The Mummy's Curse: A Paranormal Romance

by J. Raven Wilde

  The Mummy’s Curse

  Volume One

  By

  J. Raven Wilde

  Copyright

  © 2018 J. Raven Wilde

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or businesses, organizations, or locales, is completely coincidental.

  This work is intended for adult audiences only. It contains extremely sexually explicit and graphic scenes and language which may be offensive to some readers. This book is strictly intended for those over the age of 18.

  Editing services provided by Kelly Hartigan at XterraWeb (editing.xterraweb.com).

  Image use: Modifications were made to all images used in the cover art. All rights reserved:

  Published by Twisted Crow Press, LLC

  www.twistedcrowpress.com

  Other Books by J. Raven Wilde

  Very Steamy

  His Orders (Coming Soon)

  Very Steamy Quickies

  In Hot Pursuit

  Hot Rod

  Paranormal Romances

  The Mummy’s Curse Vol 1

  The Sorcerer’s Curse Vol 2

  The Curse of Anubis Vol 3 (Coming Soon)

  Claimed by the Alpha

  Table of Contents

  Title

  Other Books by J. Raven

  Copyright

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Other Steamy Reads

  Note from the author

  About the author

  Connect with the author

  Chapter One

  Laney and her friends, Joe and Tina, piled eagerly into the sedan. They had won an all-expenses-paid sightseeing tour of Egypt. “For you and two guests of your choice!” the website had boasted in bold, bright blue lettering from an online contest that they had entered almost casually while researching in the library for a paper for their Egyptology class. The website had caught Laney’s eye, and she had insisted that they all enter separately to increase their odds.

  Laney was probably the most excited of the trio to have won the contest. She was studying to be a historian and even though Egyptology was technically an Anthropology course, it gave her a more in-depth look into Egypt’s history and culture. Egypt had captured her attention since learning a little about the pyramids in middle school, and now she got the chance to actually visit for herself. She was interested in the mythology, too; the gods and curses that lie beneath their tombs and treasures interested her, though she’d never really put much stock into the myths. For her, they were always just interesting stories and explanations for the wonders of nature.

  This contest prize was going to be a trip of a lifetime for her and was one she could not wait to go on. She couldn’t speak for her two friends, but she knew that they were jumping at the chance to visit Egypt as well. Neither of them was anthropology majors, or history for that matter, but were taking the class for a required credit.

  Spring break had finally arrived, and they had touched down at the airport in Cairo. They had been sent an itinerary, including a history of each artifact they were going to see. It was called a ‘Treasure Hunt’, as they were going to see every structure, building, tomb, temple that was ever built in the building of each dynasty; monumental treasures, rather than actual treasure hunting. That also included the pyramids and sphinx, as well as the Valley of the Kings. Each of those things had been on Laney’s “bucket list” of things she needed to see at least once in her lifetime.

  Once they had navigated their way to the outside of the airport, they spotted a man standing next to a black sedan, holding a sign with their names written in black. He fit in well with the other citizens, with his loose linens and turban. Tina pointed him out and the group quickly approached him.

  “Hello, I am Tarrick. I will be your tour guide.” His accent was fairly thick, demonstrating his origins in Cairo. He handed them each a piece of rolled up paper and opened the door of the vehicle for them to climb in. “Please, let me take your bags for you,” he said politely before opening the trunk and placing their luggage inside.

  Laney opened the paper that Tarrick had given them. The paper was a yellowish color and felt like it was some sort of parchment. “The Treasure Map of Egypt” was scrolled across the top of the paper in a gold cursive lettering, giving it a more lustrous, yet antique appeal. On one side was a map of Cairo, while on the other side there was a map of Egypt. There were dots that were labeled with the names of places of interest. Laney smiled with excitement as she rerolled the parchment and put it in her purse, fully intending to examine it more closely later.

  Tarrick told them a little bit about Cairo on their way to their hotel rooms, including which restaurants were best and which ones they should stay away from. Laney’s stomach growled in response, but she wanted a shower first. The three of them had been assigned separate rooms, each with full commodities and amenities. Laney settled in and unpacked, already dreaming of the delectable foods she’d only ever read about in her classes.

  The following morning, they ordered room service for breakfast. They were anxious to stick with the itinerary as close as possible. Their tour was only for five days, therefore any shopping or any other unnecessary stops would be done after their tour was over for the day or during their meal breaks.

  Tarrick continued to tell them tidbits of history on their way to each stop. Before they had arrived at the Valley of the Kings, Tarrick had told them about actual lost treasures that were still waiting to be found.

  “But I thought everything had been discovered already?” Tina asked, immediately perking up at the idea of lost treasure.

  “Yes, almost everything has been discovered, but not nearly half of it has actually been recovered. Some has been discovered by archaeologists, but most of that had already been visited by grave robbers. Some of them seek to grab treasures left behind by the pharaohs. Sadly, some of them also destroy the tombs as they go.”

