Alexandros had abruptly called for a meeting early in the morning.

The women hurried to finish their laundry, the soaking-wet clothes fluttering in the gentle breeze. Children were in no mood to speed up, and under the shade of date palms they played their silly games. Men cleaned and chopped while talking about the sudden increase in humidity. Morning meals were eaten as if in a race, and before noon, all assembled in the centre of the village to meet the medjay.

Bergin was free today, after a long time, and along with Ishtar came to greet Inanna. "I really miss bantering with you lovely girls!" He pouted. "The medjay can be a bit boring sometimes."

Inanna chortled. "I do miss the pointless arguments too. But we are caught up with so much."

He heaved a sigh. "Yes... Although I do get access to many information. I don't know if it will be helpful in our own, secret investigation, but let's see."

Inanna and her friends scurried away from the crowd and went to a corner. "Thing is, the excavations are pointing fingers at Necromancers," Inanna said. "Are we sure it's not one of our own?"

"I do know about any guild other than my father's," Bergin replied. "I don't want to comment on this to be honest. We are all stuck and need more clarity. However, our real job requires us to be fair to the...uh, departed ones," he whispered the last words in an air of caution. "I don't think anybody from our guild is involved."

"Well, I don't even see spirits in here," Ishtar said. "Like in this village. Did you see any in the burial sites?"

Bergin nodded. "I did."

Inanna's eyes widened. "You did?"

"Yes. He was asking me for water, but I politely refused to speak, stating I was in danger. I think the man realised it, and I never saw him again."

It must be the same spirit I had seen. He was asking me for water too. "Be careful, Bergin. He shouldn't find out who we are."

Bergin laughed. "Alexandros? No he won't. I don't think he will."

Inanna heard the clatter of fear in his tone, a tint of apprehension marring the glow of his cocoa skin. Bergin's eyes obliviously scanned the horizon, lost in solitary thoughts.

"I think he is a sweetheart at the end. Especially to our pretty Inanna," Ishtar joked. "You are in his bad books girl. And I bet he likes it!"

"Stupid." Inanna scoffed. "He is a nagging pain. Our enemy. He is against magic."

"He is not against magic, Inanna," Bergin said, a sudden sharp inflection in his voice startling the girls. His brows squinted in annoyance. "He is against the ones who are tampering with the dead for calling a plague on humanity. He is fighting the wrongdoers, not the mages."

Inanna was taken aback by Bergin's words. He realised it too, and pursed his lips, veins popping on his neck. "Think, Inanna. Think."

"I agree..." Inanna took in a deep breath. "But we must also understand that we are culprits in the perspective of law." Interesting, Inanna averted her gaze. Bergin is suddenly a little protective of Alexandros.

Their attention was grabbed by the restlessness amongst the villagers. They went back to the gathering. Alexandros had arrived with Grandma Eman trailing behind him.

"Apologies for making you all wait," he said. "I had to cancel today's plans for excavation due to reasons I would like to not share. And for those same reasons, I have some questions for you."

Inanna had the inkling he was referring to last night's event, although she hoped he didn't know it was her. She had left no clue behind.

Except that damned cloak. But Alexandros had never seen it in my possession earlier, had he?

"Grandma Eman," he turned to the old lady, "you often take rounds of the village at night. And when you require, you call the boys. Is that so?"

"Yes." Grandma Eman looked perplexed.

"Last night, were you on a round? And if yes, did you ask anyone to come along with you?"

"I was on round, yes. But I didn't call anybody. Since I spotted nothing suspicious, I retired to bed early."

"So nothing came to your notice. Did you go to bed before midnight?"

"Of course!"

"Hmm, then Grandma Eman, I must tell you, there was an intruder in the village last night." Alexandros cracked his knuckles while glaring at the crowd. "I wasn't able to catch them. They escaped. But they left behind their cloak."

Grandma Eman shook her head. "The only place where they can escape to is the nearby village, if they haven't set off for another destination by this noon. But how come after years of practice and vigilance I missed it?"

"I do not doubt you, Grandma Eman. I have seen you since the time when I belonged to dust and rubbles. I know you in and out."

Grandma Eman's lips curved down. "But if someone came, it means they can be related to this plague. They might be a threat to you medjay!"

"They can't flee, Grandma Eman. And if I trust my guts, they haven't left your village."

She gasped. "What? So they are hiding–"

"Hiding in plain sight, Grandma."

"Wha-what do you mean?"

"It wasn't someone outside the village who was sneaking around, but someone from here only."

