Moon Daughter: Nephilim Quest, #2

By Leena Maria

Having accidentally fallen 3300 years back in time to ancient Egypt Merit tries to find a way to return to the future and stumbles on one of human kind’s oldest mysteries – but deadly enemies are willing to do anything to find it first.

Dana and her Time Walker team are after the same secret - to find the abode of the Watchers, the forefathers of the winged Nephilim. They barely escaped the shadow attack on the Time Walker Centre and are now in ancient Egypt, but their connection to the future is lost. With no knowledge what has happened to their loved ones they decide to continue their search. What they do not know is that they have been followed from the future by their worst enemy. No longer faithful to his old Masters he is determined to catch Dana for his own purposes. 

Merit’s daughter Shuet stays in the shadows and grows into her hidden powers in the safety of the royal court of the pharaoh Amenhotep III and his Great Royal Wife Tiye. Shuet’s own life is threatened by an old enemy from her childhood, who patiently weaves his web around her.

As the timelines weave into each other, will Merit find a way back to the future? Can Shuet be saved from her old enemy? Will Dana escape the mightiest hunter of the dark Nephilim ? Will she ever see Daniel again?

Moon Daughter is the second book in Leena Maria’s fantasy series that weaves time travel and ancient human mythology together. If you love ancient Egypt, the legends of the Nephilim, vampires and dark shadows around us, you’ll love the latest book in the Nephilim Quest-series.

Buy the Moon Daughter to continue your discovery of the hidden secrets of ancient Egypt and the descendants of angels and humans, the Nephilim.

This second book of the Nephilim Quest series will hurl you into ancient Egypt. The print book has 522 pages.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leena Maria
• Release date: Mar 27, 2017
• ISBN: 9789527250006

Book preview

Prologue

Few people dared to venture out into the demon-haunted mirages of the hot midday sun, but the woman's short linen-clad figure walked steadily on with the assurance of one who knows the desert as well as they know themselves.

Her mind, attuned and alert to the shapes and sounds of the landscape, recognised the innocuous-looking form when it was still some way off and distorted by the shimmering heat. The woman did not stop to have a better look but continued steadily walking, narrowing her eyes in an effort to see better.

She had known immediately that the form was human, but it was that gleaming golden streak, with its curious rippling motion that had drawn her eye. As the distance between the bundle and the walking woman decreased, she saw with a murmur of surprise what it was. Hair, of a kind she had never seen before. The hot wind was playing with the light golden strands, ruffling them gently, and they obligingly followed its touch, billowing around the face of the figure lying motionless in the midst of stones and sand. The woman's steps slowed and she frowned as if trying to recall something, but she did not stop until she was close enough for one long feather-like strand to brush against her ankle. She looked down and saw that it was a woman, so young and vulnerable that she seemed to be more a girl than a woman.

Bending down, she drew back the gleaming golden hair from the girl's face with her journey-hardened hands. Yes. The girl was still alive. She felt the unconscious girl's back for a while, with her own eyes closed, humming to herself. Then she fell silent, her hands still touching the girl's strange garment, as if listening intently.

Taking a leather flagon from the bundle she carried on her back, she sat down next to the girl with the ease of someone who was used to sitting on the ground. Nimbly she poured a few, just a very few, drops of water between the girl's parched lips. The girl mumbled something in an odd language. Good, she was still within reach of help and had not been drawn down towards the ways of the dead.

The woman now opened out the bundle she carried. A few short wooden sticks fell onto the ground. They were not firewood, though. With these and a much worn and mended woven cloth, she built a small tent over the girl. The tent was just big enough to cover one person and from a distance its low construction was indistinguishable from the desert floor. Its only function was to give shelter from the scorching sun.

Then the woman crawled into the tent herself, managing somehow to fit herself next to the girl. She began to pour water into the girl's cracked and blistered mouth, a single drop at a time. For a while nothing happened, then the woman saw her tongue move feebly in response to the liquid. Finally the girl was able to swallow and slowly became aware of her surroundings again. Too tired for any sudden movements she turned her head and looked into the sun-baked face of the older woman. Her eyes turned to the flagon and the woman saw that she understood. She whispered something.

The older woman did not understand the words, but from the tone of the girl's voice it was clear she was trying to thank her. The woman nodded in recognition. She pointed at her chest and said:

Mut-Bity.

Then she pointed at the girl and raised her eyebrows, nodding to encourage her to respond. The girl understood.

Merit, she whispered.

Mut-Bity, the woman pointed at her chest. Merit, she pointed at the girl.

The girl was so exhausted that she could only manage a tiny smile in answer before her eyes closed and she drifted back into unconsciousness. The woman gently straightened her hair, and remained sitting next to her, relieved that she had arrived in time. Only her eyes revealed her inner excitement.

1

Deshret

E lijah !

