The Pharaoh’s Favorite novel Chapter 35

“You danced beautifully tonight,” he said, his voice smooth, warm. “A captivating performance.”

I held his gaze, expression unreadable, refusing to let the weight of his words affect me. I would not play this game. Not when he had spent days avoiding my touch, keeping me at a careful distance.

After a long pause, I lowered my eyes, glancing toward the revelry around us.

“Thank you,” I said simply, the words hollow, detached.

The moment stretched between us, taut and silent. I could feel the flicker of his surprise, the hesitation in his breath, but before he could question me, Heket seized the moment, filling the space with effortless conversation.

I let the evening slip by in silence.

My mind drifted elsewhere—to the dream. The blood-red waters of the Nile. The cryptic warning that still clung to the edges of my consciousness, elusive yet persistent.

It was only when I felt the distinct sensation of being watched that my thoughts returned to the present. A cold weight settled in my chest.

I scanned the room, searching for the source of the unease tightening my spine. And then I found him.

Sahety.