Chrysoprase (The Chalcedony Chronicles) (23 page)

Lady
Saska pointed across the dinner hall to her visibly drunk husband. I highly doubted he wanted to speak to anyone, but I had to keep my mouth shut. I had already got enough stares tonight from my mother for not talking properly. My mother looked to me briefly, and then to the Prince. She nodded to Lady Saska and walked quickly back through the crowd. Dee hesitated on what to do.

“Little Egyptian soldier,” Lady
Saska said to Dee. There was nothing little about Dee. He may be thin, but he stood almost a head taller than the other men in the room. “You better follow her close. You never know when she might need protecting.”

I discreetly nodded to Dee, and he turned and followed my mother. He wasn’t sent just to protect my mother, and as my friend he was worried about me. As soon as they were both far enough away, Lady
Saska waved a man over to stand beside her.

“Lord
Enil has just been dying to spend some time with you to get to know you,” Lady Saska explained with a giddy happiness in her eyes. A short, pudgy man that looked twice as old as my mother was standing next to Lady Saska, ruddy-faced.

“My beautiful little princess,” the man said, he grabbed my hand and kissed it—or more like licked it.

I pulled my hand back, and he laughed. He was disgusting with bits of food still stuck in his beard, and he was old and smelly. I didn’t plan to stand around being licked by some drunk man, no matter who he was.

“She is a shy one,” the man said to Lady
Saska. I wasn’t shy. I just knew enough that the man had more intentions than just kissing my hand. “I like them that way. Much more fun in bed.”

I cringed at his brashness. He had to be crazy, too. There was no way I was going to any bed with that man.

“He would like to walk you back to the women’s wing,” Lady Saska explained. She leaned in closer to me and added. “He is important. He gets whatever he wants. Make sure you don’t offend him or disappoint him, if you get what I mean. We need his trade to continue protecting the city and to guarantee protection of your mother on her way north. If you fail to do just as he pleases, that Egyptian soldier won’t be enough to guard her. “

My mouth fell open at her boldness and insinuation of what would happen if I didn’t sleep with the drunken old guy next to her. She pushed my mouth shut with the tip of her decorated fingers and grinned. She was doing just as she wanted from the beginning. Lady
Saska was truly a wicked woman.

“I have been trying to get to your mother since the day she returned. She had always acted like she’s better than the rest of us. Well guess what? She’s not. When she finds you sleeping with this man it will finally break her. Please enjoy his company. I hear he likes it really rough,” Lady
Saska added. She smiled evilly and pushed the old man my way.

Lord
Enil snaked his arm around my waist and grabbed my butt as he pushed me forward and out of the room. Seth had to be nearby, and I hoped that he was close. I knew how Seth would react. Outside the room the old man, who was stronger than I expected, pushed me back against one of the pillars that lined the corridor. Using his weight, he pressed his old flabby body into me. People passed by going into and out of the dining hall. No one stopped him.

“Such a pretty little toy,” the man said, his breath was hot on my face and stunk of booze.

Lord Enil moved in to kiss me, and I couldn’t help but react. My knee flew up between his legs, and he dropped to the ground howling. I backed away as people started to come over to see what was wrong with him. My mother and Dee exited the dining hall at that exact moment, and Dee didn’t even look twice at the man on the floor.

“This way,” Dee directed me as he pulled my mother from the scene.

“No,” my mother said as she chose a different direction. “We can’t go that way. They will expect Mari to head back to the women’s quarters to hide. All the women are like that. They never expect us to have brains.”

I followed behind as my mother led. We were getting further away from Seth. The palace was a maze of hallways to me, but my mother knew what she was doing. She led us through halls and courtyards as we avoided all people and wove our way between dangers. She picked a route that wasn’t direct, and I was getting confused to where we were. Nevertheless, we stayed hidden and safe. When we finally stopped, she looked to me.

“Are you all right?” she asked, pulling me into the moonlight in the small, unfurnished room.

“Yes, Mom,” I replied with an eye roll. “I can take care of myself.”

My mother pulled me to the corner of the room and made me sit down.

“Go get
Paramessu’s son,” my mother told Dee. Even my mother knew Seth had stayed around. That worried me a bit. How many others knew he was around also?

“Is it safe to stay here for a little bit?” Dee asked my mother. She nodded. “I’ll go get
Seti and return here with him. Don’t go far, but if you do, we will find you.” My mother nodded.

Dee disappeared into a dark hallway, and we huddled down in our hiding spot. Their agreement to keep her safe was more than either my mother or Seth told me. It wasn’t optimal to be running off in the night, but we would be fine once the boys were both back. Logan would come and help us, and we could go home. We were almost there, and we needed to leave soon.

“
Mari
?”
my mother
asked as darkness surrounded us and we waited for Dee and Seth to return.

“Yes Mom?” I replied.

“You love Paramessu’s son, don’t you,” she asked.
Gosh, I hope I wasn’t that obvious
.

I was glad it was dark, and she couldn’t see me blush. I had just told him that a day ago. It was kind of strange to be talking to anyone, especially my mother, about it. We were hiding out to save my life, and she was wondering about my love life. That was my mother; she always did have strange priorities.

“Why would you say that?” I replied.

“I saw how you looked at him, and he at you,” my mom answered. “Most of the people in that room would have never noticed, but I’ve been in love before. I know what it looks like.”

“Yes, Mom. I love Seth,” I replied, wondering why we were even having this conversation, but glad to be able to tell her.

“It’s strange how love can work. You’ve only just come here. By the way, I thought you came with Sangre’s son,” my mom answered. Yes, she needed to get all the details while we hid out.

