Eternal Flame
part 3
"So what is this museum called again?"
Alexandra Turner softly rolled her eyes, as she glanced up at her father from the seat they shared on the large yellow bus. "The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Daddy. Everybody knows that."
"They couldn't have come up with something better?" he returned, a smile forming across his gorgeous countenance.
She laughed. "I told Catrina it was stupid too."
"And these are the guys that are supposed to have an exhibit on the history of Egypt?"
"Miss Franklin says it's new," she replied, shrugging.
"Well, if it means I'm going to miss that meeting this afternoon, it couldn't have come at a better time. Plus....I get to spend a lot more time with you."
"Daddy?"
"Yes, Ally?
"I...just wanted to let you know that I had a really fun time on Halloween," she added quietly. "Even if I didn't get too much candy. I'm just glad you could be here."
He gently brought her close, giving her a small squeeze. "Me too," he whispered.
"Really?"
"Well, you can celebrate Halloween every year, can't you? But...just how many times do you get to go on a first grade field trip with your oldest daughter?"
"I'm not that old, Daddy."
He looked at her, entirely serious, his eyes completely betraying him. "No. Of course not."
She giggled playfully, as she gently glanced at the pamphlet Miss Franklin had passed out to them earlier, slowly turning it sideways. Frowning slightly, she curiously resumed her gaze towards her father. "Do you think this story is real, Daddy?"
"What story is that, sweetie?"
"This one," she added, her voice just above whisper, as her finger landed lightly upon the elegant script, shaking ever so briefly.
"A curse?" he repeated, just a bit too loudly.
"They like to tell people that. You know, to gain more tourists in terms of population, and to put themselves on the map?" a voice spoke up excitedly, as the tiny head edged her way carefully around the seat, meeting Cole's stare rather easily.
The ex demon raised an eyebrow, as he ran a hand quietly down his scruffy visage. "And you would be?"
"Catrina Jenkins, first grade," she announced proudly, as she extended a hand to him.
"She's my friend," Alex added briefly. "The one I was just telling you about, Daddy. We're always in the same group for our class."
"Have you ever considered college as an alternative?" he questioned, his expression still clearly puzzled. "Oh, and um....Cole Turner, attorney at law."
"Wow. A real lawyer," the girl gushed proudly. "I come from a family of doctors. My dad is a Dermatologist, and my mom is stationed at the ER for a better period of the day."
"And what do you do, taxes?"
"I just told you. I'm a student. Well....a student who's willing to learn," she then added.
"Haven't you learned enough already?"
"I do okay," she mused, frowning.
"Catrina's been teaching me a few things in the writing workshop," Ally explained quietly. "She's a really great writer, Daddy."
"I'm sure she is-" A loud insistent buzzing cut him off, as his coat pocket gently began to vibrate, its soft ring filling the air around them. As a few curious looks began to plague him, he quickly dove into the fabric, reaching for the small cellular phone that shared it. "Turner."
"How's it going?"
"Phoebe."
"I had a little bit of free time, before I-"
"There's nothing to worry about."
"Now why would you think I'd only be calling if there was something to worry about?"
"We're doing fine," he assured her. "We should be there any minute."
"Look. Just...just be careful, alright? I...know it's probably nothing, but..."
"Are you still thinking about what Grams said?" he asked her softly. "We talked about this, Phoebe. You saw what Ally did last night, and I don't see how that's any indication that-"
"Keep your eye on her at all times," she advised. "I just want to play it safe until we know a little more, alright?"
"Cross my heart," he whispered.
"All of these children you gave me are really quite the handful, you know that?"
"But you still love me for it," he returned, his mouth forming a small smile, as he briefly re-adjusted the phone near his ear.
"I'll see you when you get back."
"I have to stop at the office to pick up a few things first, but you can count on it," he told her matter of factly.
"I love you."
Cole's smile grew wider. "Love you, too. Don't work too hard."
"Oh, please. Are you still trying to tell me you have that down?"
"And I'll talk to you later." Chuckling to himself, he let his thumb run over the power switch, as he focused his complete attention on the girls once again.
"Daddy, can Catrina be in our group?"
"I'm sorry, sweetie?"
"Can she be in our group? Mrs. Franklin says we'll be split up into groups. Can Catrina be in ours?"
"That depends, sweetheart," he whispered, as he slowly turned back to his daughter, his expression completely serious. "Is she going to have her encyclopedia with her?"
"Some people are naturally smart, Daddy," she whispered back, her eyes softly lighting up with a quiet glow.
"You know, if you ever have any kind of serious injury, I bet my mom could squeeze you into the ER for half price," Catrina suggested exitedly, as the bus came to a rolling halt. "She's really great at what she does. Like this one time, this guy came in, all bleeding and everything from the waist down- horrible sight. But she patched him up so quick, he never knew what hit him. All of her colleagues were really impressed." She paused a moment. "So...have you ever tried any murderers and put them to justice? You know, like those criminal file things on television?"
