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After the search yesterday at the Sphinx and the pyramids yielded nothing she had to admit she was feeling a little annoyed. How many other landmarks were they going to have to search. Today they were headed to Saqqara. She hadn’t felt a connection to anything she came in contact with. There was no pull or tug towards anything. Max was right though, she was grateful she didn’t have to do this alone. Having the Protectors with her did make this easier.
It was early. She’d been unable to sleep any longer. The balcony off their bedroom had a magnificent view of the city. She stood out there in one of Eli’s t-shirts and bare feet. Her eyes were focused on the skyline. The sun was beginning to rise and she wished she’d brought her guitar along on the trip. Being so engulfed in all of this had kept her from her music. She’d never gone this long without playing or singing. It was partly what kept her sane. Her finger began to tap out a rhythm on the balcony railing and then she started to hum. Then the tune of the song took shape in her head and she started singing to herself, trying to keep it low so she wouldn’t wake him.
It was freeing and comforting to sing. She realized she was singing The Cures ‘Lovesong’ and she couldn’t contain the small smile that lit up her face. Suddenly, arms surrounded her and pulled her close. The brief jolt of shock dissipated the second she realized it was Eli. “Keep singing babe.” He whispered sleepily into her ear as he held her against his body. She could feel him nuzzling her neck.
She resumed singing and sang a little louder for his benefit. When she finished he kissed her shoulder and smiled into her skin. “You like that song, don’t you?”
“It makes me think of you.” As they stood there together, silent, she wondered what he was thinking, feeling, but she didn’t ask.
The sun climbed up the sky, bathing the day in a beautiful light. He held her tighter and kissed the top of her head. “I love you.” The words held such tenderness to them.
She placed her hand on his arm. “I love you too.” For a while they just stayed locked together. The moments like this are what gave her strength to keep fighting. This is what she was fighting for... more moments like this one, a lifetime of moments like this one. They had to find that book.
Once thoughts of The Book of Prophecy encroached upon her solitude she knew their moment was over. “Let’s shower and get the others up so we can get going.”
He kissed the side of her face and they went back into their room. After she showered and dressed she went across to the other apartment. She held up her fist to knock, but her hand hovered there in the air for a minute. Her nerves were rattling her. She pushed the feeling away and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, Phaedra opened the door.
“Hi.”
“Hi.” Phaedra responded. It wasn’t unwelcoming, but it wasn’t inviting either. As a matter of fact, she stood in the doorway and hadn’t asked her to come inside.
“Can we talk... out here?” Willow didn’t want anyone eavesdropping on their conversation. She realized how hypocritical it was of her to want privacy when she so often wanted and had listened in on conversations.
Phaedra stepped out into the hallway and shut the door behind her. She crossed her arms over her chest and stood staring at Willow with a blank expression.
She’s not going to make this easy.
Willow swallowed and squared her shoulders. “Listen, the day everything happened with Eli... I said some awful things that I didn’t mean...”
“Yes, you did.” Phaedra interrupted her, but there was still no emotion to her words.
“Well they were said in the heat of anger, that doesn’t mean that I really feel that way about you...” Now she sounded defensive. “What I’m trying to say is I’m sorry... I haven’t gotten to know you like I’ve gotten to know the others... and yesterday when you stuck up for me with Kek... Thank you for that...” She faltered and looked away for a second before looking at Phaedra’s face once more. “I realized I was so very wrong about you... I don’t know why we haven’t become friends yet, but I would like to try.”
It took nearly a minute before Phaedra responded. “Apology accepted.” She went to walk back into the apartment.
“Wait. What about everything else I said?” Willow was trying not to look shocked.
“We’re not going to become besties over night. Things will happen the way they’re supposed to.” She offered up a smile that included raised eyebrows that seemed to be asking if this was over.
“Okay.” Once she said the word, Phaedra went into the apartment and shut the door. Guess that’s the best she was going to get. At least she’d finally apologized like she should have right after it happened.
***
GAMAL, ANIPPE AND ULRIK arrived and they piled into the vans to head to Saqqara. It was the only place they had scheduled to search today. It was a bit of a process getting these places closed to the public so they could have their privacy. She couldn’t imagine how many looks and stares they would receive from people watching them poke around.
The ancient burial ground was deserted when they arrived. The day was still and no air or breeze seemed to whip around, which made the day even hotter. She wiped sweat from her brow as they spread out to begin the hunt. Besides the Djoser’s step pyramid there were ruins of the burial ground complex that had been excavated and preserved. They had quite a bit of ground to cover considering how many possible hiding places the complex offered.
They started with the pyramid and covered every area leading all the way up to the top. Examining every step for potential trapdoors and compartments that might unearth the book. In the hot sun with no shade, it was a grueling, sweaty process. Her fingers were caked with dirt from running them through the sand and earth.
