, she would not be in Cleopatra’s tomb to die with us the way she was meant. I sighed heavily. I did not want to be the one to tell Cleopatra. But unfortunately, breaking bad news to her often fell within my job description. I turned back to the servant girl. “Please go directly to Cleopatra’s personal physician. Tell them that I need him here immediately.” She nodded quickly, her face alarmed. She knew that I would not call for Cleopatra’s personal physician, Olympus, unless the situation was dire. Olympus was every bit as daunting a person as Ahmose. She backed quickly out the door. I suspected that she was running at this very moment. I sat on the edge of the bed, stroking Iras’ burning back and pushing her damp hair out of her face. Her bedclothes were soaked with perspiration. There was hardly a dry place left for me to perch. My thoughts whirled, trying to recall from history books the types of illnesses that ancient Egyptians suffered from… and the cures. I was pretty sure that I remembered reading about typhoid and smallpox. And, suddenly I recalled that King Tut had died from Malaria. Holy crap. We had no penicillin or antimalarial drugs in ancient Egypt. There would be nothing we could do but plaster her in herbs and offer gifts to Sekhmet, the goddess of healing. Somehow, my opulent surroundings seemed a little tarnished now that the drawbacks stared me in the face. Before I could ponder the circumstances further, the door burst open and Olympus hurried in, carrying his leather satchel of herbs. His face was ominous, like always. He never looked cheerful- it was as though he always expected a death, even at dinner every night. The little servant girl scampered in behind him, securing the door in his wake. He strolled to my side, apparently intent on appearing as though he had not been summoned by me, but that he had simply decided to grace us with his presence. I suddenly recalled why I disliked this abhorrent man so much- he was grossly arrogant. I honestly didn’t understand why Cleopatra tolerated him.

“You require my services, my lady?” His stringy eyebrows rose mockingly as he eyed my face. I pasted on my best superior look and glared at him. “Obviously, Iras needs your help,” I gestured toward the bed as I rose to stand beside him. As if on cue, Iras moaned pitifully. “Please do all you can for her. Our majesty will be greatly displeased if anything…unfortunate happens to her.” I couldn’t bring myself to say the words, but my implication was clear. If Iras died, Cleopatra would be pissed at Olympus. He looked down his long Greek nose at me and I backed away from him. For some reason, he always smelled like pungent cheese. In a land where everyone was overly concerned with how they smelled, that was strange to me. Just one more thing to dislike about this unpleasant man. “I will do what I can,” he announced gravely and a little dismissively, as he turned his back to me. “It will be in the hands of Sekhmet, as well as my own.” I almost rolled my eyes. I had foreseen this not five minutes ago. Visions of the offerings that would soon take place in this room flitted through my head. Good lord- I might as well start lighting the incense now. What I wouldn’t give for just one bottle of penicillin or a Z-Pack. “I will check back in this afternoon. Please do not leave her side,” I instructed. He sniffed as he stared at me, but he did not dare to argue. He knew that what I had implied was correct. Cleopatra would hold him personally responsible if Iras died. And right now was not a good time to cross her, although he couldn’t know the extent of that truth. I sighed at the thought. I was going to have to break this news to her and it wasn’t going to be pretty. I made my way slowly back to her bedchambers, not relishing my job at all. As her right-hand girl, I always got the short end of the stick. Once, when we were teens, she had inadvertently broken her father’s favorite flute. It had been a complete accident, but her father was very serious about his flutes. He had even had an elaborate display case custom made from ebony to house his enormous collection. Out of curiosity, Cleopatra had taken his favorite one, a beautiful hand-carved ivory creation, to see firsthand why her father enjoyed playing them so much. She herself couldn’t understand it- it seemed a little foolish to her, an utter waste of time. Unfortunately, though, she had dropped it before she could even try it and it had shattered on the marble floor. I was the one who had to break the news to Auletes for her, although she didn’t ask me to lie. She simply didn’t wish to get struck and she felt confident that he wouldn’t beat me for her mistake. She had been wrong. In his intense fury, he had backhanded me so hard that I flew across the room into the wall. A sympathetic guard had helped me to my feet and held me as I regained my balance. That guard would grow up to be the leader of Marc Antony’s armies… and my fiancée. Hasani had risked Auletes’ wrath in order to help me to my bedchamber…because the room was spinning so much that I couldn’t walk alone. I could remember the anger and sympathy on his face as though it was yesterday. But as a member of the royal Ptolemaic guard, he couldn’t say anything to Auletes. It was unheard of. But Cleopatra could. My face had swelled up for a week, my eyes black and blue. Cleopatra had felt so horribly that she had waited on me hand and foot… and she had gone toe-to-toe with her father for the atrocity, all traces of her fear and guilt for breaking his flute were gone at what she saw as a horrible injustice. Servants had whispered to me in awe of how she had screamed at her father for hurting me. But I was in too much pain to care. It felt like the intense pain was going to split my head apart. But her railing had accomplished something. The next morning, one of Auletes’ servants had crept into my bedchamber carrying a small ivory box. The box itself was beautiful, but it also contained a set of matching golden combs. I still had those combs in my jewelry box, although I never wore them. I didn’t like to be reminded of that incident. Cleopatra had never asked me to do her dirtywork again. Although, I was still the one stuck with giving her bad news. Such as today. Standing outside of her bedchamber doors, I took a deep, steadying breath and pushed the doors open. She was still sleeping soundly, her beautiful face relaxed and unworried in her slumber. I walked silently to her side and gazed down upon her, dreading that I had to interrupt her peaceful dreams with this new development. I sighed heavily once more, before reaching down and shaking her shoulder gently. I had barely touched her when her dark eyes flew open and met mine. The intensity of her gaze so soon upon waking startled me and I stepped back with a gasp. “Goodness, Cleopatra. Were you already awake?” She stared at me wordlessly as I crossed to her balcony doors and opened them, allowing the fresh sea breeze to flow in through her rooms, rustling the sheer draperies that surrounded her bed. “No,” she finally spoke, before yawning into her hand. “I just wasn’t sleeping deeply. My dreams have been most fitful, of late.” “I can’t imagine why,” I muttered ruefully. Could it be the impending doom that lurked over all of us? “Don’t be snide, Charmian,” she admonished lightly. “We have a big day today.” She had no idea. “Yeah, um, about that…” I started, but trailed off as she narrowed her eyes at me. “What?” she demanded. “What now?” “Iras is sick,” I started again. But she interrupted me impatiently. “Yes, I know. She’s been sick for over a week already. Tell me something I don’t know.” She rolled her eyes as she stepped lightly out of bed, as naked as the day she was born, and stretched in the sunlight. “Well, you don’t know this,” I paused until she looked at me. “Apparently, Annen was supposed to bring her some healing herbs. But obviously he can’t, because he’s permanently indisposed.” As she grasped where I was heading, Cleopatra froze in her tracks, dismay immediately flooding her features. “And,” I continued, “She is not doing well at all. She is feverish and delirious.” “Summon Olympus at once,” Cleopatra demanded. “This is unacceptable. We can’t have any more incidents like this.” She collapsed back onto her bed, her head buried into her hands. I approached her quickly, wrapping a dressing gown around her thin shoulders. “It’s already done, my queen,” I replied quietly. “Olympus is with her now.” “What does he think ails her?” Cleopatra asked miserably, rubbing her temples with her fingers, her long chestnut hair tumbling around her shoulders. “He didn’t say,” I answered. “I doubt he knows,” I added meanly. She glanced at me sharply. “I know you dislike the man, Charmian, but you must give him credit where it is due. He usually knows of what he speaks.” I nodded silently, neither agreeing or disagreeing. I crossed to her side table and cut her a piece of crusty bread. “Here, your highness,” I handed her the small jeweled saucer. “Eat something.” She snatched it from my hands and grumpily chewed on the bread as she stared out at the harbor. “Charmian, you know we will still need to summon Tehran today. This doesn’t change that.”

“I understand, Cleopatra,” I acknowledged. “But what shall we do about Iras?” She turned to me in confusion. “What is there to do, Charmian? But wait?” I nodded dejectedly. She was right. There wasn’t a thing that we could do. But perhaps burn a few bunches of incense to Sekhmet. I would utter some frantic prayers to God, too, even though Christianity hadn’t even been thought of yet. It wouldn’t hurt to cover all of my bases.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Tehran impatiently sat in Cleopatra’s sitting room, looking horribly out of place on a delicate golden chair. His oily face caught the light from the windows and I could barely contain my repulsion. His bony arms clutched a tea cup and I could see his hands shaking slightly. So much for his pretense that he was cool as could be. He was a thinly concealed weasel. He probably almost had a heart-attack when Cleopatra had sent her guards to bring him to her chambers. Very few people saw her personal chambers and he was getting a prolonged look, as Cleopatra was making him wait. I knew that she was probably doing absolutely nothing in her bedchamber, but she wanted to make him understand that as queen, she could do as she wished. If she wanted him to wait for four hours, so be it. I personally prayed that it wouldn’t be that long. I had to stand in here and supervise the worm. We obviously couldn’t leave him alone. Thankfully for me, she emerged just a few moments later, appearing as calm as she could be. Her face was cool and collected as she stared regally down her nose at him. He quickly set his teacup aside and dropped to the floor, touching his nose to her Persian carpets. “You may rise,” she commanded coolly, gliding silently to a chaise lounge adjacent to the chair he had been sitting in. “Please…sit,” she instructed. As she crossed her legs delicately, she appraised him slowly, pursing her full lips as she did so. “Tehran,” she drawled softly, narrowing her heavily made up eyes. I noted with amusement that she had added a thick layer of additional kohl since I had originally done her face this morning. I rolled my eyes before I could stop myself. Leave it to Cleopatra to be extra-dramatic. “We all know why you are here,” she purred smoothly, as she fiddled with a thick string of pearls. Tehran’s eyes widened noticeably as he watched her, but he didn’t say anything for a minute. He gulped hard and finally said, “We do, your majesty?” I found myself transfixed on his prominent Adam’s apple, which bobbed with every word he spoke. The man was just all-around disgusting. “Of course we do,” she nodded. “Let’s not play games, Tehran. You know about the unique pendant that your master has in his possession. And I obviously know about it, as does Charmian. Especially Charmian, since it is hers.” Tehran’s eyes flitted to me briefly before he returned his nervous gaze to the queen. I noted that he was frantically tapping his heel against his chair. “So, since we are all in on the secret, let’s get down to business, shall we?” She asked, narrowing her eyes again. “Pothinus stole it from its rightful owner and I know that somehow, you have been involved.” Tehran started to deny it as sweat broke out on his brow. “Now, now,” she reassured him. “That only means that you are quite bright and very loyal… to help your master in such a way.” The dulcet tones of her voice were as smooth as honey and Tehran’s face went from nervous to confused to flattered in about two seconds flat. I almost laughed out loud. Cleopatra’s infamous charm seemed to be working once again. She was like a well-oiled machine. He watched her eagerly for her next words and I realized that he was practically eating out of her hand already. This would be a piece of cake. And really, now that I thought about it, I didn’t know why I had doubted it. Knowing Pothinus, he wasn’t exactly the best master. He was probably ungrateful and harsh. Not exactly loyalty inspiring. “I know that this will be a difficult decision for someone as loyal as you, Tehran,” she continued, “but I could really use someone of your cunning and intelligence on my staff. You see… Pothinus has become a thorn in my side. And I have discovered that I can’t handle him alone.” She batted her eyes femininely and I almost choked again. She was really laying it on thick…the whole, I’m-a-helpless-female-and-I-need-youto-rescue-me routine, and I could tell from his smitten face that it was working. No one could resist her when she put her mind to it. “Well, I… I don’t know what you need, my queen,” he stammered. “I need you on my team, Tehran,” she purred again. Rising fluidly from her seat, she crossed to him, bending to murmur in his ear. Her musky, distinct scent enveloped them and he closed his eyes as he inhaled. “Tehran, will you please help me?” she whispered huskily into his ear. He all but melted into a pool at her feet as he nodded, his eyes still closed. He didn’t see the exultant, triumphant look that Cleopatra shot me over his head. I smiled and shook my head. “You will have my undying gratitude, Tehran, as my loyal servant.” She looked to me. “And you can ask Charmian about how I treat my loyal staff.” I was quick to reassure him. “Yes, Tehran. You will not find a more appreciative queen anywhere,” I nodded. “Cleopatra is most unselfish. She always desires only the best for Egypt. It is her driving force.” His eyes flew open. “But what about me, my queen? Pothinus has said that you only want to kill us both in your efforts to save Egypt.” Cleopatra shot me an exasperated look before she answered him. I had almost blown it, apparently. But her fluid voice drizzled down over him like warm honey once again. “Tehran, of course my greatest concern is and always will be Egypt. But that is what makes me a fair ruler. I will never jeopardize you for another person. Think of Pothinus. You are entirely expendable to him. He wouldn’t hesitate to kill you in a second. I would never have you killed,” she promised as she gazed at him through half-closed, bedroom eyes. And she was telling the truth. She would never have him killed, but she would allow him to die his already plotted natural death. She left that part out, sneaky girl. “Okay,” he finally agreed. “I will help you, my queen. It would be my greatest honor. What would you like for me to do?” His weasely face was surprisingly eager and I noted that he did really seem to want to please her. I sighed. Men! They were all ruled by one thing. She was perfectly aware of what that one thing was, as she laid her arm on his shoulder, purposely putting her perfumed breasts in his face. He closed his eyes again, inhaling deeply, resting his cheek against his soft cleavage. She rolled her eyes above his head before she bent once more to whisper into his ear. “I need to catch Pothinus unaware,” she stated calmly, her voice as smooth as velvet and as thick and husky as the night. His eyes flew open. “We need Charmian’s bloodstone back.” “But your majesty, I do not think that would be right to ambush him…” But she interrupted him.

