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CHAPTER

26

ALEX HAD SEEN HER SHARE of sarcophagi, but they were always housed behind plate glass in museums. Now here she was, mere feet from a sarcophagus that allegedly belonged to a son of Khufu—a firsthand discovery. It was beyond incredible and certainly spiritual.

Ushabti lined the perimeter of the coffin, and the walls were covered with murals. They likely depicted the pharaoh’s life, his death, and his journey into the afterlife. If she and the others were lucky, they’d find a name here somewhere, too.

She felt some sort of a connection to this room, but it was one she was unable to put into words. Tingles spread over her shoulders and down her back. This time the sensation didn’t scare her, and instead, she embraced the experience. After all, it’s not like a dead king really held any sway over her fate. No matter how convinced Cal seemed to be that pharaohs’ curses had merit, she couldn’t allow herself to give in to such foolishness. She could assign no logic to it. They were stuck down here because of unforeseen circumstances and a bad turn of events. It had nothing to do with some ancient hex.

In fact, Alex had the overwhelming urge to pry off the lid to the sarcophagus right now and look inside. Was there a mummy inside? Were the Tablets in there with him? But she had to fight this moment of weakness. Her values and her respect for the sarcophagus and the dead pharaoh inside it dictated that she make sure everything was done properly and followed protocol. Anything else would be a violation.

And that wasn’t even touching on the likelihood that the group of them might not be strong enough. It had taken eight men to remove the lid to Tut’s sarcophagus.

Robyn was pacing the room, seeming to be doing her best to stick close to the walls and avoid knocking over any ushabti. “This is incredible.”

“Is it just me, or is anyone else dying to see inside?” Matthew was standing there, staring at the sarcophagus, his energy eager and curious.

“Someone died to get inside already,” Cal said, lowering his camera and smiling.

“Hardy har har.” Matthew smiled at his friend.

Alex had to remain in control of her impulses and not buckle under the pressure. “We need to leave the sarcophagus the way we found it to protect—”

Something clattered across the floor and stopped her cold.

Cal’s mouth dropped open, and his eyes widened. He was looking at everyone but her.

“I…I…didn’t mean to,” he stammered.

She looked at his feet, and a few ushabti had been knocked over. Thankfully that’s all it had been, but even so, anger coursed through her and she clenched her jaw to keep from snapping at him. She wasn’t normally so quickly roused to lashing out, and she didn’t like the feeling. It had to be because she was hungry and tired.

Everyone but Jasper was silently watching her. He was swiping some dust off a mural.

“It was an accident,” she said to the rest of them, doing her best to slough it off, but she was trembling with aggravation.

“Forget an accident…” Cal’s face fell as panic swept over his features. “I’ve probably really pissed him off now.”

Alex narrowed her eyes. “Who?”

“The pharaoh. Who else?” Cal’s words held conviction. He really bought in to all that curse nonsense. “He’ll probably call on his usha—whatever they are—and have them kill me.”

Jasper turned from working on the mural and rolled his eyes.

Alex fought a smirk. “I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

“No.” Cal was shaking his head. “We’re going to die down here.”

“Why are you being so dramatic, Cal?” Robyn asked.

“Dramatic?” Cal screeched. “We’ve just upset the burial chamber of a pharaoh, Robyn. We’ve got to get the hell out of here.”

“The pharaoh is dead. He’s in a coffin,” Jasper said slowly and matter-of factly, his eyes back on the mural. “He can’t harm you.”

“Are you sure about that? The Egyptians had a strong belief in the afterlife.” Cal was shaking, and sweat was beading on his forehead.

“Come here, Cal.” Alex guided him to join her in the main antechamber. Matthew and Robyn came along, as well. They truly were like the Three Musketeers. All for one. One for all.

“Do you believe in an afterlife?” Alex asked. She’d been raised to be respectful of others’ beliefs, and as much of a stretch as a curse was for her, Cal was convinced of their validity. Maybe if she could reason with him, he’d calm down.

Cal looked from her to his friends and back to her. “What does it matter what I believe?”

“Well, if you believe in it, then sure, maybe you have a right to be a little nervous. But if you don’t, what do you have to be afraid of?” It sounded reasonable to her own ears, but Cal’s brow pinched in thought. He apparently had to consider it. She continued. “If you ask me, supposing there is an afterlife, I’m sure the dead have more important things to do than hang around worrying about who is visiting their tomb. Again, that’s assuming a belief in the existence of an afterlife.”

Cal’s gaze darted back toward the burial chamber.

“Do you think he’s here?” Alex pressed.

He met her eyes. “I feel something down here,” he admitted. “I don’t know what, but I don’t like it.”

“Fear, I’m sure. We’re all facing that.” Even given her earlier speech, she felt far less certain than she let on.

“You said that you were optimistic we’d get out of here.” Cal lifted his chin and studied her. “I’d love to hear how that’s going to happen.”

God, she wished she had a response. Instead, doubts rushed in on her, weighing her down. They all could very possibly die down here. She thought she was hungry now, but wait until tomorrow and the day after. If they didn’t get out of here, their futures included agonizing death.

Cal inclined his head. “Nothing, eh?”

She smiled at him.

