The Forgotten Pharaoh

The Forgotten Pharaoh- Chapter 9

By the end of the week barely nothing had changed. He kept showing up at the site, but for smaller periods of time. He and Lilliana talked scarcely and only about the job. He was keeping his professional behavior and almost made her miss his flirtation from before. He wasn't being cold, just giving her space, which she appreciated and hated at the same time.

On Friday morning, she was at the golden room sitting on the floor to catalogue hieroglyphics closer to the ground. She recently had stopped blushing every time she entered the place. When she noticed him standing by the entrance, leaning against the rocky wall and staring at her.

- Morning. - she said casually, while cleaning her hands in her shorts.

- Good morning.

He looked from her to the room around. His eyes landing on the sarcophagus still there. By the gleaming in his eyes and the way he seemed to be holding a knowing smile, she knew what he was thinking and said:

- Don't even think about it.

- About what? - He shrugged, but was now smiling.

- I have no idea.

She reached her hand to him and he helped her up. She shook the sand out of her shorts.

- Can I show you something? - he asked seriously. And motion her to follow him. She noticed he had a big flashlight in his hand. And another for her.

- We cannot go there. - she stopped when she saw he was going down an unmapped path.

- Why not?

- Because it's not mapped yet, we don't know if it's safe and we could get lost.

He just rolled his eyes and took her hand.

- Come on. I drew you a map. And I know this place like the back of my hand. Don't you trust me?

- What?

- Do you trust me? - and he extended the hand she had dropped.

- I guess.

They continued down the path he had shown her. He was leading the way while holding her hands and giving her some instructions about where to step and where not to.

- Be careful where you step. Keep close to the walls.

The finally arrived to a hidden entrance she would never have found it alone. Not at first at least. He used his shoulder to push a covering rock out of the way. Then he entered the room and she followed. She was instantly mesmerized. Hundreds of precious stones shone in the walls. At first she thought they were incrusted, but then she realized they were part of the greatest jewelry collection she had even seen in a tomb.

-Oh my God! - she couldn't contain her surprise. - This is amazing!

- I imagined you would enjoy it.

- Why? Because girls like jewels? - she didn't seemed very happy with his assumption.

- Well, this doesn't seemed to have changed. - he grinned.

She was walking around mesmerized, but stopped to give him and angry look.

- As also, - he continued- Mr. Parker told me so.

She rolled her eyes.

- Traitor.

She kept investigating. Most of the jewels were very well preserved, this would probably be a huge part in her discovery.

- So you were very rich. I knew that before. Why did you bring me here?

Gods, what a difficult woman! Seth thought. He expected her to be so impressed to see this special place, that she would wield to him a bit. But she was harder to get than expected. He would have to use big guns, as his modern business partners used to say.

- Actually, I wanted to retrieve something, before your team come luring into my possessions.

He went into a dark corner and stared looking for something.

- Well, if you were dead like you were supposed to be, it wouldn't be a problem. - he just snorted at here - besides why didn't you take everything before we open de tomb?

- I didn't want to ruin your discovery. I only took what was necessary. - he says standing up with a little box. - this wasn't necessary, but is sentimental.

She illuminated the box in his hand, it was a square shaped, shallow thing, but all beautifully carved with figures and flowers and nature.

- This is beautiful. Very rare. - she had never seemed any carvings as perfect as that in all the artifacts she ever studied.

- Yes.

He said and opened the lid. Inside was a beautifully preserved necklace. It was not as opulent as many pieces in the walls. It was make of simple gold, and it was also carved and engraved.

Lilliana has never seen something so simple and extraordinarily at the same time.

- It was given to me by my mother. My father gave to her before I was born. As you know I was not born of my fathers wife, my mom was just his concubine, but he loved her. When his wife failed in giving him children, I was the only possible heir. Anyway, my mother gave this to me before dying. She said I should bestow it as a gift to the woman I come to love. I never gave it to my wife, but also I never loved her.

Seth looked up at her and Lilliana's heart started beating fast. She wanted to touch it so badly, even knowing she shouldn't. Touching such an old object like that could damaged it permanently. But something called her to it. Like a whisper in the back of her mind.

She took a step closer and carried her fingertips lightly over it, feeling the carving softly on her skin. She smiled and looked up. Seth was staring intensely at her expression. For a moment she let herself forget. For a moment she really wanted to be the one he was talking about.

- You mean that if I told you I'm Neferet, I can keep this? - she smiled wickedly.

Suddenly, she was being pushed against a wall. The small box, now closed against her chest was the only thing that separated their bodies. Lilliana got a little surprised by his strength and how fast were his movements. But suddenly her back was entirely against a wall and he was as closed as he ever got from her outside that dream. They were both breathing heavy against each other's lips. She could actually feel his breath inside her mouth.

Suddenly his hand was on her neck, cold to the touch, caressing and sending shivers down her spine.

- If you tell me that you are Neferet... -he paused and gulped- If you tell me that you are mine, you can have whatever you want.

His lips were a centimeter away from hers. But suddenly the spell was broken in her mind. "You can have whatever you want." The phrase echoed in her head. She closed her eyes and turn her head away from him, and his lips found her cheek.

She pushed him away, surprising him and leaving the box in his hands.

- Don't you think that showing me your power or your riches will get you any favors on my part, Mr. Khalid. You're not a Pharaoh anymore, and I'm not the kind of girl who is lured by gifts.

And she ran out of the room.

- Lilliana, just wait...

But before he could reach her, she was falling.