Page 12 of Ancient Rising

“He is one of the other elder Hmrain.”

“I know.He’s a biter.”

Ra tilted his head.“As am I.”

“What?Did the designers think no one would fuck you?”

He jolted and tugged on her hair.“You have a crude manner of speaking.”

“We are speaking in my language, which can be very graceful or very blunt.You are holding me by my hair.Blunt is required.”

He frowned.“I am not hurting you.”

“No, but you are restraining me.It is irritating me.”

“What could you do to me, little handmaid?”

She felt the smirk cross her lips.“More than you would think.Probably not kill you, but trying would be interesting.”

There were gasps from the team in the research zone.

“Did you threaten me?”

“Of course not, Overlord Ra.I was just sharing a fantasy.Wait, how did they know what I said?”

“We all got your language.It is mandatory for anyone hoping to spend more than two days on Aten.That is an overlord thing.”

“Right, well, my little fantasy was just that.”

He relaxed his hand and smoothed the filaments.“This was not meant to be aggressive.”

“We are strangers.It cannot be playful if I have never met you before.”

Ra nodded.“Walk with me, little one.”

She paused and then nodded.“Of course, Overlord.”

He looked at her and walked past her, down the steps to the throne, and she walked with the beads on her body clashing with every step.

She kept pace with him and remained just out of reach of his wings.He walked down more stairs, and she followed.Her body was shaking a little, and she recognized the feeling as low blood sugar.She mentally snorted and kept walking.She had an hour before she was a wreck.

They continued down under the pyramid, with each level having a different purpose.She looked forward to exploring at her leisure.There was so much to learn.

The garden under the pyramid was a shock.It was lush, gorgeous, and humid with a river running through it.The artificial sun that was down below was warm and comforting, not the harsh light of the suns above.

She scurried toward Ra as he took a seat at the edge of the river.There was nowhere for her to sit, so she stood off to the side.

“Harwin, come here.”He held out his hand, and she eased closer.

She stopped, and he sighed.“Closer.”

Harwin walked until her knees touched his calf.

He put his hands on her waist and settled her on his lap.She felt like a puppet.

He touched her jaw with a slow trace of his finger.“You do have fine features.”

“I have heard that.”