“Why are you—”

“Canadian, eh?” Deflection and humor. Sometimes that’s all one could hope for.

“Hey, watch it. You’re outnumbered down here,” Matthew warned with a smile.

Alex held up her hands in surrender. She was laughing when Jasper stuck his head out of the burial chamber and then joined them in the main antechamber.

“While it’s not good for those who believe in hocus-pocus”—Jasper slid his gaze to Cal, then back to Alex—“the wall says our pharaoh was assassinated and his name was stripped from him. It goes on to say that his spirit would be at unrest for eternity.”

Cal rubbed his arms and stared into space.

“Does it say why his name was stripped?” Matthew asked.

“To protect his remains, his treasure, and the world. Now how he died, I can make out: it was his brother who killed him. But I don’t think it was just for the throne. There’s mention of the pharaoh practicing dark magic.”

“Wait a minute. To protect the world? Dark magic?” Matthew assumed a confident stance, all hard lines and rigid body language. “It has to be related to the Emerald Tablets.”

“It might not all be about the Tablets, though,” Alex said. “It’s possible that this pharaoh was buried this far away from the Great Pyramid because he was being shamed. But all the offerings he was given for the afterlife allude to him being revered by the people he’d ruled. So they didn’t entirely turn their backs on him.”

Cal tapped his foot against the floor. “People do a lot out of fear.”

Alex bobbed her head from side to side. “I was thinking more along the lines of people doing a lot for their religion. It was very important in ancient Egypt. And while our pharaoh may have practiced dark magic, he also seemed to have a respect for common Egyptian deities.”

“Alex has a point,” Robyn said. “They wouldn’t fill his chamber with depictions of their gods if he didn’t worship them at all.”

Alex nodded. “Completely agree.”

Jasper motioned for them to follow him back into the burial chamber. Once they were inside, he pointed to the image of a man with the head of a baboon. “There’s another depiction of Thoth.”

The fact that it was Thoth, a god associated with the Tablets, wasn’t lost on her. “He was depicted as an ibis on the map, but this depiction here—” Alex gestured toward the wall “—shows him as A’an, the god of equilibrium. In other words, in a state of physical and emotional calm and balance.”

“He had quite the identity crisis going,” Cal jested. If jokes helped him deal with his fear, so be it.

“Is there any other mention of the Tablets?” Matthew asked, obviously disregarding his friend’s attempt at humor.

“Not that I’ve come across yet.” Jasper paused. “I think it’s only a matter of time, though.”

“And time is something we’re running out of,” Cal said in a no-nonsense tone.

“We don’t need you to keep reminding us.” Alex tried to keep the irritation from dripping into her voice, but she was pretty certain she’d failed. “We’re all in the same boat.”

“Yeah, and we’re going to be in the boat with the scarab,” Cal shot back.

Matthew gripped Cal’s shoulder. “You’ll feel better once you’ve gotten some rest.”

“And something to eat,” Cal countered.

“Well, I can’t do anything about that.”

“We were going to have steak back at the camp tonight,” Jasper put out there. “Barbecued steak.”

Alex sliced a hand across her neck for him to stop there, and Jasper laughed.

“Hey, a man can fantasize,” he said, defending himself.

“Oh, yes, he can.” Cal licked his lips, and Alex laughed.

She scanned the group of them and settled her gaze on Matthew, whose smile didn’t quite touch his eyes.

“I don’t know about the rest of you,” he began, “but I say we sleep and dream up an exit strategy.”

“Sleep? Down here?” Cal’s brows shot upward.

Alex was stuck on the dream up an exit strategy part. There seemed to be a small spark of hope in his words, and she had a feeling he had something in mind. But given his somber energy, it wasn’t promising.

“Sleep might not be a—” Robyn yawned. She shook her head. “Sorry. I was going to say sleep might not be a bad idea.”

“I agree,” Alex said.

“If we all go to sleep and one of those cobras attacks, we won’t have to worry about waking up,” Jasper stated plainly.

“Oh, yes, the snakes,” Robyn said, as if she’d forgotten about them.

“We can’t just stay up all night,” Matthew replied.

Jasper shrugged. “We take turns keeping watch.”

Matthew looked at Alex.

“That could work,” she said.

“I suggest the Snake Whisperer takes the first shift,” Cal said.

“Even though you won’t be able to sleep?” Jasper was unrelenting, and Cal looked down at the floor. “Don’t worry about it. I was going to volunteer.”

“All right, then. It sounds like we have a plan.” Alex faced Matthew again, and he still had that grim look on his face. What was he thinking and when would he share it?

Cal spun around. “Where are we going to sleep?”

Robyn walked into the main antechamber and got down on the floor. She lay on her side and curled up her legs. “Right here works.” She yawned again.

Matthew sat next to her, and Alex on his other side.

Cal was still standing and pointed to the burial chamber. “Right here? In the room next to the dead guy?”

Alex smiled at him. “You could sleep in the room with the dead guy.”

“We’ve been through this, Cal.” Robyn patted the floor and flicked off her headlamp. “Sit down.”

Alex closed her eyes, her body facing the burial chamber. Had they really come all this way and overcome all they had, to die down here and not be able to share this amazing discovery with the world?