[◈] Curse of the High Priestess

2 | 6 ⌋ Midnight Joyride

Evelyn screamed as a group of men began to pull her towards the fire. She begged Hasina to come to her senses, but the priestess only smirked. "Do not fight it, Nefertiri," Nabila called out to her, "it will make things difficult for us all." 

Evelyn continued to cry out, "Just you wait!" Imhotep smirked as the girl screamed at him, "We will put you in your grave again!"

"Our thinking was: not if we put you in your grave first," Hafez appeared beside her.

"Burn her," Meela shouted Imhotep's command.

"YOU BASTARD-," Evelyn felt the fire on her skin when Rick jumped from the flames. "Rick!" He'd pushed on the bottom of the platform, hoisting Evelyn on his shoulder while Ardeth shot at the men to create a pathway for the two.

Nabila instantly looked up at him, causing the medjai to freeze. She stared him down, forbidding him from shooting the others as he directed his bullets at her; with each motion, the bullets fell on the ground. 

"Did you have to bring him?" Evelyn questioned as Rick helped her with the rope. 

"Are you really going to argue this right now?" After a moment of silence, Rick handed her a small handgun and they began to shoot at Hafez and his men. 

From where he stood, Rick saw a bottle of flammable substance on a shelf behind a row of men and shot it, causing the ones around it to perish alongside some valuables. 

Nabila continued to return the medjai's bullets with her magic, wondering how he could shoot at her without remorse. In one swoop, she gravitated towards where he stood. "Hello, medjai." 

"Hig Priestess," he answered in the same tone he'd used with Lock-nah. Nabila was impressed before calling the fire from below to her hand. "Do you think it wise to hurt your protectors?"

Ardeth froze as her eyes turned crimson; the fire in her hand matched her sight as she threw a fireball at him. From below, Meela 's eyes became a hollow grey as she kept her sight on Nabila. Their reincarnates didn't have much power in this life, which made it a struggle to keep the priestess in check; it became easier once the burden was removed, and Meela didn't intend for it to get in the way.

Nabila continuously threw fire at Ardeth, who dodged it with such velocity. The priestess grew frustrated and returned to the main floor, looking for another enemy to play with. 

Ardeth took the chance to shoot at Meela, who retrieved a gun and shot back. However, Ardeth realized that the woman kept her sights on his sister most of the time - looking at her like a puppet. 

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"They say that the diamond shined so bright, it winked at distant travelers," Alex spoke of the hidden oasis to his uncle, who became interested in the gold. 

The conversation came to a halt as Imhotep released an angry howl - one that Johnathan recognized from years before. 

"Let's start the car!" The older man struggled to put the vehicle in drive as shock made his body cold. It didn't help that his nephew was rushing him in the process. It was only a matter of time before the key broke under pressure, too. 

⁛⁛

"Ardeth, a little help!" Evelyn called as she ran out of bullets and began fighting in hand-to-hand combat while Rick reloaded his arson. Ardeth shot at her opponent and the wall of men behind them. Nabila watched as Nefertiri took her love away from her. 

"NO!" Nabila began to throw fire at them, but they managed to dodge them. 

Imhotep grew weary of the game and grabbed a vase. Collect your bones! Gather your limbs! Shake the earth from your flesh, for your masters are here!" Sand flew out of the vase to form four mummified guards. Nabila smiled, positioning herself in the middle as Imhotep tied them to her command.