The Song of the Bee-Eater (The Desert Queen Book 4) Read online

  To my surprise I saw one round face appear. He wore a mocking grin, but his voice was not as confident as he pretended to be. “What? You’re going to kill ten of us with one arrow? Come any closer and we’ll do more than hurl sticks at you, one-armed king. Go away, old man. Leave this work to the younger men. We have swords, and these rickety carts won’t stop us from finishing you off.”

  “What is your name?” Zubal shouted. He relaxed his grip for a moment and waited.

  “You don’t remember me? I am Hadja, the son of Garimer. He died in these mines, gave his life to them. Your bastard king sent him here. Now this place belongs to me—I paid for it with my father’s blood, as did all these men here with me.”

  I ignored his accusation. I did not use slaves in my mines. Free men who were freely paid worked here. If he supposed something else, I had no obligation to tell him differently. I had no sympathy for Hadja and his father.

  I signaled to Zubal to raise the bow and arrow once more and said, “You are so like your father, Hadja, but at least he accepted his punishment like a man although he was a coward through and through. Why do you think he came here? He abandoned his people when the Kiffians rode through Timia. He begged to earn back his honor, and thus he was given the chance to work in the mine. And he would still be working this day if he had not stolen from us. But enough talk. You are not worth even the cost of a few words.” Hadja railed at me, but I did not entertain him further. Zubal and I walked back a few steps, and then I gave the order.

  “Now, Zubal.” The young man released the arrow, and it shot fiercely from his white bow and landed in the keg we’d placed at the center of the mine. The men behind the carts began to laugh at and mock us. They didn’t appear to see the green liquid seep from the wooden casket, not until Zubal nocked the fiery arrow.

  Zubal shot the second arrow, and as expected it landed in the casket. We saw the flash of light and began to run to the mouth of the canyon opening. We had only a few seconds. Diving for cover, Zubal threw himself on top of me as the ground shook and the mine’s entrance collapsed in a pile of rubble, dust and sand. No sound issued from the rocky chamber, and there were no further pleas for mercy. There was nothing at all.

  My men gathered our supplies, and we somberly trekked back to the camp. None of us wanted to discuss what had happened. Our brothers had betrayed us, as Egypt had betrayed us, and we had destroyed our only remaining source of income. I wasn’t sure they realized the danger of what we’d done. We would have to abandon the White City. Egypt would come for us. There was no doubting that. Still, for the moment at least, we had victory. I slapped Zubal’s shoulder and nodded respectfully at him. “Hironus himself never shot a truer arrow. Thank you, my friend.”

  “I am grateful for the accuracy, but it is an evil thing to kill another brother. There are so few of us now.”

  I understood that feeling and respected him for it. “Well, at least there is one fewer coward. You were not wrong to have killed him. Alora deserves vengeance.”

  He nodded and made the sign of respect. There were only twenty-four in our party; thankfully it had been enough to do the job. Now it was done. Zerzura was two days’ ride to the north, but we’d stay one night at Farya, the small oasis just north of the mine. We crested a dune and immediately my heart sagged into my stomach. Our camp burned—the tents were gone, and there was nothing left but a few burned poles and dead cattle. With a shout of anger I spurred the camel on, with my men assembled behind me. Leela and a few other women had traveled with us, and now they were gone, taken by an unknown enemy. I screamed, and the other men wailed as they too saw the camp’s destruction. Zubal and I immediately began looking for tracks. We didn’t have to search far; the raiders hadn’t bothered to hide them. Whoever had taken our women were headed north to Zerzura.

  “Why would they leave the cattle behind? This is not a raiding party.” Zubal spat on the ground and stood eyeballing the vast stretch of sand that lay between us and home.

  “No, it is not,” I agreed glumly. “This is an act of war. We must ride! They can’t be too far ahead of us; there are still flames from the fire.”

  My back ached, and a recent sore on my arm had flared. I could feel it bleeding but said nothing. My wife was at the mercy of bandits, likely Meshwesh bandits who betrayed us on Egypt’s behalf. I had no doubt the “Heretic King,” as he was called, was behind this. A strange wind blew across the sand, and we covered our faces with our head scarves for protection.

