Title:  Passion - Chapter Six -  Got A Problem?
Rating:  PG13 for now
Author: Angela - jedinineofnine@hotmail.com - http://oocities.com/saturnfiction
Summary:  Something’s bothering Ardeth. Of course it’s never as simple as that.
Disclaimer:  No infringement intended.  I own Asenath, Drake, Samira, Mahmud, Abdu, Omar and Ali.
Prequel (which should be read to get this):  http://fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=654922&chapter=1
Codes:  Ardeth/Ancksunamun, Imhotep/Evy

*

Akhenre had a little problem. In their hotel room in Cairo she sat, tied to a chair, looking very irritated. “I said I wouldn’t run away,” she told him, pulling at her bonds. “It’s not like I can afford to return to England when you have all the money.”

The Med-Jai sighed and sat back against a desk, watching Nefertiri struggle. It had happened around midnight. Ancksunamun had cuddled herself against his body when they went to bed and soon after fell asleep. Lucky for them he slept lightly, or he could very well be out searching the town for her right now.

As the middle of the night drew near he felt her suddenly sit and when he got up to see what was wrong he saw it in her eyes. Nefertiri looked back at him, afraid and contemplative. If he had not awakened she would have left the room, he knew, and had still wondered if she could get past him.

Immediately he had pulled her from the bed and tied her to a chair, then waited. It was now morning and his lover had yet to resurface. If she were not back soon he would have to try something. “I cannot let you free, Nefertiri. You know that. If you let Ancksunamun have control this will go easier for you.”

She looked down at the floor and wiggled her foot. “I told you I can’t. I don’t have any control over this.” Nefertiri exhaled and looked back up to him softly. “I wanted to thank you for what you did back in England.”

“What is that?” he asked her.

Her eyes left him again. “For not…being with Ancksunamun. It would have probably bothered Ardeth a great deal if he would have had to watch it happen.”

Akhenre folded his arms and glanced around the lavish room. It was definitely not as lovely as Ancient Egypt had been. The truth was he himself would have been bothered, knowing the princess could see his actions. This world and his ancient duty now meant nothing to him, but she had been his friend. She had done nothing and suffered great in her time. “Think nothing of it, Princess. My desire is for Ancksunamun, not an innocent girl who has done nothing to deserve what she has been through.”

She smiled at that and eyed him mischievously. “Still, you said neither you nor Ardeth ever thought of me in that way. I’m not sure, but I think there’s an insult in there somewhere.”

Despite himself, Akhenre laughed, reminded of the playful woman Nefertiri had been so long ago. He shook his head and shrugged. “For your honor and beauty I will admit we both may have thought of it once or twice in passing.”

Nefertiri nodded, pleased with that reply. “That’s better. Do you really love Ancksunamun?” she asked him suddenly.

He looked at her sharply, wondering if his lover had returned and was testing him. He would pass the test, for he did indeed love the concubine, no matter how foolish it was. “Yes,” he answered truthfully. “I love her very deeply, Nefertiri.”

“Imhotep thought he loved her as well,” was her reply and to that he sighed.

Akhenre bit his bottom lip in thought, and then pushed himself up from the desk to pace a little. He wondered not for the first time when his beloved would return. “I cannot speak for the priest, other than he did not know her and he was recovering from another heart affliction at the time.” She looked away at that and he felt guilty. If he had only taken his lover away like she wanted, then life could have returned to normal for everyone else. “I knew Ancksunamun before any of the terrible events that lead to Imhotep’s curse. I loved her before that and before she took up with Set. Only I was too afraid to do anything about it. I caused all of this.”

Nefertiri sighed, looking like she was also reliving past hurts. They both had had their lovers ripped away from them. “Akhenre, this isn’t your fault,” she told him finally. “I know you feel like it right now, but she made the choice to become a priestess of Set. You can’t blame yourself for all of it. We all made mistakes.”

He stopped his pacing and looked at her, at first only seeing her sympathetic gaze. It made him uncomfortable. “We will talk no more of this. Are you hungry?”

“Yes,” she replied with a breath. Evy wiggled in her chair and shot him a pleading look, hoping it would have the effect she desired.

