Read Online Dancer of the Nile (Gods of Egypt) by Veronica Scott - Free Book Online
Authors: Veronica Scott
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from one piece of broken masonry to the next. The muscles in her legs quivered and ached, so she sank onto a convenient pillar remnant, rubbing her calves. “There isn’t even an intact building.”
“Most likely this was a small temple in ancient times, maybe even the first civilization before ours.” Kamin walked closer to the broken columns, half buried in the sand. Sidling along the jagged edge of the roof, the falcon tilted its head to watch. “Come see this.”
“What did you find?” Wearily, Nima got up from her seat on a column base and trudged to join him.
“Maybe this was the center of the temple.” Kamin kicked at the sand and dry brush drifted across the flat space. More of the painting became visible—gazelles running through a forest growing beside a body of water. Flowers bloomed in vast carpets of sadly faded color, and the trees were laden with fruit. The hues were faint now but must have been vivid eons ago.
“Not in the modern style but beautiful.” Nima walked over to examine the flowers more closely.
The falcon winged past her, landing at the far edge of the patio, pecking at one particular flagstone with its beak before taking off again. Moving to the place indicated by the falcon, Kamin hunkered to examine the exposed floor closely. A gust of wind blew stinging sand, and they both had to stand, clutching each other for stability, backs to the gale. As soon as the wind eased, Kamin returned to the stone, rapping his knuckles on it in various spots. Running the tips of his fingers along the seam between the stone and its neighbors, he tried to pry the block up. Drawing his dagger, he used the blade as a lever. “I think this might be a trapdoor. Ah, got it.”
Moving out of the way as the painted slab he’d been working on slid aside, Kamin watched as it shifted in fits and starts under the stone next to it until a black opening loomed. He leaned over, his head inches above the ground. “Air smells fresh. Fragrant, actually.”
Nima didn’t trust the trapdoor to be anything resembling good fortune, falcon or no falcon. “Be careful, there could be snakes or scorpions.”
“I’ll protect you from those plagues, as long as you protect me from spiders. Fair’s fair.” Grinning, he held out one hand to her. “This must lead somewhere we can shelter from the storm or the falcon wouldn’t have led us to it.”
“You have a lot more confidence in birds than I do, soldier.”
Shrieking around the edges of the rock formation and the ruins, the wind was picking up.
“Horus is the Great One I serve. I can’t imagine his falcon would betray us.” Taking her hand, he squeezed it gently. “I’ll go and let you know how it is in a minute.” Stepping into the stairway, Kamin descended. Reluctantly, Nima leaned over the rim, trying to make out any features in the inky black depths, straining to hear the sound of his footsteps as they receded, growing fainter.
“Can you see anything?” she called after a few moments when she heard him walking toward her in the tunnel below.
“The passage opens into a lighted area. I didn’t go all the way to the end.” Kamin emerged partway from the tunnel, resting his arms on the ground, regarding her with a frown. “I think we’d better hide here because we’re out of time to look for a better shelter from this weather. Trust me, trust Horus. All right?”
Taking a deep breath, one hand over her stomach to quell the nervous flutters, she let him draw her over the edge of the opening, then descended the steps by feel, going deeper into the near-total darkness.
Reaching the bottom with an awkward thump, expecting there to be more stairs, Nima peered into the gloom, eyes narrowed. She was ready for anything, pulse pounding, fight or flight. As he’d promised, light beckoned at the end of the inky blackness. The air was fresh, carrying the scent of some lush flower. Lotus here? So far from the Nile?
“What are you doing?”
“Most likely this was a small temple in ancient times, maybe even the first civilization before ours.” Kamin walked closer to the broken columns, half buried in the sand. Sidling along the jagged edge of the roof, the falcon tilted its head to watch. “Come see this.”
“What did you find?” Wearily, Nima got up from her seat on a column base and trudged to join him.
“Maybe this was the center of the temple.” Kamin kicked at the sand and dry brush drifted across the flat space. More of the painting became visible—gazelles running through a forest growing beside a body of water. Flowers bloomed in vast carpets of sadly faded color, and the trees were laden with fruit. The hues were faint now but must have been vivid eons ago.
“Not in the modern style but beautiful.” Nima walked over to examine the flowers more closely.
The falcon winged past her, landing at the far edge of the patio, pecking at one particular flagstone with its beak before taking off again. Moving to the place indicated by the falcon, Kamin hunkered to examine the exposed floor closely. A gust of wind blew stinging sand, and they both had to stand, clutching each other for stability, backs to the gale. As soon as the wind eased, Kamin returned to the stone, rapping his knuckles on it in various spots. Running the tips of his fingers along the seam between the stone and its neighbors, he tried to pry the block up. Drawing his dagger, he used the blade as a lever. “I think this might be a trapdoor. Ah, got it.”
Moving out of the way as the painted slab he’d been working on slid aside, Kamin watched as it shifted in fits and starts under the stone next to it until a black opening loomed. He leaned over, his head inches above the ground. “Air smells fresh. Fragrant, actually.”
Nima didn’t trust the trapdoor to be anything resembling good fortune, falcon or no falcon. “Be careful, there could be snakes or scorpions.”
“I’ll protect you from those plagues, as long as you protect me from spiders. Fair’s fair.” Grinning, he held out one hand to her. “This must lead somewhere we can shelter from the storm or the falcon wouldn’t have led us to it.”
“You have a lot more confidence in birds than I do, soldier.”
Shrieking around the edges of the rock formation and the ruins, the wind was picking up.
“Horus is the Great One I serve. I can’t imagine his falcon would betray us.” Taking her hand, he squeezed it gently. “I’ll go and let you know how it is in a minute.” Stepping into the stairway, Kamin descended. Reluctantly, Nima leaned over the rim, trying to make out any features in the inky black depths, straining to hear the sound of his footsteps as they receded, growing fainter.
“Can you see anything?” she called after a few moments when she heard him walking toward her in the tunnel below.
“The passage opens into a lighted area. I didn’t go all the way to the end.” Kamin emerged partway from the tunnel, resting his arms on the ground, regarding her with a frown. “I think we’d better hide here because we’re out of time to look for a better shelter from this weather. Trust me, trust Horus. All right?”
Taking a deep breath, one hand over her stomach to quell the nervous flutters, she let him draw her over the edge of the opening, then descended the steps by feel, going deeper into the near-total darkness.
Reaching the bottom with an awkward thump, expecting there to be more stairs, Nima peered into the gloom, eyes narrowed. She was ready for anything, pulse pounding, fight or flight. As he’d promised, light beckoned at the end of the inky blackness. The air was fresh, carrying the scent of some lush flower. Lotus here? So far from the Nile?
“What are you doing?”
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