“Tehran, poor Pothinus has been corrupted by power. It happens sometimes to those who weren’t born to rule. They simply can’t handle the power that is handed to them.” She shrugged her slender shoulders. “It’s not his fault, really.” I had to blink hard. She was very convincing. If I didn’t know otherwise, I would think that she really felt sorry for Pothinus, at the unfair manner in which he had been corrupted. She was very, very good. “Where do you usually meet Pothinus?” she asked innocently, her eyes wide. “Down the beach a ways, my lady,” he answered. “There is a small cave hidden to those who aren’t already aware of it.” Cleopatra’s gaze met mine knowingly. We did know of it. We used to play there when we were children. Tehran continued, “He sends a boy to instruct me of the time.” Yep, just like he sent a message to me about the lighthouse. I bristled at the memory of his ‘summons’. “And what if you need to see him?” Cleopatra asked, all innocence and light as she smiled at him encouragingly, her small hand stroking his knee. He was entirely captivated by her presence and withheld nothing now. It was amusing. “I can’t. He always summons me.” At her crestfallen expression, he was quick to add, “But he has already arranged a meeting for tonight, my queen. In the cave an hour after nightfall.” Cleopatra smiled exultantly, removing her hand from his leg. He looked disappointed when she moved away from him. “You are a most loyal servant, Tehran, and I appreciate your candor and helpfulness.” She turned to me. “Charmian, can you please escort Tehran into my personal library and provide him with lunch?” I nodded. Before I could say anything, she had turned to Tehran again, and was smiling engagingly at him once again. “Tehran, you will be an honored guest in my personal guest chambers for the time being. I do not want Pothinus to misunderstand your loyalty to your queen. I certainly wish for no ill to befall you.” He nodded in agreement, obviously deeply infatuated now. I had to laugh. He had no idea that her words translated to mean: ‘Charmian, please arrange for a personal guard so that Tehran cannot leave his rooms.’ Too funny. “Tehran, if you will come with me?” I paused politely at his elbow and he obligingly followed me- having no clue as to what had just hit him. After I had gotten him stationed in a set of guest rooms with guards at his doors, I hurried back to Cleopatra. “Did you instruct the guards to not let him leave?” She asked me as soon as I opened her door. “Of course,” I answered with a smile. “Cleopatra, may I just say… that was very impressive. He probably still doesn’t understand what happened.” She smiled smugly as she dropped into her vanity table chair. “I know,” she sighed delicately. “It’s a gift, what can I say?” She shrugged her shoulders delicately again, but I had to admit…it really was a gift. A gift that would stand the test of time and still be talked about two thousand years in the future. That was quite an impressive talent. Her gaze sought out mine in the mirror. “Now then, Charmian, now that that is done, how should we proceed? Tehran is safely out of the way and already had a meeting in place. That was convenient.” I nodded in agreement. “Do you think it was too convenient, Cleopatra? Don’t you think he conceded much too quickly? Do you think this was a strategy hatched by Pothinus to get us to the cave tonight? Perhaps he has realized that he needs me in order to use the bloodstone.” Her eyes widened quickly. “I hadn’t considered that,” she admitted, her shoulders slumping. “It’s entirely possible, I guess.” “I don’t know, my queen. You do have a profound effect on people. It’s just as entirely plausible that it is no ploy at all. We just won’t know until I get there.” “I don’t like it, Charmian,” She murmured. “It would be an ambush. And if he kills you while we are here, your history between now and the modern present-time will be destroyed. Your husbands, those that came after us… all will be changed forever.” It was almost incomprehensible, unfathomable… the severity of our situation. But we couldn’t avoid it. It was what it was. And we were rushing at it by the second. Time could not be stopped. And besides… Lachesis had instructed me to use whatever means necessary. I shuddered at the thought. Shaking it from memory, I shrugged my shoulders, trying to lighten the mood. “My queen, we will deal with it as we have everything else that has been thrown at us. We are entirely capable. Besides, it is entirely likely that Tehran was not acting. I don’t think he would be that great at deceiving you—at least, not with your breasts in his face. He was at a total loss.” I giggled and she couldn’t help but join me. We were still laughing when Antony strolled in a few minutes later. “What is so funny, ladies?” he asked curiously. “I wish to share the joke.” Walking directly up to the queen, he smashed her to his barrel-sized chest again, burying his face into her neck. I had always thought that it fascinated him, seeing how small she was in comparison to him. He seemed to always do things to emphasize that fact. “Cleopatra, your scent is intoxicating,” he murmured as he nuzzled her, his wish to know the source of our laughter forgotten. She met my eyes again over his head and rolled her own. I smiled. She wasn’t fooling me- she loved him to distraction. “Ladies, what say you that we lunch by the sea today? It’s a beautiful day, the air is crisp, the sun is warm. Let us enjoy life, yes?” He eyed us both. “I’ll call for Hasani and we can all dine together.” My heart leapt at the sound of his name. I couldn’t help it. It was like music to me, second only to the sound of his beautiful voice. I found myself nodding before Cleopatra could even respond. “That looks like a yes, sweetheart,” he murmured to her and she nodded in compliance. Of course it was. We both wanted to enjoy them for just a few stolen moments more. My heart constricted at the realization that the end was approaching. I had been so focused on trying to put everything right before the end, that the end itself had escaped me. It was right back in my thoughts now, forefront in my mind. “Yes, Antony,” she answered. “Charmian and I have spent the morning worrying over darling Iras. She is horribly sick. I have called in Olympus and he is with her now. We could use a break.” Antony’s face turned surprisingly concerned. But then, I really shouldn’t be surprised. He was a very kind man in actuality. Another fact that had escaped history. “I’m sure she will be fine, my dear,” he comforted Cleopatra as he ushered us toward the door. “Why don’t you and Charmian check in on her now while I arrange our lunch and find Hasani?” He rubbed her back lightly as we walked. Cleopatra nodded wordlessly and allowed herself to be led down the hall, escorted directly to Iras’ chambers. Antony left us there, while he went

about his errands. Entering her chambers, the thick scent of incense immediately assailed us. I almost covered my nose because the air was so heavy with it. It was difficult to breathe. Through the smoky haze, we saw Olympus seated beside Iras’ bed, her hand grasped tightly within his own. “Her heart is still weak, your highness,” he announced without looking up. “I fear that she will expire before night falls unless she does not awaken soon. It is Sekhmet’s will.” “It is not Sekhmet’s will,” Cleopatra contradicted icily. “Do not give me that. Until she dies, we know not what Sekhmet’s will is.” Properly chastised, Olympus lowered his gaze as Cleopatra stood next to Iras. Picking up her other limp hand, she drew it to her mouth, kissing it lightly. I didn’t even bother pointing out that the sickness might be contagious. We were all going to be dead within the week anyway. It wouldn’t matter. “Iras, my love, if you can hear me, please get better,” the queen implored, her dark gaze frozen on Iras’ still face. Her breathing was labored, rising and falling shakily with each breath. I felt my panic grow as I watched her struggle to breathe. On the one hand, it would be easier for Iras to simply slip away now, never regaining consciousness and facing the paralyzing fear that I knew we would face in Cleopatra’s tomb. On the other, we needed to re-weave the fabric of time. Failure was not an option. Olympus knelt again, putting a steaming poultice of something rancid on Iras’ forehead. I wrinkled my nose in distaste, not even wanting to know what it was. It smelled like a rotting corpse. And knowing Olympus, that could very well be what it was. Straightening again, he looked at Cleopatra, his withered face solemn. “I will do my best, your majesty,” he promised. “If she dies, it will not be because of my lack of trying.” “Very well,” Cleopatra replied regally. “That is all I can ask. But do not let her die.” She turned on her heel and pulled me out the door as Olympus watched us leave. As we strolled down the hall, seemingly without a care in the world, Cleopatra turned to me. “This is not good, Charmian. Her face was gray and her chest already had the death rattle.” I nodded. “I know. I noticed that, as well. But Cleopatra, there is nothing we can do. If she is strong enough, she will pull through. If not, we’ll deal with it when the time comes.” We continued wordlessly down the staircase, intent on waiting for Hasani and Antony in the courtyard. When we arrived, however, they were already there, chatting by a granite sculpture of Anubis. The heady scent of jasmine hung heavily in the air and I remembered now why it had always been my favorite smell in the world. It must have, on a subconscious level, reminded me of Alexandria. Hasani’s face lit up as we approached and I smiled in response. I would never get accustomed to the beauty of it. It was as radiant as the sun. “My love,” he murmured as I stepped to his side. I could tell that he desperately wanted to kiss me, but decorum prevented him from acting on it. “This is a pleasant lunch time surprise,” he said instead, his eyes locked with mine. “Yes, it is,” I readily agreed as we followed Antony and Cleopatra down the stairs to the beach. “I wish I could lunch with you every day, general.” He responded by touching the small of my back lightly and allowing his hand to trail down softly over my hips. My skin practically caught fire where he touched it and I exhaled a long sigh. When we reached the beach, we saw that a table had been brought from the palace, elaborately set with golden dishes inside a royal purple tent. The doorways of the tent were fastened back to allow the breeze to flow through. As we approached, I saw that the inside of the tent had been furnished as though it was a lavish room. A side table loaded with jugs of wine and plates of bread lined the side, while on the other side, mountains of silk cushions adorned the rugs placed on the sand. Of course, I should have expected no less. Cleopatra did nothing shabbily, including a picnic on the sand. Knowing this, Antony had outdone himself. Roasted fish sat on the table, with side dishes of steamed currants, roasted carrots in garlic sauce and sautéed onions surrounded it. The smells emitting from the tent were making my stomach growl and we quickly seated ourselves around the table. In front of us, the majestic Mediterranean lapped calmly against the shore, as if even the sea knew to behave in Cleopatra’s presence. The salty air breezed in gently, just enough to stir my hair and rotate the air in the tent. As I looked around the table, at Cleopatra gazing lovingly at Antony, at Antony laughingly teasing his wife as he fed her a currant with his fingers and at Hasani… whose beautiful dark face was adoringly watching me… I knew that I would never forget this afternoon, not in two thousand years. It would be the memory that would break my heart as I missed these people for all of eternity. Cleopatra’s tinkling laugh brought me back to the present and I quickly began paying attention again as we ate lunch together. But suddenly, with the magnitude of what I was about to lose staring at me in the face once again, it was suddenly difficult to swallow the decadent meal. I lifted my chalice and took a big gulp of wine, only to find Hasani gazing at me as I lowered the glass. His smile took my breath away and I wished with every fiber in my being that it didn’t. I struggled trying to uphold the charade that everything was normal as I listened to Antony prattle on about the upcoming battle against Rome. I could hear the undercurrent of worry in his voice and I knew that within a few days, he and Cleopatra would be acknowledging to each other that it would be futile. What he didn’t know however, was that she was not going to allow her army’s defeat. She would defect first. As I watched him laugh, my knowledge was suddenly too heavy to bear. I stood quickly to my feet. “Your highness, do you mind if I take a walk on the beach?” I asked desperately. She glanced at my face quickly, hearing the notes of panic. “Of course not, Charmian,” she agreed. “Please- take Hasani and go for a walk. The weather is perfect today.” I nodded my thank you and left the tent as quickly as humanly possible. Thankfully, Hasani didn’t notice anything amiss, as he looped his arm around my waist. “Thank you, my love,” he murmured into my ear as we walked. “I desperately needed some time alone with you. I’ll be spending the rest of the day with my officers, so I will enjoy your presence now. You smell a lot better than they do!” His eyes twinkled as he laughed. “Hasani, you are so beautiful,” I answered softly, stopping as I reached out to trace his jaw with my fingers. He stared at me quizzically, a small smile tilting his lips. “Warriors are not beautiful, my lady,” he corrected. “No?” I asked, sliding my fingers down his chest over the smooth fabric of his shift. “Then what are they?” “Hopelessly in love with you,” he answered confidently, bending to scoop me up tightly against him, his arms as strong as steel bands. Bowing his head, he kissed me softly and soundly all at once, making certain that he got his point across as he held me suspended in his arms. There were no worries there. I received his message and smiled. “What is it that you told me the other night, general?” I asked teasingly. “You’re just going to have to behave and wait until tonight?” “Don’t throw my words back at me, woman,” he growled lightly, kissing the side of my neck. I could feel my heart slamming in my chest as it did

