CHAPTER NINE
Ardeth, deep in his enchanted sleep, didn't see Matilda get up from her bedding and walk slowly out of the temple, stepping over him as she did so. Nor did Rick or any of the others, all being fast asleep. The first Rick knew was when a slight noise from somewhere made him snap his eyes open. For a moment he wondered what had woken him and he moved Evy gently away from his chest, sitting up and looking around the chamber that was slowly being illuminated by the rising sun filtering in. He leapt up as he noticed the empty bedding where Tilly had been and rushed over to talk to Ardeth, finding him slumped unconscious in the doorway. He took a second to shake him, but he wouldn't awaken, so he continued out in search of Tilly. He heard the noise again, the one that had awoken him, a sound of wind blowing wildly, even though there was no discernible breeze.
When he emerged from the ruins he saw Tilly in the distance, standing near the river, a strange figure standing in front of her. There was something unusual about the person, but it wasn't until Rick had moved closer that he realised it wasn't a man at all, but a figure made of sand. A moving and apparently talking figure, and a familiar one. He cocked the shotgun and ran toward them, yelling as he aimed at the imitation of Imhotep. The creature dropped the hands that had been holding Tilly's shoulders and Rick fired twice, cursing roundly when the bullets made no impact. He turned to Rick, raising his arms. A cloud of sand slowly grew between the creature's outstretched arms, becoming larger and more dense as it was drawn from the desert floor. Rick had no time to avoid it as it was hurled through the air at him and engulfed his head, blurring his vision instantly and stopping him breathing. He fell to his knees, clawing at the sand that seemed to stick to his face, struggling to get it out of his airway. He didn't see Imhotep disappear or Matilda slump to the ground, he was too involved in his own survival. All of a sudden he felt the sand loosen and turn to powder once more and he coughed the vile stuff out of his throat and cleared his nose and eyes, drawing in deep breaths of clean air greedily into his lungs. When he managed to stagger to his feet he saw Tilly laying unconscious again and rushed over to her. Thank God, he thought, as he felt her pulse, she was still alive. But, if nothing else, this had proved to him that they couldn't protect her. He bent and lifted her into his arms and carried her back towards the temple, watching with worried eyes as Ardeth stumbled out. He quickly joined Rick and looked with concern at Tilly.
"Is she alright?" he asked urgently, his eyes never once leaving her face.
"She's alive. At least for now. What the hell happened?" he shot at the other man, trying not to sound too annoyed.
"I cannot tell you. One moment I was guarding the entrance and the next I awoke on the floor. I do not understand this myself, as I was not tired," he said, shaking his head in obvious bewilderment.
Rick relented at Ardeth's apparent concern about Tilly. "Don't worry about it," he said as they continued into the chamber and he laid Tilly back down. He stood up and the two men stared down at her.
"She is not merely sleeping, is she?" Ardeth asked quietly.
"No. No, I don't think she is," Rick replied with resignation. "I'm wondering if we're ever going to see the real Tilly again. Somehow, I don't think we are. I haven't even had time to get to know her properly!"
Ardeth could offer no words of encouragement. Rick's words so closely mirrored his own thoughts. "We should go and look in the temple again today, see if there are any more clues there," he said to Rick. "I will stay with you this time," he added.
Rick turned and looked at him and nodded. "Thank you. I know this is hard for you, what with the water and all, but I'm more grateful than I can say." He clapped him on the shoulder. "Jonathan can stay and watch Tilly and the professor. There's no point in either of us being here, not anymore. Today just proved to me how ineffectual we're going to be unless we can find something to help!"
"Then let us awaken the others and begin. We have little time to waste," Ardeth replied, making his way over to Jonathan and the professor while Rick bent to wake Evy up.
A few minutes later they were all standing together looking down at the professor, frowns furrowing their brows. "This is getting a bit...worrying," Evy said, chewing her lip almost until it bled. Rick's hand came up and stopped her. "Don't do that, you'll make your mouth sore and I won't be able to kiss you," he said, pulling her in front of him and wrapping her up in a warm embrace. "There's no point in worrying. There's nothing we can do now. I think we both know what this means," he said, talking about the professor's state of unconsciousness which so closely reflected Tilly's condition.
Ardeth spoke up as Evy nodded. "It would seem that the professor is to be the receptacle for Seth," he stated confidently.
