Takmet awoke to three staring faces. He yelled in surprise, moved over on the bench where he sat and almost fell off.

“Don’t do that!” he exclaimed.

“Sorry.” Ami smiled apologetically. “It’s just that you’re face is so exactly like someone else’s we know.”

“What’s wrong with my face?”

“Nothing. We could just swear we had already met your twin if we weren’t in Ancient Egypt,” Chloe said. “Since there seems to be two of you, I may have a better chance.”

“Two of me? A better chance at what?” Takmet’s face registered a blank.

“Never mind,” Chloe waved off the question.

Sasaki woke up to find her friends harassing Takmet. She sat up painfully. Takmet noticed immediately and ignored her friends.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” Sasaki was greeted by her friends, all of them glad to see her. She winced as she received hugs from them.

“What happened to you?” Chloe asked in a demanding voice. “We thought you were right behind us.”

“I ran into some problems I couldn’t dodge,” Sasaki answered, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

“I’m so glad you’re all right.” Ami hugged Sasaki again, who gently but quickly broke it off. Ami wondered what was wrong. Sasaki usually loved it when she got hugs from her friends.

“And I’m glad you guys are all right, too.” Sasaki looked at Takmet. “Thank you.”

“What’s the deal with this guy?” Mandi asked, pointing a thumb in Takmet’s direction, raising an eyebrow.

“‘This guy’?” Takmet looked offended.

“He’s the one who got me out of the problem I couldn’t avoid,” Sasaki answered, hoping they wouldn’t ask about what happened.

“That is a bit of an understatement,” Takmet said, crossing his arms.

“Which doesn’t need explaining,” Sasaki added quickly. Her friends stored that comment away to bring up later.

“I’ll have someone bring clothes for your friends,” Takmet decided and turned to walk out the door. Ami’s voice stopped him.

“What’s wrong with the ones we’re wearing?” Ami asked, looking around at her friends, and then at herself.

“Oh, nothing. To you, I’m sure. But anyone from around here would think that you were advertising an unsavory service,” Takmet replied, smirking.

“Oh.” Ami understood right away what he was talking about. Mandi and Chloe blushed.

“Sasaki, you should stay in bed. But your friends are free to wander around.” He turned and left the room.

“We’re definitely not going anywhere without you,” Ami said. “We may get lost.”

“And we would need you to read any signs that say things like ‘do not enter on penalty of death’ and stuff like that.” Chloe waved at the door sarcastically.

“I’m all right now.” Sasaki sat up straight, putting on a smile. “I can go with you.”

“Hey, you’re hurt pretty bad. You should stay in bed like what’s-his-face said,” Mandi advised.

How did she know that I was hurt? There’s nothing here that shows it... “No, really, I feel fine.” She got up, hardly showing any signs of struggle. “Let’s go explore.”

Just then, the clothes Takmet had promised arrived and Chloe, Mandi, and Ami put them on. Then they left the room. Sasaki led at first, but then as her friends became more comfortable with their surroundings, they overtook her as she struggled with the pain in her back. Every once in a while Sasaki would hang against a wall while Chloe made sarcastic remarks about the choice of decoration on the pillars and floor. Sasaki read things when they asked, exposing them even more to the culture and beliefs of these ancient people. At one point Sasaki was leaning against a marvelously carved pillar, her friends engaged in a conversation about one of the things Sasaki had just read off the wall, and she heard something from around a corner that led outside.

It was Takmet. He was doing military exercises of some type, and he seemed to be intently focused on them. He was thinking about Sasaki and her friends, and from where she claimed to have come. It just wasn’t possible. There was nothing across the ocean. But how could he be sure? Their clothes were unlike anything he had ever seen, though he had to admit, the men where they lived must have enjoyed what the girls wore. But he liked them better in the clothes he knew and was used to seeing. Especially on Sasaki. This foreigner was different from the timid and compliant women and girls that surrounded him in the palace. Those that never pursued him, only giving him looks just as effective. He probably would have a large harem, if he ever fell into that decision. Sasaki would never let anyone keep her anywhere if she didn’t want to be. She has a strong spirit, he thought fondly. He smiled inwardly. He was already beginning to like her: how she was so different. How she put others first and pretended to be strong to keep them unconcerned. He had figured out that much about her, even if he didn’t know why she was hiding her feelings or where she came from. Now he wanted to know why they were blown apart so violently the day before.

Just then he noticed Sasaki watching him from the far wall. He stopped his exercises shortly after that, wiping the sweat from his face with a cloth, speaking before turning to Sasaki.

“Why aren’t you in bed?”

Sasaki stayed where she was, careful not to show any signs of pain on her face. “My friends wanted to take a look around, but they didn’t want to go without me since I can read the writing on the walls and they can’t.”

Takmet turned to face her, and he was struck by the way she looked. She was a very attractive girl. Thin, fairly tall, long brown hair. Bright amber-brown eyes that searched his own, instead of the shallow dark brown eyes always turned to the floor or to the side in his presence that so many other girls had. And she had a flattering figure. He didn’t speak for a moment, smitten by her looks, then he shook himself out of whatever spell he had allowed himself to be put under.