"As of right now, I'm working on settling a fairly small claim," he told her quietly, as he began to edge his way out of the seat rather carefully.
"What kind of small claim?" she returned, clearly puzzled.
"Well...the kind that seems to involve this little girl who could never stop talking. See, she never stopped to think that trying to make a valid point of her own, may just set everyone elses head spinning in circles."
Alex giggled softly, as she followed closely behind her father.
**********
"Historians claim the earliest of all civilizations probably began in Egypt. In fact, over five thousand years ago, they were learning to do exactly what we've been learning since we were small....learning to read, write... The study of Egypt has expanded so much over time, that it falls into a category all its own...and this is called Egyptology. The early settlers of the Nile valley were primarily composed of various tribes-" Chloe Franklin stubbornly placed her hands upon her hips, as she turned her slender figure towards the persistent chatter behind her, her long blonde hair sweeping gently across her shoulders. "Ladies, do you have something to add?"
The little girls quickly shook their heads, as a profound silence filled up the sudden vacancy, their eyes falling downward to the floor.
"So I'll continue then-"
"What about curses?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Curses," the voice spoke up. "I mean, rather than repeating fairly obvious facts, why not go a little deeper?"
"And you are?" she returned, as she quickly re-adjusted her thin-rimmed glasses upon the bridge of her nose, her blue eyes staring quietly into his.
"Mr. Turner. Cole Turner. I'm-"
"Oh, yes. Of course. Alexandra's father. Now I remember." She offered a brief chuckle, as she threw him a slight smirk. "Mr. Turner, in case you aren't aware of it, these children are only in first grade. The last thing I need is for them to run home telling their parents that there are really curses. Alright? In this school system, that kind of behavior is simply not acceptable."
"So, let me get this straight. Are you saying you believe in those things then? I...I mean, with all due respect Miss Franklin, this is hardly what you'd call exciting."
"I beg your pardon, Mr. Turner?"
"He's right, you know," a familiar tone spoke up. "It's been proven with the statistics they've calculated all over the globe. Students enjoy the gossip, Miss Franklin. Odds are, you would probably gain a much broader attention span from them if you included myths and legends."
"Thank you, Catrina," she breathed, her expression clearly displaying a hint of annoyance. "But I'd much rather prefer to think of it as those who are not interested in what I have to say, shouldn't have taken that bus to get here in the first place."
"And in case you aren't aware," Cole added. "It looks like you're really short on moms and dads today, aren't you? Hardly any of them even showed up, and the rest are God knows where around the building."
"Hence the defintion of a group," she replied coolly.
"Is that what it is?"
"Can I....see you for a moment over here, please?" she then asked him, a stern frown crossing her pretty face.
"Daddy?" Alex whispered, as she worriedly looked up at him, "I know I said I wanted you to go back on the bus, but I don't want you to ruin it too."
"I'll be right back, sweetie," he assured her, his gaze still trained on the young teacher.
"I want to pass this grade," she continued, her voice almost pleading with him.
"Class, you can study the exhibits until I return, alright?"
"You know, despite what you might think, there's more to history than just the historical aspect."
"I've been reciting the lesson for over an hour, and now you just decide to interrupt me?!" she hissed.
"Because as it so happens, you lost a few kids in the other corridor. They're back there sleeping right now, in fact. Did you want me to go get them?"
"Listen, Mr. Turner, I brought the kids here so they could experience a lost civilization firsthand. I have no intention of filling their heads with nonsense about petty curses surrounding the era. Are we at least clear on that fact yet?"
"Not even if it helps provoke their imagination?" he returned stubbornly, his hands gently crossing his chest.
"What are you, a telemarketer?"
"A lawyer," he filled in. "But that's besides the point-"
"Oh, it figures. No wonder you're so damn opinionated."
"Excuse me?"
"You lawyers have to have a say in everything, right? Isn't that how it goes? Well over here, the rules are a little different. See...because you volunteered to help today, you're supposed to go along with this. No one forced you to come here."
"I did it for my daughter," he said softly.
"Really."
"Look, I don't get where you get off-"
"And I don't need a lecture on how to do my job, okay?"
"I wasn't giving you a lecture. I was merely suggesting-"
"You know, the Egyptians didn't just wear amulets for decoration. They wore them for protection. Now why do you suppose that was?"
"I don't see how this has-"
"Magic and the art of spellcasting were very important to them, despite whatever theories you might have to contradict it."
"Either way, the only one I'm the least bit familiar with, is King Tut," she said absentmindedly, offering a short shrug.
"Poor Howard Carter," he observed, grinning ever so slightly.
"So you-"
"Oh, you'd be surprised at what I know."
"And this automatically makes you the expert on what you think kids want to hear?"
