The following day was a rare one. Cairo was mostly bright and sunny. Today the sky was gloomy and filled with clouds. I rolled around in bed for a while, unwilling to get up. I was tired from the excitement and run I'd had yesterday. Perhaps some of the exhaustion was from meeting Ardeth. My heart had been racing like it never had before when we'd met. As unlikely as it was that I would ever see Ardeth again, I was hoping I would run into him today. As I pushed myself out of bed, I felt my body groaning from the sudden movement.

My body was still sore from our run and tough collapse yesterday. Standing in front of my full-length mirror, I slipped off my nightclothes and looked down at myself. There were bruises littered down the right side of my torso where I had taken the brunt of the fall. My wrist and bicep both had bruises the shapes of human hands from the guards and Ardeth's grasp. My knees were sore from the impact and my back was strained from the jump. I would have to be careful to ensure my parents didn't see me in my current state.

There was no doubt in my mind that my parents would have a cow if they knew just how close I had come to getting hurt. I stared at the bruise on my bicep from Ardeth's grasp for a moment, running my fingers over the print as I shook my head nervously and began dressing. I moved as quickly as possible, dressing in another pair of simple pants and tunic. I ensured to wear a long-sleeved tunic that fell gently around my wrists. I brushed my long blonde hair into a knot at the top of my head and pulled on a pair of old loafers. I would have to walk out to the marketplace again today.

Once I was satisfied that my parents wouldn't be able to see my minor injuries, I gathered my coin purse and turned out of my room, closing the door behind me and heading downstairs. Just as they were yesterday, my parents were already downstairs. My father was pouring over a map of Egypt that ran from Aswan to Minya. I smiled at his efforts. He was looking for King Tutankhamen's Tomb, crossing out places that they and other archeologists had already looked. My mother was in the kitchen, reading her Ancient Egyptology book as she stirred the morning porridge.

"Good morning," I greeted, heading to my father first.

"Morning, love," my mother called back, barely looking up from her porridge. "Sleep well?"

"I'd sleep better if you were offering to bring me on your next dig, which it appears you're planning," I teased, leaning over his shoulder.

He looked up at me, scowling playfully. "Go get your breakfast."

"Right," I said quickly.

"I'd have slept better if you had gotten me the cumin I asked you to," my mother put in as I walked over to her.

"Okay. That's fair. I'll get it today," I said.

She glanced up at the clock and smiled. "You had best leave now if I want it before it's time to make dinner."

It was one of my bad habits. I would leave for one thing and come back hours later having forgotten what I had initially gone out for. I laughed, walking backward toward the door. "I'm going to get it now. I'll be back later!" I called back to my parents.

"Do you want breakfast before you go?" my mother yelled.

"No, thank you. I'll get something while I'm out," I said. "See you later!"

"Be safe!" my mother called.

"Be back before dark!" my father added.

Cairo was reasonably safe at all times but like most places, the city got a little rougher at night. I smiled back at my parents and shot them a quick wave as I tucked my coin purse into my pocket and walked outside. As I had seen when I had first woken up, it was a gloomy day outside but there was still some warmth in the air from the remaining bits of summer. I knew that I would need to head to the spice stand before the end of the day but I wasn't ready yet. There were a few things I needed to do first. I needed to go to the tapestry store first and offer any help I could to Alia.

It didn't take me a long time to get to Alia's tapestry store. It was close to the entrance of the marketplace. I spotted Alia near the front of the store, sweeping some dust back outside. "Good Morning Alia," I chirped, walking up to her.

Alia glanced up from the broom. "Ren. Come to destroy more of my shop?"

"Come to apologize for the mess and offer to help clean up," I said, giggling bashfully.

There was still a pretty big mess on the back patio that I could see. Alia's lips tilted up in a small smile. "Hakim is moving everything that was under the patio covering inside. Help him, will you?" she asked.

"Of course," I said.

The last thing I needed to do right now was to tell her that I wasn't going to help. It had been my fault that her shop was destroyed since we had collapsed through the roof. The least I could do was offer to clean some of it up. I walked toward the back of the store and smiled as I watched Hakim work. He was standing with his back to me. I had long considered Hakim to be my best friend, though I was confident he didn't feel the same way about me. Hakim's head tilted up slightly as I wandered toward him, my coin purse jingling with my steps.

"Ren," Hakim called, greeting me without looking up.

"Hi, Hakim," I greeted happily.

"Back to make another mess already?"

My face flushed. "Just as I told your mother, I'm here to try and clean it up."

Cleaning wasn't my forte, but I wasn't going to leave them alone to the mess I'd made. Hakim finally turned back and I was quick to realize that his tunic was unbuttoned, showing off his bare torso. My cheeks flamed as I forced myself to look in his eyes. "Come on, then," Hakim called, motioning me after him, not noticing my awkward movements.

"What can I do?" I asked, refusing to look away from his face.

"If I give you a hand up, will you take down the rest of the awning?" Hakim asked.

"Sure," I said.

Hakim motioned me toward the wall and kneeled. I walked up to him and nodded. We had done this before when we'd cleaned the roof for Alia last summer. We stood at the edge of where the awning used to be connected to the roof. Ardeth and I had only managed to half-free it with our fall the prior afternoon. Hakim kneeled about halfway to the ground and wrapped a hand around my right thigh as I stepped on his bent knee, resting my hand on his shoulder to push myself off of him and onto the crux of where the old awning and roof met.

Hakim watched as I swung over the edge of the awning and positioned myself at the joint of the two structures. He was laughing at how easily I could move around the narrow structure. "I swear you're like a monkey," he teased.

"No more than you, my friend," I shot back.

We had always had that kind of relationship. We liked to tease each other to the point where some of our conversations were a little insulting. No one ever overheard them as they would have been considered completely inappropriate to anyone else. Hakim grinned at me but still sent a rude gesture in my direction. I laughed, sending the gesture back to him. We grinned at each other as I turned to the wall and began kicking at the wooden supports to try and take them down. As we worked, I began humming an old tune my parents had used to sing to me.

It went on for a few minutes before Hakim's voice echoed below me. "Ren."

My voice dropped off as I glanced down at him and scowled. "I'm not going to stop singing, if that's what you want," I snapped.

"It's not. Though you really should, you sound like a dying cat," Hakim said.

Naturally, we could only be peaceful for so long before the insults truly began. I barked out a laugh as I threw a small piece of the old wooden awning at Hakim, who ducked out of the way just in time. "You're an asshole," I hissed at him.

"Proper ladies don't speak that way," Hakim teased.

That was why I'd called him an asshole in the first place. "I'd assume they also don't make a habit of falling through roofs to escape guards," I pointed out. Hakim nodded as he chucked a piece of broken wood into the trash pile. "We both know I'm not proper, Hakim."

Hakim chuckled. "That we do."

"But?" I prompted.

"But, what? I hate you," Hakim said.

I smiled at him. "Liar." We grinned at each other as I kneeled, resting in the crux of the building and awning. "What did you want?" I asked curiously.

"Who was the man you were with yesterday?" Hakim asked.

"Uh, I don't know much about him. His name is Ardeth and he saved me from that new guard," I said, feeling extremely foolish.

Hakim's head snapped up. "That's all you know about him?"

It wasn't like I had spent a week getting to know every little detail about his life. "I was barely around him for an hour and we spent most of that running! I didn't ask for his autobiography," I snapped. We had trusted each other for a moment, nothing more. Hakim huffed in disbelief as I looked down at him. "I doubt I'll ever see him again anyway."

"How did you come across him in the first place?" Hakim asked.

"That new guard -"

"Omar."

"Whatever," I growled, rolling my wrist in frustration from where Omar had grabbed me so roughly. "He had caught me for stealing and was dragging me toward the prison." Hakim finally looked up from his work and over to me. "I was trying to get away and offering to pay for the apple but he wouldn't listen. Ardeth stepped in and told him to leave me alone since I had already offered to pay for it. He tossed Omar a coin and that was it. I thanked him, the guards found us again, and we took off together that time. I wasn't going to leave him after he'd saved me."

It was the watered-down version of what had happened but it was close enough to exactly what had happened. Hakim hummed slowly. "Omar had a deep cut in his hand yesterday," he commented.

"Oh, Ardeth sliced into Omar's hand to get him to release me," I said, immediately realizing that it would sound terrible. As expected, Hakim gave me a funny look. "Come on, Hakim! Ardeth thought Omar was going to throw me in prison."

"So, he assaulted him," Hakim reasoned.

"For trying to save me. There's something noble to be said for that," I argued.

"Just as you believe your stealing for the local kids is noble," Hakim added.

"It is, and you know that," I said.

"I know it is, but it's also illegal."

"They get over it."

"Ren -"

"Hakim," I interrupted, looking down at him and folding my arms over my chest. "What's the matter?"

Hakim shook his head. "Nothing."

His face told me that he had a major problem with whatever my relationship was with Ardeth. I stared at Hakim for a while, trying to figure it out, but it was impossible. "Something's wrong. What is it?" I asked gently.

"One of these days, someone is going to hurt you, Ren. Whether it's a guard you've known for years who swings a little too hard or a guard who's never seen you before. Maybe even a stranger you're inclined to trust just because they helped you," Ardeth said, looking up at me. I stared at him for a while, knowing he meant Ardeth. He was not attempting to hide it. "The day is going to come that you don't walk away."

His comment made sense but I wasn't sure where he was going with it. "And?" I prompted.

"And some people who love you would miss you greatly," Hakim muttered.

For a moment, I thought he was acting like my parents would have if they realized just how deeply my pastime went. It took me a moment, staring right at the tension in his hunched shoulders to realize that he meant himself. He didn't mean my parents. He meant himself. He would miss me. I had always thought that since I was his age he liked having someone to talk to, but maybe he did care for me more than I had initially thought. I stared at Hakim for a long time, trying to read the tension in his stance, but Hakim wasn't an easy person to read.

