GUESS WHO'S NOT DEAD! THAT'S RIGHT BABY! THE BITCH IS BACK! YAHOOO! God did I miss this world and this story! I know it's been a long while guys but now I'm back and we're gonna have some fun!
"Oi! O'Connell!" the infamous squeaky holler of her brother is what wakes Lethy up from her more than pleasant slumber the next morning. She doesn't want to abandon the peaceful world of dreams, but as Hypnos flies further and further away from her reach, she comes to the conclusion that it's indeed time to return to reality.
Thankfully, not all of last night's pleasantries disappeared by sunrise. As she starts to come back to her senses, she realizes that she's still wrapped up in a cocoon of warmth consisted of Derek's strong, protective arms and his coat which he used to cover her up last night. It was such a sweet and considerate gesture, him caring for her comfort and welfare made her heart flutter giddily like a baby bird about to take its first flight. But since it's the early hours of the morning, the desert heat has already started making her presence known, which means that Lethy no longer needs the cover to keep herself warm. She carefully throws the coat off her body so as not to toss it off the camel and shifts in her seat in an attempt to somehow relieve her limbs from the numbness of sleep, but the limitations of her current position won't allow such a luxury. Nonetheless, this is the most comfortable she's felt in her whole life!
She slowly opens up her eyelids, allowing her charcoal orbs to feast upon the exquisite sight that is the Sahara desert illuminated by the gentle colors of the breaking dawn. "Morning, princess" Derek's lips kiss the shell of her ear gently, the words spoken to her a deep and gruff melody that washes over her like honey and tingles her senses like an erotic call. She shudders in his arms pleasantly, a smile adorning her lips and a hearty purr emanating from deep within her chest like a satisfied kitten. She turns to look at him and the moment she gazes into those deep forest green eyes she feels everything coming back to her! Every kiss, every touch, every breath shared between them as they got lost in a world that was entirely their own and shared a passion like no other, their only witnesses being the moon and stars above.
She still can't believe that last night actually happened! Nor does she know what came over her at the moment that lead to it happening... All she knows for sure is that it was inevitable. She was so drunk on the high of her dream that it was as if a force greater than her was controlling her. A force beyond logic, beyond reason, beyond earthy things. The all too hedonistic and euphoric sensations overflowing her body had her hypnotized, intoxicated and utterly consumed to the point where only the barest, most instinctual and primal instinct was left burning powerfully like a pyre within her soul, her heart and her core. She was trapped in a place between consciousness and unconsciousness, between dream and reality. So, when she opened her eyes and met Derek's pale green orbs, felt the soft comforting warmth of his breath caressing her skin and his glorious sturdy body enveloping her, offering her security...it was the epitome of a perfect storm! And every cell in her body was urging her to take advantage of it. So, she did. And it was the best decision she's ever made. The most magical, most heavenly and happy moment of the entire trip so far, only further enforced and validated by the recollection burning all too real in the front of her mind and on her every sense.
"Good morning to you too" she whispers in a honeyed morning voice, snuggling closer to the warmth and comfort of his broad chest, a half-grin on top of her lips. Noticing her glow, Derek allows a pleasant smile to adorn his face - the kind of smile a man gives his woman when her joy and satisfaction is the reason for his own happiness. If it was possible, Lethy's heart only melts even more. "Did you sleep well?" he asks her in a low whisper, as he affectionately nuzzles his cheek against the side of her face and neck, almost like a wolf would do to his beloved mate. His scruff rubbing against the smoothness of her skin is delicious, enticing and creates a feeling of completeness. "Better than I had in months" she replies, ducking her head to unite their smiles in a sweet kiss that causes sparks to fly between them, a sweet like sugar feeling to settle in both of their hearts and for their happiness to reach level five.
"Will you two lovebirds stop snogging and look at this already?!" unfortunately, Lily's buzzkiller of wail interrupts their lovely moment, causing both of them to groan in frustration and exasperation. "This better be worth it" Derek mumbles and Lethy agrees with a shake of her head. But the two lovers are left dumbstruck and chocked on their own words when they come face to face with the sight that had their friends bewitched this entire time. There, in the middle of the desert, among the sand dunes, lies a mysterious structure. "Is that Hammunaptra?" asks Evie.
"Highly unlikely" answers Rick. "According to my calculations, we shouldn't reach it for another couple of miles. We should arrive by the time the sun hits noon's position. Not so soon"
"Besides, this looks nothing like the city of the dead that we visited" Derek adds.
"Then what could it be?" asks Stiles.
Rick shrugs. "Maybe there was a sand storm that brought it to the surface?" he assumes.
