Traitor, Liar, Love.
Sheftu whatched Mara as she protested his claim that she had betrayed him- them, trying to convince him it was Sahure the juggler instead.
"I was certain you would place the blame elsewhere." He said coldly.
"Ast! Sheftu you're blind! You've ever been blind about that rogue, and look at you now- all the gold gone, the plans ruined-"
She was a very good actress, but then he had known that before, he should not have forgotten.
"Mara, there was no gold on the ship."
Her face went still for not even a second before a hint of relief shone through her mask, but no, she was acting again, trying to sell her earlier story. Out of the corner of his eye Sheftu saw Nekonkh shift closer to Mara, his eyes showing that he was starting to believe her.
"Stay away from her, Captain!"
At this Mara's breath hitched, confusion and a bit of fear on her face. How he wished it was not so, wished that he could believe her, kiss her as he had before. But she was a traitor, she had lied, betrayed him, he could not believe her again.
"Why should the captain stay away from me?" Mara inquired quietly.
"Because he has revealed an unfortunate weakness where you're concerned."
Sheftu could feel the tension in his shoulders as he took a step towards her. He wanted to ask her why she had done it, wanted to know if she had ever cared for him at all. No, he would not show weakness, he would not let her see the pain she had caused.
"This affair between you and me, little one, do you understand? Let me make it quite clear to you. There was no gold on the ship, nor was it our ship. The news was false. It was a trap, Mara. And you walked into it."
"Sheftu, I did not betray you. I swear by my ka."
"Ast! Be silent!" At her denial he could hold it in no more, he started ranting at her all he had learned, all the anger and hurt coming out in his voice. How could she do this to him? How could he have fallen for it?
He was brought back to himself as Mara turned to run and quickly grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her back and pulling her against him.
"Not this time, little one."
The feel of her body so close to his brought back the memories, in much to vivid detail, of the night they had kissed. The feel of her in his arms then, so different from now, and he could feel the knife he held above her shaking in his grip. He could smell the lotuses in her hair and could see her wide blue eyes as she shrank away from him.
"How have you kept him satisfied I wonder? This master of yours, whoever he is. What have you told him? How much have you told him?"
Mara did not answer as she continued to look at the knife, shrinking away from it in his arms.
"Sheftu, you can't do it-," She said, faltering as she did so. "- you can't-"
"Ah, can I not? Who will know - or care?"
His own words were like a knife to the heart. He would care, he would miss her every day of his life but he was doing this for Egypt and she was the enemy.
Suddenly Mara was pressed tightly against him, her arms around his neck and her lips on his. Whatever he had expected it was not this, he stood in shock as she kissed him then pulled away slightly to whisper in his ear.
"I love you."
A strangled curse left Sheftu's mouth as he pushed her brutally away from him, vaguely aware of Nekonkh catching her and turning away from him with her protectively in his arms.
Sheftu only stayed long enough to order Nekonkh to take her out of Egypt, as far as possible, in a voice he hardly recognized as his own before he ran off down the alley.
She couldn't mean it! She didn't . . . she didn't love him. She was a traitor, she just said it to save her own skin. He just had to keep remembering that.