Chapter Eight

The whiskey from breakfast hadn’t seemed like such a bad idea at the time. But now, under the unrelenting heat of the midday sun, I was seriously reconsidering my life choices. The alcohol had worn off quickly, leaving me with a pounding headache and a mouth as dry as the desert sands we were trudging through. My brain felt like it was sloshing around in my skull, and every step I took sent a fresh wave of nausea through me.

Jack, walking beside me, seemed to be in a similar state. He had his sunglasses on, but I could see the lines of fatigue etched into his face. Bambi, on the other hand, seemed annoyingly perky. She was practically bouncing along, humming a cheerful tune, her earlier grumpiness nowhere to be seen. Maybe it was her circus training, or maybe she was just used to functioning on the edge of sobriety, but she was handling the heat and the aftermath of our little morning whiskey party much better than Jack and I were.

“You know,” Jack said, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, “in hindsight, drinking half a bottle of whiskey before hiking through the desert might not have been the best idea.”

I shot him a sideways glance, trying to muster up a glare but failing miserably. “Ya think?” I muttered, my voice coming out as more of a croak. I took a swig from my water bottle, wishing it was something stronger, or at least something that could magically fix my hangover. “Next time, let’s stick to coffee.”

Snickers, perched on Jack’s shoulder, gave a little chirp, as if he agreed with my suggestion. Even the monkey looked tired, his usual hyperactivity dulled by the heat and the morning’s revelations.

“Hey, no regrets,” Bambi called back to us, twirling around with a grin. “That whiskey was top-shelf. Besides, a little hair of the dog never hurt anyone.”

I rolled my eyes, too exhausted to argue. “Yeah, well, the dog bit back.”

We trudged on, the outline of the pyramid growing larger on the horizon. The ancient structure loomed over the landscape, its sheer size and presence making everything else seem small and insignificant. As we approached, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe. This was a place of power, of history, and we were about to delve into its deepest secrets, or at least, make another decent attempt.

Finally, we reached the base of the pyramid. The sun was high in the sky, beating down on us mercilessly. I could feel sweat trickling down my back, and my clothes were sticking to my skin. We found a small patch of shade near one of the massive stone blocks and collapsed onto the ground, taking a moment to catch our breath.

Jack pulled out his canteen, taking a long drink before handing it to me. “You okay?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.

I nodded, wiping my brow with the back of my hand. “Yeah, just need a minute. That whiskey is really kicking my ass.”

He chuckled softly. “I hear you. We should’ve gone easy on it. But who knew we’d be dealing with secret agents and ancient treasures before lunch?”

Bambi sat down beside us, fanning herself with her hand. “This isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve handled worse hangovers in tighter situations.” She pulled a small, compact mirror from her bag, checking her reflection. “Besides, we’ve got bigger things to worry about now.”

I nodded, the reality of our situation settling over me like a heavy blanket. We were about to search for the Path of the Gods, a journey that could lead us to unimaginable treasure—or quite possibly to our deaths. There was no way to know what lay ahead, but I was determined to see it through.

After a few minutes, we gathered ourselves and stood up, ready to continue. We made our way around the base of the pyramid, looking for the hidden entrance. My headache had dulled to a manageable throb, and the adrenaline of what we were about to do was beginning to take over.

“Charlotte, do you have any ideas about where we should look today?” Jack asked.

“The entrance won’t be obvious,” I replied. “We need to look for something out of place.”

We fanned out, each of us taking a section of the pyramid’s base, examining the stone blocks, running our hands over the rough surfaces, looking for any sign of a hidden door or passage. The heat was oppressive, the sun beating down on us with relentless intensity. I could feel the sweat dripping down my forehead, stinging my eyes.

After what felt like hours of searching, I found a relatively flat rock and sat down, pulling out my junk-journal where I’d scribbled my notes and the map. Jack and Bambi continued to search, but I needed to regroup, to think. I flipped through the pages of my journal, scanning the information I had jotted down about the Vase of Hathor again.

