Page 31 of Cleopatra

“I will leave you now,” I said hurriedly.

As I turned to go, Apollodorus roused a little. He spat the leaves from his mouth. Before I could place them back on his tongue, his wide eyes met mine.

“It is you,” he said, awe making his voice quake. “The Queen is in my home.”

I laughed to cover the apprehension that had robbed me of breath. “No, friend, I am Selene, a healer sent to tend to you.”

“No, I know you.”

Nilah patted him on the arm. “My dear, you are feverish.”

Apollodorus’s bloodshot eyes bored into mine, stripping away my deception. “I was there at your coronation, I sent rugs to the palace…” His mouth frothed from the sap of the wormwood and he began to cough.

I moved to support his back. “Help me raise him up.”

Together we brought him up to sitting, padding the straw beneath his lower back so he remained upright. By the time we were done he had fallen asleep once more—to my relief.

I clasped my trembling hands behind my back. “I must go—I have many other patients to visit this night.”

Nilah reached into her pocket and removed a single drachma. She held the coin out to me and I was confronted with an engraving of my own face. I dipped my head so she would not notice the resemblance.

“No, I do not need your coin, Nilah.” I made my way outside quickly. The air there, though fetid from the delta, was refreshing compared to the thickness of the humidity inside the homestead.

Nilah followed me, and Ahmose immediately moved out of the shadows in defence. I held out a hand to warn him not to intercede.

“Please, there must be something I can do,” Nilah called out.

I turned to her. “Pray to our great mother, Isis. That is all I ask of you.”

She looked thoughtful for a moment, her gaze shifting from mine to Ahmose’s, lingering on the uniform he wore.

I cursed inwardly, waiting for her to speak.

“I will do as you ask, Selene,” she said carefully, her expression neutral. “The great mother will have my prayers this night.”

I nodded and turned away. “Peace be with you,” I said by way of goodbye.

“And with you, Selene.”

As I began to walk to my next appointment, Ahmose fell into step beside me. I looked at him sidelong, not used to having my footsteps matched by another.

“How long have you been healing the city, my queen?” he asked.

“A season.”

“And they do not know it is you?”

“No—not until tonight, anyway.”

“You think she knew?”

“I think she suspected. The husband recognised me, but he was afflicted with a fever.”

Ahmose looked distraught. “Should I go back?”

“To achieve what? No, I do not think she will say anything. Not many people would believe her.”

“This is a risky endeavour, my queen.”