No answer. Only the howling of the hot wind, as if in mocking imitation of her desperate voice, cracked and hoarse now from screaming his name into the vast silence of the desert.

Slumping to the ground and clasping her knees she finally released the sobs that had been constricting her throat for so long. She had not dared to go too far and kept the stone circle in sight all the time, as if somehow its indifferent presence would bring Elijah back.

Elijah... Her crying choked her. She hated her weakness in crying, but she knew there was healing in it, so she let the tears flow.

Only last night they had been sitting here under a shared blanket, Elijah's arm wrapped around her shoulders. It was their honeymoon and they had flown there together. Now they were watching the stars travelling across the sky with the small circle of stones behind them. It was to be the end of that wonderful, magical few weeks when they had not been able to get enough of each other.  Elijah was explaining how research had shown that the stones were an astronomical calendar.  Loving the sensation of his warmth against her body, she was too happy to concentrate on what he was saying. Something about three central stones of the circle representing the belt of Orion, and another three stones the head and shoulders. After a while he had noticed she was no longer paying attention to his words.

Why do I feel my beautiful newlywed wife is not listening to me at all? he had laughed softly and bent to kiss her. Is this the shape of things to come, or do you have something else on your mind?

You have always been so perceptive, she had smiled, feeling the answering shape of his own smile as his lips pressed against hers.

Their surroundings forgotten, they concentrated only on each other. The stars slowly rolled across the sky, and through her pleasure she seemed to hear music coming from the depths of space.

Afterwards he fell asleep on their camping mattress, without a blanket. He did not seem to need such things. She, on the other hand, liked the soft warmth the blanket provided. When she rose, she kept it wrapped around her. She walked over to the stones, taking her backpack with her. There she sat down, cross-legged in the middle of the circle, and pulled out the sketchbook Elijah had given her when they had arrived at the first destination of their honeymoon. She traced the embossed Eiffel Tower with her hand, the thick soft leather feeling silky under her fingers. She opened the book and even though it was night, her Nephilim eyes could read what he had written on the first page. Beautiful, curved handwriting formed the words: To Merit, from Elijah. He had written it in Finnish, for her sake.

Merit smiled and looked across at Elijah who was still deep in sleep. Her heart beat with the intensity of her emotion and as he stirred in his sleep she knew he felt it too. How much she loved him was impossible to express in words. Before meeting him she could never have imagined how strong the love could be between twin souls.

She turned the pages of the sketch book, enjoying the feel and scent of the thick rag paper. On those pages she had drawn pictures of their honeymoon destinations, intending to make paintings out of them once they returned home. 

Now she took her ink pen and started sketching the Nabta stones by starlight. She needed no other light. With a skill that spoke of years of practice she captured the form of each stone in quick strokes. Then the vastness of the night sky stole her attention and for a long while she sat there in silence, watching it. No... the silence was not complete. This time she was certain she heard a melody that seemed to come from the stars. Her whole body resonated with the odd sound, light as the touch of a feather. Even the stones seemed to echo the music back into the depths of space. She felt slight vertigo and for a second she thought she was falling upwards and into that endless space.

I'm imagining things... she smiled, too tired for my own good...

She closed her eyes for just a while, to ease the vertigo, and calm her body. She could still feel the heavy pounding of her heart after their lovemaking. She breathed in, deeply, held her breath, and breathed out again twice as slowly.  After a few breaths her body responded and started to calm down. A pleasurable sense of relaxation spread through her body.

She must have fallen asleep there while she was sitting down. She had no recollection of lying down, but when she woke up she was on her right side, the big blanket warm around her. The rising sun was in her eyes - it must have woken her up - and she blinked, dazzled by brightness. How many hours had she slept? At least four... Elijah must still be sleeping too, not having noticed she had slipped away to sketch. Otherwise he would never have stayed apart from her for so many hours. Or maybe he had not wanted to disturb her sleep? Many times during their honeymoon she had woken up to the feeling of being watched, only to find her husband sitting there with a tender smile, observing her sleeping.

Smiling herself at the memory and stretching out a hand as if she could touch his face, she rose to a sitting position and turned around to look across at Elijah.

He was gone. Cold fear punched her in the stomach. Scrambling to her feet, she flung the blanket from her. She couldn't bear to be away from him, not for a moment. She had been told that twin souls felt that way and since they had been married she knew it to be true. The connection was so strong that being separated brought physical pain.

C..calm down, silly... she said to the morning air, he must have gone to get us some breakfast.

That must be it.

The upside of being Nephilim, she cheered herself. He's off in the buffer zone finding croissants for me.

No answer but the ominous sound of a wind blowing within the circle.

And some strong coffee. Sleeping on the ground doesn't suit me. My body needs coffee, Merit announced confidently to the standing stones, thinking he might be hiding from her, in order to see her relieved face as he suddenly appeared with fresh coffee and love in his eyes...

