world.”
“Cleo,” Ram said warningly, the name almost a growl of displeasure. Cleo was clearly unimpressed.
“Here’s the scoop. You died, right? Almost. When you died you stepped into the Ether. Right?” Docia nodded, not knowing what else to do in response toCleo’s questioning remarks. “There you met … whom did you meet, anyway? Did she say?”
Docia shook her head mutely, trying to figure out how everyone knew about what had happened during
her
near death experience.
“Was it even a her? Kahotep came back as a woman in two of his Blended incarnations just to see what the experience would be like. I thought of choosing a male myself once or twice. But really, who would want to be a man? The idea of not being able to grow a child … it saddens me.”
“It w-was a woman.…”
“Of course it was! And who are you?”
“I— she didn’t …”
“Hatshepsut.” Ram spoke up from behind them, his voice falling dark and hard, the word spitting from him like a cross between a curse and a sneeze.
Cleo froze midstep, her carefree air evaporating instantly. She immediately let go of Docia’s arm and dropped to her knees, bowing her beautiful head down low, her hands reaching out to touch Docia’s feet as her tail of hair fanned out over the tile floor before settling into stillness.
“My queen. I apologize. I did not realize it was you,” she said with breathless reverence. “Ram, I never thought you’d find her this quickly! I assumed …” She went silent, leaving Docia to stare down at her in shock and an absolute sense of having leapt down a rabbit hole somewhere along the way. She was struggling to figure things out, to catch up and work off the same script that they seemed to be working off.
“I’m a little confused,” was all she could manage to eke out.
And that was as long as Cleo’s contrition lasted. She was just as quickly back at full height and had Docia’sshoulders snuggled under her arm in that very next instant.
“Never you fear. Cleo is here to help you.”
“Cleo,
I
am here to help her,” Ram said darkly in warning.
“Sorry, I didn’t get that,” Cleo lied breezily, brushing a hand of dismissal in Ram’s face. “You know, this original is deaf in this ear, I think.” She wiggled a finger in the suspect ear.
“Cleo!”
“I understand how you feel,” she continued on in Docia’s ear. “My last incarnation before this one, it took nearly six weeks for the Blending to happen. I walked around the whole time utterly confused. It didn’t help that it was the Civil War and every time I turned around someone was stuffing me into a corset. Damned distracting, let me tell you. Let me finish giving you the scoop. So. Died. Ether.” Cleo ticked off the steps on her finger. “Our queen chose you. She piggybacked on your soul, so to speak, to get back here to the mortal plane. Now you and she are going to Blend over the next few weeks. Downside? It’s as confusing and disturbing as a game of drag queen bingo in the lobby of the Carlisle Hotel.” Cleo brushed that off. “Upside? You’ll heal superfast now. You’ll become very strong. The aging process comes to a screeching halt. Even reverses in some cases! Yay, right?” She was obviously excited about that one. “I forget what other power Hatshepsut draws with her … but one step at a time. Right? You look like you went through hell. I’m amazed she was able to claim you at all.”
Docia just stared at her, mouth agape.
“I guess that’s … um … good?” she said when Cleo looked at her expectantly.
“Good? That’s great! You’re so lucky you wereclaimed by the highest of all queens! You are destined to be—”
“Cleo!”
This time Ram’s bark of warning was something even Cleo couldn’t ignore. It rolled over them both like storm clouds, and Docia could swear she heard and felt a slam of thunder outside in time with it.
Now that was just
creepy,
she thought. Rather like the scary butler in
“Cleo,” Ram said warningly, the name almost a growl of displeasure. Cleo was clearly unimpressed.
“Here’s the scoop. You died, right? Almost. When you died you stepped into the Ether. Right?” Docia nodded, not knowing what else to do in response toCleo’s questioning remarks. “There you met … whom did you meet, anyway? Did she say?”
Docia shook her head mutely, trying to figure out how everyone knew about what had happened during
her
near death experience.
“Was it even a her? Kahotep came back as a woman in two of his Blended incarnations just to see what the experience would be like. I thought of choosing a male myself once or twice. But really, who would want to be a man? The idea of not being able to grow a child … it saddens me.”
“It w-was a woman.…”
“Of course it was! And who are you?”
“I— she didn’t …”
“Hatshepsut.” Ram spoke up from behind them, his voice falling dark and hard, the word spitting from him like a cross between a curse and a sneeze.
Cleo froze midstep, her carefree air evaporating instantly. She immediately let go of Docia’s arm and dropped to her knees, bowing her beautiful head down low, her hands reaching out to touch Docia’s feet as her tail of hair fanned out over the tile floor before settling into stillness.
“My queen. I apologize. I did not realize it was you,” she said with breathless reverence. “Ram, I never thought you’d find her this quickly! I assumed …” She went silent, leaving Docia to stare down at her in shock and an absolute sense of having leapt down a rabbit hole somewhere along the way. She was struggling to figure things out, to catch up and work off the same script that they seemed to be working off.
“I’m a little confused,” was all she could manage to eke out.
And that was as long as Cleo’s contrition lasted. She was just as quickly back at full height and had Docia’sshoulders snuggled under her arm in that very next instant.
“Never you fear. Cleo is here to help you.”
“Cleo,
I
am here to help her,” Ram said darkly in warning.
“Sorry, I didn’t get that,” Cleo lied breezily, brushing a hand of dismissal in Ram’s face. “You know, this original is deaf in this ear, I think.” She wiggled a finger in the suspect ear.
“Cleo!”
“I understand how you feel,” she continued on in Docia’s ear. “My last incarnation before this one, it took nearly six weeks for the Blending to happen. I walked around the whole time utterly confused. It didn’t help that it was the Civil War and every time I turned around someone was stuffing me into a corset. Damned distracting, let me tell you. Let me finish giving you the scoop. So. Died. Ether.” Cleo ticked off the steps on her finger. “Our queen chose you. She piggybacked on your soul, so to speak, to get back here to the mortal plane. Now you and she are going to Blend over the next few weeks. Downside? It’s as confusing and disturbing as a game of drag queen bingo in the lobby of the Carlisle Hotel.” Cleo brushed that off. “Upside? You’ll heal superfast now. You’ll become very strong. The aging process comes to a screeching halt. Even reverses in some cases! Yay, right?” She was obviously excited about that one. “I forget what other power Hatshepsut draws with her … but one step at a time. Right? You look like you went through hell. I’m amazed she was able to claim you at all.”
Docia just stared at her, mouth agape.
“I guess that’s … um … good?” she said when Cleo looked at her expectantly.
“Good? That’s great! You’re so lucky you wereclaimed by the highest of all queens! You are destined to be—”
“Cleo!”
This time Ram’s bark of warning was something even Cleo couldn’t ignore. It rolled over them both like storm clouds, and Docia could swear she heard and felt a slam of thunder outside in time with it.
Now that was just
creepy,
she thought. Rather like the scary butler in
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