Visions of Fire and Ice (The Petiri) Read Free Page A

and not the coming change in their lives. For where his enemy stepped, havoc soon followed. And death. It was what Amunkha did best: destroy the living. Sometimes, he destroyed their bodies, and, sometimes, he destroyed their souls. Even worse, sometimes, he destroyed both.
    Ramose kept still, his eyes searching the faces passing by. Wasted motion gave away secrets, and, often, secrets were the only weapon at hand. Still, he faded into the crowd, unnoticed by any but the seasoned observer. No face resembled the man he expected.
    Around him, the tourists milled, chatting excitedly, pointing at the pyramids now lit with spotlights, their stone skins shining gold beneath the yellowed light. Men, women and children, excitement filling the air. He smirked. Only humans would think a laser light show on the pyramids was the height of their miserable technology. Child’s play . A simple manipulation of light used to draw images on the stone pyramid walls for people’s amusement.
    As he studied the crowd, Amunkha’s presence faded, the sensation draining from his body like a leaking tap. Silence rang along the shared connection Ramose so detested.
    If only the compulsion which drew him to the pyramids tonight would wash away so easily. The sense of danger abated, but the premonition of change continued.
    * * * *
    Tamara tapped her finger on the counter of the refreshment stand tucked away in the back corner of the foyer. People milled about the small, crowded ticket lobby, waiting for the laser show to begin. She grimaced. The problem with visiting tourist areas meant there were an awful lot of tourists. But since this was her first day in country, she had to start somewhere. The hotel clerk had insisted the light show would be the perfect introduction to Egypt’s tourism. Just how much of a cut of the proceeds he got for the recommendation, she didn’t know.
    The man beside her flashed a smile, revealing a mouthful of straight, white teeth, offset by perfectly coiffed brown hair. His clothes were pressed, not a wrinkle in sight. For a tourist, he looked well put together. Except for the smell. Instead of wearing cologne, his cologne wore him, and Tamara fought to keep from cringing at the overpowering scent.
    With a polite nod of her head, she turned back to the waiter at the counter.
    A passerby jostled her, knocking her off balance. She stumbled into perfect smile guy beside her.
    He grinned, catching her in his arms. “Well, beauty,” he drawled, “it’s not often a pretty girl falls for me within seconds of laying eyes on me.”
    Don’t touch me ! The words almost slipped from Tamara’s mouth. She bit her lip and jerked from his hold, straightened her shirt, and, with an impatient hand, shoved a wisp of brown hair from her face.
    “Thanks,” she said. She hated crowds, and she especially hated men’s hands touching her without her permission.
    The smell of his beer-laden breath blended with the overpowering cologne, and she fought to hide the shudder of disgust. Beer. Man. Never a good combination.
    The waiter plopped the three bottles of water she’d ordered in front of her, and she paid him.
    “Please, allow me.” Arms appeared on either side of her, trapping her against the counter. Mr. Perfect Teeth .
    Every muscle in her body tensed. A trickle of fear dripped into her stomach, but Tamara shoved it away. “Let me go,” she demanded through clenched teeth.
    He lowered his head, and his hot, beer-laden breath brushed against the side of her neck. “Now, don’t be that way, sugah. We’re in a far away land, where no one knows us. I’m alone. You’re alone. We could be alone together.” His hands slid to her waist, and he pulled her back hard against himself.
    Tamara gasped then shuddered in revulsion. It took a special kind of pervert to think he could get away with mauling a woman he didn’t know in a crowded room. A man who singled out the victims he thought were the most docile. The ones least likely