"You're new to your profession, aren't you?"
"I..." She looked away then, as her cheeks flushed a bit crimson. "It's my first year."
"With first graders?"
"With...with everything," she added quietly.
"See, Howard Carter lived a very long time, but his bird wasn't so lucky."
"My daddy's a great storyteller," came a tiny voice to Chloe's right. "You should hear him at home."
"Alexandra, shouldn't you be-"
"Please don't yell at him," she whispered. "He only wants to make everything more fun. If you let him tell a story, Miss Franklin, everybody would love it."
"Sweetie, I wouldn't put that much faith in me," Cole added softly, as one side of his mouth casually twitched into a slow smile.
"But he is," she insisted. "Can you please let him tell one, Miss Franklin? Please?"
Chloe offered a low sigh in her throat, as she nervously shifted her heels in position. She glanced at Cole once again, as she threw up her hands. "I just want it all to go smoothly, okay? If Principal Davis finds out it was a mess....look, to be honest, I've never done this before in my life. Not even when I was student teaching. I...I don't know if I know how to handle them," she finished weakly.
"You probably also didn't know Pharoahs were well known for using their magic to protect their families or to prevent injuries."
She looked at him, clearly impressed. "Are you...sure you're a lawyer?" she whispered then, arching an eyebrow in question.
"Does this mean he can, Miss Franklin?"
"Be my guest," she added, shrugging once more, as she helplessly gestured to the preoccupied kids in front of her.
**********
"Now or never," Celia stated quietly.
"I know."
"Then why don't you start it?"
"I will."
"You're not going to try and back out again, are you, Xavier? Because honestly? These games of yours are tiring me to no end."
"It's too late, Your Grace. I feel a transformation's already in motion."
"So soon?"
"He will rise. And when he does, you had better be prepaared."
"I've been prepared," she angrily hissed. "So get on with it."
"And rather impatient too, I see."
"You don't have to make yourself obvious to the children, you nitwit. Just get him."
"What did he ever find the least bit attractive about you?"
"That was another life," she stated simply.
"Which is all the more reason to refuse him returning to you now."
"But he still loves me."
"So you keep saying. But you don't know that for sure. You can't be absolutely certain," he reminded her.
"Just say it, will you?"
"It's rather ancient," he informed her. "They used it to curse their tombs-"
"I know of the ancient ways, Xavier. I'm from an ancient period."
"Who could forget?"
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Xavier, just because I work in shadow, doesn't make my goals any less important to me. In fact, many have made that mistake in the past, and never lived to tell about it."
"Death shall come on swift wings to him who disturbs the peace of the king," he recited simply.
"That's all?"
"I'm sorry, Your Grace?"
"You're finished?"
"There's an exhibit with the original artifacts from Tut's tomb present, is there not?"
"They're not original," she whispered. "They're brought here to look the part, but they rarely are. And we sure as hell don't need Tut to pull this off, Xavier. In fact, it'll only be leading them farther away from us. Do you really think we want that?"
"To he who touches, the forbidden place, take him through time, and let present form erase. For all eternity, bid them here, hold them close, for all they fear." He smiled. "In other words? He who disturbs the tomb of death, shall never again see the light of day."
"Much better," she observed, as she neatly clasped her hands together in a pleased gesture. "How long until it-"
"Anywhere that's genuinely sacred will trigger it," he told her.
"So it has to be authentic, afterall," she mused.
"Pretty much."
"And how is it you have the power to make-"
"You pick up a lot in limbo," he observed.
"Lim-"
"Maybe I never had a soul, but I used what I had to free myself. Once you learn the art of absorbing what you can, your chances of survival increase by a mile."
"For all it was worth," she added, her voice just above a whisper.
"Oh, it will be. Been waiting to pay an unexpected visit for some time."
"Who-"
"In time, all will be revealed. But until then, you are free to take great pleasure in what you're about to see."
"So why are you doing this again?"
"Well, as they say in modern times...one for the money..."
She grinned ever so slightly. "Two for the show."
"Exactly, Your Grace."
"And if this hasn't convinced you we'll make a great team, I don't know what-"
"That all depends on how the curse takes effect. The modern implications of it are completely unpredictable."
"In a language I can understand?"
"There are chances you may not get everything you hoped for out of this."
"And how's that?"
"The witch," he added casually, shrugging. "She'll come looking. You know she will. I think you've sensed it all along."
"I-"
"Best to think of these things well in advance, is it not?"
"Xavier, what is she capable of?"
"I have not even a faint clue of that, as I've never taken her on myself. You do realize-"
"But you wouldn't live to tell about it, would you? If she's as powerful as you say, that is."
"Um...Your Grace? She's a Charmed One. To all of the demons that have since tuned out in the past, they happen to be our worst mortal enemy."
"They?"
Xavier sighed. "Maybe I should have invested in a manual."