Akhenre shook his head and gave in, kneeling before her. His eyes held hers for a moment as if he were asking her to be good. Ancksunamun would not be happy with this. She made no expression back and bit her lip when he untied her and stood. “I will get us something to eat,” he told her.

His first mistake had been letting her go. His second was when he turned his back on her. What would Ardeth do? she thought, seeing an opportunity in this. It pained her to break trust with Akhenre, but whatever they were planning she couldn’t allow. They had mentioned getting Ancksunamun’s body, but not Akhenre’s.

She scouted around quickly as the Med-Jai began towards the window again. There was a phone on the desk he had leaned against. There simply wasn’t time for her to consider whether or not she should take action against him. Ardeth would want her to act if she could. Wincing, she ripped it off the desk and went for him without a plan.

The second he hit the ground she groaned and dropped the phone. Akhenre and Ardeth both in one body lay sprawled on the floor, unconscious. “Oh good Lord,” she breathed, rubbing her forehead and feeling suddenly hot with nervous energy. Evy dropped to her knees beside him and pushed him onto his back. He was going to be very angry when he woke up and there was no guarantee Ancksunamun would be back by then to take the heat.

Evy looked up at the bed, then frowned in defeat. He was a muscular, heavy warrior and she a small woman. There was no way she would be able to get him up there without help. She looked back at the fallen phone and pulled the cord from it. “I’m sorry, Ardeth,” she told him even though he wouldn’t hear. It made her feel better almost. She pushed his body closer to the bed and started tying his wrists to the frame leg.

When he was securely tied she sat back and exhaled deeply. Now she wasn’t sure what to do. The others needed to know she and Ardeth were all right for the most part, but someone would have to come and help her with him. They couldn’t stay in this hotel room forever and Akhenre was very likely to be slightly annoyed with her when he got up. And that wasn’t even counting her Ancksunamun problem. At any given moment the priestess could return.

There was no help for that. She was going to have to attempt something within the next few minutes. She needed to call home.

*

Rick stood at the porthole in the main room adjoining he and the others’ rooms. The Great Pyramid was nearing and soon they would be back. The priest was at another port nearby, his dark eyes wistful. The bastard was probably remembering with fondness something evil he had done. Rick grunted and sighed. How could this man believe he deserved Evy’s love, anyway?

Not that he deserved her, either. He wasn’t what she needed and he knew that, but Imhotep? Please. Rick gave the priest a sidelong glare. Evy would never see reason. Of course she said the same about him, too, and maybe she was right. He didn’t want to see reason. This monster just wasn’t good enough for her. And quite frankly his sadness was getting on O’Connell’s nerves. ‘You feel bad for him, don’t you?’ Jonathan had accused. Rick rolled his eyes and looked at the approaching land. He most certainly did not feel bad. Quite the opposite.

Rick left the window and moved to a small cart behind the priest. He poured himself a drink and exhaled loudly. Imhotep turned just as he did and they bumped into one another. “Look,” Rick snapped when his drink spilled over him. “God, look what you did, you jerk. I oughta pour some on you.”

Miffed by his tone, Imhotep crossed his arms and glared. He waved his finger and said something in Egyptian, pointing Rick away from his window. O’Connell frowned and poured himself another drink as the priest turned back to his view. Shaking his head, he took his drink to the couch and plopped down. He sipped loudly.

The priest approached and sat down across from him. A picture of Evy sat on the table beside him, placed there specifically by him and for him to look at. He loved the detailed accuracy of photographs. Rick watched him pick the image up and touch the surface. He rolled his eyes when Imhotep looked up.

Setting the frame back down, the priest rested his arms over the arms of the chair he sat in and kept an annoyed eye on Rick. “Problem?” Rick muttered in retort. The mummy stayed silent, ever watching with those darkened eyes.

Rick didn’t really believe Evy had run off with Ardeth. Their Med-Jai friend was a major step up from this priest, but it just wasn’t like her to run away like that without a word. Even still it wasn’t like this priest should be surprised, anyway, real or not. It was the natural end to a relationship that shouldn’t have started in the first place. Imhotep looked away and exhaled. Rick kicked his feet up on the coffee table between them and watched him for a moment, wondering just what Evy could see in him.

