Page 20 of Ra (The Scarab Prophecy #1)

Ra was sleeping with his face pressed into the soft skin of her belly, his arms circling under her thighs, then back up and around her hips. Instead of getting up, or even letting go, he just adjusted his grip, turned his head to face the other way and seemed to be trying to go back to sleep.

Her phone rang again from somewhere far enough away that she now realized she’d have to go search for it. “I have to get up! I have to go answer my phone!”

“I’m trying to sleep!” he finally said exasperatedly.

“I’m trying to get up!”

“Fine! But don’t think I’m going to cuddle you when you come back.” He let her go, getting up on his knees and crawling toward the other end of the sofa.

Azi hurried to get up and rush toward the sound of her phone, looking back as she stumbled over two empty wine bottles. “Ohhh!” she groaned, remembering why she felt so foggy headed and out of sorts. In the distance her phone began ringing again and she picked up the pace as she searched it out.

“What is that infernal noise?!” Ra yelled.

“It’s my boss, Dr. Weaver, calling!”

“How do you know it’s her? You could just be rushing for someone who is calling you by mistake! Waking us up for no reason at all.”

“It’s her song! I set it for her ring tone so I’d always know it’s her,” Azi called back. “I found it!” she shouted triumphantly as she located the phone in the sun room, right where she’d left it when Ra had carried her to the sofa. “Hello? Hello? Are you there?” she said anxiously into the phone.

“How nice of you to respond to my call,” Dr. Weaver said drolly.

“I’m so very sorry to keep you waiting. We… I, was up late and overslept. My apologies. How can I help you, Dr. Weaver?” Azi said.

“It is I who have helped you.”

“Oh?” Azi asked.

“The throne is here and waiting for you to supervise its packaging and transport to the university.”

“Oh! Oh, how wonderful! I’m so excited, and grateful, Dr. Weaver. Very, very grateful!”

“I assumed so. Can you be here in thirty minutes?”

“I can make it in about forty five minutes.”

“Make it in thirty five.”

“Yes, ma’am! I’ll do my best! Goodb…” the sound of the line disconnecting, had Azi stopping mid-word.

“Alrighty, then.” She turned, expecting to sprint back through the kitchen and upstairs to throw some clothes on as quickly as she could and get to the Department of Antiquities clear across town.

But instead, she found Ra hovering just behind her.

“Why do you bow to her definitively?”

“I don’t bow to her. I respect her.”

“You bow to her.”

“She’s in a position of power. Not only that, she’s very, very good at her job, and she’s the one who can decide whether or not I get approval for the digs I have scheduled. So, I’m sure to let her know how much I respect her position.”

“You bow to her,” he repeated.

“Fine. What does it hurt? If you ever meet her, you’ll bow, too. It’s just something about her that makes you want to duck your head and obey. Do you know what I mean?”

“No, not at all. Do we have time to eat first?”

“You can eat. I don’t have time.”

“If I have time, you have time.”

“I’m changing clothes and leaving. You’re staying here. Do whatever you want to do.”

“I am not staying here. I go where you go.”

“Ra, this is my job. It’s my career, my passion. You will not mess it up with your godly attitude.”

His scowl shifted immediately to a delighted smile. “You think me godly? I knew you saw me for all that I am, even without the…” he waved his hands in the air, trying yet again to access some of the powers he used to be able to call at will.

“I have to go,” she said, attempting to dart past him.

He reached out and curled a hand around her bicep, bringing her to a halt.

Azi looked up at him expectantly.

He looked down at her, then leaned forward purposely and kissed her. “Do not forget, dear Azi, I am waiting for you here.”

Azi’s face lit up as she smiled at him. “I won’t forget. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Eat whatever you want from the fridge or the pantry.”

“And then I will sleep more.”

She pecked his lips and hurried from the room. “I really like it when you call me Azi instead of Azenath. It feels more familiar.”

“Hurry up, you will be late!” he called out to her.

He opened the fridge and moved things around a bit before coming across several bottles of the peach tea he loved so much.

“Ah, these are mine,” he said, taking all of them with him back into the living room.

He slipped his shorts back on and sat down on the sofa with the channel selector and his bottles of tea to find something to fill his time until Azi returned, or he fell asleep, whichever may be first. His foot knocked into something on the floor and he looked over the edge of the sofa to find the empty wine bottles.