  We rode hard for a few hours, following the tracks easily until we saw the first body. A blond woman, the foreign wife of Zubal’s son, lay nude and bloody in the sand. The sight sickened me but Thiel, Zubal’s son, behaved honorably. He and his father wrapped the girl in Thiel’s cloak and rolled her lifeless body down the dune, forever out of sight from the eyes of men. Thiel didn’t hide his tears but wept silently. Zubal patted his shoulder, assuring him that she would have vengeance, and we returned to the trail. Not long after the first bloody find, we came across two more bodies, a man we did not know and Kay, a Meshwesh wife. We assumed that the man was one of the bandits and killed by Kay, judging by her heartbreaking wounds. Kay was wife to Amadaxes and a dear friend of my own wife.

  “They think to slow us down with this murderous parade,” Zubal replied quietly.

  “And they have succeeded, but I will not deny these men the opportunity to bury their wives. Look at this man. See?” I pointed to his wrist tattoo. “I thought him to be a tribesman, but this proves he is no tribal thief. That is Egyptian script.”

  “Whether freeman or slave, he is no doubt Egyptian. And look there!”

  Smoke billowed in the distance, and we raced back to our animals, eager to make for the scene. With each dune we crested I pressed my dry lips together and prayed that I would not find Leela lying dead in the sand. Then we saw the camp sprawled before us. “Stop! Back and down!” I said to the men behind me. Sliding off the brute camel, I scrambled to the top of the dune on my belly. It had grown dark now; only a few stars had appeared above us. The raiders didn’t seem to notice or mind that we’d followed them. They were acting as if they had nothing to worry about. They were either brave or stupid—or this was a trap. I suspected the latter.

  “What now?” Thiel said angrily. “I am eager for blood, my king. We should take them while it is dark.”

  “No. They will expect that.”

  “But what they’ve done! We may not have another chance!” Thiel did not approve of my answer, but he was smart enough not to reproach me.

  “Thiel, can I trust you?”

  “Always, my king. Always.”

  “Take one other man and ride to Zerzura. Tell Orba what has happened and bring back men. At dawn we will ride down and take back what is ours, and you will have your blood cost. I promise you.”

  “But what they will endure tonight!” Thiel burst into angry tears. I did not chide him.

  I gripped his shoulder. “My own wife is there, Thiel. I know you worry for your mother, but we do not have the men to save our women. We must keep watch tonight. It is the only way.”

  “It will be done,” Zubal said for his son. Thiel’s face was a contortion of agony, but he offered no further objections. He walked backwards and made the sign of respect. I signed back and told Zubal, “It will be a long night. No fires, and tell the men to spread out. We must keep watch until our brothers join us.”

  “It will be done, Semkah.” My friend paused and pointed at my tunic. “But do tend to your wound or you’ll bleed to death before the sun rises. Your wife will kill me if you die.” I grinned at him, thinking of Leela’s anger rising upon the brave Zubal. My wife was a fiery woman, not like Kadeema, who’d been all dreams and love and softness. When Kadeema disappeared, I thought she had taken all my love with her. But Leela brought love back to me, and her love was far greater than I deserved.

  Now I had to show her how much I loved her. I lay with my back to the sand, staring up at the sky. I recounted
the many times we’d lain together. The tender moments when she’d bathed me and cared for me after the loss of my arm. But she’d shown her love in greater ways than that. She cared for Pah in her madness and helped me lead my people into a time of peace, although it was short-lived.

  Suddenly, a shrill scream ripped through the night. I could not tell who it was I heard, but I feared the worst.

  Stay strong, my wife! Stay strong for me! Endure until the morning!

  I refused to allow my mind to wander, to consider what might be done to her even this moment. No doubt her strength and beauty would draw the attention of some evil man. And when they learned who she was, how much more would she suffer? Agony washed over me. I leaned back even harder into the sand, my short sword resting on my chest, when I heard another sound. A dull thud burst above us. I opened my eyes and sat up anxiously as the sky filled with bright blue light. A star fell and then another. They didn’t stop falling.