Hathor, the goddess of beauty and love, had been associated with mirrors. People had offered her mirrors in hopes of receiving the gift of beauty. I tapped my pen against my lips, staring at the words. Mirrors…beauty…Maybe we were supposed to look at something in reverse, like a mirror image. Could the entrance be hidden in plain sight, disguised by our own perceptions?

“Jack, Bambi,” I called out, my voice shaky with excitement. “I think I’ve got something!”

They hurried over, Snickers chattering excitedly as he hopped from Jack’s shoulder to mine. I held up my notebook, pointing to the notes about the Vase of Hathor. “Hathor was associated with mirrors, right? What if the entrance isn’t where we think it is, but the opposite? Like looking at a reflection.”

Bambi’s eyes widened. “You mean, the entrance could be hidden behind something that looks solid, but isn’t?”

“Exactly,” I said, my pulse quickening. “We’ve been searching for something obvious, but what if the entrance is hidden by an illusion? Like a false wall or a disguised door.”

Jack nodded, his face lighting up with understanding. “It’s worth a shot. Let’s take a look.”

We moved to the section of the pyramid where the sunlight created deep shadows, our eyes scanning the stone blocks. I pulled out a small hand mirror from my bag, holding it up to the walls, trying to catch a glimpse of anything that looked out of place.

And then…There it was. In the reflection of the mirror, a faint outline appeared, barely visible to the naked eye. A seam in the stone that wasn’t there before. I pointed to it, my heart racing. “Look! The mirror shows the way!”

Jack shone his flashlight on the spot, and the seam became more pronounced, a perfect rectangle. He and Bambi pressed against the stone, and with a low grinding noise, the section of wall slid back, revealing a dark, narrow passage.

We all stared at the entrance in stunned silence for a moment. It was like something out of a dream, the kind where you find a hidden door that leads to a secret world.

“Holy Batman,” Bambi breathed, breaking the silence. “You actually did it.”

Jack turned to me, a grin spreading across his face. “Nice work, Charlotte. I knew there was a reason I kept you around.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help smiling back. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t get too excited. We’re not out of the woods yet. Remember, the key to the crypt holding the treasure at the end is the Jewel of Isis. If the treasure is real, and we locate the crypt and it’s empty, that means the thieves got there first. They could be long gone by now.”

Bambi clapped her hands together. “And if they’re not, we wait. And then it’s show time.”

I gulped, fear making my nerves as taut as the tightropes she was used to walking. We stepped into the tunnel, the darkness swallowing us whole. Jack led the way with his flashlight, the beam cutting a path through the black. The air was cool, a welcome relief from the heat outside, but it carried a musty, ancient smell that made my skin prickle.

As we descended deeper, the tunnel narrowed, forcing us to move in single file. The walls were lined with ancient carvings, hieroglyphics that seemed to tell a story, though I couldn’t read them. I ran my fingers over the symbols, wondering what they meant, what secrets they held.

“Everyone okay back there?” Jack called over his shoulder, his voice echoing in the confined space.

“Just peachy,” Bambi replied. “This is exactly how I wanted to spend my day.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Just a little claustrophobic. Nothing like being buried alive to get the adrenaline pumping.”

Jack glanced back, concern in his eyes. “We can turn back if you want, Charlotte. I don’t want you to feel like…”

“No,” I said firmly. “We’ve come this far. We’re doing this.” I wasn’t about to let a little thing like fear stop me. Not when we were so close to finding out the truth.

We pressed on, the tunnel opening up slightly, giving us a bit more room to breathe. The floor sloped downwards, and the sound of dripping water echoed through the passage. My heart pounded in my chest, a mixture of fear and excitement coursing through me.

Every step felt like a descent into the unknown, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched, that something ancient and powerful was waiting for us in the darkness. We were venturing into the heart of the Path of the Gods, and there was no turning back.