R. LaFevers - Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos

Using the toe of my boot, I kicked the rest of the wood casing off. Within minutes I had uncovered a long staff made of gold. The Was scepter.

The sheer good fortune of it nearly overwhelmed me. I looked from Bollingsworth’s still body to the back wall where von Braggenschnott still struggled to free his hand. Maybe that old fortuneteller had been right. Perhaps the Ancients were smiling down on me. Really. There was no other explanation for it.

There was a soft click. I turned and found von Braggenschnott pointing a gun straight at me. Fear rose up in the back of my throat.

“I was reluctant to use this when you were wearing the Heart of Egypt for fear I would destroy it. But that is no longer a problem,” he said.

Before I could say anything, I heard the faint sound of someone calling my name.

Von Braggenschnott swung his gun toward the doorway. “If they find me, I will shoot them. Do you understand? The minute they walk through that door, they are dead.”

I swallowed, then said, “I understand.” I grabbed the Was scepter and stumbled out into the corridor, then hurried over to the bottom of the shaft.

“Miss Theo? Are you here?” Nabir! He was unhurt!

“Theo? Theo darling, where are you?” Mum’s voice drifted down the shaft to me. Mum! Nabir must have gone back to get help. And if Mother was here, that meant—

“Theodosia Elizabeth Throckmorton!” Father bellowed. “Where in the blazes are you? Confound it all! Where is that girl? I’m telling you Nabir, if she is hurt or harmed in any way—”

“I’m down here,” I called up the shaft as my throat suddenly tightened. “I’ve discovered another chamber!” And wounded two men and possibly killed another, but I kept that part to myself. I didn’t want my parents wandering straight into von Braggenschnott’s trap.

“Have you really, darling?” Mother’s voice was closer now. A second later I saw her head, her lovely, familiar head, as she peered down the shaft at me.

Suddenly Father’s head appeared next to Mum’s. He surveyed the shaft and the long way down, then scowled. “What were you thinking, Theodosia? You could have been killed!”

His booming voice echoed down the shaft and reverberated throughout the tomb. An unfamiliar warmth spread through me. Father did care. In fact, the angrier he sounded, the more worried he was. Von Braggenschnott had got it all wrong.

I smiled. I couldn’t help myself. Father’s anger was like a balm to my soul. “Yes, I know,” I called back. The little shard of betrayal that had been lodged in my heart began to dissolve.

It took them a bit to work out how to get down to where I was and still have a way to get back up again. I kept glancing worridly over my shoulder, but no sounds came from the chamber. Von Braggenschnott wanted to remain hidden as much as I wanted to keep my parents alive.

Eventually Nabir had the brilliant idea of pulling the ladder up into the tomb and placing it down the shaft.

Father insisted on being the first one down, although I know climbing ladders can’t be good for his leg.

When he reached the bottom of the shaft, he never even glanced at the tomb around him. His eyes locked on mine and he stared at me as if I were the most precious artifact he’d ever encountered. I must confess, all that direct scrutiny made me a tad uncomfortable.

He took a step closer. “What happened to you? Are you all right?”

Funny how a little bit of sympathy can make a person positively weepy. I blinked back a few tears and found that I wanted to throw myself into his arms and sob out the whole horrid story. About how close I’d come to being killed, about how we’d had a traitor in our midst the whole time. About how even now von Braggenschnott had a gun that he would use on any of us in a heartbeat.

“Oh, Father. I’m fine. Really.” Except, my voice broke horribly and suddenly Father threw his arms around me and drew me into a fierce hug.

Pain surged through my shoulder, burning so brightly that it brought fresh tears to my eyes. But I didn’t mind because right that minute, in Father’s arms, my world was safe and warm again. The adults in my life were back in charge and I’d let them stay there.

For a bit, anyway.

I pulled away a little and narrowed my eyes. “Father, did you ever tell Nigel Bollingsworth that I wanted to marry him?”

“Good gracious, no! And embarrass all of us? I think not. Why do you ask?”

My knees grew rubbery with relief. Father hadn’t betrayed me. Bollingsworth must have been spying on us and overheard. “Never mind. But you should know I don’t want to marry him anymore.”

“I should say not.” He patted me on the shoulder. I squeaked as a jolt of pain crashed through me.

Father frowned. “What’s the matter? Are you hurt?”

“Well, yes. I think maybe a little.”

Just then Mum reached the bottom of the ladder. “Theo, darling!” She hurried over and grabbed my face in her hands and kissed both of my cheeks, and I had to be careful I didn’t accidentally bean her with the Was scepter I’d forgotten I was holding.

“I say,” Father said. “What is that thing you’re waving around?”

“Why,” Mother gasped, her hand flying to her throat, “it’s the Was scepter!”

At last Father turned his attention to something other than me and had a good look at the scepter. “Very well done, Theo!” he said. Then he looked back at me. “Now show me where you’re injured.”

“Don’t worry about my shoulder,” I said. “You need to come back here.” I shoved the scepter at Mother, grabbed his hand with my good arm, and began to pull him toward the chamber where Bollingsworth and von Braggenschnott lay.

“Your shoulder, Theodosia. Now.”

“You are a bit pale, dear,” Mum said. “You should let your father have a look.”

Very gently, he touched my shoulder in a place or two and I nearly screamed.

“It’s dislocated,” he said. “Easy to fix, but painful. You’ll need to be very brave,” Father warned.

Brave! If he only knew… I nodded, sure that after what I’d been through, I could handle anything.

“Brace yourself,” he said, just before he twisted and shoved, sending the most blinding pain crashing through my shoulder.

Then I did what any brave person would do under the circumstances.

I fainted.

I DIDN’T BECOME AWARE of my surroundings again until I awoke in a deliciously soft bed with my left arm tightly bound to my side. There was a cool breeze coming in through the curtain and nothing hurt anymore. Delightful.

I breathed deeply and smelled dust and figs and Egypt’s own special fragrance. And a faint whiff of lilacs.

I turned my head to find Mum sitting on the chair next to me.

“How do you feel, dear?”

“Much better, thank you.” Then, with a start, I remembered. I tried to push myself up to a sitting position, wincing when my shoulder screamed in protest.

“Easy, darling. Easy. You must rest. Father’s booked us passage back to England so we can get to Henry as quickly as possible. We’d like to try and leave first thing in the morning. Do you think you’ll be up to it?”

I thought of the jostley train ride and grimaced.

“Father’s arranging for a steam ship to take us to Cairo,” Mum hastened to add. “You’re not well enough to travel by train.”

“Very well,” I said. “But Henry’s going to be all right. I promise you.”

Mother’s eyes were sad and worried. “Let’s hope you’re right.”