“I came with Logan, but I love Seth,” I replied.

“How can that be?” she asked, looking for more information from me.

“I met him at college months ago. He was the football quarterback. Yes, the one who saved me in the fall from those guys that were attacking college girls. I tutored him and his
brothers
, Dee and Ty. They were all from the past,” I explained, giving her the shortened version of everything. “He was the reason I went back into the past at Thanksgiving. I went back to find him.”

“Now that makes more sense. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why you went back. I thought maybe it was an accident or that you were looking for your father.” My mom put her arm around me.

“Nope, not an accident,” I replied. “The goddess took Seth and his brothers back to the past. I didn’t want to be without them, and didn’t think before just going off to be with him.”

“Love is always like that. You never imagine doing certain things, but you will for love. You know it’s going to be complicated,” she added.

“I know, Mom. I’m sitting in the past, hiding out to get back to the future with my family. It’s all really complicated,” I replied, and we both laughed. “This whole world is complicated.”

“And that’s why you have to listen to me. Mari, you need to get out of here. I don’t know what they will do to you, and I can’t protect you. I’m as good as gone. Even if we stay, they are sending me away in the morning. And it would be my word against Lady
Saska’s. Lord Enil is a powerful man. Prince Saru knows that, and will want to make him happy…” my mom started.

“I didn’t mean to, Mom. It was just an automatic reaction. Lady
Saska basically told him he could have his way with me, and I was to obey. I just couldn’t do that. When he tried to kiss me, I just reacted,” I interrupted her quickly. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to complicate things for you.”

“And I’m glad about that. I raised you to be as strong as your father. But that doesn’t work here in this world. Women are tools in this country. We are not people. I can’t have you stay here, you need to go home.” My mom hugged me like it was a last goodbye.

“I’m not leaving you here. They plan to send you north and marry you off. You deserve to go find Dad,” I replied. “You can’t do that if you’re bartered off. Let me take you home and from there we can make plans to find dad. If you guys loved each other like Seth and I do, I know he will remember you and will be thinking of you. I’m learning how to control this time travel stuff. I know we can get you to him. You can be with him and be happy.”

My mom hugged me. “You grew up too fast. I’m here trying to protect you, and all you want to do is protect me. When did that happen? You used to be my little girl, and now you’re running around saving me and falling in love. When did I get so old?”

“You’re not old, Mom. I’ll take you back to Dad. You can be happy,” I answered.

I was convincing her to travel back with me. I wasn’t even trying that at this point, but I could feel that I was swaying her over with my words. I truly wanted to find my dad and get to know him. It was a piece of my life that had always been missing.

“You’d really do that?” she asked.

“Yes, Mom. I’d do anything for you, and I have always kind of wanted to meet my dad.” I hugged her back tightly.

Time had passed as we talked, and I was unsure how long we had been sitting there. It was cool in the room, but together we stayed warm. We were sitting in the dark whispering for quite some time, yet still no one came by. Either the palace had to be huge, or they weren’t looking for us. It was strange to not hear another sound. It was completely quiet.

“I always wanted you to meet him, too,” she replied.

“Let me send you home in the future,” I replied. I needed her back there safe from this time.

“Right now?” she asked.

“Yes right now. I can’t have them find you with me, if they do come. I can leave at any time, but you can only leave if you’re with me. I promise to not be far behind. I’ll wait a little longer for Seth and Dee, and then call for Logan. I’ll get everyone home, and then we’ll decide what to do next. I’m sure Seth and Dee will know who my father is, and how we can find him. Together we’ll face the future and the past,” I explained. My mother nodded. “Please, let me save you first, and we’ll all come home right behind you.”

“Sounds like a plan. You are very much like him, even though I raised you. Your father always had the plans, and now you do. I will do as you ask, as long as you promise to come right home after getting the boys back. They will be in danger if you leave them here. They’ll be the first targets of Prince
Saru. He always suspected the Egyptians of taking me to begin with, but he could never prove it since there was no trace of me left,” she replied. I figured that much. They would think Dee and Seth took my mother again, and she would be gone and unable to prove that they did not.

“Logan,” I called into the darkness. I waited a few seconds without him instantly appearing before realizing he wasn’t coming.

I turned to my mother. I had no time to wait for Logan to come this time around. I could send her home without him, and when he came he could take both of the guys. My arm warmed, and I thought of the future. Ty and I had worked out a technique where I could push the person into the future and not go with them. I’d do that now, and then wait for the guys to come back. I had no time to think about it. I needed my mother safe.

I placed my warm hand on her and saw time speed up. I found our home where Ty was waiting.

“I’m sending you back to my room where Ty is. We should get back soon after you. I’ll see you in moments,” I told her. She smiled at me.

“It really is great seeing you grow up,” she told me as the tingle began to engulf her body. She leaned down and kissed my forehead. “Your father is General
Meryamun; he is General Paramessu’s partner, running the Egyptian military.”

His name gave me tingles.
My father had a name
. He was becoming more real each moment. My mother was a great parent, but she couldn’t make up for him not being there. She couldn’t hide her sadness that he didn’t get to see me grow up also. I never considered going back to find him, but was excited now by the prospect. I was going to get to meet my father. It was exciting and scary at the same time. The man who risked everything to get me safe had been an illusion my whole life, and now he was becoming real.

She faded from me, and I was left alone, lost in a palace in a time I didn’t belong. Logan didn’t show up, but I kind of expected that. He wasn’t the most reliable. I wouldn’t have to wait long, but I was truly alone for the first time since I got into the past. I had to believe Seth would come to me. Otherwise, I was screwed.