The Demon of Egypt: Nala's Side by Amber Riel (good beach reads .txt) 📕

          Imhotep, on the other hand, was turning steaming red hot from anger, making the fear growing inside of him even worse.

          My father stared at me in pure shock.  He didn’t know how to react to the news.

          “I watched them with my own eyes…. They’re even plotting to kill me.”

          My father said nothing.  The room grew quiet.  I could hear the beating hearts from each individual person as I stood there, waiting for someone to speak.  Antinique and Imhotep’s hearts were pounding faster and faster as the fear from both of them raised higher in their human bodies.  My father’s heart stopped, it sounded as if it dropped from its place inside of him and hit the bottom of his foot.

          I watched with the part of my right eye as Imhotep gained his posture and turned toward my father.  “It’s not true,” he lied.  “She’s lying, pharaoh.”

          I looked over at Imhotep and slightly shook my head as I locked eyes with the human man.

          “She tried to attack Antinique,” Imhotep replied.

          “Is that true?” my father’s voice had dropped along with his heart.  I didn’t know if he was talking to me or to the two standing next to him.

          “Only because I knew what was going on, father,” I replied, making my lie sound more convincing than before.

          My father stared at me with heartbroken eyes.

          “That was before---” Imhotep stopped himself before he revealed the truth to my father.

          My father turned to Imhotep, confused and hurt.  “Before what, Imhotep?” he asked.  His voice sound so far away even though he was in the same room.

          “Nothing, pharaoh.”

          “You see,” I replied, “he lies.  The man I’m so madly in love with lies.”

          I could feel Imhotep’s eyes burn into my skin as I stared at my father.  The man knew this was part of my plan and he couldn’t believe how well I was pulling off the act of such a heartbroken princess.

          “I love you too much to go behind your back, Ramos,” Antinique finally spoke, tears in her eyes.

          My father looked into her eyes and I could tell that he wasn’t falling for it.  My plan was working.  “You’re lying.”

          I kind of smiled to myself but quickly went back to my depressed stage of sadness.  “I’m so sorry you had to find out this way, father.”

          My father looked at me and I could tell that he was buying into my cold hearted lies.  He took a deep breath and exhaled.  “GUARDS!” he called, his voice echoed through the almost empty room.

          About four sets of guards entered the room from a side entrance.  They stopped and stood in front of my father.

          “Arrest Antinique and Imhotep for betraying me and my daughter and place them on death row for threatening the life of my daughter as well.”

          Two sets of guards walked up the steps.  One set walked over to Antinique whereas the other set walked over to Imhotep.

          “Father,” I spoke almost in a barely audible whisper, “even though Imhotep has broken my heart I want to see him when they are to be murdered….” I locked eyes with Imhotep, letting him see the victory in my eyes.  “I want to say good bye to him anyways.”

          My father stood still, considering my quest.  He nodded.  “Very well, but I will not be there…. I have better things to worry about.”

          The guards walked past me dragging Antinique past me then Imhotep.  I blew Imhotep a kiss out of victory.  I had won and he had lost.  It was a brilliant way to send him a mocking message that he had messed with the wrong girl.  “Bye, Imhotep.”

          I had followed Imhotep and Antinique as the guards dragged them to the cells and placed them together in one of the empty cells.  I watched as the guards walked away.  I began to laugh.  “Don’t you just love this?” I asked.

          Imhotep eyed me with anger and hatred.  Antinique began crying.

          “What are you talking about?  We’re going to die because of you.” Imhotep’s tone was filled to the top with anger still bottled up.

          “That’s because I won…. But at least you still have each other right?”

          “You evil little brat,” Antinique spat out.

          “Oh that reminds me…. How did you two like my little act?  Did I pull it off or what?”

          Imhotep jumped up and rushed over to the opening of the bars to the cell door.  He tried to reach for me but I quickly took a step back.

          I kind of laughed.  “I’ll take that as a yes.”

          “I hate you,” Imhotep spoke.

          “The feeling’s mutual…. Now don’t disturb the other prisoners with any of that…. You know…. Just because you’re left alone with a prostitute doesn’t mean that you two can actually do that…. Kind of stuff…. As a princess, I don’t like to speak of it because it’s not proper language for me…. But you two know what I mean…. Besides as an evil princess I could care less because all I really want is death and murder to those like the two of you.”

          Imhotep shook his head.  “You’re evil….” I watched his gaze move away from mine.  I turned to my right and there out of nowhere like always was the Grim Reaper.  I really, really hated that guy.  “Don’t kill me yet….”

          “You still have a few days left, Imhotep.  Besides, I’m here to talk to her highness,” Grim spoke with death chilling words.

          “Who are you two looking at?” Antinique asked, confused.

