Chapter 28-

Ardeth grunted in frustration as he lifted himself from the pit, the entrance to a night of hell. With one final last effort, he swung himself over the edge; the Star tucked underneath his arm, wrapped in a brown piece of cloth. Ardeth sought through the swaying blue mist that had enveloped the pit for Ravena. She had gotten out of the pit before him, damn the fog. He thought he heard her voice, along with Sati’s, up ahead.

“Ardeth! We’ve been looking for you.”

The Medjai leader swivelled his head to his right, and for a split-second, gazed at the beautiful woman stepping out of the fog, her hair blowing gently onto her face against the wind. His head turned towards Sati and the rest of his men. Ardeth’s second-in-command looked around with anxiety written all over his face.

“Ardeth, we must hurry. There is no telling how long night will last, who knows how much damage Imhotep has caused?”

Ardeth glanced up to the velvety sky, which was indeed black as coal. He nodded his head in understanding.

“You’re right, we must hurry. Stay close to the ground everyone, we do not want a confrontation with the Nazis over in that camp.”

With that Ardeth motioned for his men to go ahead, and then placed one hand against Ravena’s back, leading her away from the pit. He leaned in and whispered in her ear.

“If anything happens, Ravena, I want you to get out of Egypt as fast as possible. We are at war.”

She looked at him with wide eyes.

“War is NEVER the answer, Ardeth.”

He nodded his head.

“Yes, I know, but in this case we have NO choice. It’s like trying to fight a 3000-foot animal. I’m just worried for your safety.”

Ravena smiled at him lovingly, her eyes twinkling with fondness and sadness.

“As I am with yours, but I will be fine as long as you’re alive. Come we should hurry.”

With a kiss on his cheek, she turned and quickly followed Sati, with Ardeth trailing very close behind her.

Imhotep counted to ten before pushing open that dreaded, metal door of Evelyn’s cell. He ignored the musty stink of the dungeon, he had too many things on his mind. The room was undoubtedly dark, except for the flickering of a small candle that lighted up her face. Evelyn, or Nefertiri as he preferred calling her, lay sleeping like an angel. To Imhotep she WAS an angel. She was curled up in the corner, wearing a white, silk dress that he made Nenka put on her (it took all his strength not to put it on her himself) and for the moment she was unaware of all the terrible things that were happening to her. He lay against the side of the door for awhile, just staring at her, just falling more deeply in love with her. It was wrong, Imhotep knew that, but he couldn’t stop himself. He stepped closer to her when he saw a strand of hair fall onto her face. He leaned down on one knee and brushed it away, leaving his thumb and index finger lingering. The cold, dead feeling that had emerged from them made Evelyn’s eyes snap open. She lifted her head a fraction, eyes opening in horror, and gasped. Realizing she was barely covered clothes wise, she grabbed a nearby wool blanket and covered herself, cowering closer to the wall. Fear soon diminished from her face while pure hatred crept onto it.

“What do you want?” She hissed menacingly.

Resuming his dark side once again, Imhotep straightened himself, and gave her a sadistic smile.

‘Good morning to you too.”

He started to pace around. Evelyn pondered something for a split-second.

“WHERE IS MY SON? If you have done anything bad to him, I swear I will...

Imhotep cut off her words quickly.

“You will what, Evelyn. Kill me, there isn’t any way for a mortal woman like you be able to do that. Don’t worry about young Alex, he is in my care now.”

He chuckled softly. Evelyn’s face turned to fear.

“I forbid you to brainwash him with all your ‘rule the world crap’! Give him back to me!”

Imhotep’s chuckle turned into a laugh.

“You really are an ignorant woman, Evelyn, which is just my type.”

Her eyebrows furrowed in anger.

“We beat you once, and we can beat you again.”

Imhotep stopped suddenly, remembering that painful moment when Rick shoved that sword in his damned mortal body. He turned sharply towards Evelyn, and walked briskly over to her. He grabbed her shoulders and forced herself to straighten up.

“We will no longer be an option, dear woman. You will die tonight, and I gave you a choice, which you refused.”

Evelyn’s jaw clenched in fury.

“I would rather be burned to death a hundred times then to stand beside you.”

Imhotep gazed at her, sadness fleeting across his face for a split-second. He leaned in closer, and placed a soft, tender kiss on her chapped lips. It wasn’t as violent as last time, and pure joy swept him up when he felt her lips open, welcoming him. Evelyn had fallen into that kiss, and when realizing what she was doing, she pushed him off angrily. She kneeled down to the ground and spit profusely, wiping her mouth at the same time. She was disgusted with herself, why had she kissed him back?

“Leave”, she said, her eyes never leaving the ground, her body quivering with anger.

Imhotep smiled sadly, she had kissed him back, but she didn’t love him, she lusted him for that moment only. Evelyn loved that blond man, Rick. He turned around, and before leaving the room and shutting the door, he spoke with final words.

“Love always conquers.”

With Evelyn staring at him in shock, he slammed the door, leaving behind darkness and a candle missing its flame.

“What happened here?”

Ravena gazed in shock around the cluttered library. It was all chaotic, it looked as if a storm including ten tornadoes swept through it. Chair, bookcases, tables, etc. were upturned and books were scattered all along the floor. When they had arrived back into Cairo, Everything and everyone was silent, they were all running for their lives, and looting houses everywhere. A pit of sickening fear had enveloped them all, and they hurried back to the museum, to be only greeted by the site of this. No trace of the O'Connell's were anywhere. Imhotep was involved with this, which was obvious. Ardeth shook his head in shock, who would’ve thought that harm could come NEAR Rick. Something bad had happened. They all wandered in the room’s dazed, unsure what to do next. Suddenly, Ravena heard a moan coming from a fallen bookcase. She rushed over there, and saw the librarian, blood rushing down his head, and the lenses of his glasses were cracked.

“Ardeth, come quick, the librarian is here, and he is wounded.”

Everyone quickly emerged from the wreckage, and Sati immediately started to tend to his wound. Ardeth kneeled down on one leg and touched the frightened man’s shoulder.

“Young man, what has occurred here? Where are the O‘Connell’s?”

The man relaxed, recognizing the Medjai.

“A bunch of zombies came in here and ruined the place. They attacked us, and knocked out everyone, afterwards they took the O’Connell’s.”

Ardeth nodded in understanding, this was definitely Imhotep’s doing. He got up and walked out the door, with Ravena trailing close behind.

“Ardeth, were are you going?”

He looked around at all the scurrying people, and when he saw a man not running, he strolled over.

“You there, I need your help, have you heard of Imhotep?”

The man nodded feverishly.

“Do you know anything about him, or what he is going to do.”

The man pondered something for a moment.

“Well, he did announce to the whole city that a woman was going to be burned at the stake tonight in the courtyard.”

Ardeth and Ravena stared at him in shock.

“Thank you, that will be all.”, replied Ardeth wearily.

The man left quickly, as if knowing he probably will be punished for revealing such horrible details. The Medjai leader and the Italian woman looked at each, and talked in unison.

“Evelyn.”