Forbidden Power

Chapter 13-An Arranged Marriage?

I hurried over to Layla and stood behind her, folding my arms menacingly and glaring at the street vendor who dared to disrespect her. His eyes widened as he took me in before he quickly accepted the price Layla was saying was fair for the Anubis statue.

"It is very old. Found in the desert. Take special care of it. You should be thankful I gave you a deal," he sneered at her, not resisting the urge to get in the last word with a lowly female.

Layla thanked him politely before turning and smacking right into me.

"Ow!" She squeaked, stepping back in surprise and holding her nose.

"Oh, sorry about that. I thought you knew I was here," I apologized awkwardly, grabbing her hand away to examine her nose. Goddess, I hope I didn't damage her perfect face. I don't know anything about her husband, but if I were him, I'd pick a fight with anyone who dared to hurt her, even if it was an accident.

"Ah. No, no. I'm fine. You men don't even know your own strength," she chuckled and quickly walked past me. I gave the street vendor one last glare before following Layla back to the van where I had instructed Marco to wait after he pointed the directions to Layla. I don't need everyone splitting up right now.

I looked around warily as I approached the van. Nothing looked out of place. The streets were busy, and no one was paying me any particular mind, but I can't help but feel the weight of the threat I just received. Why? What does it even mean? Is it a threat to Marco and Layla on their lives by calling them weak? Or is it meant to acknowledge that they are not like me? Perhaps that means the person doesn't know that Marco is a wizard. A bad one, but a wizard nonetheless. That could be knowledge I can use to my advantage in whatever game this person is playing.

I hopped in the van with Marco while Layla took the wheel again. While she was driving, I motioned to Marco to stay quiet and slipped him the note I had gotten. He looked at it seriously and raised one eyebrow at me.

"It was tucked in this suitcase," I whispered.

"The blood looks fresh. Do you think it was written for you?" Marco whispered back.

"Who else but a vampire would smell the blood?"

"True," Marco agreed. He held up the paper and waved his hand over it.

"Magical blood. Feels like a powerful wizard," he observed.

"Color me impressed, Marco. I didn't know you could use your powers," I praised him. He blushed and shook his head.

"I can't use them well, but I can use them a little. I just need some training," he looked at me hopefully. I glanced at Layla, who was muttering under her breath at something in the road.

"Not with a human around. She can't find out we're not humans," I hissed urgently. If she finds out about us, her knowledge could put her in further danger.

"Right. Gotcha. Conceal identities," Marco agreed. "Do I have to put my new clothes in a bloody suitcase?"

I chuckled at his disgusted expression.

"It's just on this note. The blood smell is gone. Now it's just a regular suitcase," I reassured him.

"Guys? There is a flock in the road blocking my way, and their master is not moving them out of the way," Layla complained. I know what she's insinuating.

"I'll handle it," I answered, opening the doors and stepping out of the van. I got out and walked around to the shepherd, taking an aggravated stance and giving him a warning frown. He sized me up and called to the sheep, driving them off the dirt road quickly. Sometimes it pays to be six feet and five inches tall. It allows me to be imposing with just a change of my expression, and most people don't want to challenge my temper.

I nodded solemnly at the shepherd as Layla inched the van past the flock. Once she was beyond the sheep, I jogged back to the van and jumped in the still open doors to continue our trip to the site we would be camping at.

"You staying at the site with us this time?" I asked as I closed the doors behind me.

"No. My husband prefers me to be home," she answered. I couldn't see her expression, but her voice didn't sound happy about that. She almost sounded robotic.

"Oh? Got a house nearby?" I continued casually.

"An apartment at the edge of the city. It's only forty minutes or so from the site, so it's not too bad," she said with a shrug.

"Adventurous, passionate Layla reduced to a domestic housewife, huh? You must really adore your husband to be willing to miss out on the excitement at the site," I pressed casually. I don't know much about her husband. Lucky man to win her heart.

"Uh, yes. He's great. My parents love him," she answered stiffly.

"Only your parents?" I asked, leaning forward and resting my chin on the passenger back rest so I could see her better.

