Warrior's Destiny

by Allie Burton

  “You’re so calm.” Her tone accused.

  She appeared the exact opposite. Her shoulders scrunched as if she believed the space was too small. Her gaze darting to the exit panel again and again.

  “I like this space. This is my real room.” Pride oozed from him. He’d worked hard to make this space his own bringing in items one at a time so Jeb would never find out.

  A short bookshelf he’d made out of pieces of wood was filled with books of his choosing. Spy and adventure novels with folded corners and crinkled spines he’d read several times. A torn Giants pennant with Willie McCovey’s signature across the top hung on another wall above photos of past teams. A small soccer ball and a baseball lay in the corner.

  “Your real room?” She placed her palms flat against one of the walls. “Are there bugs? Spiders or ants?”

  “Are you afraid of bugs?” He angled his head. She hadn’t come across like a girly-girl.

  “No.” She answered too fast and swallowed a gulp of air. “Did you build this space?”

  “I found it.” He’d painted the plastered walls a light blue and found old carpeting in a garbage bin down the street and laid it on the floor.

  “Found it?” A shaky breath escaped from between her lips. She must be afraid of getting caught by Jeb.

  “I was hiding in the closet when I was younger,” he stared at his feet trying to decide how much to tell her, “and noticed the panel. It took several tries, but I finally figured out how to open it.”

  “And you found all this?” She gestured with her hands encompassing the books and pennant that had been crammed into the miniscule space.

  “I added things a little at a time. Made it so I was comfortable. Made it my own.” He liked this room better than the bedroom on the other side of the closet.

  She squirmed and eyed the panel again. “It’s kind of small.”

  “But it’s my own.”

  “What does Jeb think about it? Because this cubby certainly doesn’t go with the rest of the mansion’s décor.”

  “Jeb doesn’t know the space exists.” Xander couldn’t stop the smirk. He’d successfully hidden the space. “Days when I didn’t want to train or was angry at him, I’d hide in here and he’d never find me.” He held back a laugh. “Jeb would search the bedroom and even in the closet, but he never moved the clothes or found the panel.”

  “So you found a way to rebel.” Her tone approved.

  Maybe there’d been hope of him rebelling if he’d inherited Tut’s soul. Once Xander learned of the Society’s evil plans, he wouldn’t have just gone along.

  “What do you do while you’re in here?” She didn’t really sound curious, more like she was trying to force conversation.

  He scrutinized the room from a stranger’s point of view. “Read, play games, think, sleep.”

  She rolled her eyes and pointed at the pennant. “You a Giants fan?”

  “Yeah.” His chest thrust out. “Signed by Willie McCovey.”

  “Wow.” She turned her finger to point at herself. “A’s fan.”

  “How can you be?” He shook his head and frowned. “Haven’t you lived in San Francisco your entire life?”

  “The Oakland A’s are my kind of people. Tough. Street smart.” Nodding, she stuck out her chin in a defensive position. “Their last season was phenomenal.”

  “Been to any games?”

  “Nope.”

  “Me, either.” The Society would never have purchased tickets for him.

  Another thing they had in common.

  “I wouldn’t have had the courage to go to a game without permission.” The truth slipped out. He felt as if he could tell her anything.

  Her brown eyes went soft. “You had the courage to stay in the office with me when you could’ve run.”

  “I wouldn’t have left you to get caught. Not when I’m familiar with the mansion.” His stomach went mushy thinking about other ways he’d like to protect her.

  She bit her lower lip. “You worked with me to escape the Society and the homeless people in the park.”

  “Yes.” He’d been brave then, too. And at the museum saving her from the guy with the gun. He wasn’t helpless. Maybe it had taken her to open his eyes to his own abilities.

  “You strategized with me. Gave me knowledge about the powers. You helped me.” She leaned closer as she spoke.

  His heart stuttered. He didn’t understand where this was going, but he knew where he wanted it to. He tilted toward her and licked his suddenly dry lips.