Her own eyes narrowed. Something was... different. She could not put her finger on it. Somehow the ground around the stones didn't look the same.

Hmm. Still imagining things. Best get dressed and be respectable when he returns, Merit continued to talk aloud to the stones, the day, the desert. Anything but the fear that was rising in her against her will.

Suddenly she remembered their luggage and moved towards the place they had left it. It wasn't much - two big duffel bags. The rest was in their hotel in Aswan, where they had told reception they were going on an arranged expedition to the western desert. They had walked to an alley and, when no one was around, entered the buffer zone, Elijah's arm around her waist. On arrival at Nabta, Elijah had dropped the bags next to their camping cooker, so that's where she expected to find them.

Only now the bags were gone, as was the cooker. Where Elijah had slept the ground was undisturbed. The thin mattress was gone too. It was as if Elijah had taken everything with him - and simply disappeared.

Mut-Bity let her sleep and only woke her up to drink more water. She offered her some dry coarse bread, moistened with a little liquid. This she repeated every hour until Merit got her strength back. When she finally managed to sit up, Mut-Bity offered her something that she took to be dried meat. Thankfully, Merit chewed it until it was soft enough to swallow. Her stomach clenched itself around the food and she felt nauseous and retched a little, but did not throw it up.

Night came, passing with infinite slowness before the sun rose again. With the new day came the agony of burned skin. She had been unconscious for hours under the scorching sun and the right side of her body was an angry red colour where her clothes had not covered it. That meant her arm, her cheek, her right thigh and leg, as well as the inner side of her left leg and left arm.

Mut-Bity observed her red skin for a while.  She said something in a strange language and dug a small clay pot from the leather pouch she carried on her waist. It contained some kind of oil, and she poured a little of it on her fingers and then began to apply it to her leg. Merit could not help a little scream from escaping, but kept still despite the pain. The woman gave her an approving look and continued treating all the burned skin she could see.

The treatment took all Merit's energy and again she slept. Once more, she was back at the stones, the unseeing, unfeeling stones...

"E lijah would never leave me . Never! We are one !" Her voice echoed back at her from the circle of stones, scaring her with the depth of fear she could hear in it. Her hands shook and her scalp tingled with shock.

Was it possible that... had the dark Nephilim found him? Taken him? No. That couldn't be. They would have taken her too, wouldn't they? And she would have woken up if there had been other Nephilim around. The electric humming of her wings would have told her of the presence of others, warned her...

So he hadn't been attacked. But where was he?

She had a T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops in her backpack. She put these on with still shaking hands, and then began to walk around, calling for Elijah, first with hesitation, as if embarrassed by her own voice. And then, when no answer came, she began to panic. She had ended up screaming his name to the wind until she had no voice left.

Eventually, she raised her tear-stained face with its swollen eyes from its resting place on her knees and began to compose herself.

Think, Merit, think! she said to herself. Use your wings, you idiot!

She opened her wings as fast as she could and rose into the air in order to see far over the red desert and distant hills. She saw nothing, no one...

Her limbs were trembling as she lowered herself back into the stone circle. The one chance remaining was to try to get to the buffer zone on her own, something she had never yet learned to do, despite many trials.

It's a genetic quality, Elijah had explained. Some Nephilim need the energy of others of their kind to be able to go there.

Not all could achieve it alone and Merit seemed to be among them. It had never been a problem, as Elijah had always been with her. She had thought that he always would! All she had to do was to take his arm and let him do the work. Elijah had said he would try to teach her do it on her own once they were back home. Home.

Elijah! Her voice was so cracked now that it came out as a whisper. Rubbing her hands across her eyes, she took a deep breath. She must try.

She concentrated, standing still. Willing the energies into her wings, she tried to reach the feeling of falling back into the mist surrounding the physical world. Nothing. The world did not turn misty, there was no sensation of the slight pressure around her that preceded entering the buffer zone. 

The wind sighed and moaned around the stones.

She gave up and sat down on her blanket. Like an automaton she took a bottle of water and a packet of salty biscuits that had been in the bag for days. She ate two biscuits slowly, concentrating on the action of chewing, trying to ground herself in this mundane action. Then she opened the bottle and took a sip. Already her practical mind was telling her she needed to ration the water.

She waited the whole day by the stones, under the white hot sun, wrapped in her blanket to cover her skin from the burning rays, trying to capture whatever shade was available from the stones themselves. 

Elijah did not return. Then night came and the stars began their westward journey again. And now even the constellations looked different. The North Star was not where it had been last night. Another star was now the centre around which other stars circled. She hid her face from them, not wanting to think about what that might mean.

So she sat on, wrapped in her blanket, waiting for sunrise. She kept repeating the events of the last day in her mind until she was no longer sure she was sane.