It was a while, but eventually, Hakim must have felt my eyes on him. He looked up from his work to meet my eyes. "What is it?" he snapped.

"Uh, nothing," I muttered quickly, going back to my work and trying to shake my head clear of my thoughts. Hakim didn't seem too eager to chat right now. I did the same, still speaking but no longer looking at him. "So, you don't trust Ardeth?"

Hakim shook his head. "I don't know him but something about him doesn't sit well."

"What's that?" I asked curiously.

Whatever Hakim thought about someone mattered to me. He'd always been a good judge of character. Hakim let out a deep breath. "You ran off with a strange man," he pointed out.

It wasn't why he didn't trust Ardeth, he was just worried about me. "Who had saved me," I reminded him.

"Ren, what did you genuinely know about this man?" Ardeth asked, looking up at me. "What do you know about him now?"

Finally, I was fed up with the conversation. "Look, he helped me out of a tight spot once," I snapped, kicking down the rest of the awning slightly harder than I'd meant to. I lost my footing as the awning gave way and slipped out of my spot. I collapsed toward the ground, being easily caught by Hakim to slow my fall. Once I'd regained my footing, I stepped back from his grip. "I wasn't going to just shoo him away. He was perfectly nice and respectful, but that's it. He's gone and I doubt he's given me a single thought since we parted ways."

My stomach jolted slightly with the thought. I didn't like that Ardeth had occupied so many of my thoughts while I might have already been a distant memory to him. Hakim was giving me a strange look. "Speaking as someone who has known you for many years, Ren, you're not that easy to forget," Hakim said quietly.

It was only right then that I realized how close Hakim and I were standing. It was closer than we had ever been before. My initial step back was barely a few inches from him. I stared at him, suddenly noticing that I was shifting nervously. I could feel Hakim's hot breath fanning over my face, pushing my hair back. I could see the beads of sweat on his bare chest. I could see the bits of dirt built up underneath his fingernails and the streaks of dirt behind his ear from pushing the dark strands back. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears.

"There's an insult in there," I said weakly, hearing my voice crack.

Hakim shook his head so slightly that I almost wasn't sure he had. "Not always," he whispered back.

We stared at each other for a moment when there was a shout. "Hakim!" Alia yelled. Hakim and I shot apart and turned to stare at his mother, who was giving us a strange look. She shook her head and looked back at her son. "Keep an eye on the counter for a bit, will you?"

Hakim nodded. "Of course, mother."

"Ren, you can go. I'll have the boys do the rest," Alia offered.

"Yeah, of course. Thanks, Alia," I said.

My feet felt like they were glued to the floor as I tried to force myself to move. I gave Alia a quick smile as I kicked myself into gear. I headed back into the store with Hakim on my heels, trying to calm my jittery nerves. Hakim would pick up on them in a moment. He kept a close distance as I walked toward the front door of their shop. I was almost out the door when Hakim moved quicker than I'd expected and cut me off at the entrance, holding his arms out to block my exit. I crossed my arms over my chest nervously, unable to find something else to do with them.

"Can I help you?" I asked, swallowing the lump in my throat.

"No," Hakim said. "I just like that nervous look on your face."

Naturally. I should have known that Hakim didn't want anything, he just wanted to mess with me. I should have known that he had picked up on my nervous nature. Hakim shot me a teasing grin as I rolled my eyes, placing my palm against his bare chest and shoving him back. He took a few steps away from me and smiled. My heart twinged for a moment as I shoved past him. It was the most undressed I had ever seen a man. Hakim's laughter echoed behind me as I walked off, trying to slow my racing heart.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," Hakim teased.

"Shut up, Hakim," I growled without looking back.

"That one's not going away anytime soon," he called.

"Put on a damn shirt," I said, lowering my voice.

He was such an asshole. He had known that I would react like any other teenage girl would when I saw him shirtless. Hakim chuckled loudly enough that it followed me down the street as he walked back into his mother's store and I wandered into the marketplace. I tried to walk as quickly as I possibly could, desperate to get away from Hakim's laughter and for my heart rate to go back to normal. I hadn't been expecting Hakim to be dressed the way he was and I hadn't been expecting my reaction to his state of undress.

The fact that I had been briefly attracted and distracted by a bare-chested man didn't surprise me. It was the fact that the man had been Hakim. He was one of my oldest friends who I had never seen in any light other than friendship, though many other women did. I knew that Hakim had no shortage of suitors. His dark skin, slicked-back long black hair, and deep brown eyes made women all over Cairo - locals and tourists - melt with a flash of his smile. I had always rolled my eyes at his attempts to woo them.

Never once had I thought I would look at him the way those women did. Hakim was my moronic friend I had known since we had tried stealing each other's toys one afternoon in the marketplace when we were three. I would just have to spend a few weeks pretending that nothing had happened while he teased me. After all, I didn't see Hakim that way and he didn't see me that way. We were friends and nothing more than that. Laughing at my stupidity, I wandered back into the marketplace this time on the hunt for the guards. I had one last group of people to make yesterday up to.

It didn't take me long to find Jalil and Nasir toward the far end of the marketplace. I smiled at the sight of them. They were standing together chatting quietly in Arabic. I wondered if they were also thinking about my meeting with Ardeth. Or, perhaps they were talking about the mess I had made. It appeared that some people were still cleaning up what I had thrown around. As I wandered up to the guards I noticed that Sharif wasn't with them. I figured he would show up soon if I was around. I dug down into my pocket and grabbed the coins out of my purse as I walked up to the men.

"Good Morning Jalil. Nasir," I greeted.

Both Jalil and Nasir turned to face me. "Ren," Jalil greeted. "Back to cause another stir already?"

"Very funny," I hissed, holding the coins out to them. "Come to give you the coin for the apple."

Nasir was the one to take them, staring down at the coins in confusion. "This is three times what the apple is worth."

My face brightened slightly as I gave them a guilty smile. "For your troubles. Yesterday was a little more strenuous than I was anticipating," I mumbled, looking around at the vendors who were still cleaning up toppled tables and baskets.

Jalil and Sharif shrugged their shoulders. "We've learned to expect it," Jalil said, nudging my hand back to my side. "Keep the coin. Buy something with it."

"Perhaps a one-way trip back to the United States," Sharif mumbled.

"Who would keep you employed if I weren't around?" I teased.

They both laughed. Sharif was the first to stop laughing and instead give me a scrutinizing stare. "Who was the man with you yesterday?" he asked.

It seemed I wasn't the only person still thinking about Ardeth. "Oh, I don't know. I had just met him when he saved me from that new guard. I didn't want him to get caught for trying to do the right thing, so I brought him along," I explained awkwardly.

"Not too often you see one of their kind in Cairo," Jalil commented, mostly to Nasir.

"Their kind?" I asked.

Jalil and Nasir exchanged a long look. "He's not a local, Ren," Nasir said.

"I figured that. Do you know what tribe he belongs to?" I asked them.

"No, but he's dangerous," Nasir said.

It seemed that everyone was trying to convince me that Ardeth was dangerous but I hadn't seen any evidence of that so far. "Why? He was trying to save me," I said grouchily.

They must have been expecting my sour reaction. The two men smiled at each other. "Take off those rose-tinted glasses, Ren," Nasir warned me. I wasn't wearing rose-tinted glasses! I'd already realized that I would never see him again, after all. I rolled my eyes, folding my arms protectively over my chest. "What was the man's first instinct when we came after you?"

How was it fair that they were judging him for attacking Omar? He was trying to protect a woman he'd thought was too poor to pay for her food. "You startled him," I pointed out. They didn't look convinced. "Come on, you scared me half to death when I first stole from you."

"Not enough, evidently," Sharif answered, coming up on my side.

My stomach was churning in knots from the conversation. "You're all very kind, but I highly doubt I will ever see him again," I told them. They didn't look impressed with my defense. "As you said, he doesn't live here. What reason would he have to come back?"

All three men looked between themselves and began laughing. What the hell was so funny. "You're right," Jalil said. I nodded for him to continue, knowing he wasn't doing. "A pretty foreign woman who is interested in him. What on earth would he want to come back for?"

"I'm not interested, I don't know him," I defended myself weakly.

"That means nothing, my dear," Sharif teased.

"I don't understand," I said dumbly.

"You will," Nasir said.

"In time," Sharif added.

All three men were grinning at me. I scowled back at them, not sure where they were going with this. "As much as you drive us insane, Ren, you are a lovely young woman," Jalil said. I smiled at him, shocked by what he had said. The guards were always hesitant to be nice to me. "Any young man would be very lucky to have you in his life."

"Thank you," I said quietly.

"Go enjoy your day," Nasir said, gently pushing me away.

"See if you can find that lucky man," Sharif teased.

That was what I got for being around a man for more than two minutes. I rolled my eyes as I stepped back from them. "Preferably one who doesn't plan on living in Cairo!" Jalil called after me.

All four of us laughed as I walked off, quickly shooting a nasty gesture back to the men. They laughed again as I let out a soft yawn and wandered further back into the marketplace. I had nothing to do today other than getting the bottle of cumin I should have gotten yesterday. My mother would kill me if I came home again without it. I smiled at some of the children who were charging through the marketplace, stepping off to the side to avoid being stepped on by them. I had barely made it a few yards from the guards when I heard a shout.

"Forget your promise, Ren?" Mara shouted.

Damn. Now I was going to get stuck being her model for the morning. I threw my head back and groaned as I turned to face her. "Hoping you would forget yours," I responded.

Mara smiled. "Not a chance in hell. Over here."

She was pointing to her side, giving me a look that said there was no way I was getting out of being her dress-up doll. "What can I do to get myself out of this?" I asked, walking up to her side.

"Nothing," Mara said, motioning me to follow her.