"What makes you conclude so?"

"They took the route from behind Abanoub's house, towards the lake. They can't possibly cross over to the other side so soon without me seeing them. I saw no footprints leading towards the bank. So, the only possible way for them to go was inside this village. And for them to be still safe here and breathing means they already know the village. They are a part of it."

Grandma Eman clutched her head, wobbly knees losing balance. Alexandros and a few men rushed to her side. They helped her sit down on a stool and brought water for her, but she refused to drink. Tears streamed down her eyes. "I can't believe someone from my own family is betraying me! They are ruining my upbringing!"

Whispers rippled across the crowd. Inanna kept a stoic face.

"You do not need to exert pressure on yourself, Grandma. I will take care of this matter," Alexandros assured. "Till then, I want no one to be out at night, not even any villagers. I will keep some medjay posted at night and they will be free from duties during the day. No one else should be seen out in the dark. Or else..." He gritted his teeth. "I will see to it that they merge with the darkness forever."

Inanna tried to find Abanoub's face in the crowd. Her eyes swum over the plethora of faces. Squeezed between two burly men was Abanoub. His predatory gaze was not on Alexandros. Shockingly, it was on Inanna.

She immediately shifted her position and feigned to talk with Ishtar. She could feel his lusting pull poke her sacred aura. It worried her. He can't know it was me...

"Dismissed." Alexandros waved his hand.

"How about we spend some time today?" Bergin offered. "You, me and Ishtar."

"I desire so too." I need distractions. "Let us take a walk."

Hand-in-hand, the three of them enjoyed the fresh air. But to be more accurate, only two of them. Inanna just faked it all.

Her heartbeats had reached a feverish pitch. She felt she would cry any moment. The sole thing that could put her in trouble was that cloak. It was now with that irritating Alexandros.

She had to fetch it, anyhow.

It clicked her then.

She had worn the same cloak during their first meeting in the alleyway, while returning from her one and only succesful mission as a Dreamer.

There could be more cloaks like that in Kemet, but currently Inanna could take no risk. Alexandros might have remembered the tiny detail, or if fortune was heavier on her scale, he wasn't able to find familiarity in the cloak.

"But I can't risk it," she muttered, low enough for her friends to not hear.

She had to take back the cloak.

****

Having a day off from work, the medjay were very jubilant and enjoying the relaxation. Playing board games, drinking wine and eating meat, they made small talk with the inhabitants of the village and narrated tales of valour to children. The smell of crispy fish and fig curry wafted to the nose of all, making stomachs grumble.

The chime of happiness made it a perfect time for the stealing to happen. Although Inanna was just taking back what rightfully belonged to her.

No one cast her a dirty look when she casually entered the house of Alexandros. Of course, being the infamous favourite (so the rumour went according to Ishtar) and the delightful healer, she could visit him anytime she wanted. Inanna supposed her walking into his abode was so commonplace that people ignored it like they swatted flies. Taking advantage of the lack of attention, she gently closed the door but didn't bolt it.

Her mouth hung open in awe upon seeing the humble glory of his room. Unlike general men, the Head of Medjay took pride in being a very organised, neat and clean person. On a table lay bottles of perfume, dried petals of flowers kept in a jar of water and honey, aromatic cakes of earthy soil and a container of kohl. The bedsheets had no crease, spotless white in colour. There was a gilded mirror dotted with topaz. Inanna thought she was too poor to even stare into her reflection.

"Get to work. Where can he hide the cloak?" She hummed. "Somewhere unreachable."

There were two trunks visible, but upon opening them she found piles of clothes and fur coats. Those were the personal belongings of Alexandros and she didn't have the heart to be a scavenger.

Her eyes went to the large trunks kept below the bed. Intuition told that her cloak was there. She knelt and put a hand under the furniture, expecting to see her arm covered in dirt, but the medjay kept his floors extra shiny. Inanna pulled the largest trunk she saw and opened the lid. There were rags in there and bandages. She screeched in joy when she saw the shabby shade of her cloak peeking from under the stuff. She quickly unpacked the trunk and took out her cloak, and then hastily arranged things back.

Suddenly, she could hear the thunderous roars of giddy men. They laughed hard on some nasty joke. Footsteps resounded, the smell of myrtle overtaking Inanna's senses. She hugged her cloak to the chest and dived underneath the bed.

The moment she hid, the door flung open. She heard someone bolting it.

So now I am stuck?