Finally, when the eastern horizon began to announce the impending sunrise, she reached for her sketchbook and pen. She turned the pages until her drawing of the Nabta stones opened. She lifted the sketchbook up and compared the stones and her drawing at eye level. Yes, there were slight differences. But then again, even though she had sharp Nephilim eyes, she could be mistaken. Especially when her only intention was to have made a quick sketch, not a lifelike presentation of the old astronomical calendar.

The tip of her pen turned towards the paper. She began to write, under the drawing, using her willpower to stop her hand from shaking.

Elijah, where are you? I remember how we were watching the stars at night, next to the Nabta stones, and next morning when I woke up, you were gone. I tried to go back into the mists on my own, but I couldn't. It's as though you were never here. I know you would never leave me. So what has happened? Have they caught you? Have they... killed you? I don't know where to go. Nothing but desert everywhere and all I have left now is one bottle of water. I cannot wait for you any longer. I have to leave to survive.

Because she knew with certainty that something was horribly wrong. That she would have to leave. Something had happened to Elijah and she could not stay here forever waiting for him.

She tore one leaf from the sketchbook - how infinitely more precious it seemed now he was gone - and wrote:

Elijah, I had to leave. I will try to reach Aswan on my own. I will head northeast and leave you a trail to follow - little stacks of stones. When I reach the Nile I will find the nearest connection back to the hotel. We will meet there at the latest.

She looked at the page, and then signed it.

I love you, Merit

She got up, folded the paper twice and then rose. She walked to the centre of the stone circle, bending to pick up a pebble before entering it. Carefully she placed the paper in the middle of the circle, and put her small stone on top. It almost covered the paper. After brief consideration she took the paper from under the stone and unfolded it once before setting the stone over it again. Now the paper was much easier to spot.

There was nothing else to do but leave. She put her sketch book in her backpack and swung the bag onto her back. Then she opened her wings and rose into the sky just as the sun's first rays shot over the horizon. Knowing with certainty where east was, she estimated where northeast should be and began to fly there, towards Aswan.

2

Destruction

Lilith stared at the newspaper on her desk with unseeing eyes.

Gas explosion at a luxury spa! the headline screamed. Several casualties! Magellan Spa destroyed!

A big photograph of the Centre almost filled the page. Two wings were still standing with broken windows, the third had collapsed. Flames and smoke reached for the sky. Little figures, many dressed in white bath robes, were standing by, looking horrified. Several fire engines were trying to extinguish the blaze, arcs of water bending down over the burning building like demonic rainbows.

Their life's work gone. So many members of the Time Walker teams dead or injured. Irreplaceable members. Friends. Some of those she had known for almost a lifetime. They had been through so much together. Gone. All - gone.

Lilith rose from her chair, her hands taking support from the desk, letting it push her up. Inside her chest where her heart had been was nothing but a cold leaden sensation, and her limbs had lost their strength. She remembered the story of Little Kay with the piece of ice in his heart, frozen by the Snow Queen, and understood it fully for the first time. Her only warmth came from hoping that Dana and the others had made it safely to the past, to a time over three thousand years ago. 

She felt tears forming and she swept them from her eyes with an angry hand.

I will make you pay for this, Cain. I will make you pay... she said out loud.

But even as the words came out she knew how little weight they carried. Still, the thought of Daniel and Elijah, and of all the people she had lost forced her into motion again. She needed to keep moving. She needed to begin to rebuild. She had no other choice.

When the tears began to fall again, she did not bother to wipe them away any more. What was the point? Those tears would never stop falling.

She reached the door, opened it with her last remaining strength and entered the corridor. With a painful expression she forced the shoulders of her hunched joyless figure back, took a deep breath and started walking.

3

The Great Ocean

At first , Merit had made good progress towards the Nile, feeling her confidence coming back as she soared above the ground, still searching and hoping as she headed towards Aswan. She'd always enjoyed flying, right from the early days of finding her wings, and she was a fast flyer too. At intervals she landed and built little stacks of stones for Elijah to follow.

But the higher the sun rose, the heavier her body began to feel. She did not want to admit it, but she was tiring. She had not eaten much of anything for a whole day and only had one bottle of precious water.

Yes, water. Her thirst drove her. She must drink. She flew down until her feet touched the ground and took out the water bottle from the backpack. She had intended to take only a sip but she was so dehydrated she drank half the bottle, unable to stop swallowing. It was worth it for the sensation of improvement, even though she knew it was only a temporary one.

How much further away can the Nile be... soon I'll have all the water I could want, Merit told herself. She hesitated for a moment and then emptied the bottle. Ahh... that was good... She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Better continue then...

Rising again, she flew towards the sun that was turning towards the west already. She turned around in the air, searching for the Nile. She did not see it, not yet.

She flew until night fell. Now her biggest regret was not bringing the blanket. How could she have been so stupid? Despite her higher body temperature, part of her Nephilim heritage, she was shivering. 