  “Look!” Zubal said, pointing below. The camp of men below us, at least seventy-five of them, had rushed out of their tents to watch the celestial display. Their confusion was obvious, and more than a dozen camels fled from the camp. “Perhaps the gods are on our side! We should go down, Semkah, and take them back now! This is a sign.” The others gathered around him. There were fewer than twenty men now. Thiel and a few other warriors had left us to do my bidding. Another star fell, this one with a thunderous sound.

  I couldn’t deny this was a sign from above. Even the simplest among us would know that. Another star passed overhead, and it fell toward Egypt in a burst of white light. My heart sank for my daughters. I could not help them now. They had been beyond my reach for a very long time, but I had one daughter left. Sumaway! She was my daughter and Leela’s, and she was at home in Zerzura. How could I face her if I let her mother die this night when I could have prevented it? This I had to do for her—and for me.

  “Live or die, let us go down. What do you have in mind, Zubal?” I grinned at him, ready to give my life for Leela and the other Meshwesh women. Even if it meant my life, I would see her face one more time.

  Chapter Four

  The Third Mekhma—Orba

  “Time to rise up, Orba. Come now. Don’t make it difficult for me; you know I am not as strong as you. Sit up and drink, please.” Blinking into the brightness, I tried to obey Sumaway’s request, but I felt feeble. My bones ached, and my muscles felt like taut skins pulled over a drum. With so much pain I had to die soon, surely. I welcomed such release. I did not know how much more pain I could bear without behaving like a lunatic. At first the pain came and went, but not anymore. The pain appeared one morning and never departed. It was like a fog that rolled in and tried to smother the life out of me. It had succeeded.

  “Very well, you may use the straw. But you must at least lift your head or you’ll choke.” She poked the straw into the drink and tapped the end of it, capturing the liquid. I opened my dry mouth and allowed her to drip the pain-killing potion in. She did this several times until I had enough of the liquid to affect me. The potion would not heal me, but I would not hurt as much. I felt the warmth of the juice filter through my body; the pain began to subside almost immediately, but in a limited way. The truth was if the disease did not kill me, the painkiller eventually would. Either way, death wasn’t far from me.

  “I know you want to lie there and die, but you can’t. My father needs you. He sent a messenger for you. The trouble at the mines has escalated, and my mother and the other women have been taken. Semkah needs you! Thiel is just outside the door, Orba. You have to see him.” Her pleading voice and her faith in me touched me, but my body had a difficult time obeying her command.

  After a few moments of struggle, Sumaway showed her natural impatience. “Are you even trying?”

  I did not care for her tone, but I was in no position to school her on manners. Sumaway was not a patient young woman, not like her mother. She reminded me of her sisters in so many ways, but in the area of patience she followed Pah’s path, always ready to move forward without question or worry about the destruction it might create. I wished she had known them. I loved the girl like she was my own, but I could not do as she asked. My body would not allow my obedience. I let out a sad sigh.

  “Now is the time for you to lead, Sumaway. You must guide the people in your father’s stead. At least until he returns. I cannot.” I could barely put the sentences together, but I knew she did not believe me. It was as if she believed I lay here on my sickbed because I wanted to, as if I wanted to die.

  “You must try,” she said as she fussed with my tunic and tried to force me up.

  I gasped in pain. It shot through my bones like fire. “Stop fighting me. You cause me even more pain. Send in the messenger, girl.”

  I was tempted to close my eyes as she left me. I was on the edge now. The line between life and death blurred quickly. Yes, I could close my eyes and drift away from this world, but I did not. I had to stay here a little longer for Sumaway.

  Thiel rushed in and bowed on his knee in the traditional manner of a messenger. “Old One, Semkah sends me to tell you what has happened.” In a rush the young man told the horrible story. The worst had happened. Egypt had all but seized the mine, and many of our brothers had betrayed us. To make matters worse, Leela and the women who had insisted on traveling with her were now at the mercy of those betrayers. Why had she gone with them? If anyone had bothered to ask me, I would have advised against it. I knew I must do something immediately, but my mind could not gather the proper thoughts. What should I say?