  “I think it would be cool to find some actual treasure while we’re here,” Joe said.

  “We would have something to tell everyone when we go back home. Maybe have something to show our classmates and professors,” Tina added, leaning forward in her seat. Laney felt her eyebrows creep together slowly with each word of wonder from her friends.

  “Do you know of any of these places?” Joe demanded of their guide.

  “Joe, come on,” Laney whispered, trying to get him to stop. “That isn’t what we came here for?”

  “Why not?” Joe shrugged. “Wouldn’t you want to discover some long-lost pharaoh and his mountain of treasure?” He rolled his eyes at Laney when she didn’t answer. His attitude with her was hardly anything new, but she was used to it by now. It certainly had never stopped her from wanting to gain his attention, much to her own chagrin. It was a silly crush, she always told herself, but recently they’d been making some progress on a romantic relationship.

  She shook her head at him as she crossed her arms, then turned her head to stare out the window. How was she going to get them to understand? She was almost embarrassed by her friends, given how greedy and disrespectful they were acting. It was reassuring that Tarrick seemed to find their antics amusing rather than offensive.

  “I do know of a few areas that have yet to be discov
ered by grave robbers and archaeologists,” Tarrick said, breaking the silence. “I would have already visited myself if it weren’t for the dreadful mummy’s curse that lies over those areas.”

  Laney glanced up to see him staring at her in the rearview mirror, his warm brown eyes turned cold in something almost like warning. A chill ran down her spine at the thought of running into such curses while visiting these ancient landmarks.

  On the other hand, Joe scoffed, “Those are nothing more than scary bedtime stories. If they were true, then why hasn’t anything been said about the people that do go after the treasure?”

  Tarrick’s eyes diverted over to Joe’s and he clicked his tongue in reprimand. “Such tales to you they may be, but it isn’t something you should ignore.”

  “I don’t believe in such things. They’re just myths to keep the scared people away, which gives other people, like us, a chance to seize it. Take us to this treasure,” Joe said in a sharp tone. There was a gleam in Joe’s eyes at finding something more tangible and arguably more valuable than just the experience and knowledge they would otherwise gain by being there.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Joe,” Laney said in a loud whisper. Honestly, she wanted him to just drop the subject and enjoy the trip.

  “Why not?” Joe glared at her.

  “Don’t tell me you’re scared of some little story, Laney?” Tina said, sitting forward in her seat to look at Laney. “Don’t you remember in class that the professor told us that they were just mere warnings. That they weren’t real?”

  “Yes, but if there is actual treasure, then why hasn’t anyone taken off with it already?” Laney added. “Did you not hear about the part where there is an actual curse?”

  “Come on, Laney. We only have four more days here. Why not go off the beaten path and explore a little? We have plenty of time to see other things we came for.” Tina said.

  “At least give us the opportunity to find something. We can turn it into the authorities. Imagine the publicity we would get,” Joe said with wide eyes. “Maybe there’ll be a reward. I bet the rest of our tuition would be paid off or something.”

  “I don’t know, Joe,” Laney said. Having the rest of her school paid off did sound nice, but she didn’t want to partake in stealing anything, especially if it was cursed.

  “Come on, Laney, we’ll turn it in to the authorities and avoid this whole curse thing if that’s what has you so worried.” Tina reassured soothingly.

  Laney sat there a moment, letting that thought run through her mind. It did have a better ring to it. Maybe she’d stay long enough to get just a glimpse of the walls of the tomb and that’s where she would draw the line. If there was treasure, they could just map out where it was located, maybe guide someone else to it and let them deal with the curse. She really found ancient writings and artwork fascinating, but beyond that she wasn’t going to tempt the mysterious forces at play in the ancient tombs.

  “Any sign of trouble, we’re leaving,” Laney said firmly.

  “Definitely,” Joe said with a huge smile.

  “I agree,” added Tina.

  Joe leaned in and placed a quick kiss on Laney’s cheek. Deep down, she still felt uncertain about their plan. She had only wanted to see Egyptian history in person, not take any of it with her. She was especially not hoping to get into any trouble while they were there. She wanted very much to be able to return later after graduating college, once she had her bachelor’s degree and credentials to start her career. The last thing she needed was for that to be ruined by this trip.

  Joe glanced at Tarrick and asked, “Can you take us there?”

  Laney was sure that Tarrick had been listening to them rattle on back and forth on whether they should go or not.

  “Sure, and at no extra cost to you. It’ll have to be at night when all the tourists and most of the security have gone home for the day. I have flashlights in the back.”

  Laney glanced up at the tour guide, catching his gaze in the rearview mirror. He winked at her and an odd, warm sensation rushed through her. She had never paid close attention to the color of his eyes before. They were a soft golden brown and she found them alluring, pulling at her.

