Dancer of the Nile (Gods of Egypt) (17 page)

Eyebrows raised, hand extended toward her, he nodded expectantly.

Pure panic froze Nima’s vocal cords for a moment.
I don’t know any chants! What does he want me to add?
She swallowed past the lump in her throat, licked her lips. “Please, if my mother meant anything to you, as a dancer, as your priestess, help Kamin and me now,” Nima said.

Riding the thermals overhead, the falcon let out a fierce cry and flew into the glare of the sun as she raised her head to watch him.

A thin tendril of black smoke spiraled from the bead. Kamin half lifted Nima away from the spot as first the bead, then the bread burst into angry purple-black flames. Writhing in the fire’s grasp, the leather thongs grew, splitting in two then splitting again, lengthening, fattening and spreading beyond the circle of the offering, in a tangle of tails. Nima screamed as eight black cobras raised their heads from the center of the fire circle, sinuously weaving and entwining around each other, red eyes gleaming, black tongues flicking. Hood pulsating, a ninth cobra, black like the others but with a golden head, reared four feet off the surface of the rock. The snake extricated itself from the tangle of lesser reptiles, slithering toward Nima, head weaving from side to side.

She scooted over the rough stone, heart pounding against her ribs, mouth dry, dizziness assailing her. Grabbing her by the shoulders, Kamin held her tight. “It’s the goddess, come at our request. Don’t panic now. You’ve got to face her, tell her what we need. Renenutet won’t grant any appeal just from me.” He gave her a little shake. “Falcons and snakes are sworn enemies.”

Plainly listening to his words, the cobra swung its head, studying him for a moment with cold, red-faceted eyes, then hissed loudly and continued to advance on Nima.

She shook in his arms, digging her nails
 
into him, but met the snake’s regard. “Please, Great One, we need your help to kill the hyenas waiting below, so we can escape before the enemy arrives. We must carry our news to the nomarch so he can defend Egypt.”

Advancing in tiny increments, the snake’s flickering ruby tongue touched Nima’s parted lips, the feathery touch leaving behind spreading coolness, a taste of vanilla and honey in her mouth. Then the goddess retreated, hissing and spitting, and slithered down the rocks toward the pack of hyenas, her minions going behind her like a rippling black brook. Nima collapsed against Kamin, trying to stop herself from trembling.

“I have to help,” he said urgently. “We can’t ask for aid and not fight for ourselves.” Setting her aside, he gathered up his sword, bow and the five arrows. “Wait here, pray. I’ll come for you as soon as I can.”

“Kamin!” She caught his hand, and he ducked his head to kiss her before scrambling out of sight on the rocky trail in the direction the snakes had gone. Avoiding the black circle of the burnt offering, Nima dragged herself across the plateau, reaching the edge in time to see her beloved launch himself at two hyenas, sword raised to decapitate.

The falcon came screaming out of the sky at high speed to attack another hyena, sinking its claws into the repulsive head and doing tremendous damage with its hooked beak. Coiling and twining around the rest of the pack, the black snakes drove fangs deep into mangy gray-brown fur. Much howling and whining filled the air. Kamin cursed steadily as he hacked at the beasts with his sword, and the falcon shrieked defiance.

Nima covered her ears but couldn’t look away, not while her warrior was in danger. Another hyena slunk from behind the rocks, launching itself at Kamin’s unprotected back. Nima screamed a warning, but the golden-headed snake and the hawk both threw themselves into the creature’s path, bringing it to its knees inches shy of the intended target.

Staggering away from his kills, Kamin leaned on a rock outcropping, surveying the field of battle. All the hyenas were dead or dying. Then he raised his eyes, giving her a weary wave. “I’ll be up in a moment to assist you in the descent, all right?”

“Yes, fine.” Nima’s attention was all for the field of battle, the hyenas melting into pools of oily black. Slithering from all corners of the torn-up ground, the nine snakes converged, a writhing column, the golden-headed snake corkscrewing to the top and pivoting its massive head to stare directly at Nima. Purple flames burst into life, devouring the cobras and, a moment later, they were gone. Raising a be-ringed hand in farewell and possibly a blessing, a snake-headed woman, crowned by a sun disk and two black feather plumes, her golden sheath dress glimmering, , stood on the plain for one heartbeat before she, too, faded away.

