Isis

Chapter Ten: Atop the Eiffel Tower, Part One

Author's Note: Fifteen-year-old me played around with the reality of how the Eiffel Tower is designed. Forgive her, she was young, and ridiculous. 

Paige slowly pulled the box out of her bag, and then sat down in the nearest chair before opening it. When the velvet lid was pulled back, it revealed a bit of black satin cloth that covered...well, whatever was underneath it. Paige slowly pulled it away, and her eyes widened.

Underneath the satin sat a golden necklace. It had three strands of small, flat, round gold 'beads' directly beside each other. Paige was almost tempted to remove the necklace and put it on...but then she remembered who the giver probably was. Such an ancient-looking necklace...it had to have been him.

And who knew what sort of curse the necklace might have on it?

She quickly put the silk back over it, closed the box, and threw it into her bag. She was just closing up her bag when Alex came up to the door of the girl's dressing room. A few of the girls glared at him as he stepped inside, but he ignored them.

"Ready to go, Paige?" he asked. "Remember, we told them we'd meet them behind the theater."

Paige nodded and swung her bag over her shoulder, and stood. They walked out of the dressing room together and through the backstage crowd.

"Are you leaving?" Miss Vibberts asked as they reached the back door. Alex and Paige both nodded.

"Oh. Well, good show," Miss Vibberts complimented them. "And don't forget about the awards show, and the cast party afterwards. Tomorrow night."

"We won't forget," Paige smiled.

Miss Vibberts gave them both quick hugs (Alex tried to squirm out of his), and then walked off to congratulate Fi for not passing out onstage. Paige and Alex left the building, nervously glancing around to make certain Imhotep wasn't there yet. Thankfully, he wasn't.

"Think they rented a cool enough car for a couple of stage divas?" Paige asked, trying to avoid the question she needed to ask for at least another couple of minutes.

Alex made a face. "Isn't 'diva' a word for girls?"

Paige shrugged. "Actually, I don't know."

Alex rolled his eyes and took a seat on the curb, placing his bag to his left. Paige sat on the other side of him and placed her bag at her feet. They sat in silence for a moment, each lost in thought, though each also observing closely the shadows around them and the small parking lot in front of them. Alex and Paige were terrified that Imhotep would appear at this moment when they were most vulnerable...while Rick, Ardeth, Evy and even Jonathan weren't able to protect them.

Paige nearly screamed when a man ran out of the shadows, but calmed down when she saw it was a red-headed teenager coming to the back door to greet his girlfriend. Paige watched them walk away and began to shiver, both from the fear and from the cold. Alex took off his coat and handed it to Paige.

"Thanks," Paige said, still sounding a bit shaken. She pulled it up and wrapped it around her front.

They were both silent for a moment, until Paige spoke again.

"So...do you think they know?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Do I think who knows what?"

"Your parents, Jonathan and Ardeth. Do you think they know Imhotep was in the audience?"

"I have no idea," Alex sighed. "Maybe. They might have seen him on the way out."

Paige bit her lip. "Do you think Ardeth will kill me over this?"