"I don't know about you laddies but it looks like a temple from where I'm standing. And a temple means treasures! So I say we go check it out!" says Jonathan all giddily.
"Are you serious right now, Johnny?" says Lethy all exasperated. "We can't abandon our path so easily! We must reach Hammunaptra before these American arseholes destroy all archaeological findings. Or else there'll be nothing left for us to examine and for you to steal!" she points out as-a-matter-of-factly.
"Oh come on now, Leth! It will take ages for these guys to even catch up with us, let alone pass us! They started on the wrong side, were forced to go full circle just to get on the right track and we're two miles away from the city according to our cowboys' directions. We have plenty of time to go down there, take whatever treasure is in it and still make it to Hammunaptra before lunch time!" Jonathan presents his case quite vigorously.
"Hate to admit it, but your brother has a point" says Rick, causing Lethy to look at him all baffled and wide-eyed! "You're kidding, right?" she says in a bedazzled voice. Rick merely shrugs nonchalantly and then states that: "You can never have too much gold in your pocket"
"Wow, I never thought I'd live to see the day that you of all people would agree with Johnny" she comments sarcastically.
"Trust me, I feel the same as you" Rick assured her, causing Jonathan to let out an offended 'hey!' "But just the possibility of us finding treasure in that place is worth the trouble"
"What do you have to say about this, Evie?" Lethy inquires.
"From my stand-point it looks like a temple. A very luxurious one, to be precise! It's a newly discovered archaeological location which is probably full of fascinating information and precious artifacts! I say we go for it! After all, we came here to make new historical discoveries; we shouldn't be throwing away the chance of uncovering more of Ancient Egypt's secrets just because they weren't part of the original plan" the oldest Carnahan pointed out, thus officiating the group's decision.
"Attagirl, Evie! Alright then, boys and girls, let's go grab me some gold!" says Jonathan all excitedly before giving his camel the signal to move forward. After giving him hell for a couple of minutes, the poor animal started walking steadily towards the mysterious location that seemed to have magically appeared out of thin air - as if waiting for them to find it.
"This place is breathtaking!" Evie announces. Her face is a perfect picture of awe and her voice a soft song of praise as her eyes travel up and down the stony walls of the temple's interior, drinking up every detail of the masterful architectural work and admiring the beautiful hieroglyphics and wall paintings that are covering every surface visible to the eye. Stiles and Lily are also busy taking it all in, while the rest are too busy searching for valuable and saleable artifacts that will earn a day's good buck.
Unlike their friends though, Lethy and Derek are not admiring the scenery. Instead, they wander around like ghosts in a haunted mansion, as if lost in a haze where everything seems surreal and peculiar. They feel both out of place and strangely at place at the same time. Because the moment they stepped foot into the table, they were both hit by a strong sense of familiarity and sorrow as if they've been here before. And both suffered greatly the last time they found themselves within these walls.
Evelyn's assumption proved to be correct for it is indeed a temple, a very old one too but extremely well-preserved for its age which showcases how much care and how much wealth was put into making it in the first place. Grand stone pillars surround them that hold together a tall ceiling of heavy concrete, decorated by the same hieroglyphic images and illustrations that the walls and floors are decorated as well. There are statues all around too, resembling ancient deities and the kings that presumably were involved in building the temple. But the most magnificent and prominent statue is the one standing tall, proud and glorious in the middle of the temple. The one depicting the image of a beautiful young woman, wearing her signature headpiece (a sun framed by a pair of horns) upon her head.
"This is a temple dedicated to the goddess Hathor!" Evie declares in an awe-struck, excited voice as she approaches the statue to further examine it. "Isn't that the Egyptian goddess of love and marriage? She's my favorite deity!" says Lily with an equal amount of enthusiasm. "Woah, an actual Ancient Egyptian babe! Nice!" Stiles comments, causing Lily to scoff disapprovingly.
But that's the first time that Lethy didn't pay any mind to her best friend's antiques. She couldn't pay attention to anything else really except from the strange case of deja-vous she was experiencing. The feeling is similar to the one she experienced when she first met Derek, only this time it is a lot deeper, more overwhelming and, in a way...unsettling and core-shaking.
"Oh Lethy!" her sister's voice broke her from her trance. She turned around and found Evelyn standing in front of one of the many illustrations adorning the temple's walls, torch extended high above her head to allow her a clear view of the signs and their meaning. "What is it?" Alethea asked as she came to stand next to the other Carnahan gal. "Look!" Evie urged her and so she did.
