I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!
Author's Note: Okay, I gotta apologize here. . .during the last few weeks, a young lady who borrowed my OFC, Detective Lissa Rayne, has been asking my aid in plotting a crossover between Charmed and PTL (for uninitiated, that's Poltergeist: The Legacy), in which Cole Turner, aka Belthazor, joins the Legacy. Now. If you're a fan of the show, and haven't seen season five (or series, as they say in the UK), I will apologize for the spoilers regarding his fate. However, I don't mention how it comes to be, so it shouldn't be a HUGE spoiler. Between aiding Kate and knowing Jonathan as I do, I couldn't resist. . .don't you think he would watch "Charmed" for the three ladies? I personally see Jonathan flipping for Piper.
Reviews:
Terreis: Heheheh. . .I couldn't resist that scene. One of the things I liked most about Rick in the first movie was the way he kept throwing Evy off-balance. Like when he carried her luggage on board, when he light- fingered the kit for her. . .things like that. And personally, I think Ardeth would sing really well. . .probably in the shower while he was States-side. I don't think he would be comfortable singing in front of other people. Makes him too vulnerable.
Bel: Oh my. Where DO I start??? Okay, I'll start in the middle of your review. 'Stepford Med-jai' is a reference to a novel by Ira Levin, the basis of two movies (one in the '70's and the other within the last few months). 'The Stepford Wives.' I won't go into the plotline here, but it's a reference to anyone who is too perfect to be believed. Finn doesn't have a counterpart as yet, though that's subject to change. A Finn- lookalike does appear in 'The Med-jai Legacy,' in the form of Legacy linguist, scholar and priest, Father Philip Callaghan (played by the utterly amazing Irish-born actor, Patrick Fitzgerald). I like Galen, too. He's a combination of my older and younger brothers. Although neither of my brothers know about the situation that developed with Neil Grady's real-life counterpart. Uhm. . .songs. You know, I honestly don't listen to pop music that much, so I'm not sure if you would ever know the musicians to which I refer. I made reference to 'The Mystery,' by British group Alkaemy, which is an Ardeth/Celia song. Particularly in the two universes inhabited by Lady Ardath and Rameses (Ardath is mentioned here, as our Ardeth's ancestress, but it would get too confusing if I brought the reincarnation bit in). You know, now that you mention it, I can definitely see Hermione as a very young Evy. I haven't seen the movies yet, but I did read the first book. (giggles) You know, I have a lot of fun writing Rick in this particular story. Even when I wanna smack him upside the head. I would DEFINITELY rent 'The Scorpion King.' I loved it. I like Dwayne Johnson anyhow. I saw his movie 'The Rundown.' It would have been a lot better without the annoying sidekick. But The Rock was great, as was Christopher Walken. The middle name thing. . .I think it's an Anglo-Saxon and Irish thing. Now the Irish. . .they use full names even when not annoyed with each other. I can indeed imagine the trouble. . .I mentioned a few chapters back that Margit has a real-life counterpart? Said counterpart also has two middle names. How many is in the van? Evy, Celia, Anck, Rick, Jonathan and Ardeth. . .five of 'em. I think my uncle is into music of the '60's. It never struck a chord in me. . .honestly, when I listen to some of the music from the '80's, I mutter, 'I actually listened to that??????' Coming up. . .well, yes, we have a variation on Evy's 'whatever harm came from. . .?' line, though I'll not spoil the surprise. She does do something that ends up causing trouble for those around her.
(gasps for breath) Okay. Sorry I didn't respond to everything in your review, but I think it's becoming a section in and of itself!
Lilylynn: No hard feelings. . .not the first time someone has called me that, and I think you're around the same age as my nephew. (It was one of his favorite insults when he was a very little boy. He's almost eighteen now. . .sheesh).
Sailor Elf: Oh, goodie, I made you shiver! Give me time, I'm still formulating the fine points of Lock-nah and Meela's plan. In the meantime, we have the new week starting up for our college students, professors, teaching assistants and pseudo-security guards. We also have the first defense lesson coming up shortly. (and now that I've posted this, I can go back to work on 'A Med-jai in Middle Earth.')
Part Nineteen
It was a noise straight from hell. . .and unfortunately, it couldn't be ignored. With a groan, Anck reached over and smacked her alarm clock. She looked up at the hideous red lights signaling the time. . . damn. Time to get up already. Celia was still asleep. . .there was a surprise. Then again, the three of them stayed up late the previous night, talking about their weekend. Real late.
Anck looked over at her roommate and shook her head. It was so funny. Celia hated being called 'little one.' Threatened to kick somebody's ass the next time he said it, and glared at Rick O'Connell as she did. There wasn't the slightest doubt in Anck's mind that Celia would sure as hell try to kick his ass. However, the only reason she doubted her roommate was because she didn't know the man's moves. . .what he knew that Celia didn't.
And yet, as she slept now, her arms folded around her teddy bear, she didn't look any older than thirteen or fourteen. Just a child. Evy teased her a little in the beginning, about being eighteen and sleeping with a teddy bear. That incident, in fact, was part of what turned Anck against her English roommate when the trio first started living together. It was what led her to believe Evy thought herself superior in some way. She was slowly letting go of that belief. It would be easier if Evy didn't relapse ever so often and say something that annoyed the living mierda out of Anck. No one could expect them to get along all the time.
Well. Celia still slept with her teddy bear, but Anck was willing to bet her roommate was dreaming about Ardeth Bey. Ardeth was all she could talk about, once Jonathan dropped them off at the dormitory. It was as if being away from the young man released all of her inhibitions, and she was free to talk about him. Anck would have never believed, a year earlier, that her quiet roommate could talk so much. Surprise, surprise, surprise.
She was sure there were a lot more surprises in store for her, once she got moving. With that thought in mind, Anck pushed herself out of bed. She didn't talk nearly as much the previous night. Did a lot more listening than talking. Maybe that was why she was better rested. That and. . . Anck swallowed hard. Today was Emmett Tepper's class. She scampered lightly over to her best friend's bedside, whispering, "Celia? Cecelia, wake up. . .we have class this morning." She wondered at this reversal in their roles. . .well, not reversal, since Celia didn't usually wake her.
Celia mumbled something, and Anck rocked back on her heels, trying to figure out how to wake her roommate. Anck said softly, deciding not to play dirty. . .yet, "C'mon, time to wake up. We have class today, remember?" A moan and Celia turned away. Anck put her hand on her friend's shoulder, gently shaking her. One more time. . . and then she would play dirty. When Anck played dirty. . .she played real dirty.
A sound across the room attracted Anck's attention, and she noticed Evy sitting up in bed. The English girl was trying very hard to suppress her smile, but her brown eyes were twinkling. Anck said, "Celia. . .c'mon, querida, you're supposed to be the responsible one, not me." She ignored Evy's indignant look, just knowing that the other girl would protest what did that make her.
And still, there was no response from Celia. There was, however, a little smile on her face telling Anck that her friend was having a very lovely dream. . .very lovely, indeed. No fair. Especially when she had no such luxury this past night. Anck's dark eyes narrowed. Okay. Now it was definitely time to play dirty. She leaned down and whispered, "Celia. . .it's Monday. Dr Hafez's class. You know Ardeth might be there."
She said the magic word. Or rather, the magic name. Anck should have seen the reaction coming a mile away. At least. Celia bolted upright so fast, she and Anck butted heads. The impact not only gave Anck one helluva headache, but it also served to knock her on her hindquarters. Evy burst out laughing at that, and Celia asked sleepily, "What's so funny?" Anck glared at both of her roommates. . .a glare that became progressively worse when Celia asked, "Anck? Why are you on the floor?"
That sent Evy into fresh spasms of laughter. She collapsed back against her pillows. Scratch that. Only one pillow. The other one was covering her face, in a desperate attempt to drown out the sound of her laughter before she woke everyone. Too bad she didn't suffocate herself in the process and save Anck the trouble of doing it later. Celia looked from their nearly-hysterical roommate to Anck, sighing, "You just had to wake me, didn't you? I was having the best dream of my life, and you woke me."
However, she reached down to help Anck up, and the other girl muttered, "TMI, Celia. Way, way too much information." She was rewarded with a sassy grin from her friend, and. . . Wait a minute. Wasn't she being a little too perky for just waking up? Anck stared at her, asking, "Celia? Cecelia Anne Ferguson? Just. . .how. . .long have you been awake?" That sent Evy into fresh spasms of laughter. Celia just grinned, and Anck just groaned again. Oh wonderful. It seemed like falling in love was widening her roommate's mischievous streak!
. . .
As practical jokes went, it wasn't too bad for one thought up in a matter of seconds. Celia was not a mischievous person by nature. . . sure, she had a mischievous streak. It was roughly a mile long, but she didn't usually indulge that mischievous mile too terribly much. It sort of ruined the effect if you did it repeatedly. After a while, people came to expect certain things from you, and where was the fun in that?
Anck was still muttering under her breath when Celia left to take her shower, and Evy was howling into her pillow. The American member of the trio just smirked as she sauntered down the hall to the bathroom. She didn't lie about one thing, at least. She was having an absolutely lovely dream about Ardeth before Anck's alarm clock went off. Celia winced, realizing that she should be grateful Anck remembered to set her alarm. . .since she didn't.
It was very unlike her. But Anck already referred to that, by reminding Celia that she was supposed to be the responsible one. Celia wasn't so sure about that, but she was usually something of a control freak about setting the alarm clock before she went to sleep at night. Last night, however. . . A dreamy smile crossed her face as she remembered the previous night. Fortunately, her fingers were working on automatic, as she turned on the shower. Last night, she was flying too high to fall asleep immediately.
Ardeth kissed her. When Jonathan dropped him and Rick off at their apartment off-campus, there was a shift in the van. In part because the girls were arranged around the bags. But, before joining his still-grumbling brother inside the apartment building, Ardeth set down his bags and kissed her. Celia sighed quietly, almost forgetting to strip before getting into the shower. He kissed her. A real kiss.
Yes, he kissed her forehead first, but then. . .oh. Celia sighed again, washing herself mechanically. She didn't really want to wash up this morning. She didn't want to wash away his touch so easily. His hands on her forearms as he kissed her good-bye the previous day. She smiled again. He actually apologized to her, for his self-control slipping. Anck, bless her heart, told him, "If you hadn't kissed her, amigo, she would have kissed you."
That made Ardeth blush, and Jonathan huff. Celia barely paid attention as he moaned, "Oh, puh-leaze, get a room!" She wasn't sure, but she thought Evy might have thrown something at him and hissed at him to be quiet. She wasn't really paying attention to anyone or anything except Ardeth at that point. He quietly promised her that they would have their first lesson in the next few days.
It took both Evy and Anck to bundle Celia back into the van. Anck was giggling, and Evy was chastising Jonathan for whatever he was saying. Celia didn't care. She just kept running her fingers over her lips, which tingled from Ardeth's kiss. By the time the van reached the dormitory where the trio lived, she was capable of answering the most rudimentary questions. Like, what her name was, where she lived. . .those sorts of things.
It was for that reason that Celia wasn't permitted to call her brother until a few more hours passed, and she was capable of thinking coherently. It seemed Anck was afraid that Galen would take her muddled state of mind the wrong way. Celia could have told her not to worry, that Galen knew better than that. . .but she wasn't thinking clearly enough at the time to do that. Alright. . .so maybe Anck had a point.
