Bathed Silver in Mercury

XVII. Elerie

"Elerie wait, please, let me explain - El-" Jenny followed her friend and colleague as she stormed out of Jekyll's office.

"Yeah an explanation would be nice." She stopped so abruptly that Jenny almost crashed into her.

They were cut off as two agents brought Nick through, who was wrapped up in a straitjacket. He and Elerie met eyes.

"Where are they taking him?" she asked once the agents and Nick had disappeared.

"To see Henry. He'll be safe, I promise."

Elerie only scoffed.

"Look, when Henry came to me I took the job because we had a common interest," Jenny tried to explain.

"So you're using each other."

"And now she's using him," Jenny mumbled. "Oh don't look at me like that. What was I supposed to say? Would you have even believed me?"

"Jenny, I've been searching for proof of this stuff my whole life, only to have everyone tell me I'm loony, including my husband, and now it's been going on right below my feet."

A few minutes later, Nick emerged from the office, no longer in the straitjacket, followed closely by Jekyll and Malik.

"Ellie," he cried. "Are you okay?" She looked pretty shaken.

"Yeah, I-I'm alright," she said softly. "You?"

"Okay."

Jekyll led them into a large labratory. At the centre was Ahmanet, chained up.

"My God," Elerie gasped.

"Forgive the state of things," Jekyll said. "We had very little time to prepare for our guest." He gestured to Ahmanet. "And only the information Jennifer provided to go on. It's not an exact science, this business."

Nick looked around in utter confusion. "A-and the business being?"

"Yes, and a straight answer this time would be nice," added Elerie.

"Evil, Mr. Morton, Ms. Taylor. Recognize, contain, examine, destroy." He turned to look back at the mummy in awe. "She is by far the most ancient we have ever encountered." The princess only stared back, shivering violently.

"What are you doing to her?"

"Embalming her with mercury," Jekyll replied simply. "At minus thirty-eight degrees the mercury in her veins will solidify and she should be safe for dissection then."

At this, Jenny looked up. "Dissection? You said that we'd study her."

"Yes, by dissection."

"But she's a living witness to a history that we barely know."

"Perhaps, but she's also a threat, Jennifer."

"Wait, wait, hold on, hold on. So where does that leave me?" Nick asked.

"Cursed, Mr. Morton," Jekyll said, also lightly, as though it were the most common thing in the world. "You have been selected as the vessel for the ultimate evil. And we are the only ones who can rectify that."

Ahmanet began speaking then, in Ancient Egyptian. "You cannot change your fate." Now all eyes were on her. "The curse will never be broken."

Now Nick, trance-like almost, slowly made his way towards her.

"My chosen was murdered. You will take his place."

Nick shocked them all then by answering in the same language. "But if you chose him, why were you going to kill him?"

Elerie's eyebrows shot up into her hairline. She could speak some Ancient Egyptian, having studied it for a long time, and could understand the basis of their conversation. Now hearing Nick speak it with ease, she was impressed, even if it was just in his cursed state. She found it... Well, to be perfectly honest, sexy.

Oh God.

Must be this whole curse thing messing with her too.

"I was not going to kill him," Ahmanet explained. "I was going to give him eternal life. Make him a living god." Now she finished in English.

Nick shook his head and now spoke in English too. "You murdered your father."

"I loved my father, with all my heart. I only wanted his love in return."

"You killed his wife. Their child."

Her jaw tightened. "They were - different times." Her captivating voice filled the cold chamber. As she spoke, the world around them faded away to a desert scene. It were as though her voice was casting the vision. "The Day of Awakening will soon be upon us... You will become Set... The world will fall to your desire... You will have power over life, over death... And you will have me... I will be your queen... Just give in..."

The scene now changed to Nick and Ahmanet in bed together, Elerie, Jenny, and Jekyll still standing off to the side.

"Nick," hissed Elerie. "Nick, she's in your head again, she's using you - don't give in-"

He turned his head to look at her, but Ahmanet reached out and turned it back to look at her. "They will kill you, just as they killed my chosen before you," she whispered.

Elerie made to move forward, but was held back by Jekyll.

Suddenly, Ahmanet let out an agonizing scream that shook the whole chamber. Everyone buckled over, hands pressed firmly over their ears to try and drown out the sound.

"Stop it! Stop it! Just stop!" Nick yelled at the agents, seeing how they were harming her. She collapsed back in a crumpled ball on the cold iron floor. Even he seemed hurt by it, feeling her pain through their connection from the curse.

Jekyll only stared. "Fascinating," he breathed.

"What the hell - what kind of sick experiment are you running?" cried Elerie. "She's a human!"

"But she is not, Ms. Taylor. Not anymore. She's a monster."

(Haha, it could be the curse Ellie, that or you're still in love with him ;) Sorry again for the late update - time has just been flying by and I didn't realize how long it had been since I last updated! Here you are - we're getting close to the chase scene in London, which is one of my favourite scenes in the movie! Thanks so much for reading, hope you enjoyed! :))