Don't beat yourself up over it, she consoled herself. It was because you were so worried about Elijah.

"Are so worried about Elijah, she amended her thought shortly afterwards. I'd better just keep on flying to stay warm..." she announced into the dusk. In the darkness she might see lights from a village and find shelter.

Tiredness overtook her while she was still heading for the northeast, ignoring the warning signs of exhaustion.

Can't be long now...

But when the sun rose, it came from her right, a little behind her. At some point she had turned north, even northwest perhaps, not towards Aswan at all! Too tired to swear she wearily turned straight towards the sun. Her giant shadow crossed the desert with her, nothing more than a thin line with blurred edges - there was no sharp edge to her wings. Her heart pounded with fatigue. Losing speed, she began inexorably to descend. She yanked herself higher into the air a few times, but this took all her remaining energy. Her feet met the rocky ground and she fell onto her knees and hands. Blood spilled across the stones where they punctured her skin. Her wheezing filled her ears.

Ok, I will rest a while... Just a few moments...a few only...

She curled up on the ground, and the sun rose above her unmoving form, painting it with red and gold. Wind ruffled her long blonde hair over her face but she no longer felt it. Merit was unconscious.

It had taken Merit some time to realise the woman was not part of some nightmare born of sun and dehydration. Whenever she woke up, Mut-Bity was there giving her warm water and dried meat and bread. She also continued pouring the oil on her skin.

The next morning she gestured to Merit in a way that made it clear they needed to leave.

Right, I get it, you probably don't have much more water...

Merit crawled out of the tent and onto her feet. They held. She breathed in deeply, and found her hidden wings were giving off a quiet hum. Mut-Bity looked at her sharply and for the briefest of moments Merit was certain she knew what she was. She shook the thought off. No one could tell if someone was Nephilim except another Nephilim. And this short, suntanned sinewy little woman was most definitely an ordinary person. Well, of course she was extraordinary in her own way, but definitely not Nephilim.

Merit put on her flip-flops, which seemed to amuse Mut-Bity. But she had to use them. There was no way she could walk with bare feet, nor could she open her wings. The Nephilim guarded their secret carefully. Merit took a few steps and the pain of her burned skin made her wings again let out an involuntary hum. It took all the willpower she could muster to subdue the sound. 

Mut-Bity did not say anything, but Merit was certain she was only pretending not to notice. And so Merit carried on the pretence that nothing out of the ordinary had happened. With a few practised movements Mut-Bity dismantled the little tent. Instead of wrapping it into a bundle and putting it on her back, she took the cloth and gave it to Merit. Thankful, Merit placed it on her head and shoulders to cover her sunburn. Then Mut-Bity started walking, and Merit followed, concentrating on keeping the energy of her wings silent despite the pain caused by the cloth rubbing against her burned skin.

"I lay there , dying, when she found me. She walked from the desert as if the sun had no effect on her. She had some kind of an animal skin bottle with her and she gave me water from it. She carried a piece of cloth on her back, with wooden sticks, and she erected a little tent over me to give me shade. By that time I had already burned my skin. I lost consciousness for a long time. I only remember her giving me water, and humming in a strange way. She must have hunted something, because she began to feed me pieces of dry meat as soon as I could swallow. My burned skin peeled off. When I was strong enough to walk, she forced me to my feet and so we walked. I had no idea how far I had reached from Nabta until I saw the skeletons in the sand. The huge skeletons of ancient whales, lying where they had died in the ancient sea. I realised I had to be in the Valley of the Whales, the Wadi Hitan, in Egypt. I feel so relieved - we are bound to meet some tourists sooner or later! "

Merit turned the page and continued writing.

 Elijah – how I wish I could tell you I am alive, and let you know where I am. I am not dead. We sit here by these great skeletons, resting, preparing to leave tomorrow morning. I have taught my rescuer some words in English, and she has taught me a few words of her own language. Soon we will come out of the desert, I am certain. Then I can find a way to contact you again. I cannot wait, I would like to start walking already, but even with the light of the bright stars I know it is not wise. We will wait until the sun begins to rise. We are headed straight towards it, to the East and...

 Merit closed her sketchbook to have a better look at her surroundings. Partly exposed skeletons in the sand reminded her of history documentaries she'd seen on television. There was one especially large skeleton nearby and she walked closer to see get a better view.

These fossilised skeletons told of the time when ancient whales were losing their hind legs - the last visible reminders of their past as land mammals. These whales had died millions of years ago in a shallow sea that had covered what was now northern Africa. And here they were, back on dry land again. Like an ancient circle closing...

Merit felt her spirits rising. She knew that Wadi Hitan was near the Fayum lake, and soon they would see people again. She would see Elijah again!

