Free The Pharaoh's Kiss (Reincarnation Romance Chronicles Book 3) by Dana Michelle Burnett

felt my body, my tears began to fall, but I didn’t feel their wetness. I cleared my throat and swallowed past my thirst. “What of the Pharaoh?”
    My eyes fell to the guard behind her. She bowed and moved aside so that he could come forward. His head was bowed, but I could smell the stench of battle and death on him.
    “The Pharaoh has returned,” the guard said. “He fought bravely, but was wounded. His leg seems broken and the fever—”
    “Take me to him,” I ordered as I tried to stand, my legs gave way, but the guard reached out and took my arm.
    The guard led me to my husband’s chamber, almost carrying me. He opened the door and stepped aside. I stood in the doorway and even from there, I could see that the Pharaoh Tutankhamun was not long for this world.
    He lay in his bed, his feverish eyes staring blindly up at the ceiling, and his chest heaving with great raspy breaths. He did not hear me enter and writhed weakly as I approached.
    “I am here my love,” I whispered as I reached out and touched his face.
    Some of the fear left his eyes, but he struggled to gasp his next breath.
    “I am here,” I repeated.
    Tutankhamun’s wild eyes continued to stare forward, but his hand clutched at mine.
    “He asked for you,” the guard said from the door. “He asked that we bring him to you.”
    “Leave us,” I choked out.
    “Yes, my queen.”
    I slid into bed beside him, resting my head next to his. I placed my hand on his chest, “You are my Pharaoh, my love, and my life.”
    His chest shook with another terrible breath. I reached up and touched his cheek, trying to calm him.
    “Ankhesenamun,” he said in a raspy whisper. “Ankhesenamun...”
    He took one more deep breath and then a slow exhale out... And then there was nothing. I waited for him to take another breath, but there was only silence. Silence that was filled with the piercing scream that seemed to explode my chest.
    “No!”

Chapter Fifteen
     
    I sat up on the gurney, gasping for air and looking about wildly. I swallowed back the scream that wanted to escape from my throat. The force of it pressing up against my ribs and squeezing my chest tight.
    Alex immediately was at my side, trying to soothe me. His hands were in my hair and rubbing down my back.
    I clutched at him, but I could feel myself trembling.
    “That’s it,” Alex said with fearful eyes. “No more of this.”
    I shook my head against his chest, “No please...I can feel it. I’m close to something.”
    “It’s not worth all of this.”
    “But –”
    “Senna please,” he begged. “It kills me to see you like this. You’re trying too hard.”
    I wanted to argue, but Alex was helping me swing my legs over the side of the gurney. He helped me stand, practically holding me up.
    “I shouldn’t have gone along with this,” he complained. “I knew better.”
    “It was my choice,” I said. “I wanted to come and try again.”
    Alex mumbled a quick thanks to David and lead me out of the morgue. He said little as he guided me down the hall, keeping his arm around my waist to steady me. I kept glancing up at him, but his face was blank and unreadable.
    “Are you mad at me?” I finally asked when we reached the parking lot.
    “No,” Alex said as he held me up with one hand and unlocked the car door with the other. “I’m not mad at you, why would you think that?”
    “Because you won’t look at me.”
    He shook his head, “I’m mad at myself.”
    “Why?”
    “For being selfish,” he said as he opened the door. He lowered me down to the passenger seat.
    “You’ve been the definition of unselfish,” I countered. “I mean you took me in, you’ve done everything you can to help me, and I don’t even want to think about how much trouble you’re in for all the time you’re taking off work. You’ve been very unselfish.”
    “No, I haven’t,” he admitted as he leaned against the open car door. “I wanted to be the hero and find a way for you to get