By the time she finished her shower, Celia was fully awake and alert, and her mind was starting to shift back to school. She both hoped and feared that Ardeth would be filling in for Hafez today (she really did not like that man. He made her skin crawl). On the one hand was the obvious. Hafez did make her skin crawl. On the other hand, she wasn't sure she could trust herself to behave around Ardeth.
It was hard enough keeping her hands off him during the movies. . .Celia wanted to do a lot more than just put her hand on his thigh a few times. A lot more. But she maintained some degree of decorum, and didn't do anything that would have made her grandmother ashamed of her. At least, she hoped she didn't do anything that made either of her grandparents ashamed of her. It was hard telling sometimes.
In addition, Anck told her the night before that sometimes playing hard to get was the best thing. Celia was uncomfortable with that, until her friend explained that it wasn't being coy, but maintaining an air of mystery. Celia still wasn't comfortable with that notion, but she could at least see where Anck was coming from. Evy weighed in with the opposing idea, saying that Ardeth was probably sick of mystery.
Anck looked like she wanted to throw something at their roommate, but Celia put her hand on Anck's wrist. And Evy wasn't about to back down. She stuck to her guns, saying that she felt Ardeth was attracted to Celia because of her honesty. Because of her honesty. Celia paused as she soaped her hair, and thought that through. She never really thought that much about it. . .yeah, she was pretty much honest.
She tried to be, and sometimes, those attempts got her into trouble. Witness her problems at work over the summer. Oh, on second thought, she really didn't want to go there! Not if she wanted to keep her current good mood.
Of course, if she pointed out the aforementioned example to her roommates, Evy would have probably said that it was Neil Grady's problem, not Celia's. Yeah. Right. People like that had a habit of making their problems become the problems of other people. She tipped her head back, rinsing the shampoo out, and quietly scowling. Wonderful. How in the hell did she go from remembering that amazing kiss last night to thinking about that slimeball Neil Grady? For heaven's sake, Ardeth was. . .there was no basis for comparison!
Noises from the stall beside her own warned Celia that she was no longer alone. It would be a good idea to keep her mouth shut, since she wasn't sure whom it was. She noticed more than a few odd glances as she walked through the halls of the dorm, but really didn't pay much attention to them. For one thing, she was used to such looks, and for another, at the time, she was puzzling her way through another situation.
Any concern she might have felt about her neighbor were alleviated when she heard a voice singing in Spanish. Celia grinned and turned off the shower. Her Spanish wasn't good enough to understand the words when listening to a song in her second language, but that was never reason enough to stop her from humming along. A stream of Spanish invectives filled the shower room, and Celia winced in sympathy. . .yeah, that first blast of cold water was a doozy.
And that prank this morning wasn't very nice to poor Anck. It was funny. . .very funny, in fact. But even so, Celia regretted it. . .a little. Not a lot. Just enough to convince her to buy a gift for her friend, something she noticed Anck eyeballing when they went to the bookstore together. The girl shrugged into her bathrobe. The bookstore. Isn't that where Anck met their professor, Emmett Tepper?
Yes, that sounded right. Celia would have had to be blind, deaf, and dumb not to notice Anck's reaction to their professor. He was handsome enough, Celia supposed. . . but he certainly wasn't Ardeth. And there was something else. Warning bells didn't go off, but she had the weirdest feeling there was more to Emmett Tepper than there appeared to be. It was something she and Evy discussed the night Anck first told them about meeting their professor.
Evy didn't entirely trust the professor, for the simple fact that he was involved with Anck-su-namun. Or, she thought he wanted to be involved with their roommate. Celia did a double take, staring at her English friend with more than a little shock. Evy shook her head, evidently realizing how it sounded, and said, "He's a professor, Celia, and he makes no secret that he's interested in a student. We both know Professor Garrity, and how much trouble he's had with female students. Why is this instructor courting potential disaster like that?"
Put that way, Evy's concern made sense. Celia knew all too well about the difficulties experienced by the handsome young professor. She had a mini-crush on him, but hid it. Given what she saw Professor Garrity go through. . .yeah. Yeah, her roommate had a point. Evy vowed to keep a close eye on Emmett Tepper, and if he stepped out of bounds. . .her dark eyes narrowed and she added, "If he steps out of bounds with Anck. . .ooooh. I'll. . .I'll. . .I'll. . ." She looked frustrated at her inability to come up with a credible threat, before concluding triumphantly, "I'll make him regret it!" Evy bobbed her head, looking very proud of herself.
Celia didn't have the heart to tell her friend that the threat would have very little effect on Emmett Tepper. Evy was trying so hard, trying so hard to protect both of her roommates. She just didn't. . . well, in all honesty, it was hard to take a threat seriously, coming from a cultured lady like Evy. Coming from Celia's brother Galen, on the other hand. . .or Matt, for that matter. Well. That made a world of difference.
For all that he was a doctor, Galen was also quite skilled at inflicting pain as well. Maybe that was why he was so knowledgeable about inflicting pain. . .because he was a healer. That was what he always told Celia when she asked. Slowly, as she grew up, she was starting to understand. Or at least, she thought she understood. On the other hand, it was entirely possible that she would never understand her older brother entirely. He was a male, after all. . .and they were a mystery in and of themselves.
. . .
Evy was the last of the trio to make it into the shower room. It took her a good ten minutes, after Anck left the dorm room, to stop laughing. Just when she thought she knew Celia, the proud little Yank did something. . .threw a curve ball of some kind. And Evy would realize how much she still didn't know about her roommate. But that was fine. Where would the fun be, once she knew everything about Celia or Anck?
She met Celia on her way to the bathroom, and her roommate was returning to their room. Her hair was wrapped up, and she was wearing socks. Honestly, there were times when Evy despaired of her friend. . .but Celia refused to wear slippers. Said they made her feet sweaty. And socks didn't? Evy would have called her on it, but Anck whacked her in the back of her head, glaring at her.
Evy couldn't resist. . .she stopped her American roommate with a hand on her wrist, and said softly, "That was very well done this morning." Celia blushed, but there was the barest hint of a smirk. She actually looked proud of herself. Evy continued, "I know you, though. You're already planning something to make it up to Anck." Her roommate actually pouted at that, and Evy squeezed her wrist, saying softly, "You are entirely too nice for your own good, but that's why we love you so much." At least, it was one reason.
"I'm not so sure Rick O'Connell will agree with you on that one, Evy," Celia pointed out wryly. Evy barely held back a sniff, even as her heart jumped at the man's name. Really, why was Celia worried about him? It wasn't as if he was. . .oh, drat. Evy, whom are you attempting to kid? Her roommate smiled at her, saying, "It's okay, Evy. I know you're attracted to him. Why do you think it's such fun to tease you about him?"
"Ooooh. . .you!" Evy retorted. That drew another grin, and Evy said softly, "Jonathan told me I should cut Mr O'Connell some slack." Celia raised a brow and the English girl continued with a sigh, "My dear brother seems to think that Mr O'Connell is simply trying to protect Ardeth. Why he feels the need to protect his step-brother from you, I have no idea, but I cannot comprehend the way that man's mind works."
"Hmm. Sounds like the same advice Galen gave me last night, while you and Anck were out. . .doing whatever before we stayed up until one this morning talking. He told me not to worry about Rick O'Connell. . .that he was just being a protective big brother, and it didn't matter that I wasn't really a threat to Ardeth," Celia answered in that low voice. She paused, then added with a wicked grin, "He also told me that any woman is a threat to the mental health of any man. And that it was meant as a compliment."
That was pretty much what Jonathan had said, and Evy said as much, adding, "Jonathan also thinks Mr O'Connell is so protective of Ardeth where you're concerned because. . ." Her voice trailed off as she tried to remember how her brother put it. Jonathan seemed inclined to think that part of the man's protectiveness toward his step-brother derived from his idea that he was a less than stellar brother.
And it was unnecessary, for Celia asked, "Evy? Do you realize that you refer to them as 'Ardeth' and 'Mr O'Connell,' when you talk about them? Why?" Evy started to answer, then realized she had no idea what to say. She glared at her friend and Celia shook her head, saying, "I'll see you back in the room. You still need to get your shower. And is it me, or is Anck more alert this morning that she usually is?"
"It's definitely not just you," Evy replied, "I noticed the same thing." Celia was right. She really should get her shower, and the English girl continued, "By the way. . . great job. Again. I don't think I've laughed that hard in the morning in ages." A shrug and a wry grin were her rewards. Evy laughed softly and she squeezed her friend's forearm, then released Celia and continued on her way.
Only one shower stall was occupied. . .thankfully. There were only three shower stalls, and more than once, Evy thought that was a mistake. However, this dorm was one of the oldest on campus, built in a time when there weren't nearly as many students as there were now. And people said that for years, according to some of the upperclassmen, and nothing was done about it. There was the practical side of it, of course. . .they would have to shut down the girls' bathroom to do the proper renovations.
And that would be a logistical nightmare. Evy couldn't imagine having to go to the other wing to use the bathroom at two in the morning. It was bad enough that she had to make her way down the dark hall where she lived at two in the morning. That particular argument was Anck's favorite, at least, and Evy found it was very difficult to argue with her. Especially when Anck used that sort of logic. On the other hand, it wasn't the sideways logic employed by Jack Sparrow. . .thank heavens. Evy wasn't sure if she could handle someone like the pirate in real life. Rick O'Connell was bad enough.
As she turned on the water to her chosen shower stall, Evy firmly instructed herself not to think about Rick O'Connell, or even his step- brother. They were intriguing, in their different ways. Both strange mixtures of gentleness and ferocity. And not for the first time, Evy regretted that her hormones were leading her toward Rick O'Connell, rather than Ardeth. She wouldn't hurt Celia for the world, but her life would certainly be more convenient if she was attracted to the quiet, mysterious Ardeth, rather than the brash and irritating Rick.
She didn't believe in magic. . .in fairy tales and hokum. And yet, there was a part of Evy that wondered. In the same week, she and both of her roommates met men who created such strange feelings in their hearts and bodies. Celia and Ardeth. Evy and Rick O'Connell. And Anck and Emmett Tepper. Evy paused as she stripped and stepped into the shower. That particular situation concerned her.
Especially when it occurred to her that today was their class with the man who got under Anck's skin. Oh, that was troubling. Was it possible that Anck was so alert this morning, because she was looking forward to that class? Evy didn't like that idea. Didn't like it one bit. The possibility of Celia falling in love with Ardeth was bad enough. He was a teaching assistant. But Emmett Tepper was a professor.
A visiting lecturer, yes. Not a tenured professor, not like poor Professor Garrity. Oooh! Evy's dark eyes narrowed as she thought about one of the few people whom all three roommates liked and respected. More to the point, she recollected the problems he encountered with female students in the past. Honestly! As if it wasn't hard enough being a female student, with all the things that went along with it. . .those little bi. . .those little brats had to make things worse?
Evy knew, despite her friend's efforts, that Celia had something of a crush on the handsome professor during their first two semesters here. In truth, Evy thought most of his female students had a crush on him. Maybe even some of his male students, though Evy did notice most of them seemed to be envious or resentful of him. He wasn't that much older than they were, and had the undivided attention of every female in his class.
Those were two things. He was also handsome (though Evy was discomfited to realize he really didn't hold a candle to either step- brother. She was NOT supposed to notice how handsome Rick O'Connell was!). And considerate. A true gentleman, who reminded Evy that chivalry wasn't dead. There were times when he insisted on walking a female student back to her dorm after dark if he encountered her at the library. A lone young girl was considered fair game on a college campus. And after dark. . .
