“Kela?” he croaked, noticing that she kept her hand on his shoulder.
The smile widened. “Yes, my name is Kela. Your name is Jak. You are among friends.”
Jak stared at her lovely face as she spoke. The bare-walled room was lit by tapers, and the play of light and shadow did interesting things to her features.
“My friends. Where?”
A different voice answered, “They are in the custody of Pharaoh.”
Kela glanced up and to her left, and another woman stepped into Jak’s field of vision. She was very tall and slim, with a touch of arrogance stamped on her stirringly beautiful face. Her mouth was agreeably, coquettishly shaped, and her almost imperceptibly slanted eyes contained a dark, mocking curiosity.
Whereas Kela was lovely in an innocent, almost childlike way, this woman’s beauty was regal, sculpted perfection. With a faint, drowsy shock of recognition, he realized he had seen the woman before. He couldn’t immediately recall, but he had an impression that she had danced for him.
“I am Nefron,” the woman continued. “I will help you and all of your people if you will but trust me.”
Kela stood to allow Nefron to move to Jak’s bedside. His eyes ran over their forms. Both women wore thin, loosely woven tunics that seemed like cobwebs, barely a concession to clothing. He felt himself responding to the proximity of the two near naked females. He hoped they didn’t notice. He glanced down at himself, making sure he still wore his pants. He did, but he felt a distinct pressure building in his groin.
“You have been brought to a safe house,” Kela said. “No one will find you here. You have been unconscious all day and for the better part of the night.”
Jak started to speak, then thought better of it. He felt awkward, even a little foolish. It wasn’t like him to start having erotic reactions in unsecured circumstances. He wondered briefly what had been in the drink.
“You must stay here and regain your strength,” Kela said.
“Feel fine now,” he grunted.
As he pushed himself up to his elbows, his head swam and his surroundings spun. Still, he forced himself to sit up on the edge of the pallet. “My things. Where?”
Nefron pointed to his camouflage vest draped over a footstool. “There. Your weapons, even your knives, are safe.”
Jak started to stand, but a wave of dizziness crashed over him. He felt himself falling, but Nefron and Kela caught him by the arms and steadied him. As they lowered him back onto the pallet, Nefron said, “Do not be an idiot. You are still very weak.”
Jak swiped shaking hands over his eyes. “Know that now. Thanks.”
“What is your full name?” Kela asked.
“Jak Lauren.”
“Listen to me, Jak Lauren.” Nefron knelt beside the cot, one hand on his leg. “Life is very complex here in the kingdom. It will soon become even more complex. You must stay here, out of sight, until certain plans are laid and come to fruition. I or Kela will keep you advised as to the progression.”
“Progression?” Jak looked into her eyes and once again felt a physical stirring, despite his weakness. Nefron’s eyes were like dark flames, burning in his imagination, stimulating it with an almost erotic energy.
“I have a plan to get you and your friends safely out of here. But you must trust me. It all has to come together perfectly. All of you must go, or none of you will go. Do you understand?”
As she spoke, her fingers slowly crept up his thigh, and the exquisite tension strained against his crotch. He stared hard at her, then glanced away, toward Kela. She stood with her hands clasped primly behind her back and avoided his gaze.
“Do you understand?” Nefron asked in a husky whisper.
Jak nodded. “Yeah.”
Nefron got to her feet, gesturing toward Kela. “I will not be able to visit you very often. Kela will attend to your needs and carry messages—to me and from me.”
“Want to see friends,” Jak declared stubbornly.
“That is not possible, Jak Lauren,” Nefron snapped. “However, it is possible to get messages to them. That will have to suffice.”