  The black flecks in her eyes flashed. Sparks arced between them like the arches on the Golden Gate Bridge. His body warmed.

  Was she about to kiss him?

  He’d never been kissed before. His body stiffened. What if he did it wrong?

  A strand of hair fell over his face, blocking his view of her incredible eyes. He jerked his head back and swung the hair out of the way. Her gaze pierced deeper. She watched him, waiting for him to do or say something.

  He caught his breath. He didn’t know what to do. How to initiate.

  Her lips moved closer, even knowing he might get zapped by her touch. He didn’t care. His heart leapt and then beat so loud she must hear it. His lips parted anticipating…

  Chapter Twelve

  Olivia

  My body went from hot to cold.

  Not yet. Tut’s command echoed in my head.

  But I wanted to kiss Xander. He’d been good to me and stuck by me. I parted my lips.

  Xander moved closer, his lips only an inch from mine.

  Something welled in my stomach, burned up my chest, and exploded through my throat and out my mouth. A burp.

  The sound vibrated between us, knocking me back and replacing the earlier sparks. Good thing the sparks didn’t ignite. My hand flew to my lips. My face flamed. Heat swamped, dragging me down. I wanted to disappear in the burp’s vapor.

  Too soon.

  Tut had no right to stop me from kissing a guy. Who are you, my father?

  I’m the soul that slammed inside you.

  Right. Not my father, but a male all the same.

  Xander rolled backward and laughed.

  At me.

  I waved my hands in front of my face. Where was a gilded fan when you needed one? Never in my life had I burped so loud in front of anyone. And Tut had forced me to do it. I hated the burping and farting contests the boys had at home. So gross. And yet, I’d been doing gnarly stuff all day. Tut’s influence. He might be a king, but he was still a guy. But that didn’t make it any less embarrassing. “Excuse me.”

  Xander’s cheeks were redder than usual. His forehead creased. He twisted his lips together. “We probably shouldn’t have…” He pointed to his mouth and then mine.

  Cold chilled the warmth inside. Hot to cold in less than ten seconds. Fear to anger in a minute. He didn’t really want to kiss me.

  “Oh?” My voice sounded frosty. Finally, I was cooling off.

  “No touching. Remember.”

  Duh. Guess not. With my claustrophobia hammering away and him so close all thought had flown out of my head. “Right.” Maybe that’s why Tut had stopped us.

  Xander’s never been hugged and now, I’d never be able to hug him. Or touch him. Or kiss him. Or any boy for that matter. This latest fact sucker punched. My body ached, neediness and loneliness combining to bring me down.

  The strained silence sounded louder than my burp. I bit my lower lip and rocked back and forth trying to calm myself. Now, that the excitement of our almost-kiss was gone, fear invaded my bones like an ever-advancing army.

  “Is there an air vent in here?” My voice sounded shaky. For a few seconds, I’d forgotten about the small space we were stuck in.

  “No.”

  “How long have you stayed in here? At one time?” My gaze darted to the panel we’d crawled through. Every scratch on the small panel I had memorized.

  His eyes questioned. “I don’t know how long. I never timed it.”

/>   I don’t know divided by two people. My breath came quicker, shallower.

  “Are you okay?” His smooth and strong hands fiddled with the signet ring on his finger.

  “Of course I’m okay. Why wouldn’t I be okay?” Could he tell I was freaking out?

  He shrugged. “Maybe someday we can go. Together.”

  “Go where?” Cause I didn’t want to go back to that last scene. If we ever tried to kiss again, I’d remember this non-momentous moment.

  “A baseball game.”

  All righty then. His mind was already off the kiss. Boys go from one subject to the next without angst-ing at all. Maybe he’d forget the burp, too. One could only hope.

  A trickle of sweat poured down my back. The walls wavered. Maybe he’d forget if I freaked out completely.

