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"Are you good here, Cleopatra? I think I will retire as well"

"Yes, you hed"Try to sleep well and I will see you in the We have our work cut out for us We’ll have to depend on your drahtEven now, she couldn’t help but tease me"And Charmian?Will you send soht, my queen,"I s only to instruct the guards to send someone for Antony, before I continued on tomy door, I sensed Hasani’s presence before I even entered et here,"he entlyTilting it up, he ran his thu my lips, before he kissed them softly

"Silly rance"I wasn’t with Cleopatra longAnd weren’t you with Antony?Strategizing?"

I sers into his hair and pulling hiainst h I kne ainKnowing the future really sucked, because I couldn’t fully enjoy the present

"Don’t you worry, wohtly over my body"We’re both here now"

Goosebumps forht breeze frorinned, his white s, as he dropped ontothe soft skin of my neck

Maybe I could enjoy the present after all

Hasani was gone when I woke and I squeezedwall sconcesHe ru mood, I had to smile at his considerationI pulled the covers over ainst the coer before I finally sighed and eed into the reality of daytiers of the sun were just starting to curl around the horizonHasani must have risen early to run drills with his soldiers before the Alexandrian heat rolled inAntony was probably with hi a soft white scarf around olden brassiere As I pulled s into my ears, I briefly pondered my older bodyAs Charmian, I may be thirty-nine, but It probably had a lot to do with the fact that ancient Egyptians didn’t have French fries or ice crea down at my vanity table, I pulled out the multiple jars required foras I didAs Macy, I was a very low-key, low-ime was tiresomeBut I had to admit that it was effectiveI had a perfect colanced back into the ers at the base of my neck

A woh she belonged thereHer eyes were ice blue and her long hair was so blonde that it was snohite I whirled around to face her

"How did you get in here?"I deuards?"

She smiled peacefully at me, but didn’t answer

"Can you speak?"I asked"Who are you?"

She studiedand silent from her perch on my bedShe wore silvery robes embroidered with rich blue which were spread around her and her long fingernails were silverThey sparkled in the ht from my She rean to build in ain

"You knoho I araceful that it seeh she floated as she walked toward ued, as she came to a stop behind me

"You do,"she insisted softly, as she placed her hands on my shouldersAnd in that instant, the second that her hands touchedface to face with Lachesis, theand powerful, the last tiMy eyes flew in a face

She shtly"You are beautifulSo, of course I wanted to appear beautiful, as wellI have no wish to scare you"

"Then what is your wish?"I asked quietly, keeping my eyes locked on her face

She reached past ers into it Picking upthe scented oil into my skin as she spoke

"You are one of twelve, Charued

"YesTwelve very ihout the millenniaYou were chosen for your bravery and your heart"

She turned ered my scar

"I placed the mark of the phoenix upon your wrist myselfThe phoenix is sacred to the order, Char that we stand for… the things that we protect And we gave you that markIt is an honor"

I nodded"Yes, of course it is"

"Then why have you been doubting us?"she turned her large blue eyes tome

"I haven’t!"I protested "The priest Annen has tried to convincea member of the Order is all I knowI have no wish to believe him"

"But you’ve wondered"