Tears of Amun Read online

  Tears of Amun

  Jordan Summers

  Contents

  Copyright

  Freebies

  Back Cover Copy

  1. Chapter

  2. Chapter

  3. Chapter

  4. Chapter

  5. Chapter

  6. Chapter

  Epilogue

  THANK YOU

  Other Historical Paranormal Titles

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Tears of Amun

  Copyright © 2003 by Jordan Summers

  Originally published by Ellora's Cave

  * * *

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to jordansummers.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

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  Back Cover Copy

  Through the sands of time

  By the pharaoh’s breath

  When the waters rise to the highest depth

  Then the veils will thin

  For two worlds to see

  A fated love that must once again be

  He who gazes upon the one wearing the Tears of Amun

  Shall go on to rule the kingdoms of Egypt.

  Charlotte Witherspoon is in love…with a picture.

  When fate tosses her back in time to Ancient Egypt, she finds herself face to face with the man who holds her heart. Will she choose to stay, accepting the promise of passion glowing in his eyes or return to her own time? Sometimes destiny has a way of deciding for you.

  1

  Chapter

  Egypt, 1925

  “Hurry up, Charlotte. Don’t dawdle.” Frustration pinched Victoria Witherspoon's voice until it squeaked.

  “Coming, Mother,” Charlotte Witherspoon called out, hastening her step, hoping to avoid her mother’s ire.

  Charlotte closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, as she pushed down her vexation. This same scenario had been happening every day for as long as she could remember with little variation.

  Victoria nitpicked, continuously chipping away at her until she felt like the ruins surrounding them. Unable to deal with the pain, Charlotte squelched the hurt that twisted her insides. There was no sense dwelling on it.

  Balancing her bag in one hand, Charlotte picked up her skirt to step over the fallen rubble that once was the great temple of Karnak.

  She’d made it a few yards farther when her ankle wedged between two rocks and she tripped. The sack flew out of her hands as she tumbled forward. It was at that precise moment that her mother chose to glance back.

  “For pity’s sake, Charlotte, do pick up your feet like a graceful young lady should.” Victoria’s hands went to her hips and she shook her head in disapproval. “How many times must I tell you?”

  Charlotte felt heat rise to her face. “Sorry, Mother.” She pushed herself up off the ground, ignoring the diggers’ curious stares. It’s not like I did it on purpose, she wanted to say, but didn’t dare speak her mind.

  It would only make matters worse with her mother, the perfect Victoria Witherspoon, who never did anything untoward. Her mother’s manners were impeccable, her taste enviable, and she expected nothing less from her only daughter; which made it unfortunate since Charlotte took after her father Henry, a self-proclaimed, slightly clumsy bookworm.

  Despite being eighteen, a fact her mother refused to acknowledge, Victoria had a way of making Charlotte feel like an inadequate, somewhat dim child.

  She brushed her hands on her skirt and picked up the sack she’d dropped. Charlotte opened the bag, taking a quick inventory of the contents. The book she’d borrowed from the lending library in London was still there, along with her brushes.

  She held her breath as she examined the brushes, looking for any sign of cracks or breaks. She let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness they were intact. Charlotte didn’t want to receive another lecture on carelessness. Assured she hadn’t lost anything she closed the sack and continued on.

  Her parents had already slipped into one of the chambers leaving Charlotte standing at the entrance breathing stale air. Their minds were one-track when they were on-site. They probably wouldn’t even notice she was missing, not that the oversight was something new.

  Charlotte was quite used to being considered a nuisance. Instead of allowing her to stay home, curled up with a good book, her mother insisted she be at the dig. Anything to the contrary would be improper.

  Instead of entering the tomb, she stepped back into the sunlight, blinking against the glare. Her parents would be in there for the rest of the day and probably into the night, making traces.

  She expelled a heavy breath, knowing she should follow them but unable to bring herself to do so. She was itching to delve into the book in her sack.

  She spun on her heel and made her way around the ruins to a spot near some newly uncovered stairs. Huge sand piles hugged the sides of the staircase, like a giant hourglass that had been tipped on its side, making it the perfect hideaway.

  Charlotte sat on the highest step, drawing out the book. She cracked open the cover, a musty smell indicative of an old tomb wafted from the pages. Charlotte leaned forward and inhaled deeply, closing her eyes for a second in delight. There were few things on Earth that struck her as close to the soul as the smell of a good book.

  Methodically she thumbed through the thick sheets until she’d found her favorite spot. Photographs of papyruses dotted the page. Pharaohs gliding across the calm waters of the Nile came to life before her eyes, their bronze skin glowing against the white linen of their embroidered kilts.

  Her gaze caressed the figures, focusing on one man in particular. His chest was bare and unusually broad for an Egyptian. His arms appeared strong, bulging with muscles. The man’s kohl-lined black eyes seemed to penetrate the very pages, demanding her attention, drawing her nearer.