"How can you be sure?" Jonathan chipped in, earning himself a hard stare from the other three people.
"How many people are unconscious here, Jonathan?" Evy asked him, exasperated. "Do you think it's all a coincidence?"
"I suppose it can't be. Ardeth said something about that before, something about a line," he prattled on, oblivious to how irritating he could get.
"There is a fine line between coincidence and fate," Ardeth repeated what he had told Rick on their way to Ahm Shere. "In this case, the line is almost non-existent."
"I don't like the sound of that," the slender man went on. "What's going to happen when our mummified friend gets here?"
"Who knows? Death, destruction, disease...take your pick," Rick muttered grimly, turning away and leaving the temple, holding his shotgun under one arm.
Evy looked up at Jonathan. "We're going to the temple again so you need to stay here and keep watch. If you see anything, anything at all, you dive in that lake and find us, do you understand?"
"You can trust me, Evy, don't worry," he said on a more serious note, smiling encouragingly at her. "I may be stupid, but I'm not a total loss!"
"I know you're not. You're my brother, after all, and I have every faith in you!" she said, giving him an impromptu hug which he gave back with a touch of embarrassment.
"I was to accompany you today, Evy. But perhaps I will remain here to watch over them also," Ardeth said, joining them. "The time is getting close and we must be vigilant."
Evy nodded and gave them an encouraging smile. "We'll be back before it gets dark."
The day passed quickly, too quickly for Jonathan's liking. Evy and Rick remained in the secret temple, picking up as many clues about their situation as they could, whilst Jonathan and Ardeth kept close guard over the ruins and the small chamber where Tilly and Jackson lay in their involuntary slumber. Ardeth left Jonathan alone every hour or so and prowled restlessly around the entire area of Karnak, his eyes ever watchful on the horizon. Imhotep had previously been unpredictable, and he would take no chances this time.
Evy and Rick surfaced in the middle of the lake just as the sun was setting and they joined the others at the chamber as Jonathan started dishing up the supper he had taken time over cooking.
They all ate in silence, waiting until each of them had finished before speaking of what they had found in the temple during the day.
"We've been looking at the inscriptions on the walls all day and my eyes are aching at having to concentrate so hard!" Evy said, smiling wearily and leaning back against her husbands legs.
"The really good news is that there is a way to stop this, even if it's already started, and it's incredibly simple!" Her smile widened and she shook her head as Jonathan and Ardeth started throwing questions at her.
"It's her hands, those marks she carries. All she has to do is put her hands together so that the marks come together to form the wedjat and apparently, according to what I've read, this will stop Seth and send him back to rule over the dead. It doesn't exactly say how..."
"What does it say?" Ardeth asked quickly.
"Well, it says that the wedjat will form and repel Seth, the light of the sun facing his darkness and removing him from this world. I think that means she has to sort of point her hands in his direction." She looked at the others.
"At the statue, you mean?" Jonathan asked.
"Well, no, I think it means at Seth himself, or at least at his human form. There is just one thing, though," she began and heard them groan. "Meketaten will be in control of Tilly, and there's no way we can make her form the wedjat because she'll do everything in her power to stop it. The writings say that the Queen must be blocked for the light to shine."
"So we have to bring Tilly back to awareness?" Rick said, biting his lower lip, his eyes lost in thought.
"Exactly. Of course, I couldn't find anything that said how to do that. If we can't stop the ceremony from taking place, if we can't stop Imhotep, then the only thing we can do is watch carefully for any sign that Tilly is aware of her surroundings and tell her what to do. If she wakes up before Imhotep gets here, then we can tell her what to do before it all gets started." Evy said, shrugging her shoulders in defeat.
"But even if she knows this, it may not be of any help. She will still become Meketaten and then the information will be buried!" Ardeth said, not helping anyone's mood.
"Then we'll just have to look for any opportunity to bring her back to her senses. Maybe if we could keep talking to her..." Evy replied.
"If they don't take her away and keep her away!" Rick said sharply. "This is getting us nowhere. We've been talking about this for ages and we're still no closer to a solution. I'm going to get some rest," he said, turning towards Ardeth. "I'll come and relieve you in a couple of hours."
He went and laid down, leaving Jonathan and Ardeth to watch over them all as the night closed in around them.
"What of the doorways in the cave?" Ardeth asked Evy when Rick had gone.