Well, it simply didn't bear thinking about! College campuses were dangerous places these days. It was part of every female student's orientation when arriving at the campus as freshmen. Evy was among those whom Dr Michael Garrity escorted home. The girls in the dorm talked about it for days after, and it made it difficult for Evy to face the young professor. People talked. . .they said things that weren't true. And only Evy's reputation as. . .well, awkward saved things. After all, she wasn't her roommate Anck. If Anck was the one whom he escorted back to the dorm. . .no one would have believed her if she said nothing happened.
No one except her two roommates, both of whom knew that she didn't find the professor especially attractive. Even before she met Emmett Tepper. . .she knew that Garrity wasn't whom she was seeking. Evy scowled. Back to Emmett Tepper again. She was finding that she would rather think about Rick O'Connell, no matter how uncomfortable she was around him. She didn't quite trust the visiting lecturer. . .and while she barely knew O'Connell, he didn't make her uneasy, as Professor Tepper did.
Uneasy or not, she would have to sit through his class later today. Along with Dr Hafez. Someone else who made her uneasy. During the dig this past summer, she felt his eyes on her and when she looked up, she found him glowering at her. As if. . .as if he hated her. Evy never met the man until this past summer, and she knew for a fact that she never did anything to harm him. . .but the fact remained. He hated her. Evy didn't like not knowing why someone disliked her. Didn't like that at all.
. . .
Professor Emmett Tepper, also known as Imhotep, among other names, was a nervous wreck. It was foolish, he knew. But today marked the return of Anck-su-namun Cortez to his classroom, and that had him behaving quite unlike himself. He almost wished Finn was here. Finn knew how to handle situations like these. He was much more comfortable with members of the opposite sex. And that was why Imhotep only almost wished his friend was here.
Of course, Finn would also be laughing his horny Irish ass off at Imhotep. A faint smile curved his lips as he picked up one of the few photos he kept about his living area. It was a picture of himself and Finn, taken perhaps five years earlier. Yes. . .five years. The last time he physically saw Finn, though they spoke on the phone since then. Imhotep had precious few friends in his life. There were friends other than the Irish thief. But Finn. . .Finn was the closest thing he had to a brother.
They were only a few months apart in age. . .both born in 1966. Finn actually looked younger, though Imhotep swore that had to do with Finn's Irish blood. They stood side by side, grinning like idiots at the camera. . .or rather, whomever held the camera. Finn, like Imhotep, had dark hair. . .but his eyes were blue-gray. Slate gray when he was angry. Fortunately for Imhotep, he rarely saw that side of his friend.
"What advice would you give me, old friend?" Imhotep asked the picture of his friend. It was sentimental nonsense, of course, but there were times when talking to Finn's picture brought him comfort. He had no idea where Finn was. They spoke occasionally on the phone, but Finn was rather tight-lipped about where he was and what he was doing.
On the other hand, he encouraged Imhotep to talk freely. Not about the jobs he pulled. The less Finn knew, the less dangerous it would be for both of them. Instead, when they had time to talk, Imhotep usually told his friend about his other quest. The one to avenge his dead mother. There was no reason for her to die. He would see to it that no other innocent women died. Perhaps that was why he was so committed to protecting Anck-su-namun and her friends.
Anck-su-namun. Her name brought him full circle. He sighed, murmuring to his friend's picture, "I wish you were here now, brother. You were always so much more comfortable with yourself when you were around women. I am too used to wearing masks. That is not so bad. What frightens me is that I wish to reveal my true self to this child. If I do so, she and her friends will be in even more danger."
Worse yet, Imhotep actually wanted to impress the girl. That was an impressive joke, indeed! Imhotep, the great gentleman jewel thief, the Egyptian Robin Hood, wanted to impress a girl of nineteen. When he awoke this morning and remembered it was a weekday, his thought was not, 'damn this job.' It was, 'this morning I see Anck-su-namun.' And his heart almost jumped out of his chest with the thought.
How did he speak with Anck-su-namun now? How did he look at either of her roommates, knowing what he knew about them all? He learned much while reading Celia Ferguson's journal the afternoon before. Not just about her own rather intense attraction to Ardeth Bey, but also her roommate Evelyn's attraction to Rick O'Connell. That was a most interesting couple, when he thought about it, and most unlikely.
Then again, the same thing was true of Ardeth and Celia. And yet, reading the girl's journal afforded him an interesting glimpse into her mind. She was unusually logical and practical for a girl of nineteen. Admitting openly in her journal that she often forgot to eat, she also admitted that she was not sensible, for that very reason. But she was not exactly your typical nineteen year old college sophomore. There was nothing typical about any of the girls.
Thus, the difficulties they faced in the respective romantic possibilities were highly atypical. This Neil Grady, for instance. He concerned Imhotep. The grief and bitterness and despair he caused to Celia Ferguson was obvious in every word she wrote about him, and most telling of all, she wrote, 'Ardeth Bey is nothing like him. The steadiness and dependability I thought I saw in Neil Grady is inherent in this man. He has everything Grady lacked.'
Damning words indeed, and Imhotep wished he had time to read more, so he would have a better idea of what this Grady did and while Celia considered him a continuing threat. Not just to her possible relationship with Ardeth, but to her two friends. She seemed genuinely concerned that this Neil Grady person would hurt Anck-su-namun and Evelyn. Imhotep was half-tempted to put it down to teenage histrionics.
But. . .there was no histrionics. That simply was not her style. She was not a drama queen, given to flash and dazzle. Her roommates were more inclined to drama than she was herself. And that was what concerned Imhotep.
Yes, he already promised himself that he would never allow Lock-nah to learn that Celia was involved with Ardeth Bey. But as he remembered what he read in her journal, he couldn't help thinking that maybe, he should focus some of his attention on this Neil Grady as well. If Imhotep was reading the journal correctly, he was a little man, afraid of a small, bright young woman.
If he was afraid of someone like Celia Ferguson, surely he would take the hint from Imhotep. Neil Grady picked on women, because he didn't think they could or would fight back. He couldn't stand up to someone like Imhotep. He was too much of a coward. Yes. Yes, he would learn more about where he could find this Neil Grady, and then he would pay him a visit. He would head trouble off at the pass, before this small man tried to harm a girl who was already finding her way into his affections.
Neil Grady would not be permitted to harm Anck-su-namun. Imhotep did not doubt Celia when she fretted that Grady would harm either of her roommates. She worked with the man (to use the word loosely) for three months. She had a better idea of what he was capable of doing. From what Celia said in her journal, she didn't think either of her roommates really took her fears about the man seriously. Imhotep would take it seriously. He was in a position to do something about it.
None of which helped him decide what to wear to class today. Imhotep, you fool, you're growing soft in your old age, he scolded himself. During the previous week, he noted that most of the older staff tended to wear jeans and long or short-sleeved shirts. The younger professors, like Dr Garrity, tended to wear suits and ties. Garrity was about ten years younger than Imhotep. By his own reckoning, that made the visiting lecturer one of the older professors.
Jeans it was then. Jeans and. . .hmm. It was still warm in Chicago in these early days of September. Turtleneck was out. Imhotep wasn't a flashy dresser. But his mother taught him to have pride in himself. That was shown in a variety of different ways, including being choosy about clothes. Besides, he wanted to fit in here, didn't he? He wanted to melt into the crowds as much as possible? Then he had to dress similar.
Thus, he chose a short-sleeved navy blue shirt. He dressed quickly and quietly, then left his apartment. He ignored the calls blinking at him from the answering machine, knowing fully well that it was either Hafez or Lock-nah. Right now, Imhotep didn't want to talk to either of them. Right now, all he really wanted was to get this day started. . .so he could look forward to seeing Anck-su-namun. So he could feel his blood quicken in his veins once more.
What was it about her that got to him? She was beautiful, bright, funny, warm, and protective. Those were all true. But she wasn't exactly the first bright, beautiful, funny, warm and protective woman he met in his life. On the contrary, she was just one in a long line of such women. What, then, made her so damn special? What was it about her that made his breath catch in his throat and made his heart skip a beat? Surely it wasn't just the idea of forbidden fruit. . .the idea of having something or someone so dangerous as one of his students? There was more to it than that, wasn't there?
There had to be. Pursuing this desire for Anck-su-namun Cortez threatened to undo everything he accomplished. Yes, he enjoyed playing with fire. He enjoyed taking chances. But there was a difference between taking chances and being just plain stupid. He only hoped that it wasn't a line he would cross. He hoped that whatever chances he was about to take with his heart, with his sanity, with his soul. . .that she was worth it.
. . .
Only the knowledge that his baby sister was worth any trouble kept him from leaving this office and never coming back. Jonathan Carnahan knew Terrence Bey would be hard to convince. . .but this was ridiculous! The man simply would not listen to Jonathan about Dr Baltus Hafez. Here in the States, he went by the name 'Balthazar,' but he was still the same weasel whom Jonathan's father and step-mother so despised. Balthazar. Wasn't that the name of Cole Turner's demon half in 'Charmed,' or something? Belthazor, that's right. Belthazor. He remembered some of his female students weeping when Cole died on the series.
At the moment, Jonathan wished he was dealing with Cole and Belthazor (not even Evy knew he watched the show). They were at least reasonable people (demons?), who were capable of listening. Usually. That last season, when Cole went crazy, didn't really count. In any event, Jonathan came here at the beginning of Dr Bey's office hours (it seemed that the dean was a morning person. Real early. Reason enough to hate him, in Jonathan's book). The dean was not inclined to listen to him, not appreciating the sacrifice Jonathan made by getting out of bed at this ungodly hour.
The Englishman was almost to the end of his rope, when Dr Bey said softly, "It is not that I disbelieve you, Jonathan. In fact, I do believe you. I have never felt comfortable with Baltus Hafez and indeed, considered him to be the lesser of two evils. But the time we could do something about this is past. We must allow this to play out."
Come again? The younger professor looked at his supervisor, who explained, "There are many things about my nephew's presence you do not understand. Were I to remove my nephew as Hafez's assistant, things. . .he would become suspicious, and it would place Ardeth in greater danger." Ardeth was in danger? Jonathan filled in the missing pieces with his imagination, as overwrought as that could be at times, but right now, he wasn't so sure about that.
"Danger? Ardeth is in danger? What about his step-brother, what about O'Connell?" Jonathan demanded. And. . .oh god. What about Evy? He was unaware that he spoke his sister's name until Bey's dark eyes snapped with curiosity and. . .fear. Oh, bloody hell! Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. He explained, "My younger sister is rather attracted to O'Connell, much to her dismay. And Celia is attracted to Ardeth. . .that's one hundred percent mutual, by the way."
"Celia? Cecelia Ferguson, your sister's roommate? That quiet little girl?" Dr Bey questioned in surprise. Jonathan rolled his eyes. Oh, puh-leaze! Dr Bey obviously did not know her very well, if he thought there was anything quiet about her! On the other hand, he never experienced the pleasure of being a chauffeur for the evil triplets! At that thought, Jonathan cheered considerably. . .or rather, he cheered up at the notion of Dr Bey playing chauffeur for those three! His good mood didn't last.
"Cecelia Anne Ferguson, one and the same. . .the lass who has done an admirable job of shaking up your nephew's world. You didn't have to watch them kissing!" Jonathan groaned. Even now, the memory was enough to scar his mind's eye. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the image. And discovered Dr Bey staring at him in shock. Jonathan could sympathize. After all, this was his nephew they were discussing!