“No more wine, though,” he grumbled, picking up the empty bottles and setting them on the table as far away from where he sat as he could.

~~~

“Good morning! How are you today?” Azi asked as she breezed into Dr. Weaver’s secretary’s office.

“Dr. Clement! How nice to see you. We are all very excited about your presentation of the Tomb of Ra at the university tomorrow!”

Azi nodded, feigning excitement instead of nervousness. “Well, it should be fun. I’ll do my best, but to be honest, I wasn’t left with a lot of time to prepare.”

“Oh, you’ll do a wonderful job.”

“Thank you. I will certainly try.” Azi took a moment to look toward Dr. Weaver’s door. “Is Dr. Weaver available?”

“Oh, she stepped out for a little while. But she said to let you in. The artifact you’re taking with you for your presentation is being processed for shipment as we speak.”

“Wonderful. Thank you, again,” Azi said, moving toward the door. She let herself into Dr. Weaver’s office and laughed delightedly when a familiar face popped up to look at her from behind the throne. “Abasi!”

“Dr. Clement! I was told you may be stopping by to assist. I am very happy to see you.”

“I’m happy to see you, too! How’s it going?” she asked, gesturing toward the throne.

“Beautifully. You could not have picked a more perfect display. It sums up the tomb, the grandeur of the gods, the riches of the times, the regalia they lived with. Just without equal,” Abasi said.

“I was a little hesitant to ask for permission to take it. It is one of a kind.”

“Well, there are others that have been found in other tombs, but none quite so extravagant as this one. In truth, I believe that Dr. Weaver was just waiting for you to ask for it to accompany you.”

“It will be a hard one to outdo for the rest of the tour.”

“There will not be a need. Did Dr. Weaver not tell you?”

“Tell me what?” Azi asked.

“The throne will be accompanying you on the Tomb of Ra tour to each university and museum you visit over the next several months.”

“Really?!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

Abasi grinned at her. “Really.”

“So, what can I do to help?” she asked, approaching the throne.

“You can help me hold the sheets of plastic in place so that I can wrap it in the protective sheeting, and then put it on the small pallet.”

“Consider it done,” Azi said, going to hold the edge of the roll of plastic sheeting so that Abasi could secure it.

“Have you finished your presentation?” Abasi asked.

“Well, I’m kind of winging it.”

“Winging it? You?” Abasi asked, completely shocked at her reply.

“Yes. A friend pointed out that no one knows more about the tomb and all its contents than I do. There’s no reason to write an entire presentation, rather I should just make a list of things to remind me of the points I want to touch on so that I don’t forget anything really important to me.”

“A friend, is it?” Abasi asked.

Azi smiled, blushed a little and nodded, while avoiding all but a quick gaze.

“I know my father was always so precise with his presentations, but I think my love for the tomb and for what I do may actually touch some adventurers’ hearts in the crowd, instead of remaining so academic.”

“I think you’re right, Dr. Clement. And speaking of your father, how is he?”

“He’s alright. Still thinking that he’s going to recover enough to make it back into the field.

Still planning to come to tomorrow’s presentation.

It breaks my heart that he won’t be there.

I don’t know how to make him understand that we can’t do it alone.

We’ll need nurses for him, or at the very least someone assigned to just assist him to and from, and to keep him company as the presentation goes on.

I won’t be able to give the presentation if I’m worried about him.

I need to know he’s got the care he needs while I’m preoccupied.

And the digs are just out of the question.

He cannot possibly traipse out into the desert again. ”

“I think it must be very hard for someone who was once so capable to accept their vulnerabilities on a good day. Much less after such a debilitating stroke. But he’s a very reasonable man. I think it will all work out.”

“He’s just so stubborn. I feel like I’m letting him down each time I have to tell him he can’t do something.”

“I haven’t visited him in several weeks because I’ve been busy here. Perhaps I’ll go visit him later today.”

“I’m sure he’d love to see you. It would make him very happy.”

“Then I’ll be sure to make the visit. Now my only remaining question is, what has you so happy?”

“What do you mean?”

“You are glowing, Dr. Clement. It is quite obvious something has you full of joy.”

Azi smiled, and just nonchalantly shook her head and shrugged. “Just loving life and every surprise it brings.”

“Good for you!”

“Here, can you hold this edge now?” Abasi asked.

“Got it!” Azi said, still smiling as her mind wandered back to Ra and their developing bond.

“There it is again, that secret smile. What are you hiding, Dr. Clement?” Abasi teased.

“I’ll never tell,” she countered.

Abasi laughed, delighted with this new side of Dr. Clement. “As it should be,” he said. “Just as it should be.”