"We're not sure where they go and yes, we have looked in them. They're all passages, and they go on for some distance, because we tried them and we got bored after an hour of walking and turned back. I don't have the faintest idea of where they lead, although there are markings outside each one. Sort of like an ancient signpost."
"What do the markings say"?
"I could only make out one, the others seem to have been purposely vandalised. The only one readable says 'Abu Simbel'. That could mean that it leads there, I suppose, or..." she shrugged and stood up. "I'm really stumped. Well, I've done enough thinking for today, oblivion awaits me and I can't wait!" She gave them a small smile and went to join her husband, curling against him on the bedroll as his arms came around her.
Rick, as promised, relieved Ardeth after a couple of hours, leaving Evy to sleep and sending Jonathan to rest as well. He set himself up just outside the chamber and glanced up as Ardeth sat next to him.
"I thought you were going to get some sleep?"
"I will, my friend. But I am going to rest here, near you, so that I shall be available should you need me." he answered, settling down with his back against the wall.
"Maybe that's the best idea," Rick muttered, his eyes busily scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. He looked back at Ardeth after a while and noticed he was already asleep. It was going to be another long night, he thought, giving a deep sigh.
Ardeth and Rick spent the night alternately sleeping and watching, taking it in turns and then both staying awake whilst one of them patrolled the surrounding area. It was a relief to them both when dawn finally sent streamers of light shooting across the horizon, giving them a renewed vigour. Rick left Ardeth at the entrance and walked slowly inside to check on the others. He looked down at the professor and then at Tilly, wondering how long they would remain in their current state. Evy snuck up behind him as he stood there and prepared to make him jump.
"I know you're there, you aren't that quiet!" he said and spun around to grab her, pulling her against him and smiling gently down at her.
"Oooh, you pig! I can never surprise you!"
"That's not true, honey, you surprise me all the time!" he replied and gave her a slow kiss, letting his tension start to drain away. His eyes shot open and he pulled back from her when he heard a soft noise behind them. They both spun towards the sound at the same time and stared down at Tilly, who was stretching and yawning as if she had just woken up from a perfectly ordinary sleep. She opened her eyes and stared up at them, blinking at the amazed expressions they wore.
"What?" she asked self-consciously as she sat up and brushed her hair back out of her face.
"You're awake!" Evy said, smiling happily.
"Yeah, I'm awake. Is that unusual?" she asked as if nothing had happened.
"Well, actually, it is. You keep passing out and staying unconscious for absolutely ages! Don't you remember anything?"
Tilly frowned in concentration and rubbed her forehead, as if that could bring the memory back. "I sort of remember feeling sick and having a headache...oh! The professor went all weird on me! Ardeth stopped him!"
"Yes, that's right. Can you remember anything else?" Evy urged.
"Ardeth walked me back here and I guess I went to sleep...and now I'm awake. What's so odd about that?"
"Well, you slept for an entire day and night!" Rick pointed out. "Did you...dream about anything?"
"Not that I can recall. Why do you ask?" she said, getting up and stretching again.
"You went walkies again yesterday. I found you out by the river talking to an old friend of ours. Well, not him exactly, but a sort of facsimile of him, made of sand."
"I was talking to some sand?"
"Uh-huh. I know it sounds crazy, but believe me, that's nothing." Rick said, giving her a wry smile. "Anyway, it was Imhotep. It seems he's found a way to contact you that you can subconsciously detect."
"Oh." Tilly looked around her, not knowing what else to say. "Is everyone else alright?"
"The professor isn't. He's been the same as you for the last day, but since you're awake then I don't suppose it'll be long before he wakes up too!" Rick said and went over to where the professor lay, still soundly asleep. He reached out and shook the man's arm, watching with mild surprise as Jackson's eyes slowly flickered open and stared uncomprehendingly back at him.
"Good morning," Rick said, giving the older man a reserved smile.
"Good morning Mr. O'Connell," he sat up and looked over at Tilly and Evy. "Is everything alright?"
Rick relayed the sequence of events to the stunned man. "Did I do anything odd?"
"No, you just remained unconscious the entire time. Listen, just let me know if you start feeling bad again okay?" Rick said. He stayed long enough for the professor to nod his head and then he left him and went to talk to Ardeth Bay, finding the man still standing just beyond the entrance to the chamber.
