Chapter 1
“Wow, this is amazing.”
“You like looking at dead things, huh? Not something I ever thought I’d hear you say.”
My gaze sliced to my right, where an oversize, horribly masculine, devilishly feisty and cataclysmically handsome vampire stood.
Thorne Blackwood’s silver eyes cut straight into me. “Now, Charming, I thought for sure you’d have a response to that. Don’t let me down now.”
I rubbed my lips together and angled my face toward Thorne’s. He stared at my lips before clearing his throat and glancing back at the display.
“What is it, Thorne? Can’t watch a lady move her lips a little bit without getting uncomfortable?”
Thorne scowled. It was a deep, dark incision on his face, the sort of horrid look that would make most women—and men for that matter—cower in terror.
Me? It just made me smile.
“I believe we’re here to meet an archaeologist,” Thorne reminded me. He bent down and whispered in my ear. “Not talk about your lips. At least not right now. Maybe later. In private.”
I smiled to myself. I’d won this round. All it took to beat the vampire at his own game was to use a little of my feminine wiles.
Not something I would have considered a couple of months ago.
“But as you were saying,” Thorne continued, “you think the display is amazing?”
I squeezed his forearm. “Don’t you think so?”
“If you like Egyptology, mummies and a sarcophagus, I suppose.”
I winked at him. “Luckily I do.”
A small pyramid loomed overhead. Lights washed over it, swaying up and down to illuminate the triangle all the way to its peak.
Thorne and I stood in a slowly moving line of tourists and locals to witness the actual archaeological dig that had arrived in Witch’s Forge.
A wind kicked up, and sand floated in the air. The whole thing was crazy authentic. I couldn’t wait to see the mummy.
Call me weird, right? But I had a thing for mummies.
“Do you think you could use your magic to make this line move faster?”
I elbowed Thorne playfully. Actually I could’ve elbowed him as hard as I wanted. Not much hurt the vampire. Probably nothing hurt him.
Except a stake through the heart, that was.
But that wasn’t something I wanted to think about.
I leaned over the ropes to see how fast the line was moving. The person in front of us plodded along, and we shuffled forward.
“I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to use my magic, especially since we actually have out-of-towners,” I whispered.
“What? Seeing a little magic wouldn’t kill them,” Thorne joked.
It wouldn’t kill them, but it would definitely put those of us who were witches and wizards in a precarious position. Though the pyramid had arrived by magic, but somehow the mayor had made it look as if it had been trucked in overnight.
Mayor Dixon was a brilliant lie spinner.
I patted Thorne’s arm. “Don’t be impatient. We’ll see everything we need to soon enough.”
He rolled his eyes.
There was one thing the vampire wasn’t, and that was patient, which was surprising given that he would live forever. Meaning, he had all the time in the world.
“The only thing that’s making this better is the fact that you’re suffering through it with me,” he murmured.
I smiled brightly. “I think that’s the kindest thing you’ve ever said.”
Thorne chuckled and I laughed. We hadn’t always gotten along so well. In fact, weeks ago the two of us were at each other’s throats, though some people might say that was misplaced frustration.
Because Lord knew, Thorne was frustrating.
Pretty sure he thought the same thing about me.
“Charming! Thorne!”
I glanced around a clot of people to see Mayor Winnifred Dixon waving. She wore a brown dress suit with a white blouse underneath.
Her mousy assistant, India, stood beside the mayor. India didn’t say much. Not that she had much of a chance to, as the mayor talked enough for three people.
Not that I was judging, because I was not.
“Charming! Thorne! This way! I’ve got a spot for you over here.”
“She doesn’t have to tell me twice.” Thorne threaded his fingers through mine and took the lead to weave us out of the slow-moving line.
The feel of his skin sent a jolt of electricity snaking straight to my core.
I jerked and Thorne’s head whipped around, his eyes full of concern. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I said quietly. “It’s just something took me by surprise.”
His lips curved into a slow smile, and I had the feeling Thorne knew exactly what I was talking about. Heat blossomed on my cheeks as a deep blush flushed over my skin.
I kept my head low as Thorne led us to the mayor.
“Charming.” She shook my hand, gloving it in her own. “Thorne.” The mayor gave him a nod. “So glad you’re here. I’m dying for you to meet Dr. Breshears.”
Thorne unhooked the rope, and we followed the mayor and India. Winnifred talked the whole way.
“Charming, I told Dr. Breshears all about you. He’s intrigued by your ability to matchmake, and dare I say he would like to try it for himself.”
A twinkle filled her eyes. “Imagine it, the town of Witch’s Forge successfully matching the archaeologist who discovered the lost tomb of Ramses the Twelfth. We’d make the world news for sure. Can you imagine the sort of publicity that would bring to the town? Every witch and wizard within a thousand-mile radius would want to visit us.”
The mayor stopped and smiled. “Witch’s Forge would become a mainstay as a tourist destination. Charming, you could open your own office, matching folks. You’d have so many clients you wouldn’t know what to do with yourself.”
She pointed to India. “You’d have to hire your own India just to keep up with your appointments.”
All of that sounded like wishful thinking, but I hated to burst the mayor’s bubble. “Mayor, may I remind you that you hired me to save this town. Dr. Breshears doesn’t live here.”
The mayor poked the air. “Yet. He doesn’t live here yet. But I guarantee that if you find him the right mate, he’ll stay for life.” She fisted her hands in excitement. “Plus, we’d have our own mummy. How many towns can boast that?”
Very few, I thought. Some people might have been spooked by mummies, but not me. I loved the idea of seeing an ancient body wrapped in bandages. Mummies were relics from the past, and in our world, when we were so obsessed with technology, the old ways intrigued me.
