to help.
Tiy panicked. The sphinx rested in a deep pit ahead of her, and her camel was running as though it had all the sand in the world stretched before it. She pushed down on his neck with both feet and pulled on the rope with all of her strength. The camel yanked its head back and bellowed so loud her ears stung. It came to an abrupt stop—which wasn’t what she had expected at all— and she shot off like an arrow, flying through the sky as if she had wings. Completely useless wings.
The head of the sphinx grew larger and larger as she soared toward it. Grimacing down at the sand and stone, she spread her arms wide in an effort to catch herself. But she never reached the sphinx head, although it looked like she might. Instead, she crashed onto the hot sand just below the lion’s two paws, its arms stretched forward as if to catch her. Her head cracked on something hard and every color vanished from her sight. She felt as if she was back in the sandstorm, with the air swirling around her, except instead of orange-blackness coming at her from every direction, it was grey-blackness.
Amenhotep ’s voice sounded strangled as he reached the edge of the pit. His was the only voice she could hear, the only sound. But she couldn’t answer him, no matter how hard she tried. Something heavy sat on her chest, keeping her from breathing. She lay sprawled on the ground and let a heavy wave of pain carry her away.
Chapter 15. Solemn Promise
Tiy awoke to Amenhotep and Merymose hovering over her—at least she was fairly certain it was the two of them. The sun shone at their backs, silhouetting their bodies and obscuring their faces in shadow. Unaware she had opened her eyes, they faced each another in disagreement.
“ Didn’t you teach her how to stop her mount?” Amenhotep questioned with a bite in his voice.
“She said she’d ridden horses before,” Merymo se said. “I figured she’d know.”
“Stopping a runaway camel is nothing like a horse.”
“We should take her back to the palace.”
Tiy tried to speak, to tell them she was okay and didn’t want to return, but her tongue was heavier than a block of dry wood.
Amenhotep shook his head. “I’d rather wait and see what she wants to do. She may feel fine when she awakes, and if I know Tiy, she’ll want to have a look around before we trek all the way back.”
Merymose squirmed .
“ Merymose, say what you want. I may be Pharaoh’s son, but we are still friends. You can speak your mind with me.” Then he chuckled. “Whether or not I listen is up to me.”
Merymose relaxed his shoulders . “I’d rather we just carry her back. If she gets mad, she gets mad.”
“ Honestly, I want to take her back too, but I don’t want to be one more person telling her what to do. I think she’s had plenty of that. We should let her decide for herself.”
Tiy smiled. Amenhotep would probably never understand how much what he said meant to her. He’d lived his entire life dictating orders, and she’d lived her whole life taking them. Not just from her mother, who seemed to be the worst offender, but her servants had often made decisions for her that she didn’t always agree with. What to eat, what to wear. For once, someone was going to let her decide, even if they disagreed.
“ We’ll bring her back another time,” Merymose said.
“ The festival season is almost over; it may be a long time before we are able to return.”
“Then she’ll wait.”
Tiy groaned and cleared her throat.
“Tiy!” Petep said. She pushed Amenhotep and Merymose aside and gathered Tiy’s head into her lap. “Are you okay?”
Tiy did a quick check of her body, straightening her limbs and squeezing the muscles in her arms and legs. They seemed fine. She twisted her hips and wiggled her shoulders. Not too much pain there either. Perhaps a little sore, but nothing was broken, and nothing bad enough to shorten their trip.
“I’m all right,” Tiy said. “Can I have
Tiy panicked. The sphinx rested in a deep pit ahead of her, and her camel was running as though it had all the sand in the world stretched before it. She pushed down on his neck with both feet and pulled on the rope with all of her strength. The camel yanked its head back and bellowed so loud her ears stung. It came to an abrupt stop—which wasn’t what she had expected at all— and she shot off like an arrow, flying through the sky as if she had wings. Completely useless wings.
The head of the sphinx grew larger and larger as she soared toward it. Grimacing down at the sand and stone, she spread her arms wide in an effort to catch herself. But she never reached the sphinx head, although it looked like she might. Instead, she crashed onto the hot sand just below the lion’s two paws, its arms stretched forward as if to catch her. Her head cracked on something hard and every color vanished from her sight. She felt as if she was back in the sandstorm, with the air swirling around her, except instead of orange-blackness coming at her from every direction, it was grey-blackness.
Amenhotep ’s voice sounded strangled as he reached the edge of the pit. His was the only voice she could hear, the only sound. But she couldn’t answer him, no matter how hard she tried. Something heavy sat on her chest, keeping her from breathing. She lay sprawled on the ground and let a heavy wave of pain carry her away.
Chapter 15. Solemn Promise
Tiy awoke to Amenhotep and Merymose hovering over her—at least she was fairly certain it was the two of them. The sun shone at their backs, silhouetting their bodies and obscuring their faces in shadow. Unaware she had opened her eyes, they faced each another in disagreement.
“ Didn’t you teach her how to stop her mount?” Amenhotep questioned with a bite in his voice.
“She said she’d ridden horses before,” Merymo se said. “I figured she’d know.”
“Stopping a runaway camel is nothing like a horse.”
“We should take her back to the palace.”
Tiy tried to speak, to tell them she was okay and didn’t want to return, but her tongue was heavier than a block of dry wood.
Amenhotep shook his head. “I’d rather wait and see what she wants to do. She may feel fine when she awakes, and if I know Tiy, she’ll want to have a look around before we trek all the way back.”
Merymose squirmed .
“ Merymose, say what you want. I may be Pharaoh’s son, but we are still friends. You can speak your mind with me.” Then he chuckled. “Whether or not I listen is up to me.”
Merymose relaxed his shoulders . “I’d rather we just carry her back. If she gets mad, she gets mad.”
“ Honestly, I want to take her back too, but I don’t want to be one more person telling her what to do. I think she’s had plenty of that. We should let her decide for herself.”
Tiy smiled. Amenhotep would probably never understand how much what he said meant to her. He’d lived his entire life dictating orders, and she’d lived her whole life taking them. Not just from her mother, who seemed to be the worst offender, but her servants had often made decisions for her that she didn’t always agree with. What to eat, what to wear. For once, someone was going to let her decide, even if they disagreed.
“ We’ll bring her back another time,” Merymose said.
“ The festival season is almost over; it may be a long time before we are able to return.”
“Then she’ll wait.”
Tiy groaned and cleared her throat.
“Tiy!” Petep said. She pushed Amenhotep and Merymose aside and gathered Tiy’s head into her lap. “Are you okay?”
Tiy did a quick check of her body, straightening her limbs and squeezing the muscles in her arms and legs. They seemed fine. She twisted her hips and wiggled her shoulders. Not too much pain there either. Perhaps a little sore, but nothing was broken, and nothing bad enough to shorten their trip.
“I’m all right,” Tiy said. “Can I have
Similar Books