every other time he touched me. His effect on me was immediate and profound. Every time. “I’m just saying…” I smiled inwardly as he interrupted me mid-sentence, kissing me again, his lips soft against mine. He gently forced mine apart and his tongue lightly circled my own. When the kiss ended, I breathlessly managed to finish my sentence. “I’m just saying that you’ll have to wait,” I managed to get out, taking a deep, shaky breath. “Are warriors patient?” “Always,” he confirmed smugly. “It is one of our many talents.” He smiled broadly and warmth flooded through me. I had never felt safer than I did at that moment, safely ensconced in his arms. Fate was indeed a cruel mistress.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The palm trees in the courtyard swayed softly in the breeze as Cleopatra and I huddled together. Dressed completely in dark brown linen, we were hoping to fade into the backdrop of night as we traveled down the beach to the hidden cave. “Are you all set?” she whispered anxiously, staring into my eyes. “Do you know what to do?” I nodded. I was completely terrified, but I knew what to do. Tonight was our best chance at getting the bloodstone back from Pothinus. He was still unaware that Tehran had defected to Cleopatra, so he was expecting a meeting with his loyal servant tonight. Little did he know that I would be the one walking into that cave. Hopefully, he would be taken enough by surprise so that I could get the upper hand. Not likely, but it was still our hope. Cleopatra took me by the arm and we made our way down the two hundred steps to the water. The breeze carried the scent of jasmine to us from the palace and I inhaled the familiar, comforting scent as we approached the guards at the bottom of the stairs. They startled, not expecting to see two cloaked figures emerge behind them. Cleopatra lowered her hood just enough that they could see who she was. “My queen,” they bowed low, lowering their spears to their sides. As they stood again, surprise at her appearance was evident on their faces, but we were unconcerned. They answered to her, after all. They weren’t exactly going to question her. I slid my shaking hand down to my thigh, checking for the cool metal of Cleopatra’s jeweled dagger. It was strapped securely around my legright at my fingertips if I needed it. I looked at her and she nodded, so I took a step forward. She was going to hang back twenty paces, in case Pothinus was watching the beach. Twilight glittered on the top of the Mediterranean, the reflection of the moonlight sparkling like shattered broken black glass as I made my way quietly along the abandoned beach. Darkness shrouded everything around me, making me shiver at the things that it might be concealing. Everything was coming down to me now… I was the one who had to meet Pothinus, I was the one who had to somehow wrench my amulet away from him, I was the one who held the histories of the world in her arms. I pictured my puny biceps and inwardly groaned. This was going to be a disaster. I wasn’t capable of wrenching anything. Who was I kidding? The sand was wet beneath my feet as I clung to the foam lip of the sea and contemplated the heavy weight on my shoulders. All along the shoreline, the tide was bringing in driftwood and strings of seaweed which littered the beach in wet clumps. I stepped gingerly over the debris as I made my way silently toward the cave. Away from the light of the torches that lined the palace’s courtyard, the night was so dark that when I glanced behind me, I almost missed seeing Cleopatra. Only her head was visible, bobbing along in the night. Her face was completely concealed by her cloak. I swallowed hard and continued walking, searching the rocks for the opening of the cave. And I almost missed it. The opening yawned blacker than the night, signaling the deep abyss that it contained. Apprehension built in my chest and it grew until I could barely breathe. As I walked the few remaining steps to the mouth of the cave, I concentrated on taking small, short breaths. The last thing I needed was to hyperventilate on the shore. It would be a dead giveaway to Pothinus that I wasn’t Tehran. I paused outside of the cave for a brief moment, trying to get a hold of myself and to slow my racing heart. My birthmark was silent, not a single throb of pain came from it…a good sign. The sea beat relentlessly against the coast and I tried to concentrate on the rhythmic crashing to calm myself. I knew that Cleopatra was waiting in the darkness and was probably wondering what the heck I was doing. I took one last deep breath and stepped inside. Without the light from the moon, the cave was even blacker than the beach. I waited for a moment so that my eyes could adjust, but after a few minutes longer, I still couldn’t see a thing. A deep voice echoed from within, from somewhere hidden in the shadows. “You are late. You know I hate it when you are late!” Pothinus rasped. Panic began to overwhelm me. How could I do anything at all if I couldn’t even see him? I scanned the darkness, trying to make sense out of any of the shadowy shapes, but it was simply too dark. It was impossible. There was no way I would have a chance at getting the upper hand. I was surrounded with utter blackness. And then a miracle. Pothinus lit a torch and stepped into the light. I could scarcely believe my good fortune. But my good fortune slipped away with every step that Pothinus took, because each step was bringing him closer to the moment that he realized who I was. Another heavy step. Then another and another. And then one more. He stood three steps away and from inside my hood, I could hear his heavy breathing, as though the simple act of walking was laborious for him. And it probably was. The man was morbidly obese. Sweat glistened on his forehead, the orange glow of the torch reflecting off of his pasty skin. I silently made a face. Once again, he smelled like a hamster. Clearly, he had an aversion to bathing. “Well?” he thundered. “Do you have anything to report or have I ventured out in the night for nothing?” The moment of truth. I only had one chance to make this work. The second I spoke, he would know who I was. My heart thudded heavily into my cloak. I scanned his body in search of the bloodstone, but didn’t see it. I would have to assume that it was hidden safely under the folds of his own cloak. Tehran had told Cleopatra this evening that Pothinus never took it off- that he wore it on a chain around his neck constantly. It felt strange to trust Tehran, but his word was all we had. I reached up a shaking hand and pulled off my hood. The light from Pothinus’ torch bathed the side of my face in its golden glow. I tentatively shifted my gaze to his face, where his complete shock hung like an unfinished sentence. Taking advantage of his surprise, I hurled myself into him with all of my strength. Hitting his weight was like running into a brick wall, but I somehow managed to knock him off-balance. As he stumbled backward, I groped at his chest, trying to feel my pendant through his heavy shift. My fingers had just grazed the hard edge of the gold when he wrenched me away. “You little bitch!” he gasped as he yanked my head back by my hair. White hot pain shot into me, spreading down into my neck and shoulders. The pain was so intense that it took my breath away. I fought to breathe as I wildly struggled against him, but my hands couldn’t grasp him. He was a mountain of fat.

Holding both of my wrists in one of his, he leaned his putrid face close to mine as I panted with exertion. “What did you think you were going to do, Charmian?” He glanced behind me. “You thought you could come here alone and be a hero for your queen, for the Order?” He laughed in derision, the sound a vicious echo in the blackness of the cave. “You’re a fool,” he snarled, throwing me easily to the floor. I hit hard, my hands scraping the stone. “All you’ve done is make things easier for me… by delivering yourself to me on a platter!” I felt my hands begin to bleed and I shook my head to clear it. I scrambled awkwardly up and glared at the eunuch, wiping my hands on my cloak. He stared back with beady, hostile eyes. “Pothinus, this needs to end. Long ago, events unfolded the way they were meant to unfold. And you will be unable to use my bloodstone to change anything. It won’t work for you. I would have thought that Annen would have told you that.” He laughed again, a maniacal, unbalanced sound. “And where is Annen now? Oh, that’s right. He’s dead. I killed him. His opinion is no longer important.” It was clear that Pothinus had lost it. He was a crazy person. His beady black eyes were cold and flat, as though I was looking into the eyes of a shark. It gave me shivers. “Annen knew what he was speaking of, Pothinus. My bloodstone is tied to me and I will not help you. We cannot change the face of time. We cannot. Even if you tried, I am guessing that you would not like the outcome- because it would surely come with consequences.” I tried to keep my voice calm and logical, as though I was simply trying to hash out a problem with a friend. It was unbelievably difficult to keep the acid out of my voice. “Annen simply didn’t want anyone to have the power. That is all, you foolish twit. He cared nothing about protecting history or time. He just wanted the power.” I stared at him in amazement. “Are you insane? If he only wanted the power, he would have kept it. But he returned the bloodstone to me… its rightful owner.” I studied the eunuch’s face. He was not convinced. His expression was still superior, as though I was a foolish child and he was the all-knowing adult. “I’m not going to waste any more time on you.” He spit at me. “Until you agree to help me, I will kill those close to you, one by one. And I will save you for last, dear Charmian.” I wanted to smile in his self-important face, but I didn’t want to reveal anything. I was accustomed to death. He didn’t frighten me. Clearly, he was not worried about any threat that I might pose. He believed that I was here alone- and I was just a helpless woman. I was suddenly thankful for the kickboxing lessons that I had taken with my mother last year, as a plan hatched quickly in my mind. Without even waiting to cement it, I whirled, swinging my leg around in a full-force roundhouse kick to his abdomen. His mouth dropped open in a comical O when I made contact. My bare foot disappeared into the folds of his gelatinous stomach, before I quickly yanked it back out. Clearly, kicking his fat wasn’t going to be effective- he didn’t even feel it, although it did serve to catch him by surprise. As a eunuch, he didn’t have any balls for me to kick, although I desperately wished that wasn’t the case. That would be oh-so-satisfying. My options, it seemed, were limited. Before he could grab my leg with his ham-fists, I bent my knee and kicked him in the side of the head. The impact spun his face around, a mouthful of saliva flying out and splattering the stone wall of the cave. I grinned triumphantly at him. Who knew I could be such a bad-ass? Taking advantage of the moment, I garnered all of my strength and charged at him. He toppled over onto his hands and knees, his red face wheezing as he tried to inhale. As he fell heavily to the ground with the torch, my bloodstone tumbled out of his cloak. Twisting gently as it dangled from his neck, it glittered in the fire light. Lunging forward, I yanked it with every ounce of strength that I had left. The thin chain snapped and all at once, it was in my hand. I closed my fingers firmly around the cool gold and immediately felt a rush of comfort. It was back where it belonged. Eyeing Pothinus as he lumbered to his feet, I tried to decide what to do. He was heavier and slower, so I could definitely out run him, but he was situated between me and the mouth of the cave. Like a wall made from cellulite, he blocked my escape- and from his devious bloody smile, I could tell that he knew it. Wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his arm, he spit onto the ground, stringy rust colored mucus hanging from his lips. “Hmm. Maybe you’re not so foolish, servant girl,” he taunted, limping closer. “But you still aren’t as smart as you think. There’s no way out for you. You’re going to have to get past me- and trust me, that’s not going to happen.” I knew that he was right and I frantically looked around me, trying to remember from my childhood days if there was another exit. I quickly recalled that there was not. I was trapped with this overstuffed whale. And then, as if from a dream, Hasani’s clear voice came from the darkness. “I don’t know who you are or what game you are playing, but if you lay another hand on my future wife, I will cut your throat.” He stepped into the light from the torch, his beautiful face as menacing as I’d ever seen it. His bronzed skin glistened in the light as he stepped even closer. I could see the disbelief flicker across his face as he registered that he was standing with a dead man, before he quickly masked his surprise. He was a warrior through and through, a fact that I sometimes forgot since he was so gentle when he was with me. He held his sword in both hands, circling around Pothinus as though he was a hunter and Pothinus was his next meal. A movement behind him caught my attention and I glanced up to find Cleopatra’s pale face in the shadows. “My queen,” I frowned. “You weren’t supposed to come in. It’s too dangerous for you.” She sniffed disdainfully. “The only danger here is asphyxiation from this animal’s foul smell.” I grinned in agreement. She couldn’t be more right. Gazing at Hasani’s face which was still set in a deadly expression, I asked, “How did you find me, Hasani? How did you know that I needed you?” He glanced at me briefly before returning his watchful gaze to the eunuch. “Olympus wanted me to locate Cleopatra. Iras’ fever has broken. She is going to be alright. He thought her majesty would want to know immediately.” Relief flooded through me so quickly that my knees went weak. “Thank God,” I whispered. Cleopatra’s face mirrored the relief found on my own. “I searched everywhere for you and couldn’t find you. As a last ditch effort, I decided to try the beach, even though I specifically told you not to come out on the beach now,” he glanced at me reprovingly. “The guards told me that they saw you both sneaking out in dark cloaks. Obviously, by that point, I knew something was wrong.” I looked sheepishly at my feet. “You said not to come out alone,” I clarified. “I wasn’t. Alone.” The glare he shot me was sharp and I averted my gaze.

