Okay…
Don’t hate me too much. I was up until 3 this morning finishing Cold Truth to get it turned in. So I didn’t have time to write today’s installment. But I promise there will be two new ones this week…just on Wednesday and Thursday.
I hope you all have a great day.
Anubis
Anubis copyright c. 2015 T.A. Chase
Part Six-
Jamil frowned, but didn’t say anything else. “We’ve just started excavating these two rooms.”
“Do you have any idea what they were used for?”
Ahmed sounded interested, which was more then Jamil could say for most of the people who came to visit the site. They tended to be interested only in what Jamil had found. The concrete artifacts instead of the suppositions of what the people used them for. Some people weren’t interested in the past. Jamil had never been one of those.
He’d always found history fascinating, and learning how ordinary people went about their lives in ancient times. It intrigued him to see the similarities and the differences between them and modern people. In many ways, they had the same wants and needs.
While he explained that they thought the rulers of Petra used these rooms as informal meeting rooms, Jamil led Ahmed around the various pits where people were working.
“It looks like you have a rather large crew. Are all of these people from the university where you teach?” Ahmed motioned toward one of the units where two of Jamil’s graduate students were cleaning off a piece of ceramic.
“No. I have about ten grad students who came with me from Georgia. The rest are students from universities all around the world. When the news got out that Jordan was going to allow me to excavate some of the unexplored areas of Petra, there was a rush of people applying to help me.” He chuckled. “I’d never felt so popular in my life.”
Ahmed smiled like Jamil hoped he would. There was a seriousness to the man Jamil had never sensed in another person before. It was as though Ahmed had lost his ability to enjoy life. Jamil shook his head slightly. Foolish thinking. Not everyone in the world needs to find life enjoyable and happy. I need to keep that in mind.
They reached the unit Jamil had been working in. As they approached, Eesha glanced up from where she crouched, studying a feature they’d been trying to clean up a little better. Her eyes widened when she saw Ahmed. She climbed out of the hole then held out her hand.
“Mr. Al Hazzan, it’s good to see you again.”
“Ah, Eesha, I should’ve known you would be in the thick of things, especially when it comes to Petra.” Ahmed took her hand and bowed over it. His smile actually reached his eyes this time, causing Jamil to feel a hint of jealousy.
Back up there, boy. Why am I feeling jealous? It’s not like we’re dating or anything. I just met the man, plus he hasn’t shown any interest in me. His inner voice scolded him.
Eesha laughed. “What can I say? I’m connected to Petra. It feels as though I come home every time I step within its walls.”
Ahmed released her hand then turned his gaze to the wall behind them. “Sometimes coming home isn’t a good thing,” he muttered.
“Sounds like you know what you’re talking about,” Jamil couldn’t help but comment. “Where are you from?”
He wanted to take the question back as soon as it fell out of his mouth. It was none of his business where Ahmed had been born, plus why going home wasn’t a good thing for the man was definitely something he didn’t need to know.
“I’m from Jordan,” Ahmed informed him. “Born not too far from here actually.”
“Really? You’re from one of the nomadic tribes?”
Ahmed nodded, but didn’t give him any more details. “What makes you believe the Nabataeans used these rooms for meetings? Where did you find the canopic jars? They wouldn’t have been here.”
Jamil shook his head. “No. Those were a lucky find further back in the treasury. We haven’t quite decided why they’re here, considering the Nabataeans buried their dead in caves.”
“True. There must be something special about the people who belonged to those jars,” Ahmed murmured. “Something different about them.”
“That’s what we think,” Jamil agreed then shrugged. “But we have no way of knowing who they belonged to. Unfortunately, we can’t read the writing on them.”
Ahmed shot Eesha a shocked glance. “Even you couldn’t read them?”
Eesha wrinkled her nose in disappointment. “No. Even I couldn’t read them. It’s a language I haven’t seen before. Maybe you can decipher it when you examine them.”
“Do you know ancient languages, Mr. Al Hazzan?” A thrill rushed through Jamil at the thought that Ahmed might be able to translate what they’d found. “This hasn’t been announced to the public yet, but we found a few stone tablets with the same writing on them.”
“Did you find them with the jars?”
Jamil gestured for Ahmed to come with him. “No. We discovered another room behind where we found the jars. It was a smaller one with an altar. We had to break through a wall to get to them.”
Ahmed inhaled sharply. “You destroyed a part of this site?”