Tears streaming down her cheeks, Nima collapsed into a boneless heap.

***

Wearily, Kamin trudged up the narrow trail to the ledge to find Nima weeping. Distressed, he embraced her. “Sweetheart, it’s all right. We can escape this trap now.”

She shook her head, shoving her hair aside and wiping tears from her cheeks backhanded. “I’m not crying about any of this. I’m crying for my mother. She’d be so proud to know the goddess came to aid me as promised. How can I ever thank you for drawing Renenutet here to intervene?”

Holding her close to his heart, he kissed her tenderly. “I only provided the right enticements to attract the Great One’s attention. She came for you.”

“I wish my mother could have seen the goddess. I wish she could know—”

An awful suspicion took root in Kamin’s mind. “When your mother died, were there any ceremonies for her?”

Straightening, Nima wiped her eyes and tried a wavering smile. “No.” She had no deben. She—she drank a lot of wine and beer daily, with each meal or instead of a meal, trying to forget what she’d lost, I think. Gamisis took her clothes and sold them after Mother died, keeping the money to buy me food, she said. Another lie no doubt. I certainly had no way to pay for a priest to recite blessings. I think Mother was buried in the town’s common cemetery. So her ka has to wander endlessly, denied the Afterlife.”

“I’ll swear you another oath, when this is all over and we’re free from our obligations to Egypt’s defense, we’ll journey to the town where you lost your mother. We’ll find the temple of Renenutet or Horus or both and have the full Book of the Dead chanted in her name,” Kamin said.

Nima regarded him with troubled eyes. “But Book of the Dead ceremonies cost much deben. I can’t let you spend such a large amount on my mother’s behalf.”

He laughed. “The nomarch will pay. He’s going to be extremely grateful to us for our services rendered. I keep telling you.”

Exhaling a little puff of air, she shook her head. “All right, I believe you. For now.”

Rising, Kamin walked over to the circle of ashes, stirring them with the toe of his sandal. “I’m sorry, but the bead dissolved in the flames.”

Nima rubbed her wrist. “I’ll miss it, but my mother said the whole reason I had the bead was to protect me. And now we’ve used up the amulet’s power.”

Kamin gazed at the ashes one more time, and a glint of light caught his eye. Reaching down, he pulled a single golden bead from the blackened circle. Holding it up to examine the carving, he blew gently and was rewarded by soot falling away from the bead’s gleaming surface. Kamin saw the bauble was hollow, filigreed, carved as a nest of snakes sinuously curving around each other. It made him dizzy trying to figure out where one snake began and the next ended. “I think the goddess left you a replacement gift.”

He brought the bead over to Nima, balanced in his palm.

“How beautiful!” Plucking the golden treasure from his hand, she held it to the sunlight. “But why would Renenutet leave this for me?”

“No one can pretend to understand the intent of the Great Ones,” Kamin said. “She must feel you have need of it.”

“A sobering thought. Maybe I shouldn’t accept it.” Nima frowned, eyebrows drawn together in a vee, her forehead wrinkled.

“Do you really think you have a choice?” he said softly. “Serious business, refusing a gift from the gods.”

Ripping a thin strip from the hem of her already tattered skirt, Nima threaded it through the filigree of the bead before tying the length off to become a bracelet.

Studying her blotchy face, Kamin left well enough alone. “We’d better go or Renenutet and the servant of Horus will have killed all those hyenas for nothing.”

When he lifted her from the sheltering rock formation, Nima tried to put her weight on the injured ankle and cried out, leaning heavily on him so as not to fall. She refused his offer to carry her, so he fashioned a staff of sorts from his bow, and she limped along next to him as they worked their way through the dead hyena pack, avoiding the black viscous gore pooled all over the sand.

After studying the map fragment briefly, Kamin pointed in the direction he’d decided to go. “I think we can find the track Ptahnetamun told me about if we go a bit north.” Shielding his eyes with one hand, Kamin studied the sky. “Unless the falcon shows up to guide us otherwise.”

