Free Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter Page A

decorated her flagship in victory flags and commanded her musicians to blare marches of triumph as she approached the Royal Harbor. All of Alexandria rejoiced that the queen had returned triumphant.
    But it did not take long for everyone to learn that it had been all for show. Mother had not “won” at Actium; she had merely broken through the enemy’s blockade. Father had broken through with her but then sailed for Libya to prepare his legions there to engage the enemy on land. We — along with all of Alexandria — only learned the truth of Mother’s ruse after she executed traitors, those who had secretly and not so secretly supported Octavianus. Later I would learn that Euginia’s father had been one of the executed.
    But so grateful was I to have Mother safely back, I never questioned her need to eliminate her political enemies — or whether Euginia’s father’s attempt to keep his family safe actually constituted treason. I prayed only that Euginia would be safe and reminded myself that when everything was over, I would find her and bring her back to be my lady.
    One night I visited Mother’s chambers in what I still called the “deep-dark.” She was poring over an untidy pile of scrolls, so I played with Hekate. The green-eyed creature seemed to have gone almost feral in Mother’s long absence. She was not interested in the peacock feather I waved in front of her face; she only had eyes for Mother’s bare ankles. Hekate crouched behind the shimmering mother-of-pearlscreen across from Mother’s desk, tensed her back legs — tail swishing — and pounced.
    Mother yelped as Hekate bit and scratched her in one lightning strike, then skittered across the gleaming marble and onyx floor in a furious race for the antechamber.
    Mother jumped out of her chair in a rage. “You wicked beast,” she hissed. “How dare you!” She took one of the still-rolled scrolls on her desk and threw it with all her might into the other room.
    I gasped. Never, not once, had I ever seen Mother react with such fury. Charmion and Iras both jumped up in alarm.
    “Lady, no!” Iras said. “That is sacrilege! Bastet will surely exact revenge….”
    Mother rounded on her. “As if she has not punished me enough? Well, if the good goddess wants to attack me, she will know that I always fight back.”
    “But …,” I started, and Iras shook her head at me in warning. I closed my mouth.
    Charmion made the sign for protection against evil and closed the door to the antechamber to keep the cat away. Mother’s eyes, ringed by deep, almost purple shadows, seemed huge and feverish. She cursed wildly under her breath as she checked her now-bleeding ankle.
    “Get me something,” she ordered. Iras brought her a soft linen cloth and began blotting at the deep scratch, but Mother snatched the fabric from her and applied pressure herself. I had never seen her so agitated. She must have felt me watching her because she turned to me, eyes blazing.
    “You come in here and rile that creature up with your ridiculous games! This is
your
fault. I need you to leave now!”
    “But I did not do anything. I —”
    “Go! Take that odious feather with you and GET OUT!”
    I looked up at her, frozen in shock, afraid and yet furious that she was blaming me for the cat’s attack. Then I threw the feather down and ran out of her room.
    Katep, who had been dozing on a bench across the hall, jumped up. “What is wrong?”
    “Leave me alone!” I shouted, and ran back to my rooms. I was too agitated to go into my chamber, so I paced outside it, waiting for Katep. To my surprise, Charmion walked beside him.
    “Little Moon …,” Charmion said.
    “I am
not
so little anymore, if you haven’t noticed,” I spat.
    She sighed. “I would like to explain,” she said, “about the pressure on the queen right now. Come with me.”
    Katep handed her a small oil lamp, and my mother’s lady and I moved into one of the side gardens ideal for private