“I’m sorry, Hasani,” I mumbled in a rush. “I wish I could explain, but it is so complicated. And …” “And it is best that you not know,” Cleopatra interrupted smoothly. “I’m sorry, Hasani. At my orders, Charmian has concealed dangerous secrets from you. It was for your own good- the more people that knew, the riskier the whole thing would become. For Charmian and for me.” I shot her a grateful look. Hasani knew that he could not argue with the queen. But from the harsh set to his jaw, I knew that I hadn’t heard the last of this. He glared at me over the silver metal of his sword. “Don’t you realize that you could’ve been killed? If I lost you, I don’t know what I would…” his voice trailed off and I remembered. Warriors never, ever cried. He had told me that once with a confident smile. But as I gazed at him now, I saw wetness glistening in the corner of his eye. Pain stabbed my heart like a knife. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt him. “I’m sorry, Hasani,” I whispered softly, as I dabbed at it with my bare fingers. He nodded wordlessly, but his expression had softened. And just as quickly hardened into a lethal mask as he lunged in front of me, shoving me to the ground behind him. I stared up at him in bewilderment and then in realization as Pothinus stepped away from him, a triumphant grin on his putrid face. He held a dagger in his hand, dripping with blood. Hasani’s blood. I gasped. Hasani lifted his hands from the wound in his side and blood streamed in rivulets. There was so much blood. Too much. He crumpled to the ground and I dropped to my knees at his side. “Hold your hands tight right here,” I commanded him, yanking off my cloak to staunch the blood. His eyes sought mine, and I noticed that the shine in his had dimmed. A lump formed in my throat. “I’m sorry, Charmian. I was distracted and I didn’t see him…” “Shh, save your strength.” I brushed my lips across his brow. “I distracted you. I’m the one who should be apologizing. You saved my life, Hasani.” From my periphery, I saw Pothinus take a step toward me and I grabbed Hasani’s sword, jumping up to brandish it at him. “Take one more step and I swear to every god you hold holy that I will slice your head off. My sword is longer than your dagger and I’m very, very tired of you.” My threat was sincere. I had never in my life hurt another living being, but I would kill this man without so much as a blink. I tightened my grip on the handle. “But if you kill me, Charmian, Hasani will bleed to death right here at your feet. He will die in your place. Do you want that?” Pothinus’ voice was matter-of-fact. To my left, I felt Cleopatra attend to Hasani. She murmured comforting words to him and I felt an overwhelming sense of panic. He would bleed to death. The eunuch was right. Hasani would die because he saved my life. My mouth went dry as I frantically tried to decide what to do. I couldn’t let him die. I couldn’t. “Give me back the bloodstone, Charmian. I’ll show you how to heal him. You know he wasn’t meant to die by my hand.” Pothinus eyed me calmly, keeping his voice soft and reassuring. I faltered. “Charmian,” Cleopatra began gently, “Think about this. Don’t do something foolish. We are all going to die soon anyway.” Hasani coughed and I could hear the blood in his mouth. Visions of his real death- the one planned for him at the end of a Roman sword assailed me. And I squeezed my eyes shut. It felt like someone was holding my heart in a vice-grip. The pain was excruciating. “Don’t bow to him, Charmian,” Hasani choked. “Whatever this is about… don’t do it. Not for me.” Oh god. Pain wracked me and the room spun for a moment. Hasani didn’t even know what was at stake here. He didn’t know my secrets… but he trusted me anyway. He loved me that much….enough to die in my place. My resolve strengthened and I stiffened my spine. I didn’t need the eunuch. I could feel power coursing through my veins, building and pulsing with each beat of my heart. It was there for the taking. I just needed to harness it. I needed to follow my instincts. “Do it,” Ahmose whispered in a hiss. I glanced up in surprise, to find him standing behind Pothinus. “You know what to do, Charmian. Do it.” He shifted his piercing stare toward the eunuch and as I watched in amazement, Pothinus flew against the stone wall of the cave and hung there squirming. Ahmose ignored his angry howls as he kept his gaze locked on him, holding him tightly to the wall. “Do it,” he hissed again. I nodded and dropped to Hasani’s side.

Please, please god give me the strength. Please. I clasped the bloodstone in my hands and pressed against Hasani’s wound with all of my strength. His warm blood gushed over and around my hands, something that I tried to ignore. Instead, I focused on the power pulsing through me, focused on the way it was trying to escape from my body as it writhed and burned and moved…and I focused on channeling it into Hasani. I watched Hasani’s eyes flutter closed. “I love you, Charmian,” he murmured weakly, before his chest trembled to a stop. I screamed, a wretched, debilitating sound and collapsed on top of him, keeping the bloodstone pressed between us. “Please, Hasani. Open your eyes. Stay with me,” I begged, my lips brushing against the soft moistness of his neck, right where his pulse should beat. I could taste the dried ocean spray on his skin, but could not feel the beat of his heart. I closed my eyes and cried. Insane with grief, I wept as sadness and despair overwhelmed me and combined with the churning power of the bloodstone. Suddenly, my body could no longer contain it. Light from my fingertips exploded into the cave as the walls began to shake and crumble. I physically felt energy from within me transfer to Hasani’s still body and I opened my eyes wide, focusing harder on his beautiful face. “Please, please, please…”I begged in a whisper. The powerful, raging energy drained from me and I felt weaker and weaker, but I still kept the strange portal between us open. I wasn’t sure how I was doing it, but I knew that if I stopped concentrating for even one second, it would be over… and it wouldn’t be enough. I couldn’t stop until Hasani’s eyes opened. And then suddenly they did. His dark eyes opened in confusion, glinting in the darkness. “Charmian…” he whispered, lifting his hand to my face. The room began swirling and I dropped my head to his chest as everything went black. I felt detached from my body and I could hear muted voices… Ahmose, Annen, Lachesis…. But I was unable to open my eyes. Weakness had

overtaken me so completely that I just wasn’t strong enough. The voices melted together and it was difficult to tell who was saying what. “Take her back to the palace,” Lachesis implored. “What about the queen?”Ahmose asked hurriedly. “Take her as well… and Hasani.” “The Keres will not tolerate this, Lachesis...” Was that Annen? Who were the Keres? “Dim her memories,”Ahmose suggested. “Yes,” Lachesis agreed. I felt my consciousness slip further and further away from me, as though someone had reached in and grabbed it. I tried to hold onto it. But it was no use. My mind was already losing the details of what had just happened. “I will try again and next time I will not fail.” Annen? Then everything was quiet and I succumbed to the blackness.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Light streamed in the open window as I opened my eyes. I was surrounded by the crispness of my bedding and the sea breeze ruffling my hair. I was in my own bedchambers, safe and sound. I glanced around me, instantly panicked, but unsure why. Hasani was lying next to me, his breathing rhythmic and even in his slumber. I relaxed and lay back in my pillows. What had happened to me? The details from the cave were blurry and the more I thought about them, the more everything swirled together. But one thing was clear. I had somehow saved Hasani. He had died right in front of me, and I had brought him back. The magnitude of that fact forced my own breathing to slow as I pondered the implications. The bloodstone was indeed very, very powerful. And with it, so was I. I quickly clutched at my neck, only to find it hanging right where it should be. I relaxed once again. “I’m impressed.” Lachesis appeared from thin air into the chair next to me. I startled for a moment and then sat up to face her. “You’re impressed?” I purposely kept my voice quiet, so I wouldn’t wake Hasani. “Of course. You balanced a thin line between life and death. And you came back from it.” “I don’t know how I did it,” I admitted. “Of course you don’t,” she agreed. “But the important thing was that you were able to do it. There is something special about you, Charmian. I’ve known that all along.” “What does that mean?” She shook her head gently. “The rules haven’t changed, my dear. Things will be revealed to you only as necessary, not before. I just wanted you to know that you have pleased us.” “Thank you,” I whispered. “And now you know what you must do,” she prodded. I nodded sadly. “Life will continue on. And you will be returned to where you belong. But first, because you have pleased me, I will grant you one more day here. You may spend one more night with your love. You have earned it.” She stared at me with glistening icy eyes, as old as the sun. “Hasani and Cleopatra will have no memory of the incident in the cave. Our secret is safe from Hasani and Cleopatra will only be aware that you were able to retrieve your bloodstone. You are now back on track. Handle your Daedal. Finish your mission.” “What about Annen?” I asked. “He is gone. There is no need to concern yourself with him now.” “And Pothinus?” “Ahmose escorted him back to where he belonged… and he has died the death meant for him.” A wicked sense of satisfaction grew in me at the thought of his head on a spike outside the city. That cur had almost killed Hasani. He deserved anything he got and then some. I hoped the blade had been dull. Lachesis’ expression grew gentle. “Sleep now,” she instructed, her hand brushing my hair back. “You need the rest, little Keeper.” I closed my eyes and I knew she was gone. *** “Tell me what Annen meant,” I demanded several hours later, squarely facing Ahmose. The ancient Aegis stared at me stubbornly, his lips pressed tightly together. “You know that I cannot,” he finally answered. We stood alone in the quiet midst of what would become the renovated Temple of the Phoenix. The construction efforts had ceased for the day and the light from the moon cast oblong shadows along the stone walls of the empty temple. “You can, though. We have broken out of the confines of ordinary, Ahmose, simply by being here. You haven’t been forthcoming with me, priest. And I want to know why. Is it possible to withdraw from the Order and live a normal life?” “How do you define normal, Charmian?” he asked softly. “Each individual on the planet has a purpose. That you already know. Do you feel it would be normal to turn your back on your own?” “I’m not sure. But I would love to find out what it felt like to live a life that didn’t always end in death and tragedy.” “Ah, Charmian. Death comes to us all. But yours always means something great. Don’t you find comfort in that?” I stared at him steadily. “I’m not sure anymore. I think … that I find it a little unfair.” “Of course it is unfair. But there are many things in life that are unfair. Is it fair that Cleopatra must carry so much responsibility in each life? So much heartache? I think not. Is it fair that some are born as lowly servants in every life- condemned to struggle just to survive? I think not. But it is the way of the world. You can’t change it.” “But I can,” I argued. “If I wanted. Annen knows a way.” “But Annen is gone. And he cannot possibly know of the consequences. And quite frankly, neither do I. I’ve consulted with the Elders and no one has ever seen such a thing. I think, Charmian, that deep down, you know it is too dangerous. Otherwise, you would have asked Annen when you had the chance.” He was right. I had been afraid that I might be tempted by Annen’s story- enough to risk catastrophe. I couldn’t be sure of what would happen to me. Was purgatory or hell real? If so, if I challenged the Fates and God and whatever was planned for me… perhaps I would wind up in eternal punishment. That would not be pleasant. There was too much unknown to act on it now. “Charmian, in every life, you make an enormous difference on the world. Millions of people are dependent on your actions. Do not take that lightly. What you have been given- your role in life- is an honor.”

