Ebony
I sighed as I shut off the Animus. I had a pretty bad headache. I hadn't realized that using the Animus was so exhausting until I had to do it to earn a living. I rubbed my temples and then the obnoxious beeping started. I whirled around and tapped the blinking green symbol on my screen.
"Hello?" I asked.
"Bennie, I need your body." I blinked and withdrew the phone from my ear. I took a few seconds the process what had just been said in a gorgeous English accent and then put the phone back to my ear.
"Excuse me?" I asked.
"Look, I know it's not really my place to ask considering we just met, but I really need your help."
"Tucker, right?" I asked.
"Well, of course. Last I checked I was the only guy with an accent in this office," he said, "I'm a bit hurt you didn't recognize my voice, Love."
"How do you expect me to recognize your voice? I'm not that observant," I said, tapping at my keyboard. Man, I had a lot of work to do.
"I figured you would because you fell in love with me at first sight," he said with a small laugh.
"Uh huh. Right. You keep telling yourself that…so, what do you need?" I asked.
"I knew you would ask! I'm totally wrapped up here…I've got a ton of work to do. Would you be a dear and tell Anise I'm in desperate need of that tech check-up?"
"And you can't just send her an email because…"
"Well, why do you think I need a tech check-up?" he asked. I nodded.
"Right, duh. I was just about to go hunting for aspirin anyway, so I'll stop by Anise on the way."
"Aspirin?" he asked.
"Yeah. I've just got a headache is all."
"Mm. That'll go away after a while."
"Huh?"
"You'll only get headaches for the first few days. It's a side effect of the Animus. After that, you'll be alright," he said. His voice got softer, "You'll be fine."
I smiled, a bit happy that he cared…at least a little, "Thanks for the tip. I've got to go. I'll talk to you later."
"Bye, Bennie." The nickname was really starting to stick. I spun around on my chair and hauled myself to my feet. I stretched my arms above my head and headed for the elevator. I watched as the floor number continually ticked down. When the doors finally slid open, I stepped out and almost ran directly into someone.
"Oh, sorry," I said instantly, backing up. I clutched my tablet to my side and smiled. The guy who I'd just nearly slammed into had thick glasses and a hat that covered most of his forehead on. Curly brown hair peeked out beneath his black hat. He shook his head at me a slid past. The elevator door shut and he was long gone without a word.
"Nice meeting you, too," I mumbled and I went on my way. Anise's office wasn't far, so I was there within a couple minutes.
I knocked on the door as I stepped inside. "Anise, got a minute?" I asked. She looked up, her short red hair falling over her forehead. She pointed to the phone and held up a finger, mouthing the words 'one sec' to me. I nodded and sat down on one of her armchairs. I glanced around the office awkwardly.
"Yeah, yeah, I know, Marty. I know that! But-" She sounded annoyed. There was a pause. "There isn't much I can do…" she said, rubbing her forehead angrily. I stared at the picture of her and her fiancé on her desk. She looked happy, a stark contrast to how she looked now.
"Well, she's right here, so I'll talk to her now," Anise said, glancing up at me. I raised an eyebrow. Anise nodded, "Alright, I'll get back to you." Anise set her phone down.
"Talk to me about what?" I asked curiously.
"You're getting great stuff…" Anise said, picking up her pen and twisted it around between her fingers. She hesitated.
"And?"
"And…you need to work faster," Anise said. She set her pen down. I leaned forward.
"Work faster?" She nodded. "I'm already practically frying my brains trying to get what I've gotten, and you want me to work faster?" I asked.
Anise nodded, "I know, I know. I resisted it as much as I could, but his word is absolute. Apparently he wants to stress your whole Egypt angle more. He's intrigued…which is a good thing. Before you know it, you'll be a big shot here. You wouldn't normally have this much on your shoulders, but I guess your case is special…"
I sighed, "Alright…I'll work harder. I just hope my head doesn't explode."
Anise smiled, "Thanks. You've really saved me on this one. Thank god you didn't turn out to be like Altman."
I blinked blankly, confused. "Oh, I thought you'd met him. Tucker Altman. He's infamous for his underachieving work ethic. It really takes years off of my life span."
My eyebrows shot up, "Oh, yeah I met him. But…Tucker? He's a bad employee?"
