16

Skye fell into step behind Seth. He stood head and shoulders above Philip, and he was easy to follow. Philip scowled at her, but she looked away. What was she supposed to do? Scoot past Seth and leave him to tell Saul? She’d saved them by inviting him along, even if Philip didn’t understand that. He thought he was the only one who could make decisions? He was wrong. She knew how to use her brain, too.

Once they’d maneuvered through the mass of people around Saul’s villa, the crowd thinned out a little.

Seth slowed down and took a spot beside her. “You are feeling better, Mistress?”

She forced out a smile and nodded. He’d been her ticket out of trouble in front of Saul’s house, but now what could they do with him? “Much better, thank you. Speaking to the people invigorated me.”

A content smile broke across his face. “I am glad to hear this.” But then his smile fell, and Skye’s gut clenched. “But you require something from the market so late at night? One of the servants could have helped, surely.”

Skye swallowed her nerves, glanced at Philip and then to Leah.

“It is a spiritual meeting she has been called to,” Philip said quickly. “I am sorry, but you will not be allowed entrance. No one can witness the inner workings of the gods, not even me.”

Skye stared at him, shocked that he’d come up with such a big lie out of the blue.

Thankfully, Seth nodded seriously, not noticing her hanging jaw.

“Thank you for your help,” she said.

“Of course, Mistress. Though I still believe Saul’s guards would be better protection on a night as rowdy as this.” He glanced at Philip. “I do not think we have met.”

Skye could almost feel the waves of tension coming from Philip, but he kept quiet.

They turned a corner, and the crowd thinned even more. The homes went from large, grand buildings to small mud huts. These were simple homes, the dwellings of the common people.

“Are you sure this is the way?” Philip asked.

She looked at him, worried. He’d been to the market and back again, or at least that’s what he’d said.

But Seth was certain. “Worry not, I am taking you on a quieter route.”

They turned another corner and were stopped by men with torches. Skye pulled her head covering more tightly around her face, hoping they could scoot by without notice.

One of the men glanced their way. He spotted Skye, and his face morphed into anger. “It is she!” he growled.

“Sirs,” Seth said smoothly. “Is there a problem?”

The man growled again. His eyes bored into her, and she shivered. “She is not welcome here!”

Philip stepped in front of her, blocking her from view. “We will be on our way,” he took control.

Leah uttered a whimper and then quieted.

But the man wasn’t pacified. “You are not welcome here!” he shouted. “Your lies will be revealed! Witchcraft! Witchcraft!” He started toward them.

Philip grabbed her hand. “We have to go, now!”

Seth started running, waving them to follow. “Come, I know a different way.”

“You seem to know a lot.” Philip’s breaths came in short bursts, but he was keeping up.

“I have lived here my entire life,” Seth said. He continued leading, but the angry group wasn’t backing down.

It wouldn’t take long before Saul knew what was going on, and he’d send his guards. His goal had been to keep her locked inside his villa. How would he feel when he realized she’d broken free?

Not good, Skye guessed.

They darted into a dark alley. It gave them just enough time to figure out what to do. “You must hide,” Seth said. “I will lead the masses past the alley, then I will return for you.”

Skye nodded and looked around. A doorway stood on their left, and she yanked Philip and Leah toward it. The entrance was just deep enough that they could stay hidden if they pressed together.

Leah hunkered down in the corner of the doorway, and Philip pulled Skye toward the other side. Then, he stood in front of her, completely blocking her from view. Seth’s footsteps pounded back toward the main street. A moment later, she heard him shout, “I saw them run this way!”

The herd followed him.

In the darkness, Skye glanced up at Philip. He stared straight ahead, his intense gaze practically burning a hole into the wooden door behind her. His arms spread out on either side of her shoulders, and his body pressed her back into the door.

She was reminded how much she’d despised him for the last year. Her cheeks burned, and she was glad for the darkness, which hid a multitude of secrets.

He cleared his throat, and she looked to him again. He met her gaze, his eyes serious and dark.

“I’m so glad you made it back to my room,” she blurted out. A nervous laugh came from her throat, and she ground her teeth and looked away. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounds.”

He shrugged. “We’re in Sumer. I don’t think anything we say can be taken how it sounds.”

She managed a smile as the warmth of his body calmed her. “Did you really jump through my window?”

“Saul’s guards wouldn’t let me back into the house. I had to find another way in.”

“But you found Abdul?”

“That’s right.” He glanced behind them then back to her. “He said we were in Sumer.”

“That’s what Seth told me,” she said.

“I’m not sure we can trust him if he’s Saul’s friend.”

He didn’t like her decision. Oh, well. “We didn’t have another choice, but I talked to him a lot at supper. I think we can trust him. What else did Abdul say?”

“That the people are building a tower to honor the gods. That’s why they believe you’re Hebat, and you’ve come to honor them.”

This was everything she had learned already. None of it helped them find a way home.