"My. . .nephew. Ardeth? Has fallen in love with. . .well, it could be worse," the dean muttered, looking more than a little dazed at these revelations. Jonathan didn't know about that. The falling in love part, he meant. Dr Bey explained, perhaps reading Jonathan's confusion in the other man's eyes, "If he has kissed her, it means he's falling in love with her. My nephew does not simply share favors like that."
Oh. Point taken. Dr Bey looked at Jonathan after a moment, saying, "You know this girl far better than I do. Do you think she returns his feelings? I'll not have my nephew's heart trifled with by a mere chit who is only interested in playing games." Jonathan couldn't help himself. As attracted to Anck as he felt, he actually viewed both of his little sister's roommates as. . .well. . .little sisters. And he bristled at this notion.
"I will thank you not to speak of my little sister like that! Celia is an honest and honorable girl, and she isn't the sort who gives her favors away easily. She kissed him, and she doesn't kiss just anyone!" Jonathan fired back. He didn't need any more amorous visions in his head. Really, he didn't. But this man insulted a member of his family, and he wouldn't have that!
Again, the dean looked at him, his eyes reflecting shock. At last, Bey said, "You have my humble apologies, Professor Carnahan, it was never my intention to insult her. Only to protect my nephew. Since he was seventeen years old, he has watched over and led our people. We have been given precious few opportunities to return the favor. When such opportunities arise, we hesitate not at all to take them."
Oh. Wait a minute. The dean said since Ardeth was seventeen. How old was he now? He missed hearing that this weekend. . .or just ignored it. His supervisor replied to his unanswered question, "My nephew is twenty-two years old."
Well. That was a surprise! However, it didn't answer the pressing question. What would they do about this danger? He posed said question to Dr Bey, who said cynically, "To use my elder nephew's much over-used phrase, 'we? What we?' I will deal with this, Professor Carnahan. You must watch over the girls, especially if my nephews are in love with them."
"So they are in danger," Jonathan surmised. Dr Bey made no answer, and the Englishman continued, "I just hope Rick never says that in front of Celia. He's already gotten on her bad side once. . .if someone's in trouble and she needs back-up, the last thing she'll want to hear is 'we, what we?' I know Celia." Dr Bey looked at him curiously. Never had the privilege of seeing a Celia Ferguson meltdown, eh? Lucky him. Jonathan told the older man, "Would you ever make the mistake of calling your nephew 'mousy' because he was quiet?"
"I see your point. She can truly be fiery?" Dr Bey asked, sounding genuinely curious. Fiery? Oh, that was the understatement to end all understatements! Could she be fiery? Anck once likened Celia in her meltdown mode to a fire-breathing dragon, and that was close enough. The dean shook his head, murmuring, "I would have never thought such a thing was possible. But, my own brother was quiet, just as Ardeth is."
An affectionate smile crossed his face, and Jonathan did a double-take. He never saw such an expression on the other man's face and indeed, never thought he was capable of it. Dr Bey went on after a moment, "The stories I could tell you about my brothers. Ardeth is very much like his father. . .in personality, in intelligence, in strength, in appearance. There are times when I look at my nephew, and I know that my older brother lives on in him."
Curious in spite of himself, Jonathan asked, "But. . .doesn't Ardeth have brothers or sisters? Don't you see your brother in any of them?" A guarded expression appeared in the dean's eyes, as if he realized that he said too much. Jonathan persisted, however, wanting to know more about this strange family, "And what exactly is the deal with Ardeth and his step-brother? I noticed that this weekend. O'Connell can't make up his mind whether he loves Ardeth or can't stand him."
Ew, was he really asking these questions? Jonathan would have wiped his mouth on his sleeve, but Dr Bey evidently decided that he would answer the questions posed to him. And Jonathan wasn't even entirely sure why he was asking, just that he. . .wanted to be sure that O'Connell was good enough for his darling baby sister. Dr Bey sighed in spite of himself, replying, "Rick has ever been caught between resentment and affection, for almost as long as his father has been married to Ardeth's mother."
Well, wasn't that true of most sibling relationships? Jonathan was somewhat resentful of his younger sister. . .in part because Monifa Carnahan was her real mother, not just the woman who married their father and took care of Jonathan from as far back as he could remember. However, Dr Bey wasn't finished. He continued, "He resents Ardeth for being stronger and more. . .serious than Rick is. At the same time, he feels guilty for resenting Ardeth, particularly for something my nephew cannot help. Ardeth is whom he is and what he is. . .he can help neither of those things, and Rick knows that."
Oh. That made sense. And the dean still wasn't finished. Terrence Bey went on, "There is another factor. When Ardeth was fifteen, he was almost killed while saving Rick's life. Almost killed, after enduring Rick's attitude and habit of lashing out for more than a year. Rick swore that he would be a better brother, if Ardeth survived. Since then, he has swung between trying to keep that vow and his first instinct, to lash out when afraid or angry."
Jonathan would never say so to his sister's roommate, because he knew she would kick his arse, but in some ways, that reminded him of Anck-su-namun. On the other hand, he wouldn't bother mentioning it to Rick, either, because he would probably do the same. After a moment, Jonathan said, "Well, that explains a great deal. . .all but one thing. What will we do about Hafez? I'll not allow him to hurt my baby sister."
"And that is exactly what you will do. You will watch over Evelyn and her roommates. I will see to my nephews. Because this I can promise. If Hafez harms a member of my family, he will learn first-hand how the Med-jai respond to threats," Dr Bey answered, his dark eyes flashing. Jonathan swallowed hard. Ooookay. And on that note, he would leave for his own class. He still had preparations to make. It never occurred to him to ask what a Med-jai was.
. . .
Right now, what a Med-jai was, was asleep. Rick O'Connell crept into his younger brother's room, trying to make sure he didn't make a noise. He checked the answering machine when he first got up, just to be sure that Hafez wasn't dumping the class on his brother. When the red light remained steady, Rick went into Ardeth's room and checked on him. They were up late the previous night, discussing plans.
Ardeth, true to form, was falling asleep even as he talked about ideas for what they would do the following day. Rick finally half-carried and half-dragged his brother to bed, tucked him in, turned on the CD player, then headed to bed. As he was lying in bed, it occurred to him that Ardeth had no nightmares during the weekend. First time he was spared the nightmares since their arrival in the US, first time since the Book was stolen in the first place.
Three guesses for that, Rick thought almost grimly, and the first two don't count. He wasn't entirely sure why he was reacting like this. He should be happy that his brother wasn't experiencing nightmares. . .whether they were reminders of the horrific beating and torture he received at the hands of Lock-nah and Nizam Toth, or his own fears that his brother Andreas blamed him for not neutralizing Lock-nah years earlier.
And he was. Hell, it angered him that Ardeth even had nightmares to that effect. He sure as hell couldn't blame Ardeth for his nightmares about almost dying, and Andreas. . . If Andreas wanted to blame anyone, he could start by looking in the mirror! His stupidity led to his death. . .not Ardeth. He insisted on going out after Lock-nah with just Ardeth and Anatol. . .and Anatol was only nine years old, for Pete's sake! Ardeth went along, to try and temper his brother's impulsiveness with common sense.
Instead, Andreas ended up dead and Ardeth came terrifyingly close to joining him. Anatol was the only one out of the three who was physically unharmed. . .but he was traumatized. He escaped, and found Rick. The eighteen year old American urged his little brother to tell him where they were, and Rick realized even then that if he had to, Anatol would have dragged him to Ardeth and Andreas. Even after five years, the memory of Ardeth hanging by his wrists was enough to make him sick.
As ever, Ardeth wore a t-shirt to bed. . .t-shirt and boxers. At least while he was in the States. He slept in a tunic and baggy trousers, back home in Egypt. The Med-jai version of sweatpants, Rick teased him on more than one occasion. But never did he leave his back uncovered. He was too vulnerable without a shirt on. Too vulnerable, because whom ever was with him could see the scars on his back.
Rick didn't have the heart to tell him that his t-shirt rode up and exposed the scars anyhow. As they were now. He swallowed hard. He wanted to protect his brother, but he wasn't sure what the source of danger was. Was it Celia Ferguson? She wouldn't mean to hurt Ardeth, he knew. But her innocence made her dangerous. Not just because of her friendship with Beni, but because she was innocent when it came to passion.
Rick felt more comfortable with people like himself, who had quick flings. They were brief, they were memorable, you walked away, no harm, no foul. People like his brother, and the little roommate, though. . .they were another story entirely. They were innocent and had less experience controlling their passion. In addition, they weren't interested in holding back. It was all or nothing with them, and holding back simply wasn't an option. Not with their hearts, not with their bodies. Evelyn Carnahan was another one who was dangerous.
Oh yeah. Yeah, if the little roommate was dangerous to Ardeth without even meaning to be, then Evy Carnahan was just as dangerous to him. The difference was, at least in Rick's eyes, that he had more experience than his brother did. Yeah. Right. Like that made any difference. The trouble with that theory was, Rick had plenty more experience than his brother did. . .but with women who viewed relationships in the same way Rick did.
Where women. . .no, girls. . .like Evy Carnahan were concerned, Rick was just as inexperienced as Ardeth was. Which made it all the more galling, that Ardeth was doing so much better in that department. On the other hand, Rick acknowledged, Ardeth's smart enough to know that he's inexperienced in this situation. Damn him! I hate it when he does this to me! Maybe one of these days, Rick would stop trying to outdo his brother some how. . .but that wouldn't happen for a long, long time yet. He was still older than Ardeth, and still trying to be the big brother in the ways that mattered.
A soft groan gave him a few minutes warning that his brother was about to wake up, or at least, would stir. Ardeth mumbled, "Rick? What is it?" He slipped back and forth between Arabic and English, a fairly reasonable sign that he wasn't entirely there. Only knowing Ardeth as he did aided Rick in understanding what his brother was asking of him. There was another groan and Rick leaned forward, to see his brother's face twist in pain. His hand went to his shoulder. . .the one on which he fell the previous day.
Rick batted his hand away and began massaging the tight muscles. Ardeth sighed, relaxing under the massage, and Rick said softly, "Nothing. Go back to sleep. No classes today." And even if there are, Rick thought, I'll tell ol' Snakeskin Hafez where he can shove it. You need to rest, little brother. Ardeth mumbled something, then sighed. The tight muscles relaxed, and Rick patted his shoulder gently, murmuring, "That's right, little brother, go back to sleep. I'll take care of everything today."
The CD player was sitting on 'one.' Rick eased up from his brother's bed and hit 'play.' The haunting melody once more filled the room, but Rick's mind was already jumping ahead to track thirteen. 'The Mystery.' Yeah, that song was growing more and more appropriate with every day that passed. He sat down in the rocker beside the CD cabinet. He wasn't due at campus until nine am this morning. It wouldn't hurt if he stayed here for a little while and watched over his sleeping brother.
Rick stretched his long legs out, thinking he preferred the nightmare watch to the vigil. He did too many of those already with his brother. The first one, of course, when they were fifteen and sixteen respectively, and Ardeth's life was almost snuffed out before his time. There was the vigil Rick held after Andreas was killed and Ardeth almost died as well. Too many others. As the chieftain, Ardeth was a popular target for their enemies.
But Rick didn't complain about maintaining his vigils through the years. He couldn't, he didn't dare complain. If he complained, he might lose his brother altogether. And that was something that frightened him more than anything else. He couldn't lose Ardeth. He wouldn't lose Ardeth. And anyone who actively tried to take him from Rick, or the rest of the extended Bey-O'Connell family, would pay the price.
Author's Note: Okay, I gotta apologize here. . .during the last few weeks, a young lady who borrowed my OFC, Detective Lissa Rayne, has been asking my aid in plotting a crossover between Charmed and PTL (for uninitiated, that's Poltergeist: The Legacy), in which Cole Turner, aka Belthazor, joins the Legacy. Now. If you're a fan of the show, and haven't seen season five (or series, as they say in the UK), I will apologize for the spoilers regarding his fate. However, I don't mention how it comes to be, so it shouldn't be a HUGE spoiler. Between aiding Kate and knowing Jonathan as I do, I couldn't resist. . .don't you think he would watch "Charmed" for the three ladies? I personally see Jonathan flipping for Piper.
Reviews:
Terreis: Heheheh. . .I couldn't resist that scene. One of the things I liked most about Rick in the first movie was the way he kept throwing Evy off-balance. Like when he carried her luggage on board, when he light- fingered the kit for her. . .things like that. And personally, I think Ardeth would sing really well. . .probably in the shower while he was States-side. I don't think he would be comfortable singing in front of other people. Makes him too vulnerable.
Bel: Oh my. Where DO I start??? Okay, I'll start in the middle of your review. 'Stepford Med-jai' is a reference to a novel by Ira Levin, the basis of two movies (one in the '70's and the other within the last few months). 'The Stepford Wives.' I won't go into the plotline here, but it's a reference to anyone who is too perfect to be believed. Finn doesn't have a counterpart as yet, though that's subject to change. A Finn- lookalike does appear in 'The Med-jai Legacy,' in the form of Legacy linguist, scholar and priest, Father Philip Callaghan (played by the utterly amazing Irish-born actor, Patrick Fitzgerald). I like Galen, too. He's a combination of my older and younger brothers. Although neither of my brothers know about the situation that developed with Neil Grady's real-life counterpart. Uhm. . .songs. You know, I honestly don't listen to pop music that much, so I'm not sure if you would ever know the musicians to which I refer. I made reference to 'The Mystery,' by British group Alkaemy, which is an Ardeth/Celia song. Particularly in the two universes inhabited by Lady Ardath and Rameses (Ardath is mentioned here, as our Ardeth's ancestress, but it would get too confusing if I brought the reincarnation bit in). You know, now that you mention it, I can definitely see Hermione as a very young Evy. I haven't seen the movies yet, but I did read the first book. (giggles) You know, I have a lot of fun writing Rick in this particular story. Even when I wanna smack him upside the head. I would DEFINITELY rent 'The Scorpion King.' I loved it. I like Dwayne Johnson anyhow. I saw his movie 'The Rundown.' It would have been a lot better without the annoying sidekick. But The Rock was great, as was Christopher Walken. The middle name thing. . .I think it's an Anglo-Saxon and Irish thing. Now the Irish. . .they use full names even when not annoyed with each other. I can indeed imagine the trouble. . .I mentioned a few chapters back that Margit has a real-life counterpart? Said counterpart also has two middle names. How many is in the van? Evy, Celia, Anck, Rick, Jonathan and Ardeth. . .five of 'em. I think my uncle is into music of the '60's. It never struck a chord in me. . .honestly, when I listen to some of the music from the '80's, I mutter, 'I actually listened to that??????' Coming up. . .well, yes, we have a variation on Evy's 'whatever harm came from. . .?' line, though I'll not spoil the surprise. She does do something that ends up causing trouble for those around her.
(gasps for breath) Okay. Sorry I didn't respond to everything in your review, but I think it's becoming a section in and of itself!
Lilylynn: No hard feelings. . .not the first time someone has called me that, and I think you're around the same age as my nephew. (It was one of his favorite insults when he was a very little boy. He's almost eighteen now. . .sheesh).
Sailor Elf: Oh, goodie, I made you shiver! Give me time, I'm still formulating the fine points of Lock-nah and Meela's plan. In the meantime, we have the new week starting up for our college students, professors, teaching assistants and pseudo-security guards. We also have the first defense lesson coming up shortly. (and now that I've posted this, I can go back to work on 'A Med-jai in Middle Earth.')
Part Nineteen
It was a noise straight from hell. . .and unfortunately, it couldn't be ignored. With a groan, Anck reached over and smacked her alarm clock. She looked up at the hideous red lights signaling the time. . . damn. Time to get up already. Celia was still asleep. . .there was a surprise. Then again, the three of them stayed up late the previous night, talking about their weekend. Real late.
Anck looked over at her roommate and shook her head. It was so funny. Celia hated being called 'little one.' Threatened to kick somebody's ass the next time he said it, and glared at Rick O'Connell as she did. There wasn't the slightest doubt in Anck's mind that Celia would sure as hell try to kick his ass. However, the only reason she doubted her roommate was because she didn't know the man's moves. . .what he knew that Celia didn't.
And yet, as she slept now, her arms folded around her teddy bear, she didn't look any older than thirteen or fourteen. Just a child. Evy teased her a little in the beginning, about being eighteen and sleeping with a teddy bear. That incident, in fact, was part of what turned Anck against her English roommate when the trio first started living together. It was what led her to believe Evy thought herself superior in some way. She was slowly letting go of that belief. It would be easier if Evy didn't relapse ever so often and say something that annoyed the living mierda out of Anck. No one could expect them to get along all the time.
Well. Celia still slept with her teddy bear, but Anck was willing to bet her roommate was dreaming about Ardeth Bey. Ardeth was all she could talk about, once Jonathan dropped them off at the dormitory. It was as if being away from the young man released all of her inhibitions, and she was free to talk about him. Anck would have never believed, a year earlier, that her quiet roommate could talk so much. Surprise, surprise, surprise.
She was sure there were a lot more surprises in store for her, once she got moving. With that thought in mind, Anck pushed herself out of bed. She didn't talk nearly as much the previous night. Did a lot more listening than talking. Maybe that was why she was better rested. That and. . . Anck swallowed hard. Today was Emmett Tepper's class. She scampered lightly over to her best friend's bedside, whispering, "Celia? Cecelia, wake up. . .we have class this morning." She wondered at this reversal in their roles. . .well, not reversal, since Celia didn't usually wake her.
Celia mumbled something, and Anck rocked back on her heels, trying to figure out how to wake her roommate. Anck said softly, deciding not to play dirty. . .yet, "C'mon, time to wake up. We have class today, remember?" A moan and Celia turned away. Anck put her hand on her friend's shoulder, gently shaking her. One more time. . . and then she would play dirty. When Anck played dirty. . .she played real dirty.
A sound across the room attracted Anck's attention, and she noticed Evy sitting up in bed. The English girl was trying very hard to suppress her smile, but her brown eyes were twinkling. Anck said, "Celia. . .c'mon, querida, you're supposed to be the responsible one, not me." She ignored Evy's indignant look, just knowing that the other girl would protest what did that make her.
And still, there was no response from Celia. There was, however, a little smile on her face telling Anck that her friend was having a very lovely dream. . .very lovely, indeed. No fair. Especially when she had no such luxury this past night. Anck's dark eyes narrowed. Okay. Now it was definitely time to play dirty. She leaned down and whispered, "Celia. . .it's Monday. Dr Hafez's class. You know Ardeth might be there."
She said the magic word. Or rather, the magic name. Anck should have seen the reaction coming a mile away. At least. Celia bolted upright so fast, she and Anck butted heads. The impact not only gave Anck one helluva headache, but it also served to knock her on her hindquarters. Evy burst out laughing at that, and Celia asked sleepily, "What's so funny?" Anck glared at both of her roommates. . .a glare that became progressively worse when Celia asked, "Anck? Why are you on the floor?"
That sent Evy into fresh spasms of laughter. She collapsed back against her pillows. Scratch that. Only one pillow. The other one was covering her face, in a desperate attempt to drown out the sound of her laughter before she woke everyone. Too bad she didn't suffocate herself in the process and save Anck the trouble of doing it later. Celia looked from their nearly-hysterical roommate to Anck, sighing, "You just had to wake me, didn't you? I was having the best dream of my life, and you woke me."
However, she reached down to help Anck up, and the other girl muttered, "TMI, Celia. Way, way too much information." She was rewarded with a sassy grin from her friend, and. . . Wait a minute. Wasn't she being a little too perky for just waking up? Anck stared at her, asking, "Celia? Cecelia Anne Ferguson? Just. . .how. . .long have you been awake?" That sent Evy into fresh spasms of laughter. Celia just grinned, and Anck just groaned again. Oh wonderful. It seemed like falling in love was widening her roommate's mischievous streak!
. . .
As practical jokes went, it wasn't too bad for one thought up in a matter of seconds. Celia was not a mischievous person by nature. . . sure, she had a mischievous streak. It was roughly a mile long, but she didn't usually indulge that mischievous mile too terribly much. It sort of ruined the effect if you did it repeatedly. After a while, people came to expect certain things from you, and where was the fun in that?
Anck was still muttering under her breath when Celia left to take her shower, and Evy was howling into her pillow. The American member of the trio just smirked as she sauntered down the hall to the bathroom. She didn't lie about one thing, at least. She was having an absolutely lovely dream about Ardeth before Anck's alarm clock went off. Celia winced, realizing that she should be grateful Anck remembered to set her alarm. . .since she didn't.
It was very unlike her. But Anck already referred to that, by reminding Celia that she was supposed to be the responsible one. Celia wasn't so sure about that, but she was usually something of a control freak about setting the alarm clock before she went to sleep at night. Last night, however. . . A dreamy smile crossed her face as she remembered the previous night. Fortunately, her fingers were working on automatic, as she turned on the shower. Last night, she was flying too high to fall asleep immediately.
Ardeth kissed her. When Jonathan dropped him and Rick off at their apartment off-campus, there was a shift in the van. In part because the girls were arranged around the bags. But, before joining his still-grumbling brother inside the apartment building, Ardeth set down his bags and kissed her. Celia sighed quietly, almost forgetting to strip before getting into the shower. He kissed her. A real kiss.
Yes, he kissed her forehead first, but then. . .oh. Celia sighed again, washing herself mechanically. She didn't really want to wash up this morning. She didn't want to wash away his touch so easily. His hands on her forearms as he kissed her good-bye the previous day. She smiled again. He actually apologized to her, for his self-control slipping. Anck, bless her heart, told him, "If you hadn't kissed her, amigo, she would have kissed you."
That made Ardeth blush, and Jonathan huff. Celia barely paid attention as he moaned, "Oh, puh-leaze, get a room!" She wasn't sure, but she thought Evy might have thrown something at him and hissed at him to be quiet. She wasn't really paying attention to anyone or anything except Ardeth at that point. He quietly promised her that they would have their first lesson in the next few days.
It took both Evy and Anck to bundle Celia back into the van. Anck was giggling, and Evy was chastising Jonathan for whatever he was saying. Celia didn't care. She just kept running her fingers over her lips, which tingled from Ardeth's kiss. By the time the van reached the dormitory where the trio lived, she was capable of answering the most rudimentary questions. Like, what her name was, where she lived. . .those sorts of things.
It was for that reason that Celia wasn't permitted to call her brother until a few more hours passed, and she was capable of thinking coherently. It seemed Anck was afraid that Galen would take her muddled state of mind the wrong way. Celia could have told her not to worry, that Galen knew better than that. . .but she wasn't thinking clearly enough at the time to do that. Alright. . .so maybe Anck had a point.