  She quickly diverted her eyes elsewhere, moving them over in Joe’s direction, who seemed to be smiling at and whispering with her best friend, Tina. She cocked her head, watching them for a moment, then shook her head. She could just barely hear them conspire about how they were going to divide the treasure once they found it. Instead of adding to their conversation, Laney turned her head to watch the scenery pass by them. She wasn’t going to have anything to do with this treasure. The first sign of trouble, she was getting out of there and letting Joe and Tina handle it. Her mom used to tell her tales about curses when she was growing up and as childish as it may seem, she believed in them. If only her friends had an ounce of belief in such matters, they would learn to tread carefully, or not go at all.

  Chapter Two

  Joe and Tina seemed to rush through their visit in the Valley of the Kings, but Laney wanted to linger and take in the sights. That was what she had come there for, anyway. She let Joe and Tina leave her behind while she stayed in the tomb of King Tut. As an afterthought, she looked over her shoulder to see that Tarrick hadn’t left her in the dust. Laney smiled appreciatively at him, as it was a kind gesture. She snapped a few pictures of Tut’s sarcophagus to study later and left the tomb.

  Once they were outside, Tarrick fell into step beside her. “Only an hour before nightfall. I think you will be most pleased in where I take you tonight. The pharaoh buried there is a powerful one. He is not spoken about as much because of this power and because of his curse.”

  “What’s his story? What kind of curse?” Laney’s interest was now piqued.

  “It is said that a sorcerer had cursed him to live for eternity as the undead here on Earth. He would not be allowed to cross over into the afterlife or leave the depths of his tomb. He collects the essence of the living to become whole and in return, they would be blessed.”

  “That doesn’t sound too bad,” Laney shrugged. “Not much of a curse if he blesses those that find him.” She was starting to feel better about going now, feeling slightly embarrassed for even arguing about it earlier. What was really the worst that could happen?

  Laney got the impression that Tarrick wanted to tell her more but was holding his tongue. Still, he continued to walk with her, watching her curiously as she stopped now and then to snap pictures.

  “You truly have no wish to take any of this treasure? You could be vastly rich.”

  “I would rather study about it. To me, education is the treasure that I would enjoy having. I can study and learn about it, then pass it down. My legacy as a researcher is more important to me than materials.”

  Tarrick smiled at her answer. “Night is beginning to fall. Let us go find the others.”

  *****

  Tarrick handed each of the eager students a flashlight, before leading them into a small opening in a rocky, yellow cliff. The opening led them into a large cavern, which led to one tunnel that seemed to be too snug in some areas, but they pressed on. After crawling on hands and knees for a short time, they were able to continue back on foot through a tunnel that widened into what appeared to be a chamber room.

  Joe and Tina seemed to cheer up as the thought of endless trinkets, gold, and jewels were closer than ever to their grasps. Laney paused to watch them follow the chamber into a tunnel. She sighed and bit her bottom lip, feeling anxious.

  “Having second thoughts?” Tarrick appeared at her elbow. His voice was smooth, calm.

  “I’ll be fine. Feeling a bit claustrophobic after traveling through all of that. I’m just … I need a few minutes.”

  “I think that was the last of the small passageways,” Tarrick said, trying to encourage her onward.

  “How did he manage to get buried in here anyways?” Laney said, scrunching up her nose in curiosity. Anxious for something
to do, she took a sip of water from the bottle she’d clipped to her backpack.

  Tarrick’s eyes went wide at the surprising question and he smiled warmly, “The sorcerer didn’t want him found.” He raised a hand out in front of him, gesturing to keep moving forward.

  Laney laughed softly at his enthusiasm to keep moving and made her way out of the chamber room. She walked down a long tunnel, feeling thankful that it was wide enough for at least four people to walk side by side. The tunnel led them into another small chamber room, which had two tunnels branching out on either side of the room.

  They all looked to Tarrick, their supposed guide, who gestured widely with a casual hand. “Take your pick.”

  “Seriously?” Tina scoffed.

  “Where do they lead?” Joe asked with raised brows. “Not a trap, I hope?”

  “They take you into a big circle, which will lead you to the pharaoh's tomb and to his treasure,” Tarrick said. He stood there watching as the three of them decided.

  “Will there be any art on the walls?” Laney asked.

  Tarrick smiled at her innocent question, “Yes.”

  Laney pulled her cell phone out and asked, “Could I take pictures of them to study later? I promise I won’t post them on social media.”

  “You would have to ask the pharaoh's permission.”

  Laney squinted her eyes at the response. How was she going to do that? If the pharaoh really was there, who’s to say that he would reveal himself to her? She definitely didn’t want to come face-to-face with a mummy or “the undead”, as Tarrick had described him. A shiver went down her spine as the thought of the mummy’s curse popped into her mind. He probably wouldn’t bless her if she did anything without his permission.

  She shook her head as if that would help erase the thought, but it hung there in the forefront of her brain. Taking in a deep breath and releasing it, she glanced around to see that she was alone in the room with Tarrick, then turned her attention to him as if to question which way to go.

  “They went that way,” he pointed toward the rightmost tunnel. He smiled knowingly as she took the tunnel to the left.