I nodded slowly as I listened. That much was true. It was an honor. And a burden. I sighed heavily. “What did Annen mean when he said ‘the Keres wouldn’t stand for this’? Who are the Keres?” Ahmose stared at me quietly with his lips pursed, then shook his head slowly. “That is not something meant for you to know. Not right now.” I sighed again and changed the subject. “When will you return me to Macy’s life?” “You mean, your life?” he asked with a small smile. “You always speak of Macy as a separate person, when you are the same.” “It’s just how I differentiate- how I keep my sanity. You’ve thrust me into a strange world, priest.” I scowled. “I didn’t,” he answered softly. “But I do apologize. In every life, you act with grace. You don’t complain about your lot. You simply do what is expected of you. I admire you for that.” I turned to him in surprise. “You do?” “Of course. You have a very good soul, as pure as I’ve seen. Lachesis was right. There is something special and different in you. It is an honor to work with you.” He bowed his head slightly toward me and I stepped back in astonishment. This ancient Elder was honored to work with me? Craziness. Sensing my discomfort, he smoothly changed the subject. “You have until tomorrow, my lady.” I stared at him once again. “Tomorrow?” He nodded. “Yes. Lachesis has instructed me to return you tomorrow, before Alexandria is conquered by Rome.” My mind started swimming. “I can’t watch Hasani die, Ahmose. I cannot do it.” “I know,” he replied sympathetically. “And I am not suggesting you should. Spend the evening with your friends. Spend the night with Hasani, and then in the morning, before everything unravels… I will take you away from here.” “Before everyone else dies,” I added sadly. “Yes, before everyone dies.” Ahmose paused, studying my face. “Charmian, we are not signing death warrants- we are just repairing history. It has all already unfolded before. You know this.” I nodded silently, not trusting my voice. Finally, I felt that I could speak. “Alright, priest. Shall we go now?” I asked, gazing wistfully at the tranquil scenery outside of the temple doors. “Now,” he nodded. I sighed and grasped the bloodstone firmly as he circled my hands with his own. I had been hoping that we could put it off for just a little while longer. But there was no use delaying the inevitable, I guess. As he began murmuring, I closed my eyes before the blackness overtook me and forced them shut. The pulsing electricity flowed through my body and the overwhelming sensations began, straightened out my fingers and toes. My spine crackled and then it was done. I might not ever get used to the abrupt finish. It was startling. I opened my eyes to discover night time and stars twinkling high above Alexandria. Cleopatra rose from her bed. “You’re back!” she exclaimed happily, clapping her hands. “I’ve been so worried.” “Why is that, my queen?” I asked wearily. “I don’t know. I suspect I’m simply unsettled after all that has happened. Why do you seem so sad? Did something happen?” “I will be staying through the night, your highness. And then I’ll be returning to Pasadena. I cannot stay for the actual end. Charmian will still be here, of course, but the part of me that is Macy will return home.” She nodded solemnly. “I know. I guessed as much.” Ever the queen, she drew her sadness and despair inside of her, pulling it away where no one else could see it. No one else but me. She squared her shoulders. “We should prepare for dinner, then, Charmian,” she said as she sat at her vanity stool. “Let us both look extraordinarily beautiful tonight, shall we?” Her face was sad as she picked up her hairbrush. “Let us also not be sad,” I added as I began gathering her hair into a bun to tuck under her wig. “Not tonight, my queen. Tonight, we celebrate our lives and the lives of those we love.” Meeting my gaze in the mirror, she nodded and gave me a weak smile. “You’re very wise, my love. Some of my wisdom must have rubbed off on you over the years.” I rolled my eyes. “Or vice versa.” She smiled and rose from her seat, crossing to a massive ebony jewelry box. “What to wear, what to wear…” she murmured as she sifted through the costly trinkets. She lifted out the white satin band of her diadem. “I think I’ll wear this.” My breath froze in my throat. She would be wearing that very diadem on the day we died. In fact, after she died, I would be adjusting it for her when Roman soldiers broke into her tomb. And then, I would collapse at their feet as I closed my eyes for the last time. I squeezed my eyes shut against the memory of their angry faces. No, not tonight. I would not think about that tonight. “Excellent choice,” I smiled, taking it from her as she sat back down. I wove it expertly through her wig until it was snug enough not to move. As I painted her eyes and lips, I caught my hands shaking and willfully tried to still them before she noticed. I saw her glance at me, so I knew that she had not missed it. She missed nothing, which sometimes was really annoying. “Be happy, Charmian,” she whispered. “Remember tonight? We are having a magnificent party.” I nodded and stepped back. “You are finished, my queen,” I murmured. Staring at her in the mirror, she was every inch a queen. Her blue eye paint and thickly applied kohl emphasized the darkness of her eyes, while her crushed pearl powder caught the light of the oil lamps. She looked positively radiant. I was suddenly startled to find her staring directly into my eyes. “What?” I asked. “It’s your turn, my love. We must both look magnificent tonight.” Crossing to her armoire, she dug out a beautiful, practically transparent sheath. It was so thin and flimsy that it almost had the consistency of a cicada wing. I felt as though it might tear apart in my fingers, but of course it didn’t. I stripped down and pulled it on, allowing the diaphanous material to float down to my ankles. Reaching for my hairpins, I let down my hair. It tumbled down my back in an ebony wave. Cleopatra pushed my shoulders gently down until I was sitting in her seat. Bending in front of me, she painstakingly painted my eyelids with malachite and dark black kohl. By the time she was finished, my green eyes popped, perfectly showcased by the artful presentation.

Brushing my hair gently, she pulled sections from the front into a knot in the back, intertwining thin gold cords with the stands, and allowing the rest to flow freely down my back. By the time she was finished, I did look beautiful. And sad. My grief and apprehension were painted on my face for the world to see. Cleopatra appraised my appearance and sighed. “Smile, my love,” she whispered into my ear. “We are going to eat, dance, laugh and love tonight. And we will enjoy it.” I was pretty sure that I could trick myself into enjoying the evening. I would just have to block out the events of tomorrow. But could I enjoy it enough to last for two thousand years? I gulped hard, trying to swallow the enormous hard lump that had once again formed in my throat. I guess all I could do was try. I rose from my seat and followed Cleopatra through the elaborate halls to dinner. Standing in the banquet doorway, I gazed upon the feast. Table after table was loaded with roasted pheasant, succulent baked fish, glazed sweet potatoes, bread, figs, dates, nuts, fruit and honey. Rows of oil lamps adorned each table, lighting the room with soft, flickering light. Dancers danced, flutes played and everyone in this room was merry, even though they knew that tomorrow, Octavian would arrive. Perhaps they were merry because of that very thing. He hadn’t arrived yet. It didn’t take long for me to locate Hasani. His handsome face appeared to seriously contemplate something Antony had said. And then Antony slapped his shoulder and laughed hard, a rippling belly laugh. Hasani’s beautiful dazzling smile stretched wide and I couldn’t help but smile, too. And at just that moment, he looked up and saw Cleopatra and I lingering in the doorway. He stood immediately, a sign of courtesy even though we were across the room. God, I loved that man. Love flooded every cell in my body and I felt physically ill at the thought of never seeing him again. I wanted to run to him, shoving aside everyone who stood in my way, and hold onto him for dear life. “Charmian?” Cleopatra prompted, tugging on my arm. “Let us celebrate.” I nodded solemnly and let her pull me into the festivities. As we made our way through the swarming mass of people, I kept my eyes on Hasani’s bronzed face. He was the beacon that pulled me across the room. I couldn’t get to him soon enough, although I didn’t shove anyone. Stepping to his side, I folded into his arms. He bent his head and kissed the top of mine, whispering “You look lovely tonight, my sweet.” I gave him my best demure look. “Thank you,” I replied lightly. As we mingled with the visitors around us, he kept one hand on my back at all times, his warmth searing into my skin. It served to remind me that right now, he was still vibrant and alive. I refused to let my mind think about tomorrow. Throughout dinner, he stroked my leg or my back and I found myself missing his touch whenever he removed his hand to eat. As he spoke with Antony, I watched the curve of his strong jawline, the way the candlelight flickered against his face, the way his eyes seemed to melt into mine. Dinner had never taken longer. If I had a watch, I would have been watching it, counting down the minutes. Obviously, I didn’t have one because they hadn’t even been invented yet. We still used sundials and those were worthless after the sun went down. So I just pasted a smile onto my face and patiently spoke with everyone around me. Inside, though, I was just thinking come on, come on, come on. I shouldn’t have been wishing my limited minutes away, but I couldn’t help it. I was living for the moment when I could finally get him alone. And finally, it was time. Cleopatra stood and excused herself, along with Antony. Judging from the knowing smile on his face, it was clear that Antony had definite plans on how they were going to spend their evening. One of his massive arms kept her clenched tightly to his side, making her appear as fragile as a china doll. Cleopatra looked at me, her face an odd combination of sadness and anticipation. “Charmian, my love, I won’t be needing your services tonight. I will see you in the morning,” she looked at me pointedly. Her way of giving me the night with Hasani, while she still gave herself a chance to say goodbye in the morning. “Yes, my queen,” I agreed quietly. “At morning’s light. Enjoy your evening.” “I plan to,” she murmured as Antony released his grip and held out his arm. She took it and together they wove their way through the swarming crowd to the hall- every inch the regal queen and her consort. They exuded confidence and strength, even though they were painfully aware that Egypt would fall tomorrow. Even Antony, full of swagger and arrogance, knew. It was inevitable. Yet, they both kept their chins up and their brave faces on. I desperately wished that the history books could see what I was seeing right now. I watched them disappear before turning to Hasani. I found him staring down at me in anticipation. “Are you ready to retire also, my lady?” he asked knowingly, tracing my collarbone lightly with his thumb. “Hmm. I don’t know. I had my heart set on watching the dancers for a while longer,” I teased, wrapping my arms around him and pulling him close. “I think not, my love,” he replied huskily. “I find that I am quite tired. And I have a big day tomorrow.” I swallowed hard as a sudden pain pierced my heart. Yes, he did have a big day tomorrow. No matter how hard I tried to block it out, it kept coming back. Tick, tick, tick. Our time together was slipping away. His hourglass was running out. “Okay, my warrior,” I smiled weakly, trying not to let him see my distress. “We should retire so that you can rest.” “Oh, I’ll rest,” he confirmed. “Eventually.” I smiled and led the way to the long side corridor that would lead us to my rooms. With every step I took, my heart thudded harder and by the time we reached my bedchambers, it was racing erratically, pounding against my sternum. How was someone supposed to say goodbye to the person that they loved more than life, without being able to say the actual words? We had barely made it inside the room before Hasani turned to me, grasping me to him tenderly. Leaning on my tip-toes, I tasted his lips, tentatively at first and then more urgently. He groaned into my mouth and I pressed myself into him as closely as I could. But honestly, it just wasn’t close enough. It never would be. We collapsed onto my bed as he cradled my head with his palm. Lowering his head, he kissed me again, his soft lips ever-gentle. And then he was completely still. I opened my eyes and found him staring at me in the darkness. “Charmian, I love you. More than life itself and I can’t wait until you are my wife. We are going to have an amazing life.” His handsome face was earnest as he spoke. I tried to ignore the shattering pain emanating from my chest region as my heart silently broke into pieces. “Yes, my love,” I whispered. He watched me with concern. “Charmian, there is such distress on your face. Are you worried about Octavian? I wish you would not. He will come, we will fight him and he will return to Rome with his tail between his legs like the cur that he is.” I cringed at his confident tone. His warrior’s heart would not allow him to acknowledge that tomorrow was already lost. Oh, yes. Octavian would return to Rome, but not in defeat. He would return in victorious splendor and have a triumphant parade. In fact, he wanted to drag Cleopatra and Antony through the streets of Rome behind his chariot in humiliation, but their suicides would prevent that atrocity.

