“He’s a what?” the tall, skinny man exclaimed. “He can’t be here!”
“He’s on our side,” Drake said.
“They’ll find us,” Short Bloke sputtered.
“He can help us!” Leila pleaded.
“Enough,” the deep voice cut through the chatter, bringing everyone to a stop. The large Medjay in the middle walked up to Xander and stopped in front of him. Dressed in black like the others, he watched Xander with a challenging stare through the slit in his headscarf.
“He can’t be here,” Sword Lady hissed, pressing the blade enough for a sharp sting to zap down Xander’s neck. “I’ll slit his—”
Without taking his eyes from Xander, the man lifted his hand, silencing the woman. Two of his fingers were much shorter than the others, as if they’d been cut off.
Xander returned the man’s stare, unblinking. He supposed he could make them an offer, one he wasn’t sure he was willing to follow through with. Yet. But if it would get the sword off his neck, it was worth a shot.
“I have insider information on the museum bombing,” he said coolly, his gaze unwavering.
A moment passed, the man’s piercing stare seemingly wishing Xander a thousand slow and painful deaths. Or maybe a pita sandwich. Without seeing the rest of the face, it was difficult, if not impossible, to guess which. His stance was firm, broad shoulders straight, and his breathing steady.
Finally, the Medjay turned and walked away. “Tie them up.”
CHAPTER 15
With their hands tied behind their backs, Leila, Xander, and Drake were forced to walk in the middle of the line. Montu walked in front and the other three Medjay—Bastet, Hapi, and maybe Pihor—followed behind the prisoners. They marched through the canyon, their path lit by the white glow of the moon and reinforced by a flashlight in Montu’s hand.
Leila snuck a peek over her shoulder at Xander. His rugged face was hard as stone, his lips pressed into a firm line, his features lacking the warmth she had become so used to. He did not look happy.
She couldn’t blame him.
While she had been nervous about facing Montu for the first time since she’d cut off his fingers, their reception was much worse than expected. He’d even had Drake tied up. Was this revenge for their unfortunate incident or did he really believe them to be a threat?
Her stomach twisted. Either way, they were in deep trouble.
Soon, the orange flicker of a campfire danced against both sides of the rocky canyon walls. More shadowy figures lurked in the firelight, watching their approach. Several yards beyond the fire stood a row of lopsided tents lined up in a half-circle. Behind them rose the craggy façade of a purple-colored mountain. The smooth, deep blue sky was speckled with stars.
When they reached the camp, Leila glanced over the faces of the Medjay waiting by the fire. Pakhet, a middle-aged lady who worked weekends at the Egyptian Museum, and Onuris, an elderly man who owned a perfume shop in Cairo, lingered by the fire. One of the tall, lanky twin brothers, Peteese and Pihor, stood to their left. They were all staring at Xander.
She briefly considered introducing him to the onlookers, but before she could say anything, she was pushed to her knees. The campfire blazed in front of her—she usually found it a soothing sight, but this time, it only emanated danger.
Drake was pushed onto her knees next to her, while Montu led Xander to the other side of the campfire and pushed on his shoulder until Xander was also kneeling. Their shadows quivered on the wall of rocks that rose behind them.
Montu pointed his pistol at Xander’s head.
Leila’s heart thudded wildly. She caught Xander’s gaze, which burned with fury.
“We have an explicit rule about no outsiders,” Montu boomed.
The other six Medjay gathered closer, surrounding Leila and Drake. Their hands were on their weapons, ready to do Montu’s bidding.
Leila swallowed. This was not going well. Her vision blurred until she could no longer make out the details of Xander’s face.
Bastet stepped forward, pulling her scimitar from the sheath at her waist. A vicious glare eclipsed her sharp nose and chin. “Let me take care of all of them.”
“Cut it out,” Drake snapped from her spot next to Leila. “All of you. Leila had no choice but to bring him. Listen to what they have to say before slicing our throats.”
Leila shot Drake a grateful look, though she wasn’t sure if she should be horrified or thankful.
Still holding the pistol against Xander’s temple, Montu pulled the scarf from his head, revealing a short black beard and one of those trendy haircuts with the sides shaved and his black hair left long and pulled into a tiny bun in the back. He was several years older than Leila, probably in his early thirties.
“Begin, Ma’at,” he snapped, using Leila’s nickname. He pushed the gun against Xander’s temple, making his head tilt. “Explain yourself. Then we will decide if breaking your oath was necessary… and whether you will receive the punishment or not.”
Leila glowered at Montu. A spark in his eyes revealed he was enjoying this way too much. Was he trying to make himself the leader now that Soliman was missing? Or was this a decision made by the Medjay together—without her input?
But she couldn’t call him out on it right now. She had to convince him to put the gun away. Arguing wouldn’t help.
She took a deep breath and recounted the events of the day before, from the moment she left the museum, to her short chat with Soliman—though she left out most of the intricate details. If they wanted to know more, they could ask. The faster she was done with her story, the sooner she could get the ropes off their wrists.
Then she moved on to Faris’s ambush, his admission of kidnapping her mother and brother, and his demand for the scrolls. She finished with the scene she found at Soliman’s house, and finally her arrest.
“I didn’t realize until after we escaped the safe house that Xander was involved in the investigation,” she ended, trying to read the other’s expressions. But with the dim, orange glow and oddly shaped shadows cast over their faces, it was hard to tell what they could be thinking.
“And who can confirm your story?” Montu demanded, his lip curled in a sneer.
“I was at the villa,” Drake said quickly. “You’ll have to ask him about the rest.” She nodded at Xander. “If you kill him, he won’t be able to tell you everything he knows about the bombing.”
Montu directed his glare at Drake. After a moment, he lowered his gun.
Leila let out a long breath, her shoulders relaxing. They weren’t out of hot water yet, but it was a start.
