Misplaced (148 page)

An
d
jus
t
lik
e
that
,
e
v
erythin
g
fel
l
a
w
ay
,
leavin
g
V
ictoria
with
a
sad
smile
and
wondering
if
they
would
e
v
er
meet
again.
Maybe…

L
ate
r
tha
t
d
ay
,
s
h
e
looke
d
u
p
t
o
s
e
e
E
lia
s
s
it
t
in
g
i
n
the
corner.
When
he
saw
that
she
w
as
a
w
ake,
he
scooted
the
chair
next to the bed.
“There’s my girl. Feeling better?”

“Tio
, I’m sorry I e
v
er thought—”

Elias raised his hand. “Given what Mieley told you, it made sense. Why didn’t you come to be right away?”

“He made it sound like he had your approval.”

“And you belie
v
ed him.”
V
ictori
a
hun
g
he
r
head
.
“H
e
sai
d
thing
s
tha
t
mad
e
m
e
suspicious. Of e
v
eryone.”

“An
d
y
e
t
yo
u
belie
v
e
d
i
n
Khara
.
A
tota
l
stranger.
”
H
e
shook
his head.

“
I
couldn’
t
hel
p
myself
.
Despit
e
unbelie
v
abl
e
los
s
and
betra
y
al—heck,
the
sheer
implausibility
of
her
predicament—
sh
e
w
a
s
onl
y
misplace
d
fo
r
se
v
ent
y
days.
”
V
ictori
a
looked
down. “I’
v
e felt that
w
ay most of my life.”

Elia
s
looke
d
a
t
he
r
quizzically
.
“I’
v
e
brough
t
yo
u
something,
”
h
e
announce
d
softly
,
an
d
too
k
a
fol
d
o
f
gra
y
fel
t
fro
m
hi
s
pocket
.
Unwrappin
g
th
e
bundle
,
h
e
place
d
tw
o
bracelet
s
i
n
V
ictoria’
s
lap
.
“Miele
y
w
a
s
ne
v
e
r
a
s
smar
t
a
s
he
thought
he
w
as;
I
knew
exactly
where
to
look.
I
lea
v
e
their
fate
in
your
hands,”
he
told
her,
and
his
expression
turned
intense.
“
A
searc
h
o
f
Mieley’
s
w
arehous
e
turne
d
u
p
mor
e
piece
s
that
should
be
returned
to
their
countries
of
origins.
Most
of
them
I
had
nothing
to
do
with,
but
there
are
a
handful—
w
ell,
I
may
be
implicated—”

A
t
least
you
’
ll
ha
v
e
good
representation,”
she
assured
her
uncle through tears, hugging him tightly.

Chapte
r
Fifty-four
Kha
r
a

Menefr
a
sat upon
the
throne
w
earing
only
a wrapped
line
n
skirt
,
he
r
nake
d
ski
n
painte
d
t
o
mimi
c
a
rottin
g
corpse.
Th
e
pharaoh’
s
mas
k
aroun
d
he
r
e
y
e
s
w
a
s
a
ranci
d
shad
e
o
f
purple
,
a
s
w
er
e
th
e
tip
s
o
f
he
r
finger
s
an
d
toes
.
I
t
w
as
impossible to see her wrists, such
w
as the expanse of gold and lapis, but her favorite, malachite,
w
as best represented. Khara could not remember e
v
er seeing Menefra with her hair pulled
bac
k
s
o
tightly
,
bu
t
th
e
A
tef—th
e
feathered
,
whit
e
crow
n
of
Osiris—had been meant for a man.

Commande
r
Zene
r
opene
d
th
e
doo
r
t
o
th
e
crowded
chamber with a small but honest smile. He bo
w
ed deeply, and
the
n
turne
d
t
o
addres
s
Menefra
.
“Ther
e
i
s
on
e
mor
e
official
matter,
princess.”