God, the thought of his arrogant face made me want to throw up. But obviously, I couldn’t mention any of that. Hasani stared at me now with such trusting adoration in the lamplight that I almost couldn’t stand it. How could I send him off in the morning knowing what would happen to him? The knowledge was killing me. I bit my lip to prevent myself from blurting out a warning. And then bit it harder. This was unbearable. “Hasani, please… promise me that you will be safe tomorrow. Please be careful and don’t try to be a hero. If Antony surrenders, I want you to surrender with him. Please.” I rushed the words before I could change my mind and not say them. I wasn’t breaking any rules. Not technically. Except for maybe that last sentence. I felt a twinge of sudden guilt. “What do you mean, Charmian?” He all but smiled. “Antony will not surrender and neither will I. We are warriors.” The humor was evident in his voice. “And warriors don’t surrender?” I guessed. “No, warriors do not surrender.” He nodded. “What about fear?” I watched his face. “Are you afraid, Hasani?” “My love, why are you asking these questions? I am only eager to get this fight out of the way so that you and I can begin our lives. My only wish is to defeat Octavian quickly so that Egypt can once again exist in peace. I look forward to a time when I no longer need to fight.” “So, no fear then?” I couldn’t explain why, but I needed to hear the words. The thought of him being afraid made it all seem even worse. “No fear, my love. Only acceptance. It must be done and I have trained for it my entire life. But I look forward to seeing your beautiful face at the end of the day.” He trailed his fingers down the side of my face as he spoke, gazing into my eyes. The love that shone in his took my breath away. Oh, God. I couldn’t continue this conversation. Not if I wanted to remain sane, because every ounce of my being was desperately screaming to warn him, to keep him safe. To shield him, to protect him… but I couldn’t. And I knew that if I opened my mouth, I might utter something that would change history. So instead, I reached for his warm body, enveloping his lips with mine, silencing any more dangerous words. The night passed quickly. Much too quickly. I watched him sleep for hours, watching the even rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, tracing the outline of the muscle in his arm. I laid my head on his chest, listening to the rhythmic beat of his heart, sobbing silently as he slept blissfully unaware. I memorized each plane of his face in the flickering torchlight. The cleft in his chin, the dimples that appeared when he smiled, the shiny silk of his hair. Picking up his hand, I intertwined my fingers with his, memorizing the weight and warmth of his hand within mine. I buried my face into his neck and inhaled his musky, masculine scent. And finally when I knew that I couldn’t commit another thing to memory, I drifted off to sleep in his arms. When I awoke, it was not even daybreak yet. Hasani was dressing in the soft light of an oil lamp. Rising from bed, I helped him fasten his chestplate and pulled his hair into a sleek ponytail at his neck. Blinking hard, I kissed the side of his neck and then his mouth. I couldn’t stand to pull myself away…I wanted to hold him forever. He stepped away from me a few minutes later. “Charmian, my love. Do not fear. I will be safe. I love you.” He kissed me one more time. It was the last time. I knew that. Was every last kiss this difficult? I forced my erratic heart to calm as I looked into his beautiful dark eyes, clenching my fists so tightly that I was probably drawing blood with my fingernails. “I love you, too, Hasani. Be safe today, my warrior.” He nodded and walked out, pausing in the doorway to smile at me one last time. And then he was gone. Gone from my sight, gone from me. Forever. My entire world stopped. His absence was that profound. I struggled to breathe as I rushed to my balcony to watch as he emerged from the lower level and strode confidently across the courtyard to meet Antony. Massive warships were already in the harbor and my pulse quickened at the sight of their billowing sails. I watched Hasani’s broad shoulders until he disappeared from my view. And then he was gone. I didn’t even bother to get dressed as I rushed from my room and fled to Cleopatra’s in my dressing gown. I found her already in a heap on the floor of her balcony. She knew that Marc Antony would also die this day. Collapsing next to her, I wrapped my arms around her slender body and we sobbed together. This was definitely too much to bear… even though I had seen it coming, even though I had been through it before. Sadness like I had never known overwhelmed me and I felt like I would never be strong enough to stand it. “I can’t do this, I can’t. I can’t.” I didn’t even realize that I had whispered out loud until Cleopatra wiped the tears from her cheeks and then grasped my arms, turning me to face her. I stared directly into the steely eyes of the last pharaoh of Egypt. The determination and strength that I found there bolstered my resolve and I felt my own tears stop flowing. “Charmian, you can and so can I. It is what it is… and we’re strong.” She was beautiful and delicate and strong, all at the same time and I nodded as I slumped against her, while we watched the ships sail into the port. There were so many that the water was scarcely even visible between the thick, creaking wood of the boats and the huge billowing sails that filled the sky. Finally, I sat up straight and pushed the hair out of my face, staring at Cleopatra with stinging, red eyes. “I have to leave now, your highness,” I murmured as pain ricocheted in my ribcage. “I can’t stay here any longer. I’m sorry that I have to leave you this way. It is unbearable, I know. But in the coming days, know this… no matter what the pain is like here, we will survive this.” She nodded, pain and grief washing over her face in waves. She was the only other person in the history of the world who knew what I was feeling right now. I felt closer to her than ever. I watched Ahmose soundlessly appear in the queen’s chambers and stand silently against the wall, waiting for us to say our goodbyes. His eyes were kind and he was silent as he patiently waited. Cleopatra reached out to me and drew me close to her. “Thank you, sweetling,” she whispered softly as she gently tucked my hair behind my ear. As she moved, she stirred her soft, clean scent and I inhaled it, re-committing it to memory. “I know that I will never again remember what you are and what I am. So I want you to know right now that I appreciate all that you do for me. I love you, Charmian. You are my most treasured one.” She stepped back, tears streaming down her face. This was definitely too much to bear. I swallowed hard. “I love you, too, Cleopatra. It is always an honor to serve you.” “How will I know you in our next life?” she asked me hesitantly, her eyes frozen on mine.

“Your soul will always know mine, my friend. We will always be connected, all throughout time. And even though we will appear in different ways, our souls will always be the same.” She nodded, then reluctantly pulled away, only to grab me for one last hug. As she stood with her slender arms wrapped around my waist, she whispered in my ear. “Until I see you again…. Take care of yourself.” I felt the tears streaming down my own cheeks, turning everything into a blurry mess. Blindly, I nodded to Ahmose. Inhaling the fragrant Alexandrian breeze, I felt him take my hand and I listened as he began to murmur, his raspy voice blending into a chant. The bloodstone began to spread familiar warmth into my arms and I closed my eyes.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The afternoon sun in my room was blinding and I waited for my eyes to adjust, gazing around my brightly lit room. My bed was neatly made, my bedroom door swung widely open. Amazing. Ahmose had brought us back to the same exact moment that Annen had first appeared to me. Right about this time, I had been screaming … and my memories as Charmian had been unlocked. Hasani. I gulped, fighting back tears. He was dead now. As were the rest of us. Pain ripped through my chest and I blinked away the memory of his perfect face. His eyes, his mouth… I pushed it away. I would have to grieve later. Right now, I knew I had yet another difficult conversation to attend to. I tried to ignore the burning in my eyes. Turning to Ahmose, I found him staring at me, his onyx eyes glittering. His ancient body was still as he observed me. “Charmian, you have done well. I apologize once again- I know it was unbearable.” I nodded mutely, grasping for what to say. “I know now why my memories are wiped away, Ahmose,” I murmured painfully. “This is unbearable. I’ve lost Hasani and I feel as though I just want to die, too.” He stared at me in surprise. “Charmian, you haven’t lost Hasani. I would have thought you had put that together. You’re a smart girl. You will find Hasani in this life. Or he will find you. One way or the other, you will be together again- just as you are in every life. Your souls are like magnets….attracted to each other life after life.” I stared at him in shock. “Then… Hasani is…” “Your soulmate.” My heart still felt like a frozen lump in my chest. But at the same time, I felt a tiny bit of peace. He wasn’t gone. He was mine. In every life. It was too much to wrap my mind around, but I felt overwhelming relief. I hadn’t lost him. I just had to be patient until I found him again. “I’m taking your bloodstone back with me, Charmian. Then, when the time is right, very soon, I will appear to you again and we will begin your cycle all over again.” I nodded. “How will I recognize Cleopatra, Ahmose?” He smiled gently. “You just will. You always do.” He laid his fragile hand on my shoulder. “Until then… behave yourself.” And he was gone. Just like that. All that remained was his incensy, sweaty scent. I suddenly felt incredibly empty and weary. I sank weakly onto my bed, my hands shaking. I couldn’t believe it was over. My life as Charmian had been so vibrant, so…important. And now here I was, Macy Lockhart again in Pasadena, California. Everything seemed so trivial now. And my heart was desperately aching for Hasani. How unfair was it that I had to mourn in private? I could never tell another soul… and Hasani would be forgotten by history. Now that was unfair. He had been so important, so brave… but no one would remember his name. Except for me. It was a travesty. Burying my face into the cool sheets of my bed, exhaustion weighed me down. I shouldn’t be tired… it had been morning when I left Alexandria and it was only early afternoon now. But I felt as though I had been awake for weeks, as though I was experiencing a two-thousand year jetlag. I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Before I could think even one more coherent thought, my heavy eyelids fluttered closed and I slept a dreamless sleep.

*** To: Macy Lockhart From: Jessa Gray Subject: WAKE UP

Seriously—this depression over that idiot is ridiculous. I’ve called a million times- your mom said you’ve been sleeping for TWO DAYS. You’d better get up or she’s going to call someone. You know that she has psychiatrist friends. And they have straight-jackets. You know what- never mind. I’m coming over. And I’m bringing reinforcements. See you in a minute. Jess (aka Still the hotter Gray sister) “Wake up, Sleepyhead.” I grumpily grabbed a pillow and thrust it over my head to tone out the annoyingly cheerful voice. “Come on, Mace. Wake up.” Long pause. “Maa-cccy,” it sang. The chirpy voice was relentless, so I yanked the pillow down and peered around it into the bright morning sunlight. Jessa and Jenn both stood beside my bed, identical in every way. Chin length pointy bobs, pixie faces, impish grins. They weren’t dressed identically, though. They drew the line there. They both thought it was tacky, one of the few things they could agree on. “Why are you here so early?” I grumped, burying my face back into my pillow. “Early? Are you ill, Macy?”

