leave me alone. So much for a soldier’s solemn oath.” The words were cutting but the tone was joking, warm. Lady Tiya opened her eyes again, shielding them with one hand. “Sometimes I can tolerate a bread crust.”
He selected a hard roll left over from his breakfast and broke off a few crumbs, handing her the small bits of bread, coaxing her to sample the best portion. She swallowed some of the bread and drank a little more of the medicated water, after which she made a face and rubbed the residue from her lips. “Are you a healer as well as a soldier?”
Sitting on his heels, hands on his thighs, he shook his head. “Not I. But some things are common sense. And leaving you to suffer in your fetid cabin did not make sense.”
“I’m grateful.” She kept her eyes closed but gave him a tentative smile.
As he straightened the sheet, Khenet frowned, eyes narrowed. This isn’t right , not fair to her. “A highborn lady like you shouldn’t be traveling this way, with no attendants. Not even one maid to take care of your needs.” How could Pharaoh send her off in such a style? Never mind if a goddess decreed it.
“This whole business is less than ideal,” she said, ending on a tiny yawn. “The Great One only cares about my quick arrival at the Nome. She’s renowned for not concerning herself with the comfort of mere humans.”
Khenet’s head buzzed with questions about all aspects of this mission. What was he going to face down there in the Viper Nome? She had to know more than he did about this journey, but he could see how exhausted she was, and he didn’t have the heart to pester her now. After all, he had a week or more of the voyage to inquire further. He took pity on her. After moving the dishes away, he adjusted the headrest and gestured for her to recline. “Sleep if you can. I’ll stand guard. The crew won’t venture near, and they can’t see you under this awning. I’ve ordered your cabin washed and the bedding aired out. This afternoon, if you feel better, you can go below and change garments.”
Closing her eyes obediently, she nodded. Khenet settled in to stand watch.
For the most part, she slept easily under the influence of the herbs. The lines of pain etched on her face smoothed out, and she turned on her side, pillowing her head on one palm. A battered, one-eared black tomcat came and curled up next to her, purring, staring defiantly at Khenet with mismatched green and yellow eyes as it kneaded its claws in the straw mattress.
Making one attempt to remove the cat, lest it waken her from hard won sleep, Khenet was rewarded with a long scratch on the knuckles.
“You’re not what I’m supposed to defend her against,” Khenet informed the ship’s cat. “No need to glare at me.”
After several hours, the potion wore off and she stirred, kicking the covers away. Trying to block out awareness of her enticing curves and sweet perfume, Khenet redraped the linen sheet over her twice.
She woke as he tucked the sheet under the edge of the mattress for the third time. He pulled his hand away and stood. “Pardon, my lady. I didn’t want you to catch a chill. The late afternoon breeze has an edge.”
“Thank you.” Lady Tiya nodded as she stretched and smiled at him tentatively. “I do feel better. I think you were right—the fresh air helps.” She sat up and petted the cat, scratching its chin. “Well, hello. Were you guarding me as well?” Purring loudly, the animal butted her with its head and did a sinuous little dance of pleasure, tail at attention.
“He’s been your faithful sentinel, standing watch even against me.” Khenet showed her a long scratch across his hand. “He didn’t take well to my attempt to remove him when he first arrived.” Her gentle laugh pleased him. Too much. Could Nephthys be exerting influence to make me desire this girl for some twisted reason of her own? Khenet tried to revert to professional bodyguard. “Are you hungry?”
“I could
He selected a hard roll left over from his breakfast and broke off a few crumbs, handing her the small bits of bread, coaxing her to sample the best portion. She swallowed some of the bread and drank a little more of the medicated water, after which she made a face and rubbed the residue from her lips. “Are you a healer as well as a soldier?”
Sitting on his heels, hands on his thighs, he shook his head. “Not I. But some things are common sense. And leaving you to suffer in your fetid cabin did not make sense.”
“I’m grateful.” She kept her eyes closed but gave him a tentative smile.
As he straightened the sheet, Khenet frowned, eyes narrowed. This isn’t right , not fair to her. “A highborn lady like you shouldn’t be traveling this way, with no attendants. Not even one maid to take care of your needs.” How could Pharaoh send her off in such a style? Never mind if a goddess decreed it.
“This whole business is less than ideal,” she said, ending on a tiny yawn. “The Great One only cares about my quick arrival at the Nome. She’s renowned for not concerning herself with the comfort of mere humans.”
Khenet’s head buzzed with questions about all aspects of this mission. What was he going to face down there in the Viper Nome? She had to know more than he did about this journey, but he could see how exhausted she was, and he didn’t have the heart to pester her now. After all, he had a week or more of the voyage to inquire further. He took pity on her. After moving the dishes away, he adjusted the headrest and gestured for her to recline. “Sleep if you can. I’ll stand guard. The crew won’t venture near, and they can’t see you under this awning. I’ve ordered your cabin washed and the bedding aired out. This afternoon, if you feel better, you can go below and change garments.”
Closing her eyes obediently, she nodded. Khenet settled in to stand watch.
For the most part, she slept easily under the influence of the herbs. The lines of pain etched on her face smoothed out, and she turned on her side, pillowing her head on one palm. A battered, one-eared black tomcat came and curled up next to her, purring, staring defiantly at Khenet with mismatched green and yellow eyes as it kneaded its claws in the straw mattress.
Making one attempt to remove the cat, lest it waken her from hard won sleep, Khenet was rewarded with a long scratch on the knuckles.
“You’re not what I’m supposed to defend her against,” Khenet informed the ship’s cat. “No need to glare at me.”
After several hours, the potion wore off and she stirred, kicking the covers away. Trying to block out awareness of her enticing curves and sweet perfume, Khenet redraped the linen sheet over her twice.
She woke as he tucked the sheet under the edge of the mattress for the third time. He pulled his hand away and stood. “Pardon, my lady. I didn’t want you to catch a chill. The late afternoon breeze has an edge.”
“Thank you.” Lady Tiya nodded as she stretched and smiled at him tentatively. “I do feel better. I think you were right—the fresh air helps.” She sat up and petted the cat, scratching its chin. “Well, hello. Were you guarding me as well?” Purring loudly, the animal butted her with its head and did a sinuous little dance of pleasure, tail at attention.
“He’s been your faithful sentinel, standing watch even against me.” Khenet showed her a long scratch across his hand. “He didn’t take well to my attempt to remove him when he first arrived.” Her gentle laugh pleased him. Too much. Could Nephthys be exerting influence to make me desire this girl for some twisted reason of her own? Khenet tried to revert to professional bodyguard. “Are you hungry?”
“I could
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