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Asten frowned. "Maybe you should stay close to him, Fen. Khan needs someone who can watch out for him."
"I am standing right here," Kemes snapped.
Asten looked down his long nose at her. "You are. Well done. I can stand too."
"Oh, my gods." Kash was turning red from holding his laughter in. "Time to go, Khan, before she tries to kill him."
Khan took Fen's hand. "We need to move along, but I promise to visit again soon. Good luck with your experiments, Asten," he said.
The magician smiled brightly. "Thank you, Majesty. This has been the most I've talked in three weeks."
"And said nothing of worth. I hope you blow up your lab again," Kemes said, flicking her braid behind her shoulder as she walked past him, hitting him in the face with it.
Asten stared after her, utter confusion in his eyes. "Maybe leave her at the palace next time. She's always so angry."
"Yeah, sure, that's what she is," Kashmet said, slapping him on the back in farewell. "Come on, Khan, we need to be back in the palace by sundown."
Fen kept her grip on Khan's hand. "I can't wait to see where we're going next."
Twenty-Three
Fen's brain was buzzing. She could get lost in the Temple of Thoth and never leave it again. There was so much to try and see and understand, so much magic in the air that she was almost shaking with overstimulation.
They walked from the Thothi district and into the city square. There was a strong demarcation that started at the southern end of the square that told Fen they were moving into the poorer, working districts.
They passed the arena, and Khan's arm slid around her shoulders. He didn't say anything, and Fen didn't need him to. She tried to focus on everything else around her and not think about the smell of the slave quarters or the fear she had pushed down repeatedly.
Standing beside Khan, Fen was safe. As someone who had never relied on others for comfort, it was strange to be accepting it no matter how natural it felt.
There was a main road leading from the city square all the way to the looming black pyramid in the distance.
"That's the House of Anubis. We won't have time to get there today, but I promise we will see it next time," Khan said when he saw what she was staring at. Fen's senses prickled when she looked at the temple where the dead were housed. Her inner eye started to tingle, but she clamped down on her magic.
Just give me one ordinary day,Fen begged the gods.
The marketplaces they walked through now were more familiar to Fen. People were selling grains in large clay pots and fish caught from the river. There was a crush of people, salesmen hawking, children crying and laughing, music playing from taverns, and artists busking on the streets.
Khan bought apricots and dates, making her try anything that caught her eye. He was more relaxed amongst the chaos than she had seen him at the palace. No one seemed to recognize them, and Khan could just be himself. He stopped at a stall where a woman was cooking small dough balls and slathering them in honey.
"You must really like these a lot," Fen laughed when she saw the six bags he had brought of them.
"They aren't for me. We need them for where we are going next," he said with a wink. "Trust me, they are for our own safety."
They turned down a side street, and Kashmet took the lead. Kemes walked behind them, her hand resting casually on the hilt of the dagger on her belt. They were in protection mode, but Fen couldn't figure out why.
The buildings in this part of the city were made of mud-brick and reeds. Fen stepped over suspicious puddles as the roads turned to dirt and sand.
They stopped in front of a large building that looked like a barracks. Kashmet knocked on the door, and a grubby child answered. She squealed in excitement and ran away.
"Hey, she remembers me," Kashmet said, making Fen giggle. A short woman with gray hair appeared and opened the door wider.
"Hello, Hafiza," Khan greeted with a smile.
"Khan! Get in here before someone sees you," Hafiza hissed, even as she smiled. He bent down and kissed her cheek.
"You worry too much."
"And you don't worry enough." Hafiza shut the door behind them. "It is good to see you all the same. And a newcomer? This must be the pretty concubine I heard you took."