She was strangled and rolled into a cocoon in that small space. Alexandros broke into a greek song, the smell of honey floating in the air. Inanna realised he was applying perfume. She bent her neck and saw that he was draped in only a loincloth, his skin gleaming after an oiled bath. He rummaged through a trunk and brought out a tight skirt.

Down came the loincloth.

Inanna blocked her mouth from screaming. The little space didn't allow her to move to a region where his naked body would be less available for a show. And then there was this constant fear in her that asked her to keep an eye on him, lest he found she was in his room.

Her eyes hovered between his shapely hips and the darkness she was residing in. Red were her cheeks, ears steaming from a blush. Was she sinning by seeing a man without his consent?

Of course I am not aroused by this. Absolutely not. And I will leave as soon as I can.

The skirt fitted perfectly over his plump, round back.

I am sorry, Alexandros.

And then he came near the bed. And stopped.

Inanna's breath hitched in her throat. She bit her lips.

"Aswad had that nice comb. Ah, got to make him give it to me," Alexandros said with a chuckle and stormed off. Inanna waited for the door to hit with a bang, counted to ten, and then emerged out.

As soon as she was going to exit, Alexandros ran in, shut the door and windows, pulled the curtains.

"My beautiful thief," he said with a smirk. "I saw shadows flickering under the bed."

Inanna groaned. "Let...let me go!"

Alexandros attempted to snatch the cloak but Inanna pushed him away. He held her by the hand and cornered her against a wall. Glaring down at her pale face, he asked in his sinister baritone, "What where you doing in his house?"

Her tongue felt heavy. "Whose...whose house?"

A guttural noise escaped his mouth. "Abanoub was very drowsy this morning. I think he had a visitor last night, a secret vistor." He grabbed her chin. "I wonder why..."

She couldn't be sane while looking into his crimson eyes. They tore apart her soul in a million shards. "He wanted to be healed, but in seclusion."

Alexandros faked to be amused. "Ah...what disease it must be?"

"He is fine now," Inanna could barely breathe while he lingered so close to her lips, "I treated him–"

"Treated him with your legs, Inanna?"

Fury was back on her face. "Alexandros, I am a healer. He wanted me to come visit him alone and so I did."

"Then why did you run away from me?"

Inanna kept mum. She had no answer.

Alexandros left her. She heaved a sigh, having thought she was free to leave. But she was imprisoned by him again. He threw a pouch of gold at her. "I offer you so much. Come, please me."

Shame danced in her glassy gaze. "Alexandros, I have respect."

"I doubt so. And why be embarrassed? This is a job too, one that fetches a lot. You earn well. Perhaps being just a healer doesn't suffice." He brushed back her hair. "I am far better than Abanoub. If you can make me moan," he suppressed a grin, "I will make you rich with gifts, and maybe even a child–"

A slap hit Alexandros akin to a tempest overturning a ship.

"I am not your slave," Inanna spat. "I am not obliged to serve you in bed–"

A hand clutched her throat. Her pupils dilated, the cloak falling from her grip. But the touch morphed into something feathery– a graze of violence, a silent threat.

Inanna snickered. "Kill me."

Alexandros raised a brow.

She tightened his fingers around her neck. "Come on," she hissed, "choke me to death. Kill me. And if Master Hor-Aha asks, tell him I was a disobedient woman. A callous woman warming beds for easy money. He won't launch any complaint with the Pharaoh. After all, you are so powerful, aren't you?" She shivered with wrath. "You can have everything but not me."

Alexandros shoved away her grip and inspected her neck, tracing the skin over her collarbone. He muttered the name of Goddess Isis and said something in his mother tongue. When sure of no injury being inflicted on Inanna, he smacked her face lightly. "I won't kill you. Not so smoothly. I will torture you. Understand?" He sniffed her perfume, his lips kissing her tresses. "Marvellous. This will make men go mad. Can't blame the medjay."

"Alexandros–"

"Shut up." He wiggled a finger at her. "You will take this cloak and leave. And I shouldn't see you around any of my men. If I do, the consequences will be worse."

He went to his table and sat down to work with papers and a quill. "The door is open. If anybody asks, tell them I called you to consult on a headache. And here, put the cloak in this bag. No one needs to see this."

Inanna quietly put the cloak in the bag and ran out. Alexandros opened the window and watched her retreating figure. She stopped in her clumsy track and spared him a glance. Her eyes spoke devilish curses, spewing hatred for his unlucky soul. And then, she vanished from his vision.

"Inanna..." He closed his eyes, lolling back his head.

Something was happening. Something out of his control.