Swirling just above the ground at ankle level, a small breeze blew off and on for the next hour, wiping away their tracks as they trudged.

Chapter Eight

Excruciatingly slow was the best pace she could manage. The first time they stopped to rest and drink water, she begged him to leave her.
 

“We’ve made such a pitiful amount of progress.” Rubbing her foot, Nima tried to adjust the clumsy bandage. “You can go so much faster on your own.”

“I’m not going to abandon you, so stop suggesting it,” he said, a vein throbbing in his temple and eyes flashing angrily. “What kind of man do you think I am?”

“A sensible one,” she answered, not cowed by his wrath. “Either Amarkash will catch up to us easily now or at best I’ll slow you down so much, your news about their planned attacks won’t reach the nomarch in time. You have to go on without me.”

“Well, I won’t, so you can stop bringing the idea up. I won’t desert you.” His touch gentle despite his angry tones, he handed her the bow and helped her rise from the rock where she’d perched.

Feeling honor-bound to dissuade him, Nima tried again. “You know Amarkash doesn’t want me dead—”
 

Jaw clenched, Kamin stopped and faced her. “I will
not
sacrifice you nor allow you to sacrifice yourself
for
me, do you hear? I gave my oath to bring you to safety. I love you too much to leave you unprotected in the desert while I proceed alone. Don’t ask me again.”

In an uncomfortable silence they went on, Nima hobbling and trying not to cry from the worsening pain. Finally, exasperated, Kamin swept her into his arms and carried her, despite her protests. Late in the afternoon, they came upon a tiny oasis surrounding the remnants of a small, burned-out village. Leaving her hidden in the brush at the edge of the settlement, Kamin reconnoitered, sword in hand.

Soon enough, he returned, sheathing his weapon, face grim, mouth set and eyes bracketed with deep lines.

Reaching out to him anxiously, Nima rested one hand on his forearm. “What’s wrong? What did you find?”

“The place is deserted. The Hyksos must have cleaned this small homestead out a long time ago from the looks of things. ”

“But?”
What isn’t he saying?
She tried to read his face. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

He stood, gazing across the desert, arms at his side, fists clenched. “They left the bodies of those who were too old or too infirm to sell as slaves in a heap, on the other side of the oasis. “ Bending over, he picked up a rock and hurled it as far away as he could. “May those bastards boil in the lake of fire!” Kamin turned to her, anguish and frustration in the set of his jaw, the glare in his hazel eyes. “These were simple people, a few families, minding their own business until Amarkash or some other jackal like him swooped in. Our people shouldn’t be prey for those damned marauders.”

Nima ached to go to him, hold him and offer comfort but was afraid her ankle wouldn’t support her weight. Instead, she extended one hand. “You’re doing the best you can for all of Egypt, Kamin. Pharaoh has to drive the would-be invaders out of Shield province and hold the borders to keep them from returning. Then women and children and their menfolk can live their lives in peace and safety. Your information will help achieve the ultimate victory. You told me so yourself, remember?”

He walked over and clasped her hand, bending to pick her up. “But I need to get my information to the nomarch in time to do something with it. Before any other settlement gets wiped out. Before the Hyksos are emboldened enough by their early successes to launch an attack on the cities. Before the province is lost.” Carrying her easily, he strode into the oasis. “We’re staying here tonight. After I get you settled in one of the houses, I’ll bury the poor villagers.”

 
Nima inspected the damaged buildings they walked past. “Are we safe?”

“As safe as we’ll be anywhere. Better than out in the open. The Great Ones will have to protect us tonight because you can’t go any farther.” He smiled, the expression hardly lightening the concern on his face. “We know the enemy soldiers are extremely reluctant to travel at night. At first light we’ll be on our way again, staying ahead of Amarkash, don’t worry. Your foot will be better in the morning, you’ll see.”

He’s trying so hard to be positive for me.
Heart aching, Nima averted her eyes from a wheeled child’s toy, lying broken in the rubble. “What if they send another pack of those—those beasts after us? Or something worse?”