Horu's Chosen

By Janet Lane Walters

Seth, an undercover cop has been betrayed by his handler. To escape he calls a number on a flyer and is transported to an ancient Egypt he doesn’t understand. He must rescue the Daughter from the evil priests of Aken Re.

Merin is the Daughter. She must find the man who by wedding her will become Pharaoh. She plots to escape the priests of Aken Re and flee to those who years ago saved her life.

Can Seth and Merin find a way to defeat the priests? Is love the answer to their problems? Can they join with the Warrior of Bast and of Horu to bring unity to the Two Lands?

RT Review
Following on the heels of The Warrior of Bast, this story is filled with magic and fascinating characters. Those interested in ancient Egypt will find this an enthralling tale. A satisfying ending is presented for the hero and heroine, with a promising lead-in to the next story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BWL Publishing Inc.
• Release date: Jul 21, 2015
• ISBN: 9781771452267

Janet Lane Walters

Janet Lane Walters has been writing and published since the days of the typewriter. She has 30 plus novels and seven novellas plus four non-fiction books published. Janet lives in the scenic Hudson River valley with her husband, a psychiatrist who has no desire to cure her obsession with writing.She is the mother of four and the grandmother of five with two children expected to arrive soon from China. Janet writes in a number of genres - Romance from sweet to sensual and from contemporary to fantasy and paranormal. She has published cozy mysteries and medical suspense. She also has a number of YA fantasies published.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Seth slumped in the subway seat and shielded his face with a newspaper. Of all the luck. He was on his way to a meet with his handler and he didn’t want to be recognized. With care he moved the tabloid to study Tira. Panic showed in her expression. Perspiration dotted her forehead. Her tee shirt bore dirty smudges. She snatched a piece of paper from the seat beside her and seemed to study the words. As the car slid into the third stop she jumped to her feet and followed the crowd.

Another bit of bad luck. His stop, too. Just before the doors started to close he jumped out and headed up the stairs. When he reached the surface he searched and saw her running across the street. She entered the coffee shop. Strike three. That was the site of his meet.

Damn. Not a good idea to go inside. He would be late but late was better than made. Not that he didn’t trust Tira, but Ramos wanted her and the drug dealer had ways of making people talk. Tira’s sister had been a user and seller. Luci had angered Ramos by not paying what she owed and stealing drugs.

Seth slipped into a dark doorway and waited. Five minutes. Ten. At the fifteen minute mark Tira exited and stopped to use her phone. Moments later she dropped something on the sidewalk and hurried away.

Seth dashed forward and picked up the paper and read.

Life got you down? Have unsolved problems?

Looking for an escape? The answer is in your stars.

A counselor is available night and day.

Dial 1- 800- 555- ASTR

He read the paragraph again. Truth or scam? Had this piece of paper lured Tira into danger? Should he follow her? He frowned and peered down the street. She had vanished. When he’d warned her not to go home, he’d done more than he should have. But he liked her and knew she’d done nothing wrong. Her sister’s murder had put Tira in danger. The cops would have questioned and released her. Then Ramon would have stepped in. Seth hoped she had a safe place to hide. Holding this thought close he tucked the flyer in his pocket and entered the coffee shop.

As he slipped into the rear booth his handler glared. "You’re late.

Better late than identified.

Bob Tolena rubbed his hand over his receding hairline. What?

The girl who just left the shop was Luci Gray’s sister.

And you let her get away?

Seth shrugged. He grabbed the cup of coffee and drained the bitter brew hoping a caffeine jolt would unclog his head. If he didn’t get some rest soon he would make a fatal mistake.

The waitress arrived and refilled his cup. She slammed a plate with a burger and fries in front of Seth. He glanced at the older man. Yours?

Not. Eat. You look like hell.

As soon as the waitress left, Seth looked up. That lead to Ramos is dead. What now?

If you see that young woman, have her picked up.

Why? She’s innocent.

Don’t you think someone official should make that call? No matter. We’ll keep an eye on her. The older man slid a piece of paper across the table. There’s some new info surfacing. You still have an in at that church-run community center?

Sure. Seth picked up the burger and took a bite. How much longer could he continue undercover? For two years he had slunk through the alleys passing information to his handler. Three drug busts based on what he’d learned had gone down. But the bosses wanted more and more. Ramos would be the biggest.

Seth’s hands shook. Would he ever see the end? He felt older than his twenty-five years. I want out.