She raised her eyes to take a better look at what had her sister so fixated and her breath instantly caught at her throat. In front of her was the illustration of a young woman with ethereal beauty, dark features, hair the color of midnight, bronze complexion and the gaze of a feline, dressed in luxurious white robes and adorned by golden jewelry. Right by her side, there was a young man dressed all in black, with long wavy locks framing a chiseled face, whose fingers ended in long claws like the ones of an animal and whose eyes had the mystical red color of rubies. In front of both of them, the goddess Hathor was standing with her arms extended as if she was giving them her blessing. Suddenly the deja-vous hit her harder, making it hard for her to breath for she felt like she was being consumed by a dark vortex. It was as if she was looking at a mirror and yet the image that was starring back at her belonged to her but at another person as well. She felt torn, split, lost.
"What the hell is this, Evelyn?" she finally managed to speak, her voice croaked and choked up due to the numerous emotions running through her veins. "Oh I'm surprised you don't remember" her sister said, completely oblivious to Lethy's dismay. "These are Amana-neith and Adom-nour! Mama used to tell us this story every night before going to bed when we were little. You used to love this story Lethy. It was your favorite I presume" Evie answers. Brief flashes of a younger version of herself lying on her bed while her mother narrated stories to her and her siblings came to her mind. Of feeling so connected to them, in a way that she couldn't describe, as if she was a part of them...But never before had she felt so overwhelmed, so ripped apart...Something was different, something had changed...There was more now. Now there was an underlying knowledge in her heart, a link that had developed years ago and was only now showing his light to guide her through the darkness of oblivion. "Yes...I remember now..." Lethy admits in a weak voice.
"Who is this Adom-whatever guy again?" asks Stiles from somewhere far away - or is it just how Lethy feels it?
"You don't know the story, Stiles?" Evie inquired.
"I'm a middle-class American dude. It's not like my dad read Egyptian myths to me before going to sleep" he said.
"Oh well it is a rather remarkable and touching story!" says Evie. "And I believe that these hieroglyphics depict it accurately enough for me to translate them. If, of course, you want to know more about the story"
"Sure, what the hell" Rick chimes in, his voice bored and a bit disappointed. "We didn't find any treasure whatsoever in this place, so maybe that way our visit won't be a total bust".
"Alright then" says Evie. She traces the signs with her fingertips and starts reading their translated version out loud. With every word of hers, a dagger pierces Lethy's heart and a new image flashes before her eyes, like an otherworldly memory. Cutting her body into a million pieces and revealing her soul in its purest of forms, bare and exposed for all of the universe to see - and put it back together again by connecting the fragments with its fated essence.
"Amana-neith was the high priestess of Hathor, serving under the command of Sedi the First, of whom she was the most trusted and loyal subject"
Palaces made of gold. Herself dancing in front of a crowd of thousands, for a king that she doesn't know yet would give up her life for his sake. And the great hall of a temple just like this one, full of white-dressed women, surrounding a single soul that performs the worship rituals before the altar.
"Adom-nour was the leader of the thirteenth medjais clan, the ones that were called Wepwawet's chosen sons. The legend has it that they had been blessed by Wepwawet, the wolf-formed god of battle, with the gift of strength, speed and agility along with the unique ability to shape-shift into wolves, thus always being undefeated when in war"
Men in black underneath the silver full moon. Wolves howling to the cold dark night sky. Blood painting the desert's sand. Fangs, claws and glowing eyes on human bodies that moved with the speed of light, serving death to whoever crossed their path along the way.
The image flashed before Derek's - mental and physical - eyes, causing his breath to get caught in his throat and his heart to stutter in utter disbelief and stupor.
"The two fell madly in love with each other. A love so strong that not even Hathor herself could fashion"
This time the vision was shared by the two souls, by the star-crossed lovers in question, and the emotions it evoked were so strong, so overwhelming and core-shaking that nearly drove them to their knees.
The two of them kissing on the balcony of her private chambers. Their limbs entwined across the canvas of silken white sheets. Their bodies burning oh so sweetly by an erotic fire, their breaths mingled, their hearts in sync.
"But there was tragedy written on their stars. On the night of their wedding, Amana-neith was murdered by an unnamed foe. The loss of his beloved bride was so devastating that Adom-nour, in his despair, ripped the dagger out of her breathless, cold body and jammed it in his own chest as well, stabbing his heart and killing himself the same way his love had perished"
A dark shadow looming over her. A single moment of dread. Sadness penetrating her heart, cold and unforgiving like the blade of the knife now ripping through her rib-cage, stealing her breath and life force away.