Anise shook her head, "The opposite, actually. Unfortunately for me, he's a genius. I can't fire him…that's how good he is. He's pretty much the hot-shot around here. He's just irresponsible."
I nodded, "I'm surprised to hear that."
Anise sighed, "Not to mention that he's gorgeous."
I frowned, "And he knows it."
"But that can be a good thing."
I shook my head, "Anyway, speaking of Tucker…he said that he needs a tech check-up ASAP. He's got a lot of work to do, so he sent me."
"Lazy as ever? Well, at least he's doing work. Work that he shouldn't have left for three days before his deadline, but work nonetheless. I'll send Russell up, then. Anything else?"
"Nope…I'm just off to get something for my headache…then it's back to work for me," I said, standing up and heading for the door, "Thanks, Anise."
"Hey, I'm on your side!" she called after me as I left her office.
"I know!" I called back.
Tahira
My senses returned to me one by one. I tasted iron, but my mind was so groggy that it took me a few moments to realize that it was blood that I tasted. I smelled something intoxicating, and felt my stomach growl. How long had I been unconscious? I was already this hungry, so it must have been a few days. I heard footsteps. They sounded close, and I could tell by the acoustics that the room was small, but relatively empty. Tor had trained me well.
I slowly eased my eyes open. My vision was alarmingly blurry at first, but I managed to focus it. Only a couple candles on a small table lit the room. The source of the intoxicating smell was the food, (meat), which sat on the table next to the candles. I could make out the silhouette of a man who stood a ways away from the table, his back to me. Once the initial numbness passed, the splitting pain I'd been anticipating hit me.
I hissed and tried to sit farther upright, but my hands were tied behind my back. The man turned around when he heard me. He walked closer to me, into the candlelight. "Queen Nefertiti," he said. His voice sounded kind.
As he got closer, I could make out more of his features. He didn't wear the hood that adorned his clothes, so I was able to see his face. He had warm brown eyes and surprisingly light skin for someone who lived in Egypt. He was young, no older than sixteen. He wore the same garb that my assailants had, which confirmed my suspicions: the very same people who'd boarded my transport ship had captured me. The man who I'd cut must have knocked me out. That was why my head hurt.
"Who are you?" I growled, channeling enough malice as possible into my words. At least I didn't have a gag on.
"Easy now. I'm going to get that blood off of your face," he said. He stepped towards me and I stiffened. He raised his hands, "Calm down, I won't hurt you." He smiled. I found it strange that my enemy was being so kind to me in what was clearly a hostile situation. I found it suspicious to say the least.
I glared at him as he slowly leaned forward and reached for something on the ground. I looked down to see a bucket of water with a rag in it. I watched silently as he wrung the wet rag off. He gently tilted my head up with his forefinger and brought the rag down on my temple. I flinched at its coldness.
He smiled, "Sorry, I can't help how cold the water is, but if I don't clean your wound, it'll get infected."
I nodded slowly, "You didn't answer my question."
"My name...Osaze," he said, "But that's all I can tell you."
"How long was I unconscious?" I asked.
He wet the cloth again, "Only a day, but we were starting to get worried."
"Worried?" I asked, surprised that he—they—would care about me.
"We didn't get any information from you. If you're going to die, Azim prefers that you do it after he learns what he wants know," Osaze said.
I don't know why I kept letting these people in. I kept experiencing brief moments when I thought more of them than I should have. I vowed to keep that from happening again. I forced my face to remain neutral.
Osaze smiled and dropped the rag in the bucket. He took a step back and grinned, "You're much prettier without blood all over your face."
Just then, the door in the corner of the room slammed open, "Osaze! What have you told her?!" The voice was familiar. I watched intently to see if I would get the chance to see the face that matched the voice.
A man walked in, followed by another. "What have you told her?" the man repeated, looking at Osaze. He had short black hair and a strong, slim build. His stance revealed the power he held, both over the others in the room and in his own, muscled body. I watched him sharply, making note of his every move.
"I didn't tell her anything, Azim," Osaze replied quickly, "You told me not to."
