From one of my ancient Egyptian paranormal romances for no particular reason other than I’m very fond of my Egyptian tales!
The excerpt:
“What in the seven hells have we blundered into?” Khay said, jumping from his chariot and joining Nesmont as both men surveyed the fortifications on all sides.
“Pretty lucky to have found this ancient fort, if you ask me,” Nesmont answered with a grin. “The raiders had us seriously outnumbered.”
“And more coming, from what the scouts said.” Eyes narrowed, Khay assessed the situation. His troops had deployed to positions on the wall for now, which he approved, and the wounded were across the courtyard, being cared for by whatever women were dwelling in this strange place. From their demeanor and dress he assumed they were fleeing the death and carnage to the south, in and around Neserakhet. Children milled underfoot, staring at the horses and the general feeling was chaotic.
He turned to his driver. “And how is the horse?”
The man straightened from a close inspection of the white horse’s flank. “Merely a graze, sir. She’ll be ready to run in a day or two.”
“There must be a stable in this place,” Khay said. “Take charge of getting the horses properly cared for. Ah, this must be the man in charge coming now.” A grizzled soldier in a torn and dirty temple guard uniform came striding up from the direction of the gate.
Saluting and standing at attention, the newcomer had a huge smile of relief on his face. “Pahri, from the temple of Isis in Neserakhet,” he said. “We’re certainly glad to see you, sir.”
Khay acknowledged the salute. “Thanks for the assist with getting us all safely through the gate. Are you in charge?”
“I’m commanding our volunteer troops, such as they are, sir,” Pahri said, “But the priestess is in charge.”
“Priestess?” Khay scanned the people in the immediate vicinity quickly but observed no one with the demeanor and appearance of a high-ranking priestess. “I need to speak with her—where is she?”
“Right there.”
Following the line from Pahri’s outstretched finger all Khay saw was a group of more villagers, tending to the sick. Pahri could be pointing at any number of people but two stood out. One woman was elderly and the other was young and neither resembled any priestess he’d ever met, even allowing for the circumstances. “I don’t see—”
The younger woman turned and the words choked off in his throat as he stared at the woman from his goddess-given dream of several nights prior. Removed from the glamour of the enchanted dream, she was every bit as beautiful to his eyes, despite the dirt, the shadows under her eyes and the dire situation in which they stood. No unattainable occupant of the Afterlife then but a living, breathing woman and the person Isis had commanded him to help.
Khay strode forward with purpose.
Mayet saw the Egyptian officer coming across the courtyard in her direction and caught her breath. He was tall, well built and handsome despite the dust and dirt from the recent battle he’d fought. Surely he was from an elite unit—his kilt was crisply pleated and his leather breastplate was made of intricately placed pieces of colored leather overlapping to offer the maximum protection possible in a fight while allowing the wearer full range of movement. His red cloak billowed as he walked and there was a golden badge at the clasp with a falcon head emblazoned on it. An officer’s flail was at his belt, he wore the black and gold nemes headcloth and the full effect was dazzling. People instinctively moved out of his way. She’d never seen anyone to equal this man and she swallowed hard.
“Watch yourself, my lady,” Tem whispered. “He’s straight out of a scribe’s tale and no doubt as deadly with the women as he is with the enemy. See the falcon badge? Pharoah’s Own regiment no less.”
Mayet had no time to answer as the newcomer was right in front of her, bowing in a formal manner as if she was a queen. “Priestess? I’m told you’re in charge. Captain Khay, son of Kaminhotep, deployed from Thebes on a mission for Pharaoh but presently at your service.”
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DANGER ON THE NILE (CHILDREN OF FATE BOOK ONE) by Veronica Scott
1550 BCE. Mayet is a newly appointed priestess at the temple of Isis in a southern Egyptian border town. When enemies attack the city, she must flee alone with a sacred effigy to keep the invaders from claiming it and using it for their own magic rituals. Joining with other refugees from the stricken city, she has to hide the statue from curious eyes and comfort her companions as if she was a learned, senior priestess. They all look to her for leadership on their desperate trek north. With the enemy close on their heels, Mayet stumbles over an ancient, abandoned fort, where her party takes refuge. Surrounded and trapped by the invaders, she faces a bleak future.
Khay is a high-ranking Egyptian officer, sent by Pharaoh to negotiate treaties with various southern tribes. He and his soldiers narrowly escape an ambush at the city where Mayet’s temple was located and are on the run from the invaders when he sees the shelter of an abandoned fort. Now he and his men are also trapped inside the stout walls with no food and no hope of rescue. Yet he has no regrets for the priestess leading the refugees is the woman the goddess Isis has shown him in a vision, the one who could become his wife.
Together Mayet and Khay must find a way to bring their people to freedom. Will Isis listen to pleas from such a fledgling priestess? Khay comes from a famous family, smiled upon by other gods – will any of them come to his aid? As the pair struggle to stay alive and save the other Egyptians, attraction grows and unites their hearts. But is there to be a future in this world, or only in the Afterlife?
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My other ancient Egyptian paranormal romances:
