CHAPTER 166

"Whoever did this shall pay." Though he whispered, Death's voice penetrated her entire body like a maelstrom of nails. "THEY! SHALL! PAY!"

His scythe slid from his sleeves and opened by itself before he snatched it out of the air. With agony in his eyes, Death tucked the chunk of slime into his robes and hefted his weapon. With a yell, he swung it into the sarcophagus, spearing one of the larger runes and sending a wave of hot magic through the room. Beth and Reggie fled as Death destroyed the vessel, the room awash in stray magic that made her feel sick to her stomach.

"Death, stop!" Beth tried to get close to him but was scared of getting hit by accident. "This doesn't help!"

"Ah, but it does, General Bethany." With a final slash, he cut the coffin in two. "For I am not only angry for Opal's sake, but for my own. You see, these runes were designed to hide the occupant from my sight and forestall their inevitable demise. Whoever was inside has perverted the laws of nature itself. For this, I shall reap them with prejudice."

Beth looked at the rubble. "So a creature that avoided death in a sarcophagus. My assumption is that we're dealing with a mummy of some sort."

"I don't think so, lady Beth." Reggie picked up one of the chunks of stone and contemplated it. "From what I know of mummies, their intent was never to return to life but to honor their place in the afterlife."

"Where did you learn that?" she asked.

Reggie gestured at the room they stood in. "There were plenty of books here. Jenny read many of them to me. She found them fascinating and I found it preferable to playing Sorry. And even if our perpetrator was a mummy, this knowledge doesn't help us."

"Damn." Beth turned to face Death. "I guess we search the house?"

Death nodded. "And I know where we should search first." He scooped up another piece of Opal and stuck it in his pocket. "The room in the basement, across from the Vault. The perpetrator used our absence during the game to secure their freedom, and that room is our only lead."

"That's very astute, Death."

"Thank you." He turned away from her. "I've been enjoying Encyclopedia Brown lately. I like how you can turn to the back of the books to see if you have solved the mystery."

Stunned, she followed behind the grim reaper as he led them all to the basement. Nobody was surprised to see the door to the basement open, and Beth waited at the top for Death to declare the area as safe. Reggie and Jenny hid inside of Tick Tock as Beth descended the steps. Whatever enchantment had been there before hadn't been reset, and she stepped onto the cold concrete of the basement and clicked on the flashlight she had grabbed from the kitchen.

She swept the beam over the entrance to the Vault and was happy to see that it was still sealed. Despite this, Beth could hear the troublesome whispers from the other side, so she tuned them out and turned toward Death.

"I sense something in there." He pointed at the room opposite. Beth pointed her light and saw that Tink and Kisa had been placed on the table inside. Cecilia hovered in the background, but there was no sign of Lily or Opal.

"Should we take them upstairs?" Beth asked.

"Not yet." Death walked into the room and looked around. "I fear a tra—"

A dark figure stepped between her and Death. It was one of the Anubis statues, and it pushed Death further into the room. The wall slammed shut, trapping them inside. Beth ran to the wall and pounded on the concrete with the palm of her hands.

"Death! Hey, Death!" Inside the wall, she could hear Death howling in anger, followed by the sound of metal on concrete. Realizing that he was trying to battle the statue and free himself, she stepped away from the wall.

Behind her, something clicked. Turning around, she saw that a few scarabs watched her from the floor, their mandibles moving excitedly. The stairs creaked as someone walked down them, and Beth raised her light to reveal a figure in an advanced state of decay and wrapped in bandages being helped down the stairs by another statue.

"I told you it was a mummy," she muttered. The scarabs took off and flew around the room, but not before their eyes glowed an ominous green color matched by the mummy itself.

You will make a perfect vessel. A voice filled her head as a wave of drowsiness struck.

"Who are you?" Beth asked, her voice slurring. Her eyelids fluttered as she felt the presence invade her mind.

I am the one who takes, the voice replied, stronger this time. It was a woman's voice, and Beth now stood in a palace. Her bare feet were on a stone floor that had been polished and inlaid with beautiful gems. She was in a white gown with a blue belt that hung to her ankles.

You are a strong one. The pressure increased, but Beth pushed back. Her mind had been invaded too many times to topple so easily, and she felt the presence ease off a bit.

"I've had a shit day," Beth replied. "I'm not about to let you be the cherry on top of it."

Oh, I differ. The air shimmered in front of her and a woman stepped out. She had golden skin with dark ringlets of hair that draped over her naked shoulders. Linen fabric hung from her body, just barely covering her breasts. Armlets depicting a monstrous serpent decorated both of her biceps. "Tell me, child. What is your name?"

"My name is Fuck Off." Beth raised her fists and sneered. "I'm known for punching bitches who come in my head."

The woman scowled, then toyed with a leather bag she wore around her neck. The instant she touched the bag, Beth felt a wave of energy pass through her and her hands went numb and fell by her side.