“Can’
t
yo
u
se
e
tha
t I
nee
d
t
o
res
t
befor
e
th
e
ceremony
? Whate
v
er it is, it will
w
ait.”

Khar
a
steppe
d
fro
m
behin
d
th
e
commander
.
“Th
e
matter
has already
w
aited se
v
enty days.”

Sh
e
approache
d
slo
w
l
y
i
n
he
r
simpl
e
tuni
c
an
d
rough
leather
sandals.
One
by
one,
pharaoh’s
guard
fell
to
their
knees
a
s
sh
e
approache
d
th
e
throne
.
Sh
e
sa
w
th
e
Hig
h
Priest’
s
face
tur
n
a
palli
d
shad
e
o
f
grey
.
Bu
t
ther
e
w
er
e
nod
s
o
f
appro
v
al,
e
v
e
n
encouragement
,
a
s
sh
e
mad
e
he
r
w
a
y
throug
h
th
e
roo
m
to
the raised platform.

Menefra’
s
gas
p
cu
t
th
e
silence
.
Sh
e
leane
d
back
w
ar
d
until
the
front
legs
of
the
throne
lifted.
“I
saw
you
v
anish
from
this
world with my own e
y
es!” she exclaimed.

“But
now
I’m
back.
And
you,
girlfriend,”
Khara
whispered,
wishin
g
tha
t
sh
e
coul
d
affec
t
tha
t
unpretentiou
s
combinatio
n
of
sensitivit
y
an
d
sar
c
a
s
m
tha
t
sh
e
woul
d
fore
v
e
r
m
i
s
s
,
“ar
e
sit
t
ing
in my seat.”

Menefra
screamed,
fell
to
the
ground,
grabbed
Khara’s
feet,
and kissed them.

Khar
a
lifte
d
he
r
fro
m
th
e
floor
.
“Wha
t
ha
v
e
yo
u
don
e
to
yoursel
f
?”
she
asked,
searching
her
siste
r
’s
e
y
es
only
to
find
a
stranger.

“It
keeps
them
at
bay.
They
all
w
ant
something
from
me.
It
ne
v
er
ends,
and
I
don’t
ha
v
e
the
strength
for
it.
Y
ou
do,
Khara;
yo
u
al
w
ay
s
ha
v
e
.
Bu
t
Fathe
r
w
asn’
t
entirel
y
correct—
I
make
them
afraid.
Oh,
sister,
I’m
so
glad
you
’
re
back!
Y
ou
said
you
’
d
fin
d
a
w
a
y
fo
r
u
s
t
o
sta
y
together
,
an
d
her
e
yo
u
are
.
I
f
father
w
ere here, e
v
erything would be perfect.”

“Father is dead.”

“But
so
w
ere
you,”
she
ans
w
ered
thoughtfully.
“The
gods
ha
v
e
ans
w
ered
my
pra
y
ers!”
she
shouted,
baring
her
teeth,
the
white
s
o
f
he
r
e
y
e
s
showing
.
“E
v
e
n
Osiri
s
doe
s
no
t
dar
e
def
y
me!”

“Y
ou murdered him.”

“Did
I?
Commander
Zener
has
all
but
accused
me
publicly.
His endless questioning…I don’t remember anything.”

“Another of your con
v
enient memory lapses?”

“I remember the
V
izier, though. He
w
as in pieces!”

“Y
ou forget how
w
ell I know you.”

Th
e
vigo
r
draine
d
fro
m
Menefra’
s
e
y
es
,
exposin
g
a
glimmer
of
her
former
self.
“I
suppose
you
’
ll
put
me
to
death.
I
w
elcome
it,
”
sh
e
admitte
d
a
s
sh
e
clutche
d
Khara’
s
shoulders
.
“
I
ha
v
e
vision
s
o
f
chariot
s
flyin
g
throug
h
th
e
sky
.
Ther
e
ar
e
strange
lights
e
v
erywhere,
and
things
are
missing.
It’s
made
me
mad,
Khara.”