Not yet. You’re young. Hang in there for another year or two. About the center, Ramos is sniffing around.

The burger dropped to the plate. A year was too long. So was a month. He hadn’t gone to the academy or joined the force for this secretive life.

Bob clamped a hand on Seth’s wrist. You’re good at this. Pete would be proud of what you’ve accomplished.

Seth rose. He felt sick. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.

By bus and on foot he made his way to one of his hidey holes. He stretched on the bed and slept.

* * *

The rising sun woke him. He pulled off the beard, showered and dressed. Tight jeans, muscle shirt, hair minus the gray streaks and tied at his nape completed his transformation from drunk to punk. He pulled on biker boots and checked the pocket for the slim stiletto. After surveying the street he sauntered to the subway.

Thoughts of the flyer he’d transferred from his other clothes arose. If only those words were true. He retrieved the paper and read the message again.

Why not? How well they fit his current mood. He entered the number in his phone. Not yet, he decided. If a need arose he would take a chance and speed dial.

He swung off the car, drew a deep breath and slid into the right persona. After coffee and a doughnut at a bodega he entered the center. A martial arts session filled the gym with shouts and thuds.

Will you spar with me?

Seth turned and grinned at the teenage girl. Her dark hair and eyes plus her olive complexion showed her Middle Eastern heritage. Maybe later, Amara. Any idea where Father Joe might be?

She shrugged. Didn’t see him this morning. Her eyes held a glint of wariness.

Seth sat on a bench and pulled off his boots. Then we’ll spar.

After a short session when he showed her how to kick and flip using the wall to propel himself behind her, he patted her shoulder. You’re coming along. Let’s find the kitchen for some juice.

They walked down the hall pass the offices. Voices sounded behind them. His skin prickled warning him of danger. He pulled Amara into a side corridor.

Moments later he knew he’s been right to hide. One of Ramos’ boys followed the priest into his office.

Amara clutched Seth’s arm. Don’t like him. Don’t let him see me.

Makes two of us. Just be careful. Seth slipped into the hall. How could he learn what was going on?

* * *

For a week plus two days Seth became a regular at the center. As well as martial arts he shot hoops with the younger boys and did his share of kitchen duty. He listened and watched. He found a spot in the alley that allowed him to look and listen to Father Joe’s meetings. Slowly he put the facts together. A few more days and he’d call his handler.

As he crouched at his listening post, Amara waved frantically. He went to her and saw the fear in her eyes. What’s wrong?

Ramos is here.

You sure?

She nodded. Saw him and the man who wants me. There’re with Father Joe. I ran.

Seth pulled her close. Avoid the center.

What will I do?

He fingered the flyer he’d carried for weeks. Maybe Tira had escaped by calling the number. There’d been no sign of her and no reports of her body being found. If Ramos had her killed, the body would have been displayed as a warning. He removed the paper. Don’t know if this means much but a friend dropped it. She was in danger and has disappeared. If things get too hot call the number.

Be careful. She darted away.

Seth returned to his listening post. He peered through a small spot in the grime-coated window. A man slouched in a chair across from the priest’s desk.

Way I see it, quid pro quo, the priest said. I give you the hotshot undercover cop and you keep away from the center. You and your men.

How do you know he’s the one?

The priest laughed. Bob Tolena gave me the name.

Seth stiffened. Betrayed not once but twice.

Ramos chuckled. Why the offer?

Better to sacrifice one for the many.

Seth’s nails bit into his palms. So he was to be the sacrificial lamb. No way. He wondered how the priest could believe this would keep the center safe. If Ramos wanted in, he would find a way.

His name?

Seth. Not sure that’s his real name but he’s here every morning at the martial arts sessions. He helps with the boys and in the kitchen. Send a man by in the morning and I’ll identify him.

What if he doesn’t show?

Then I’ll learn where he’ll be. Bob will tell me. Says the kid is becoming a liability.

Seth’s gut tightened. His hands clenched. Damn, trouble had found him. He straightened and sped down the alley away from the center. He needed a safe place. He ducked into a doorway and hit a programmed number.

How can I help you? a woman asked.

Read your message. I need a way out.

She gave him an address. When you reach the door, knock once, wait and knock twice. We’ll be waiting.

Seth pocketed the phone. He crept from the alley and caught the first bus to arrive. Several changes later he reached his destination. As he mounted the steps of the brownstone his cell vibrated. He checked the number. No way would he answer. Let Bob Tolena and the priest wonder and worry. He dropped the phone and crushed it with his heel. Then he knocked in the sequence he’d been given.