  The uncertainty of being found and of being trapped in the cubby like a rat in a hole, had my mind and my emotions running around in circles. Scared about my future, fearful of being caught, embarrassed about the kiss and the burp, panicked about my feelings for Xander, terrified of this small space—all of it thrashed around in my head. I needed a distraction, something to keep my brain occupied and my feelings at bay.

  “What about the anointment process?” I yanked out the papers I’d shoved in my pocket and smoothed the creases. Puzzling the clues out might keep my mind off of…no, I wasn’t going to think about it.

  I read, “The Mighty Amulet of Aten bestowed upon King Tutankhamen the blessed powers of the sun god. When he died his soul did not move to the Afterlife. Instead, Tut awaits the appropriate host to continue the use of the sun’s powers.”

  “When Tut died the entire kingdom melted down.” Xander used his knowledge again. “The period was so disruptive Queen Ankhesenamen even appealed to the enemy for help.”

  “Tut’s soul will be lost until such a time that a proper host is found and the sacred chant is read on the night when the summer solstice and a full lunar eclipse coincide.”

  “Last night.”

  “To gain full use of Tut’s god-like powers, the seven essential oils must be anointed on the host in a sacred ceremony.”

  “That must be the ceremony I was supposed to attend after receiving Tut’s soul.” Xander put the pieces together. “It says nothing about ending the burnout.”

  Heat burned in my gut. The fire was real. I’d seen it, used it twice at the park last night. “As the host uses the powers, the sun’s heat will continue to burn inside causing the host to die.”

  This was a curse. I would burnout and die. And while awaiting death, no comforting touch from the ones I loved. My heart fumbled its beat. My hands dropped, still holding the papers. Numbness spread throughout.

  “Let me see.” Xander ripped the papers out of my hands. “King Tutankhamun’s host will perish unless…” Xander’s brow furrowed in concentration. He continued to read in silence.

  The furrow didn’t detract from his movie-star looks, only made him appear more intelligent and intense. He frowned and I wished I could make him smile again. When he smiled, I lightened inside. And forgot my fear.

  A fear that ate away at my stomach lining. A fear that gnawed at my nerves. A fear that doubled down on my claustrophobia. It was so much worse than being in the cat sarcophagus. I felt like I was going to burst at the seams.

  He gazed at me. “What?”

  I tried to gather my thoughts. “I was wondering what it said.” Not. I wrapped my arms around my knees to control myself.

  “This is a modified version that Jeb wrote based on ancient scrolls. The seven essential oils must be collected for the anointing ceremony.”

  “Right.”

  “Let me finish.” Xander flipped to another page. “The old text said the oils could be collected from their original source. Jeb made a notation that the Society had accumulated all the oils needed for the ceremony in the 1920’s. One of the sacred duties of the host is to collect all the oils. They’ve been hidden, moved and then re-hidden for safekeeping in various places since.”

  “Hidden in the mansion?” Hope shot through me spreading across my skin in a fresh bloom. I glanced around the confined space of the secret hiding place. A good reason to get out of here. Now. “Maybe that was the intent for this space.”

  “I would’ve found anything hidden here.”

  “You didn’t find the oil in Queen Ankhesenamen’s bust.” My abrasiveness returned. Xander might be the expert but I hosted the soul.

  “In case the Secret Holder of the Society died before the transfer occurred the Society left clues on each of the oil vessels to find the next.”

  “Like a treasure hunt.” I unwrapped my arms. “So, the Society needs all the oils to carry out their plan.” A bit of relief took the edge off my tension. They not only needed me, they needed the oils as well.

  His lips quirked. “We have the Lotus oil.”

  I held out my hand. “Can I see the oil container?”

  He rummaged in his pocket and took out the small container painted to look like a jewel and dropped it in my palm. He continued reading in silence.

  I examined the gold container, pushing the blurriness of claustrophobia away. I had to learn to control this fear, especially if I continued with a life of crime. If I had to hide from the cops, I’d have to learn to deal with small spaces.