"But -"

"Over here!" Mara yelped, making my jaws immediately snap shut. "There's a new pattern I've been thinking about trying for a few weeks now. I think it will go wonderfully with your features."

I smiled at her. Mara was a genuinely sweet person. "Okay. Do your worst," I conceded.

I'd made her a promise that she could do whatever she wanted to me as long as I got to take her tunics and have them fitted for free. There was no way I could back out of my promise at this point. Mara gave me a pointed look as I moved behind her stand and into the fitting area she had set up at the end of the street. There were a few screens she used to allow for some privacy. I walked up toward the pedestal in the center of the fitting area and turned to face the mirror. Strung up over it was a deep blue fabric that looked like it had crystals sewn into it.

The color was beautiful. "Talented as ever, Mara," I told her honestly.

Mara smiled at me. "Thank you, dear. We just need to fit it. I think it's close."

"Okay."

Mara motioned to the pedestal and I stepped upon it, glancing around the fitting area. There were pieces of fabric strewn all over the floor that made me smile. Mara had always left a mess all over the place when she worked. I could see some shirts left off to the side that would likely be for me once she was done with the dress. Mara picked up the piece of deep blue fabric and handed it to me so I could see it. The beading was heavy but the fabric was light. It would be perfect to protect me from the excruciating sun while still allowing air to flow through.

Mara began pleating the deep blue fabric down the long side until she had a decent-sized section of pleats. She then tucked the pleated section into my trouser waistband, centered below my navel so that the rest of the fabric was coming from the innermost pleat and to the left. She then tucked along the waist further, until it reached my spine. She then switched sides and pleated the other end of the fabric across the short side. She then passed the shoulder section behind my back and wrapped it so that it passed from my right hip and then over my left shoulder.

Mara stared at her handiwork for a moment as I smiled to myself, looking down at my body. It was very rare that I wore something like this. Mara moved forward after a moment and began adjusting the hang of the fabric so that a deep U was created at the right hip and the shoulder pleats were hanging just below my waist. Mara reached back for a pin and pinned the top section at my shoulder to keep the fabric in place. A few minutes later, Mara stepped back. From what I could see, I was perfectly happy with the way I looked. I knew Mara would make it lovely.

She patted down the fabric in a few places before stepping back and admiring her handiwork. "All finished. Come," Mara said, motioning me to walk with her. I followed Mara out of the fitting area and allowed her to turn me toward the mirror. "What do you think?"

I'd been expecting to be wearing a lovely design, but I wasn't expecting exactly the way I looked. I dressed nearly every day in practical tunics and trousers. I had never been in something like this. It was a gorgeous creation. The skirt sat just above my waist with a piece of crystal mesh fabric resting over my chest and hanging down my back. The deep blue of the design contrasted well with my gently tanned skin. The crystals were twinkling against the sun. I was shocked. As Mara pulled my hair out of its hold, I felt genuinely beautiful for the first time in a long time.

"It's beautiful, Mara. You've outdone yourself," I said, running my hand down the beading. "I just don't have a place to wear it."

"You will," Mara said, brushing my hair back over my shoulders.

"Not anytime soon. I don't have any prospects of so much as a date," I said, trying to not sound too self-pitying.

But Mara didn't look like she believed me. "What about Hakim?" she asked.

A bright blush flooded my cheeks. After this morning the last thing I needed was to be thinking of Hakim that way. "Funny. My parents have said the same thing," I mumbled.

Hakim was the one man who my parents had wanted to see me with. They were determined that he was a good man and one who would treat me well. I agreed, but we were nothing more than friends. "He's a handsome, well-educated man with a good job already," Mara pointed out. I let out a deep breath as I nodded. "I see the two of you out together often."

Just because we hung out together didn't mean that we were anything more than friends. "Hakim is a friend, Mara, the only one my age I have. The last thing I want to do is risk a good friendship for a date that may not even pan out," I told her.

"Could be worth it," Mara said.

"Or, it could ruin everything," I said.

Mara hummed under her breath. "Have you felt anything for Hakim?"

"Not really," I said quickly, and before today it had been the truth. Mara seemed to know that I was only giving her a half-truth. "I mean, he was shirtless today." Mara smiled, having known that I wasn't telling her the whole story. "It doesn't mean anything, Mara. It was just a moment of... I don't know what it was. I've never thought about Hakim that way."

"Have you thought of anyone else that way?" Mara asked curiously.

My mind briefly flashed to Ardeth but I shook my head and said, "No."

"There was a hesitation there," Mara teased.

"No, there wasn't," I snapped.

"There was," Mara argued, smiling brilliantly. My blush returned full-force. I could see where this conversation was going. "I overheard Jalil and Sharif talking about a handsome man you were with yesterday. No one seemed to know who he was."

"Just a guy I ran across who defended me from the guards," I mumbled.

"Defended you?"

"Let it go, Mara. He's probably already on his way back home now," I said sadly.

"Renata."

That wasn't Mara. I turned back in surprise at the sudden voice. Even Mara looked shocked, though that may have been because no one called me by my full name. Except for Ardeth, apparently. I was both shocked and a little pleased that he had somehow found me. I had spent the morning trying to convince myself that Ardeth was gone, I would never see him again, and that I was okay with it. But I hadn't been okay with it. I turned back to Ardeth with a shocked smile. He was dressed as he was yesterday but looked genuinely shocked to see the way I was dressed.

"You look beautiful," Ardeth said, scanning my body respectfully.

The blush had spread from my cheeks to my chest. "Thank you," I said, my voice getting stuck in my throat. Say something, you moron! "I told you I wasn't an urchin."

"So I see," Ardeth said, smiling.

I turned just long enough to see Mara mouthing, "Is that him?"

I nodded, turning back to look at Ardeth. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I thought I would wander around for a while," Ardeth said. "I'm glad to see you."

I smiled, trying to ignore Mara's piercing stare. "So am I."

Ardeth glanced around for a moment before looking back at me. "Would you care to take a stroll? Or, perhaps a run," he teased.

I laughed. "A walk sounds nice."

Any chance to spend some time with Ardeth was perfectly fine with me. Ardeth extended a hand to allow me to walk in front of him. I smiled and nodded my thanks to Mara, who dropped her voice. "No prospects, eh?" she said teasingly.

The blush continued to spread against my chest. "A friendly stroll, Mara," I said.

"That wasn't in question," Mara chuckled.

"I'll be back for my tunics soon!" I yelled back, pushing past her.

"I'll have to burn them all before then," Mara muttered.

There was no way I would let her burn my tunics. She was the only person who could properly fit them. I laughed at her as I fell into step with Ardeth, my deep blue dress swishing around my feet. Ardeth smiled down at me as we walked, towering a full head over me. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are doing here?" I asked him curiously. "I didn't expect to see you again."

"I'm in Cairo for a few days on business," Ardeth explained.

What kind of person had business in the middle of the marketplace? I looked around pointedly. "Where's the business?" I asked, only half-teasingly.

Ardeth chuckled. "Not here. Not until tonight."

"Ah. Come to see the marketplace as it normally is? Or, are you following me?" I teased.

Ardeth smiled. "Hoping to run into you."

"Me? I'm honored."

Naturally, I was pleased that he had been looking for me. "I don't meet many people like you," Ardeth said.

"I'm not surprised," I said, laughing and puffing out my chest proudly. "I'm one of a kind."

Ardeth laughed again. "There aren't many people I know who would take an apple to feed someone they don't even know. You do it knowing what the risk is and taking it on anyway," he commented.

"The world can be a cold and cruel place. I'm just doing my part to make it a little nicer," I said.

Ardeth glanced at me, looking very surprised that my explanation for why I did what I did was so simple. "Why do you not just pay for the food outright if you pay the vendors back later?" he asked.

Asking him what fun that would be probably wasn't a suitable answer, so I decided to go with the truth. "Because I won't always be around to buy food for the kids. You have to show them how to fend for themselves," I said honestly. "These kids have so little from the beginning of their lives, it's not fair that they should starve just because they were unfortunate enough to be born into poverty."

"How did you learn?" Ardeth asked.

"To steal for the kids?" I asked him. Ardeth nodded. "When I was a little kid I used to watch the street magicians and pickpockets. I guess I learned from them. I always loved watching the street magicians' sleight-of-hand tricks. I remember watching the pickpockets greet the wealthy tourists as they got off their boats while stealing their wallets and coin purses and leaving before the tourists could realize what had happened. The guards never chased them, never caught them, hell, they never did anything about them even when they saw it happening.

"For a while, I thought that maybe they just weren't strict about those sorts of things. But when I was ten I saw a guard threaten to dismember a little boy for trying to take a bundle of cherries. I walked up and bought them for him. He told me he was just trying to feed his baby sister. His father had left them and his mother had died a few weeks prior. It broke my heart that they would let a thief walk away from stealing someone's hard-earned money, but they would traumatize a child for trying to feed their family.

"I was so angry about it that I decided if they weren't going to take care of their people, I would do it for them. They weren't going to take care of children. Then I thought that I could buy the food for them. The guards know that too, but I guess I steal it partially because I know it upsets them. Just the way they treat their people upsets me. Maybe I'm hoping one day they'll learn and treat their people better," I explained. Ardeth was staring at me with a blank expression on his face and I shifted awkwardly. "I don't know. It probably seems ridiculous to you."

The silence extended so long that I had prepared myself for Ardeth to walk away and never look back. But he didn't. Instead, he gave me a warm smile. "No, it doesn't. It reflects well on you. You have a good heart, Renata," Ardeth said.

"Thank you," I said happily. Ardeth and I stood together for a moment when I realized that he was still calling me by my full name. "What did I say? Call me Ren."

"Does it bother you that I call you Renata?" Ardeth asked.

My full name wasn't something I normally liked hearing, but I did like the way Ardeth said it. "Well, no. Not really," I told him truthfully. "It's just strange. I'm not used to hearing someone call me that."