"You are young," Azim answered, "You make mistakes." Osaze nodded. Azim turned his attention to me. I'd been staring at him the entire time, not even bothering to make note of the man behind him. That went against my training. Tor had taught me to know my enemies by heart before I fight them; he taught me to analyze them in a matter of seconds and apply my knowledge to my battles. I could read Osaze, but Azim…
"Queen Nefertiti," Azim said, stepping closer. He leaned forward, bringing his face close to mine.
"You," I growled. I recognized his eyes. They were the same black, abyssal eyes that belonged to my attacker. I maintained eye contact, unafraid.
"Me," he said, running his fingers along my face. He sighed and straightened, "You remember me, then?"
"Is that your less-than-subtle way of asking me whether you caused me amnesia?"
"I wasn't trying to be subtle," he said with a grin. His smile stirred something in me. It's hard to place what it was…but I couldn't help but notice the exact shape of his lips when he smiled. I shifted uncomfortably. "It's a shame I had to ruin your pretty little face," he said.
"Like you care," I spat.
"Azim, she needs food," Osaze said hesitantly. I fought the feeling in my stomach. I really was starving, and didn't want to show my weakness. I had never gone very long without food, growing up in a relatively rich family.
"Food can wait," he said, holding up his hand, "She'll be more willing to talk if she's weak."
"It will take more than a little hunger to weaken me," I said, closing my eyes.
"I'm sure," he said, circling me. I listened to his footsteps. He took a few steps back and leaned against the table. "So tell me, Nefertiti, what's your intent behind this Aten cult?"
I chuckled and opened my eyes, "You think I'll tell you?"
"Yes," he replied honestly.
I shook my head, "You kill my men, my advisor, knock me out and kidnap me, and expect me to spill all of my deepest secrets?" I really hadn't the slightest idea what the 'Aten cult' was, but he thought I did. I might as well have a little fun with him. This man seemed like he could use some condescension. No one can survive life and escape any opposition.
"Everyone gives in once and a while," he said.
I sighed, "Are you their leader?"
"You could say that," he said, leaning back. He looked down and picked up one of the pieces of meat from what should have been my plate. He took a bite of it, maintaining eye contact with me the entire time. I looked away, flexing my abs to suppress the growl that I felt coming.
"I'll give you this if you tell me what I want to know," he said. I looked back at him.
"Just give it to me now," I said.
"Not as strong as you thought? Tell me what I want to know."
"I can't," I said, keeping eye contact. I felt myself being drawn in by his eyes again.
"Then you can't have any of this," he said.
I hated my stomach. It ended my game. "You don't understand. I can't tell you what you want to know…because I don't know anything either."
"What are you talking about?" he asked, "Of course you know. You started…" His voice drifted off and I could see realization creep into his dark eyes.
I sighed, "My name is Tahira, not Nefertiti. I don't know what you want with her, but you chose the wrong time to try and kidnap her." There was a brief silence. "I guess she outsmarted you."
"You're not Nefertiti!?" Azim bellowed. He lunged forward and backhanded me. I cried out and tasted blood…again.
"No! You failed!" I screamed back. "Some leader you are!"
"Shut up, girl!" he yelled. His eyes pierced me and, for the first time, they scared me. I shivered under his glare and shrunk back. Perhaps I'd gone too far. I regretted my words in that moment, as he stared at me with hate-filled eyes.
Azim breathed heavily and turned away from me, "Kill her. We have no use for her if she has no information." He took a step towards the door.
"Wait, Azim! Do we really have to kill her? Why can't we just let her go, she hasn't done anyth-"
"Silence, Osaze. She knows what information we seek. If we let her go, she will return to Nefertiti and warn her. Kill her and be done with it," he said sternly, in control of his emotions again.
Osaze sighed and took a step towards me. I readied myself. There was no way I was going to die without a fight. When Osaze was about a foot from me, my legs shot forward, kicked his hands aside, and wrapped tightly around his neck. He apparently hadn't expected me to attack him. I could tell that he'd been trained, but he hadn't anticipated my quick motion. I pulled him close to me and squeezed his neck tightly between my thighs.
"Azim!" Osaze choked out, grabbing my legs and attempting to pry them off. I refused to feel guilty; he'd helped me, but he was still one of them. The other man, the one who had silently been standing in the corner with his black hood on, immediately moved forward, looking for an opening. I kept Osaze in front of me, angling his body with my legs so that the stranger couldn't get close.