Jess picked up my clock and turned it my way. It was 12:30. I guess I really had been jetlagged. Or heartbroken. I’d put money on that last one. “We came over to cheer you up,” Jenn announced as she opened my closet doors. “You need to get up so that we can go shopping. Some retail therapy will do you some good.” “Cheer me up?” I mumbled in confusion, because they had no idea what I’d been through lately. But no sooner had the words come out than I caught a glimpse of the picture lying face down on my nightstand. Oh, yeah- Derek. The lying, cheating worm. Surprisingly, I wasn’t upset in the slightest about him anymore. Or maybe that wasn’t so surprising. I had spent the last couple of weeks with a real man, a beautiful warrior. Derek’s boyish games were inconsequential. My heart belonged to a dead man. But of course I couldn’t mention that. “Oh, right,” I mumbled as I swung my legs out of bed and took the pair of jeans and long sleeved t-shirt that Jenn handed me. Wiggling into my jeans, I turned to them. “I’m fine, really,” I tried to assure them, taking note of their identical concerned expressions. “You guys don’t need to spend your Saturday babysitting me.” Jess looked appalled. “Do you really think that we would allow our best friend to mope at home alone about her loser boyfriend? Girl, please!” She rolled her eyes before she and her sister nodded in unison. “We have shopping to do anyway and we’re taking you with us.” I sighed and swore silently. The mall, a place filled with hundreds of carefree people, was the last place in the world I wanted to be. I preferred to stay at home in seclusion and mourn my secret loss. But I could tell from the looks on their faces that Jess and Jenn weren’t going to have that. It would be out of the question. Sighing again, I trudged into the bathroom to pull my hair into a ponytail and brush my teeth. A few minutes later, I emerged- fresh faced and ready to go. We piled into Jess’ little blue bug and headed for the mall, my forehead pressed forlornly against my window. A few hours later, though, I grudgingly had to admit that shopping was a decent distraction. Not because I was into it, but because I spent a great deal of energy pretending that I was. And since I was using my energy to pretend, I wasn’t using it to cry. I knew that when I was alone again, it would be a different story, so I enjoyed my tear-free afternoon while I could, trying to ignore the fact that my heart was a numb block of ice in my chest. As we ate bad Chinese food in the center of the food court, Jenn stopped her chattering in midsentence. Her mouth hung open comically, as her plastic fork dangled from her fingers. “Jenn, you’re giving the word seafood a new meaning,” Jess chuckled. “See-food?” Jenn rolled her eyes at the old corny joke as she closed her mouth and gestured with her head. “You’re never going to believe who’s here,” she breathed. From her tone, however, it was actually pretty easy to guess. I looked across the crowded room to find Derek standing with a group of his friends. It wasn’t painful at all to see him, I realized with a jolt. I didn’t feel anything for him. Not even anger. Strange. I shrugged my shoulders at Jenn and went back to picking at my Lo Mein. But Derek had spotted me. When I looked up again, he was almost to our table. I groaned, but met his eyes as he approached. He was alone- he had left his friends congregated across the room. I could feel them watching, just as I could feel Jenn and Jess holding their breaths for my reaction. “Macy, can we talk?” he asked hesitantly, his face hopeful and afraid at the same time. His class ring sparkled on his finger as he thrummed it nervously against his skinny leg. I couldn’t believe that I had ever thought he was beautiful. He was cute, in a pale toddler-sort-of-way, but he was nowhere near Hasani’s level of devastatingly good looks. “What about?” I asked brightly. Jenn choked on her egg roll and I shot her a look. “You know what about,” he responded patiently. “Could we speak alone?” He gestured toward a nearby table, but I made no move to get up. “I’m good here,” I replied, smiling at him politely. “I don’t have anything to say.” “Macy, please,” he begged. “Please don’t throw away two years over this. Please.” His light green eyes met mine and he gave me a heartbreaking look. But I found that it didn’t break my heart. Mine had been broken by a situation much bigger, much more important than this trivial bullshit. Looking at him steadily, I replied firmly, “I’m not the one who threw away two years, Derek. You did. I hope that you and Tara are very happy together.” Breaking our gaze, I went back to my food dismissively, making a point of pushing it around on my plate and not looking at him again. “Macy…” he began, but Jenn interrupted him with an acerbic tongue. “You should go now, Derek,” she instructed sharply. “Macy is done with you. Say hi to your new girlfriend for us.” Jenn and Jess collapsed into giggles and he glared at them angrily before he stalked away. Jess stared at me incredulously. “I guess smashing all of his things and delivering them to his doorstep was more cathartic than I realized,” she grinned. I couldn’t help but smile back. My heart was still broken, but it wasn’t because of Derek. For all I cared, he and Tara Wilson could get married and have twenty kids together. He was nothing to me. My thoughts were consumed by another face... a beautiful, darkly handsome face framed by long shiny hair. I inhaled sharply at the memory and Jess’ perceptive eyes flew to my face. “Are you okay? Was it too soon to joke?” Worry creased her fine features. “No,” I shook my head. “Derek is the joke. It’s fine.” Even though I loved these girls, I found myself desperately missing Cleopatra. She would understand- I wouldn’t even have to explain. I sighed a heavy sigh and continued eating my noodles. *** Days turned into weeks. Non-eventful, unexciting weeks. My thoughts frequently returned wistfully to Alexandria, missing the sharp tang of the sea air and the fragrance of the jasmine. I managed to conveniently forget the drawbacks of ancient Egyptian life- including the lack of electricity, plumbing and modern medicine. Oh- and the crazy eunuch who had wanted to kill me. On one restless afternoon, I went back to the mall alone and found a perfume store where they created custom perfume oil. I tried to recreate the perfume that I wore in Alexandria- the soft, subtle scent that had made me feel so sexy. The perfume maker managed to get close, even if it wasn’t exactly the same. But it was close enough to remind me of Egypt every time I inhaled it. I also managed to find a tattoo artist that specialized in henna… and I had a phoenix tattooed on my back, just like I wore in Alexandria. My mother almost had a heart attack until she realized that henna tattoos were temporary and would wear off in a matter of weeks. I all but ignored Derek at swim practice, something that at first troubled him, then later pissed him off. He had conveniently forgotten that he was the one who had erred, the back-stabbing cheater. In his mind now, I was being a bitch. Perception is a strange thing. And surprise, surprise. Within

a month, Tara Wilson was wearing his class ring on her short orange finger. Puke. Ever since she had divorced my dad, my mom had become ultra-sensitive to break-ups, in part because of her psychiatrist friends. She bought a stack of self-help books to help me deal with the grief of losing a relationship, thinking that I was depressed over Derek. It was a logical, if inaccurate, assumption. Little did she know that my lingering, all-consuming sadness stemmed from losing Hasani, Cleopatra and Antony in a previous life. That would have been a little impossible to explain. It would also have resulted in me being harnessed into a straight-jacket. But whatever- that was a moot point because I would never say a word. My mom was trying her best to be understanding and was being incredibly patient with everything around the house. I had forgotten to pick up my ice cream bowl the other night and she had gritted her teeth and simply smiled at me. That part was nice because she was usually a little OCD about things like that. After school let out for the summer, though, it was harder to keep my mind off of everything. Without school to occupy my thoughts, I decided to channel my sadness into writing. It seemed to be fairly therapeutic. One July morning, I was lounging at home writing poetry about an unnamed handsome warrior when my phone rang. Picking it up, I saw that it was my mom, calling from her office. “Hi mom,” I answered absently, scribbling down another line. His eyes melted into the darkness as he hovered above me and smiled. “Hi sweetie. Could you do me a huge favor? I left my cell phone on the kitchen counter. Could you bring it to me? I feel naked without it.” She sounded rushed and very professional. I knew she must have a full day of patients. I doubted she would even break for lunch. “Sure, just let me throw some clothes on. I’ll stop at the deli and grab you a sandwich for lunch, too.” I could hear my mom’s smile through the phone. “Have I told you lately what a great daughter you are?” she laughed. “Thanks, sweetie. You’re the best.” I threw on a pair of shorts and a tank top, yanking a brush through my long hair. I left it down, not wanting to take the time to find a ponytail holder. Grabbing my keys and purse, I jumped into my car and took off for the deli. As I pulled into the parking lot, I groaned. It was packed- hardly even a parking spot. It was barely even 11:00, so apparently the lunch rush started early in this place. I sighed and slipped in the door, taking my place in the long line. To kill the time, I eyed the variety of deli meats behind the glass counter. They were spread out in giant fan-like arrangements. I found my thoughts straying to the memory of Cleopatra’s elaborately loaded banquet tables. These cold cuts didn’t even begin to compare to the lavishness of her dinners. As my eyes glazed over with memories, a sensation that I would never be able to explain suddenly came over me and I instantly knew beyond any doubt that someone was watching me. I lifted my head and turned to find a long, lean stranger making his way across the room. His dark eyes were fixed upon me. The eyes from my dreams. Hasani’s eyes. My heart stopped and I gasped, looking again. Hasani stared back… his eyes a deep chocolate brown, so dark that they were almost black. It was no mistake. Familiarly jolted through my body and my heart leapt into my throat. Hasani! Ahmose had been right. I fought to keep breathing. It wasn’t that I had not believed him-- I just hadn’t expected to find Hasani so soon. I thought I would have to live a painful existence until I found him later in life… like when I was 30 or so. But he was here. Now. He was almost to me, his purposeful, loping stride the same as it used to be. There were differences, of course. He didn’t have the cut warrior’s body anymore- because there was no need for it. He wouldn’t need to fight for his life now in hand to hand combat. His legs were still long and graceful, his face still beautiful. It was a different face, but he still had the same strong jaw line and the same eyes. I smiled in relief, remembering how I had traced that very same jaw line with my fingers. As he approached, he had Have we met? written all over his face and my knees went weak. There was no way he could know me. That was just wishful thinking on my part. We would have to start all over again from scratch. But I found myself not caring. I was just so happy to see him. Beyond happy… ecstatic. “Excuse me, miss,” he approached flirtatiously, smiling a dazzlingly white smile. My breath caught in my throat. Same smile. “This is going to sound crazy and I promise you that I’m not, but have we met before?” His face was perplexed. “I feel like I would remember that, but I can’t shake the feeling that I know you.” He was dressed in khaki cargo shorts, a black tee and black flip-flops, an ensemble very different from the last time I saw him walking away from me in war regalia. But he was still beautiful. I noticed with relief that the same gentleness was still in his eyes. “I don’t think so,” I lied. “I’m pretty sure I would remember you.” “Hmm,” he smiled. “You must think I’m feeding you a line. You probably get that a lot.” I smiled back, so full of shock and happiness that I couldn’t think straight. “No, I don’t. Get that a lot, I mean.” I grinned again, amused at my nervousness. I knew him. Every single part of him was familiar to me. There was no need to be so nervous. Ahmose had said… souls stay the same. He was still the same Hasani, he just had a different face. I held out my hand. “I’m Macy Lockhart.” He took my hand and shook it. “I’m Gavin Chase.” Of course he was. Somehow that name fit him perfectly. He looked at me, his dark hair slanting across his forehead as his chocolate eyes twinkled. “This is going to sound like another line,” he said laughingly, “but your perfume smells amazing. It feels like I should know it, but I don’t.” With every word he spoke, he fascinated me even more. He remembered me… on a deep subconscious level. I found myself wondering if this was how it was in every life. Each time, we probably felt an unexplained familiarity, but we were never quite able to put our fingers on it. This time, though, I was in the loop. It was a nice feeling. “Thank you. Are you new here?” I asked curiously. “Is it that obvious?” He grinned a disarming smile and I sucked my breath in. “I just moved here from the east coast. I knew I would stick out like a sore thumb.”

“No, you don’t,” I assured him. “I was just wondering because I haven’t seen you in this neighborhood before. What school will you be going to?” “San Marino. Where do you go?” I nodded happily. “San Marino.” He grinned in response, an ear to ear smile that lit his entire face, another trait of Hasani’s. I breathed deeply, trying not to hyperventilate and look crazy. I definitely didn’t want him to start screaming and run in the opposite direction. Right now, he strongly reminded me of the young guard who had picked me off the floor when Auletes had backhanded me across the room. Young, fresh-faced and sweet. Hasani. “This is going to sound crazy again,” he began, “and I know we just met, but would you like to get some lunch? My treat, of course. I don’t know anyone here.” He had no idea what crazy sounded like. Crazy was magic bloodstones, time travel and insane eunuchs. He sounded perfectly normal and shockingly beautiful. I smiled in a relief that I hadn’t even realized I felt. I had found Hasani. Or he had found me. Whatever…either way, I was staring into his face at this very second. His beautiful, darkly handsome face. “Absolutely,” I agreed. “Someone needs to show you the best places to eat,” I grinned. “Not here?” He raised his eyebrows. “No, not here. Although it’s passable. My mother likes this place. Which reminds me- I need to take her a sandwich for lunch. But then I’m free.” “So am I,” he grinned cockily in an oh-so-Hasani way. “Free, I mean.” “Good to know.” I smiled back, unaffected by his swagger. It was all show, it always had been. Hasani was arrogant, cocky and had the heart of a warrior. But he was also kind and exquisitely gentle. He was a good soul, through and through. My soul had recognized his. We stood here like magnets, drawn to each other. Time, it seemed, was not our enemy after all. It was just air and space and hours. Anything worth having was able to withstand it. I smiled up at him as he held the door for me, still a perfect gentleman. My heart raced with anticipation. I found myself anxious to get to know him all over again, every single facet of this new person that Hasani had become. As I slipped past him, I caught a whiff of his masculine scent. Clean, tangy, outdoorsy. He smelled the same. Unbelievable. I couldn’t help myself. I stopped in my tracks right in the middle of the lunch rush and stared up into his dark eyes. This was Hasani. I had known him for so long, even if he didn’t realize it. He was mine. Reaching up on my tiptoes, I kissed him softly on the lips. His lips were just as soft as ever and he definitely didn’t pull away. I felt his hands lightly graze my back and I pulled back a few seconds later to find an expression of utter surprise on his face. “Wow. California girls are friendly. Um, did I mention that it is so nice to meet you?” His handsome face was a comical combination of shock and enjoyment. I nodded happily. “Yep. And it’s so nice to meet you, too.” Again.

