Neiko's Five Land Adventure (Neiko Adventure Saga Book #1)

Chapter 54

That night all five Pharaohs and Neiko had the family dinner. Osiris sat at the head, and Neiko sat in the first seat to his right with Tut across from her. Ramses sat beside Neiko with Menes in front of him, and Re sat on the other side of Menes. The three eyed Ramses in a sly look, and he watched them carefully. Neiko interrupted the staring contest by asking, "Osiris, do you believe in the Dark Pharaoh?"

Ramses looked at her coolly as he listened intensively.

Osiris looked at her puzzled. "Well, yes and no. I believed in him as a boy, and I passed the tales on to my sons, but I don't concern myself so on the matter like Rumi did."

"What about you, Menes?"

Menes rubbed his chin. "Well, yeah I do! I'm scared of him! One Halloween I tried to dress like him, and I scared the daylights out of Tut and Re; they believe in him too."

Funny they have that holiday here. "Did you scare Ramses?" she asked.

"No. I guess because I looked so silly, but the real thing would scare the chrome off his armor," Menes said.

Ramses shot him icy daggers as he grabbed and held Neiko's hand trying to control his rage. Neiko tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip.

"Must we talk about these childish stories? I have never believed in this ridiculous legend!" he said in attempts to hide his anger.

"Aww, c'mon. If it's so childish, why not talk about it? I think it's fun!" Neiko said, turning the knife.

"So be it," he said as he gave her a warning in his eyes and squeezed her hand reminding her he was there.

"Ramses, you need to learn to live a little instead of being as hard as your armor all the time," Menes said as he flicked an onion onto his breastplate.

Ramses looked at it coldly, picked it off, and look at him with his frigid eyes.

"I know all about the Dark Pharaoh. I plan to hunt him like Rumi did, and I'll find him," Menes said with a mouth full of corn.

Ramses stared at him as he narrowed his eyes with venom, and gripped her hand even tighter.

"Oh, really, and how will you do that?" she said trying to wrench her hand free from Ramses's grasp. "Will you let go? I need my hand to eat with you know!" she snapped as she slapped his gloved hand several times, but she hit his hard hand guard by accident with her middle finger. "Oww!" she said as she waved her hand side to side then popped her aching finger in her mouth.

"Aww, did you hurt yourself?" asked Ramses sweetly as he took her other hand in his affectionate grasp, and he placed it over his mouth plate as if he was kissing it. The pain mysteriously vanished, but he refused to release either of her hands, and Neiko gave an annoyed look.

"How am I supposed to eat now?" she asked ruffled.

"The food can wait," he said passionately.

Menes was hot. "You know what, Neiko? I'll hunt him down like the mouse he is! I can spot him a mile away, I could!" he said as he tried to put all of his wrath on the unknown, and Ramses gave him a poisonous stare.

Neiko looked at him like he was joking as she tried to free herself still. "You could, huh? You know what? You wouldn't know who the Dark Pharaoh was even if he sat down right in front of you!" she said trying to stand up, but her loving captor forced her to remain seated. "Okay, I'm really—" she said bristling at him but he refused to release her.

"There's no point in resisting me. Get used to it because when we're married—"

"I'll never marry you! Never! You hear me? Reven!" she shouted at him as she fumed.