Page 21 of Ra (The Scarab Prophecy #1)

“I am ready!” Ra announced, running quickly down the stairs and jumping from the third from the bottom to land in the living room excitedly.

Azi had been checking off the list in her phone, making sure she didn’t forget anything. She turned and looked at Ra — and her heart skipped a beat.

“I know, it’s good, yes?” he asked, smiling seductively.

Azi’s gaze swept him from head to toe, clothed in a black single breasted suit, tailored at the waist to give the impression the garment was made for him.

He wore a crisp, white linen shirt beneath the jacket, with the collar button left unfastened.

The matching slacks fit his legs with a suggestion of a caress, but not too tightly to look uncomfortable.

The sharp crease ironed into the slacks added to the overall sculpted appearance he made.

He wore a pair of soft, black-leather dress loafers, with no socks.

Which, some might find questionable for formal dress, she found in this instance to be very sexy.

His ankles, tanned, and elegant while still strong and capable, peeking out from beneath the hem of his slacks, and the top of his loafers, giving a hint at what the rest of the skin on his foot and leg might look like sans the pants.

His black hair was made even blacker by the mousse he’d apparently borrowed from her bathroom and used to push his hair back over his ears.

While not long, it wasn’t exactly short, and seemed a little unruly, but he’d tamed it perfectly by slicking it back on the sides and giving the top a bit of control with his fingers.

The mousse had dried and left his hair shinier and slicker than usual.

“It’s very, very good, Ra. You are a dream to look at.”

He grinned smugly. “I know.”

“Question is, though, where are you going?”

His smile fell and he took a step closer to her. “With you. Why would I be going anywhere else?”

“You can’t go with me. This is a presentation to archeology students, egyptologists, and investors about Egypt and your tomb and artifacts in particular. What do we say if someone recognizes you? It’s not worth the chance.”

At first he thought to argue with her, because he really, really wanted to be there.

But then it occurred to him that the only thing she did better than him was argue, so he’d take another approach instead.

“Did you hear yourself? Who in today’s world would ever consider, much less believe, that Ra has returned? ”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“Honestly, dear Azenath, I just wanted to support you. And I’ve never seen a presentation on me. I’m curious.”

“Ra, I know you. You’ll disagree with something that’s said, or displayed and you just won’t be able to help yourself.

You’ll jump in and correct me, another professor, an investor…

who knows what kind of distraction you’ll create.

And what if someone does notice how much like the paintings of Ra you do look? ”

He smirked at her and raised an eyebrow. “Then I tell them family lore is that I’m descended from the god himself. But, then again, since he created all things, aren’t we all? Then I laugh, they laugh, you laugh, and they donate more money to help in your work. I can help you. I’ll be beneficial.”

“Ra…”

“Do you believe I mean you harm in any way?”

“No. I just know that you are not familiar with the ways of things. Etiquette. You still think like a god.”

“Because I am still a god, I always will be. But I’m also growing more at ease with this new me, and world as it operates in this age. Have I not proven it?”

“Well, we haven’t exactly left the house much,” she said, blushing.

“There’s not much outside of the house that I care to experience as much as what’s in the house.”

Azi blushed even deeper and smiled at him, fully influenced by every little thing he did. “And who would I tell them you are?”

“Your man. I am your…” he hesitated, not wanting to say husband, or betrothed, or anything else that he wasn’t actually, but not wanting to say friend either.

“Significant other,” she supplied.

“Is that what they call a man who is not a husband but who is exclusive to one woman?”

“Yes. And the same for a woman in the same position.”

“We are one another’s significant other. There will be no other!” he said, lifting his arm into the air with his index finger pointing to the ceiling.”

“Okay, we’re not going to include that last part. Just, ‘hi, I’m Ra. I’m with Dr. Clement’. If someone says, oh, how do you know Dr. Clement? You say, we are together.”

“I am her significant other,” he said proudly.

“If you must. And what if someone says, how ironic that you have the name Ra?”

“I will say, it has been passed down in my family for ages. It’s a fine name, don’t you think?”

Azi closed her eyes and let her head fall back on her shoulders as she took a deep breath. “No chance you’ll just wait here?” she asked, without opening her eyes, or even lifting her head to the upright position again.