By the time she finished her shower, Celia was fully awake and alert, and her mind was starting to shift back to school. She both hoped and feared that Ardeth would be filling in for Hafez today (she really did not like that man. He made her skin crawl). On the one hand was the obvious. Hafez did make her skin crawl. On the other hand, she wasn't sure she could trust herself to behave around Ardeth.
It was hard enough keeping her hands off him during the movies. . .Celia wanted to do a lot more than just put her hand on his thigh a few times. A lot more. But she maintained some degree of decorum, and didn't do anything that would have made her grandmother ashamed of her. At least, she hoped she didn't do anything that made either of her grandparents ashamed of her. It was hard telling sometimes.
In addition, Anck told her the night before that sometimes playing hard to get was the best thing. Celia was uncomfortable with that, until her friend explained that it wasn't being coy, but maintaining an air of mystery. Celia still wasn't comfortable with that notion, but she could at least see where Anck was coming from. Evy weighed in with the opposing idea, saying that Ardeth was probably sick of mystery.
Anck looked like she wanted to throw something at their roommate, but Celia put her hand on Anck's wrist. And Evy wasn't about to back down. She stuck to her guns, saying that she felt Ardeth was attracted to Celia because of her honesty. Because of her honesty. Celia paused as she soaped her hair, and thought that through. She never really thought that much about it. . .yeah, she was pretty much honest.
She tried to be, and sometimes, those attempts got her into trouble. Witness her problems at work over the summer. Oh, on second thought, she really didn't want to go there! Not if she wanted to keep her current good mood.
Of course, if she pointed out the aforementioned example to her roommates, Evy would have probably said that it was Neil Grady's problem, not Celia's. Yeah. Right. People like that had a habit of making their problems become the problems of other people. She tipped her head back, rinsing the shampoo out, and quietly scowling. Wonderful. How in the hell did she go from remembering that amazing kiss last night to thinking about that slimeball Neil Grady? For heaven's sake, Ardeth was. . .there was no basis for comparison!
Noises from the stall beside her own warned Celia that she was no longer alone. It would be a good idea to keep her mouth shut, since she wasn't sure whom it was. She noticed more than a few odd glances as she walked through the halls of the dorm, but really didn't pay much attention to them. For one thing, she was used to such looks, and for another, at the time, she was puzzling her way through another situation.
Any concern she might have felt about her neighbor were alleviated when she heard a voice singing in Spanish. Celia grinned and turned off the shower. Her Spanish wasn't good enough to understand the words when listening to a song in her second language, but that was never reason enough to stop her from humming along. A stream of Spanish invectives filled the shower room, and Celia winced in sympathy. . .yeah, that first blast of cold water was a doozy.
And that prank this morning wasn't very nice to poor Anck. It was funny. . .very funny, in fact. But even so, Celia regretted it. . .a little. Not a lot. Just enough to convince her to buy a gift for her friend, something she noticed Anck eyeballing when they went to the bookstore together. The girl shrugged into her bathrobe. The bookstore. Isn't that where Anck met their professor, Emmett Tepper?
Yes, that sounded right. Celia would have had to be blind, deaf, and dumb not to notice Anck's reaction to their professor. He was handsome enough, Celia supposed. . . but he certainly wasn't Ardeth. And there was something else. Warning bells didn't go off, but she had the weirdest feeling there was more to Emmett Tepper than there appeared to be. It was something she and Evy discussed the night Anck first told them about meeting their professor.
Evy didn't entirely trust the professor, for the simple fact that he was involved with Anck-su-namun. Or, she thought he wanted to be involved with their roommate. Celia did a double take, staring at her English friend with more than a little shock. Evy shook her head, evidently realizing how it sounded, and said, "He's a professor, Celia, and he makes no secret that he's interested in a student. We both know Professor Garrity, and how much trouble he's had with female students. Why is this instructor courting potential disaster like that?"
Put that way, Evy's concern made sense. Celia knew all too well about the difficulties experienced by the handsome young professor. She had a mini-crush on him, but hid it. Given what she saw Professor Garrity go through. . .yeah. Yeah, her roommate had a point. Evy vowed to keep a close eye on Emmett Tepper, and if he stepped out of bounds. . .her dark eyes narrowed and she added, "If he steps out of bounds with Anck. . .ooooh. I'll. . .I'll. . .I'll. . ." She looked frustrated at her inability to come up with a credible threat, before concluding triumphantly, "I'll make him regret it!" Evy bobbed her head, looking very proud of herself.
Celia didn't have the heart to tell her friend that the threat would have very little effect on Emmett Tepper. Evy was trying so hard, trying so hard to protect both of her roommates. She just didn't. . . well, in all honesty, it was hard to take a threat seriously, coming from a cultured lady like Evy. Coming from Celia's brother Galen, on the other hand. . .or Matt, for that matter. Well. That made a world of difference.
For all that he was a doctor, Galen was also quite skilled at inflicting pain as well. Maybe that was why he was so knowledgeable about inflicting pain. . .because he was a healer. That was what he always told Celia when she asked. Slowly, as she grew up, she was starting to understand. Or at least, she thought she understood. On the other hand, it was entirely possible that she would never understand her older brother entirely. He was a male, after all. . .and they were a mystery in and of themselves.
. . .
Evy was the last of the trio to make it into the shower room. It took her a good ten minutes, after Anck left the dorm room, to stop laughing. Just when she thought she knew Celia, the proud little Yank did something. . .threw a curve ball of some kind. And Evy would realize how much she still didn't know about her roommate. But that was fine. Where would the fun be, once she knew everything about Celia or Anck?
She met Celia on her way to the bathroom, and her roommate was returning to their room. Her hair was wrapped up, and she was wearing socks. Honestly, there were times when Evy despaired of her friend. . .but Celia refused to wear slippers. Said they made her feet sweaty. And socks didn't? Evy would have called her on it, but Anck whacked her in the back of her head, glaring at her.
Evy couldn't resist. . .she stopped her American roommate with a hand on her wrist, and said softly, "That was very well done this morning." Celia blushed, but there was the barest hint of a smirk. She actually looked proud of herself. Evy continued, "I know you, though. You're already planning something to make it up to Anck." Her roommate actually pouted at that, and Evy squeezed her wrist, saying softly, "You are entirely too nice for your own good, but that's why we love you so much." At least, it was one reason.
"I'm not so sure Rick O'Connell will agree with you on that one, Evy," Celia pointed out wryly. Evy barely held back a sniff, even as her heart jumped at the man's name. Really, why was Celia worried about him? It wasn't as if he was. . .oh, drat. Evy, whom are you attempting to kid? Her roommate smiled at her, saying, "It's okay, Evy. I know you're attracted to him. Why do you think it's such fun to tease you about him?"
"Ooooh. . .you!" Evy retorted. That drew another grin, and Evy said softly, "Jonathan told me I should cut Mr O'Connell some slack." Celia raised a brow and the English girl continued with a sigh, "My dear brother seems to think that Mr O'Connell is simply trying to protect Ardeth. Why he feels the need to protect his step-brother from you, I have no idea, but I cannot comprehend the way that man's mind works."
"Hmm. Sounds like the same advice Galen gave me last night, while you and Anck were out. . .doing whatever before we stayed up until one this morning talking. He told me not to worry about Rick O'Connell. . .that he was just being a protective big brother, and it didn't matter that I wasn't really a threat to Ardeth," Celia answered in that low voice. She paused, then added with a wicked grin, "He also told me that any woman is a threat to the mental health of any man. And that it was meant as a compliment."
That was pretty much what Jonathan had said, and Evy said as much, adding, "Jonathan also thinks Mr O'Connell is so protective of Ardeth where you're concerned because. . ." Her voice trailed off as she tried to remember how her brother put it. Jonathan seemed inclined to think that part of the man's protectiveness toward his step-brother derived from his idea that he was a less than stellar brother.
And it was unnecessary, for Celia asked, "Evy? Do you realize that you refer to them as 'Ardeth' and 'Mr O'Connell,' when you talk about them? Why?" Evy started to answer, then realized she had no idea what to say. She glared at her friend and Celia shook her head, saying, "I'll see you back in the room. You still need to get your shower. And is it me, or is Anck more alert this morning that she usually is?"
"It's definitely not just you," Evy replied, "I noticed the same thing." Celia was right. She really should get her shower, and the English girl continued, "By the way. . . great job. Again. I don't think I've laughed that hard in the morning in ages." A shrug and a wry grin were her rewards. Evy laughed softly and she squeezed her friend's forearm, then released Celia and continued on her way.
Only one shower stall was occupied. . .thankfully. There were only three shower stalls, and more than once, Evy thought that was a mistake. However, this dorm was one of the oldest on campus, built in a time when there weren't nearly as many students as there were now. And people said that for years, according to some of the upperclassmen, and nothing was done about it. There was the practical side of it, of course. . .they would have to shut down the girls' bathroom to do the proper renovations.
And that would be a logistical nightmare. Evy couldn't imagine having to go to the other wing to use the bathroom at two in the morning. It was bad enough that she had to make her way down the dark hall where she lived at two in the morning. That particular argument was Anck's favorite, at least, and Evy found it was very difficult to argue with her. Especially when Anck used that sort of logic. On the other hand, it wasn't the sideways logic employed by Jack Sparrow. . .thank heavens. Evy wasn't sure if she could handle someone like the pirate in real life. Rick O'Connell was bad enough.
As she turned on the water to her chosen shower stall, Evy firmly instructed herself not to think about Rick O'Connell, or even his step- brother. They were intriguing, in their different ways. Both strange mixtures of gentleness and ferocity. And not for the first time, Evy regretted that her hormones were leading her toward Rick O'Connell, rather than Ardeth. She wouldn't hurt Celia for the world, but her life would certainly be more convenient if she was attracted to the quiet, mysterious Ardeth, rather than the brash and irritating Rick.
She didn't believe in magic. . .in fairy tales and hokum. And yet, there was a part of Evy that wondered. In the same week, she and both of her roommates met men who created such strange feelings in their hearts and bodies. Celia and Ardeth. Evy and Rick O'Connell. And Anck and Emmett Tepper. Evy paused as she stripped and stepped into the shower. That particular situation concerned her.
Especially when it occurred to her that today was their class with the man who got under Anck's skin. Oh, that was troubling. Was it possible that Anck was so alert this morning, because she was looking forward to that class? Evy didn't like that idea. Didn't like it one bit. The possibility of Celia falling in love with Ardeth was bad enough. He was a teaching assistant. But Emmett Tepper was a professor.
A visiting lecturer, yes. Not a tenured professor, not like poor Professor Garrity. Oooh! Evy's dark eyes narrowed as she thought about one of the few people whom all three roommates liked and respected. More to the point, she recollected the problems he encountered with female students in the past. Honestly! As if it wasn't hard enough being a female student, with all the things that went along with it. . .those little bi. . .those little brats had to make things worse?
Evy knew, despite her friend's efforts, that Celia had something of a crush on the handsome professor during their first two semesters here. In truth, Evy thought most of his female students had a crush on him. Maybe even some of his male students, though Evy did notice most of them seemed to be envious or resentful of him. He wasn't that much older than they were, and had the undivided attention of every female in his class.
Those were two things. He was also handsome (though Evy was discomfited to realize he really didn't hold a candle to either step- brother. She was NOT supposed to notice how handsome Rick O'Connell was!). And considerate. A true gentleman, who reminded Evy that chivalry wasn't dead. There were times when he insisted on walking a female student back to her dorm after dark if he encountered her at the library. A lone young girl was considered fair game on a college campus. And after dark. . .
