The Cursed Pharaoh's Bride

Chapter VII

Carolina

Tori always calls me out on being lucky with my class schedule. All my classes start late so I don’t have to worry about getting up early. And on a Tuesday like today, I make no rush waking up. My class starts at noon, and I don’t have to be at Dr. Jones’ lab until 2 in the afternoon right after class. 

I wake up from my dream not really remembering what it was about. All I know is that it left me warm and happy again. I can vaguely feel a shadow of a kiss on my lips as if a lover was passionately demonstrating his love and affection for me last night. I can’t help but sigh. But it is only a dream. Not even with my last boyfriend was he so romantic and passionate; he didn’t ever feel like the man that appears in my dreams and fantasies. 

I’m ecstatic to see I’m the only one in the apartment, meaning that I don’t have to worry about Alexa making comments on my sense of style. Unlike her who follows all the trends, I like to lean my sense of style more towards edgy mixed with classy. I feel it fits me and Tori backs me up so that’s all that matters. I decide to go simple with a pair of ripped jeans, a cold shoulder top, large hoop earrings and a matching hoop necklace. Accessories are totally my thing. For some reason, I’m in a particularly good mood and I decide to actually put on a little bit of makeup: some mascara and nude gloss. 

My class goes by really quickly. Creative writing has always been a fun and easy class for me. Before I know it, I find myself in Dr. Jones’ lab, who is having a mini freak out the second I arrive. 

“Carolina,” she pants, “Put on your lab coat so you can help me put away these extra beakers and solutions. The sponsor is going to be here any second and we can’t let him think we’re barbarians.” I mean most of us aren’t but she is most definitely acting like one. 

I slip on my lab coat, which thankfully covers my exposed arms from whatever work she is going to have me do today. As I help Dr. Jones hide the mess, I can’t help but question her about the sponsor. 

“You know, you told me when to show up and everything but you didn’t mention who the sponsor was in the email you sent me,” I say.

“Ah, yes, Elijah Seka will be joining us,” she says nonchalantly. 

At first my jaw drops and I can only blink furiously at her. “Elijah Seka as in the new head of Seka Corp.?”

“Yes, that young man,” she confirms, “What a great opportunity, huh?”

“Dr. Jones, this is an amazing opportunity!” I say, “His tech is great. I’m sure if he wants to venture into medicine, he’ll be able to find some innovative way to help people. It’s just the quality that comes with his brand.”

“Yes, yes, it’s the quality that have helped his company become popular in such a short period of time,” she agrees, “Which is why you have to help me show him that our lab does some of the highest quality research, Carolina. We need him to sponsor us. It’ll help with getting new equipment and funding research better. There are some new methods that I really want to try but they just cost too much money. Mr. Seka can be a huge asset for us. I’m going to put my best foot forward today and that’s going to be you, do you understand me?”

I’m taken aback by what she says. “Uh, yes, of course,” I say. Talk about pressure. “I just didn’t think you thought so highly of me.”

“Of course I do!” She exclaims, “You pay great attention to detail, you’re a perfectionist, and you are easily one of my more intelligent students. I know that you can show Mr. Seka that our lab is worthy of the generous pay check he’s going to give us.”

I nod my head with a new sense of determination. “I won’t let you down.”

Dr. Jones soon leaves when she’s informed the guest have arrived. I move into one of the stations in the lab that has some of the most new lab kids. Dr. Jones says I will easily stand out against the newbies and she wants me to demonstrate my capability by showing that I can effectively show the new guys the ropes. 

For now, I’m just showing some of the youngsters how to streak certain bacteria so we can use the cultures to conduct experiments used for observing DNA and genetic mutations. I can hear Dr. Jones moving around with the sponsor and whatever entourage he might have brought.

Her lab is fairly open so it’s easy to glance into other stations from the one I am in. I can see what seems to be three dark, large figures following a more petite looking figure, who I can only assume are Dr. Jones, and Mr. Seka and company. 

Dr. Jones then pops her head into our station. I smile and take that as my cue. I go over to one of the younger scientists who seems to be lost with the streaking. I put him back on track as I hear Dr. Jones start to explain our preparations and her plans for the research. 

“I’d also like to introduce you to one of my veteran lab assistants, Ms. Carolina Mercado,” Dr. Jones says. I feel my heart rate quicken. Oh boy. 

I turn around to meet the men and I suddenly freeze when I see them. Dr. Jones proceeds to introduce me to each of the three men. 

“This is Dr. Manjot Ghaemi, the head of the research branch of the company. This is the COO, Mr. Lorenzo West. And last but no least, we have the CEO, Elijah Seka.”

Dr. Ghaemi is a cute, older brown man and is the smallest of the three men. His laugh lines are showing and he seems like an overall pleasant man. The COO, is serious looking and has an emotionless expression. Though, that doesn’t take away from his beauty as he has lighter tan skin, chiseled features, a slender yet strong athletic looking build, neatly combed back light brown hair and deadly looking dark brown eyes. My eyes, however, are glued onto Elijah Seka. Not because he’s easily the most gorgeous man in the room but because he’s that same man.  He’s the same man that I bumped into in the store, the same man who has been keeping me waking up happy these couple of days, the same man that the mummy had turned into that one night in my dreams. And a part of me believes he is the mummy from Egypt. 

