Theodosia

c h a p t e r t w e n t y-f o u r

T H E  F I N A L  S T A N D

"It appears my work here is done," Stone Lincoln remarked, smiling down at the dumbstruck crowd below him. He looked at Larry, "Just remember, son. A house divided against itself cannot stand."

Him and Larry shared a meaningful look before he left, exiting the messy room the same way he'd burst into it, shouting a final farewell before he was gone completely. It was quiet until the sound of his thundering footsteps faded away.

"What now?" The villain in the robe asked Kahmunrah.

"You know, I'm not quite sure," he admitted, slowly turning to face Larry, Theodosia, Ahkmenrah and the miniatures. "I suppose we should probably start by watching them die."

Theodosia's settling heart sped up again. She always knew there was no escaping tonight without killing Kahmunrah first. Cruel fate had brought the brothers back together again, but Theodosia was determined that tonight would end differently than it did four thousand years ago.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyes locked on Kahmunrah's imposing figure. "I may need to break my promise."

He squeezed her hand. "I know."

Surrounded, once again, by opponents on all sides, the group got ready to stand their ground. They were defenseless. Larry's hands were occupied by Jedidiah's hourglass, and she and Ahkmenrah had nothing but the luck of the Gods on their side. Her sword was still hidden away within the crate she'd been stolen from at the beginning of the night.

Theodosia took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and stepped to the front of their misfit group. The man in the robe smirked at her. All she had been tonight was a helpless girl, passed from one hand to another, waiting for someone else to save her.

Not anymore.

She might have never stood on a real battlefield, but Theodosia had the blood of Spartan's running in her veins. She was born to conquer, and she would make her ancestors proud.

Her opponent called his army in a language Theodosia had never heard and then, with his finger raised towards them, he shouted, "Make them dead!"

Theodosia tried to take in each soldier in the few seconds she had before they were upon her, weapons drawn and murder in their eyes, but the fight was interrupted before it could even begin.

Kahmunrah groaned, "Oh, now what?"

Theodosia turned to see a group of familiar faces. Now it was her turn to smile, and she did, as she searched the determined faces of each member of her family. They wouldn't fight alone, and Theodosia wouldn't fight unarmed. Behind Amelia, in her signature power pose, was Alec, and in his right hand was her sword, glinting promisingly under the fluorescent museum lights.

"We are not going to attack...right now!"

Their battle cry echoed through the room, springing everyone into action. Theodosia's hesitation melted away as she turned to meet Kahmunrah's patchwork army head on. With nothing to deflect their weapons, Theodosia charged ahead, knocking through their undisciplined formation.

Down went the first soldier with a heavy thud, his axe slipping from his grip and sliding across the tile floors. Theodosia jumped to grab it, gripping the cold metal handle as tightly as she could, and bringing it up just in time to block the soldier who had already gotten up. He lifted his shield and the axe lodged. Cursing to herself, Theodosia lifted her foot and pushed with all her strength against the shield, dislodging the axe and sending the soldier down for good.