"If you wish, I will stop," Ardeth said respectfully.

My heart fluttered slightly. I liked the way he called me by my first name. No one else did. "Don't. It's my given name, I should let someone use it," I offered. Ardeth smiled as I decided to go for it and playfully jab him in the ribs. "Which means you should be honored."

"I am," Ardeth said, smiling politely. "May I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"When did you first begin stealing the food for them?"

A bark of laughter escaped my throat. "Oh, man, that's a good story. I was twelve."

Ardeth looked shocked. "What happened?"

It was an easy enough story to tell him, but it was one of mine. I wanted to know some of his too. "Tell you what, I'll explain what happened the first time I stole food for someone if you answer a few questions of mine," I offered.

For a moment I thought Ardeth would turn down my offer. He looked hesitant. But he eventually nodded. "That only seems fair," he said.

"Okay. I guess I get to start," I giggled. Ardeth nodded for me to continue. "Since I was ten, I had been trying to buy food for the kids around Cairo. It surprised me how many homeless and impoverished children there were in town. My parents were mostly oblivious to what I had been doing with them, but they noticed that money was running through my pockets quicker than usual. They told me that I could no longer dip into the allowance they had always given me. I knew that I couldn't buy food for the kids anymore, but what I could do was take it.

"I'd seen the thieves in the marketplace before. I knew I could take something small if I was careful. Just like yesterday, I played with a few sleight-of-hand tricks and chatted with the merchants before taking a single apple for a little girl. She took it gratefully and walked off with it. I thought I could walk off, proud of what I'd done for her, but the guards had seen me. I knew what they did to people who were caught stealing so I ran off, hoping I could get home before they caught me. I wasn't nearly as fast then as I am now.

"As we ran I stumbled through and over the merchant stands and banged through the shoppers. I bounded over a jewel stand, sending the rubies and emeralds everywhere. I'm pretty sure I started a riot over the jewels everywhere. I felt terrible but I was too afraid to stop to help. I smashed through a clothing stand too, desperate to get back to my house. The guards were getting angrier since I wasn't stopping for them. I was just a few yards away from my house when I was caught. I wish you could have felt how fast and hard my heart was racing.

"Jalil was the guard who ended up catching me. He knew me from all the times I'd wandered the market and immediately let me go. When he snapped at me, asking what the hell I was doing, I sheepishly explained it to him. He wasn't happy with what I had done and how he had almost hurt me but he let me go with the promise I would never do it again. Naturally, that was a lie. Over the years I've gotten better and better and they stopped catching me. I drive them insane but they do get a kick out of it, whether or not they'll admit it," I explained.

Ardeth stared at me for a long time without saying anything. I blushed as I tried to avoid his stare, feeling a little embarrassed and worried that Ardeth would think my reasoning was silly. A few minutes passed before he spoke. "That is perhaps the noblest explanation I have ever heard for why someone is a thief."

A flood of relief shot through me. "Thank you. I think," I added, laughing.

We both laughed. "It was meant as a compliment," Ardeth said. "How did you become as quick as you are now?"

Lots of near heart-attacks from the guards catching me and threatening to tell my parents... I giggled, figuring I would save that story for later. "Practice," I explained simply. Ardeth laughed. "My turn. You're not a local to Cairo, I know that much." Ardeth nodded. "Where are you from?"

"The desert," Ardeth answered, just as simple as I had.

"That narrows it down," I commented dryly.

Ardeth chuckled. "Far from here."

"That doesn't make it any narrower."

"There aren't any landmarks I could give you."

There was no way he lived in the middle of nowhere, was there? Either way, I could tell he wasn't interested in explaining any further, so I nodded slowly. "Have you always lived there?" I asked.

"Yes," Ardeth said. "We are semi-nomadic but we have our settlement that never moves."

"How often do you come to Cairo?" I asked carefully.

Ardeth thought on it for a moment. "This is only the third time I have been to Cairo."

He was at least my age, likely a few years older, but he had only been to Cairo three times in his life. I frowned at his answer. It sounded like he wouldn't be returning to Cairo for years. "What do you come for?" I asked.

"It depends. We usually come to bring news."

"Of?"

"What is happening within our people."

If there was one thing I had learned from Ardeth in our brief time together, it was that he didn't explain more than necessary. I hummed quietly and watched him out of the corner of my eyes as we walked. His answers weren't in-depth but I didn't need to know them. "What do you do?" I asked Ardeth. He looked very hesitant to explain himself. "It's not a story for a second meeting, is it?"

"No," Ardeth confirmed.

Perhaps there was something to do with his people he wasn't comfortable talking with me about. "Well, I know very little about you, Ardeth, and most people would probably think I was insane, but you saved my life and haven't given me any reason to be afraid of you. I'll trust that you have a good reason not to explain," I said, hoping I wasn't making a terrible mistake.

Ardeth smiled. "I truly appreciate that, Renata."

We all had things about ourselves we didn't trust to tell others right away. It added an air of mystery. "I've known these people all my life. I know them better than I care to admit. It's kind of nice to meet someone with a little bit of mystery," I told him.

Ardeth still looked happy with my insistence that I didn't need his entire story. "I'm glad you feel that way."

"Does anyone outside of your people know what you do?" I asked curiously.

"No."

"Would you ever tell anyone outside of them?"

Judging by the knowing look on his face, Ardeth had already figured out that I was baiting him to see if he would eventually tell me what his life was like. "It would be forbidden," Ardeth said regretfully.

"Wow," I mumbled. His people must have been fascinating given the chance to get to know them. "Do the people in your…"

"Tribe," Ardeth finished.

"Tribe, thank you. Do the people in your tribe normally come to Cairo?"

Ardeth shook his head. "No. We do not frequent Cairo," he explained. I tried to hide my disappointment. This would likely be the only time I would ever see Ardeth. "Most members of my tribe never leave the desert."

"Why have you?" I asked.

We didn't need to talk about what he was doing in Cairo, but I was curious why it was he who had come. "My father is the chieftain," Ardeth explained. I raised an eyebrow. He was essentially royalty to his people. "When he is unable to travel or unwell, I journey for him."

"Here I was thinking I had a lot to live up to," I teased, making Ardeth chuckle softly. My parents were reasonably famous archaeologists, but I wasn't going to have to take over an entire group of people. "Will you take over the tribe one day?"

Ardeth nodded. "Yes, eventually."

His voice had been oddly emotionless. "You don't sound thrilled about that," I commented.

Ardeth didn't nod but it did look like he agreed with me. "It is a large burden."

"I suppose you can't tell them you don't want it?"

Ardeth shook his head. "It does not work that way. We are all sworn by an oath that we must follow," he explained. I was curious about what that oath was but I knew he wouldn't tell me. "When the time comes, I will be named chieftain."

"Are you okay with that?" I asked cautiously.

Ardeth gave me a blank stare as I arched my eyebrow. "I've never thought about whether or not I was okay with it," he admitted. "I don't have a choice. I must be okay with it."

It seemed so controlling to me. There was nothing okay with the way his people ran his life. The only good thing was that it showed me that I wasn't the only one with something I would have to prove before the end of my young adulthood. I smiled at Ardeth, shrugging my shoulders in a way that I hoped looked careless. "Well, if you ever want to be just another passing name in the breeze, come see me," I said.

Ardeth smiled. "I intend to."

My heart gave a pathetic flutter. "Are you here alone?" I asked, trying to distract myself.

There was the slightest chance that this wasn't the last time I would see Ardeth. "This time, I am," he said.

Intriguing. I tried to suppress a smile. "Do you or your people normally come alone?" I asked.

Ardeth thought about it for a moment. "It depends. If we have a meeting to attend we come in small groups. To deliver news, it is typically only one person who comes," he explained.

"Do you like living in your home?" I asked, changing topics slightly.

"It is the only place I've ever known," Ardeth half-answered.

"Come out here more often. You can get to know Cairo," I half-teased.

Ardeth hesitated a moment before saying, "Perhaps I have a reason now."

My heart fluttered again. I would be perfectly happy to accept that I was the reason he wanted to come back to Cairo. I smiled at him, a little embarrassed but mostly pleased. "Perhaps," I replied, determined to change the subject until I had a better answer to his previous comment. "Come on. I'll show you around the marketplace."

Ardeth smiled. "Thank you."

We chatted back and forth about our lives as we wandered through the marketplace. We didn't say much in-depth about either one of our lives, but we did have some nice conversation. I pointed out my favorite stands and talked about those who I knew well. I even motioned to the guards from our chase yesterday as we passed them, laughing as they shot me strange looks. They all looked at Ardeth closely as we passed. I blushed, knowing what they were thinking right now. They were wondering if I was finally getting that possible romance they all liked to talk about so much.

But that was a silly thought. There was nothing more to our relationship than the fact that we were two people from extraordinarily different worlds who enjoyed learning about the others. I did like Ardeth. He was nice and interesting to talk to. He was more mature than anyone else I had ever met, but he fascinated me. It helped that he was extremely attractive. More than anyone else I had ever known. Even though all he wore were long black robes that covered up almost every part of him. I blushed, embarrassed as a passing thought reminded me that it left more to the imagination.

As we wandered through the merchant stands, Ardeth and I did chat a little bit about ourselves. I mentioned that I was an only child (my parents' choice) though I would have loved to have siblings. Ardeth responded by telling me that he had two younger brothers, both of whom he loved. I smiled at his clear fondness for his brothers, telling him that it made me want them even more. He had jokingly offered to let me have them if I ever wanted. I liked hearing him make a joke. It made him seem a little closer to his actual age.

Hours ended up passing before Ardeth and I made our way back close to where we had started in the marketplace this morning. I was holding up the ends of my dress, stumbling over the dirt streets as I wasn't used to wearing something that kept me so covered and my movements so constricted. At one point, my foot got caught up and I stumbled right over where the cobblestone streets met the dirt road. Ardeth moved faster than I'd expected him to as he reached out and caught me before I could hit the ground, keeping his arm over my back until I could regain my footing.

