I've been writing as fast as I could, trying to get this story done and so this new chapter was born;). This is going way faster than I thought, but I just can't help it…:D
Three things about this chapter: about the Math thing… I told you it will have a Stargate feeling-remember "Thor's Chariot"?
Number two: the thing with the precipice may be familiar for you if you've seen "The Librarian: Quest for the Spear." It's not a coincidence.
And thirdly, about the ending: my congratulations to any of you who saw it coming. You may now gloat.
As usually, thank you for all your great reviews!
"Stella, could you please tell me why in God's name these tests are trying to make me…you know." thought Helen.
"Admit the obvious?"
"It's not obvious, Stella!"
"What does your heart tell you about Nikola?"
"I prefer not to think about it."
"I don't know why I expected another answer…" Stella thought with a sad smile."I know you a lot better than you think, Helen. Your heart has been shattered into one million pieces the last time you were in love and you denied yourself the right to love again. Your heart screams that you love Nikola; it screams that he will not betray you like the other did, but your mind refuses to listen. You are stubborn, Helen, more stubborn than anyone else I know, but you can't fight your feelings forever."
"I am not hiding anything! Even if I did, hypothetically speaking, I can try to fight them."
"Yes, but why do it? Why do it when it is so obvious that you need Nikola more than anyone else? Your heart cries for the sweet touch of his lips, your hands would like nothing more than playing with his messed up hair…Don't get me wrong, I know what scares you, Helen. You are used to being in control, and you feel that you are losing it every time when he is around. In Geb's chamber, when he embraced you, you felt like someone poured molted lead into your veins. Somehow, you managed to fight your feelings, but you know damn well what would have happened if that test would have lasted one more second."
"Nonsense."
"You are a lot stronger than I thought, I'll give you that. But this is not for your own good. You spent your life healing people, Helen. It is time to let Nikola heal you."
Their arrival to Amaunet's chamber saved Helen from answering.
"She who needs no husbandis prepared to share her secrets with the ones who are worthy of it. Let the Northern wind guide you in the kingdom of the Mysterious one, but be advised: on Amaunet's territory, mysteries and shadows will haunt you at every turn. To fight them, you must prove that fear is not shadowing your soul." Nikola read the inscription.
"Sounds interesting…" Nikola said and stepped into the chamber, followed by Helen and the others. The fragment they needed didn't seem to be anywhere, but a cold wind started to blow from the walls. It was horrible. Numbness was taking over them and their blood was freezing inside their veins.
"Well, this is not exactly my definition of a warm welcoming." said Nikola.
"Are you kidding me? It's freezing here!" completed Helen, her teeth chattering.
"Well, you are the doctor here, but I guess that we will have to combine body heat in order to survive…"
"Nice try, Nikola."
"Come on, all you need to do is to increase your blood pressure. Trust me; I know a very interesting way of doing that." He slowly closed the distance between them, his arms wide open, waiting for her to give in and embrace him…
"What is that marking on the wall?" asked Will.
"Junior, if you interrupt me one more time, I swear…"
"He is right, Nikola. There is something there."
Nikola let his arms down, disappointment all over his face.
"This is interesting." He said after he finished reading the hieroglyphs. "How come there is a Greek symbol in an Egyptian pyramid?"
"Greek? Are you out of your mind, Nikola?"
"Well, with you around, it's pretty hard to focus, but this is a Greek symbol. Phi, to be more precise."
"This doesn't make any sense." Will said.
"On the contrary. Strange as it may sound, it does. It's Egyptian Mathematics."
"With Greek symbols?"
"Yes. Phi is the so called Golden number or golden ratio. It was used in the construction of the Pyramids." said Helen.
"Not only does she have the sweetest lips I've ever kissed, she also is one of the most brilliant humans I've ever known…My God, Helen, can you be any hotter than this?"
"So, what we need to do…" Helen continued, already blushing "…is to draw a segment that represents the golden ratio."
"Now I wish I didn't skip so many Math classes in high school." Muttered Kate.
"Children…Apart from seemingly making an extremely good job with interrupting us, why in God's name do you need them, Helen?"
"Because, unlike others, I am not a one man show." Saying this, she kneeled and drew an equilateral triangle in the sand. Using a compass she had improvised from two sticks tied to each other, she inserted the triangle into a circle. Then, she united the midpoints of two sides and extended the line until it met the circle. It seems it worked, because one of the walls slid away, revealing another chamber. Well, "chamber" was not exactly the right word, because the only solid thing in it seemed to be a pedestal, in the opposite part of the room. A huge precipice separated them from the pedestal.
"Great. What are we supposed to do now? Fly?" Kate's sarcastic tone indicated that she was sick and tired of these tests.
"You are going to let someone old enough to deal with this, Miss Freelander." said Stella. "Helen and Nikola are the only ones who can obtain the fragment."
"This is getting old, don't you think?"
"Come on, Helen. We are good at working together. Sure, I would have preferred to do other things with you, none of them involving work, but hey…"
"Nikola, I had an idea. You could get that fragment; I mean it seems to be made from metal."
"Already tried. This one is made from stone. No chance."
"What then?"
"Give me your hand, Helen." Nikola said, approaching the edge.
"Watch it, Nikola." She said, afraid that he would fall.
"Trust me, I know what I'm doing. Your hand, please. Now."
She reluctantly listened to him, her heart almost silenced by the touch of his hand.
"Now, close your eyes." Nikola instructed.
"What are you planning?"
"Do it." He wished he would have given these instructions to her under different circumstances, but he still enjoyed it. She closed her eyes, her fingers interlacing with his as they were both on the edge. She felt him make a step forward and she instinctively followed him, realizing what she had done only when it would have been too late. The fall she expected didn't come. Instead, she kept walking, still holding his hand. They were practically walking on air.
"Well, I heard that love can make you fly, but this is a little ridiculous, don't you think?" he asked with a smirk.
"Spare me. We are walking on a mirror, aren't we?"
"Yes. It was a very nice trick, I'll have to admit, but I'm just too brilliant for someone to fool me."
"Less ego, more facts please."
"Oh, I would give you a lot of facts, but you would probably say it's not the right time. Although kissing you in mid air is a very interesting idea…"
"You think this road is going to last enough?"
"Yes. My guess is that it is as big as the precipice. The only problem is that it is not very wide, so you'll have to stay very close to me…"
They crossed over, walking so close to each other that she could feel his breath on her neck. And quite frankly, she liked this feeling. A lot. The rest of the road went well. They got the fragment and went back on the glass bridge. Stella welcomed them with a smile on the other side.
"Now that we have all of the four fragments, can you tell us what is the thing with the last chamber?" Helen asked.
"I can, but I won't."
"Please, Stella! We got the fragments, what more do you want?"
"You are not prepared for your final test." She said coldly. "I can't put you in danger."
"We are ready, you have to believe us!"
"Very well. The fifth chamber…is about the heart of everything. Figure this out and you'll get Osiris's blood."
"I don't mean to be rude, Stella, but I had enough! I am sick of all the riddles and mysteries. I want the truth."
"I am not hiding anything from you, Helen."
"I am sorry, but I think you are, Stella." As much as she tried, Helen couldn't help a threatening tone when she said her next sentence. "Or should I say…Isis?"