River of the Sun, chapter 14 – The Flood

Rameses, second of that name and the one in rising to the throne of Egypt, looked through the widening gap of broken, bronze doorway and fixed his eyes on the woman frozen in shock in the East of the temple.

As the shrieking of torn metal desisted, he held out his warrior’s arms to push the smashed halves of the portal apart. Through the widening gap the regent could see that the eyes of Neferaset had located his face, and was staring in disbelief out of her desecrated world.

He had faced many enemies in close combat, and knew how to read the faces of those who were opposite his blade. The same look of despair greeted him now.

There was shock in the dark eyes on the other side of the wrecked temple space, but there was no terror. Well then