EPILOGUE The Palace of Queen Cleopatra VII Alexandria, Egypt August, 30 BC The priest seemed to float down the lushly adorned hallway, breezing past the Roman guards with ease. They had seen him many times before, consulting with Charmian before her untimely demise. It did not seem out of the ordinary now that he enter her abandoned bedchambers, so they offered no resistance. Closing the doors behind him, Ahmose stood silently for a moment, scanning the room around him. Still and quiet, the room possessed the eerie silence of someone departed. The scent of Charmian’s perfume remained in the air and he breathed it in deeply. He had been with her a long time, too long to even remember. He knew her. Kneeling in front of a deep chest at the foot of her bed, he rocked it backwards. The weight was difficult to move, so he braced his entire body against it. Supporting it with his shoulder, he slid one hand underneath. His gnarled fingers grazed against papyrus and he closed his hand around it, pulling it out into the light. Easing the silver chest back onto the floor, he perched himself on top of it. Her elegant script flowed on the page.

There is a legend, whispered from generation to generation, of a bird with iridescent crimson feathers and brilliant azure eyes. It lives in a secret, far-away place and feeds only on air, never harming another living creature. Incredibly gentle, it is saddened by the despair of the human race and weeps tears of human torment. After a thousand years pass, it builds its own funeral pyre, lining it with cinnamon, myrrh and cassia. Climbing to a rest on the very top, it examines the world all throughout the night with the ability to see true good and evil. When the sun rises the next morning, with great sorrow for all that it sees, it sings a haunting song. As it sings, the heat of the sun ignites the expensive spices and the Phoenix dies in the flames. But the Phoenix is not remarkable for its feathers or flames. It is most revered for its ability to climb from its own funeral pyre, from the very ashes of its old charred body, as a brand new life ready to live again once more. Life after life, it goes through this cycle. It absorbs human sorrow, only to rise from death to do it all again. It never wearies, it never tires. It never questions its fate. Some say that the Phoenix is real, that it exists somewhere out there in the mountains of Arabia, elusive and mysterious. Others say that the Phoenix is only a wish made by desperate humans to believe in the continuance of life. But I know a secret. We are the Phoenix. Ahmose sighed as he stared at her words. She did this in every life. Dutiful to the very end, she carried out her duties to pristine perfection no matter how bereft she felt. But her soul was a dramatic one. And since she didn’t feel comfortable talking with him, she always released her sorrow onto paper, hiding it where she thought it wouldn’t be found for generations, until the paper it was written on had crumpled into nothing. But he knew they couldn’t take that chance. Instead of chastising her and reminding her once again of the need for secrecy, he simply searched her belongings after she died each time, always knowing exactly what he would find. Holding the fragile paper in his palm, Ahmose uttered a few low words and the paper burst into flame. Dropping it to the stone floor, he watched it until it had turned completely to ashes, turning a spot on the floor black. The Roman guards could think what they may. It was no longer of concern to him. For now, he was content to allow her this one breach, this one slip of decorum. In every life, she earned it. Standing to his full height, the ancient Aegis disappeared, leaving only the scent of incense behind. The End To learn more about Gavin and Macy, please read Fated

Book Two of the Bloodstone Saga

AUTHOR’S NOTES Cleopatra has been the subject of speculation for over two thousand years. Her character, her loves, her personality, her appearance… we don’t really know a lot about her. It is true, that after her death, Gaius Julius Caesar (Octavian) ordered all likenesses of her destroyed. So, we don’t know what she truly looked like, although all indications point toward the probability that she was actually Greek and not Egyptian. Her intelligence speaks for itself. She was able to rule Egypt alone and command Egyptian military fleets. It is also written that she spoke anywhere from 6 to 9 languages. That is a clear indication that she was educated and intelligent. Her charm is also legendary. So I choose to believe that she was beautiful and that is the lens that I wrote her in. To me, beauty just seems to go hand-in-hand with enchanting charm. Some have speculated that her affection for Marc Antony has been overstated over the years, that their relationship was merely one of political ambition. I don’t want to believe that, so I choose not to. I choose to believe that Cleopatra and Marc Antony’s relationship was a love story of epic magnitude, tragic and beautiful. Pothinus was a real person. He was the regent for Cleopatra’s younger brother, Ptolemy VIII, and was in fact, a eunuch. He was decapitated at Julius Caesar’s orders in approximately 47 or 48 BC. It has been noted that he was quite power hungry so I took literary license and made him a villain in my story. His servant, Tehran, is entirely fictional. Not much is known about Charmian, except for the fact that both she and Iras were trusted confidantes who killed themselves with Cleopatra. Charmian was adjusting Cleopatra’s diadem when Roman soldiers broke into the mausoleum and she died at their feet. Obviously, with so few facts to rely on, I have taken a great deal of literary license with her character. Historical records have indicated that Charmian was fairly spunky, so that is how I imagine that she was , which is how I wrote her. Marc Antony was jovial and handsome. It has been noted that he very much loved the attention of females and merry-making of almost every type. By all indications, he was an honorable man who was well-liked by almost all that knew him. After Antony’s death, Octavian had Antony’s son by Fulvia, Marcus Antonius Antyllus, killed. His other children survived. Through his daughters by Octavia, Marc Antony would become the ancestor to the Roman Emperors Caligula, Claudius and Nero. And Octavian, the man of many names. Gaius Julius Caesar was in reality, not a villain. He was simply a very ambitious man with large shoes to fill. After his adopted father, Julius Caesar, made him his heir, Octavian wanted power. And he worked very hard to methodically attain that power. I wrote this book from the perspective of someone close to Cleopatra, so of course, it is written from the viewpoint that Octavian was a villain. But everything is a matter of perspective. By all reports, Octavian was a cold-blooded and matter-of-fact person. But he also eventually restored peace to Rome. After the deaths of Cleopatra and Antony, Rome entered a period of peace called the Pax Romana, which lasted for over two centuries. Despite his rumored cold-blooded nature, Octavian allowed his sister (and Marc Antony’s ex-wife) Octavia to raise Cleopatra and Antony’s twins, Selene and Ptolemy. He also allowed Cleopatra and Antony to be entombed together. Their tomb has never been found.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Courtney Cole is a YA novelist who loves Lake Michigan but is terrified of buoys and sea gulls. That makes for some interesting days at the beach. She was born and raised in Kansas where it is too hot in the summer to do anything but read. So growing up, she read stacks and stacks of books. She learned from an early age that if she didn’t like an ending, she could just write her own. And that’s how she discovered that she was a writer. She migrated from Kansas to northern Indiana, just a stone’s throw from Chicago and Lake Michigan. She lives in the suburbs with her real life Prince Charming, her ornery kids (there is a small chance that they get their orneriness from their mother) and small domestic zoo. To learn more about Courtney and her books, visit her website at: www.courtneycolewrites.com

Other books by Courtney Cole: Fated (Book Two of the Bloodstone Saga) Princess Guardian

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I want to thank my family and friends who regularly ask about my writing--- how it is going, what my characters are up to, etc. You’re my sounding boards and my cheerleaders. You help make my writing life real- and I love you for it. To my mom: Thank you for being concerned enough about my soul to request that I clarify that I don’t personally believe in reincarnation or foreign/ancient gods. I don’t. But I do find ancient myths and cultures fascinating and I have the utmost respect for the religions and beliefs of others. Lastly, I would like to thank the wonderful and amazing Christel Michiels for creating such beautiful cover art. You are brilliant and talented and very, very patient.

If you enjoyed “EVERY LAST KISS”, you might also enjoy “I WISH” by debut author Wren Emerson Coming in May 2011 from Lakehouse Press EXCERPT from Chapter One of I WISH

When a two hundred and fifty pound man takes a swing at your face, the last thing you want is to be blind. But that's exactly the predicament I found myself in while fighting Shep Claphan one September afternoon. I could hear voices murmuring around us, but I couldn't hear him. I knew less about Shep's past than I did about my own, but I always imagined him as a soldier or a stunt man or a martial arts expert. And he was attempting to kick my ass. Not exactly a challenge when you consider that I was 5'7" to his 6'4" and weighed half as much. I didn't hear his foot lash out until it caught me in the stomach. It stung, but it was obvious since I was still standing that he pulled most of the power of that kick. What I did hear was the gasps of the people that surrounding us. I swung in the direction the kick had come from, but I didn't hit anything. Chuckles from the peanut gallery. He kicked the back of my leg, forcing me to take a knee.

Behind me. I swept my leg along the ground, hoping to knock his feet out from under him, but he was too fast. I followed the movement into a standing position and punched in short efficient jabs. I was gratified to feel one land somewhere soft. It wasn't a solid connection and judging by the way it slid off his body, it was most likely his shoulder. At least now I had an idea of what his position was. I swung at him again, but missed by a mile, judging from the reactions of the people watching. "I can see you. I can dodge you if I can see it coming. You can't see me so you don't have that advantage. You need to use whatever other information you can gather. Listen for my breathing. Hear the leaves and sticks being crushed under my feet. Smell me sweating if you have to. When I move in close your body knows it, it feels my heat and the air I disturb around you. Listen to what your body is telling you." Shep's voice was normally a sound I enjoyed, the deep bass mellow and soothing and a perfect match to his barrel chested body, but right then I just wanted to slap him. He wouldn't end practice until I managed at least a couple of good hits, but my past experiences with this had been less than impressive. I didn't expect much more from this one. I tried to push back my irritation. His advice was sound even if the last thing I wanted to do right now was admit he was right. I took a deep breath and tried to narrow my focus. Shut out the whispers and giggles from the people around us. Shut out the aches from my muscles and the deep throbbing of forming bruises. Ignore it, it doesn't help me. I didn't hear him move so much as I felt the way his shifting body crossed the sunlight on my face. When he swung at my face I was ready. I knew the direction he was coming from and I grabbed his arm and used it for balance as I kicked him twice in his ribs under the arm I held immobilized. Hearing his breath exhale with a sharp woofing sound was gratifying, but I didn't pause to celebrate the minor victory. I dropped his arm and danced backwards out of reach before he could grab me. I've been flipped by Shep before and it ranks high up on my list of things I'd rather avoid. An advantage to my attack I hadn't anticipated was that his breathing was now audible to me. My next punch was a thing of beauty, connecting solidly with his jaw. I wasn't using full power either, but it had to have hurt him at least half as much as it killed my hand. "Shep, your head feels like it's filled with rocks." "You know, I've heard that from every woman in my life." By now I was really in the moment. There's just no other excuse for the stupidity of my next idea. I

ran towards Shep, jumping while still a few feet from him, planning to plant a foot in his chest and execute a neat back flip and while he was still awed by my finesse, I'd land a killing blow. If life were an action movie I would have been able to execute it flawlessly- probably in Matrix style slow motion. Real life rarely comes with slow-mo though and so this is how it really happened: I ran at him and leaped, all according to plan. When I planted my foot in his chest, however, he grabbed it and gave it a vicious little twist. I landed face down in the dirt and breathing was suddenly a skill that needed relearning in a hurry.The only blessing was that the hilarity of the crowd watching us was somewhat muffled by my gasping. Shep gave me a hand up and pulled off my blindfold. I still couldn't take a full breath so he waited patiently while I stood there, squinty eyed and wheezing. Finally he said, "You shouldn't showboat. You could have finished me, I was hurting and you had the edge." "You- are a-really- bad winner." The friendly backrub eased my wounded pride a little. As he worked the knots from my tense shoulders I took a moment to check out the people who'd just watched my humiliating defeat. I could only hope that there weren't any cute boys around to witness my literal fall from grace. Lucky for me, it seemed that the only people at the Sunnydale Motor Court on a weekday afternoon in the fall were all either elderly or families with young children. So unless I was willing to date a man who needed regular diaper changes, I didn't have to worry about having blown my chances with the potential love of my life. "Come on, I think Ramona wanted to leave as soon as we were done here. You know how she is about having plenty of time to check into a hotel before a book signing. If she doesn't have enough time to get beautiful she'll cancel the signing and then her publicist is going to give her sh- crap." "And crap rolls downhill. I get it." I gave Shep an affectionate punch in the arm and started back to the RV without argument. I wanted to grab a quick shower at the facilities here before we hit the road and I knew he wasn't kidding about my grandmother's desire to greet her public looking fantastic. Every life hinges on a series of days that change everything. The thing about days like that is that you never see them coming. Looking back, that shower marked the last time that everything in my life was normal. If I knew then what was in store for me, I think I might have just kept walking past the showers and down the road. I guess that's why change takes you by surprise. I doubt anyone would seek out life altering transformations willingly. But I didn't know and so it was with visions of cute boys and clean hair dancing in my head that I went from my old life and headlong into the insanity.

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