“You could try to make me wait here. But we both know that I would find a way to get there, and when I got there, I’d be irritated and short-tempered, and you are aware that when I’m short-tempered, I tend to let my godliness attitudes as you call them, overrule my common sense. But if you’d rather take that chance…”

“No, it’s fine. Just please do not embarrass me. Don’t make me have to explain you.”

“Dear Azenath, have you not realized that I am anxious to be established at your side? I have seen firsthand your respect and admiration for those of my time and our ways of life. I only wish to witness its effect on others that only think they know of ancient Egypt. I cannot wait to see you give them an entirely new point of view. And if you have to explain me, I’m your significant other. We’ve already established this.”

Azi shook her head as she turned her back to him and looked through her briefcase once more before zipping it closed and picking up her purse and car keys.

“One more thing, Azi,” he said.

She looked up at him, waiting for whatever else had occurred to him.

“You are stunning. The very picture of the most beautiful goddess I could ever imagine. There is none equal to you.”

Azi looked down at the cream colored dress she wore with a heavy gold necklace and matching earrings and bracelets, running her hand over the skirt to smooth away an imaginary wrinkle. “Are you sure? I could change into another one.”

“No,” Ra said, shaking his head, “this one is perfect.”

Azi smiled at him then together they started for the door.

Ra hesitated, his hand brushing against the heavy gold bracelet she wore on her right wrist as he attempted to hold her hand.

Azi looked back at him. “What’s wrong?”

“I have no gold.”

“What?”

“I have no gold. I am never seen without gold.”

“Ra, they don’t know who you are. They don’t expect you to wear gold.”

He looked at her with the most sincere expression. “But I know.”

Azi nodded. “Okay, come with me.” She put her things down then linked her hand with his and headed up the stairs toward her father’s room — the same room that had been assigned to Ra when he’d first arrived.

She walked into his closet and opened a small chest sitting on a shelf, exposing multiple pieces of jewelry.

Most of it gold, some of it with enamel inlay.

“This is my father’s. He often bought pieces that imitated the design of jewelry from ancient Egypt.

He never wore it, just liked having it. Choose what you’d like, but if I may say so, don’t go overboard.

You look like a god that stepped out of the past, don’t take away from it by wearing too much decoration. ”

Ra smiled at her as he stepped forward to examine the pieces of jewelry in the small chest. He chose a cartouche ring with the heads of a falcon and a ram, clearly made in reverence to Ra, and slipped it on his index finger.

He examined several different gold chains in the over sized style of the ancients, until Azi chose a simple gold chain and held it up for him.

It was created in a herringbone pattern, making for the shiniest presentation, and was on the wider side since it was made for a man rather than a woman.

“I got this one for my father as a gift. It is not styled in a way you’re familiar with, but I thought it was beautiful when I bought it.

I still do. I think it would complement you and speak to your style without being too much.

” Azi held it up to his neck to let him see that it would be visible beneath his shirt, falling right at the hollow of his throat.

The shine and flash of the gold reflected the light and he smiled, nodding his approval. “I will wear this one.”

He walked into the bedroom to look at himself in the mirror there. “Yes, this is good.”

“Here,” Azi said, walking up beside him, holding out another piece of jewelry.

“I bought him this, too, but I don’t think he’s ever worn it.

” She fastened a gold watch on his left wrist and stood back, looking at the image he cut in the mirror.

“I don’t know how I’m ever going to make anyone believe you’re not Ra himself.

You are beyond anything I’ve ever imagined. ”

Ra turned and looked at her, gently pulling her into his arms. “As are you. I never imagined this would be how it would come to pass. I thought things a certain way and you have completely skewed them.”

“Is that a good thing?” Azi asked.

“It’s a very good thing.”

~~~

“Are we on time?” Dr. Henry Clement asked, glancing anxiously around as Abasi pushed his wheelchair through the back door of the auditorium at the university.

“We are. She should be starting the presentation any moment now. I intentionally made sure to time our arrival to prevent her or anyone else from seeing you before she starts.”

“That’s good. That’s very good. It should be about her, not me. I’m just an old man proudly watching my daughter come into her own.”