"The professor's awake," he said, joining him near a huge pillar.
Ardeth's head swung toward him. "And Matilda?"
"She's awake too. They both seem to be fine now," he said, watching the Med-jai chieftains reaction carefully.
"This is good but unexpected. I believed that they would not be themselves," the darker man said.
"Me too," Rick answered. "But they seem okay, at least for now. Evy said yesterday that we would go back in the temple again today. Apparently she saw something yesterday that confused her and she wants a closer look. I'm wondering whether it would be safer to leave Tilly here or take her with us."
"If the temple is where the ceremony is to take place then it may be too risky to take her down there again. However, to leave her out here may be more dangerous if Imhotep should come along whilst we are in the temple." Ardeth frowned at his friend. "This is not a decision I would wish to make, not when the time of his arrival is so near."
"Gee, thanks a lot, you're a great help! So it's up to me then?" Rick said sarcastically.
"She is your relative, O'Connell, her life is now in your hands." Ardeth shrugged.
"Then I guess she'd better stay out here with the professor and Jonathan. You can come with us," his eyes met the other mans and he gave him an evil smile.
"My time would be better occupied keeping watch over your cousin," Ardeth said, smiling right back at him.
"Too scared of the water to come with me?" Rick said, his smile getting worse.
"Not at all," Ardeth replied, not remotely insulted by Rick's ribbing. "In fact, I find that the thought no longer disturbs me as it has done in past years." He watched as Rick rubbed a hand over his face, wiping away his forced easiness.
"There really isn't anything we can do is there?" he asked helplessly, his eyes looking out over the beautiful vista before them, absently taking in the yellow sands shifting endlessly to the horizon.
"We do not know that. Evy has told us of a way to stop this, we simply need to look for the right time to act," Ardeth said, his tone calming.
"If we recognise that time for what it is," he replied. Ardeth couldn't remember ever hearing him so defeated and was at a loss for words. Rick glanced up and caught his wary look and gave him a reassuring smile.
"It's okay, I haven't lost the plot entirely," he said with a trace of humour. "Me and Evy will go down to the temple alone, don't worry."
Ardeth seemed to consider his options for a few seconds, remaining silent. "No, I shall accompany you. Jonathan is more than capable of letting us know if anything is happening and we can check on everyone during the day."
"Okay. Let's go then, we haven't got much time left," Rick said grimly and went to get Evy.
Ardeth joined them as Rick was giving instructions to Jonathan about what to do. The professor was standing beside Tilly watching them talk with only mild interest.
"Is it safe for me to go back to the dig site at all?" he asked, interrupting Rick's endless stream of words.
"No!" Evy and Rick said at the same time, making the professor jump. He shrugged and moved away from them.
"I don't have to stay in this room all day do I?" Tilly asked. "Can't I come with you?"
"Sorry, honey, but we think it might be safer if you stay here. Jonathan will protect you, he's a crack shot with that rifle," Rick said, nodding toward the long gun Jonathan was holding.
"We won't be long, okay?"
"Okay. I still think it'd be better if I came with you but I don't suppose you're going to let me argue with you about it."
"You can bet on that!" he replied and chucked her under the chin before striding quickly out of the chamber with Evy at his side.
"Take great care," Ardeth said to Jonathan as Evy left the chamber. "We cannot afford to let them be taken," he added, giving one last look at Tilly before leaving the room himself and heading toward the lake that had previously held so many terrors for him. He almost laughed as he thought about his former phobia, now buried as the seriousness of their situation grew worse. He could still feel a slight palpitation in his chest as he went under the water, but it was nothing compared to how it had been. He used the rope to guide him through the darkened tunnel until he emerged in the cave, moving swiftly into the temple where Rick and Evy already were.
They spent a few hours examining various things inside the temple, Ardeth drawn to the large stone table and searching around it in case there were any unusual openings in or around it. Rick left them briefly to swim back and check on the others, rejoining them a short time later and relaying that everyone was fine, even if Tilly was bored out of her skull.
"Look at this," Evy said quietly, almost as if she were afraid to wake up the undead, calling Rick and Ardeth over to where she was kneeling beside the large statue. Her hands traced deep niches in the wall as she spoke. "These are the exact same size as the stone tablets. I think they're supposed to be placed here. Look, there are three either side of the statue."