The priest noticed Rick’s thoughtful gaze and frowned, again speaking in his language. His body language suggested he was probably saying something akin to what Rick had just said. Daring him to fight, was he? Two could play at that game. Rick set his drink down and glared back. “You know I’m glad it’s over? I don’t trust you and I never will. You don’t deserve Evy.”

At Evy’s name Imhotep flinched back with that same doubt that had been trailing his private expressions. Then his eyes grew angry in answer to Rick’s hostility. All it took was for Rick to motion him on, then he pounced. The two men struggled together and hit the floor. Rick kneed the priest in the stomach, making him groan and roll away to his feet.

Imhotep kicked Rick before he could rise, yelling something in Egyptian. That was another thing that was quickly getting old. Rick rolled over, grabbed the mummy’s leg and yanked, causing him to fall back. “I should kill you,” he hissed through gritted teeth, kneeling over the priest to punch him.

Blocking Rick’s blows, Imhotep growled and shoved the attack off, then got up. O’Connell brought himself up and ran after him as he went for a nearby chair. He launched himself at the priest’s back, knocking him to the floor while he groped for the chair. Rick yanked him away and sent his fist into his jaw. Imhotep gripped Rick by the shoulders and hurled him back towards the center of the room angrily. O’Connell hit Imhotep’s chair and knocked both it and the table beside it over. They froze when they heard glass shatter.

Rick lay there still when Imhotep decided to move. The priest passed him and knelt nearby and Rick got to his knees to see what was going on. Evy’s picture lay on the floor, the glass of the frame cracked down the center. Imhotep brushed his fingers over her face and sat down. “Nefertiri,” he breathed, gazing at the image.

For a moment Rick did nothing but let the man contend with his betrayal. The quiet in the room was too uncomfortable for him to deal with, so he stood and made a move towards the door. Then he stopped and turned back.

Rolling his eyes and running a hand through his hair, he said, “Want a drink?”

Imhotep recognized that phrase from Jonathan and looked up in puzzlement. Rick frowned at him. “Do you want a drink or not? I may never offer again, so you’d better make up your mind.” The priest seemed a little uncertain, but nodded anyway. O’Connell shook his head and went to the drinks cart and poured.

He returned and dropped down to the floor with two drinks and gave one to Imhotep. They both drank and O’Connell grunted at the picture in the broken frame, muttering, “Women.”

*

His head was killing him. That was the first thing that he noticed as consciousness started to come to him. Ardeth opened his eyes slowly, amazed he could even choose to open them at all. The light streaming in through the window was bright. He tried to sit and groaned when his tied wrists held him down. He was tied to a bed, left to lie on the floor.

“Evy?” he breathed, well aware that he had not put enough effort into his call. Unless she were nearby she wouldn’t hear him. Of course it was quite possible Ancksunamun had taken over by now, though why she would keep him tied he could not guess. He raised his voice. “Evy?” There was no reply.

Ardeth rested his head back and looked at the ceiling. He wouldn’t blame her if she had run off, leaving him here for her own safety, but that was unlike her. With hope she was getting help from his people. They still controlled the museum and were placed in various areas around town. They probably already knew they were here and were wondering why he was remaining quiet to them.

He could only pray they would think his actions odd and investigate, though with his moving to England they may take it for granted and assume he was on his own business which these days may or may not include the Med-Jai. Ardeth cursed his own confusion and struggles.

He wondered how long he had been out. The door to their shared room opened and he looked up. Evy stopped, seeing him awake and looked pained. “You’re awake. That’s good. That’s a good thing.” She closed the door behind her and stayed back. “Look, Akhenre, I did what I had to do. You understand, right?”

Ardeth closed his eyes again and took a deep breath. “I understand. And when I get free and kill you, you’ll understand too, won’t you?” He opened his eyes slightly and smiled, watching her face. Evy widened her eyes a little and fidgeted with her fingers. His head throbbed and he groaned. “Mmm, Evy, I can’t believe you hit me.”

For a moment his friend’s frightened expression remained, but then it hit her. She left her fear behind and came to his side. “Ardeth? Is it you?”

He groaned again and nodded. “Unfortunately.”

She bit her lip and hovered over him, her worry-face on. “Do you think it’s serious? I’ve never actually hit anyone in the back of the head before.”

