Nick slammed the hilt of his dagger against the stone floor of the tomb with all his might. The perfect surface of the large, bright ruby was covered with cracks.
"Stop!" Ahmanet shouted in genuine fright. Nick looked at her defiantly.
"If you break a stone, all is lost! You can become a god in the flesh! Gain power over life and death!" The princess continued to persuade Morton, with a fanatical gleam in her dilated eyes.
Nick thought for a moment. He looked back at Jenny's body lying in the water. Until recently, she was alive, moving, talking, afraid— And now she is gone. But if Nick accepts Ahmanet's terms and gains the power to resurrect Jenny— Will he be willing to do so? Or will the girl cease to be of any concern to him?
"Give it to me, my chosen! Give me the dagger, my love!" Ahmanet began to approach Nick slowly.
He looked at her again, reaching out for the dagger in an appealing way, and cautiously, with the hilt forward, began to hold it out in return. Ahmanet's face lit up with a triumphant smile.
Suddenly, however, Morton jerked his hand back and struck the stone a second time against the floor slab. This time, the ruby gave way and cracked. Parts of it were scattered around for several feet. Ahmanet screamed, startled by what she saw, and stepped back a few steps in terror.
At first, Nick thought that she would immediately rush at him in a rage, tear him to pieces, tear his prey to pieces like a beast, but he was surprised to find that the princess did not move. She stared blankly at one point, where the hilt of the dagger lay and beside it a few shards of stone.
Morton felt the oppressive atmosphere that had reigned here all the time he and the princess had been fighting slowly began to dissipate. Even breathing became easier, as if there was a stream of fresh air coming from somewhere. Ahmanet's eyes had returned to their normal form, and the symbols that had covered her skin, still deathly pale, had vanished without a trace.
A minute passed in silence, then another. Finally, Nick, seeing that Ahmanet was doing nothing, decided to speak first. He got to his feet so as not to address her from the bottom up.
"I'm sorry! I— I understand how you wanted to perform this ritual—"
He had to find his words as he went, and Morton wasn't sure he was doing the right thing. He could not vouch for the fact that one careless expression, the wrong intonation, would not provoke Ahmanet's anger.
"You've suffered so much because of this— You've been waiting for so long— But still, Ahmanet, I think it's better for all of us."
Ahmanet didn't seem to be listening. But Nick decided to continue, "You— You're probably wondering what to do now? Where to go? After all, there is a completely unfamiliar new world around— But trust me, it's not that bad— I'll show you, if you'll let me, I promise—"
It seemed to Nick that the princess moved, and he took it as a good sign.
"There are so many opportunities now, so many new things compared to what you did in your time— We can travel, communicate with people from all over the world, live where we like, choose activities to our liking— You know, I might not have become who I am— When I was young, I played football quite well, I could even become a professional— Why, you don't know what football is—" Nick's enthusiasm for describing the beauty of the world around him had subsided somewhat, especially as Ahmanet showed no signs of paying attention to him again.
"I'm sure you'll be able to live in this world, in this time— You're strong, you'll be able to get used to people and— don't kill them— Don't kill people, Ahmanet! I believe that deep down you are not a bad person, and all this cruelty and desire for unlimited power will gradually give way to your best qualities!"
Morton looked at Jenny again, as if trying to reconcile what he had just said about Ahmanet's best qualities and the fact that she had made her only recently. The girl's body served as a silent reproach to him. Is it possible that he will never get through to the mind of the princess, will not make her change her attitude towards others?
"Maybe try— yes, no, I don't think she's going to do that— And what if— After all, she has the power to do it— though she probably didn't hear a word I said!" Morton thought.
But Ahmanet only pretended not to listen, for Morton's words penetrated her mind quite clearly, already there mingling with her own thoughts and experiences. The princess had a lot to think about.
Was it all in vain? Her pact with Seth, the murder of her father, his wife and her, Ahmanet, her newborn brother, the death of the first chosen one? Imprisoned in darkness all these years? The death of all the other people who stood in her way? Was it all necessary, or had she made a cruel mistake in succumbing to the temptation to gain incredible power and gain power over the world?
What was the use of all that she had done, if this man, Nicholas Morton, had found the strength to refuse such a tempting offer she had made him? And Seth, he's good too, promising her an easy victory, but he couldn't even win over a mere mortal? And this is an almighty god?! Trickster! Despicable deceiver!
And what will become of her now? She herself had told Morton that the curse would never be lifted. That means she will always remain like this: a living corpse in dirty rags of bandages! She will not be allowed to leave in peace, she will be hunted like an animal! These people who kept her in chains, the others— It doesn't matter who! She could kill them all, one by one, of course— even kill Morton now, who didn't want to love her, preferring the memory of his dead Jenny— Yes, she can do it all! But— Why now?!
For the first time in her adult life, Ahmanet wanted to cry. But she restrained herself — no, she wouldn't afford such humiliation in front of Nick Morton!
And yet, what to do now? Should she try to forget everything and start a new life here, or should she let these people grab her, fill her veins with mercury again, and plunge into darkness forever? No, no matter what, she doesn't want to! Better any life than this terrible abyss again!
What did Morton say? Is he ready to show her this world, to help her get used to it? So she means something to him after all!
"Save Jenny, Ahmanet, please! Only you can resurrect her!" The words snapped her out of her stupor as if she had been doused with ice water.
Save her, that's what he wants! This woman who prevented Ahmanet from taking full possession of the mind and heart of her chosen one, who— Wasn't it her fault that she just wanted to live and loved him too?
Suddenly, one simple and clear thought appeared in her mind, which for some reason did not even cause surprise or rejection in the princess: why not?! What's the difference now?! Regardless of how her relationship with Nick develops, let the girl live.
"Save Jenny, Ahmanet! Please!"And again, quieter. "Please!"
With that, Ahmanet finally looked at Nick and then turned her gaze to the girl. Slowly, as if overcoming a strong resistance, she came to the place where Jenny's body lay.
Ahmanet reached out and placed it on Jenny's breast, and the next moment she felt the force of life pass through her with its invisible currents and flow into her mortal body. And then the pulse appeared, the heart began to beat again, the chest began to rise and fall slowly, the eyelids trembled— Jenny coughed, spitting out the water that filled her lungs.
Footsteps were heard from the direction of the tunnel leading to the tomb, the tramp of many feet. They fled here. It was Dr. Jekyll and his men who came to recapture Ahmanet and, if possible, save Nick and Jenny. Arriving at the door, the Prodigium fighters quickly assessed the situation and prepared to open fire on Ahmanet, who was still leaning over Jenny. She, in turn, had almost regained consciousness, but had not yet opened her eyes.
"Wait! Don't shoot! She just saved Jenny!" Nick was in front of the capture team in a matter of seconds, covering Ahmanet and Jenny with his body.
He locked eyes with Dr. Jekyll, who was the last to appear in the tomb.
The soldiers, swayed by Morton's actions, now waited for a direct order from the head of the Prodigium, while they continued to hold Ahmanet, and now Nick himself, at gunpoint. Jekyll motioned to Malick with his hand not to use force yet. Seeing that Jenny had opened her eyes, the he said to her, "Jennifer, are you okay?"
"Yes— Yes, I think," the girl muttered, not quite recovering.
The next moment she stared in fear at Ahmanet, who was kneeling beside her. Princess looked at everyone present with an attentive but unemotional look, and said to Jekyll, "No matter how monstrous I may seem to you, I still have the right to live. And I want to live."
Then she stood up, walked over to Nick, and said in the same calm voice, "I did what you asked me to do, Nick. Now you must keep your promise: show me this new world."