“Mother, I see them. I see them all!” I cried with joy to see them, and then I felt the air shift and change. The warmth of the fire faded, although the flame continued to flutter about. The cold was so deep it hurt my bones, but it passed over me quickly and the warmth returned. I heard a sigh behind me, but I could not bear to look away from the scene before me.
And then I saw her in the flames.
There was Mother’s face—young and beautiful. Long red hair flowing, green eyes playful and happy. She wore no makeup, no heavy eye paint as used to be her custom. Yes, she wore the prettiest smile I’d ever seen on her pink lips. It was as if she were young again. Father held his arms out to her, and she fell into them. They embraced one another as if all was forgotten, all was forgiven. I sobbed to see their reconciliation. Then I felt a great sadness because they had forgotten me. Or so I thought, until I remembered her words.
Tasherit…you will see…
Unexpectedly the flame died, and with it the images. Despite my desperate attempts to revive the fire, I could not call them back. I would never be able to see them like this again, for with her passing all my magic left me. I would learn this later.
I turned to see what I already knew. My mother, the Great Queen of Egypt, had left this world for the next. It had not been a vain seeing. I had seen her. There would be no fine funeral for her. No sacrifices made, no hidden tombs or mystical prayers. She was here, and now she was gone.
But I had peace now—heavy grief, but peace came too. I would see her again. I would see them all one day. Until then, I would tell everyone who would listen the story of the Desert Queen. She had been the Falcon of the Meshwesh, the mekhma of the Red Lands. The Beloved Queen of Amenhotep, Neferneferuaten.
Yes, I would be the one to make sure everyone knew the truth—despite what Adijah said. What was there to fear now? I arranged Mother’s body on the pallet. I gently placed her arms at her sides and smoothed her long hair over her shoulders. I tidied her gown and covered her hands as she always liked.
Tonight all the people of Cythera and the surrounding islands would come to honor her. And after they said their words and cast gifts upon her, I would tell them a story. I knew what I would say.
Come closer, my Treasures…let me tell you the Tale of Nefret.
Read more from M.L. Bullock
The Seven Sisters Series
Seven Sisters
Moonlight Falls on Seven Sisters
Shadows Stir at Seven Sisters
The Stars that Fell
The Stars We Walked Upon
The Sun Rises Over Seven Sisters
The Idlewood Series
The Ghosts of Idlewood
Dreams of Idlewood
The Whispering Saint (forthcoming)
The Haunted Child (forthcoming)
The Heart of Idlewood (forthcoming)
Return to Seven Sisters
(A Forthcoming Sequel Series to Seven Sisters)
The Roses of Mobile
A Garden of Thorns
All the Summer Roses
Blooms Torn Asunder
A Final Wreath of Roses
Cotton City Antiques
(A Forthcoming Seven Sisters Spinoff Series)
A Voice from Her Past
The Haunted Letter
Henri’s Ghost Light
Missing Time in Mobile
Phantom Photos of Tomorrow
The Weeping of Angels
(A Forthcoming Seven Sisters Spinoff Series)
The Ghosts of Kali Oka Road
The Creature on Crenshaw
The Fairview Ghost Lights
Crying Angels Bridge
The Ghost of Gabrielle Bonet
Storm Castle Series (forthcoming)
The Haunting of Joanna Storm
The Disappearance of Joanna Storm
The Ghost of Joanna Storm
The Desert Queen Series
The Tale of Nefret
The Falcon Rises
The Kingdom of Nefertiti
The Song of the Bee-Eater
The Sugar Hill Series
Wife of the Left Hand
Fire on the Ramparts (forthcoming)
Blood by Candlelight (forthcoming)
The Starlight Ball (forthcoming)
Athena’s Revenge (forthcoming)
The Sirens Gate Series
The Mermaid’s Gift
The Blood Feud
The Wrath of Minerva
The Lorelei Curse (forthcoming)
The Island Jinx (forthcoming)
The Fortunate Star (forthcoming)
The Southern Gothic Series
Being with Beau
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About the Author
Author of the best-selling Seven Sisters series and the Desert Queen series, M.L. Bullock has been storytelling since she was a child. A student of archaeology, she loves weaving stories that feature her favorite historical characters—including Nefertiti. She currently lives on the Gulf Coast with her family but travels frequently to exotic locations around the globe.