Cleopatra, ruler of Egypt, is just twenty years old and in love with Marc Anthony. After the death of Julius Caesar, she is thrilled to find love in the arms of another.
Her bliss is shattered when she is contacted by the goddess Isis, who needs her help. Osiris, husband of Isis, has gone missing and Isis is unable to find him. She needs Cleopatra to locate him before he is killed.
But all is not as it seems. Cleopatra is being hunted by Anibus, god of the Underworld. Cleopatra will have to trust in herself and the magic inside of her, if she is to survive....
Cleopatra woke to the sun slashing across her face.
Ra, the Sun God, was beginning his voyage across the skies. Soon, he would be at the middle of the blue expanse and Egypt would be at its hottest. The sound of the Nile’s rushing waters reached her ears and there was the smell of salt in the air.
Stretching, she rose naked from her settee. Mark Antony, naked and barely covered by a thin linen sheet, rolled onto his side, sleep still claiming him. Cleopatra smiled. It’d been so long since her body had felt so satisfied; with Mark Antony, she was never left wanting.
She laughed softly when he stopped her from leaving the bed and rolled on top of her. Cleopatra could feel his hard cock pressing into her belly, its head resting in her belly button. "Leaving so soon?" He said huskily.
Cleopatra laughed and swatted at him. "You just had your fill of my body. Are you always so insatiable?"
"Only for you," he said. He kissed her softly, pressing his lips to hers. Cleopatra’s breath left her as it always did when he kissed her. She kissed him back, her tongue to exploring his mouth. Her fingers reached up to feel his stubbled chin. She pulled away from him.
"I’ll make some tea." She smiled at him. "I won't be long."
Mark Antony grunted and rolled off of her. "You really know how to make a man weep and beg."
Cleopatra looked down at him, hard and ready. Liquid formed at the tip of his penis like droplets of rain.
Still smiling, she went to the hearth and started a fire. She put a pot of water over the fire to boil and got out a large earthenware cup and some tea leaves. While she waited for the water to boil, she wrapped herself in a thin cotton sheath and went outside onto the small balcony. The sun peeked over the horizon. It would be blindingly hot today. She loved the heat, looked forward to it. A breeze rippled the sheath she wore, causing it to flutter around her.
The breeze chased away the dreams of the night. Dreams filled with dark stone and a man with a dog’s head. There was a glass globe filled with light and the dog man was talking to someone. Cleopatra couldn’t see the other man in the dream, couldn’t understand what their words were; they were covered in shadows.
This hadn’t been the first dream. She’d been having dreams, nightmares, for weeks. Last night’s dream had been soft and gentle in comparison to the others. Those had been dreams of blood and sacrifice. So much blood she could bathe in it.
No longer smiling, she went back inside. The water was boiling now and she made herself a cup of tea to calm her nerves. Thinking of dark things always vexed her. She knew that dreams were sometimes premonitions of things that had yet to take place. She shivered despite the warmth.
Taking her tea with her, Cleopatra went to the back of the house and opened a wooden door that was locked for anyone else but her. She picked up a candle in a holder and waited for the candle to light itself. She always enjoyed this bit of magic. The flame would start small, licking at the wick and then grow bigger when the flame caught hold. Fire always thrilled her, warmed her blood, and filled her with heat.
Satisfied that the candle wouldn’t go out, Cleopatra descended the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she used the candle and set the flame to the candle sitting in a wall scone. When that candle was lit, the others lit, too. The fire moved from candle to candle, filling the small space with a soft, warm glow.
There was a small fire pit and a large, silver mirror in the center of the room. Its frame was scrollwork of silver filigree and there were words she could not read in the partial darkness that decorated the outer edges. She put her hand on one of the stones surrounding the fire pit and a small fire sprang to life in its center. That done, Cleopatra went to a cupboard that held her magical spices and powders. Taking a pinch of a few powders, she swirled them with her finger in a small silver bowl until the powder was red. Soft light pulsed from the mixture.
Turning to the fire pit, she began to sprinkle the powder on the flames. The fire itself seemed to drink in the color, until the flames were blood red . Cleopatra sat in front of the fire pit, watching the flames dance in the mirror, their image reflected back to her.
Soon, a breeze began to form in the small room, as gentle as the one she’d felt on the balcony. Cleopatra closed her eyes, trying to calm herself and relax her body.
Breathing deeply, she uttered the invitation, “Isis, Mother, come to me. Isis, Sister, let me see.”
The breeze around her began to hum. The sound intensified until it suddenly stopped and Cleopatra opened her eyes. There in the mirror was the goddess Isis, queen and mother to all.
Whereas Cleopatra had straight black hair, cut in a short bob, Isis had long blond locks that trailed over her breasts. There was no child at her chest, only nakedness. Blue moon bright eyes looked at Cleopatra from the mirror. Isis’ full lips curved in a smile. Her beauty always stunned Cleopatra. Isis radiated a soft glow that she could see even in the mirror’s surface.
“Sister,” Isis said, her voice thick with pleasure. “It’s nice to see you. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I’ve been having nightmares again. I don’t know what they mean, or why they come to me.”
Isis smiled. “I have told you before that you were meant for great things. That you have a purpose beyond your body. Years from now, you will unite Egypt, its great Upper and Lower lands.”
“But I’m only twenty. How can I unite Egypt? I don’t know the first thing about politics.”
“Ruling isn’t about politics.” Isis explained. “It’s about being loved, and you are loved plenty by the people.”
“I don’t think the nightmares had anything to do with ruling. Not yet anyway.” Cleopatra told Isis about the previous night’s dream, how the man with the dog head frightened her, and how the globe of light danced in the darkness.
Isis was silent for a moment. The only sound in the room was the crackling fire. The flames leaped and moved, casting shadows across her face.
Finally, the goddess spoke. “I want you to come to my temple today. There’s something more we must speak of and I dare not use this channel. We may be overhead. I would like to speak to you privately.”
“Is something amiss, Sister?”
Isis smiled at this. “Darling girl, this is Egypt. Land of secrets and of shadow. Something is always amiss. Meet me at high noon in the temple. Don’t be late. Blessed be, Sister.”
Cleopatra needed to know more. “But what has happened? Is there something wrong?”
“It’s a puzzle. I need your help with it, darling girl. I need all the help you can give.”
“Consider me your servant.”
Isis smiled again. “High noon. Don’t forget.”
Cleopatra watched as Isis’ image faded from the mirror and the fire began to die. All that was left was a smoldering pile of ashes and a deep feeling of unease. Cleopatra stood and poured water over the ashes and made her way back up the stairs. Closing the door behind her, she placed her wards upon it, so that no one else could enter.
Despite being back in the heat of the main house, there was still the chill of unease around her. She went in search of someone to warm her blood.
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