Disclaimer – I don't own relic hunter.

AN – So sorry for the never ending wait – inspiration was taking an incredibly long vacation.

Nigel could almost feel himself growing paler by the second and nearly fell when a sudden wave of dizziness and nausea swept over him. The fearsome figure before the two relic hunters seemed to look concerned for moment, but Sydney dismissed the impression as a trick of the flickering light. The former statue advanced on the two, her stark white hand reaching out towards Nigel, as though to grasp his shoulder. Sydney darted forward and pulled her friend out of reach.

"Now I think my guardian should be able to make up his own mind about what he wants to do, young relic hunter. Besides, he has my markings now, why should he wish to remain with you?"

A slight furrowing of the eyebrows was the only movement in the face of the mysterious woman. What was even more disconcerting was the fact that Sydney suddenly noticed the foreign looking tribal markings slowly snaking their way, tattoo-like, along the arms and legs of the woman, a few of the black lines going so far as to curl delicately along her cheekbones. Even her skin appeared to be gradually darkening in tone until it became a more human looking caramel colour. She looked like an African queen which, while an amazing sight, was somewhat out of place in the bowels of a gothic castle in a French valley.

"What do you mean 'guardian'? What have you done to him? If you've hurt him in any way you'll have me to deal with!" Sydney growled. She never liked not knowing what was going on, and this was apparently going to be one of those times.

"Syd..." Nigel's worried voice chipped in. Turning towards her assistant, Sydney was stopped in her tracks with shock at the sight of him. Nigel's hair seemed to have grown slightly so that the silky, straight locks that had been turned jet black now reached his collar and danced in front of his eyes. His soft brown eyes now seemed more piercing and clear somehow, despite being currently widened with panic. The same markings that had just materialized on the woman had spread their way across his skin too.

While Nigel's appearance had changed dramatically, Sydney had to admit that he would probably have looked a great deal more fearsome and impressive were he not still dressed in khaki cargo pants and a tight black t-shirt with a white and blue short sleeved shirt unbuttoned and thrown over the top. The binoculars didn't help much either. Sydney gave herself a mental shake to turn her attention back to more important things than her friend's fashion sense.

"Ahhh, you wear your allegiance well my love." The woman whispered in an admiring tone. "But why not complete the picture? Go to the wall on your right and push in the apple the handmaid is holding in the frieze. In the chamber beyond you will find that I have kept all your old attire in perfect condition for the day that you returned to me."

"Your love?" Nigel gaped at the beauty before him, "B-but I don't even know who you are…I don't want to…" Sydney looked on in horror as Nigel made his way over to the right-hand wall, apparently without having made any conscious decision to do so. The relic hunter tried to bring him back to her, but found herself trapped in place by the same force that had stopped her before.

"What are you doing to him you bitch?" Sydney yelled in frustration, "Let me go!" The woman ignored her, her sharp black eyes focussed eagerly on Nigel's form as he slowly reached out and pressed the apple in to the wall. A dull click resounded through the chamber, mixing in with the after echo of Sydney's shout, followed by a grinding sound and a section of the wall slid aside to reveal a doorway. "No!" Sydney cried as Nigel disappeared through the dark hole.

"We will soon be one once more." The woman stated with a small smile as she moved her eyes to train on Sydney. She looked somewhat amused as she casually viewed the young woman's struggles against the invisible force that held her firmly in place. "You're wasting your energies you know, you cannot hope to equate yourself with my power."

"We'll see about that." Grunted Sydney as she strained, without success, to take even a step forward. The woman actually laughed genuinely instead of mockingly.

"You clearly do not realize who you are speaking to, Mortal. Do you not understand that here, in Egypt, I am considered a Goddess to my subjects? Granted it has been many years since my treacherous brother imprisoned me to become Pharoah in my place, but he shall not be difficult to overthrow. I was always the better child; the one with the greater gifts, intelligence, beauty. I have the love of the people, not he!" Her features that had suddenly contorted with rage smoothed into a serene expression just as quickly as they'd changed. "But that is not the point is it? The point is that you have no hope of overcoming my power and so it would be wise to cease this foolhardy pursuit of trying to steal away my love's affection for yourself."

For a moment, Sydney was completely floored. Love Nigel? As a friend definitely, but as a lover, well, that was, well, come on, it's Nigel! Sweet, safe, adorable, handsome…hmmm. Can't think of this now. "Well, sweetie, you aren't in Egypt anymore – this is the middle of France and you said you wanted to be Pharoah? Well it looks like you're about two thousand years too late for that appointment!"

The woman looked shocked to the core by the news and Sydney found herself able to move again. However, before she could significantly cover the distance between her and the door through which Nigel had disappeared, the woman narrowed her eyes and threw out a hand, viciously clamping the relic hunter in place once more. "You lie!" she snarled, her face a vision of beauty even whilst contorted in fury. "But it matters not what obscenities you spout, mortal, for I can sense my love is returning and I think I shall give him the pleasure of silencing you once and for all!"