Page 68 of A Thousand Nights Before Dawn
Namir looked at Ramses in confusion. “Why would we?—?”
Ramses signed to him. Namir nodded and smiled. “Of course. We will see you shortly.”
Zahra hurried to fall in step with Namir as they strode away from Ramses and the stable house, her gait much shorter than his. “What did he say?”
Namir’s mouth hung open for a second before he responded, his tone less confident. “He said that my uncle would be looking for the two of us, so it would be better if he went alone.”
Zahra considered him for a moment before looking forward. “I suppose you two would know best.”
There was an obvious relief to Namir’s stature, which piqued Zahra’s curiosity.
They followed an old path covered in weeds. Zahra had never heard of anecropolissoutheast of the city. She had thought the only one near Inbeu-hedj was the one west of the city, where only members of the royal family were buried. She supposed, like Illahun, there were smaller graveyards where farmers and servants were buried, but she did not imagine it would be as close to the river as this one was. The ground here was fertile, and trees and other plants were likely to disturb the graves of Aur’s people.
They came to a fallen log in the path. Namir hurried his footsteps, stepping across the log with ease before offering his hand to Zahra with a smile. “Here, let me help you.”
Zahra smiled, took his hand, and jumped over the log. “Thank you.”
He inclined his head to her. “Of course.”
Silence fell between them as they walked in step again. It became clear to Zahra that Namir had slowed his pace, perhaps to allow Ramses more time to catch up. Her thoughts went to Ramses. She had been wary of him before, but now she saw how fiercely he cared for and protected Namir. He was more than Namir’s personal guard. He was his friend.
Zahra looked at Namir. “Does Ramses know about the spell?”
Namir jumped at her voice. “Of course he knows. I have known him since I was a child. There are no secrets between us.”
Zahra waited a moment before asking her next question. “Have you told him what happened yesterday?”
Namir hesitated. “No, not yet.” He let out a sigh. “Most mornings, I update Ramses on what has happened, but I could not bring myself to tell him the truth today.”
That was understandable. Zahra had never told her father about his death in thepr-aa. He and Ramses both were better off not knowing.
“I will be more careful in the future. The gardens are not safe.” He paused. “And it is not safe for you to come out with me at night either. Once we are finished with your cousin, I will have amedjaytake you to your father.”
Zahra recalled the fire in themedjay’seyes last night, and the way Namir had held her after she was stabbed. Despite Namir’s good intentions, she did not think she would be safe with anyone until her curse was broken. If she could find a place to hide by herself, she might be able to escape thekeres.
Zahra was surprised to notice Namir studying her face. She cleared her throat, looking ahead. “I believe we are here.”
Namir’s focus shifted to the landscape in front of them, and he nodded. “Yes, I think so.”
Thenecropolis,as Zahra suspected, was as lush as the Pharaohs’ Gardens. It hardly differed from the forest of trees and bushes behind them, but what was left of the path ran through it, breaking off to pass by old stone tombs. Most of the tombs had crumbled and fallen over from trees or other plants growing through them.
“I have never seen this place before,” Namir remarked, walking ahead of Zahra.
Zahra trailed her hand over a stone from a fallen tomb. Words were engraved in it, though it was in a form of Hieratic she had never seen before. There was a symbol in Badari on the side, indicating this was a tomb of a noble.
If this was anecropolisfor nobility, why was it so poorly taken care of?
Namir tilted his head in front of another tomb. “I wonder how old this place is.”
“Centuries.”
Zahra’s head shot up toward one of the tombs still standing. On top of it was perched Katerina.
“Oh, your eagle friend is back.” Namir chuckled. He clearly did not hear her speak, yet he waved to her as if he had. “Do you remember me? You dropped a shoe on my head.”
Katerina ignored him, staring straight into Zahra’s eyes. She lifted her wings, and with a mighty push, she took off into the air. As her wings touched the sky, the world turned dark. Thenecropolisand Namir disappeared from sight, replaced by trimmed plants and walkways lined with stone. Night swept across the light blue sky, and the world was lit up by twinkling stars and a bright moon.
Zahra sucked in a breath, stumbling backward. What was this place?