It had taken over an hour to search the pyramid from top to bottom and now they needed to search the burial complex, which consisted of a lot of different areas. At this point they split into groups so they could cover more of the area quickly. She drank down the cold bottle of water Anippe and Gamal offered. They’d been thoughtful enough to pack a cooler full of cold water.
She ended up with Ulrik as a partner during the search of the ruins. They walked in silence under the roofed colonnade entrance that led into the complex. It was the first time she’d been somewhat alone with Ulrik. She ran her fingers along the stone pillars as they passed, wishing she felt some pull or connection to the building. Unfortunately, there was no voice beckoning her in a certain direction or an imaginary string that seemed to tether her to any place within the ruins. It was hard not to feel that they probably wouldn’t find the book here either.
She was deep in her own thoughts when his voice pulled her out of her head.
“You and Eli... was it easy for you to become lovers?” He looked her in the eyes as they walked.
The direct question was unexpected. She looked away and mulled over his words. She was sure the road to where they were now hadn’t been easy. “No, it wasn’t easy.” She mused over Eli’s strong sense of duty that kept them apart. “Nope... When I finally professed my feelings, he wasn’t ready.” Her gaze returned to his. “It broke my heart.”
They lapsed into silence once again as the long walk along the corridor ended and they found themselves in a hall that once held floor to ceiling columns.
In between each column, on either side, were smaller chambers. The search of this hall alone could take quite a bit of time.
“You take the left hand side and I’ll take the right hand side.” He suggested. She appreciated that he offered it as a way for them to work without making it seem like his was the only way. Since it made sense she nodded and stepped to the left. She got right to work, feeling along the walls and columns before she entered the first chamber.
After searching the first chamber she came out to repeat the process of pushing, poking and prodding the wall and a column before she entered the next chamber. She’d completed this process about four times when Ulrik spoke again. “You both inspire me.” He said the words while his fingers worked along a column, probing for a secret hideaway. Willow stopped what she was doing. “Since I’ve met you and seen the two of you together I am awestruck, which hasn’t happened in a long time. When you’ve been around as long as I have, you’ve pretty much seen everything. Nothing surprises you anymore.” He turned to her.
She was shocked by his confession.
“Surely, you’ve noticed there is more between Anippe and I than friendship.”
She wasn’t sure if he was looking for an answer because it didn’t exactly sound like a question, but she nodded.
“When I came here after being excommunicated I had no expectations.” While he spoke it seemed like his mind had drifted back to that time in his life. “I was never a man that had known true love and had figured that was something that wasn’t meant to be.” A large smile, like someone had awakened the sun transformed Ulrik’s face. “It wasn’t love at first sight, but what I felt for Anippe as I got to know her grew into a deep, passionate love for both of us.” As quickly as the smile was there, it was snuffed out by some dark memory.
“What happened?” She asked quietly, afraid that maybe she should have waited to let him speak again.
Sad eyes stared at her. It was several seconds before he responded. “Many in her coven were appalled by our relationship. I didn’t find this out until I sought Bakari’s permission for her hand in marriage...”
It was hard to keep the shock off her face. She could tell the two were in love, but hadn’t realized things had been that serious between the two.
“There were threats against me at first, which I could handle... but when members of her own coven threatened to strip her of her magic...” His gaze flicked towards Willow almost in an apologetic way. “When they threatened this thing... and said she would be forced from her homeland as well if we went through with the wedding, I could not go through with it.”
What he’d just told her made her so angry she wanted to go and beat Kek and whoever else had threatened the pair to a pulp. She was sure it had been the vile man from lunch that led the angry mob with pitchforks.
“I never told her about the threats that had been made. I just left...” The pain in his eyes was haunting. “I’d been doomed to a life alone with no community. I would not condemn her to that.” He went back to his search and for a moment she thought that was the end of it, but then he spoke as he worked. “Then I saw you and Eli together...”
She was rooted to the spot, listening to what he was going to say.
“I saw the love between the two of you and I thought they have not had to face adversity yet. One of them will crack like I did when faced with overcoming the people that don’t want to seem them together.” Ulrik stopped again, but didn’t turn towards her. “When I heard that Eli had gone through with the stripping because he chose to love you no matter what anyone said, no matter the perverse law... I felt shame. For the first time in probably hundreds of years, I was ashamed at how easily I let others keep me from love out of fear.”
Her thoughts went back to that night when he and Phaedra had dragged an unconscious Eli into the living room and how Ulrik had said he was an honorable man.
“I’ve decided that if Anippe will have me, I vow I will not let her go this time. I’m prepared to make any sacrifice for us to be together.” When he turned back to her this time, she could see the grin that broke out on his face and it made her smile.
“I think that’s amazing. You both deserve to be happy. I’m glad you’re going to get that.” For some reason, she found herself embracing him in a hug. He hugged her back.
“Thank you.” He was beaming.
They went back to their search, both smiling and happy, lost in thoughts of the ones they loved. She was flattered by his admiration over how she and Eli loved one another. It made her want to fight that much harder to find this book and defeat Killian so she could spend the rest of her life in peace, loving him.