****
Akusaa. The name reverberated through Liora's mind as the woman leapt gracefully down from the boulder and approached her. Liora had heard the name before during her studies. It meant "sunset", and as Akusaa grew closer Liora felt like the name fit her perfectly. She was lovely and mysterious, her eyes a shade of violet that reminded Liora of the streaks across an autumn sunset. There was enough brightness in her to remind Liora of the sun, but she was soft around the edges like the gently coming night.
"Come with me," she said, reaching out her hand.
Liora took her hand and allowed Akusaa to guide her away from the pyramid and toward the trees. She could feel the man's eyes on her as they walked, but she didn't look back at him. Akusaa didn't release her hand as they passed through the trees, but her skin didn't have the heat of the man's and Liora found the touch comforting as she moved away from the only connection to Earth and deeper into the unknown planet.
"What is your name?" Akusaa asked.
"Liora."
Akusaa nodded as if pondering the name and determining if it was appropriate.
"You'll have to forgive my brother. Amasis has a strong temper, especially when it comes to the pyramids."
The name brought a smile to Liora's lips.
"Why is that?" she asked.
"He is very serious about their history and our link with Earth. That is where you came from."
She said it as a statement rather than a question and Liora nodded.
"I don't know how," she admitted.
"You were meant to be here."
Liora didn't realize they had approached another building until Akusaa released her hand and opened a large wooden door. She followed the dark-haired woman into the building and down a short hallway into a massive room that seemed to take up the entire space of the building. Steam rose out of the center of the floor and Liora walked toward it, letting out a sigh when she saw it came from a tub sunken into the stone floor. Even though it got her clean, the outdoor shower at the camp never felt like enough and the idea of a bath made her feel weak in the knees.
"Go ahead," Akusaa said from the doorway as if she had read Liora's mind, "I thought you might like to bathe."
Liora wanted to be offended by the comment, but she knew that a fine film of dirt and sand covered her skin, and her hair hung limply from sweat. Without hesitation, she started to undress, waiting until Akusaa stepped out of the room to remove all of her clothing and step down into the tub.
The hot water rose around her and Liora let out a long moan as she felt weeks of tension dissolve from her muscles and her body relax into the tub. She let her head rest back against the side of the tub and closed her eyes. The sound of light footsteps behind her told her that Akusaa had returned, but she didn't lift her head. Liora heard the soft sound of something pouring into the bath and a sweet, powdery smell filled her nose. She opened her eyes and saw Akusaa tipping a golden liquid from an intricate glass vial into the water. She should have felt uncomfortable with a stranger standing beside her bath, but Akusaa's calming presence made Liora relax even further into the water.
A moment later she felt the woman kneel behind her and loosen the clips that held her hair in place. Her long fingers combed through the blond strands, loosening them until they spread out around Liora's head.
"Slide down," Akusaa whispered, and Liora complied, easing her body off of the step where she sat and onto the bottom of the tub.
Liora felt water stream through her hair and then smelled something fresh and soothing. Akusaa washed her hair carefully, then poured more water through it.
"My brother has been waiting for you," Akusaa whispered.
Liora's eyes opened sharply.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
The lovely woman touched her face gently, tracing it with her fingers.
"He said you would come."
Akusaa placed a stack of towels beside the tub and draped something white across a low bench. Without another word, she walked out of the building, leaving Liora alone and confused.
Liora took a long breath and reached beside her to pick up a sponge. She dipped it into the water and trailed it along her skin, thinking about Akusaa's words and the feeling they created low in her belly. It reminded her of the feeling that came from touching the hieroglyphs and from the heat that radiated from Amasis's skin.
When she finished bathing, Liora climbed reluctantly from the tub and dried herself on the soft towels before picking up the cloth that Akusaa had placed on the bench. It felt like fluid in her hands and when she unfolded it, she saw that it was a long white dress. She dropped it over her head and let it flutter down her body so that the fabric grazed her skin and touched her feet.
Shaking her wet hair around her shoulders, she walked out of the building and back toward the pyramid.