Alethea gasps in shock and teardrops rolls down her cheek, staining the bronze porcelain skin, as her hand unconsciously climbs on her chest, feeling at the space over her heart. Thankfully, it's still where it's supposed to be, intact, unscathed and functioning. Only that is now beating so rapidly and so loudly that she fears it might actually jump out of her body. She's never felt so afraid in her entire life! For a moment, she really felt as if she was going to die! What the hell was that?!
Red staining the wide expanse of heavenly white veils. Hopelessness and sorrow clouding his eyes and mind. The sound of a devastating scream ripping through his chest...and then the coldness of a blade taking it all away, eliminating his pain and smothering him with darkness.
A choked-up sound, something between a gasp and a dying scream, escapes Derek's lips. A million streams of adrenaline get mixed up with his blood flow and his hand immediately flies to his chest, tracing the place where the knife had pierced his heart but encountering nothing but semi-clean cloth and an erratic heartbeat. At least it still works, he thought. He had never felt so afraid in his entire life! For a moment he thought that he was actually dead - that she was actually dead. Suddenly he feels moisture tingling his cheeks and the slight scent of salt irritating his nostrils. Am I... Am I crying?! he thought to himself, unable to remember of the last time that he shed a tear. What the hell is happening?
"They say that their death was so heartbreaking that even Hathor herself mourned them. And the tears that the goddess cried for them covered the young lovers like a protective barrier, shielding them and creating a crystal-like layer over their dead bodies that preserved them. The thirteenth clan mourned for the loss of their leader and buried both him and his wife with great respects and luxuries inside the same temple they were killed as if worried that they'd disturb their spirits if they decided to move them. Finally, a prophecy was bestowed upon their spirits. According to Hathor's will, their souls are to be reincarnated every 200 years, meant to find each other through places and time. They will meet and fall in love all over again and every time they'll reach a bit closer to being together forever but they will always end up losing each other or being separated one way or another. That circle will continue until they'll complete their mission. Only then will they be able to spend a full lifetime together in peace and serenity, happy as they always should have been" Evie finishes the narration of the story and Lethy feels like she can finally breath again, safe from any more flashing images and otherworldly sensations that might dumbfound her.
"Wow. Now that was depressing as shit" Stiles comments.
"I thought it was beautiful! Such a touching and romantic story!" says Lily.
"I didn't know you had a thing for tragedies" Stiles quips.
"Well I normally don't, but if a story is good it's good" she says.
"Alright chaps! We've wasted enough precious time in this unfortunate godforsaken fiasco! Let's get back on the road and find that city before the cowboys loot all of our treasure!" says Jonathan determined.
"Oh! So now you want us to move quickly?" Lily deadpans at him. "Where was that attitude two hours ago when you were begging us to abandon our path so you can look under rocks?"
"You all agreed to it, so who's the real fool here?" Jonathan bites back.
The argument continued on their way out too, until their voices could no longer disturb the peace and harmony of the temple. Their companions stepped outside without realizing that Lethy and Derek were left behind, frozen in place, speechless and stunned out of their minds!
Once the petrifying started wearing off, Lethy slowly turned around to face Derek. Once her charcoal orbs beheld his form, her heart broke even more at the sight of tears and mournful sorrow staining his fair features. Their eyes met, perfect mirrors of each other and of the storm going on inside both of their souls.
"Did you...Did you see...?" she couldn't even finish her sentence, that's how upset she was.
"I did" he said in a broken voice.
"Wha-what was that...? Why? Why did it...How...What is going on...?" by that time, a pair of strong, safe and comforting arms had wrapped themselves around her, pulling her towards a strong, firm and warm body - towards security, towards reassurance, towards home. Lethy placed her hands on Derek's chest, counted the heartbeats of his erratic heart that matched her own to a perfect rhythm and allowed the knowledge that he was there with her, holding her close, to calm her down. "What is happening to us?" she whispered, although it was more like a question towards the universe not an actual inquiry. She was so lost in the haze of emotions right now that she didn't even know if she was speaking out loud or screaming on the inside.
Derek stroked her hair and back comfortingly, placed a soothing kiss on top of her head and answered nonetheless: "I don't know, princess. I really don't".
And it was true. None of them could understand at that moment, in their overwhelmed state, the significance of their shared visions. Nor of their shared destiny. But the time draws nearer that everything will become clear.
Yahooooooooo! I missed writing this story so much! Woah what a feeling! First of all, I'd like to thank all of you guys for waiting on me to recover and for not giving up on this story! I feel like I'm back better than ever and I can't wait to show you what else is in store here for these two lovely creatures! Once again, please send me a comment (CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and feedback are always welcome), favorite, follow and don't forget to #Keep_Calm_And_Have_Derek_Hale_Call_You_His_Princess ;-)