Egypt, 1500 BCE
Nima’s beauty and skill as a dancer leads an infatuated enemy to kidnap her after destroying an Egyptian border town. However, she’s not the only hostage in the enemy camp: Kamin, an Egyptian soldier on a secret mission for Pharaoh, has been taken as well. Working together to escape, the two of them embark on a desperate quest across the desert to carry word of the enemy’s invasion plans to Pharaoh’s people.
As they flee for their lives, these two strangers thrown together by misfortune have to trust in each other to survive. Nima suspects Kamin is more than the simple soldier he seems, but she finds it hard to resist the effect he has on her heart. Kamin has a duty to his Pharaoh to see his mission completed, but this clever and courageous dancer is claiming more of his loyalty and love by the moment. Kamin starts to worry, if it comes to a choice between saving Egypt or saving Nima’s life…what will he do?
Aided by the Egyptian god Horus and the Snake Goddess Renenutet, beset by the enemy’s black magic, can Nima and Kamin evade the enemy and reach the safety of the Nile in time to foil the planned attack?
Can there ever be a happy future together for the humble dancer and the brave Egyptian soldier who is so much more than he seems?
The excerpt is from the second day Nima the Dancer and Kamin the warrior are held as prisoners by Amarkash, the enemy leader. Nima was punished for sharing her water with Kamin the day before. We're in Kamin's POV:
Next morning, the girl was sullen,
fresh bruises on her face when she walked out of the tent behind Amarkash and
was assisted into the chariot by a soldier. Wrists tightly bound behind her, she
stayed in the chariot or next to it during the hours of marching and the few
stops made for resting the horses and men. Nima never glanced at Kamin. After a
quick assessment at the start of the day to reassure himself she was more or
less unharmed, Kamin deliberately averted his gaze. Something about her, not
only the undeniable beauty, but also her bravery in this situation, touched
him. Her attitude made him all the more determined to rescue her as well as
extricating himself from the current predicament.
If only they didn’t guard me so closely on the
march. He glanced at the four soldiers marching in formation around him,
spears and knives ready to take him down if he made any move to escape. His planning centered around a break
after dark. They’re much less alert once
they’ve made camp and had dinner.
During the rest breaks, Amarkash personally
gave Nima water to drink and allowed no opportunity for her to share. Soldiers
provided Kamin with small sips of water every other rest stop, with much
jeering and insults. He didn’t care. Let them enjoy themselves as long as they
gave him the precious water. Maintaining his strength was essential in this
heat, not his dignity.
The
column stopped before sunset, camping in a small oasis.
Curious about what would happen
this evening, his attention was drawn to Nima, in tense discussion with the
Hyksos captain. As he watched, the ropes
on her arms were slashed, and she was given a small basket. Escorted by a
soldier, she harvested plants of some sort from the overgrown gardens left by
the former residents of the tiny oasis.
Going to
the fire where her big stewpot glowed red hot, Nima busied herself with serious
cooking. Pleased by her grace, her beauty, her stubborn refusal to give in to
the terror of her situation, Kamin found some relief from his own aches and
pains in observing her activities.
Him, they could only torture and
kill. They could inflict much worse on her. Plainly, the Hyksos soldiers
harbored some lingering hope of being allowed to assault her, touching her
lasciviously whenever the captain’s attention was elsewhere. But the captain has staked his claim, and
they all fear him enough to restrain themselves until he tires of her, which I suppose
is a mercy. Nima slapped one man’s hands away with a curse. She’s strong. Kamin looked again. Or in shock.
Tonight’s
meal smelled even better than the stew the night before. Sundown breezes
brought a whiff his way, causing painful cramps in his gut, which grumbled.
Finally,
after the officers and the soldiers had been fed, she scooped a bowl full of
stew from the kettle and sauntered in his direction, her walk unhurried. Kamin
enjoyed the view, realizing with a little jolt of dismay how eagerly he was anticipating
even the most fleeting contact with her.
She set
the bowl in his outstretched palms and looked him straight in the eyes, her own
gaze intense. “Don’t eat it,” she said in a barely audible whisper, before
walking away without a backward glance.
The
guards watched him so he made a show of fumbling with the bowl, as if trying to
get a better grip. He allowed the bowl to slip from his fingers, struggling
against the ropes in a convincing show of desperation, attempting to catch it
as it rolled off his fingertips. The bowl shattered on a rock, splattering him
with stew. The guards standing nearby howled at his predicament. Kamin glared
at them before bringing his greasy fingers to his lips, as if to lick some
nourishment at least. Tempting as the aroma was, he didn’t actually touch his
tongue to the drippings.
I hope she knows what she’s doing.
Veronica sez: Oh yes, Nima the Dancer has a plan.....