Well, it simply didn't bear thinking about! College campuses were dangerous places these days. It was part of every female student's orientation when arriving at the campus as freshmen. Evy was among those whom Dr Michael Garrity escorted home. The girls in the dorm talked about it for days after, and it made it difficult for Evy to face the young professor. People talked. . .they said things that weren't true. And only Evy's reputation as. . .well, awkward saved things. After all, she wasn't her roommate Anck. If Anck was the one whom he escorted back to the dorm. . .no one would have believed her if she said nothing happened.
No one except her two roommates, both of whom knew that she didn't find the professor especially attractive. Even before she met Emmett Tepper. . .she knew that Garrity wasn't whom she was seeking. Evy scowled. Back to Emmett Tepper again. She was finding that she would rather think about Rick O'Connell, no matter how uncomfortable she was around him. She didn't quite trust the visiting lecturer. . .and while she barely knew O'Connell, he didn't make her uneasy, as Professor Tepper did.
Uneasy or not, she would have to sit through his class later today. Along with Dr Hafez. Someone else who made her uneasy. During the dig this past summer, she felt his eyes on her and when she looked up, she found him glowering at her. As if. . .as if he hated her. Evy never met the man until this past summer, and she knew for a fact that she never did anything to harm him. . .but the fact remained. He hated her. Evy didn't like not knowing why someone disliked her. Didn't like that at all.
. . .
Professor Emmett Tepper, also known as Imhotep, among other names, was a nervous wreck. It was foolish, he knew. But today marked the return of Anck-su-namun Cortez to his classroom, and that had him behaving quite unlike himself. He almost wished Finn was here. Finn knew how to handle situations like these. He was much more comfortable with members of the opposite sex. And that was why Imhotep only almost wished his friend was here.
Of course, Finn would also be laughing his horny Irish ass off at Imhotep. A faint smile curved his lips as he picked up one of the few photos he kept about his living area. It was a picture of himself and Finn, taken perhaps five years earlier. Yes. . .five years. The last time he physically saw Finn, though they spoke on the phone since then. Imhotep had precious few friends in his life. There were friends other than the Irish thief. But Finn. . .Finn was the closest thing he had to a brother.
They were only a few months apart in age. . .both born in 1966. Finn actually looked younger, though Imhotep swore that had to do with Finn's Irish blood. They stood side by side, grinning like idiots at the camera. . .or rather, whomever held the camera. Finn, like Imhotep, had dark hair. . .but his eyes were blue-gray. Slate gray when he was angry. Fortunately for Imhotep, he rarely saw that side of his friend.
"What advice would you give me, old friend?" Imhotep asked the picture of his friend. It was sentimental nonsense, of course, but there were times when talking to Finn's picture brought him comfort. He had no idea where Finn was. They spoke occasionally on the phone, but Finn was rather tight-lipped about where he was and what he was doing.
On the other hand, he encouraged Imhotep to talk freely. Not about the jobs he pulled. The less Finn knew, the less dangerous it would be for both of them. Instead, when they had time to talk, Imhotep usually told his friend about his other quest. The one to avenge his dead mother. There was no reason for her to die. He would see to it that no other innocent women died. Perhaps that was why he was so committed to protecting Anck-su-namun and her friends.
Anck-su-namun. Her name brought him full circle. He sighed, murmuring to his friend's picture, "I wish you were here now, brother. You were always so much more comfortable with yourself when you were around women. I am too used to wearing masks. That is not so bad. What frightens me is that I wish to reveal my true self to this child. If I do so, she and her friends will be in even more danger."
Worse yet, Imhotep actually wanted to impress the girl. That was an impressive joke, indeed! Imhotep, the great gentleman jewel thief, the Egyptian Robin Hood, wanted to impress a girl of nineteen. When he awoke this morning and remembered it was a weekday, his thought was not, 'damn this job.' It was, 'this morning I see Anck-su-namun.' And his heart almost jumped out of his chest with the thought.
How did he speak with Anck-su-namun now? How did he look at either of her roommates, knowing what he knew about them all? He learned much while reading Celia Ferguson's journal the afternoon before. Not just about her own rather intense attraction to Ardeth Bey, but also her roommate Evelyn's attraction to Rick O'Connell. That was a most interesting couple, when he thought about it, and most unlikely.
Then again, the same thing was true of Ardeth and Celia. And yet, reading the girl's journal afforded him an interesting glimpse into her mind. She was unusually logical and practical for a girl of nineteen. Admitting openly in her journal that she often forgot to eat, she also admitted that she was not sensible, for that very reason. But she was not exactly your typical nineteen year old college sophomore. There was nothing typical about any of the girls.
Thus, the difficulties they faced in the respective romantic possibilities were highly atypical. This Neil Grady, for instance. He concerned Imhotep. The grief and bitterness and despair he caused to Celia Ferguson was obvious in every word she wrote about him, and most telling of all, she wrote, 'Ardeth Bey is nothing like him. The steadiness and dependability I thought I saw in Neil Grady is inherent in this man. He has everything Grady lacked.'
Damning words indeed, and Imhotep wished he had time to read more, so he would have a better idea of what this Grady did and while Celia considered him a continuing threat. Not just to her possible relationship with Ardeth, but to her two friends. She seemed genuinely concerned that this Neil Grady person would hurt Anck-su-namun and Evelyn. Imhotep was half-tempted to put it down to teenage histrionics.
But. . .there was no histrionics. That simply was not her style. She was not a drama queen, given to flash and dazzle. Her roommates were more inclined to drama than she was herself. And that was what concerned Imhotep.
Yes, he already promised himself that he would never allow Lock-nah to learn that Celia was involved with Ardeth Bey. But as he remembered what he read in her journal, he couldn't help thinking that maybe, he should focus some of his attention on this Neil Grady as well. If Imhotep was reading the journal correctly, he was a little man, afraid of a small, bright young woman.
If he was afraid of someone like Celia Ferguson, surely he would take the hint from Imhotep. Neil Grady picked on women, because he didn't think they could or would fight back. He couldn't stand up to someone like Imhotep. He was too much of a coward. Yes. Yes, he would learn more about where he could find this Neil Grady, and then he would pay him a visit. He would head trouble off at the pass, before this small man tried to harm a girl who was already finding her way into his affections.
Neil Grady would not be permitted to harm Anck-su-namun. Imhotep did not doubt Celia when she fretted that Grady would harm either of her roommates. She worked with the man (to use the word loosely) for three months. She had a better idea of what he was capable of doing. From what Celia said in her journal, she didn't think either of her roommates really took her fears about the man seriously. Imhotep would take it seriously. He was in a position to do something about it.
None of which helped him decide what to wear to class today. Imhotep, you fool, you're growing soft in your old age, he scolded himself. During the previous week, he noted that most of the older staff tended to wear jeans and long or short-sleeved shirts. The younger professors, like Dr Garrity, tended to wear suits and ties. Garrity was about ten years younger than Imhotep. By his own reckoning, that made the visiting lecturer one of the older professors.
Jeans it was then. Jeans and. . .hmm. It was still warm in Chicago in these early days of September. Turtleneck was out. Imhotep wasn't a flashy dresser. But his mother taught him to have pride in himself. That was shown in a variety of different ways, including being choosy about clothes. Besides, he wanted to fit in here, didn't he? He wanted to melt into the crowds as much as possible? Then he had to dress similar.
Thus, he chose a short-sleeved navy blue shirt. He dressed quickly and quietly, then left his apartment. He ignored the calls blinking at him from the answering machine, knowing fully well that it was either Hafez or Lock-nah. Right now, Imhotep didn't want to talk to either of them. Right now, all he really wanted was to get this day started. . .so he could look forward to seeing Anck-su-namun. So he could feel his blood quicken in his veins once more.
What was it about her that got to him? She was beautiful, bright, funny, warm, and protective. Those were all true. But she wasn't exactly the first bright, beautiful, funny, warm and protective woman he met in his life. On the contrary, she was just one in a long line of such women. What, then, made her so damn special? What was it about her that made his breath catch in his throat and made his heart skip a beat? Surely it wasn't just the idea of forbidden fruit. . .the idea of having something or someone so dangerous as one of his students? There was more to it than that, wasn't there?
There had to be. Pursuing this desire for Anck-su-namun Cortez threatened to undo everything he accomplished. Yes, he enjoyed playing with fire. He enjoyed taking chances. But there was a difference between taking chances and being just plain stupid. He only hoped that it wasn't a line he would cross. He hoped that whatever chances he was about to take with his heart, with his sanity, with his soul. . .that she was worth it.
. . .
Only the knowledge that his baby sister was worth any trouble kept him from leaving this office and never coming back. Jonathan Carnahan knew Terrence Bey would be hard to convince. . .but this was ridiculous! The man simply would not listen to Jonathan about Dr Baltus Hafez. Here in the States, he went by the name 'Balthazar,' but he was still the same weasel whom Jonathan's father and step-mother so despised. Balthazar. Wasn't that the name of Cole Turner's demon half in 'Charmed,' or something? Belthazor, that's right. Belthazor. He remembered some of his female students weeping when Cole died on the series.
At the moment, Jonathan wished he was dealing with Cole and Belthazor (not even Evy knew he watched the show). They were at least reasonable people (demons?), who were capable of listening. Usually. That last season, when Cole went crazy, didn't really count. In any event, Jonathan came here at the beginning of Dr Bey's office hours (it seemed that the dean was a morning person. Real early. Reason enough to hate him, in Jonathan's book). The dean was not inclined to listen to him, not appreciating the sacrifice Jonathan made by getting out of bed at this ungodly hour.
The Englishman was almost to the end of his rope, when Dr Bey said softly, "It is not that I disbelieve you, Jonathan. In fact, I do believe you. I have never felt comfortable with Baltus Hafez and indeed, considered him to be the lesser of two evils. But the time we could do something about this is past. We must allow this to play out."
Come again? The younger professor looked at his supervisor, who explained, "There are many things about my nephew's presence you do not understand. Were I to remove my nephew as Hafez's assistant, things. . .he would become suspicious, and it would place Ardeth in greater danger." Ardeth was in danger? Jonathan filled in the missing pieces with his imagination, as overwrought as that could be at times, but right now, he wasn't so sure about that.
"Danger? Ardeth is in danger? What about his step-brother, what about O'Connell?" Jonathan demanded. And. . .oh god. What about Evy? He was unaware that he spoke his sister's name until Bey's dark eyes snapped with curiosity and. . .fear. Oh, bloody hell! Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. He explained, "My younger sister is rather attracted to O'Connell, much to her dismay. And Celia is attracted to Ardeth. . .that's one hundred percent mutual, by the way."
"Celia? Cecelia Ferguson, your sister's roommate? That quiet little girl?" Dr Bey questioned in surprise. Jonathan rolled his eyes. Oh, puh-leaze! Dr Bey obviously did not know her very well, if he thought there was anything quiet about her! On the other hand, he never experienced the pleasure of being a chauffeur for the evil triplets! At that thought, Jonathan cheered considerably. . .or rather, he cheered up at the notion of Dr Bey playing chauffeur for those three! His good mood didn't last.
"Cecelia Anne Ferguson, one and the same. . .the lass who has done an admirable job of shaking up your nephew's world. You didn't have to watch them kissing!" Jonathan groaned. Even now, the memory was enough to scar his mind's eye. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the image. And discovered Dr Bey staring at him in shock. Jonathan could sympathize. After all, this was his nephew they were discussing!