“No. Well yes, but we got permission from the government and UNESCO before we did it. A small chunk of rock had fallen out and we could see that there was space beyond it. The barricade was poorly constructed as though whoever built it was in a hurry to hide something.” Jamil continued beyond where the dig units were. “I would never destroy any part of this site. I made sure the proper authorities knew what was going on and I allowed them to make the decision. I would’ve abided by it, if they chose not to allow me to go in there.”
He could sense Ahmed wasn’t completely convinced about his sincerity, and Jamil understood why. There were many unscrupulous people who would’ve gotten overcome with the idea of the huge new discovery that they would’ve done everything in their power to get in the room.
Jamil wasn’t like that. Whether anyone knew his name when he died, didn’t matter to him. He wasn’t in this profession to become famous. He was in it to learn about the past, and maybe learn from it as well.
Anubis
Anubis copyright c.2015 T.A. Chase
Part Five-
“Jamil,” Sandy yelled from the base of the stairs. “There’s some guy here to see you.”
Grimacing, Jamil bowed slightly to the young Jordanian woman who’d been helping him. “I’ll be back.”
She smiled. “Of course.”
He stood and took a few steps away before he brushed the dirt off his jeans as best he could. When she laughed at him, he shrugged. “I guess I should know better. Nothing is going to get these clean except for being washed a thousand times.”
“Then you’ll still find sand in them,” she pointed out.
“True.”
“Jamil, did you hear me?” Sandy shouted again and he winced.
“Yes. I’ll be right there,” he called back.
He wound his way past the open pits where different members of his dig team were occupied, clearing away the dirt from different objects buried beneath a layer of sand.
Jamil had been shocked when they came across the first artifacts. When he’d been given permission to dig in a part of the main building that hadn’t been open to any one outside of Jordanian academia, he hadn’t really expected to find anything. He figured most of the important stuff had already been discovered.
Yet the first test shovel brought up some interesting particles that convinced him there might be more here than he thought. When they discovered the two intact canopic jars, he almost burst out in an undignified Cabbage Patch dance. The Jordanian government was very gracious about allowing Jamil access to them after he informed them about it.
“Who is it,” Jamil asked Sandy as he approached her.
She shrugged then pointed to where a tall man stood at the top of the front steps, staring out at the canyon carved out of the rock. There was something in the set of his shoulders that spoke of loss and a deep-seated pain. He shook his head. Now he was just being foolish. There was no way he could even guess what the stranger was feeling.
“Thanks, Sandy. You can get back to whatever you were doing,” he told his assistant.
He turned his attention back to the stranger who now faced him. Jamil inhaled sharply when his gaze met the man’s dark eyes. There was sadness in them, but as he watched, it disappeared behind a bland expression.
“You’re Jamil Ahlid?” The man’s eyebrows shot up when Jamil nodded.
“Not what you were expecting, huh?” He smiled as the guy shrugged and agreed.
“Not really.” The stranger stepped closer, holding out his hand. “I’m Ahmed Al Hazzan. I’m a consultant with UNESCO, dealing with their World Heritage sites.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Al Hazzan. No one informed me you were coming.” Jamil shook Ahmed’s hand, ignoring the jolt of electricity racing through his body.
“It was a spur of the moment kind of thing. I was traveling in Jordan, and when they heard about your discoveries, they asked if I’d come and look them over.”
Jamil wanted to protest, but he knew he couldn’t. The government had approved his papers and dig permit with the caveat that they could send whoever they wanted to inspect the site and anything he found while there. Also UNESCO had even more right to come in and go through anything and everything. He wasn’t about to say no and have his permit pulled.
“They aren’t here,” he informed Ahmed.
Ahmed sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Jamil tried to ignore how gorgeous Ahmed was. Ahmed wore a pair of jeans and a long sleeved flannel shirt, both of which emphasized the breadth of his shoulders and the narrowness of his waist. At least he showed up dressed for the situation. There had been times at other digs where people had shown up in dress shoes and suits, obviously not thinking about all the dirt and grime that attached itself to clothes and skin.
“I know that, but I was curious about Petra. It’s been a very long time since I last visited. I guess I needed to see how it has changed.” Ahmed glanced around them.
Jamil chuckled. “Petra doesn’t change. It’s been here for centuries and will be for centuries after we’re gone. The only thing left of us in this place will be the memories of our heartache and our joys.”
“All there is in this place is heartache,” Ahmed muttered.
“There is an aura that hangs around here,” Jamil admitted. “Staying here late at night is unnerving to say the least.”
Ahmed nodded. “Yes, it is. It has always been that way.” He shot a look in the direction of the amphitheater. “Will you show me around your site? I don’t want to bother anything you have in progress.”
