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.”