Of Flame, Sand, and Gold

ht jasmine and lies. Crickets sang lazily. The torchlight flickered golden a

is second goblet of wine wh

t of weight, a flicker of movement in

s later, gurgling softly

up, frownin

ans

uickened, l

steel hummed behind him - and cold

t, feminine, edged like glass. "We

rden. One by one, the rest of his guards were gon

w over a silver half-mask. Her boots made no sound on stone. In her hand, a blade like p

slowly, de

ow - not touching, but close en

softly. "Tell me everything you think

ips twitched

ifted a frac

aga

ween dead men. The last High Chief-he had something locked aw

u inher

tion," Tenem-Ra snapp

you still have it. Hidden. Untouched.

is silence said more

y that it's bound to someone in the bloodline.

ut her breath slowed - as if co

id you hear?

Before he died, he said, 'It'll call

pa

far too close. Her voice

e where

If I do, I won't live t

he next breath if you do

up. "You're not

"No. I'm here

ows fu

"The fire you've tried to bottle will break out. And when

's heart

next heartbeat

bl

mmer of

o

, move, or breathe, e

eyes flut

den. replaced by cold stone and flickering tor

r in iron-grey robes - face partially concealed by a dark brown veil, fingers gloved in bl

t speak

wat

, wincing. "Wher

d. "That depends. Wher

em-Ra, he rasped.

intly. "I'm what

, shadows twisting around h

he was the echo," he sai

-Ra hissed. "You touch me

smile di

need da

m-Ra could smell iron a

o often. And now you find yourself trying t

k. "Is this about Kae

said. "This is

"You buried something. Somet

, he stepped back - a

light. Sigils flared on the

you tried to keep lock

hand - the flame reach

crea

ped shaking th

was ju

glass, and cruel in its patience. Her wrists were tied behind the metal chair. Her

h cracked lips and dead eyes. He was patient.

e said for the third time

kept

h into the freez

th came out in rasps. Her heart pound

mmon her flame again. Not yet. Her body

will w

Blue flame. That narrows the list. We have

aria sai

e artifact, and i'll make

ifted h

blood at

ghed. "That was

across her cheek har

didn't

sm

fraid of what I might

ed back,

d, weakly

t what's coming... when you should be ter

city - in the smog-filled rooft

a dying lamppost. His eyes glinted, and the mark on hi

n was

me... he wa