Tadenhut, elder son of a noble house and heir to the Hunting Cat estate, has been gravely injured in a battle against Pharaoh’s enemies and brought home to die. Mehyta, a woman from the estate’s village who has skills as a healer, has been ordered to assist the physicians in his care.
Having used her healer’s magic to assess his injuries, she finds herself dreaming of Tadenhut, who remains in a coma in the real world. Her dream takes place on a battlefield, after the combat has ended.
The scene began to fade in front of her and she knew she’d run out of time. Stepping into the mist again, sticking out her tongue to catch a few droplets, she tested a theory. The taste was familiar, dizzying.
“The same as the potion in the alabaster bottles,” she said, sitting up in the darkened bedroom.
Rising, she went to stand beside the bed, moving one of the oil lamps so the light fell on Tadenhut’s face. He remained lost in his unconscious state, showing little trace of the strong individual she’d met in the dreamspace. She took his hand, twining her fingers with his for a moment, wishing to offer him some comfort. Now she knew how his ka was trapped in the bleak hell of the battlefield, it hurt to see him lie there so unmoving. “But are the drugs and spells keeping you from going to your death? Or keeping you from life?”
Locked in his coma, Tadenhut isn’t as ready to give up his hold on life as everyone assumes, especially after this meeting in the dreamspace. The novella took on a sort of Cinderella-by-the-Nile air in some ways as I wrote it.
HEALER OF THE NILE: A Novella by Veronica Scott
PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED IN HERE BE MAGIC BOX SET
When Pharaoh sends injured warrior Tadenhut home to die, his noble family asks Mehyta, the local healer, to ease his path to the Afterlife. Mehyta discovers he’s trapped between Life and Death, caught in the dreamspace. Touched by his fighting spirit and will to live, Mehyta vows to use all the powers Shai, god of fate, gave her. Together Tadenhut and the brave healer battle to overcome his injuries, as well as threats from devious family members. While struggling to rescue her patient, Mehyta comes to realize he matters more to her than any man ever has before. But even if his life can be saved, what do the omens say about a match between a highborn soldier and a simple healer?
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I liked how you ended with her question, Veronica. I don’t think she wants to let him go.
Is that not the question of the ages? Nicely done Veronica. I especially enjoyed the introduction of taste.
Oh, very good questions. Great snippet, Veronica. 🙂
A whole new level of intrigue just opened up. Are the physicians trying to help him or kill him?
Mehyta’s uncertainty and indecision add a nice touch of tension to this scene.
Oooh, that last line… Excellent job of upping the tension, Veronica. 🙂
Very powerful snippet. Love this line: “But are the drugs and spells keeping you from going to your death? Or keeping you from life?” Great job!
Tense snippet full of intrigue, makes me want to read on to find answers, great job!
Ugh, what a dilemma! Wonderful tension here!
You come up with some of the most creative stuff.
So interesting! Is he being kept there on purpose or by accident? I’m sure she’ll do everything she can to find out and that’ll make for a pretty cool story 🙂
The taste is the answer. Look at me coming up with a solution. I pictured her licking his mouth. No SciFi in me except for the love of your stories, Ms. V.
Wow, just wow. I’ve a head a-spinning trying to figure out what’s happening.
Excellent intrigue. I love how the taste of the mist provided the first clue that something sinister might be afoot.
What a clever way to discover how he was trapped.
Fantastic scene! Great work on detailing the parallel of her theory and the potion.
Now that’s a big question–because if she guesses wrong, she’ll kill him. o.O
Wow, that’s a good question.
Great excerpt! And what an intriguing question.
Love the ending – “But are the drugs and spells keeping you from going to your death? Or keeping you from life?” – such powerful questions. Waiting to see what the answer is.
What a quandary, she has to choose wisely. I don’t envy her predicament.
Great finish …. well done.
Good questions. Can’t wait to find out the answer. 🙂
I’m really enjoying this story. The prose shimmers.
I love the look inside her mind and her final questions. You use language so well.
And you leave us readers yearning to know the answer to that question. Great snippet!
Well isn’t that the million dollar question here? I love how she tasted the mist to test her theory, very different. Nicely done.
Great question and snippet.