Rejection. Cool and complete—like a rope being severed by a well-honed blade. Rejection of a proposal she had not even known she had made. But thank the gods for his good judgment, for in her mourning she had apparently grown weak and lost her own.

No, Intef had said simply, and inside this dark place his meaning had been as bright as day. No, the kiss they had shared the night before had meant nothing. No, they should not give in to this inexplicable lust. No, for he was the self-proclaimed robber of Pharaoh’s tomb, and she was Pharaoh’s only defender. No, no, no, no. They were enemies, after all. They had become allies only by necessity. They could never, ever be more.

She watched his torch float down the corridor and felt a wave of relief. His clarity of his thought was astounding; the content of it unimpeachable. The only feeling they should be allowing inside their hearts was the simple will to survive.