  Charlotte ran her fingers over the image. Goosebumps immediately rose on her arms. She knew she was being silly but for some reason couldn’t bring herself to stop returning to him over and over. She’d loved this man since she was fifteen years old, if it were even possible to fall in love with a painted image.

  She’d even gone so far as to imagine their life together, what it would feel like if he held her in his arms, pressed his lips to hers. Would his lips be firm or soft? Wet or dry?

  Charlotte knew if she’d mentioned her infatuation with the picture, her mother would remind her that she needed to get her head out of the clouds and meet a nice young man to settle down with.

  That would take your fanciful notions away tout suite. Really, Charlotte, sometimes I wonder where your head is…

  Her mother didn’t need to be standing in front of her for Charlotte to be able to hear her admonishing voice clearly in her mind. She glowered. She knew there wasn’t much chance of meeting someone suitable on a dig site in Thebes.

  All the eligible men she’d met seemed far too wrapped up in trying to make the next big discovery to even notice she was there. Not that Charlotte cared. She wasn’t interested in anyone but the commanding man in the picture.

  “If only you were real,” she muttered under her breath, running her fingers lovingly over his still form.

  She glanced down at the script under the papyrus. The Egyptologist who’d written the book had believed the figure in the depiction was King Amasis, but had put a si
de note at the bottom explaining his lack of evidence and all around uncertainty.

  “Little help you are.” She laughed.

  Ever since Charlotte had learned his name, she’d had a vague sense of dèjá vu, but couldn’t understand why. Once again she could almost hear her mother tsking in disapproval. Charlotte closed the book and put it aside, picking up her brush in its stead.

  It was time to get to work. At least if her mother wandered by she’d appear to be busy. The air settled around her, hot and oppressive, as she dusted away debris from the half-exposed step with a swish from the brush in her hand.

  It had been three years since Mr. Carter and Lord Carnarvon had uncovered the find of the century, Tutankhamen’s tomb. She’d been relegated to this small area of Karnak along with her parents, lesser known explorers who strived for one thing only: the preservation of Egyptian history. While the true Egyptologists were free to delve into the Valley of the Kings.

  She stopped, laying the brush down at her side. It wasn’t fair. Her parents had been here just as long as Howard Carter, if not longer. They should have been the ones to stumble upon such a treasure.

  Charlotte sighed and went back to work, burrowing deeper into the sand, pushing thoughts of Tutankhamen from her mind. She had made three more swipes when her hand struck something hard beneath the sand.

  Her breath seized and her heart thudded wildly in her chest. Her vision narrowed to where her hand lay still against the hidden item. With trembling fingers, Charlotte carefully cleared the area. The sounds around her muted as she uncovered a small wooden case.

  At first glance, it didn’t look like much. Perhaps a toy left behind by a child, or a worker’s tool kit, long buried in the unforgiving sand. Upon closer inspection, Charlotte changed her mind.

  She leaned back and glanced around the pile of sand to make sure none of the nearby diggers had observed her making the discovery. All eyes were upon the tasks at hand as they rhythmically worked with picks, buckets, and shovels.

  Charlotte stood, wiping the dust from her hands. She slid the item, along with her brush and book into her sack and made her way to the sacred lake of Karnak. In the late morning, the area tended to be deserted. She’d be able to examine her find before taking it to her parents.

  Perhaps it would be good enough to garner them the recognition they deserved and get them moved to a more prestigious area to dig. Surely if Charlotte accomplished that, her mother would finally see her worth and begin to love her. She sighed. First she needed to confirm its authenticity or her mother would never let her live it down.

  Walking over the fallen stones, Charlotte rounded the columns along the path, her heels clattering over the rocks. She stared at the ruins for a moment, wishing it were possible to see the temple at Karnak in its full glory. The sun, golden in the sky, shined brightly on the water ahead, twinkling and radiant. It was the perfect spot to uncover her treasure.

  Charlotte glanced at the glass-like surface, shielding her eyes, so that she wouldn’t misstep. The area was empty, except for an occasional goose or two that called the Nile valley home. She found a cleared spot near the water’s edge and sat.

  Sweat trickled down her neck and under her white blouse. Her eyes once again sought the promise of cooling water. The still liquid, tempting in its calmness, called out to her.

  Charlotte grumbled and ignored it. She couldn’t go swimming in the sacred lake. It was forbidden. Her mother would be appalled that she’d even considered it. Besides, it was probably full of crocodiles.

  She removed a handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbed at her forehead. The white linen came away with a smudge of dirt across it. Charlotte scowled. Nothing stayed clean in the middle of the desert. She tucked the now soiled linen back up her sleeve and removed the wooden box and her brush from the sack.

  The box was no larger than a thin loaf of bread. She gently blew away the sand covering it. The cartouches were well worn, but still clearly visible in their gold inlay.