“They cannot read?” He picked up where she left off.

“It’s not their native language,” Sasaki said simply.

“Then how is it that they are speaking it?” Takmet asked, puzzled.

“Speaking it?”

“What other language would you be speaking?”

“So it sounds to you like I’m speaking your language while it sounds to me like you’re speaking English.” Sasaki said, figuring it out pretty quickly.

“English?”

“My native language,” Sasaki explained. “This must be part of the spell that brought us here. We can understand each other no matter what language we speak. How convenient.” She smiled.

“Do you feel all right?” Takmet asked, seeing something in her smile.

“I’m fine,” Sasaki lied. “Stop worrying.” She waved off his question. “What were you doing just now, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“Just some exercises they use around here. Especially used a lot by the army.”

“Could you teach me?”

The question caught him off guard.

“And my friends, too, of course.” Sasaki removed herself from the supporting wall and walked toward him.

“Well, I suppose.” He hesitated. “That is a very unusual request. Actually, I don’t think it has ever been asked.” He scratched his head. “Women do not usually learn things of that type. That’s why they get husbands. ”

“And when exactly do they get married?” Sasaki raised and eyebrow.

“About fourteen or fifteen.”

“Sheesh, I must be an old hag if they get married at fourteen.” Sasaki sighed as she crossed her arms. “You, too. You don’t look fourteen,” she said with a sarcastic grin.

Takmet winced. He hoped now she wouldn’t get on his case about not having a wife. “I am nineteen,” he said.

“Hmm. A little older than I thought.” She caught his glare. “No, no! It’s a good thing!”

“And how old are you?” Takmet asked. She certainly wasn’t fourteen either. He didn’t actually care how old she was. Takmet only wanted to keep talking to her.

“Seventeen.”

“Hmm, a little younger than I thought.” He grinned. “That’s a good thing,” he added quickly. He thought about her request again. “I don’t see why I would not be able to teach you and your friends, but you have to teach me some of the things you know. To be able to hold off three thugs, being a woman, you must have some type of style that no one here is familiar with.”

“Good deduction,” Sasaki said, winking. “All right then! When do we start?”

Takmet laughed. She was almost too energetic for her own good. “Slow down. You should not even be walking around and you want to get started? I don’t think that is such a good idea.” Takmet remembered the day before. “Maybe after you meet the pharaoh.”

“Oh, I told you already, I’m fine.” Sasaki waved his comment off, preventing a twinge of pain from showing in her eyes. “We’re going to meet the pharaoh? When?”

“Probably in a couple of days. He’s always busy.”

“Let’s go now.”

“What??” Takmet was surprised yet again by her forwardness. Sasaki believed she had a say in the matter, no matter what the occasion. And he liked her even more for questioning him.

“Why not? I feel fine,” Sasaki lied again.

“That’s doubtful.” He sighed. She was acting fine, but that is never a good indicator to how someone is feeling. Just to get her off his back, he agreed. “All right. Wait a minute. I have to change.”

Takmet left for a few moments. He came back in the outfit she had met him in and they started their way to gather Sasaki’s friends. Sasaki made it to the doorway from which she had entered, then leaned on the wall for support. She could no longer stand on her own. Takmet was in front of her and kept walking, expecting Sasaki to follow. Suddenly Sasaki collapsed and she slid to the floor, gritting her teeth against the sharp impulses of pain that spread across her bandage back. Takmet turned.

“Sasaki? Are you com--” He stopped his question short, eyes widened with worry. “Are you all right?” he asked urgently, chastising himself for not thinking how seriously she had been hurt. He walked to where she stopped in the doorway.

“Yeah...I’m just more tired than I thought.” Sasaki forced a smile through her grimace.

“You should not be walking!”

“I’m okay!” Sasaki protested, struggling to get back up again, put on edge by his proximity to her in her state of helplessness.

“You are still extremely weak. You’re just going to make yourself sick.” Takmet knelt and attempted to help her get up, but was reminded of the fact that he couldn’t touch her with a sharp snap of electricity before he even got close. Sasaki winced. He turned down the hall. “Hotep!!” Hotep came running down the stone corridor, again alarmed by his friend’s tone.

“What’s all your yelling about lately?” he asked, exasperated. His friend never required his help, but this was twice in two days. And it involved the same girl. “Her again?” Hotep sighed. “Who said she could be walking?” Hotep asked as he picked Sasaki up, despite her protests and wriggling. “They never listen,” he sighed.

Hotep carried Sasaki into Takmet’s room and laid her gently on the bed, the girl’s protests long since exhausted on the fairly lengthy journey there. Takmet had gone to make sure that Chloe, Mandi, and Ami didn’t get lost.

“You know better than that,” Hotep scolded her. He thought a moment. “You’re tougher than I am,” Hotep grinned admiringly. “I don’t know how you pull it off. Acting like you don’t feel anything. You even had Takmet fooled for a while. He’ll definitely know better from now on.”