It took me a few seconds to regain my balance. "Thank you," I told him awkwardly.

"You're welcome," Ardeth said, looking unbothered by my clumsiness.

Once I was sure I wouldn't fall flat on my face when Ardeth released me, I laughed awkwardly and pulled out of his grasp. He was polite enough to let me go while keeping his arms mostly at bay. "Those are good reflexes you've got there," I commented stupidly.

Ardeth laughed. "I have to have them."

He was the best swordsman I'd ever met (not that I'd met many) and was the quickest runner I knew other than myself. "Well, I noticed yesterday. I don't know anyone who could run the way I do without any training," I said. It dawned on me briefly that he likely served as some kind of protector in his tribe. "You must have a hell of a job back with your tribe."

Ardeth chuckled again. "Nothing quite like yesterday, but we do have our dangers to face in the desert."

"Venomous snakes?" I offered.

Ardeth smiled. "Something like that."

It was probably something much more dangerous, but we could start with that thought. I smiled at Ardeth as I looked up, noticing that the sun was already beginning to set. "Do you happen to have the time?" I asked him curiously.

Ardeth shook his head. "No, but I would guess it to be about four o'clock."

"Shit."

"Is everything all right?"

Mom was destined to kill me if I didn't get what she'd asked me for yesterday. "My mother sent me to go get cumin yesterday. That's why I was in the market in the first place. But I got distracted and never picked it up. I told her I would get it today and it's now been hours and I still haven't gotten it. I need to go," I told him. I turned back toward the spice stand but made no move to walk away from Ardeth. For his part, neither did he. We didn't want to leave the other's company. So, I decided to be a little bold. "Do you want to tag along?"

Ardeth looked very pleased with my offer. "If you don't mind."

"Not at all," I said, just as pleased that he had accepted. "Come on, then."

Without giving myself a moment to think about it, I took Ardeth's arm and pulled him to follow me. He walked just slightly behind me as we headed through the crowded marketplace toward the spice stand on the other end. Ardeth and I chitchatted idly as we walked around. We talked about meaningless things like the weather back in my hometown and the things about the United States I did miss. I got a good laugh out of telling him that the one thing I missed was the fast food I could get when I visited the United States.

"What is fast food?" Ardeth asked.

Right. I'd almost forgotten that there was no way he would have ever tried it before if he lived in the middle of the desert. "Oh, I've never had to explain it to anyone before," I said, trying to think of a way to describe the food. "It's a type of mass-produced food with a strong priority placed on the speed of service rather than quality or appearance."

Ardeth's dark brows knitted in confusion. "It sounds terrible," he commented.

I laughed. "It is."

"So, why do you eat it?"

"Honestly, I don't know. It's cheap and greasy and easy to eat."

Now that I was trying to explain it, I realized just how disgusting fast food was. "It still sounds terrible," Ardeth said.

I laughed again. "Alright, I digress, it's terrible. But it's still kind of fun."

"Ren."

Ardeth was still laughing as we wandered up to the spice stand. I smiled at the owner, who was giving me a suspicious smile. "Hello, Mahmud," I replied.

"Come to make another scene?" Mahmud asked.

"You heard about that, huh?" I asked bashfully.

Mahmud rolled his eyes. "Everyone heard about that, Ren. They were cleaning up your mess for most of the morning."

"Well, I offered to help clean up!" I barked.

Mahmud didn't look impressed with my offer. "Hmm..." The blush returned to my cheeks as Mahmud looked over at Ardeth, giving him a long stare. My cheeks warmed even more as he looked back at me. Ardeth would be the talk of the marketplace within hours. "I see you've gotten yourself a partner," Mahmud commented.

"He's just a..." I stopped speaking when I realized that I wasn't sure I could call Ardeth a friend. We didn't know each other that well, after all. "This is Ardeth," I said, introducing him the only way I knew how.

"Ardeth," Mahmud said, nodding at him. Ardeth replied with the slight bow of his head. "You'll want to steer clear of this one."

"Mahmud!" I barked.

"She'll ruin your life, trust me," Mahmud told Ardeth, still ignoring me.

"Mahmud!" I repeated. Mahmud still looked unbothered by my barking at him. He had a fair point but he didn't need to potentially ruin my first chance at a new friendship in a long time. "Damn you. You're only getting half of what you're asking for with the bottle of cumin."

Thankfully, Mahmud hadn't made me sound like a complete psychopath as Ardeth was smiling at our banter. I handed Mahmud the coins for the bottle of cumin but he pushed it back toward me. "Take it. I've been meaning to bring it by your house for a while anyway. Your mother has always been good about bringing by her pies for the kids," Mahmud offered.

I reached down and grabbed the bottle of cumin off the counter, slipping the coins back into my purse. "Thank you, even if you're an ass," I told Mahmud dryly.

"Watch that mouth, Ren. It will get you in trouble," Mahmud warned me.

Not a day went by that I didn't get in trouble. "Everything gets me in trouble, Mahmud. I'm used to it," I told him. We smiled at each other as I waved goodbye and took Ardeth's arm again, pulling him with me back toward my house. Once we were out of earshot, I spoke to Ardeth again. "I'm sorry about him. They all like to mess with me. I guess I understand if any kind of relationship with me seems a little daunting."

But Ardeth looked undaunted. "I do believe I will take the risk."

My heart fluttered slightly. "That's good to hear."

"Should we get you home?" Ardeth offered.

"Unfortunately, I think it's time," I groaned.

Ardeth and I smiled at each other as we headed back toward my house. We only spoke a little bit about the more mundane things in life like the weather and the places around Cairo that I loved. It was a nice and quiet conversation. It was a conversation that would have normally been extremely boring but something about the way Ardeth spoke was fascinating. I was almost disappointed when we walked up to my street. Hours had passed since Ardeth and I met in the marketplace, but I was still disappointed that it was time to leave each other's company.

Unlike yesterday, I wasn't afraid to bring him to my home. "Well, I think I can trust you're not going to come and murder me in my sleep, so I can tell you where I live," I said. Ardeth laughed quietly as I pointed to the end of the street. "That's me over there. It's just the three of us."

Ardeth nodded. "Can I ever come to visit you?"

"I hope you will," I said truthfully. Ardeth nodded, giving me a small smile. "I would love to hang out here with you for a while but my mother will kill me if I don't get this cumin to her before she's ready to make dinner."

Ardeth inclined his head respectfully. "Of course. Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Will you be here tomorrow?" I asked curiously.

"I will be here for a few more days," Ardeth said.

It seemed that I was going to be in luck for the next few days. "Then I would say your chances are probably pretty good that you'll see me again, considering our past luck," I teased.

Ardeth smiled. "Goodnight, Renata."

"Goodnight, Ardeth," I said.

We smiled at each other as I turned away from him and headed back toward my house. It only took a second for me to realize that Ardeth was watching me as I wandered toward my front door. He wouldn't leave until he was sure that I got inside safe. The thought warmed my heart. Most men wouldn't care. Without a kiss goodbye, they would have left me without a second glance back. It had happened to me several times before. I turned back at Ardeth and nodded, giving him a smile he responded to. I then slipped into my house without a second look back.

As the door shut behind me, I smiled stupidly at the floor. Unfortunately, my happiness didn't last long. My parents were already waiting for me. It wiped the smile right off my face. "I think you've broken a record. Six hours to get cumin?" my mother snapped.

"Look at what I'm wearing!" I snapped, pulling the fabric away from my body. "Mara stopped me."

My mother gave me an extremely unconvinced look. "Six hours to get fitted for a dress?"

"Well, look at it!" I huffed.

She looked no more convinced. My mother knew as well as I did that the dress I was wearing took only a few minutes to fit on someone. "That's one of the simplest designs for a dress I've ever seen," my mother said. My father now looked interested in the conversation so I decided to give my mother a pleading look to get her to stop asking questions. She let out a deep breath and smiled. "But it is lovely. It looks very nice on you."

"Thank you," I said bashfully.

"That's a nice dress, Ren," my father said, looking up from his paper to notice my attire.

"Thanks," I said.

"You must have drawn some eyes wearing that," my mother teased.

"Maybe a few," I mumbled.

Over the day, I had noticed a few men's eyes follow me through the streets. It had happened before but I'd never cared enough to take note. I did blush though as I realized that there was only one person I cared about noticing my dress today. I barely knew Ardeth, but I genuinely liked him and had enjoyed the time we spent together. I was extremely attracted to him. It was a dangerous game I was going to be risking playing but I didn't mind. I liked having a little bit of danger.

"Anyone that matters?" my mother asked quietly as my father passed.

"I'm not sure yet," I muttered.

"That sounds promising," she teased.

"We'll see," I said.

"Well, take it from someone who knows what it's like to find a possible romance," my mother said. I nodded for her to continue as she ran a hand through a strand of my hair. "That kind of smile doesn't pop up just because you've met a new friend."

I forced myself to wipe the smile off my face. "We don't know each other that well."

"Yet he's still gotten you to smile like that," my mother said, nudging my cheeks. I blushed again and tried to force the smile off my face. "Don't. I like that smile."

"When's dinner going to be ready?" I asked, desperate to change the topic.

"When you tell me who your new friend is," my mother teased.

"Mom!" I barked.

"Fine," she huffed, backing away from me. "We'll get there."

Discussing romance with my parents wasn't something I had much practice in. I giggled as my mother wandered back into the kitchen and continued making dinner. She snatched the cumin for me, still bothered by how long it had taken me to get it. My father stood behind us as I watched my mother cook. He remained mostly silent, only occasionally commenting. He was as good a cook as I was. I was very relieved that my mother didn't mention my budding relationship with Ardeth. My father would never let the topic drop.