"I will snap this boy's neck!" I screamed. Azim froze and slowly turned to look at me.
"You are not a killer," he said, but I could detect a small doubt in his voice and in those eyes. If I wanted to, I could have easily killed Osaze. I'd been trained, and my legs were strong enough to twist and crack his neck.
"Are you sure? Choose wisely what your next move is. It could cost you," I said. I squeezed tighter and Osaze's grip on my legs loosened. His face was probably turning purple now. My head was starting to hurt again, but I held on. My wrists stung and the chair was digging into my back, but I held on. The guilt that I'd denied myself was fighting to break free, but I held on.
"Let go of him!" Azim shouted.
"Let me live," I replied. I wasn't ready to die. I had to see Tor again, to tell him about this. I had to tell him that I used his training well. He probably thought I was dead…actually, in a few moments I might be.
"You're going to kill him," he said, his eyes flitting down to Osaze and then back up to mine, "Ask yourself if you can live with that."
A sharp pain stabbed my heart. I didn't really want to kill Osaze. He'd been kind to me. I fought a war within myself. I'd told myself not to let these people in. They were evil…why couldn't my heart understand that!? I stared into Azim's eyes. He was watching and waiting for my decision.
"Ta…hira." Osaze's choking voice broke me. I screamed in outrage and kicked Osaze forward.
"Damnit!" I raged. Osaze collapsed to the ground and coughed. The stranger who didn't show his face rushed forward and put a hand on Osaze's shoulder. Osaze nodded and coughed some more. Color returned to Osaze's face and I frowned. I let my one chance of getting out of here alive go…because he cleaned some blood off of my face. I wish he'd been more evil. I might've survived if he'd been cruel.
The man whose face was still hidden stood and lunged at me. I flinched away, confused, but Azim grabbed him, pulling him back. "Nadir, stop," he ordered, "She let him live!"
Nadir didn't say anything, but he relaxed and eased away. Nadir knelt beside Osaze again and helped him to his feet. Osaze looked at me and…he smiled. I looked away, a little ashamed. I shouldn't have been ashamed, though. He was evil, wasn't he? I guess I just couldn't see him that way because he had been so kind. I don't have a problem with killing, but something within me had forced me not to kill him.
"Get him out of here," Azim said. Nadir obeyed and immediately led Osaze out. He shut the door behind them. I stared up at Azim.
"You're going to kill me?" I asked, "I don't blame you. It seems everyone wants me dead these days."
"Hm?"
"You have no shortage of allies, do you, Azim?" I asked, "I only have one." I smiled, suddenly struck by the full extent of how miserable I was. I licked my bleeding lip.
"Nefertiti?" Azim asked.
I scoffed, "Who do you think sent me on this suicide mission?" I shook my head, "No, not her. My teacher."
Azim took a few steps toward me and knelt before me, "There's a spark in you." I didn't move, just stared at him. He looked up at me, but I couldn't read his eyes.
"Sometimes I doubt that," I said, "So…go ahead."
"Do you want to die?" Azim asked.
"What kind of question is that?" I asked.
"Do you?" he asked. He leaned closer to me. I stared at him silently. Something collapsed in me. To my surprise, I felt a hot tear slide down my cheek. I moved to hide it from him, but he forced me to look at him, placing his hand on my cheek. He wiped my tear away. "Tahira," he said quietly.
I stopped breathing for a moment and then shook my head. My voice broke, "I thought I told you. I fear death."
I closed my eyes. "I've decided to trust you. I apologize for my outburst, but contrary to your belief, we've suffered many casualties recently. I do have a shortage of allies. I know that's no excuse."
I opened my eyes to see his face right in front of mine. His endless eyes were even more striking this close. "You could be useful yet," he said, nodding, "So…"
"I'll live?" I asked.
He smiled and stood up, "You need to be trained further. I'll speak to you soon." He leaned close to me, so close that I could feel his warmth and inhale his scent. He smelled of spices. He cut my bindings and I sighed in relief. He pulled away and a rush of unexpected cold air greeted me. He turned and quickly approached the door. Right before he disappeared, I called out.
"Wait, Azim. Why are you…"
He froze and turned to look at me for one last moment. He stared and then he shut the door and vanished without another word.