She smiled at Mut-Bity who was sitting in her tent that was set up between high rocks to shelter it from the wind. Mut-Bity smiled back - there was a flash of surprisingly white teeth, and the wrinkles around her eyes deepened. She gestured to Merit to enter the little tent. Merit obeyed - she knew that the sun would drop below the horizon soon. They had just one thin cloth for a blanket and Merit had quickly learned not to be shy and they slept under it together. The older woman felt her forehead a few times as if checking for fever, but seemed convinced now that Merit had taken no lasting ill-effects from her dehydration and exposure to the killing heat of the sun. Now Mut-Bity seemed rather to enjoy her warmth. As Merit took her place in the tent to sleep through the night, she promised to herself that she would see to it that Mut-Bity would be handsomely rewarded for her help. For a while she stared up at the bright white stars and then fell asleep, dreaming of Elijah's warm hands on her skin.

Days passed. They continued walking and then a time came when they reached the shore of a big body of water. 

Fayum! Merit laughed, Gosh, I need to wash myself!

As she began to walk towards the lake, Mut-Bity took her by the arm. With her free hand she made jaws with her fingers, snapping her other fingers against her thumb, moving her arm in a swaying motion horizontally.

There was no mistaking that message. Merit understood immediately how close to danger she had come. Then she remembered something.

Crocodiles? But there are no crocodiles left in this part of Egypt, not after the great dam was built.

Depy, Mut-Bity said and pointed at the lake. She-resy

The words were familiar. Had Mut-Bity just said crocodile in ancient Egyptian? And She-resy... wasn't that the name of the Fayum lake in... Egypt's Middle Kingdom? How on earth did this woman know the ancient Eyptian language? Merit stared at her, not believing her ears. Had these words survived the millennia?

Mut-Bity observed her, her expression revealing she knew that Merit had understood. She did the snapping finger gesture again and repeated the word.

Depy.

Then she gestured to Merit and put her hand behind her ear in a now familiar way that meant she wanted to hear the word in Merit's language.

Crocodile, Merit whispered.

Cro... got... dil? she mimicked the word

No, Merit shook her head, Crocodile.

Crocodile, Mut-Bity repeated and smiled, pleased at herself for getting the word right. 

Yes, crocodile! Merit smiled too.

Mut-Bity pointed at the lake.

She-resy.

Fayum.

Fayum, Mut-Bity repeated the word three times to get it right.  Then she said another word that sounded like Merwer.

Mer-Wer...

The word meant the great sea in ancient Egyptian. Did they still use those ancient names for the lake Qarun of Fayum?

Then, unceremoniously, Mut-Bity started walking towards the lake. Merit saw a pier there, with boats. She followed. There were men on the shore who, to Merit's surprise, seemed to know Mut-Bity. She walked straight to them and started talking to them, pointing at Merit, and then across the water. Merit thought she heard the words Mi and Wer.

Mi-Wer... she repeated.

Where had she heard the word before?

It seemed an agreement was made and Mut-Bity waved her hand for Merit to approach. She hesitated because the short, tanned men were gawking at her with their mouths open. Sure she was tall, but the whole scene reminded her of movies where the space alien lands - and this time she was the alien. She decided to play it cool, politely nodding at them and smiling briefly before wrapping the tent cloth around her tightly as she approached.

Merit had expected that they would take a boat, but instead Mut-Bity turned to walk along a path that led away from the lake. Merit followed. The path beelined amongst high reeds, which were cut for some distance from the path. Was this to prevent some lurking crocodile from attacking? Or snakes? Merit hastened her pace to keep up with the quick steps of the older woman.

They soon reached a small village with huts made of mud brick. A woman saw them and hurried to greet Mut-Bity. They certainly knew each other and were deep in conversation already as they hugged each other in greeting. Mut-Bity pointed at Merit again, and this time she was certain she heard her say Mi-Wer.

While they talked small children gathered around Merit, staring at her in what could only be described as disbelief. Many reached their hands out to touch her hair. This was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

Then the other woman approached her, shooed the children away and looked at her closely. When she saw Merit's eyes, she put her hands on her cheeks and let out a delighted little squeal. She took Merit's arm and walked her into one of the small houses, the children following right at their heels, almost tumbling over one another. Merit felt small hands touching her, reaching for her hair.

She had never seen such poverty before. There was not even any furniture. People sat on the floor. The woman said something in a strange language that did not resemble any language Merit knew. And yet it was somehow eerily familiar. She felt the answer rising from her subconscious mind, but pushed it away in fear. Thankfully, she grabbed the little clay bowl the woman gave her and began to swallow the cooked fish in it, concentrating on her eating. It was not difficult as she was starving. The fish was well salted, and tasted delicious.

The woman then gestured for her to follow. Merit got up and followed her to what seemed to be a private room, probably a bedroom. There was a wooden chest in it, and some clay jars. A reed mattress was rolled open on the floor and the woman gestured her towards it. She put both her hands under her cheek and pretended to be sleeping. Merit smiled at her and sat down on the mattress.

