“Merin. Merin.”
The soft call pulled her from a chaotic dream into the
bright light of the day. “Yes.”
“Come to the pool. There is much you need to know and
little time.”
Merin left her blanket and knelt beside the pool. She
looked up and gasped. A tall woman stood on the other side of the water. She
held a silver crook and wore a warrior’s kilt. Her face shifted from that of a
beautiful woman to the likeness of a sacred cat.
“Goddess.” Merin felt as though this woman radiated the
warmth of the sun.
“Listen to what I say. You must remember. The
pharaoh-to-be has reached the delta. Something went wrong at the Horu temple.
The priests of Aken Re infiltrated. You must find the Chosen of Horu and assist
him in the quest given to him. He was sold to the nomarch of Mempho as a
seven-year slave.”
“How will I recognize him?”
“Gaze into the water.”
The surface shimmered and an image formed. A man with a
mane of dark brown hair and deep amber eyes appeared. Merin leaned forward. Handsome.
His muscular body intrigued her. Her gaze swept from his head to his feet. His
mouth curved into a smile that sent heat flowing to her core. She stared
intently trying to memorize his features. One of her fingers touched his lips.
The image shattered into ring-like waves.
Merin’s attention returned to the goddess. “Bast,
protector of the people and the lands, once I find him has my quest ended.” As
she waited for an answer she wondered what the surge of heat on seeing the Chosen had meant.
The goddess stood on the water and lifted Merin’s chin.
“Your quest will end and his will begin. You must travel together and help him
for he is a stranger to the Two Lands.”
“What is his quest?”
“To find the ancient jewelry of the first queen. Without
the crown, the necklace and the armbands you cannot name him as the ruler of
the land.”
“Then we must leave the delta to seek the pieces. The
jewelry was at the temple belonging to Toth across the river from Tebes. Does
it remain on the altar?”
“This is for you to discover. I was not present when the
last of the foreign priests fled. You must also remember and obey the
restrictions set by Horu on those who are given a quest. Should you step beyond
those rules you will fail and the Two Lands will become a battlefield again and
the outcome will go against those who honor the Three.”
Merin closed her eyes. She must find the man who stirred
needs she didn’t understand. Would obedience be hard? Remembering how he had
attracted her she believed keeping from him was a test.
When her eyelids fluttered open the goddess had vanished.
Merin curled her arms around her knees. Though she tried she couldn’t remember
the exact words from the scroll Namose had used to teach her to read. Knowing
was necessary. Who could tell her?
With a sigh Merin returned to the blanket. Until the sun
moved westward she must sleep. This time she prayed the chaotic images of the
temple, the priest and Bast Ka would fail to invade her dreams.
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