He gestured for Ahmed to follow him. “Since you’ve been here before, I won’t do the whole tour. We’re digging in an area toward the back of the temple. No one’s been allowed in there to do this extensive a dig. I’m not even sure anyone’s been in there since people left here.”
Silence greeted him and he took a quick look behind him to make sure Ahmed was still there. It was obvious the man wasn’t listening to Jamil, even though his gaze was focused on Jamil’s back as though he didn’t want to see ghosts in the shadows.
“The place isn’t really haunted. No matter what you’ve heard,” he reassured Ahmed.
Snorting, Ahmed gave him a disgusted look. “Of course, it’s haunted. People died in this complex. Hell, they lost their lives in the very room you’re digging in. There are spirits all over and they will make themselves known before you get too much further in your expedition.”
“You don’t strike me as a superstitious man.” Jamil shrugged. “If they’re here, then I welcome the chance to meet them. I’ve always wondered whether there was an afterlife.”
“In Ancient Egypt, they believed in the afterlife. Why do you think they went to the lengths they did when they buried their dead? I wouldn’t doubt there are sites across the Middle East where the dead haunt the living. Across the world in fact.” Ahmed clenched his hands then relaxed them.
New Covers…
Happy Friday, everyone. I hope you’re all doing well. 🙂 I’m feeling much better and hoping to get back on track with my writing. All of it…lol
I thought I’d share two new covers I received for two of my upcoming March releases. First up is Cead Mile Milte, which is a St. Patrick’s Day story that’ll be out at MLR Press on March 13th. It’s about Finn and Sawyer, who meet at a 5k race and hit it off. It’s a short story. 🙂
Next up is Trailing Air, the long anticipated book 4 in my Preternatural series. This is Rover’s story and it will also close the over all arc that’s been going on in the first three books. It won’t be the last book in the series though. I plan on giving Jess/Pavel, Gianni/Roman and Ba’el/Raze their own stories. 🙂 (Hopefully a little quicker than I did Rover…lol) Trailing Air will be out March 15th at Amber Allure, so you’ll get two books in a row from me. (Oh also, Love’s Baggage and Trailing Air will be coming out together in a print book in April some time…so you can have all four Preternatural books in print.)
I love both of these covers. As soon as I get the cover for Shuffle of Angel’s Feet, I’ll share it with you. Shuffle will be out at the end of March from Amber Allure.
That’s all I have to share right now. I hope you all have a great weekend.
Better…but
I’m feeling better, but real life decided it needed to interrupt me for most of the day yesterday. So again, I’m sorry for not getting an installment up for you today. 🙁
I’m going to share some new covers with you tomorrow. And I promise to start again next Monday…lol.
Hope you have a great day.
Sick…
Sorry, everyone. I’ve been sick the last couple of days, so I haven’t been able to do much writing. I’m hoping I’ll feel better and be able to get the next installment of Anubis up by Thursday. 🙂
I hope you’re all doing well.
Anubis
Anubis copyright c. 2015 T.A. Chase
Part Four-
“Hey, asshole. I was eating that,” Amun complained but let Anubis take it. “And no, I didn’t throw a load in the washer. You were right. It was Kellan.”
“Then why did you act insulted when I thought it was him in the first place?” He shook his head. “Why do we always have chocolate? Why can’t we get some other flavor like Moose Tracks or Rocky Road?”
Amun lifted his eyebrows at Anubis’s rather bitchy tone. “I do believe there is a grocery list taped to the refrigerator that we can write on. If you want something other than chocolate, put it down and whoever goes shopping will get it for you. Gods, you’re in a mood tonight.”
Sighing, he took a spoonful of ice cream then shoved it back toward Amun. “I know and I’m sorry. It’s just going back to Petra is making me crazy.”
His brother nodded. “I get that, but you had to have known that at some point, you would go back there. The gods want us to face our past and learn from it. Anubis doesn’t want his warrior to hide his head in the sand. He needs you to be unhampered by the memories. As do all of our patrons.”
“Whatever. Our patrons got what they wanted when we were killed, and they were able to work their magic to give us the powers we have. I don’t think they really care—one way or the other—about us getting closure.” He turned to toss his spoon at the sink, grinning like an idiot when it sailed right in. “Where are you and the others going?”
“Isis hasn’t told us yet. I’m assuming he’ll wait until after you leave in the morning to spring it on us.” Anum stared in the ice cream as though it held the secrets to the universe. “I must admit I’m getting tired of all this. It never seems to end. There is always an emergency somewhere in the world that needs our help. Not just when artifacts appear that should remain hidden, but the things humans do to each other. It weighs my heart down.”