  There was a mark where I’d tried to rub what I thought was a jewel. I ran my finger over it. Scratches marred the surface. Running my finger over again, I paid attention to the grooves. “I don’t think these are random marks.” I held the container toward the only light source in the room. Tiny pictures emerged. “Hieroglyphics.”

  His hands jerked. “W-what?”

  “Pyramid sighted. Souls united.” Not only could I understand ancient Egyptian but I could read hieroglyphics. Thanks, Tut.

  “What do you think it means?” Folding one of the pages in half, Xander sounded distracted.

  “Useless words. Just stupid poetry from ancient times.” My clipped tone had an edge to it. The small room was still affecting me.

  “This container isn’t ancient.” He ran his fingers over the edge of the paper. “The construction is twentieth century.”

  “So, it’s a modern bad poem.” I dropped the container into his backpack and shut my eyes trying to tune out the blurriness around my vision.

  My lungs scraped in oxygen. The sucked-in air felt as if it was filled with sharp, tiny particles that scratched and grated removing the inner lining. Currently, I was locked in a secret compartment of a closet in the mansion of the enemy. They were searching for me, wanted to use me to rule the world. To destroy the world. I just wanted out.

  A muffled ripping sound filled the silence.

  I opened my eyes. “What’re you doing?”

  “I tore Jeb’s instructions by accident while shoving it in the backpack.” Xander held up the five printed pages covering the expression on his face. The second page had the bottom portion missing. “Nothing important is ruined.” He took the pages and stuck them in the backpack.

  His voice came from an echo-y distance. My upper body swayed. I opened my mouth to ask something else, but the question drifted away. I sucked down air unable to fill my lungs. Heat burned in my chest like a fire. My entire body felt hot. I licked my dry lips.

  “We should go.” I untwisted my legs from the cross-legged position I’d been sitting in. Turning, I fell to my knees to crawl out.

  “Go where?”

  I couldn’t take it anymore. The walls were getting closer. The single light bulb was getting darker. The air was running out. “Find…” What had he said? “Find the clues.”

  Any excuse to get out of this place. My skin crawled. Energy pulsed beneath my skin like a bomb was about to detonate. I pushed against the panel and it dropped into the closet.

  “Wait.” He extended a hand. “What if someone’s out there?”

  I didn’t care if I got caught. Let the Society do what they wanted. Let me burnout and die. I’d
rather end that way, than in a small sarcophagus of Xander’s making. He couldn’t stop me because he couldn’t touch me.

  I crawled over the edge of the panel, shoved the clothes aside and jumped to my feet. I burst out of the closet door. Dragging in huge breaths of air, I filled my lungs and sank to the carpeted floor in the bedroom.

  Happy to be alive and out of the cramped coffin. Happy to see sunlight again.

  Not happy to hear Jeb’s voice as the bedroom doorknob turned.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Olivia

  All my relief shut down. Jeb was coming into Xander’s room. The man would find me lying on the floor like easy pocket pickings at Union Square. I might’ve thought I didn’t care, but I did. Or, I did now that I could breathe more easily.

  I scrambled to my feet. My gaze scattered around the room looking for a place to hide. But nothing enclosed. I wasn’t ready for that yet.

  Under the bed. My gaze zeroed in on the pedestal the bed sat on. My chest squeaked. It was a platform. There was no under the bed.

  The door opened slightly. “I’ll be right there,” Jeb answered someone’s call.

  I swiveled in circles, searching for escape. The window? I knew I couldn’t jump. The curtains? I scurried over to the white, silky window coverings that matched the canopy of the bed. Lifting an edge, I then swirled them around careful to cover my feet.

  Please look natural. Please look natural.

  The door banged against the wall. Jeb’s muffled footsteps crossed the carpeted floor. I hoped Xander stayed in his little hidey hole.

  I stared out the window, trying to control my breath. In and out. In and out. Calm down. Don’t give yourself away. My heart slowed to almost normal. I blew out between puckered lips trying not to make noise. I took note of the waves surging in and out, the people moving on the cliffs, the blue sky and the sun. Relief swelled through me taking in the openness of the world.