Rick knelt down next to her. "So this is where they put the tablets and then all hell breaks loose, right?" "Right," she answered. "I think that placing the tablets may be how the ceremony starts. Although, I'm not sure how the spells could be read out if the tablets were already in the wall. I suppose that's something we would have to witness..."
"But this must not happen!" Ardeth burst out. "The leaders of the twelve tribes and I discussed this, but in all that has happened I have allowed it to be forgotten. This is unforgivable! We must destroy the tablets, it is the only way to stop this from even beginning!" he said and turned to go back into the cave.
"Wait a minute!" Rick yelled, rushing after him. "You mean you were supposed to destroy the tablets the day you got back? That's how this can all be stopped?"
"Yes, and I failed to do my duty! I do not know how I could have allowed myself to forget something so important, but in truth I have only just remembered my discussion with the leaders. I must do this now, before it is too late!" He stepped down into the water and took a deep breath, plunging into the darkness below and swimming swiftly away.
Rick yelled to Evy that he had to go with him and he went after him, catching him up as they surfaced in the lake. The sun was making it's descent in the sky, sending out floods of colour across the clouds, deep purple and orange settling along the horizon. The two men moved to the side and started up the steps when a movement in the distance caught their attention. Ardeth's hand shot out and he pushed Rick down to his knees and crouched down next to him.
"Somebody is here," he said in hushed tones, his hand reaching for one of his swords. "We must get to the weapons without being seen!"
The two men crept stealthily away from the lake and over towards the Hypostyle hall, using the pillars within to remain hidden from the distant figures. Jonathan was still standing in the doorway when they got there and hadn't seen anyone approaching. He noticed the hard looks on the faces of the two men and immediately moved inside the room with them, not saying anything, merely helping them gather up the weaponry they would need.
Tilly stood watching their actions and knew the time had come, that Imhotep, or at least some of his henchmen, were here. She touched Rick's arm hesitantly. "What do we have to do?" she whispered.
He stared at her for a few seconds, trying to decide the best plan of action. "I think we should try and hide you somewhere else, somewhere a little harder to find. Come on, stick next to me and don't make a sound," he urged her, aiming his words at the professor too. They all crept out of the chamber and Rick poked his head around one of the pillars. He could see dark clad figures getting closer to their position, but they had not yet made it as far as the temple ruins, so they had a few precious minutes to get out of their way. His eyes restlessly scanned the area for somewhere they could hide, somewhere at least big enough and concealed enough to put Tilly, but all he could see were various side chambers, some only partially standing others in complete ruin. Further in the distance, nearer to the temple of Mut he could see where a chamber had collapsed,. leaving a hollowed out area that was completely black. It would do, he thought, it would have to, they had no more time because now he could hear the men approaching, hear the sharply given orders. He looked across at Ardeth and was glad of the man's training and watchfulness, because he had his eyes steadily on the approaching figures, ready to give a warning at any second.
Rick pointed out where he wanted them to go and they began slowly picking their way across the sands, using any piece of fallen stone they could find to hide behind until they had made it to the far temple, Rick and the other men glancing back every once in a while to check on the other men's progress. Crouching down next to the entrance he had seen from the Hypostyle hall, Rick looked carefully inside. It was small, but big enough for maybe three people, although it was as hot as hell inside the dark confines. He looked up at Tilly and the professor and then swung his attention to Jonathan.
"I want you to stay here Jonathan, stay with Tilly and Professor Millbrook and guard them with your life, do you understand? Nobody must be allowed to come near here. You can all conceal yourselves inside until we come back, okay? And for God's sake don't make a noise!"
He waited until Jonathan nodded, watching his face pale slightly as he took in the gravity of his duty and then Rick helped them crawl under the collapsed lintel and into the chamber. He whispered a quick goodbye and then he and Ardeth moved stealthily toward the lake, ducking down at the last second as they saw the men fast approaching the water. Rick's eyes widened when he saw Imhotep get elegantly down from the camel he was riding and stride purposefully toward the lake, his own eyes narrowing as he saw the entrance to the temple laying darkly at the base of the water.
Rick felt himself shudder involuntarily as he laid eyes on the creature that he had already killed twice, a man he had never thought to see again outside of a nightmare and in fact had prayed not to see. He gripped the shotgun tighter and turned to look at his companion. Ardeth looked furious, more angry than Rick could recall seeing him, except for the time he had tried to kill him at Hamunaptra. He raised his eyebrows in a silent question and waited patiently for him to speak.