The door opened to reveal an elderly woman with dark eyes and steel-gray hair. How can I help you?

Though Seth felt foolish he recalled the words he’d read on the flyer. Need an escape. The answer is in my stars.

She moved aside for enough for him to enter and led him down a hall where bright photographs caught his attention. He paused before one showing a hawk soaring over golden sand. He touched the bird with a finger.

So that’s the one to interest you. Why?

The hawk is free.

And you?

Trapped and betrayed. I must escape. Or at least hide here until I can come up with a plan.

Join my sister and me for a meal. We were about to eat.

Don’t want to put you to any bother.

We have plenty. While we eat you can tell us about yourself and why you’re here.

They entered a large room. On one wall he saw a large double wheel. When he looked closer he saw the object was a giant horoscope chart. Had he wandered into some New Age establishment?

A second woman, less gray and wrinkled, brought several bowls to the table. Seth helped himself to wild rice and a chicken and vegetable dish. His cup held a tea flavored with mint.

Though Seth had intended to speak only of the past two years since he’d become a cop and gone undercover, tales of his early days emerged. The loss of his mother, his grandmother’s bitterness and the multiple foster homes found light.

Until Pete and Marge Blaine had taken a troubled teen into their home and encouraged him to hit the books he’d been lost. Their deaths in a car accident two weeks before his graduation from the academy had made him an easy recruit for the seamy side of life.

For some reason during his investigation of Ramos and the man’s focus on Tira’s sister, Seth had come to see Tira as one willing to work hard to escape poverty. Amara was another who needed an escape. Three orphans, all misfits and in danger. He placed his fork on the plate. A friend, Tira, came here and vanished.

The older of the women nodded. She came and found the place where she was needed and she thrives.

Would the same thing happen for him? Dare he hope? He drew a deep breath. Is there a place for me?

The second woman rose. She filled a glass with a dark red liquid and set it before him. Tell us when you were born. Try to give the time to the closest minute.

He knew the time. Every day until her death his grandmother had told him of the day he’d caused his mother’s death. She’d called the death God’s Punishment. August fourth at six twenty-five AM.

The oldest woman took his hand. You are a Leo, a ruler born. Energetic and proud. You place your faith and trust in others. When they betray you, you feel anger and this keeps you from trusting others. You can infuse people with courage. She walked to the wheel on the wall. The other woman joined her.

Seth frowned. What was happening here? He watched the women place objects on this wheel. An urge to flee tickled his thoughts. He had no interest or faith in Astrology. He never read his daily horoscope in the newspaper. He was about to speak when the women returned to the table.

The oldest one smiled. You can leave here and go to a land where your skills are needed. You can bring peace, prosperity and justice to the inhabitants. Will you go?

Is this a joke?

Just an offer, the younger woman said. If you accept you will be given a task to accomplish. Failure could mean your death.

Seth shrugged. Wouldn’t be any change from what I face here.

You will be transported to an ancient Egypt. Once there you’ll learn what you must accomplish. You won’t about to speak of this world or of anything that doesn’t fit the time, place and culture of the land you reach.

A desperate desire to believe her words were true filled his thoughts. What if I succeed?

You will discover your home and heart. If you agree to go you can never return. Will you take the chance we offer?

Seth sipped the savory beverage. Had Tira fallen for their line? He pondered his decision and thought of what awaited him if he returned to the city streets. Betrayal. Torture. No justice. His cover had been blown. He was weary of slinking through garbage-strewn and rat-infested alleys. He met the woman’s gaze. I’ll go.

Finish the drink.

He tossed the liquid back and stared at the horoscope wheel. The heady beverage hit his stomach. Liquid fire flowed through his veins. The wheel spun and the scene faded.

Chapter 2

Early morning sunlight glinted on the sand and bounced off the rocks rising in erratic patterns from the ground. Merin gripped the saddle with one hand and the reins with the other. The swaying rhythm of the camel lulled her into a fugue state. Her eyes drifted shut and her thoughts wandered to the past. Once again she stood in the courtyard of the women’s court of the temple the priests of Aken Re had stolen from the priests of Toth.

The fat priest raised his hands. The strange words he chanted rose in pitch. Dark clouds gathered. Bast Ka, sacred cat of the goddess, grew larger and attacked. Merin screamed.