          Neither I nor Imhotep answered her question we just kept our attention on the only walking skeleton that brought death to anyone or anything.

Grim’s eyeless sockets stared at Imhotep then moved over to me.  “Come, princess.  We have much to discuss.”

I glanced over at the couple in the cell then back to Grim.  I would rather not be around any of them for any longer but I had a feeling that Grim wouldn’t leave me alone.  I took a deep breath and sighed.  “Fine.”

I walked alongside Grim down the long, drooling hallway.  It was lit with candles.  We walked in silence for a while.  Go figure…. He wanted to talk to me but had nothing to say.  I shook my head and sighed.

“Anubis is threatening to drag you to Hell…. He wants to teach you a lesson…. Like the others…. He’s a demon…. He works for the devil himself….”

I laughed.  “Whatever…. He said himself that I was his bride….”

“He didn’t mean it.”  Grim looked at the walls.  “He wants you dead….”

“How do you know this if you work for the Hebrews’ God?”

“I know these things…. I’m the Angel of Death…. I can predict the future and read the minds of others…. I don’t always let my abilities take the best of me, unlike some people,” he spoke, his tone was pointing fingers at me.  “But when there’s trouble I need to know….  Sadly, whether Anubis does drag you to Hell when you die…. That’s where you’ll end up anyways.”

I kind of laughed.  “Yea right.”

“You are an adult physically but still like a child.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, anger grow in my voice.

“Your arrogance will be your downfall, child.”

“Whatever…. You don’t know anything your just a dumb angel who likes to ruin peoples’ lives….”

“I don’t enjoy killing…. I hate knowing when I have to take someone’s life…. It’s my job though…. I’m happy for those when I know that one day they’ll get to live in Heaven with the Living God…. While others such as yourself will burn in Hell…. I hate to be that frank but that’s what’s going to happen whether you believe it or not….”

I rolled my eyes.  He was starting to really bug me with his nonsense.

“You, on the other hand, use murdering as a game…. You just don’t care…. I’m trying to warn you but you could careless…. Imhotep and Antinique don’t deserve to die because of their affair…. No one deserves to die for their sins…. Everyone deserves the chance for forgiveness but you haven’t figured that out yet….” Grim’s voice dropped.  “I pity you.”

“I could care less.”

“Okay…. It’s your life…. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”  With that he vanished into midair.

I shook my head.  I didn’t care about what he had to say.

I sat in a chair which was small and round.  The back of the chair curled inward.  It was made of a shiny brass material.  There were no arms on either side.  I sighed and closed my eyes.

“Nala,” I heard my Uncle Maxumous speak as if he were standing right next to me but when I opened my eyes he was a few feet heading toward me.  “I need to speak with your father.”

“Why?  So you can convince him to have me killed?” I asked, eyeing the man.

He narrowed his eyebrows with worry.  “No, why would---”

“I heard you talking to Tommus, Death, and Madeline…. You’re planning on killing me.”  I jumped out of my chair and stared my uncle down.

He sighed.  “It’s not you we want to kill….”

I raised an eyebrow in confusion.  He wasn’t lying but I knew what I heard the day I had listened to their conversation.

“There’s good inside of you…. I just know it but you’re controlled by some kind of demon or creature of an evil spirit…. Nala, we want to kill whatever is inside of you but we don’t really want to kill you…. It’s kind of twisted.”

I kind of laughed, shaking my head.  “Whatever…. I’m fine and there’s nothing inside of me…. I do what I want when I---”

Grim stood behind my uncle a long side Niki which had me more confused then my conversation with my uncle.  Grim had placed his long, bony white right pointer finger over his mouth telling me to be silent.

I stared at him in confusion.

“Nala?” my uncle had asked but I ignored him the same way Imhotep and I had ignored Antinique.

“Whatever…. Go talk to my father…. I don’t care…. But I will kill you all before you guys get the chance to kill me.”  I walked away as I followed Grim and Niki to an odd place in the palace.  It was dark and chili which was odd.  It was an empty room which no one ever entered.  It was a room I had never even been in myself.  “Where are we?”

Grim sighed.  “This is where the dead come.”

“But I’m not dead and Niki’s not---”

“This guy thinks he knows everything,” Niki interrupted.  “He told me that I’m dead.  HA!  If I’m dead then why am I here now?”

Grim shook his head.  “The both of you are arrogant.  Niki, you can believe whatever you want but believe me you are no longer---”

“Blah blah blah…. Whatever.”

Grim covered his eyes with his long, white, bony left hand.  “You see you don’t listen and you, Nala…. You are having fun now but wait till you find out what happens on life’s terms…. Believe me you will not like it…. You will come to see me and I will have to drag you to a place you do not want to go…. I’m