“No,” he breathed, lying as still as he could. It wasn’t very comfortable with tied hands, but he knew the danger that could come of a freed Akhenre. “I think I’ll live.”

Evy pursed her lips and sat back on her knees, muttering, “You think. Well, what else do you think? I tried calling home and no one answered, so I tried to see if anyone in England had information on travelers and was told a man named O’Connell and two friends boarded a train a day after we left, but they wouldn’t tell me to where.”

Ardeth forced himself to open his eyes and keep them that way. “We should contact the museum. We need the Med-Jai to help us.” He moved around a little and sighed, uncertain as to what more to do. He had no way of knowing when Akhenre would return. Of course neither of them could know when Ancksunamun would return. “This is a journey best made together, Evy.”

Smoothing her hair behind her shoulders, Evy nodded and began to untie him. “If Akhenre returns and kills me for hitting him, I’m holding you responsible.”

Ardeth smiled and sat up with a groan when he was free. The room seemed to spin for a moment. “We do not know whether Ancksunamun will return before Akhenre. Either way one of us could be in trouble.” He inhaled and stood. “It seems to me that my counterpart goes in response to my body, whether in pain or healing. Did this not occur with Ancksunamun?”

Evy shook her head at that. “No. She was asleep when it happened, but I’m guessing because she was in control that only her mind was tied to consciousness. I remained awake when she fell asleep.” She seemed to consider something as Ardeth opened the door to their room. They stepped out into the hall together and Evy took a breath to speak, but decided against it.

“Is there something you aren’t telling me?” he asked mildly.

She looked up at him and sighed. “She’s afraid of something. I can’t read her thoughts, but I can feel she’s…well, I felt the same way when Imhotep had me tied to that slab in Hamunaptra. Impending doom. I know she’s a lot more powerful than Akhenre in the way of spells, but somehow I just don’t think she has enough power to remain in control of me. I don’t feel her here at all.”

Ardeth narrowed his brow and opened the hotel entrance to let her out. “Perhaps she is gone. I can feel Akhenre.”

Evy winced. “Is he angry?”

The Med-Jai laughed at that and looked down the street. The old streets flooded memories into him. “He is a little annoyed, but I think he fears Ancksunamun’s reaction to his trusting nature more than he desires vengeance.” Ardeth looked at the sand below. “He does not want her to ever feel he has failed her again.”

“And what do you think?” The question caught him off guard.

Ardeth offered his friend a glance before looking ahead of them in the distance. He would rather not speak of his feelings concerning Ancksunamun and Akhenre and what had occurred so long ago, but he also knew that to heal he would have to someday. “I feel that a month ago, if I had only stopped fighting her long enough to listen, maybe I could have stopped a lot of it. Perhaps I could have helped her.”

Evy sighed at that and clasped her hands together before her. He wasn’t sure what feelings Nefertiri had for the priestess in the end, or how that might color Evy’s opinions of her now. He only knew what Akhenre knew. He had loved this woman in a past life. “What do you think we should do, Ardeth? I know they are returning to get Meela’s body from the temple, but I honestly think Akhenre means to keep yours.”

He shook his pained head lightly, groaning as he did so. “I am in a position where I do not know what to do, Evy. I want…I want to help her.”

His friend looked up at him with a note of sadness in her dark eyes. “What if helping her gets you killed or worse?”

Ardeth had no answers to that. He gazed at the sand beneath his feet as they continued.

*

Heyas! Next part ready for reading. Woohoo! Lu, yeah, I think Ricky would be quite bothered. Prolly more so by Ardeth because they’re like such good friends. Anck isn’t a very nice girl though, so I figured she would try something like that. ;-) Thanks! Deana, thanks for reading and commenting and helping! I know you must get sick of it! Lol. ;-) I need to shorten these things. Marcher, what’s a snog?? Lol. Last I read it was an evil critter in the Death Gate Cycle! Hehehe. Thanks for reviewing. Elenhiril, I hope you enjoyed what you did read and have gotten this far yet…lol. ;-) Thanks. Hadassaknamu, yeah…hmm. I hadn’t thought of him trying to bring back Nef. Interesting thought. Lol…and yeah, poor Ardeth’s got quite a few people out to get him now, huh? Lol. Thanks!

Thanks everyone who’s been reading! -Angela