He leaned back in his chair and studied Amun. It was the first time he’d heard the man confess to being tired of their lives and the mission the gods set for them. They hadn’t taken Sekhmet seriously at first when he complained as well, then slowly disappeared from their company. Now the oldest of the Earth Warriors spent most of his time alone, wandering the world—or Anubis assumed he wandered. If he didn’t, no one, except maybe Isis, knew where he went
“Sekhmet was here,” he spoke aloud.
Amun looked up. “Really? I don’t think anyone saw him.”
“I don’t know if he actually came inside or not. He was in his lion form and tried to make me feel better about going back to Petra.”
“Did it work?”
He shook his head. “Not really. I appreciate that he tried. Means he cares about us, even if he can’t bring himself to spend any time with us.”
“Now come on, Anubis. You know some of us aren’t meant for this.” Amun waved his hand in a vague motion to encompass the kitchen, or more than likely, their entire world in general. “After a while, living forever takes a toll on your emotions and ability to even cope with all the shit that goes on day after day. Especially when it never seems to get better.”
::I think you need to talk to Amun. He’s not sounding rational.:: Anubis sent a quick thought to Isis, who had become their de-facto leader when Sekhmet disappeared on them. He was also their priest to hear their confessions and sometimes their psychologist when they needed to deal with trauma or loss.
::I’ll sit with him after you leave. Don’t worry about him. He’s just feeling his age.::
::Who listens to you when you need to vent about us? I know we drive you crazy at times.:: He couldn’t help wondering. Who supported Isis when he needed it? It wasn’t like he talked to any of the rest of them.
::Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.::
Rolling his eyes, Anubis didn’t respond, considering he thought Isis was full of shit. He turned his attention back to Amun. Of the seven Earth Warriors, he and Amun were the closest in age and personality, though he wasn’t as depressed about the world as Amun seemed to be. Anubis just didn’t like being around people except for the men he considered his brothers.
He accepted the fact he was slowly closing himself off from interaction with other people, and that his family was worried about him, but it didn’t change how he felt about things. It was easier not to trust because his death was an example of how people would betray you in a heartbeat if it suited them.
::It wasn’t like that, Anubis. You know that. The prince thought he could save his people by giving you to them. I’m sure it broke his heart as much as it did yours.::
::I’m not rehashing this with you, Sekhmet. Go bother Isis.::
“I should probably go pack and brush up on my UNESCO catch phrases to make the archaeologist believe I know what I’m talking about.” Anubis pushed to his feet. “Thanks for the ice cream. Try not to eat that whole carton though.”
Amun wiggled his spoon at him, but didn’t say anything as Anubis strolled out of the kitchen, making his way to his room upstairs. He packed his luggage then pulled up the information he needed on the World Heritage Sites, making sure he hadn’t missed any new regulations.
He typed in Petra and images of his old home appeared. Anubis took a deep breath. It was going to be hard. Whoever said ‘You can’t go home again’ might have been right. But he really thought the saying should be, ‘Don’t go home again.’
“Nothing good is going to come from me returning there,” he muttered as he shut his laptop, then got ready for bed. He’d have to leave early in the morning to get to the closest airport.
Anubis
Anubis copyright c.2015 T.A. Chase
Part Three-
A scent caught his nose and he sneezed as Sekhmet came closer. His jackal worried the lion would take it, but Anubis knew Sekhmet wasn’t interested in the rabbit, so he continued eating.
::We’ve all run away from the memories we don’t wish to relive. The Gods must have decided it’s time for you to face yours.::
He snorted again. ::As much as I would love to say I’m too busy to go and have you send someone else in my place, I know better. You and Isis would badger me until I gave in. I’d rather avoid all that hassle.::
Sekhmet chuffed softly from where he sat, just beyond the edge of the moonlight. ::We badger you because we care. The people who hurt you are gone from this world, Anubis, and you are not. You have to get beyond the betrayal.::
After licking his fur clean, he snarled as he stood. ::Get beyond it? The man I loved and the people I considered my family turned me over to our enemies. They allowed me to be killed because they thought it would keep them safe.::
He wanted to run away, but knew Sekhmet would follow him. For some reason, the oldest of the Earth Warriors had a point to make that night and he wouldn’t leave Anubis alone until he drove it home.
