Reincarnated

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Day 5.

"Holy crap!" I yelp, falling back in such a fright that I unintentionally backflip, narrowly missing the fire. The Sphinx chuckles, flicking me back up to my feet with her tail.

"What's the matter child? Have you never seen a sphinx before?"

I gape up at her, slowly shaking my head. The Sphinx smirks haughtily as she towers over us, her body the size of a house and her head the size of a Range Rover. Her golden lioness pelt shimmers under the low light, the flickering fire casting dancing shadows across her body every time her lean, sinewy muscles ripple menacingly under her skin. Her face is what has me gawking like a cartoon character though: it's the beautiful face of an exquisite Egyptian woman, decorated with elegant makeup and heavy eyeliner. The way she holds herself is almost regal as she gazes down at me through a lidded caramel gaze.

"Well now you have. You should stop staring, however. The slack-jawed look you have going on right now is bordering on tiresome." The Sphinx sighs.

My jaw closes with a snap.

"That's better. Now..." She pauses for so long that it feels like she's a Broadway star stopping for a dramatic moment, her gaze wandering over our little campsite. "You arrived as a triplet, but now there are only two of you. I wonder where the little blind mouse is?" Her gaze screeches to a stop on the tent. A feral smile stretches languidly over her lips. "Found you, little mouse."

Her tail whips past my face and through open zip of the tent before I can even process what's happening. Seconds later, it reappears, Hazel wrapped up in it like the victim of a boa constrictor.

"This better not be another goddamn nightmare!" Hazel yells. She kicks and struggles like a girl possessed. "Because I've already had this one and I was not amused!"

"Nightmare?" The Sphinx echoes, bringing Hazel right up to her face. My best friend blanches, her eyes widening to the size of saucers when she realises what's holding her hostage. "I could have your head for that insult, little mouse."

"I'm sorry." Hazel squeaks. She stammers to get her words out. "Please don't eat me."

The Sphinx chuckles and drops Hazel down next to Ahmose and I. Hazel scrambles to her feet and grips my arm tightly.

"Sphinx." She wheezes. "That's a sphinx. A sphinx."

"Yes Hazel, I can see that!" I hiss back.

Ahmose shushes us both, keeping his gaze fixed on the mythical being before us. The Sphinx sits back on her haunches and sweeps her tail around, trapping us in our camp. Her eyes settle on Ahmose. A languid smirk dances over her features.

"I was wondering when I would be seeing you again, little godling." She purrs. The look on her face sends shivers of pure repulsion down my spine. "I was beginning to miss our last little chat."

Ahmose doesn't respond, staying in the same position that he defensively dropped into when the Sphinx first appeared. The Sphinx sighs overdramatically, rolling her eyes.

"Talkative as always, I see. I much preferred it when you had a looser tongue." She turns her gaze on me. I flinch at the intensity I'm abruptly bathed in. "And who are you supposed to be, little sparrow?"

"Kiara."

"Oh, I see." The Sphinx nods, settling down into a comfortable sitting position and crossing her front paws. "You're a lot more... original than I expected. I guess that's why I took no notice of you at all."