As we ate dinner at the dining room table that night, I found myself only half-invested in the conversation, nowhere near as chatty as I normally was. Instead, I spent the meal thinking about how Ardeth had asked me if we could spend tomorrow together as well. He wanted to see me as much as I wanted to see him. But was it just because he thought I was strange? Was it because I wasn't someone he'd known forever? Could it have been a budding relationship? I wasn't sure, but for the first time in my life, I wanted to find out.

When I woke up the next morning, I rose from my bed immediately and opened my window to let in the cool breeze. After sitting around the fire with my parents chatting about their ideas of where King Tutankhamen's Tomb was, I had gone to sleep early, partially to stop my thoughts of Ardeth. I smiled at the chilly air and breathed it in for a while before beginning to get ready for the day. I decided to leave my hair down around my shoulders today as I put on a thin tank top and a tighter pair of cargo pants. It would be brutally hot by midday.

Once I was changed, I headed downstairs and smiled at my mother. She was in her usual spot first thing in the morning. My father was nowhere to be found. My mother was at the kitchen counter pouring over her Ancient Egyptology book. She was completely absorbed in King Tutankhamen's section of the book. I knew it was driving my parents insane that they couldn't find it. I smiled at her angry muttering as I walked up to her, taking the coffee mug that had been left out for me in the meantime.

"Planning your next dig?" I asked, planting myself next to her.

My mother glanced up and smiled at my outfit choice. "That's an interesting choice of wardrobe."

I self-consciously pulled up the neckline of my shirt, suddenly embarrassed by my clothing. "Stop it," I muttered.

She laughed, going back to her work. "Trying to find where King Tutankhamen may have been buried. We've had so many dead ends lately."

"Have you thought about going to ask Terrence if he's gotten any reliable word?" I offered.

"We spoke last week and he'd heard nothing."

"Damn. Don't worry, you'll find it," I said as reassuringly as I possibly could. "Where's Dad?"

"He's out doing some shopping. He should be back a little later."

"Okay."

"Do you have any plans for the day, love?" my mother asked.

Did I ever have a plan? Without a proper job or professional schooling to worry about, I usually just did whatever came my way. "I was thinking about heading to the Museum of Antiquities for a while. It's been a few days since I've seen Terrence," I said. I hadn't seen Terrence since the first day my parents had been gone. "Maybe I'll ask him about the tomb."

My mother laughed. "That poor man."

"What do you mean?" I teased.

We grinned at each other as I stepped back. "Tell him we said hello," my mother called after me.

"I will," I said.

"Do you want something to eat before you leave?" my mother asked.

"Can I have the toast?" I asked, spotting it on the counter.

"Here you are," she said, handing it over.

"Thanks, Mom. Love you."

"You as well, dear. Be careful."

"Always!"

She knew as well as I did that I was never careful, but I would always promise that I'd at least try and be careful. Shoveling the toast down my throat as quickly as possible, I wandered outside and headed straight toward the marketplace. The Museum of Antiquities was on the other side of the marketplace just past the first street. I hummed quietly to myself as I walked, kicking up the dust that gathered around my feet. I wandered past Alia's store and smiled at the owner, glad to see that her son wasn't with her today.

"Good morning, Alia," I chirped.

She smiled. "Any plans today?"

"I think I'll head to the museum for a bit," I told her.

"So, I can put out my easily breakable items today, then?" Alia teased.

I chuckled at her. "I do believe you're safe for today. Tell Hakim I said hello!"

"I will," Alia promised.

The incident with Hakim would be forgotten about soon. Either that or I would punch him straight in the face the next time he brought it up. That would likely be how it went since Hakim loved to make fun of me. I continued through the marketplace before arriving at the main street that ran past the docks. I wandered into the crowd, trying to push my way through the crowds of tourists. It was still in season and the docks were flooded with people. I saw a few men giving me the eye as I worked hard to ignore them. I wasn't interested in any of these men.

Quickly darting past a man who appeared to be a profitable businessman who looked intent on cornering me in a conversation, I turned up on the main street and headed toward the Museum of Antiquities. That wasn't a conversation I wanted to get into. I doubted I would have enjoyed a talk with him. Instead, I would chat with Terrence. I knew he wouldn't be happy to see me (he usually wasn't) but I didn't mind. He was fun to mess with and did occasionally share his knowledge with me. I wandered inside and saw that there was a decent crowd today. It appeared to be mostly tourists.

I smiled as a few younger children passed in front of me as I headed toward the back of the museum down the hallways that were usually off-limits. I had known Terrence since I was a child and had always enjoyed spending time in his museum. He didn't particularly like my company but did agree that I was a good worker. I helped out with the antiquities in the summer when Terrence needed help to control the tourists. I looked at his discoveries, recorded them, and even helped reorganize the library on occasion. I would go through his files and clean whatever needed it.

Despite his insistence that I was the worst child he'd ever met, I knew Terrence liked me far more than he let on. He wasn't the friendliest person in the first place, but he did have his moments. When I worked for him in the summer he paid me double what he would have been justified to pay me. It was well over what he paid any of the rest of his employees, including the full-time employees who had been with him for years. It was one of the few ways I had always known he liked me.

As I arrived at his wooden door, I barged into Terrence's office without knocking. He jumped back from his desk in surprise. "Good morning, Terrence!" I chirped happily.

Terrence was quick to scowl at me. "Oh, good, you're back."

He was always so sweet to me. Terrence would never say anything explicitly rude in front of my parents, but he had certainly never minced words in front of them. They knew his general distaste for me. I smiled at Terrence as I wandered toward his desk. My parents had essentially asked Terrence to take me under his wing when I was little. He had been blunt with me since day one, annoyed that I liked to talk far too much and always managed to get myself into messes. But I knew that his comments were all in good fun. I saw that fondness in his eyes sometimes.

"I know you're always thrilled to see me," I chirped.

"Walking away, yes," Terrence replied.

"What are you doing today?"

"Working."

"Anything more interesting?"

"Miss Adams, I would very much appreciate you leaving," Terrence groaned.

Someone had to be willing to spend some time with me today. "Oh, come on! I'm bored," I groaned, leaning over his desk. Perhaps he would allow me to work today. "You don't have anything to give me?"

Terrence pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why can you not go on dates like a normal woman your age?"

"Sounds boring. Most of the men here are useless anyway," I grumbled.

Terrence's lips twitched slightly. "So, you've instead decided to bother me?"

"Pretty much," I answered bluntly. He may not have loved me but he had taught me a lot since we'd met. "Mom's upset that they've still found no trace of King Tutankhamen's tomb. Have you heard anything?"

"Not of late. Your mother will be the first person I go to when I do hear something."

"Have you gotten anything interesting in?"

"Always, but it hasn't been put out on the floor yet."

Mysterious. My eyebrow quirked. "What is it?" I asked.

"Oh, no. I know if I tell you, it will end up broken or, at the very least, fiddled with," Terrence growled.

"When's the last time I broke something of yours?"

While I never broke anything of Terrence's, I had come close several times. "No, Miss Adams. Go bother someone else," Terrence said, gently pushing me toward the door to his office. "You can see what's on display with everyone else when I have it out next week."

"Next week? You always let me see the new exhibits early!" I said.

"I do not! I tell you to go away and you sneak back to see them anyway."

Well, that was true. "That's fair."

"Unless you're here to volunteer to sweep the floor, I must ask you to leave," Terrence said.

"I am not sweeping your floor."

"Then it's time to go, I'm afraid."

" Oh, I haven't even been that annoying this time!"

"I have a meeting I must prepare for. Out of my office," Terrence snapped.

"But we've barely chatted, Terry," I teased.

"Do not call me that."

"You know you love it."

"Out!" Terrence shouted, pushing me toward the door. "How your parents deal with you is beyond me."

"Me, too," I said. Terrence's lips twitched up with the threat of a smile. "Come on! Just smile at one of my jokes."

"Out!" Terrence repeated. "Before I ban you for a year."

"You've been threatening that since I was eight. You don't mean it," I rebutted. Terrence shot me a nasty scowl and looked like he was about to throw the bookend on his desk at my head. "Okay, point taken. I'll come back later."

"Please, don't," Terrence muttered.

If nothing else, coming to see Terrence always amused me though it drove him nuts. I smiled at Terrence's annoyance as I walked out of his office and headed back through the halls. I was thinking about either heading to the marketplace or wandering through Terrence's discoveries in the back (which I wasn't supposed to be in and he would kill me for it). But I liked to push his buttons. Plus, he might have found something interesting for me to check out. I was about to head there when I heard someone call my name.

"Renata."

There was only one person who would call me that. I turned back to the voice with a smile on my face. "Ardeth," I greeted. "I thought you were on business."

"I am. What are you doing here?" he asked.

"This is one of my favorite places to come. I've known Terrence Bey for years. He's an old family friend," I explained. Ardeth nodded understandingly. "What are you doing here? Come to see what the museum has to offer? Or, maybe you are following me."

Ardeth smiled. "I have a meeting this morning. I was hoping I would see you today."

"Oh, me too," I admitted, blushing stupidly. "Who's your meeting with?"

"Ardeth Bay," Terrence's voice called.

Bey? I looked between the men in surprise. "Are you related?" I whispered to Ardeth.

"Different spelling," Ardeth whispered back to me. I nodded in relief as Ardeth inclined his head respectfully toward Terrence. "Terrence."

"Do you two know each other?" Terrence asked curiously.

"We met a few days ago," I answered.

Terrence groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose again. "Why have you made it your life mission for me to wish to end mine?"

He knew I wasn't that bad, he just didn't want to admit it. I laughed at Terrence's continued annoyance and leaned toward Ardeth. "He'll come around soon enough. He knows it. He's just trying to fight it," I told him.

Ardeth chuckled. "This monstrosity has been left here for hours at a time by her parents since she was barely old enough to read," Terrence told him.