"My. . .nephew. Ardeth? Has fallen in love with. . .well, it could be worse," the dean muttered, looking more than a little dazed at these revelations. Jonathan didn't know about that. The falling in love part, he meant. Dr Bey explained, perhaps reading Jonathan's confusion in the other man's eyes, "If he has kissed her, it means he's falling in love with her. My nephew does not simply share favors like that."
Oh. Point taken. Dr Bey looked at Jonathan after a moment, saying, "You know this girl far better than I do. Do you think she returns his feelings? I'll not have my nephew's heart trifled with by a mere chit who is only interested in playing games." Jonathan couldn't help himself. As attracted to Anck as he felt, he actually viewed both of his little sister's roommates as. . .well. . .little sisters. And he bristled at this notion.
"I will thank you not to speak of my little sister like that! Celia is an honest and honorable girl, and she isn't the sort who gives her favors away easily. She kissed him, and she doesn't kiss just anyone!" Jonathan fired back. He didn't need any more amorous visions in his head. Really, he didn't. But this man insulted a member of his family, and he wouldn't have that!
Again, the dean looked at him, his eyes reflecting shock. At last, Bey said, "You have my humble apologies, Professor Carnahan, it was never my intention to insult her. Only to protect my nephew. Since he was seventeen years old, he has watched over and led our people. We have been given precious few opportunities to return the favor. When such opportunities arise, we hesitate not at all to take them."
Oh. Wait a minute. The dean said since Ardeth was seventeen. How old was he now? He missed hearing that this weekend. . .or just ignored it. His supervisor replied to his unanswered question, "My nephew is twenty-two years old."
Well. That was a surprise! However, it didn't answer the pressing question. What would they do about this danger? He posed said question to Dr Bey, who said cynically, "To use my elder nephew's much over-used phrase, 'we? What we?' I will deal with this, Professor Carnahan. You must watch over the girls, especially if my nephews are in love with them."
"So they are in danger," Jonathan surmised. Dr Bey made no answer, and the Englishman continued, "I just hope Rick never says that in front of Celia. He's already gotten on her bad side once. . .if someone's in trouble and she needs back-up, the last thing she'll want to hear is 'we, what we?' I know Celia." Dr Bey looked at him curiously. Never had the privilege of seeing a Celia Ferguson meltdown, eh? Lucky him. Jonathan told the older man, "Would you ever make the mistake of calling your nephew 'mousy' because he was quiet?"
"I see your point. She can truly be fiery?" Dr Bey asked, sounding genuinely curious. Fiery? Oh, that was the understatement to end all understatements! Could she be fiery? Anck once likened Celia in her meltdown mode to a fire-breathing dragon, and that was close enough. The dean shook his head, murmuring, "I would have never thought such a thing was possible. But, my own brother was quiet, just as Ardeth is."
An affectionate smile crossed his face, and Jonathan did a double-take. He never saw such an expression on the other man's face and indeed, never thought he was capable of it. Dr Bey went on after a moment, "The stories I could tell you about my brothers. Ardeth is very much like his father. . .in personality, in intelligence, in strength, in appearance. There are times when I look at my nephew, and I know that my older brother lives on in him."
Curious in spite of himself, Jonathan asked, "But. . .doesn't Ardeth have brothers or sisters? Don't you see your brother in any of them?" A guarded expression appeared in the dean's eyes, as if he realized that he said too much. Jonathan persisted, however, wanting to know more about this strange family, "And what exactly is the deal with Ardeth and his step-brother? I noticed that this weekend. O'Connell can't make up his mind whether he loves Ardeth or can't stand him."
Ew, was he really asking these questions? Jonathan would have wiped his mouth on his sleeve, but Dr Bey evidently decided that he would answer the questions posed to him. And Jonathan wasn't even entirely sure why he was asking, just that he. . .wanted to be sure that O'Connell was good enough for his darling baby sister. Dr Bey sighed in spite of himself, replying, "Rick has ever been caught between resentment and affection, for almost as long as his father has been married to Ardeth's mother."
Well, wasn't that true of most sibling relationships? Jonathan was somewhat resentful of his younger sister. . .in part because Monifa Carnahan was her real mother, not just the woman who married their father and took care of Jonathan from as far back as he could remember. However, Dr Bey wasn't finished. He continued, "He resents Ardeth for being stronger and more. . .serious than Rick is. At the same time, he feels guilty for resenting Ardeth, particularly for something my nephew cannot help. Ardeth is whom he is and what he is. . .he can help neither of those things, and Rick knows that."
Oh. That made sense. And the dean still wasn't finished. Terrence Bey went on, "There is another factor. When Ardeth was fifteen, he was almost killed while saving Rick's life. Almost killed, after enduring Rick's attitude and habit of lashing out for more than a year. Rick swore that he would be a better brother, if Ardeth survived. Since then, he has swung between trying to keep that vow and his first instinct, to lash out when afraid or angry."
Jonathan would never say so to his sister's roommate, because he knew she would kick his arse, but in some ways, that reminded him of Anck-su-namun. On the other hand, he wouldn't bother mentioning it to Rick, either, because he would probably do the same. After a moment, Jonathan said, "Well, that explains a great deal. . .all but one thing. What will we do about Hafez? I'll not allow him to hurt my baby sister."
"And that is exactly what you will do. You will watch over Evelyn and her roommates. I will see to my nephews. Because this I can promise. If Hafez harms a member of my family, he will learn first-hand how the Med-jai respond to threats," Dr Bey answered, his dark eyes flashing. Jonathan swallowed hard. Ooookay. And on that note, he would leave for his own class. He still had preparations to make. It never occurred to him to ask what a Med-jai was.
. . .
Right now, what a Med-jai was, was asleep. Rick O'Connell crept into his younger brother's room, trying to make sure he didn't make a noise. He checked the answering machine when he first got up, just to be sure that Hafez wasn't dumping the class on his brother. When the red light remained steady, Rick went into Ardeth's room and checked on him. They were up late the previous night, discussing plans.
Ardeth, true to form, was falling asleep even as he talked about ideas for what they would do the following day. Rick finally half-carried and half-dragged his brother to bed, tucked him in, turned on the CD player, then headed to bed. As he was lying in bed, it occurred to him that Ardeth had no nightmares during the weekend. First time he was spared the nightmares since their arrival in the US, first time since the Book was stolen in the first place.
Three guesses for that, Rick thought almost grimly, and the first two don't count. He wasn't entirely sure why he was reacting like this. He should be happy that his brother wasn't experiencing nightmares. . .whether they were reminders of the horrific beating and torture he received at the hands of Lock-nah and Nizam Toth, or his own fears that his brother Andreas blamed him for not neutralizing Lock-nah years earlier.
And he was. Hell, it angered him that Ardeth even had nightmares to that effect. He sure as hell couldn't blame Ardeth for his nightmares about almost dying, and Andreas. . . If Andreas wanted to blame anyone, he could start by looking in the mirror! His stupidity led to his death. . .not Ardeth. He insisted on going out after Lock-nah with just Ardeth and Anatol. . .and Anatol was only nine years old, for Pete's sake! Ardeth went along, to try and temper his brother's impulsiveness with common sense.
Instead, Andreas ended up dead and Ardeth came terrifyingly close to joining him. Anatol was the only one out of the three who was physically unharmed. . .but he was traumatized. He escaped, and found Rick. The eighteen year old American urged his little brother to tell him where they were, and Rick realized even then that if he had to, Anatol would have dragged him to Ardeth and Andreas. Even after five years, the memory of Ardeth hanging by his wrists was enough to make him sick.
As ever, Ardeth wore a t-shirt to bed. . .t-shirt and boxers. At least while he was in the States. He slept in a tunic and baggy trousers, back home in Egypt. The Med-jai version of sweatpants, Rick teased him on more than one occasion. But never did he leave his back uncovered. He was too vulnerable without a shirt on. Too vulnerable, because whom ever was with him could see the scars on his back.
Rick didn't have the heart to tell him that his t-shirt rode up and exposed the scars anyhow. As they were now. He swallowed hard. He wanted to protect his brother, but he wasn't sure what the source of danger was. Was it Celia Ferguson? She wouldn't mean to hurt Ardeth, he knew. But her innocence made her dangerous. Not just because of her friendship with Beni, but because she was innocent when it came to passion.
Rick felt more comfortable with people like himself, who had quick flings. They were brief, they were memorable, you walked away, no harm, no foul. People like his brother, and the little roommate, though. . .they were another story entirely. They were innocent and had less experience controlling their passion. In addition, they weren't interested in holding back. It was all or nothing with them, and holding back simply wasn't an option. Not with their hearts, not with their bodies. Evelyn Carnahan was another one who was dangerous.
Oh yeah. Yeah, if the little roommate was dangerous to Ardeth without even meaning to be, then Evy Carnahan was just as dangerous to him. The difference was, at least in Rick's eyes, that he had more experience than his brother did. Yeah. Right. Like that made any difference. The trouble with that theory was, Rick had plenty more experience than his brother did. . .but with women who viewed relationships in the same way Rick did.
Where women. . .no, girls. . .like Evy Carnahan were concerned, Rick was just as inexperienced as Ardeth was. Which made it all the more galling, that Ardeth was doing so much better in that department. On the other hand, Rick acknowledged, Ardeth's smart enough to know that he's inexperienced in this situation. Damn him! I hate it when he does this to me! Maybe one of these days, Rick would stop trying to outdo his brother some how. . .but that wouldn't happen for a long, long time yet. He was still older than Ardeth, and still trying to be the big brother in the ways that mattered.
A soft groan gave him a few minutes warning that his brother was about to wake up, or at least, would stir. Ardeth mumbled, "Rick? What is it?" He slipped back and forth between Arabic and English, a fairly reasonable sign that he wasn't entirely there. Only knowing Ardeth as he did aided Rick in understanding what his brother was asking of him. There was another groan and Rick leaned forward, to see his brother's face twist in pain. His hand went to his shoulder. . .the one on which he fell the previous day.
Rick batted his hand away and began massaging the tight muscles. Ardeth sighed, relaxing under the massage, and Rick said softly, "Nothing. Go back to sleep. No classes today." And even if there are, Rick thought, I'll tell ol' Snakeskin Hafez where he can shove it. You need to rest, little brother. Ardeth mumbled something, then sighed. The tight muscles relaxed, and Rick patted his shoulder gently, murmuring, "That's right, little brother, go back to sleep. I'll take care of everything today."
The CD player was sitting on 'one.' Rick eased up from his brother's bed and hit 'play.' The haunting melody once more filled the room, but Rick's mind was already jumping ahead to track thirteen. 'The Mystery.' Yeah, that song was growing more and more appropriate with every day that passed. He sat down in the rocker beside the CD cabinet. He wasn't due at campus until nine am this morning. It wouldn't hurt if he stayed here for a little while and watched over his sleeping brother.
Rick stretched his long legs out, thinking he preferred the nightmare watch to the vigil. He did too many of those already with his brother. The first one, of course, when they were fifteen and sixteen respectively, and Ardeth's life was almost snuffed out before his time. There was the vigil Rick held after Andreas was killed and Ardeth almost died as well. Too many others. As the chieftain, Ardeth was a popular target for their enemies.
But Rick didn't complain about maintaining his vigils through the years. He couldn't, he didn't dare complain. If he complained, he might lose his brother altogether. And that was something that frightened him more than anything else. He couldn't lose Ardeth. He wouldn't lose Ardeth. And anyone who actively tried to take him from Rick, or the rest of the extended Bey-O'Connell family, would pay the price.