Opening her backpack caused great wonder to everyone who was watching. Many hands touched the bright metal buckle that closed the flap and a lively discussion followed. Merit controlled her urge to slap the many exploring hands away from it. Several women, most of them very young, entered the room and soon it was so packed with women and children Merit could not have left even if she had wanted to. They all stood there and gawked at her. Had she grown another head or something? It was beginning to feel uncomfortable sitting in the midst of all the standing women.

Oh, heck... she said aloud, I will write my diary even if they are here.

An excited cackle (there really could be no other word for it) erupted from amongst the women when they heard her voice. They began to sit down around her. Mut-Bity appeared in the doorway and they gave her room. Merit took her sketch book and several pairs of hands immediately reached out for it.

When Mut-Bity said something in a sharp voice, all the hands withdrew. She began to talk with the women and slowly the overexcited atmosphere began to ease. Until Merit took her ink pen and began to write, that is. There was dead silence in the room as everyone's eyes were glued to the hand holding the pen. No one said anything or moved. Trying to not pay attention to her audience, Merit continued writing, bending her head so it almost touched the paper.  She let her long hair fall as a screen to hide her writing.

We began to walk from Wadi el-Hitan and we reached the lake. A beautiful, big lake, with crocodiles in it, and a fisher village on its shore. And it was a shock. Elijah - all these people were... ancient. There was nothing modern anywhere. No cars, no TV-antennas, no wrist watches, no bright coloured clothing. No shoes. I fear what this means. I sit here in one of the small mud brick houses, surrounded by women and children who gawk at me, trying to touch my hair all the time. Like they had never seen blonde hair. They speak a language I do not understand at all. I don't even understand the language of the woman who brought me here. It is certainly not Arabic, though.

 When Merit looked at her audience, she saw fearful respect in their eyes. She did not understand what had caused it. She had only written a few words in her sketch book.

When evening fell they were given food again. Mut-Bity took her a little distance away from the village to show her where the villagers had what she would describe as an outhouse lavatory. It was not a pleasant place so Merit did not stay there any longer than she needed to. She had not trusted the children enough to leave her backpack in the house and now put it under her head as a pillow. It felt ridiculous, but she feared they might steal her pen and sketch book of all things. Of course she had known there were dirt poor people in Egypt, but she had never seen such a reaction to a simple pen. The sketchbook was expensive with its fine leather cover, so maybe their interest in it was more understandable. Then she chided herself for her fears. They had all been so kind, especially Mut-Bity of course, to whom she owed her life.

She slept lightly, waking up at every little noise. There were other women sleeping in the same room and many of them snored. It was a relief when the morning came. They left after eating a bite of bread and a drink of what could be called some kind of beer, thick and frothy.  Mut-Bity walked in front of her, back towards the lake shore where a boat awaited them. The other boats were made of reeds, but this one was wooden. Its owner appeared to be proud of his boat, patting it reassuringly when he saw Merit hesitate before entering it. Mut-Bity stepped in and Merit followed.

Hope this thing doesn't sink in the first gust of wind... Merit said under her breath.

They began their long journey by water.

4

Angel

Cain's laughter made the room ring.

"Destroyed! Their lair is destroyed! Oh this is a good day!"

Angel stood silently in front of him.

Eventually Cain's mirth subsided and he turned to Angel as if he had just remembered her presence.

"I'm almost sorry Ambrogio killed his shadow for showing such initiative! Cain grinned, with a sarcastic inflection on the word. Or... what do you think, daughter?"

Ambrogio did right, father. Shadows... must not get the idea that they can make decisions of their own, Angel answered, trying to keep weariness from her voice.

She did not show the concern she was feeling over this incident. Never before had a shadow done something on this scale - attacking the Nephilim Centre, by all that was unholy - without the awareness and driving force of its master. And Ambrogio if anyone should be the last person to be taken unaware by a shadow! His own creation, his own force! How had all the shadows managed it, how had their masters not known what was happening? She needed to talk about this with Cain when she was more in control of herself. But not now. Not yet.

Angel passed no comment on the excellence of the shadow's deed. Luckily Cain was no longer paying her attention.

However inappropriate the behaviour was, the outcome is beyond desirable! Now they cannot get in the way of our plans. Their strongest fighters are out of the way. Daniel and Elijah, gone! A good day, oh, a very good day indeed!

Cain turned around and left, roaring with laughter, giving the door a companionable slap on his way out.

Angel's face betrayed nothing as she turned and left, walking past several obsequious servants on the way to her quarters. Only after she had dismissed her own servants and the door to the outside world was closed, did she slump on the couch of her opulent living room. Grabbing a pillow, she held it against her face to muffle any sounds she might make and cried. It was imperative that no sounds of her distress might escape. Her servants would surely be waiting behind the door, ready to report anything out of the ordinary to Cain.