Sasaki smiled weakly. “I do it to keep other people from worrying about me. Everyone’s always got other stuff to worry about, their own agenda. I don’t want to get in the way of more important things.”

This girl has some issues, Hotep thought. “By the way, I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Hotep, as you’ve probably heard Takmet yell. I’m a royal guard here.”

“I’m Sasaki. Foreigner,” she replied flatly.

“That much I had already figured out.” Hotep said. “Takmet will be back in a minute. You stay in bed. I have to get back on duty.”

“Wait a sec. Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Is Takmet his real name?”

“Gee, I don’t even know his real name, if it isn’t Takmet. The only person I can think of that would know it is his sister.” Hotep leaned on his spear-type weapon.

“Sister? He seems more like an only child,” Sasaki said.

“She’s been gone for years, though. I don’t even think I can remember what she looks like. No one knows where she went. Well, maybe Takmet. But I’d better be going. Nice to have met you.” He left the room and turned down the hall just as Takmet arrived.

Sasaki lay on her stomach trying to ignore the pain that ran up and down her back each time she took a breath. Takmet couldn’t stand to see anyone suffering so much. He didn’t see how Sasaki could have hidden it so well.

Sitting down on the bed beside her, he held his hand over her back, about to do something he had never done within the palace walls: use his powers for more than just levitation. Outside the palace no one could track him easily, but inside he was sure someone was watching his every move. He glance at the closed door, searching for the scrying spell ward, relaxing as he took a ripple in the curtain cloth to be the little trinket. Sasaki tensed, wondering what he was going to do. Takmet’s hand stayed off Sasaki’s back and he made no move to touch her. The repelling forces they had encountered twice already must have been aware of what he was doing, for they showed no signs of activating again. He moved his hand over her back, her shirt going with it. Sasaki started to panic. Takmet read her mind before she could get up.

“Relax, I am not going to hurt you.” Takmet’s voice was eerily calm and deep, and Sasaki was comforted by it. She laid still, suspicion boiling in her mind as she bit back the whines of pain she was sure she would soon let out. Takmet moved her shirt down even more, exposing the bandages that still did not cover several patches of black and blue welts of skin. Takmet winced. She was fighting this? he thought.

A warm red glow appeared in his hand and fell slowly over Sasaki’s back. She felt some of the pain disappear and sighed with relief. Now she could fall asleep, though still in pain that throbbed. She drifted to sleep as soon as the pain let her. A purple glow emanated from Sasaki’s back and back into Takmet’s hand. He straightened as Sasaki’s pain became his.

A little quick to sacrifice, aren’t we, Takmet? Even if it is for one of your own, an evil presence mocked him. This is the first time in years that you have confirmed what I already suspected.

Takmet felt it and looked around the room viciously, unable to see anything out of the ordinary.

Could this girl be the one, then? The one that you are destined to love? the presence let out. Oh, what fun testing her will be! Takmet could almost feel it smile in delight.

Takmet stood up, a little disturbed at what the evilness had said. He made his way to the curtains next to the door, shoved them aside, and found nothing. The silver trinket he sought lay on the floor, its effectiveness lost when not hanging next to the door. He spun to face the interior of the room. “Show yourself or be gone demon!!”

Temper, temper. Getting defensive now. Did what I said upset you? the evil sneered.

“Stop this foolishness now and show yourself!” Takmet shouted.

Takmet looked at Sasaki. The sleeping girl stirred slightly, causing one of the straps of her dress to fall off her slim shoulder. Takmet tore his gaze away from her, searching the room again. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Takmet hissed angrily, avoiding waking Sasaki.

Oh, dear Takmet...destiny staring you in the face, and you don’t know what I’m talking about. Takmet received the impression of the presence’s head shaking. Look at the girl. You know I speak truth. Destined to love, yet destined never to touch. What a crock, eh? Hmm, hm. It giggled. And therefore destined to lose...... The sound hissed around him, echoing menacingly.

And with that, it was gone. The presence had angered him, as it knew it would, telling him things that he should discover on his own. This was not the first time he had felt such a presence, but the first in which it dared to speak. Curse him for putting Sasaki in danger. That thought brought in what the demon had said. “Destined to love but not to touch.” Sasaki? His eyes narrowed. Why should he believe such a monster, whose pleasure was creating anger, and even more, sadness?

He looked at Sasaki, an overwhelming feeling of emptiness washed over him, followed by a sinking feeling in his stomach. The demon was right. He could feel it even then. Sasaki was filling that emptiness. Though it had hardly been two days, he felt as if he knew her somehow. A place that only he was allowed into was quickly being invaded by this girl. “One of your own?” What did the voice mean?

He hung the silver ward back on the wall next to the door and then made his way to a seat. He almost stumbled as he sat down, the pain now in his back not nearly half of what Sasaki had been enduring. “She has to have an extremely high pain tolerance,” Takmet spoke to himself, wincing as he slowly situated himself in a seat against the wall. Sasaki had fallen asleep almost instantly after he had removed some of her suffering. She had not heard a thing.