The Defender of Time

Seventeen

PART TWO

In which she uncovers her past.

January 26 (Again.)

The sand was far from the most efficient terrain for running away from homicidal soldiers, but Alessia had to make do. The Pyramid of Giza loomed ever-closer, but she didn't rethink her route. She was surrounded.

When she arrived, she skidded to a stop and looked hurriedly around her. Soldiers were approaching in all directions. She was stuck. The pyramid was much too steep (not to mention dangerous) to climb up, and much too wide to go around. It would take her too long either way. She adjusted her backpack nervously and checked for escape routes one last time. There definitely weren't any. She turned around to face her oncoming enemies and prepared to throw her arms up in a surrender.

"Quickly!" Hissed a voice from behind her. Startled, Alessia whirled around to face the pyramid. Where a solid wall used to stand, there was now a door-sized hole directly in front of her. The voice was coming from inside the pyramid. "In here! Now!"

It didn't take long for Alessia to obey. She broke into a sprint and slid slightly across the sand. As soon as she was out of the desert, the door slammed behind her. "Keep quiet," said the voice. "We aren't supposed to be in here."

Alessia coughed in the cloud of stone dust that had come from the slamming door and leaned against the wall to catch her breath. "Are there lights in here?" She asked. "A torch, maybe? Oliver's afraid of the dark."

"Catch." The source of the voice lit a torch and tossed it to Alessia, who just barely caught it.

"Careful!" Breathed Alessia. "I'm a child!"

Another torch was quickly lit in the source's hand. The light from the flame revealed a tall woman wearing a long, silk dress that gathered into a ring at her collarbone and tied around her neck. She had curly black hair that hung past her shoulders and sharp eyes, which Alessia couldn't quite see. Although shadowed, she still felt their gaze. "You are not from here," she said. "I do not know you."

"Giza's just a stop on my river cruise." Alessia adjusted her grip on the torch and tipped it a bit, shining more light onto the woman. "But you obviously know something about me. You just saved my life. And queens don't usually save the lives of little girls who broke the law, Miss Cleopatra."

Taken aback, Cleopatra tilted her torch to match Alessia's. "How do you know who I am, girl?"

Alessia shrugged innocently. "Silk's expensive."

The queen thought for a moment before deciding there was no need to remain stationary. She turned on her heel and began a trek down a stone path, and Alessia scurried after her. "Who are you?" Cleopatra asked. "What brings you here?"

"Alessia. I'm here on a birthday adventure."

Cleopatra hummed in understanding. "Whose might it be?"

"Mine." Alessia took a few long strides to bring her to the queen's side, and she looked up at her. "I turned double digits yesterday."

"Are you travelling alone?" The path took a sharp turn and narrowed, pushing Alessia back again.

Alessia sighed. "At the moment, yes. But I wasn't before. I came here with my parents but then there was an... issue."

"An issue, you say?"

"Yes." Alessia walked in silence for a moment before realising Cleopatra wanted elaboration. "I... accidentally broke into someone's house because I was thirsty."

"And the guards were pursuing you?" Cleopatra turned around to furrow her eyebrows. "Whose house?"

Nervously, Alessia pulled at her hair. "Yours," she said quietly.