Demons and Kings

Chapter 2

"I can't believe this." I groaned, knocking my head against the edge of my desk. I had been up for hours and the cracked, broken, shattered 3000-year-old clay tablet wasn't any more unbroken than it had been when I had first started. While I had never been overly clumsy, I did tend to rush about, which often resulted in rather unfortunate accidents. Like the one I was experiencing now.

The pieces I had put together only formed the vague outline of a winged figure. The same figure that had been carved at the base of the young pharaoh's sarcophagus. I gently placed the edges of two promising stone bits together, sighing when they didn't fit either.

I'd been at this all night. And it still wasn't enough.

"Evie! It's time to get up." Rodney yelled, and I could hear him running up the hallway towards my door. "It's already seven 'o clock." He burst unceremoniously into the room, his coat slung over one arm. "Don't you have school?" He skidded around me to open the curtains covering my windows, and I whimpered as the sun burned at my tired eyes.

"Oh, leave me be!" I groaned, throwing my arms over my head in an attempt to shut out the light. "I'm mourning." I continued, my voice muffled. But never one to dwell, and far too used to my so-called dramatics, Rodney just ruffled my hair, his fingers actually improving the mess I had made of it in my frustration.

"Did you get any sleep?" He asked, leaning over me to see what I had been working on. He moved my arms to get a better look, knocking me out of my rather comfortable anguish filled position. He hummed at the mess, eyes wide, "Well, aren't you just fantastic at puzzles. How did this happen?"

"I broke it... by accident." I added when his eyebrows twitched, "I have been trying to fix it all night." I pushed my chair away from my desk, stretching. If I had pushed just a bit more roughly than usual, enough to knock into my brother, ...well I was exhausted. I motioned for Rodney to turn around as I meandered into my closet, ignoring the glare he sent my way as he rubbed a hand against his ribcage.

"Today was the day we were supposed to unwrap the mummy." He called out to me, and I peered around the edge of my closet door, frowning as I watched him poke through my things. "Find out what killed him. Can't do that now," he sighed forlornly, "the researchers say the body could fall apart. We have to take the proper precautions."

He turned as I finally came out, smiling as I struggled to adjust my collar. "Now I have to tell father and Ryan that bad news, along with the fact that practically the entire exhibit has been stolen." His smile stretched, this time his features coming across a bit strained as he handed me my school books, ushering me out the door with his other arm.

"But that's my problem. You should get to school." He pushed me out the door, motioning towards the kitchen where I could smell breakfast cooking. "Get Carol on your way, we both know she's not up yet." Too true. She would sleep all day if we let her.

Her door was down the hall from mine, and open. I pushed in, setting my books down on the edge of her desk before walking into her closet. "Carol," I called, digging through her clothes absently as I tried to find something suitable and easy to put on. "we're going to be late if you don't get up."

I heard her mumble a reply, her voice rising into a groan as I walked back out to pull at her blankets and toss her clothes to her as she sat up. None of us had gotten much sleep the night before, and I had to suppress a sigh at the bags under her eyes. "Get dressed, breakfast in five. If you're not down, I'll leave without you." I warned her, only half serious. She threw a pen at me, grumbling from inside her top, and I ducked out the door before she could throw anything else.

Walking down the hallway slowly, I smoothed out the nonexistent wrinkles in my dress, knowing Trine would fuss if I looked frumpy. Especially after last night.