  She stared in wonder, turning the box this way and that, studying the craftsmanship. The wood felt rough against her fingertips from the sand’s harsh treatment.

  She looked for an opening. There didn’t appear to be one. It certainly hadn’t belonged to a commoner. The gold was a dead giveaway.

  Had a thief dropped it while trying to make his escape? It wouldn’t be the first time priceless artifacts had been found discarded in the sand like rubbish. She shook her head in disgust.

  Charlotte picked up her brush and proceeded to clear away the last remnants of sand until she was able to read the inscription. Her eyes widened as the words on the box came to life in her mind.

  * * *

  Through the sands of time

  By the pharaoh’s breath

  When the waters rise to highest depth

  Then the veils will thin

  For two worlds to see

  A fated love that must once again be

  He who gazes upon the one wearing the Tears of Amun

  Shall go on to rule the kingdoms of Egypt

  * * *

  She almost dropped the box as she read the last words. It didn’t sound like a curse, but it certainly sounded ominous. She set the box down, taking a moment to catch her breath.

  Who had owned this and what were the Tears of Amun?

  She’d never heard of them, even though her parents had taken care to teach her about all of the legends and pharaohs that existed in ancient times.

  They’d pounded everything Egyptian into her head, until she could read and write Hieratic, Demotic, and Hieroglyphs. Charlotte could also speak Arabic, Coptic, and even a little Ancient Egyptian, although her pronunciations on the latter two might not be correct, since they had been virtually extinct for over a thousand years.

  She picked the box up again to examine it further. The words inscribed on top floating through her mind like an apparition, a ghostly voice from the past that spoke directly to her soul.

  Her mother and father had warned her about curses, although they didn’t believe in them personally. Charlotte wasn’t so sure. Howard Carter had lost several men who’d been there to open Tutankhamen’s tomb.

  Whispers of a curse had spread like wildfire throughout the campsites. She shivered at the thought of bringing misfortune to her family. Maybe she should put it back.

  Charlotte jumped as something splashed in the water, her hand automatically flying to her heart. It took her a second to spot the culprit.

  A duck paddled around the center of the lake, unconcerned with her presence, quacking away. She laughed, the nervous sound grating to her own ears. Why was she so jumpy? It wasn’t like she’d done anything wrong.

  Sweat was now pouring off her. She told herself she’d just go to the water’s edge to wet her handkerchief, then come right back. Charlotte stood the box on end. A latch she hadn’t noticed before slid free, releasing a golden necklace.

  It dropped onto the ground with a heavy thud. Her breath caught as the sun hit the precious metal and sparkling red stones inlayed in the gold. They were drop shaped like tears and as crimson as blood. Charlotte ran her fingers over the gems. Rubies…the Tears of Amun.

  Charlotte heard footsteps and immediately grabbed the necklace, slipping it over her head before someone could spot her. Hanif, one of the workers, stepped from behind a column, his slight body drenched in sweat. She waved to him.

  Hanif smiled back, white teeth flashing against bronze skin. The man turned silently, as if realizing he’d intruded on her private space. Once again she was left alone with her thoughts and her precious treasure.

  It was only after he departed that Charlotte noticed her head was spinning. The gold and jewels around her neck seemed unusually heavy, weighted. The necklace heated her skin, eclipsing the warmth of the day.

  Lightheaded, she stumbled to the water and pulled a square of soft linen from her sleeve. She knelt down near the edge to dip her handkerchief. Unable to reach the surface, she inched closer.
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  The rock near the shore crumbled, toppling her headfirst into Karnak’s sacred lake. The air was knocked from Charlotte’s lungs as she hit the water.

  The lake was hot, stagnant from lack of current. As she struggled to break the surface, Charlotte felt as if a thousand hands were tugging her from below, preventing her from gasping much needed air.

  She opened her eyes. Her movements slowed as she watched the light from the sun fade and reappear over and over again until it became a blur. Surely her mind was playing tricks on her due to lack of oxygen. She blinked as her body became weightless. She was drowning.

  Fear surged through her, giving her an added boost of adrenaline. Charlotte broke the surface, sputtering and coughing, trying to rid her lungs of Nile water. Reaching out with both hands she grasped the rough stones near the water’s edge.

  Her hat was gone, leaving her curly brown hair plastered to her back. Her clothes hugged her like a second skin. She brushed a hand over her face, ridding her eyes of water. Geese honked overhead as they flew by.

  Charlotte blinked again as she pulled herself out of the lake enough to sit on the stone edge. She scanned the area, a frown upon her face.

  Once again she wiped at her eyes while her mind struggled to decipher what she was seeing. The columns in Karnak were aligned with intricate painted carvings at the base, no longer crumbling and worn.

  She stood to get a better view. The stones that she’d carefully maneuvered around to get to the sacred lake had been smoothed into level walkways. A wall rose up in the distance marking the entrance into the temple area. Charlotte reached over and pinched her hand.