  Sumaway stood by my side and dabbed my forehead with a linen cloth. She waited for me to speak. Thiel rose from his knees and towered above me. Sumaway spoke in low tones, “Orba is not well, but I promise you that he hears you. Of course he will obey my father’s wishes. Semkah is king of the Meshwesh. Gather the men you need, Thiel, and rest yourself for a few minutes. We will leave within the hour.”

  “We? You cannot go with us, princess. Not with the Old One in such a state. It is too far a distance, and you are needed here.”

  I realized he spoke of me, but I had no strength to lie to them. I was waning quickly.

  “I will go with you. That is not a question—it is my wish. I will not leave my parents stranded in the desert. Is there anything else, Thiel?”

  “No, just the stars. They have been falling tonight. We’ve seen them fall upon the land of Egypt. This does not bode well for our people, I think.”

  Tears filled my eyes and slid down my wrinkled cheeks. Sumaway dabbed them away before Thiel saw them. “Go now, Thiel,” she said quietly. “I will talk to you more soon.”

  He left us alone, and I grabbed her hand. “When you leave tonight, you will not be coming back. You will go away from here, Sumaway.”

  She fell down beside me and lay across my chest. “What? How can you know this? This is the sickness talking.”

  One thing I loved about the princess was that she generally never questioned me. Except for tonight, when she was unsure of everything. She knew I could see in the water, and she believed me. Tonight there was no water, and I had not seen this, but I felt it. Yes, I felt it in my poisoned bones.

  “What about my father and mother? Will I find them?”

  “I do not know, but I know you must try. Now is the time for the third mekhma. It is your time.” Then the fire was upon me, the fire of prophecy. “Ah yes, you will meet a bull in the desert, Sumaway. You will meet a bull in the desert. Do not leave his side. Where he goes, you go. He will lead you to safety. Go now and do not look back.”

  “What about the people, Orba? I cannot leave them to Egypt’s hands. What do I do?”

  “They must go north, leave the White City. Tell them to go to the sea. But you, you must find the bull.”

  With a tender kiss on my forehead, she wiped my face once more. “How can I leave you, old friend?”

  I tried to laugh, but it came out of my body as a series of coughs. She patted my m
outh and tried not to appear shocked at the sight of the dark red blood. I could feel it in my throat and lungs. I was drowning. Drowning in blood. If the potion did not steal my life’s breath, the disease would take me soon. For that I was grateful.

  “Easily. I do not want you to see me die. I want to be alone. Go and make your preparations. Send the Council to me. I will tell them my wishes. Go now, Sumaway, last mekhma of the Meshwesh.” She squeezed me, and I gasped at the pain but suffered through it for her sake.

  She paused in the doorway, and I looked at her one last time. Sumaway was tall, taller than I remembered Nefret or Pah being. She had dark brown hair that sprouted curls around her face. When she was young she enjoyed parading around with no tunic; now she had a woman’s body, but she was always one to show modesty. She had soft brown eyes like her mother’s but a voice like her father’s. She had a natural authority and the grace of a seasoned shieldmaiden. She was not as skilled as her sisters with spear and arrow, but she could toss a dagger better than any man. She would be one to be reckoned with if anyone crossed her path. With one last nod and a wave of her hand, she made the sign of respect and vanished from my sight.

  I waited for someone else to come. As time passed I vaguely remembered that the Council was supposed to attend me, but they had not yet appeared. A burst of light filled the room, and from my vantage point I gathered I’d missed a star shower. Yes, this was a good night to die, with stars heralding my passing. As I struggled to breathe, I thought of Farrah. Why hadn’t she come to lead me away? Surely she knew I was close to the Otherworld now. Didn’t she care? Had she ever loved me?

  I was too tired now to care. I would take one more breath and then let my blood drown me. I wheezed in the darkness and heard the sound of a child’s laughter. The room began to brighten as the pain in my chest increased. I struggled to breathe and then forgot all about it when I heard the child laughing again. He was somewhere near. I turned my head to look and there he was. My child! Farrah’s child! The son who died so long ago that I could barely remember his name. Had we named him? He had been a fine child too. Strong with a lusty voice. He’d died one night not long after his entrance into this world, and his abrupt leaving had broken my heart. And now he was here to see his father.