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"There will be no dying," Khan said sternly as if saying it would make it so. He had to believe it. There was still too much he wanted to say and do with Fen, so dying wasn't an option.
They kept their heads down whenever they met another priest or acolyte. Everyone seemed too tired and worried about their own business to pay attention to them.
Khan opened the door to Ameny's chambers and found them empty. They pulled back their hoods and sat down on his couches. Fen took the amphora of wine and had a mouthful.
"It would be a shame to waste it," she said.
"Great Anubis, don't smite her for drinking your sacred wine," Khan prayed dramatically.
Fen only had another mouthful. "He would be just another god wanting to pick a fight with me at this point."
Asten had already plucked a book from one of the bookshelves and was engrossed in it.
Khan took a moment to sit beside Fen and wrap an arm around her. He needed her warmth and her strength to stay focused. If he let all the worry and pain in his heart from the suffering he had seen get to him, he would be no use to anyone.
"How long do you think we will have to wait?" Fen asked.
"I'm sure after the evening psalms are done, Ameny will return." Khan pressed a kiss to her forehead. "And then we will get safely back to the barge."
"Good idea." She got a slight grin when she added, "You know what having your magic on my skin all day does to me." She fluttered her lashes at him.
Desire curled in Khan's stomach. He knew exactly what she was talking about. Every time their magic touched, he had an instant burning need to be inside her, to have them as close as they could possibly get.
He had never thought he was driven by that kind of need, but when it came to Fen, it was a hunger that could never be satisfied. If she wasn't as equally insatiable, Khan would have thought he was losing his mind. It was just another way they were the same.
Fen's fingers stroked over the tattoo on his temple, tucking some loose hair behind his ear. It was a simple, affectionate gesture that made him want to wrap himself around her and not let her go. He was leaning down to kiss her when the study door rattled. Fen's hand went to her dagger, and Khan rose to his feet, magic tingling on his fingertips. Asten just kept reading.
Ameny's tall frame and shock of black and gray hair had them all standing down. When he spotted them, his eyes went wide, and he quickly shut the door.
Ameny took Khan's face in his hands and studied him. "Where have you been? I thought surely Sobek's children were gnawing on your bones."
"It's a long story, but I hope you will be willing to help me by the end," Khan replied.
Ameny made a tsking sound at the back of his throat. "My boy, if it involves overthrowing your sister, I'm already willing."
They sat down together, and Khan told him about the attack on the palace and the escape to Atrahasis. He explained their plan, and it had Ameny chuckling with glee. He took a draw of his hashish pipe and leaned back in his chair.
"You seem to have this well thought out, my prince. What do you need from me?" he asked.
"I want to know about the heads of the other houses. You have been to the meetings, so surely you would know how they feel about Hasina's reign. I won't be able to hold the throne without them," Khan explained.
"That would be where you are wrong. Hasina met with the heads of the houses only to tell them that their advice was no longer necessary. She was already the head of Sekhmet, and they are the ones with the warriors."
Khan ran a hand over his face. "Gods, what is she thinking? This city can't be ruled by one person alone."
"She's an idiot," Fen said, not bothering to soften her words. As if she ever did. "Don't fret, Khan. This is going to work in our favor. If the heads of the houses want a voice back and to be consulted with, then they will support your claim."
Ameny smiled at Fen. "I like her."
"So does Sargon."
That made the older man laugh. "A smart man always knows when a woman is worth keeping. If you're not a smart man, I need a new wife."
"Gods have mercy. Fen, stop giggling. You will only encourage him," Khan complained, though he was secretly thrilled Ameny approved of her. He was one of the people that Khan would trust with the secret of Fen's parentage.
"I'll talk to the other heads of the houses. We are all meant to meet at the palace tomorrow for Hasina's coronation celebration. I won't tell them details of your plan, but I'll see how they feel about an alternative ruler and get a message to Sargon. I believe they will be relieved as I am to see you alive," Ameny said.
Khan's brow furrowed. "Really? Because I never thought they liked me very much."