"That's sweet, Terry," I mumbled.

"Get out of my museum!" Terrence yelled.

I'd officially annoyed him. I supposed I had to leave before he lost it. "Okay, fine." I turned to Ardeth and smiled. "I would say goodbye, but given our track record, I would assume 'see you soon' is more appropriate," I teased.

"Renata," Ardeth called as I began walking off. I turned back to him. "Are you busy today?"

"No," I answered.

He looked a little awkward as he asked, "Will you wait?"

"Sure. I'll wander around for a while," I said happily.

"Thank you," Ardeth said.

There had to be something around here that I could get into while he and Terrence spoke. As Ardeth was motioned inside Terrence's office, the older man hung back for a moment and watched me. I swallowed thickly at the curious look on his face. His gaze dropped to stare at what I was wearing and he narrowed his eyes. I blushed slightly and turned to head back to the main section of the museum. I didn't want Terrence to get involved with my strangely progressing relationship with Ardeth too.

"Do your parents know that you two know each other?" Terrence asked me.

"No," I answered.

"Hmm…"

"Is something wrong?" I asked suspiciously.

"I'm not sure yet," Terrence answered.

That was strange. I wanted to say something to him but Terrence turned and walked off without another word, leaving me stunned beyond belief. I stood in front of Terrence's door for a few minutes, unable to move from surprise. What was so wrong with Ardeth that he put so many other people on edge? He hadn't put me on edge once since we'd met. I let out a deep breath as I wandered back into the main section of the museum and found myself standing in front of a painting of Anubis, not reading the plaque but instead thinking about Ardeth.

The other's suspicion of Ardeth didn't make sense to me. I didn't understand what was making them so nervous. Nothing about him had ever set off my warning bells. He was the only person I could ever remember trying to save me from the guards. He was the only person to do so successfully. He had run off with me at my prompting. He had been perfectly respectable around me since we'd met. But now even Terrence had expressed some discomfort at our growing relationship. Why? Just because he wasn't a traditional choice for a suitor?

Because he wasn't one of those businessmen who wandered the port in their fitted suits? "Renata."

Ardeth's interruption was a welcome surprise. I didn't want to think about our friendship any longer. I glanced up at him and noticed that the clock on the wall behind him said that only ten minutes had passed. "Quick meeting," I commented as he walked up to my side.

"They are rarely long," Ardeth explained.

"If your communication is that short, why not just send a letter?" I asked curiously.

"Some news is better-delivered face-to-face," Ardeth said.

"That sounds menacing," I giggled.

Ardeth smiled. "It's good to get away from home for a while, too."

"That sounds more likely," I told him. "As much as I love my parents, I would love the chance to get out on my own for a few days. The most I get is when they go back to the United States for a few days and I stay behind."

"Why would you stay behind when your parents go to visit your home?" Ardeth asked curiously.

"Cairo is my home," I responded immediately. It was easy to notice the fond smile on Ardeth's face. "Some part of me will always love the United States and everyone in it, but this is the place I've always called home."

"You don't plan on ever returning?"

"To visit, sure. But to live there? I don't think so. There's something about Egypt. Would you ever leave?"

"I would never be given that choice."

The more I spoke with Ardeth the more I realized how controlled his life was. "Everyone should have a choice," I said sadly.

"Just because we should have a choice doesn't necessarily mean we do."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty," Ardeth answered. It was good to know that we were close in age. "Why?"

"Because you speak like you're one hundred," I teased.

"Is that a good thing?"

"It's an interesting thing. I like interesting."

A smile turned up on Ardeth's face. "You surprise me as well."

"Do I?"

"You do. You speak far more openly than anyone I've ever met before; man or woman," Ardeth explained.

It was exactly what my parents were always telling me would end up getting me in trouble. "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that you have to be outspoken no matter who you are if you want to be heard in life. But if you're a woman, you need to be even louder. I don't want people to know me because my husband is successful. I want them to know my name because I am," I explained.

Another fond smile appeared on Ardeth's face. I was glad that he didn't think I was too bold in my aspirations. "The world would be a very different place if more people were like you," Ardeth said.

"One day more people will be," I said hopefully.

"I hope so," Ardeth said. We nodded at each other as we began wandering through the exhibits. "I've never had a friend like you before."

I smiled, glad he had said it first. "Is that what we are? Friends?"

Ardeth nodded. "I consider you a friend."

We had determined that we were friends but I knew less about Ardeth than I did about anyone else I was friends with. "So do I, but friends know more about each other than their first and last names and the vague locations of their homes," I teased him.

Ardeth nodded understandingly. "What do you want to know?"

"I'm giving you a fair warning, I'm nosy," I said.

"How much could you possibly have to ask?" Ardeth chuckled.

More than you'll care to answer. "Well, if you come to Cairo as rarely as you say, it means that on your next visit we shouldn't need to get any of the 'getting to know each other' phase of the friendship out of the way. We should just be excited to see each other again," I told him.

Ardeth laughed. "That is fair. If I will get the same opportunity, you may ask what you'd like."

"You will. Birthday?" I began easily.

"February 3rd, 1898."

"Favorite food?"

"My mother's basbousa."

"Most embarrassing moment?"

Honestly, I was more curious if he would answer it. Ardeth threw back his head in laughter. "When I was fourteen, I stole some of my father's gin supply with my brothers. We drank it without realizing the effects and when we were called out to go on a riding mission with the elders, I immediately fell out of the saddle and into the sand. Someone must have had to carry me back. I didn't wake until the next morning," Ardeth explained.

It was a much better embarrassing moment than I had. I threw my head back in laughter, grabbing onto his arm to stabilize myself as I stumbled over a crack in the ground. "For as long as we end up knowing each other, I'll never forget that," I promised.

"I had a feeling that would happen," Ardeth chuckled.

"Biggest fear?" I continued.

"Failing to uphold my tribe's oath."

That was depressing. "Where would you like to travel?"

"I don't suppose I've ever thought about it."

"Something to think about," I teased. He smiled back at me. "What do your tattoos mean?"

"They spell out the name of an Ancient Egyptian."

My gaze followed over his cheekbones and forehead. They didn't spell out a name I was familiar with, not that my Ancient Egyptian was perfect. "Which one? I've never seen those symbols together," I said. Ardeth hesitated as we stared at each other. I held up my hands in defeat. "Okay, not that close yet. I get it." He smiled gratefully at me. "Does everyone in your tribe have them?"

"The men," Ardeth answered.

"Do the women?"

"On their hands."

"Do you have any others?"

"I do."

"Where?" I asked without thinking. Ardeth's head snapped over to me, surprised by the bluntness of my statement. I blushed at my stupid question. "Sorry, I didn't think about that before I said it. I told you I was nosy."

Ardeth laughed. "They are mostly on my chest."

"Did they hurt?" I asked curiously.

"They stung but the discomfort is brief."

"Favorite hobby?"

It was the only answer that took Ardeth a moment. He thought about it before shaking his head. "I do not believe I have a hobby."

"Nothing?" I asked, shocked.

"Can I count coming to see you?" Ardeth asked.

I smiled bashfully. "Yeah. Who do you admire most in the world?"

"My father. He's devoted his entire life to my people and our cause."

"Just like you will one day?"

"Yes."

"Do you own any other clothes?" I asked bluntly.

Ardeth laughed. "These are the traditional robes of my people."

There was one other thing I wanted to know about him, but I wasn't sure if I could ask it yet. "Can I get personal?" I asked.

"If we're genuinely friends, I do believe it will get personal eventually."

"That's fair. Are you married?" I spat out.

"No."

My sigh of relief was so loud I thought Ardeth might have heard it. I was extremely relieved that he either hadn't said anything about it or didn't notice. "Are there any women in your tribe you could see yourself getting married to?" I asked.

Ardeth thought about it. "Not at the moment."

It was almost impossible to try and deflate the hope that was rising in my chest. "Are you actively looking?" I asked.

Ardeth shook his head. "There would be no point."

"What do you mean?"

"Most marriages between those of high rankings are arranged in my tribe."

"What?" I asked, shocked.

"It is the way," Ardeth said.

As much as my parents would have loved for me to get married and have a family, they would never force someone on me I didn't know or love. "That doesn't bother you?" I asked. Ardeth merely stared at me. "It doesn't bother you that you don't have a say in who you spend the rest of your life with? Who you get to have a family with?"

"I have no choice in the matter. There is no point in letting it bother me," Ardeth said.

"You deserve to choose who you spend your life with," I said.

"Any woman in my tribe would be an acceptable choice."

"Acceptable?" I asked. Ardeth nodded. "That's not good enough and you know it."

"What would you want?" he asked.

What did I want when it came to romance? "I've never thought about it. Maybe I'm the wrong person to ask. But, if it were me, I would want the kind of love you only read about in stories. I want someone who would die for me and vice versa. I want someone who isn't my other half, but someone who reminds me that I'm my own person and they love that. My parents have always wanted me to marry someone who was well set up in life. But I don't care about that. Money means nothing to me. They could have nothing. It just matters to me who they are as a person. I want there to be something more than contentment with a comfy life. I want the kind of passion in a romance that you've only read about."

The moment I stopped speaking I realized I had said far too much. No man would want to hear a woman speak like that. My face burned with embarrassment as I tried to look anywhere but at Ardeth, who was staring blankly at me. I should have just shut my mouth. I hadn't only insulted the way that his people lived but I had also made myself sound like a silly little girl who only wanted an idealized romance. But it was the truth. If I was going to fall in love with someone, that was what I wanted.

Desperate to change the subject, I began laughing awkwardly. "Now that I've properly embarrassed myself -"

"You haven't," Ardeth interrupted reassuringly.

"No?"

"No," Ardeth confirmed. "I think it's beautiful that you want so much and won't settle for less. You deserve it and you will find it."

