Hannah felt a surge of relief. "I want to know about this woman who keeps warning me," she said. "Her name is Maya. And I want to know how I die in my other lives."
"Oh, terrific. That sounds like fun."
"I have to do it." She took a deep breath. She wouldn't let herself look away from him, even though she could feel the warmth as her eyes filled. "Look, I know you don't understand. And I can't explain to you
how important it is to me. But it is ... important."
There was a silence, then Paul said, "All right. All right. But only because I think it's safer for you to be with somebody."
Hannah whispered, "Thank you."
Then she blinked and unfolded a piece of paper. "I wrote down some questions for you to ask me."
"Great. Wonderful. I'm sure you'll be getting your degree in psychology soon." But he took the paper.
Hannah walked over to the couch and got herself settled. She shut her eyes, telling her muscles to relax.
"Okay," Paul said. His voice was very slightly unsteady, but Hannah could tell he was trying to make it soothing. "I want you to imagine a beautiful violet light..."
Chapter 12
was sixteen and her name was Ha-nahkt. She was a virgin priestess dedicated to the goddess Isis.
She was wearing a fine linen shift that fell from her waist to her ankles. Above the waist, she wore nothing except a deep silver collar strung with beads of amethyst, carnelian, turquoise, and lapis lazuli.
There were two silver bracelets on her upper arms and two on her wrists.
Morning was her favorite time.
This morning she carefully placed her offering in front of the statue of Isis. Lotus blossoms, small cakes, and beer. Then, facing south, she began the chant to wake the goddess up.
"Awaken, Isis, Mother of the Stars, Great of Magic, Mistress of all the World, Sovereign of her father, Mightier than the gods, Lady of the Waters of Life, Powerful of Heart, Isis of the Ten Thousand Names ..."
A step sounded behind her and she broke off short, feeling startled and annoyed.
"I'm sorry. Did I disturb you?"
It was a woman, a beautiful woman with long black hair.
"You're not allowed in here," Ha-nahkt said sharply. "Only priests and priestesses..." Her voice trailed off as she looked at the woman more closely. Maybe she is a priestess, she thought. There's something in her face....
"I just want to talk to you," the woman said. Her voice was husky and persuasive, almost mesmerizing.
"It's very important." She smiled and Ha-nahkt felt hairs stir at the back of her neck.
If she's a priestess, I bet she's a priestess of Set. Set was the most evil of all the gods-and one of the most powerful. Ha-nahkt could sense power in this woman, no question about that. But evil? She wasn't sure.
"My name is Maya. And what I have to tell you may save your life."
Ha-nahkt stood still. Part of her wanted to run from Maya, to go and get her best friend Khet-hetep-"es.
Or, better yet, one of the senior priestesses. But another part of her was curious.
"I really shouldn't stop in the middle of the chant," she began.
"It's about the stranger."
Ha-nahkt lost her breath.
There was a long moment of silence, and then she said, "I don't know what you're talking about." She could hear the shake in her own voice.
"Oh, yes, you do. The stranger. Tall, blond, handsome... and with such sad dark eyes. The one you've been meeting on the sly."
Ha-nahkt could feel the shaking take over her whole body. She was a priestess, sworn to the goddess.
If anyone found she'd been meeting a man. ...
"Oh, don't worry, little one," Maya said and laughed. "I'm not here to turn you in. Just the opposite, in fact. I want to help you."
"We haven't done anything," Ha-nahkt faltered. "Just kissed. He says he doesn't want me to leave the temple. He isn't going to stay long. He says he saw me, and he just had to speak to me."
"And no wonder," Maya said in a cooing tone. She touched Ha-nahkt's hair lightly and Ha-nahkt moved instinctively away. "You're such a pretty girl. Such unusual coloring for this part of the world. I suppose you think you love him."
"I do love him," Ha-nahkt blurted before she could stop herself. Then she lowered her voice. "But I know my duty. He says that in the next world we'll be together." She didn't want to tell the rest of it, the remarkable things she'd seen with the stranger, the way she'd recognized him. The way they were destined for each other.
"And you believed him? Oh, my dear child. You're so innocent. I suppose that comes from living your life in a temple." She gazed around thoughtfully, then looked back at Hannah. Her face became grave and regretful.
"I hate to have to tell you this," she said. "But the stranger does not love you. The truth is that he's a very evil man. The truth is that he's not a man at all.
He's an Ur-Demon and he wants to steal your sa."
Oh, Isis, Ha-nahkt thought. Sa was the breath of life, the magical force that allowed you to live. She'd heard of demons who wanted to steal it. But she couldn't believe it of the stranger. He seemed so gentle, so kind...
"It's true," Maya said positively. She glanced at Ha-nahkt sideways. "And you know it is, if you think about it. Why else would he want to taste your blood?"
Ha-nahkt started and flushed. "How do you know-?" She stopped and bit her lip.
"You've been meeting him at night by the lotus pool, when everyone else is asleep," Maya said. "And I suppose you thought it wouldn't hurt to let him drink a little of your blood. Not much. Just a bit. It was exciting. But I'm telling you the truth, now-it will hurt you. He's a demon and he wants you dead."