The sounds of stampeding seemed to fade, but Philip didn’t move. The silence pressed all around them. He stared down at her, making her want to squirm, but she didn’t dare to move.

“Skye, I—” he paused.

What? her mind screamed. Would he say he was sorry for abandoning her in freshman year? That he wanted her friendship back in his life? That she was totally worth it, regardless of what his friends back home thought?

“I just wanted to tell you—”

But before he could finish, the sound of footsteps rang through the alley. “It is safe!” Seth hissed.

Philip pulled away. Skye’s heart thundered, but her head screamed. What had he wanted to say?

“They are distracted,” Seth said, breathless. “At least for now. However, they will not give up. We must go.”

Philip took her hand again, and this time she held on tight. She still wanted to hear what he’d been on the verge of saying, and she had to let him know the door to saying it was still open.

She took Leah’s hand with her free hand, and Seth led them to the end of the alley, then through another and another, until they reached the edges of the marketplace. “Where is your meeting place?” he asked. He glanced around the corner, always watching.

Skye looked to Philip for help. She’d much rather answer Seth herself, but she couldn’t deny that she didn’t know anything outside of Saul’s villa.

“This way,” Philip said. He led them through the mostly empty streets, and stopped in front of a row of tents. The flaps were closed, but he pulled her close to him. “This is the place,” he said to Seth. “Thank you for your help.”

Seth frowned and glanced to her. “Mistress? Your spiritual gathering is in a laborer’s tent?”

Again, she looked to Philip. What was he doing? “It is the meeting place,” she finally said.

Seth didn’t seem pacified. He looked nervously between the two of them then threw a look at Leah, shaking his head. “Does Saul know you have gone, Leah? Why didn’t you ask him to send an escort? This hardly seems safe to me.”

Leah cowered behind Skye, and Philip stepped forward. He puffed out his chest. “You dare question the goddess of the skies?”

Seth’s eyes widened, and he stepped back. “No, of course not.” He bowed. “Forgive me, Mistress.”

“Seth, there is nothing to forgive.” She touched his shoulder, and he rose from his bow. “Please, tell no one you saw me. I will repay your kindness. You said you will be at the entire festival, did you not?”

His worried look faded a little, but his eyes weren’t completely clear. He nodded.

“Then I will see you tomorrow.”

He glanced again between her and Philip and then bowed slightly one last time. “On the morrow, Mistress. May the gods be pleased.” He hurried away, leaving Philip and Skye alone with Leah.

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” she hissed to Philip. What would Seth do once he returned to Saul? They might be captured within the hour. They had to meet up with Ezekiel, fast.

Philip scowled. “Of course I know. Do you think I picked this place at random?” He tugged on her hand, and she followed him toward the tent.

“This is where we came through time. Don’t you recognize it?” he asked.

She glanced around, but it looked exactly like any dark street in ancient Sumer, and nothing like a bright, sunny day in the desert.

“This is where I came this afternoon. Abdul was here. It is his family’s tent.”

He stepped inside and held up the flap, and she didn’t have any choice but to follow him.

They’d made it to the marketplace, but apparently Ezekiel hadn’t.

Philip moved to the backside of the tent and lifted another flap, glancing up and down the alleys. The tension in the air was thick. Would Ezekiel make it to them? Should they try getting home before Ezekiel showed up? And if they managed to return to London, what would happen to Leah?

Skye glanced at her new friend, but the girl kept her eyes cast to the hard-packed, dirt floor.

Skye looked back to Philip. “Do we try the gatekeeper words again?”

Philip continued watching the alley. With his back to her, he shrugged. “It’s worth a try. This is where it happened.”

She nodded but stopped when she realized he couldn’t see her. “Should we, like, hold hands or something?” Stupid question. They hadn’t been holding hands to begin with, but they’d been connected by the stone. Hadn’t they? Everything was starting to feel fuzzy. Too much action in too short a time period.

He turned and reached out to her. Swallowing her nerves, she took his hand. It was warm and enveloped her own hand.

Skye licked her lips and looked at Leah. The girl crouched in the corner, now watching with wide, scared eyes. What would happen to Leah if she and Philip were successful? Ezekiel wouldn’t find her hiding here, and she might get into trouble for running away if she returned to Saul.

With dread, Skye realized she couldn’t worry about that. She didn’t belong here, and she had to focus on getting home.

She turned back to Philip. Together, they spoke the strange words they’d learned four thousand years in the future.

“Ultu ulla ati me peta babka.”

She pressed her eyes closed, hoping for the spinning dizziness to hit her.

Nothing happened.

Philip huffed and turned away, pulling his hands with him. He went to the tent flap and looked back into the alley.

“You know that guy’ll blabber to Saul as soon as he gets back.” Philip’s tone was harsh. He was still upset about that. It was probably just his frustration talking.

“What else was I supposed to do? He got us through town, at least. By the time Saul comes looking we should be out of here.”

Philip let the tent flap fall back into place, shrouding them in darkness. Silence wrapped around her, and she shivered.

“I hope you’re right,” he said.