A soft meow and a rumbling purr pulled her from the scene that had haunted her for days. How much longer would she continue to see that incident on the day of her escape? That had been the moment she deserted Tira. Merin’s stomach lurched. She swallowed again and again to keep from spewing all she’d eaten and drunk during the long days of aimless flight.

Was Bast Ka an avatar of the goddess? With one hand she stroked the cat’s silky gray fur. With each touch she repeated the command she’d been given. Go to the delta. Find the pharaoh-to-be. Would finding him complete her task or was there more?

She glanced at the rising sun and knew midday would soon arrive. Shelter was needed. She scanned the horizon for a refuge from the sun’s hot rays. Did those distant rocks promise shelter? Were they really there or was this a vision caused by the bright light?

She touched the nearly empty water sack. What would she do if she couldn’t find a source of sweet water? Even with the water, her remaining food supply had dwindled and she had no coins to buy more. Once again she regretted the spooked flight,

She neared the jagged rocks and saw an order to their placement. Merin urged the camel forward. Bast Ka leaped to the ground and dashed away. When the camel reached the fallen stones she found a pool of clear water shaded by a rocky overhang. She tapped the camel and dismounted.

As she explored the rocks she realized this had once been a temple of Bast. Broken statues of the goddess and felines littered the ground. Who had done this? Had the priests of Aken Re and their guards murdered the women and men who served the goddess?

Before setting camp, Merin prowled the ruins. She found no bones of humans or sacred cats, only the shattered images. Though she wanted to blame the enemy for the destruction there was no proof. The temple could have been laid waste during the war that had occurred in the year of her birth. She would never know the answers.

She hobbled the camel in a patch of grass beneath a palm tree. This done she set her camp. Bast Ka brought a huge lizard. Merin skinned the creature. She seared some of the meat in a small fire and added the rest and the last of the lentils to water and set it to cook beneath the sun’s heated rays. With a sigh she curled on her blanket beneath the wide overhang. The cat lay beside her.

Merin’s thoughts churned with questions. Would she ever learn what had happened to her friends? Were Namose, Tira and Kashe safe? Had they delivered the symbols of the rule to a safe place? Why had Bast Ka deserted Tira? Not that Merin disliked the cat’s companionship. Did the avatar’s presence mean she was now the focus of the goddess’ power?

A shudder racked her body as images of the death of Pian and the fat priest surfaced. The screams had deafened her and sent her into panicked flight, only pausing long enough the grab the packs she had prepared. The arrival of a saddled camel driven from the animal pens by a jagua had seemed welcome. She had planned to stop at the temple for the queen’s jewelry but the animal had bolted through an opening in the gates.

Merin wasn’t sure how many days had passed since the escape. She’d succumbed to the panic and days had flown past before she’d thought to count. She shifted position and finally slept.

* * *

Merin. Merin.

The soft call pulled her from a chaotic dream into the bright light of the day. Yes.

Come to the pool. There is much you need to know and little time.

Merin left her blanket and knelt beside the pool. She looked up and gasped. A tall woman stood on the other side of the water. She held a silver crook and wore a warrior’s kilt. Her face shifted from that of a beautiful woman to the likeness of a sacred cat.

Goddess. Merin felt as though this woman radiated the warmth of the sun.

Listen to what I say. You must remember. The pharaoh-to-be has reached the delta. Something went wrong at the Horu temple. The priests of Aken Re infiltrated. You must find the Chosen of Horu and assist him in the quest given to him. He was sold to the nomarch of Mempho as a seven-year slave.

How will I recognize him?

Gaze into the water.

The surface shimmered and an image formed. A man with a mane of dark brown hair and deep amber eyes appeared. Merin leaned forward. Handsome. His muscular body intrigued her. Her gaze swept from his head to his feet. His mouth curved into a smile that sent heat flowing to her core. She stared intently trying to memorize his features. One of her fingers touched his lips. The image shattered into ring-like waves.

Merin’s attention returned to the goddess. Bast, protector of the people and the lands, once I find him has my quest ended. As she waited for an answer she wondered what the surge of heat on seeing the Chosen had meant.

The goddess stood on the water and lifted Merin’s chin. Your quest will end and his will begin. You must travel together and help him for he is a stranger to the Two Lands.

What is his quest?

To find the ancient jewelry of the first queen. Without the crown, the necklace and the armbands you cannot name him as the ruler of the land.

"Then we must leave the delta to seek the pieces. The jewelry