I still own nothing from the Mummy or The Mummy Returns. I do own Rebecca and Amanda.
(Oh my goodness, is the ball rolling on this story again? I hope so!)
Chapter 8
They stepped out into more darkness, but as those torches made their way out of the tunnel more light illuminated the room, revealing the place that Alex had read on the wall.
"Dear lord, we're back in bloody Hamanaptra." Jonathan said with a scowl.
"It would appear so." Evy said softly as she looked about the room.
How fitting that it should end where it began was Ardeth's thought as he helped Rick light the torches about the room. For he had no doubt that it would end here, in the City of the Dead. He watched his wife set the book on the altar, leaving both hands upon it as she surveyed the room. His heart swelled with pride at the way she was handling the threat of Imhotep, it had been very resourceful of her to combine two spells in order to come up with one that would help Alex. She had come a long way from the woman who had been scared to take a chance on her heart, afraid that she was not worthy of his love.
Evy too was watching Rebecca, but the thoughts running through her head were more practical. She walked over to Ardeth, placing her hand on his sleeve to get his attention. When he looked down at her she spoke.
"She needs to read the book." Evy said quietly. "She needs to do it before Imhotep arrives."
"We agreed we needed to be careful about who we chose." Ardeth replied, concern making his expression serious as he looked over to where his wife had turned to Alex. "Why do you think we should choose Rebecca?"
"Because she already knows much. Denari taught her all she knows. She has power already, and hasn't let it corrupt her. She's the only one here who is qualified." Evy explained. "She's also Medjai, and who better to hold the secrets of the universe than one of your own?"
Ardeth continued to stare at his wife as Evy's words washed over him. The words mad sense, but he could not help but feel a touch of worry about what effect such power would have upon his wife. Rebecca felt the strength of his gaze resting upon her and she looked up to find both her husband and Evy staring at her and she quirked an eyebrow questioningly. Ardeth lowered his gaze to the book that rested beneath her hands, the back up to her face as Evy gestured with her hands. Rebecca's breath caught in her throat as she realized what Ardeth was asking her to do. She looked down at the book that pulsed with power beneath her hands, jumping with nervousness when Alex laid the open key within the lock.
"Go ahead Aunt Becky." He said with an encouraging smile despite the fact that his eyes were ringed with exhaustion. "Read the book. Before its to late."
The lock clicked audibly, sounding incredibly loud in the sudden silence of the chamber. When it stopped the silence was just as deafening, the only sound being Alex's footsteps as he stepped back away from the altar. Amanda gripped Jonathan's hand tightly, her lip caught between her teeth as Rebecca opened the first page of the book. Dim red light spilled out from the open pages, illuminating Rebecca's face as she leaned over the book and began to read….
It didn't take long. Rebecca felt as if her mind were gripped in a giant vise that squeezed harder with each work she read. Her eyes widened as each word she read disappeared from the page, leaving a blank slate behind as she turned the next page. She staggered as the vise in her head tightened, causing Ardeth to step forward as a thin line of blood leaked from her nose. She held up a hand to ward him off as she turned the final page, her eyes narrowing as she forced herself to read the final words.
Ardeth felt Evy's hand on his arm restraining him as he fought the urge to step forward. Rebecca threw her head back, her mouth opening in a scream as a burst of light came from the book, streaming into her eyes and connecting her to the pages for what seemed an eternity to Ardeth but what was really only a matter of moments, ending when the book suddenly disappeared in a little poof that had Alex blinking and Ardeth racing forward as Rebecca braced herself against the altar. He laid his hand upon her shoulder and nearly winced at the incredible amount of power he could feel pulsing under his hand. Rebecca turned, smiling up at him as he used his thumb to wipe the blood from her face.
"Are you alright?" He asked with concern as she turned to look out at the chamber.
"Yes." She said with a smile. "I know what to do."
A wind swirled into the chamber, signaling them all that Imhotep had arrived.
