Page 55 of Death and Desire

Her brother and David shared a guilty look before turning to her.

“Fine,” Isaac groused. “When do we leave?”

“As soon as Dina arrives.” Violet sipped her tea.

Isaac and David both straightened at the mention of her new friend. They were bothquiteattentive and willing to escort her whenever she mentioned Dina. Violet should be insulted, but she couldn’t be upset by it. Not when she disliked being fawned and fussed over. Truly, the only reason she’d reminded them of her tour to the pyramids and their promise to escort her was to make them uncomfortable. Part of her enjoyed seeing them writhe with guilt and indecision.

After all, they’d promised.

“Will your shadow be joining us?” David slumped in his seat and folded his arms across his chest.

“I assume so.” She set her tea down.

“There’s something about him,” Isaac mused, rubbing his jaw. “I can’t place it. He’s so...serious.”

Violet suppressed a smile. A flash of black broke through the greenery behind the two men. Her gaze focused on it, smiling at the familiar black hound with golden eyes watching from the shadows. She shook her head and chuckled.Anubis.

The familiar warmth of his presence filled her mind. And just like that, he was gone, the bushes empty.

“What’s funny?” David glanced behind him then back at her. “You’re acting strange, Vi.”

She lifted a shoulder in response. “Can’t I be excited?”

“Excited to see dusty old relics, to walk around until your legs fall off?” Isaac scoffed. “You’re an odd duck.”

“There are far more pleasurable things to do with one’s time here in Cairo,” David muttered beneath his breath.

Violet ignored him. But the word was already emblazoned in her mind, burned into her soul.Pleasurable.He wasn’t wrong. There were wondrous delights waiting to be discovered in Cairo, but not ones she could discuss with her brother and his friend. No, these were secrets she carried like precious gems, kept for her personal enjoyment.

“Good morning.” Dina appeared by her side. “Are we ready to set off?”

“Let me finish my tea.” Isaac tipped his head back and drained the contents of his cup.

The four of them gathered their belongings and left the hotel. David and Isaac led the way, engaged in quiet conversation as they located a car to convey them to the pyramids outside the city. A private car would take them the eleven miles to the site, where a guide would meet them to explore one of the greatest wonders of the world.

Dina leaned closer. “Where’s your handsome bodyguard?”

Violet bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. “I haven’t seen him this morning.”

“Come now, Violet, you cannot tell me you’re not swayed...not even a little bit.”

“He is a formidable protector, I confess.” Violet opened her bag under the pretense of searching for something.

“I’ve seen how he watches you,” Dina whispered conspiratorially. “Like he’s a man starved and you’re the first meal he’s seen in years.”

Flashes of their heated encounter filled her mind. His fingers as the—

She shook the memories away.

A car pulled up, and David motioned for them to get in.

Grateful for the reprieve, Violet climbed into the car. Dina followed close behind. After David and Isaac joined them, the car rumbled down the street.

Violet ignored Dina’s curious glances, thankful when Isaac engaged her friend in conversation. She couldn’t tell her friend the truth about Khalid. Nor could she confess the strong attachment she felt for the man.

But that was the problem. He wasn’t a man. He was Anubis. How could she possibly explain it to her family and friends?

Her gaze settled on the passing buildings and the overflowing streets. They passed another market, then the Nile came into view, stretching like a serpent and coiling through the desert beyond Cairo. In the distance, she glimpsed the pyramids.

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