Two chapters today since this one was so short.
Evy was striding across the expanse of one of the rooms back at the hotel. "We must stop him from regenerating," she said. She stopped where she was, turning on her heel to face the others. "Who opened that chest?"
"There was me and Daniels here," Henderson replied. "Oh, and Burns, of course."
"And that Egyptologist fellow," Daniels added.
"What about my buddy Beni?" Rick asked.
"No, he scrammed outa there," Daniels said, "before we opened the damned thing."
"Yeah, he was the smart one," Henderson said.
Rick cast an amused grin over at Tessa as she let out a snort while rolling her eyes. "Yeah, that sounds like Beni," he said.
"We must find the Egyptologist," Evy said, "and bring him back to the safety of the fort before the creature can get to him."
"Right," Rick said. He pointed towards the youngest Carnahan. "She stays here. The rest of you, come with me." The decision seemed simple enough to him so he couldn't understand why everyone started to protest the moment after he had spoken.
"I'm not just going to let you leave me here!" Tessa said. "You're acting like I won't be able to help you, which I know I can!" Her brow furrowed as he started to approach her. "Rick, what are you doing?" She let out a yelp as he hoisted her up over his shoulder, carrying her off towards the doors to her room, which he opened with his free hand. "Jonathan, make him put me down!"
"Um, sorry, but he's a bit…tall," Jonathan said.
"You are rubbish for an older brother!" Tessa snapped. She was scrambling off the bed hardly a second after Rick plopped her down on it, but he still reached the doors before she did.
He turned back to face her once he was there, not afraid of her wrath in the slightest. "Look, kid, I like you, really I do, but your what he wants and I'm not gonna use you for bait." Then he shut the doors in her face, locking them quickly before she could try to burst free.
He grabbed Daniels by the collar, whirling the man around in front of him. "This door doesn't open," he said. "She doesn't come out and no one goes in, right?" He wasn't going to let some girl go prancing out after some all-powerful mummy, no matter who she was supposedly reincarnated from.
"Right," Daniels echoed.
Rick handed the key over to the other man before turning towards the two he was bringing with him. "Let's go, Evy, Jonathan."
Evy nodded, heading over to stand by his side, but her brother lingered in his seat at the table. "Oh, I thought I could just stay at the fort and, uh, reconnoiter."
"Now!" Rick snapped.
Jonathan stumbled up from his seat at the tone of the command. "Yeah, right," he said. "We're just gonna rescue the Egyptologist."
Tessa had changed into her nightgown, deciding that she might as well try to sleep while she had the chance. This would be her first proper rest in a real bed since their return from Hamunaptra and the events of that day had been enough to wear her out.
Still, she had only managed to settle into a light doze with true, heavy slumber still alluding her. There were snippets of things that kept flashing behind her eyelids, slipping away each time she tried to hold onto to them so that she could see what they were. It caused her to shift within the bed in frustration until a soft voice broke into her dreams.
"Amisi."
She felt fingertips brushed across her forehead in a gesture meant to comfort. It was almost like the ones she had received from her mother and later Evy. The smooth press of a mouth over her own, however, was nothing like anything either of them would have given her. There was a chill to the kiss that would have been uncomfortable if it weren't for how tender it was. It made her feel as though she was adored, perhaps even worshipped. She returned it without a thought, blindly wanting to give the person the same feeling in return.
Then she heard the sound of doors flying open, which was strange enough to cause her to come fully awake. Her eyes flew open then widened as she realized that she was being kissed by a mummy. She tried not to let her thoughts linger on how she felt strangely bereft as he pulled back from her. Besides, Rick was already giving her something else to focus on.
"Hey, get your ugly face off of her!"
Imhotep growled out words in ancient Egyptian that were to low to be translated before pushing Tessa behind him as he rose from the bed.
But Rick, as it turned out, had come prepared. "Look what I got." He held up the Persian cat from before, who hissed at the creature.
Imhotep let out a gasp then cast a glower at Rick before disappearing from the rooms in another sand storm.
Tessa scooted up against her headboard, pressing her fingers to her lips. Evy was at her side barely a moment later, wrapping her arms around her.
"You all right?" Rick asked.
"Well, I'm not sure," Jonathan answered.
Rick might have snapped at him if it weren't for the way that Tessa burst out into laughter at the comment. He exchanged a look of relief with Evy instead, beyond glad to have the girl in such an amused state instead of there being any tears.
