Although this is a sequel to DANCER OF THE NILE, it can be read as a standalone. Nima the dancer and her husband General Kaminhotep have been separated by events and he’s been turned into a ghost by an evil queen working with a goddess from olden times. Nima takes quite the journey in the book to find her beloved and to rescue him, with help from various gods.
In this excerpt, Nima has finally made it into the city where Kamin is supposed to have died and he comes to find her in his ghostly form.
He passed through the closed door of her room easily with his newfound talents. He changed into his normal shape and stood drinking in the welcome sight of his beloved wife. She stirred restlessly on the bed and sat up.
“Kamin?” As she stared white faced at the empty room, one hand at her throat, it was obvious whatever had awakened her from her nap, she couldn’t actually see him. She put out a hand as if reaching for him and instinctively he moved closer, wishing to offer comfort. He longed to hold her in his arms, close to his heart and tell her everything was going to be all right.
He couldn’t find a way to speak to the living, not even Nima, but he took her hand and she recoiled from the cold sensation.
“You really are here, aren’t you?” Her question was a mere whisper and her eyes were wide, but not with fear.
For answer he used another of his new skills and pulled her cape, which she’d been using as a blanket, away from her and dropped it to the floor.
“But then you must be a ghost, which means you are dead,” she said, voice thick with unshed tears. “Renenutet said you were not dead, yet not alive either so I had hope.”
He placed his hand on her shoulder, hoping to offer comfort, and she brought her fingers up to rub the spot where his aura touched her.
“Kiss me,” she said, taking him by surprise. She closed her eyes and puckered her lips.
He leaned in.
The door slammed open, banging against the wall. “Stop!”
VS: Nima and Kamin are two of my favorite characters and I loved writing a sequel and more adventures for them. Their son is the main male character in my most recent Egyptian novel, DANGER ON THE NILE.
Author’s own collection
RETURN OF DANCER OF THE NILE
The blurb: Nima, formerly a tavern dancer in the land of the Nile, has settled into the leisurely life of her dreams as the pampered, beloved wife to a high ranking general who’s also a member of Pharaoh’s court. She’s sworn never to dance for anyone else but Kamin, the man she loves. All is fine until one day news arrives that her husband has been killed in a chariot accident while on a trip to a remote city on Pharaoh’s behalf.
But as a reward for their previous service to Egypt against a dangerous enemy, the gods had promised Nima and Kamin they’d die at the same moment…so if she still lives, so must he.
Why is the ruler of the city lying to Pharaoh about Kamin’s death? What is the woman covering up? And where is Kamin?
Time for Nima the elegant lady to vanish from Thebes and Nima the skilled dancer to make her way in disguise to the far distant province and fight for Kamin’s life. She’ll have to deal with angry gods, black magic, an enemy prince and a deadly ghost along the way.
Nima is the only one who can rescue her beloved from the dark fate planned for him by Egypt’s enemies…
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