Elijah slowly moves his hand close to mine and grabs it in a firm handshake. He gives me a charming smile, though the playful gleam in his eyes makes him seem more devilish. It’s obvious that he recognizes me. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Mercado,” he says smoothly. The way my last name rolls off his tongue makes me shiver. It’s obvious he speaks some other foreign language and it makes what he says sound that much more attractive. 

I suddenly snap out of my daze when I feel him bring my hand closer to him as if he’s about to place a kiss on my hand. I quickly pull away from him and take a half step back. “U-um, i-it’s nice to meet you, too, Mr. Seka,” I say. He seems to frown at my retraction. 

I then look at Dr. Jones who’s giving me a questioning look. “Excuse me, I should go check on the other stations. Everyone here has taken to learning our methods very easily.” With that, I speed walk past the men and turn the corner into a different room. Once I’m confident I’m out of sight, I leave the lab rooms and walk into the building’s main hallway. I have to find a bathroom and lock myself in there until they leave. I can’t let them see me have a nervous break down. 

“Carolina Mercado.” I freeze. I don’t want to turn around. 

“That’s a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. The girl destined to be my queen,” the deep voice drawls. 

I let out a gasp when he suddenly appears in front of me as if out of thin air. I find myself tumbling back but before I can land on my butt, strong arms pull me into a strong suit clad chest. 

I feel his chest rumbles as he lets out a deep chuckle. “We have to stop meeting like this. Though I don’t mind having you in my arms,” he teases. I struggle to pull away and he eventually lets me go. 

“Y-you can’t be him,” I say. 

He’s silent for a moment and just looks at me intensely. “Can’t be who, love?” He asks cautiously. 

“That monster from the tomb. El-Hasekrah,” I whisper. 

I look at him straight in the eye waiting for an answer. He doesn’t say a word but for a moment, his eyes flash red. My hand flies to my mouth and I try to keep my erratic heartbeat down. 

“N-no. That’s not possible,” I deny. 

“Isn’t anything possible?” He whispers. He then reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a familiar beetle shaped ring. 

“Oh God no,” I gasp out as I take a step back away from him. 

“Please, please,” he says softly, “I’m not going to hurt you. That’s the last thing I could ever want to do. I can feel your fear towards me and I promise you it’s unnecessary.”

“Unnecessary? I saw you rise up from the dead and grab me. You’ve given me traumatizing nightmares for two weeks!” My voices rises. 

“I grabbed you because you were running away. And rising from the dead is very disorienting and confusing, mind you,” he defends, “And let’s not forget that I’ve given you blissful fantasies for two more weeks.”

I immediately pause at his last statement. “Wait, wait,” I say slowly, “You know about my dreams. Are you in my head?” I feel my breath quicken and my heart slam across my chest as a new wave of fear hits me. 

“Shh, shh, calm down, love. We don’t need you to faint now, do we?” he soothes as he takes my hand and places it on his chest, “In a way you can say I’m in your head but I’m not really. We have a bond that I know you must feel. If we didn’t you wouldn’t have been able to revive me. It’s complicated and I’d like to explain it to you.”

“No!” I say as I rip my hand away from him. “I want nothing to do with you. You’ve caused me enough trouble.”

He scowls at that statement. “Well, sorry sweetheart but if you’re going to be difficult then your troubles are just beginning.”

“Is that a threat?” I question. 

He lets out a defeated sigh. “No. Like I said, I could never dream of hurting you. We just need to take things slow.”

He then extends his ring out to me. “Here, this is yours.”

“Get that accursed thing away from me. It is most definitely not mine,” I snap. 

“Yes, it is,” he sighs, “It’s to be worn by the pharaoh’s queen.”

“Well, when you find her you can give it to her because she is not me,” I retort. 

“Yes, you are,” he says a bit more forcefully than before. “Take it.”

“I don’t want it.”

“That’s too bad, it’s yours.”

“No, it’s not, and you can’t make me take it.” With that I stomp off towards the exit. Just as I open the door, a strong force slams it shut. I whip my head around to see Elijah glaring at me with furious red eyes. Did he just do that?

He slowly stalks towards me like a predator cornering his prey. I lean back against the door as if hoping I can phase right through. He then proceeds to cage me in and press his body firmly against mine. I can’t stop myself from melting at the feeling of his touch. 

“I am the pharaoh of all. Nobody disobeys me,” he says darkly. He then buries his face into my neck and sighs deeply. We stay like this for a while until he suddenly pulls away. He takes a step back and holds out the ring in front of me again. 

“I-I apologize,” he mumbles as he looks away from me, “I didn’t mean to lose my temper like that. The last thing I need is to frighten you further. Just please take the ring. It’s import-“

Before I can let him finish, I snatch the ring from his hand and slip through the exit. It’s not until I make it to my apartment do I let myself take a breath.