Reincarnated

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Day 5.

When I open my eyes, my vision is marred by a thick cloud of dust that obscures everything but the arms encircling me. Coughing, I step back and wave my hand in front of my face, trying to ignore the way my heart flips around in my chest at Ahmose's close proximity. After a few moments, the dust finally settles. A wave of disappointment washes through me when I realise the temple has returned to the old and run-down state that had first greeted us. My gaze darts up to Ahmose but he doesn't meet it, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he glares at the ground.

"Are you alright?" I ask him softly. I reach my hand out hesitantly but decide against it at the very last second, letting it awkwardly drop in the dead space between us.

"I am fine." He replies brusquely, his tone as hard and glacial as ice. I jolt, pulling my sleeves over my fingers.

"You're lying." I respond softly. Ahmose frowns at me, his brow furrowed. Luckily though, he's saved from further interrogation by the loud gasp of the third forgotten member of our expedition.

"There you are!" Hazel exclaims. Guilt sweeps through me in a hot wave. She leaps up from the rock she'd previously been perched on and darts over to us. "Where the hell did you two go? You just walked into the ruins, and then bam! you disappeared! I've been waiting all day here because I had no idea where you'd gone!"

"All day?" I blink at her in bewilderment. That's when I take in our surroundings. "It's night?!"

"No Keeks, it's the middle of the freaking morning." Hazel replies sarcastically. "Yes, it's night! Why are you so surprised?"

"Because we were only in there for a few minutes." I say, glancing over at Ahmose. "Right?"

"We must leave. Now." Ahmose replies shortly, completely disregarding my question. I stare at him in disbelief.

"What's the matter with you?"

He sighs, clearly vexed with my aversion to leaving now, and grabs my pack, swinging it over his shoulder. He takes off without another word.

"Hey!" I cry, staring at his quickly fading back. "Ahmose! You can't just leave like that!"

He doesn't answer. Hazel and I share a look and scramble after him, her outwardly voicing her frustration and me inwardly wondering what's got him so impatient.

What is he so scared of?

— — —

"So where did you go? Neverland?"

I snort, shaking my head. "Why on earth would we go to Neverland? As magical as Tinkerbell and Peter are, I don't think they'll be able to help more than the gods."

"The gods?" Realisation slowly dawns on my best friend's face. She gasps loudly, slapping my arm. "Shut up."

I shrug nonchalantly, feigning sudden interest in the fire I'd managed to coax into life crackling in front of us. Hazel's grip on my arm tightens. She shakes me excitedly.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Her loud shrieks rip through the calm blanket of the night, instantly resulting in a filthy look from the sullen Egyptian man on the other side of our camp. Hazel grins sheepishly, mouthing 'sorry' to him.

I chuckle, shaking my head as I slowly stretch out my aching limbs. We'd walked for another hour and a half after our divine encounter at the temple, Ahmose incontestably determined to begin his search for the Sphinx without another moment's hesitation. Even though he didn't vocalise it he obviously had a clear plan in his mind on how to find the mythical creature, something that annoyed Hazel and I immensely. We were on this trip curse-breaking adventure too, why didn't he trust us enough to tell us exactly how we could help? I'd tried to breach the subject with him numerous times, even dragging him away from Hazel at one point with the hope that he'd open up away from her prying ears. But he didn't. I would have an easier time getting blood out of a stone; he was just as walled off and cold as he was the moment we left that temple.