::Humans are fine tuned to survive and will do what they must to save the lives of the majority.::
Shifting to his human form, Anubis paced around the bushes he’d eaten by. While they’d seemed like trees to his jackal, he could see they weren’t that big. He was glad they didn’t have any neighbors for miles around since he was sure they’d have issue with a naked man wandering around at night. Then again, they might just brush it off. The Scots seemed like a rather blasé group of people for the most part. They’d probably assumed he’d had too much to drink.
::So it’s okay to kill one to save thousands?::
::It’s an explanation, Anubis. I didn’t say it was right—or wrong for that matter. It’s simply something that happens.::
He could hear the shrug in his friend’s words. Whirling around, he searched for Sekhmet in the shadows, but for being such a large animal, he blended into the darkness quite perfectly. ::Maybe I wouldn’t be so bitter, if they had asked me for my sacrifice—or if any of them had survived after I died. The others broke their oath and killed them anyway.::
And maybe that was the problem he had with the whole thing. If they had asked him to make the decision for himself, he would’ve been more than willing to give himself over to their enemies. But they hadn’t. His lover had gone behind his back and offered him as the scapegoat—or sacrificial lamb—whichever way he wanted to think of it.
He closed his eyes as he began to remember that night, then he jerked himself out of those memories. He refused to relive them while he was awake. Anubis had no control of returning there while asleep.
::Your bravery in the face of such betrayal by love and family is why Anubis chose you as his representative in our group. That and your ability to fight like a demon when you have to.::
::I’m good at ushering souls to the afterlife.:: He admitted, which had made him one of the prince’s best warriors and was why their enemies wanted him to die.
Sekhmet’s chuff was a laugh and Anubis was happy to know that he’d made the man laugh. He didn’t know the last time he’d heard that. He wished Sekhmet would come back to them, but he spent more time alone now then he did with the brothers.
::It’s not your place to worry about me. Now go run. You’ll be leaving for Jordan tomorrow. Try not to allow your unhappiness cloud your judgment when you get there. I have the feeling those artifacts and the archaeologist aren’t what we’re led to believe.::
::Do you think the archaeologist is someone I should be worried about?::
Again he could almost see Sekhmet shrug. ::I’m not sure. My instinct is telling me we must be careful with how we approach this. Danger hangs like a cloud over everything that has to do with this mission.::
Anubis and his brothers had learned not to discount Sekhmet’s premonitions. He would do as Sekhmet said and kept his eyes open to make sure he didn’t miss something. While they had gotten rid of Sterling after the billionaire had tried to torture Kellan for information on the Earth Warriors, there were still a lot of other cults and people who wanted their powers. No matter what the items were, he had to bring them back to Scotland and their vault where they’d been hidden from the world.
::There are things the world should never know, and immortality is one of them.:: Sekhmet agreed. ::Now go.::
Shifting again, Anubis dashed away from the spot, running up and down the hills and splashing through streams. His jackal loved the freedom of the air blowing through his fur. He loved being able to hear the night sounds so clearly and smell all the scents drifting on the breeze.
It was just after midnight when he returned to the castle and shifted before walking inside. There was a pair of sweats, thick socks and a long sleeve shirt where his clothes had been. So one of the guys must have decided to do some laundry and was nice enough to grab his stuff too. It must have been Kellan.
“What makes you think it was Kellan,” Amun asked as Anubis walked into the kitchen to find his brother sitting at the table.
“It seemed like something he’d do. Why? Did you put a load in the washer?” He dug out a spoon and joined Amun, pulling the carton of ice cream Amun’d been eating away from him.
New Memories…
I know today is supposed to be about my older books, but I had a new one come out over the weekend, and I’d like to share it with you. Deserves to be Adored is available now at Amber Allure. It has witches in it. 🙂 It’s on sale now, along with the other four books in the Something’s Coming PAX. Here’s the link for it.
I’m also doing a blog tour for Borderline, so if you’d like to know where I’ll be at for the next four days, check out this list. 🙂 The first stop is Nautical Star Books. Click here to go and visit. There is a giveaway as well. Yay!
I hope you get a chance to catch me at one of these places. 🙂 Stay warm and safe today.
Borderline available now…
Borderline is now available at all 3rd party sellers. Yay! It’s a re-release, so there’s no new content, but an awesome new cover. Snap Decision and Cold Truth, the other two books in the trilogy, will be brand new. Snap is done and all set with the publisher. It’ll be out in April. I’m working on Cold Truth now and it’ll be out in June. 🙂
Also, Deserves to be Adored will be available at Amber Allure on Sunday. I’ll put up the links on Monday, but you can put a reminder on your computer or phone…lol. 🙂
I hope you enjoy both of them. 🙂
Have a great weekend.
