Page 35 of Death and Desire

“Thank you,” she murmured. Whatever embers glowed between them ignited flickering flames bursting somewhere in her chest.

She couldn’t trust him...shouldn’ttrust him. And yet,somethingbound them together. Circumstance or fate, she couldn’t be certain, but whatever it was...it called to him in a language neither of them understood.

His gaze locked with hers, and he inclined his head in acknowledgment. Anubis slipped his wrist from her grasp and abandoned the room without a word.

Violet collapsed onto the bed, staring at the canopy. The glowing lights around her dimmed until she was shrouded in shadow and the faint glow of red moonlight drifting into the room through the balcony doors.

No one would believe her. Good thing this was only a dream. She would wake in the hospital in Cairo to the company of her overwrought father and chastised brother.

Why did she feel a pang of loss at the thought of leaving this place?

At forsakinghim.

Chapter Nine

With a gasp, Violetlurched forward, her eyes wide, taking in the familiar hotel room at the Continental. Memories wrapped around her like thin, shifting mist. Dreams, perhaps. She ran a hand over her face. Yes, most certainly dreams.

And yet, the strength of Anubis’s conviction and his confession drove a sliver of doubt deep into her heart.

“You’re quite safe now, Violet.”

She spun, searching for the source of the familiar voice. Her father looked ten years older when he entered the room. The gray at his temples caught the morning light and highlighted the deep furrow of his brow.

“You gave us quite the scare.” He sat in a chair beside her bed. “How in the devil did you manage to tumble overboard?”

“I...don’t remember,” Violet lied. She remembered bits and pieces, but she knew she hadn’t fallen overboard by accident. Someone had attacked her. It happened so quickly, she’d barely had time to react, let alone gather details. Unfortunately, like the rest of her recent memories, she didn’t trust the impressions. Too much blurred the line between myth and reality.

“Fortunately for you, Khalid is an accomplished swimmer and has no fear of crocodiles.” He gestured to the door behind him.

Violet’s gaze followed the motion, and she frowned at the handsome man who had saved her life. His dark eyes settled on her with a soft but impassive expression. He acted as though rescuing her was nothing out of the ordinary. Her eyes narrowed in scrutiny, but he didn’t flinch. Not even a twitch in his strong jaw.

“Thanks to Khalid’s quick thinking and agile abilities, he managed to pull you from the river and sought shelter until a group of travelers brought you both back to Cario.” Her father’s loving smile warmed her heart. “I don’t know what I would have done had you...”

Reaching out, Violet took his hand and squeezed it. “All will be well. I’m here now, safe and sound. Accidents happen.”

A shadow passed over her father’s expression. “Where was your brother during all of this?”

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