"Of course not. I love him, too. It's just they're the ones who picked him for me, so of course they love him," she said.

"An arranged marriage?" Now this surprised me. Layla was like a wildflower blooming amidst an otherwise perfect landscape of uniform flowers. She stood out with her vivacious personality, her desire for adventure, her fearlessness, and her incredible intellect. Not to mention that she is beautiful with her olive skin and black hair. She looks like an ancient goddess carved by the sands and the sun to rule an oasis in the desert. For her to accept an arranged marriage seemed out of character for the Layla I know. When I last saw her she seemed like a normal lovestruck newlywed. I don't sense that from her now.

"Well, not really arranged. More like an encouraged marriage. C'mon, Teddy. You know I'm not coerced so easily," she chuckled and shot me her signature stubborn look that I've grown used to when I've worked with her.

"I wouldn't expect you to be. So are you and your husband gonna have a family or anything?" I asked. She shivered briefly, and I frowned. What was that?

"Uh, not yet. That's...not something we agree on right now," she answered hesitantly.

"Sorry to pry. I have a big family, and my sister just had her fourth baby not too long ago," I changed the subject quickly and told her how Liz and her husband Ash were doing, leaving out the parts about him being a mighty werewolf Alpha and her being a vampire beast like me.

"I'm happy to hear that Liz is doing so well," Layla said with a genuine smile. "I feel like she's also my sister with how much you speak of her. I would like to meet her one day. Perhaps she will follow her brother to Egypt?"

"I can't see Ash being okay with that seeing as how he'd be stuck with four kids to manage," I laughed, trying to imagine Ash wrangling his energetic kids without Liz. "But if you come to the states, I'm sure they would love to meet you."

Layla's smile disappeared, and she shook her head. "My place is here in Egypt with the ghosts and their relics of the past...and my husband, of course."

I nodded. Something seemed off with her. Does she not actually like her husband? It seems like her personality changes whenever she mentions him. She becomes more docile. Less spicy. It's none of my business, but I hope she's in a happy relationship.

"We're here!" She sang out, pulling the van up to a row of tents. "I already let Doctor Hamid know that you would be coming, so he has a tent set up for you and Marco already. He was delighted to hear that you have a new assistant eager to study archaeology."

"Yeah. I can't wait," Marco mumbled.

Layla looked at me and raised an eyebrow. I chuckled.

"Let's just say the desert of Egypt is a far cry from a dark church in Spain," I told her.

"Indeed," she agreed, turning in her seat to smile at Marco.

"I hope you find some remarkable artifacts here, Marco. It will be lots of fun. You'll see."

"Yeah, yeah. Fun. Can't wait."

"That's the enthusiasm I like to see!" Layla quipped happily. Here's the brilliant woman I know. Optimistic. Bright. Happy. She comes alive out here. The city cannot contain her. She can only be truly free in the wilderness.

I unloaded the few things we had from the van. Marco had packed his clothes in his suitcase and was holding the Anubis statue nervously as I unloaded our items and headed with Layla toward a group of humans all working with brushes and trowels on unearthing a single house in their newly discovered city. Pieces of pottery with tags laid around the outskirts of the site. Layla walked over and picked one broken piece up and turned it over in her hands.

"Don't you wonder who last used this before it broke? Who fetched water in this or cooked with it? Why did they leave it behind?" She mused as she placed it back with the rest of the finds.

I said nothing but followed her as she approached a familiar individual.

"Doctor Hamid, Theodore and his protégé Marco have arrived," she called to the man. He looked up with a wide grin.

"Ah, Teddy! Welcome back!" The elderly scientist greeted me warmly.

"It's my delight to be back, sir," I answered with a bow. The man stood up, brushed his dusty hands off on his pants and extended a hand to me. I smiled and shook his hand.

"I have an area I need you to tackle..." he began.

"With all due respect, Doctor Hamid, before I get started, would you take a look at something that was recently entrusted to me?" I asked, removing the puzzle ball from my bag and extending it to him.

His eyebrows shot up and then furrowed again. "Where did you get this?!"