"Will you promise me something?"

"Yes."

"Please don't settle. If I deserve to find that kind of love, so do you," I told him.

Ardeth smiled sadly. "I won't have that option, Renata."

"You can if you give yourself that option."

"My options are limited."

In a sudden spurt of bravery, I said, "In your tribe, maybe. But you can find someone in the most unlikely of places."

Ardeth let out a laughing breath. "So, I see."

My sudden spurt of bravery was also a very stupid one. Women never made forward moves the way I just had. What the hell was I thinking saying something like that to him? Nothing, apparently. But maybe it would work out. Unless I was losing my mind, I saw Ardeth's eyes briefly stray away from my own to meet my mouth. Had I imagined it? I didn't think so. My legs began shaking slightly as I met Ardeth's eyes again. My little crush on him was growing quickly and our charged conversation about love hadn't helped things.

Unwilling to think about it any longer I cleared my throat and said, "Well, I think I've been nosy enough for one day."

"Is it my turn?" Ardeth asked.

"Go ahead."

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen," I answered.

Ardeth nodded. "Will -?"

"Ren," a familiar voice interrupted, stopping Ardeth's question. We both turned back to see my father standing a few meters behind us. I smiled at him. "What are you doing out here?"

"Hey, Dad," I chirped happily. "Just hanging around."

"And this is?" he asked.

It was only then that I realized my father had been looking at Ardeth the whole time. "Oh, this is Ardeth Bay. We met the other day in the marketplace. We ran into each other a while ago," I answered.

"Bay?" my father asked him. Ardeth nodded. "Those are interesting tattoos, son."

"They are symbolic to my tribe," Ardeth answered. I could see the muscles in both of their jaws clenching. The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife. I looked into Ardeth's eyes and noticed that something had dawned in them. He was now nodding at my father understandingly. "William Adams."

I hadn't told him my last name, had I? "Yes," my father said.

"Renata Adams," Ardeth said, looking at me.

"Yes?" I half-said and half-asked.

"Familiar with our work, are you?" my father asked Ardeth.

"Yes," he answered.

What the hell was going on between them? I was shocked that they seemed to know each other when they should have had nothing in common. "Can I ask how you two know each other?" I asked in general.

"No, you may not," my father said, taking my arm. "We're leaving, Ren."

"What? No," I said, pulling out of his grasp. "We're in the middle of a conversation."

"That was not a request, Ren. It was an order."

"You always taught me that it was rude to walk away in the middle of a conversation. I'm not leaving."

"You don't get to argue. Come. Now."

"No!" I snapped.

My disobedience did not sit well with him. My father was seething as he said, "Get over here."

"Give me a good reason, at least," I said.

"We're not discussing this."

We were going to discuss this. I was sick of no one telling me what was so wrong with Ardeth. My father grabbed my arm again and began tugging me along behind him. Ardeth was watching us, seemingly stunned out of words. "Hey, stop!" I barked at my father, looking back at Ardeth. "I'm so sorry!"

Ardeth looked a little hesitant but took a few steps forward. "Renata -"

"You will stay the hell away from my daughter," my father snapped at him.

"Dad, stop!" I yelled.

But he wasn't listening to me. Whatever had just happened, he was furious. My father tightened his grip on me to the point where it was almost painful as he yanked me out of the museum. I was mortified by the crowd that had gathered to watch what was going on but I was even more embarrassed that my father was pulling me away from Ardeth like I was a small child. I hadn't even gotten to say goodbye to my new friend. We shared a long stare as I looked back at him. I had to turn away as my father pulled me down the staircase and I nearly fell.

The last thing I saw was Ardeth's stunned face as I nearly wound up face-first on the pavement. "Ouch! Okay, you've made your point. I'm not going to run back to him, you can let go," I snapped.

"You've always been bold, Ren, but seeing someone like him?" my father asked.

"What's wrong with him? He's nicer than anyone else I've met," I said.

"You're deluded," my father said. "That man is dangerous."

"Because he carries a sword?"

He laughed humorlessly. "Far from that."

"So, what's the problem with him?"

We stopped walking long enough for my father to give me one of the most disapproving looks I had ever seen. "You see a handsome young man with an air of mystery about him and you're immediately drawn in," he said. "I'm not surprised by that but I am surprised that you didn't think better."

"Of what? He's done nothing wrong! You just embarrassed him!"

"What do you genuinely know about that man?"

Nothing of true importance... I was a little bashful as I said, "I know he considers me a friend."

My father laughed again. "Does he, now? After knowing you for just a few hours?"

"Well, no," I mumbled.

"Is he the reason you've been out so much the past three days?" my father asked shortly.

This conversation was destined to get me in a ton of trouble. "Dad, I met him by chance a few days ago at the marketplace. He helped me out of a tight spot. There's nothing wrong with him," I attempted to defend Ardeth.

"Not that you know."

"So, tell me. What's wrong with him?" I asked. All I wanted to know was what made people so uncomfortable about Ardeth. Like everyone else, my father didn't answer me. "If I hadn't said it, would you have even bothered learning his name?"

"It doesn't matter. I know his kind," my father said. "What has he been doing with you?"

"Nothing! We've gone on a few walks together and accidentally ran into each other today."

"You are to stay away from him."

"Tell me what's wrong with him."

"You're my daughter. If I don't want you around that man, you will listen."

"That's not a reason to avoid him. That's your reason to avoid the conversation."

"We're done talking about this. You are not to see him again."

"Give me a good reason!"

"I'm your father!" he bellowed, louder than I had ever heard him speak before. I jumped as he pulled us down our street. "That's the only damn reason I need. If you know what's good for you, you will drop the conversation now."

My stomach churned with nerves. "Why can't you just tell me what's wrong with him?" I asked again, trying to be polite. "If there's genuinely something bad about him, I want to know."

"Why? I've already told you that I want you to avoid him. You're not to see him again," my father said.

"I deserve to know," I muttered.

"Drop it!"

The sudden anger in his voice was enough to make me fall silent. For now, at least. I would bring it up again later. I knew I could only push him so far before he would do something to make me regret speaking in the first place. I jumped slightly as he began pulling me toward the house again. There were very few moments in my memory that I could recall my father yelling and even fewer of those circumstances had seen him yelling at me. We reached our house a moment later and my father gently nudged me inside. My mother was waiting for us in the living room.

She jumped up from the couch the moment we entered. "What the hell was going on out there?" she asked, obviously concerned. "I could hear the two of you yelling at each other from here."

"Dad's being completely unreasonable," I muttered.

"Stop talking. Go upstairs," he snapped.

"What?" I asked.

"Upstairs, now," he repeated.

"I'm not ten, no," I said.

"What the hell is going on?" my mother asked.

"Ren has met one of Cairo's most famous visitors," my father told my mother.

Famous? My gaze shot between them. No one seemed to have any idea who Ardeth was and he'd admitted that they rarely came to Cairo. Maybe I would have to ask some of the older merchants about his people later. I wanted to know what was wrong with Ardeth and what had caused my parents' sudden terror. I glanced over at my mother who was exchanging a long look with my father. They both must have known who Ardeth and his people were. That made one of us. My mother raised her eyebrow as my father gave her a short nod.

It was at the look on my father's face that my mother's dropped. "Ren, go upstairs. I'll call you for dinner later," she said breathlessly.

Okay, there went the hope that she would be on my side. "What?" I asked, shocked. "I thought you would see to reason -"

"Now!" my mother shouted.

"Are you kidding?" I asked.

"I'm not asking again, Ren. Upstairs," she ordered me.

"Don't bother with dinner. I'm not that hungry anyway," I snapped, knowing I was getting nowhere tonight.

"Ren -"

"Goodnight," I interrupted my father. "If you're not at least going to explain yourselves, I've got nothing left to say."

"Ren -"

"Let her go. We'll talk in the morning," my mother said.

The only way we were going to talk in the morning was if my parents were going to tell me what was so wrong about my friendship with Ardeth. It had all happened so suddenly with no explanation. It made no sense. I stared at them for a moment before turning and angrily storming up the stairs and straight into my bedroom. I slammed the door shut and wandered to my bed, dropping down on it. I was about ready to curse my parents to the high heavens when I heard them muttering on the other side of my door.

They must have been on their way to go to bed. After the earlier argument, I highly doubted either one of them was hungry. I didn't blame them. It was almost impossible to eat after having a nasty argument as we'd just had with your own family. I slowly rose from my bed hoping they wouldn't hear me and crossed my room back to my door. I pressed my ear against the wood and listened to see if I could hear any of my parents' hushed conversation about Ardeth.

"He's one of them, Martha," my father said.

One of who? "Just because he's one of them doesn't mean he's dangerous."

"For her, it does."

What the hell was that supposed to mean? My mother was silent for a moment before saying, "You're right. She may not realize now, but she can't keep seeing him."

"She has no idea what -"

Their voices were suddenly cut off as my parents closed the door to their bedroom. I tried to suppress every angry curse I knew as I was cut off from their conversation. Damn them! I wanted to know what the problem was and I had come so close to finding out. I thought about trying to sneak over to their room to attempt to hear their conversation but I knew that there would be serious hell to pay if they saw me. They would send me back stateside if they caught me trying to eavesdrop when I had been banished to my room.

Resigned to spend the rest of the night wondering what was so wrong with Ardeth, I dropped back down into my bed and stared out toward the Museum of Antiquities, remembering the last few days I'd spent with Ardeth; thinking about how much we had laughed, how he had saved me, how close we had stood, and how I felt around him as we'd spoken about our ideal romances. What could have been so wrong with a man like? All I knew was that this time, my parents must have been wrong.

A/N: So, William and Ardeth's tension with each other will be explained later on. Again, if you would like to keep track of my stories on Twitter my username is awalkerlifeforme! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this one. Thanks for the follows and favorites on the story! Please review! Until next time -A