Daniel, gone...

5

Arrival

Stars . Stars so bright that they could cast shadows on the ground. I could see them even though I was lying on my side.

Why - why would I be lying on the ground? My cheek was pressed up hard against a rough surface, my eyes were open. My right hand was in front of my face, and when I moved my fingers, the stars cast a shadow. That's the first thing I remember.

My head was splitting and I found it hard to suck air into my lungs. With each breath, a pain like a stabbing blade pierced my skull. That kept me from moving, and so I just lay there with my eyes open, because blinking them was the only movement that didn't bring back the pain. I have no idea how long I'd been lying there, nor how long I just continued to lie there with my eyes open. My only sense of time came from an especially bright star that silently climbed the dome of the sky above me until it disappeared behind my back.

A white glow then illuminated the edge of the world and soon the bright moon rolled above and along the horizon. I had to be facing east, then. I moved my head ever so slightly and the stabbing pain shot through my temples once more. I remained still, shivering with pain, trying to breathe as gently as possible so my pulse would not increase. My hearing was so acute it seemed as if the stars themselves were making a faint, shrilling sound, or perhaps it was the whispering of the blood in my ears.

How had I had arrived there? More scarily, who was I anyway? I sensed memory trying to reach the surface of my consciousness, but the intense pain blocked it off, letting nothing through.

Then - a presence. There was someone with me on the starlit, silent hillside. For now my senses were sharp enough to tell me I was looking across a plain from a higher vantage point. I could see little specks of light in the darkness, glistening between the rocks in front of my face. I was pretty sure they weren't electric lights, though. They looked more like fires burning at a distance. I couldn't - or wouldn't - lift my head to see them better, nor could I turn it to see if the sensation that someone was there with me was correct.

Dana... It was a faint wisp of a voice, almost too quiet for my ears to catch, but with a definite urgency in it: "Dana, you must get up!"

Get up? How could I get up if I couldn't even take deep breaths without head splitting open? How could anyone be stupid enough to demand the one thing I couldn't do right now?

Dana! the quiet voice was insistent.

I still didn't move even when I saw that a pale figure was beginning to form between me and the moon. I turned my gaze slowly upwards to see what it was, careful to move only my eyes.

"Get up! There is a lioness on the hunt and she is heading this way! Oh Dana, dear, do get up!"

Sekhmet! I didn't really hear anyone say this, it was more a sudden impression in my mind that was scent and sight and sound and fear all in one. Sekhmet - the lioness. Not a stone statue of the all-powerful goddess, but the real thing, Sekhmet incarnate in lioness form...coming towards me!

That did it. Somehow I got onto all fours and then, whimpering with pain, I threw up.  With a shaking hand I managed to fish out a paper handkerchief from the pocket of my jeans and cleaned my face. Then I forced myself to my feet. I felt a series of pops and cracks in my neck and back as my skeleton adjusted itself, and the pain became more bearable.

Lioness? Where? I whispered back to the misty figure, turning my whole body around in a panic to see around me on the dry rocky slope. The pain began to recede as adrenaline kicked in.

 Approaching up the mountainside and getting closer by the second! Kitty said, her voice stronger and less reed-like now. You'd better get moving unless you want to end up as a midnight snack!

For it was Kitty. My dearest friend who had been killed by the dark Nephilim in the... no, not the past. The future, if everything had gone according to the original plan. Fragmented memories began to rise from the depths of oblivion and finally take form and clarity.

"Oh Kitty! Where am I? When am I?"

"I have been looking around while you were lying there, and I think you have landed in what appears to be ancient Egypt. But when exactly... Well, that I don't know. I never studied the subject, remember?" Kitty's form, clearer and more real to me now, turned away downhill.

How can you be sure we are in ancient Egypt? I asked.

Heavens, Dana, just look around you.

I turned around, trying to ignore the fact that there was a lioness on the prowl somewhere on the hillside, and faced the other way. Whilst I had been lying on the ground the stones had blocked most of the view of the plain below. Now I was standing up I could see all of the surrounding landscape under the moon, which seemed even bigger and brighter than usual. I mean light was just pouring from it, it was almost tangible. The sight it lit up was so amazing I froze on the spot, open-mouthed, taking it all in.

The bright moonlight revealed lots of clusters of little houses. Bigger and more dramatic buildings that I took to be temples and other official buildings of significance rose in the midst of them. They were dotted right across the plain up to the broad river where the moonlight reflected and shimmered on the water. On the opposite side of the river I could detect two larger structures, which I took to be temples as well. And below me was a village that was surrounded by a stone wall. They were little houses, tightly packed wall to wall and deep in sleep under the stars. There were no electric lights anywhere.

Could I really be standing in Egypt's ancient past, actually looking at a living scene that by my time - at least the time I knew as mine - was in