"The man who accompanies him, the one with the gold motif on his robes, he is Ankhef-Sem, my sworn enemy!"
"What's wrong with him?" Rick asked, staring at the oddly misshapen look to the man's skin, the way he was walking slowly, being held by two cult members.
"I do not know, he appears to be injured, perhaps the doing of Imhotep. It does not matter, he will die shortly!"
"What did he do to you to make you hate him so much? Apart from raise Imhotep, of course?" Rick asked, having forgotten the name of the man Ardeth had already told him about.
"He killed my sister and my parents. Now I am sworn to take my revenge, and I have waited many years for the time to arrive."
"I forgot you already told me. I'm sorry. So he's that man. When the time comes I'll help you," he offered.
"No. I thank you for the offer, but this is my duty, my honour. I must do this alone."
Rick nodded and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "I understand. If it had been my family I'd tear the man apart."
"That is my intention," Ardeth replied grimly.
Rick stared at him and thanked God he wasn't on the wrong side of this man. He knew they weren't badly matched when it came to a fight, but Ardeth hadn't even been that angry when they had fought previously and he wondered what the outcome would have been if he had. He had a feeling that things may have turned out differently. He turned his attention back to the men and watched as they stood looking into the waters, standing back to let Imhotep pass them as he went down the steps and, without a pause, down towards the entrance.
"Oh my God, Evy!" Rick whispered and went to move, but Ardeth caught his shoulder.
"No! They will kill you!"
"They'll kill Evy as soon as they see her! You know it! I have to go!"
"What use will you be to her if you are killed?" Ardeth asked reasonably, finding it hard restraining his large friend.
"And what use will I be to anybody if she's killed? I have to try, dammit!" He wrenched his shoulder away from Ardeth and ran quietly out to the lake. His momentum was such that he managed to leap into the water before anyone saw him and, by the time they did, he had managed to dive neatly into the entrance. Even Imhotep was apparently surprised by this, but showed no outward concern as he knew the man would pose no serious threat to him this time. He raised his hand to stop the forward motion of the men and called Ankhef-Sem towards him. The priest walked slowly and painfully down into the waters, the coolness touching the sensitive bites he was covered in and making him wince.
"Yes, my lord, how may I serve you?" he mumbled through his swollen lips as he stopped in front of the arrogant creature.
"You will have the men search these ruins, find the girl and the man who will take part in the ceremony, then follow us into the temple. Leave two here as guards and kill anyone else you find. Where are the main body of the Ka-akhet?"
"Even now my lord they are moving towards us. They should have no problem getting rid of the Med-jai warriors. By sunrise tomorrow they will join us."
"Good. Now, let us begin," he said and went down under the water and through the entrance, leaving the priest to carry out his orders and follow him.
Rick swam faster than he ever had in his life and emerged in the cave gasping for breath, wasting no time before vaulting out of the water and rushing into the temple. Evy swung around at his hurried approach and watched wide-eyed as he grabbed hold of her and pushed her into the cave and through one of the dark doorways into the tunnel beyond.
"What's the matter?" she asked breathlessly, trying to keep up with his fast pace.
"They're here, about two seconds behind us!" he said through gritted teeth, trying to keep his voice down in the echoing confines of the tunnel.
"Oh my God, what about Tilly and the others?"
"They're hidden, but Imhotep knows we're here. He was heading in here and I ran past him and dived in, so he's sure to come looking for us." He stopped walking and glanced back at the distant entrance, softly glowing with the torch light from the cave. "This will do for now. They won't be able to see us unless they come down here with a torch. We'll have to wait for an opportunity to get out without being seen. At least we'll be able to see if they get the others!"
"Where's Ardeth?" Evy asked him, panting from the sudden exercise.
"I left him hiding behind some rocks. Hopefully he'll keep an eye on the others and keep them safe."
Evy put her arms around him and gave him a squeeze. "Don't sound so defeated, darling, we'll make it," she said, trying to comfort the man who sounded so subdued. "We always do."
"Yeah, I know," he said, trying to convince himself that it would be so. He knew that one day the time would come when they wouldn't be able to defeat whatever evil came their way, and was also aware of the fact that this could be that day. He crouched down on the floor and pulled her down with him and they waited.
