Page 18 of Rise of the Gods: Vardor's Destiny
He helped me out of the carriage. His hand moved to the small of my back and stayed there for the rest of the evening. Giddiness spread through me and stayed with me all the wayup to the second floor, where, like last night, men and women dressed in their best mingled. A servant offered a tray with champagne, and Thomas led me to his grand box. I had never been in a box, leave alone a grand one, and admired the deep red velvet covering the chairs, carpet, and walls. Only two chairs were inside ours, whereas I spied the ones next to us offered four or six. They were the same size as ours, leaving me to ponder that, most likely, the other two to four chairs in here had been removed.
I could only come up with one explanation why. Thomas didn't want me to mix with the other aristocrats, and my happy mood shifted back to gloomy. Not for long though, because the lights dimmed. Thomas handed me a looking glass so I could see the stage better as the orchestra turned their soft melody into a drumroll. The large, red velvet curtains pulled to the side, exposing a single man standing by a large sarcophagus. My heart pounded harder. All thoughts of anything else evaporated at the sight of it.Mysarcophagus.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. I congratulate you on your courage of being here, because tonight we will bring back to light what hasn't been seen in thousands of years." Belzoni's voice was deep and carried over the hushed rows and rows of men and women seated below. I fidgeted in my chair as I adjusted the looking glass.
"For thousands of years this sarcophagus has rested under the sands of the Sahara Desert, waiting for a brave, adventurous soul to find it and bring it here. This moment will go down in history, ladies and gentlemen. You are about to witness an extraordinary event. This isn't a normal coffin, no, this is a royal coffin. Even though we don't know what is in it, or who, the fine art with which this sarcophagus was carved suggests someone of utmost importance. Maybe the great Ramses himself?"
Loudohsandahsmoved through the crowds seated in the lower ranks. I forced myself not to move or make a sound, to be like the other ladies of rank sitting in the other grand boxes. I felt their eyes on me—observing, waiting, judging.
"And now the moment you have been waiting for, or one of them," the Great Belzoni snickered, then moved the lever I had discovered. To another round of loudohsandahs, the lid opened. Despite having seen this before, I leaned forward, pressing the looking glass so hard against my eyes, I was sure they would leave indentations.
Two burly men appeared, moving the lid fully off the sarcophagus.
"Let's see what we have here. Oh, ladies and gentlemen, I wish you could see this." He held up one of the golden necklaces I had seen before, and instinctively, I fingered my ring.
The light of the myriad of candles reflected in the gemstones, and more expressions of amazement moved through the crowd.
I felt a hand on my lower arm. Thomas. I dared a sideways glance at him around the looking glass and found him staring at the stage in equal fascination. My stomach cramped at the thought of how perfect we were for one another. I wished he could see past our social differences and see me for the person I was. A person perfectly suited for him.
"Oh, what treasures," the great Belzoni pulled out one item at a time, showing it off much to the delight of the audience before moving to the next.
A woman dressed rather scantily came forward, holding a tray filled with scalpels and knives. "And now, let's start the first cut to see what is hiding underneath all these bandages, shall we?"
He held up a scalpel, but then stopped. "What am I thinking? I've done this a hundred times. Who would like to do the honors?"
Hands moved up, cries ofmeandIerupted. Again I leaned forward, anxious to see who the great Belzoni would select as he slowly scanned the seated people, some of whom had risen, nearly jumping up and down.
"Hmm, hmm." The Great Belzoni made a show of walking to the front of the stage, still scanning the audience. His eyes moved up. A strange sensation rose inside me, as if my entire body heated from the inside.
"How about that pretty lady up there?" He pointed straight at me.
My breath stopped. My hand flew to my chest,me?
He nodded, "Yes, if you please, lady?"
"Go on," Thomas encouraged me, grinning. The twinkle in his eyes betrayed him.
"Did you arrange this?" I asked, rising with my pulse thrumming in my veins.
Nodding, his smirk expressed how happy and proud he was with himself. I wanted to hug him, but Belzoni was waiting for me. Besides, a hug would have been scandalous.
"Thank you," I breathed from the bottom of my heart before I rushed out of the grand box to where a server waited for me and escorted me down a different set of stairs. My legs were wobbly, and I had to hold on to the railing to not miss a step.
"Ah, there she is. Great lady, please tell us your name." Belzoni greeted me, kissing my hand.
"Lady Roweena," I stretched my title, unwilling to share all the details. I didn't think I would have been able to even if I had tried. My voice trembled enough already.
"Are you ready for the greatest moment of your life, Lady Roweena?" He asked, subtly pushing me toward the sarcophagus, which looked exactly like I had left it. Except... I swallowed when my eyes found my forgotten handkerchief. RW was stitched in the corner in gold thread. It was one of many Iowned, all embroidered by myself.Had he seen it? Would he? Could I snatch it?
"There," he placed a scalpel in my hand, and I palmed it, pulling it toward the lifeless form in the center of the coffin. "Right here, if you will."
My hand was shaking with emotions. So many emotions. Most of all, how wrong it would feel cutting into bindings that had been wrapped around this person thousands of years ago in order to preserve him for eternity. Belzoni pushed my hand a little closer; the blade touched the linen and shook badly.
Belzoni chuckled in my ear. "Nothing to it, Lady Roweena."
Suddenly my ring, the same ring I had taken from the sarcophagus, heated up. Golden lights swirled inside the black pearl. I stiffened and my head swam as every particle of me seemed to be pulled into the ring. Every ounce of strength, every drop of blood, every part of my soul flooded into the ring, making me sway and forcing Belzoni to keep me steady.
A golden glow emanated from the jewel, but nobody seemed to see it besides me. The glow spread, encompassing the mummy before me. A deep groan rose from it, the body jerked, and I jumped back with a cry.
