Magical powers. Kami remembered the pulse she'd felt earlier that day. But she hadn't felt anything since, so it must have just been her imagination, after all.
"Who is Khaled Hassri?"
"My father! How did you know?"
"It's right here. It's kind of hard to see unless you look at it just right."
He handed her back the scarab, and she squinted to read the tiny words inscribed on it. It was written in Arabic. A lot of good that did her.
"It's fairly common to put your name on these. Supposedly it provides the wearer with protective powers," Liam said. "But wait a minute. Look at this. This is unusual."
"What?"
"This other engraved word. It's so faded I almost didn't see it. I don't recognize the symbols. Do you?"
Kami squinted at the necklace again.
"I can't read any of it," she shrugged. "I wonder where my father got it?"
"Me too. It's kind of heavy. Don't you feel it pulling at your neck?"
"It did at first, but then I got used to it after awhile."
She thumbed the surface lightly. Still no surges or energy pulses. She was probably just imagining things in her excitement over the trip.
"So let me get this straight," she said. "At first I thought it was just a scarab necklace, but now I know they are not just any beetles. They are special beetles that rise triumphantly from a pile of poo?"
Liam laughed.
"When you put it that way," he choked out, then regained his composure. "At least it looks posh."
"Right."
"I swear. How can they even claim those things are healthy?"
What was he talking about? Beetles? Oh, the granola bar. She ate the last piece with a flourish.
"Of course it's healthy. It's got oats in it, and nuts, and fruit," Kami said. Okay, so it was a lame argument. "C'mon, it tastes good."
"It ought to. Everything's coated in sugar. It's probably worse for you than a bar of chocolate."
Kami rolled her eyes and changed the subject.
"So what were you doing in America?" she asked.
"Visiting my cousins in San Diego."
"Oh!" she said. "I live just 20 minutes from there, outside of La Mesa."
"Ah! I wondered if you were from California or passing through when I saw you on the other flight."
"Born and raised," Kami said. "But I moved to the southern part of the state a few years ago. Wait a minute. You were on the other plane?"
"Yeah, nice of you to notice. Kind of hard on a guy's ego. Although in my defense, you did seem pretty distracted. And, of course, you were totally checking me out on this flight."
Kami slugged him.
"I was not!"
"You were staring."
"I was just looking for other Americans. Clearly I was off with you."
"Right. If that's the story you want to believe, then go ahead."
"Whatever," Kami rolled her eyes and changed the subject. "You said you were visiting your cousins. So does that mean you live in Egypt?"
"Yes. My dad works for the British Embassy. I live with my parents in Cairo."
"When did you move to Egypt?"
"Three years ago. It seems like forever ago now."
"What are your cousins like?"
"Tall, blond, tanned, gorgeous, and they know it. Super nice though."
"Why wouldn't they be nice to you? Rich, handsome, foreign."
"Ha! So you do think I'm handsome. I knew it."
"I meant it in a sort of a general way."
"Right."
As Kami thought of his cousins, she felt a familiar twinge. Just because at one point she had been harassed by a few that fit that profile didn't mean they were like that. And ultimately if she believed other people's immature comments, that was her problem. She wondered what they would think of her in Egypt.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Liam asked.
"They're not worth that."
"Try me."
"I'm just wondering if my grandparents will accept me. If I'll fit in."
"Who cares about fitting in? You should just be yourself, and if they don't like you for you, tell them to shove off."
"I wish I had your confidence."
"It's not confidence. It's laziness. I can't be bothered with the effort it takes to impress people I don't care about."
"Maybe that's part of it," she said thoughtfully. "But it's also confidence. There's this vibe that people who have had every opportunity handed to them radiate. It's this sense of knowing you have a right to pursue anything, any education, any career, any experience."
He seemed disturbed by her words.
"What?" she asked.
He shook his head.
"No, tell me," she said.
"I'm just wondering if that's what you think of me. That I have an easy life. That I'm just a spoiled rich kid that's had everything handed to me."
Oops. She'd obviously hit a sensitive spot and she really didn't mean to insult him.
"No, not at all," she backtracked quickly, a little embarrassed for being so honest with her feelings. "I've always wished I had that kind of confidence. I think it's usually a good thing. The only time it becomes bad is when it causes you to lose awareness that the rest of us are struggling, and you become judgmental or indifferent."
"Am I like that?" he asked, looking a little like a wounded animal.
She paused, searching his handsome face. She needed to be careful.
"I don't know you well enough to say, but from what I've seen so far, I'm impressed. You saw the need of that woman and her baby."
"Maybe. But you could also say I saw an opportunity. Sitting by you seemed a whole lot more interesting than sitting next to an empty seat for the next several hours."
"It is hard to have a conversation with an empty seat, isn't it?"
She saw a hint of a smile.
He looked back at the woman again, and Kami's gaze followed his. The baby had finally fallen asleep, his silky head in his mother's lap, and the rest of his body curled up on his seat. Liam turned to her suddenly with an impish grin. For a moment she could see the little boy he must have been.
"Seems to have worked out well for everyone," he grinned. "She gets a break and I get to sit by the prettiest girl on the plane."
"Nice try. I'm probably the only one you can talk to without incurring the wrath of a protective father, or brother, or boyfriend."
Liam laughed.
"You could be right there."
After the initial flush of pleasure at his compliment, Kami began to feel uneasy. The more she thought of it, the more she didn't know what to make of it. Calling her pretty seemed so generic, like something he might say to any attractive girl. It wasn't personal. He'd been so charming, so easy to talk to that she'd forgotten that she didn't know him, not really. She'd been charmed before, and look at how that had turned out. She wanted to trust he was being sincere, but how could she know for sure? Everything was just so complicated. She tried to push the doubts away. It wasn't fair to judge Liam based on the actions of another.
Suddenly, a violent shaking seized the plane and completely banished all thoughts of her handsome seatmate. The plane dropped sharply, and a few of the passengers screamed. The overhead light came on and masks dropped from their compartments. She quickly buckled her seatbelt, panic sweeping over her.
"It's just turbulence. Here, put your mask on," Liam said, handing it to her.
She snapped the mask over her nose and mouth and breathed in the oxygen deeply.
Kami's bones rattled as the pilots fought for control. Stay calm, she told herself. Just a little turbulence.
She felt Liam's voice in her ear.
"It'll be fine. Just remember to breathe."
She focused on slowing her breathing, in and out, in and out. The last thing she needed to do was hyperventilate.
She glanced out the window and forgot to breathe again. Black smoke was curling around the edges of the wing. The wing was on fire!
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All I can say is Kami is probably thinking Oh crap about now! What did you think? Hit the star if you liked this chapter!
Dedication for this chapter goes to a dear friend, Veralynn. She was one of the "original three" and I have appreciated her consistent support and comments. She also was there for me when I was going through some tough things. I'm so glad to have her in my life.