Blooming (Being Edited)

3

Finally, I'm away from the crazy family of O'Connell's. I wave as they get onto the plane back to England, Alex waving enthusiastically back.

I would be in the plane with them if I wasn't going to Miraac to study up on some things one of my students had found. But she's back in America now after her mother had gotten sick.

I rubbed my face a bit as I turned and left the airport.

                          *
I drive the Jeep out to where I'll be staying for awhile. A big tent in the back with my tools and my clothes, including the ritual wear.

I sighed as I came up to the large pillars of a lost city heading towards where the instructions told me to be. I suddenly got a phone call as I parked my Jeep.

I answered. "Hello?" I asked into as I jumped out of my vehicle.

"Hey Lotus." Rick's voice said as I heard him enter his house.

"Rick." I said groaning.

He laughed. "I know, every time you help with a dig with us, which is every one we've ever been too, it's our fault when something happens. But this isn't about a expedition."

I stopped from grabbing my tent bag. "Yes, everytime, I warn you all about it but you guys always continue with it. You know I still dream of almost getting stabbed by spikes?" I shook my head, even though be can't see it, I'm sure he senses it. "Anyway, what's this about?"

"Evie. She's been having these dreams or going into those trances, like you did during the City of the Dead escapade." He says, I hear him grab something.

"Makes sense. In some of mine. She's the princess Nefetiri." I make a weird sound at the end of that as the hot wind blasted me in the face.

I could sense him being a bit unconvinced. "Hm, it could be that. I've gotta go, see you in a couple weeks?"

I think for a second. "Sure. It's the family dinner thing isn't it?"

"Yeah." He informs.

I paused. "Why do you guys even invite me? I'm not really family you know." I said setting my tent down and put my arm around my stomach.

"Cause you are, you've been like a little sister to me since the day I came to the orphanage. It may not be a blood thing, but it's a bond thing. We have something unbreakable. Something that will last for life times." He says chuckling a bit at his joke.

I smiled to myself, my heart feeling a bit lighter. "Thanks Rick. Bye." I said.

"Bye." With that he hung up.

I looked around and found a good spot under a large bunch of shade. I set my tent up there and then countinue unpacking till I went off to find this black pool.

                          *

I found it, it was the same type of pool Imhotep had walked backwards into all those years ago. Why is he suddenly coming back to my thoughts almost everyday? I thought I had worked on trying to forget about him...

I shook my head and collected some samples of the water and stood going to my large tent where I had set up a small desk that had what I needed to test the water.

I put the samples down before I was suddenly turned around to face a human Imhotep.

I sighed. As I rubbed my eyes, his hands pulling me in. "Seriously, what do you think your doing?" I asked glaring up at him.

"Hm, holding you close. For now." He tells me leaning towards me as I leaned away, slightly reluctantly.

"What if I don't want to be held?" I asked pushing at his chest, why was it so solid. Isn't this just a trance or something? I looked around to find myself still in the tent, still in my white blouse and shorts with combat boots.

"Then you'll always have a place in mine when you do." He says smirking as he grabbed my hand and kissed it softly making me blush and look away.

"What do you want from me?" I asked after getting my cheeks back to their slightly tan color to look at him and his smirking face.

"To be my queen, that's all." He says.

"I thought I already was?" I asked looking at him determinedly, to find him speechless.

Just as suddenly as he appeared he was gone and in his place was a pile of sand.

I sighed letting my hand drag through my let down hair in annoyance. My heart was beating miles per second from the encounter.

Then it hit me.

I looked down at the sand wide eyed, it was there. It was real. It wasn't some trance or a dream....he was here using his magic.

I gulped as I looked around to find nothing but the wind and the setting sun outside the tent.

I layed on my cot, laying on it with heaviness.

Please, don't tell me that Evie and Rick have anything to do with his awakening.