Thorne and I followed the mayor around the line until we reached an open pit filled with sand.
“Dr. Breshears,” Winnifred called. “I’ve brought some folks to meet you.”
A tall man wearing khaki from head to foot, including a vest with about a zillion pockets, looked up from the pit. He wore round spectacles over his sparkling green eyes, had a straight jaw and was tall and lean.
He took one look at us and left the sand, where it appeared some of his colleagues were still digging.
Dr. Breshears extended his hand to Thorne. “Let me guess,” he said in a pleasant voice. “This is the chief of police you were telling me about. Is that right, Mayor?”
Winnifred nodded. “Thorne Blackwood.”
Dr. Breshears pumped Thorne’s hand. “Pleased to meet you. You may be able to offer some insight into what we’ve discovered here.”
Thorne cocked a brow. “I’ll help however I can.”
“And this”—the mayor gestured to me—“is the matchmaker, Charming Calhoun.”
Dr. Breshears’s eyes glittered. “Really?”
“Mmm hmm,” the mayor said proudly. “In the flesh. I thought a handsome single man like yourself would be intrigued to meet her.”
Dr. Breshears nodded. “I am. How do you do?”
I extended my hand. The doctor took it like a gentleman, knuckles to the ceiling. “Wonderful to meet you. Both of you,” he said. “My team and I have found some interesting pieces. Relics that both of you might be able to help us with.”
The mayor looked confused. “Dr. Breshears—”
“Murray,” he corrected. “Call me Murray.”
“Murray,” Winnifred said, “I thought you could use the matchmaker to, you know, find your soul mate.”
Murray smiled. “That’s a possibility, but I think Charming’s talents can be put to better use.”
The mayor scoffed. “Whatever do you mean?”
Murray pushed his glasses up his nose and smiled. “Let me show you.”
He turned and pointed at the pit. “As you can see, my team is still excavating some of the treasures we found hidden outside the pyramid. The Egyptian government gave me authority to leave their country and move the dig here.”
Dr. Breshears pointed to the pyramid. “To avoid potential looters.”
He stepped back into the pit. The four of us quickly followed. An entire team gently brushed dirt from what looked like stone relics.
Murray pointed to a woman with dark hair that was swept into a bun. “This is the team leader, Dr. Opal Andreas. Dr. Andreas, meet some of the locals.”
“Please, call me Opal.” She smiled kindly. “We’re so grateful your town took us in. Dr. Breshears is doing important work here.”
I surveyed the amount of workers and items that were slowly being unearthed. “It looks like it.”
“You don’t even know the half of it.” Murray nodded to Opal. “I’m taking them inside the pyramid.”
She wiped dusty hands on her pants. “I’ll come with you.”
But Murray stopped her with a gesture. “No, stay here. The team may need you.”
Opal frowned but quickly recovered and smiled at us. “Of course. I’ll be happy to.”
Murray smiled. “Is everyone ready to go inside?”
Mayor Dixon’s voice quavered. “You didn’t bring any giant spiders with you from the desert, did you?”
Murray laughed. “Not at all. Besides, even if I did, there’s a vampire among us. Pretty sure Thorne could fight off a tarantula.”
I winked at Thorne. “Pretty sure.”
He rolled his eyes in response.
Murray plucked a burning torch from a wall and led us in. The stone hall was small and dark. Very narrow, almost claustrophobically so.
“Um,” the mayor said nervously, “does this open?”
“It will soon enough,” Murray replied. “Watch your heads. The ceiling lowers.” He glanced back. “It’s hardest for Thorne and me. We’re the tallest. Luckily Charming is pretty short.”
“So am I,” India chirped from the rear. “I don’t have to duck.”
“Professor,” Thorne said, “I don’t understand why you think Charming and I can help you specifically.”
“You’ll see,” Murray said. “All in good time. Watch the steps. We’re almost there.”
We followed the professor down. I was beginning to think that we were going to get lost in the maze of tunnels.
Either that or I’d have a panic attack. I mean, y’all, when I say it felt like the walls were squeezing in on us, the walls were seriously squeezing in.
I glanced behind and noticed that Thorne had shifted sideways so he could slide through the narrow passageway.
Just as I was about to ask how much farther we had to go, a large opening presented itself up ahead.
A cool breeze flared down the hallway. The hair on the back of my neck ticked up. There was something about the wind—something almost unearthly.
I shivered in an attempt to shake off the feeling.
But it persisted.
“Here we are.”
Murray crossed through the opening and secured the torch in a ring. “Ladies and gentlemen, behold the unearthed tomb of Pharaoh Ramses the Twelfth.”
I nearly fell back when I realized what I was looking at.
A golden sarcophagus richly painted like the face of the dead pharaoh lay in the center of the room. Gold and jewels sat in open wooden treasure boxes while scrolls vomited from other boxes.
All around us, hieroglyphics lined the walls. Ancient pictures that looked like the pharaoh himself, ruling over his people.
“Wow,” I murmured. “This is amazing.”
The mayor, heels clacking, stepped up beside me. “This is a wonder, Professor, but I don’t understand what it has to do with us.”
Murray’s eyes sparkled. “Let’s get the lid off the tomb and I’ll show you exactly why I brought you here.”
I winked at Thorne. “Looks like you’re up.”
The vampire pushed up his sleeves. “On the count of three.”
Murray nodded. Both men took position on one side of the tomb.
Thorne grunted. “One, two, three.”
The lid screeched as the tomb opened. I held my breath, eager to see what lay inside.
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