Subj: Fiery Forbidden Love: Smoldering Flame Chapter 10
Date: 11/17/98 2:13:17 AM Central Standard Time
From: beverlylacroix

At the Hypostyle Hall of the temple of the god Amen-Re near the City of Memphis, a young blonde woman stood gazing at her god, and upon careful examination, it appeared that she was in deep conversation with the statue of her god. Of course, the outsider could never understand the ancient language of the gods, that she was speaking in very low, but her tone was pleading, and behind the big round sunglasses, tears were flowing.

Re, the sun-god of Heliopolis; head of the great ennead, supreme judge; often linked with other gods aspiring to universality. Amen-Re was seen as the father of the gods, it was from him that also known by three aspects, which correspond to the positions of the sun, Amen at dawn, Re in the evening, and Set at dusk. Amen, usually associated with the wind, or things hidden, Amen-Re was the king of the gods, and he was the god of Laura the Phoenix. Laura was remembering thinking, now quiet, as she stood gazing at the great step pyramid of King Hoser. She loved this hot torrid land, so close to her home.   She missed the joy and the beauty of running with the children of the gods among the flowers and rainbow-colored birds. She was special though. She was a Phoenix. Not a goddess, but not a human, so she was condemned to live on Earth with the humans as one, and bear their children, and then sacrifice the children to Amen-Re, so she could play and run with the gods, and keep the flesh of her human form. It had become hard to let go of her human life the last time.

She had displeased Re before, but never to this extent. She had not meant to love Barnabas so much that she would let him go, and give up their child, but she did love him. It was that love that had revived her, and raised her up again as the mighty Phoenix. Now, she had her children with her, David and Jamie. She was genuinely delighted to see David.

She had spent time telling David in factual detail about the great god Amen-Re. David had acted as though he understood, she had known he had listened as a child in a schoolroom, not really comprehending why she was telling him. But she had let it go, and let him think she was teaching him about the region they were visiting. She had come out to these pyramids to beg Re to release her from him, so she could be with Barnabas Collins, and be a mother to their child.

Knowing what Barnabas was excited her. He was a reviled creature of the night, but yet he was a charismatic being that humans were both repulsed and drawn to at the same time, and not knowing why. She had never been drawn to any being like him before. Barnabas had told her that Dirk had believed him capable of bringing her back to life, that fool hadn't known how right he had been, Laura thought with a look of disdain, thinking about Dirk. Laura knew that the sun in her veins warmed the dead cold night that ran through him. It had been a wonderful heady experience for both of them, so much so that they had been unable to let go in spite of the danger.

Supernatural creatures wondered the Earth, Laura knew this, and she had run into some during the times she had been here, but never had made contact with a vampire until Barnabas. His kind was forbidden to the offspring of the gods. The gods were fearful of contamination. They weren't sure from where the vampire's inception began. The gods knew that the vampires had no allegiance to any of them, not even Re, the great sun god, and they knew they had no allegiance to Diablos or any of the fiery demons of Hell. With this knowledge, Re had ordered Laura to destroy Barnabas and Jamie. Laura could not do it, that's why she had left her children with Elizabeth in Alexandria, and traveled to Memphis, the earthly home of her master. Laura had informed Amen-Re that according to Barnabas that Jamie was normal, because of his surrogate and legal mother Roxanne Collins, so, therefore, no threat. With that, Re had granted her a reprieve. Barnabas and Jamie were safe thanks to the strange young woman from another time band, parallel time it was called. An idea began to form in Laura's mind, a smile was on her face, as she walked back towards her hired car. The blue sundress she had on made her blue eyes even bluer, and now she was absolutely radiant. In her planning, and scheming, she had forgotten about Nicholas Blair, and his plans.

Alexandria, the shining pearl of the Mediterranean, and the beacon radiating its culture and heritage to the world at large, belied what was going on in the large hotel where a vampire slept, and his cousin guarded him, and his terrible secrets. No shining pearl to Quentin Collins, a dark suffocating nightmare was threatening to choke him. Afraid to go to sleep, because of the strange erotic power Barnabas had over him, he was ashamed of the desire he felt for his cousin, and repulsed by the thought of it.

Alexandria lying north-west of the Nile delta and stretching along a narrow land strip between the Mediterranean Sea and Lake Mariut, linked to Cairo by two major highways and a railroad line, traveling at a high rate of speed a car carrying the beautiful Laura back to Alexandria was traveling down one of these major highways.

One of the most notable summer resorts in the Middle East, for, in addition to its temperate winters, its beaches, with white sands and magnificent scenery, stretching for miles along the Mediterranean Sea. The young Mrs. Barnabas Collins did not notice any of the beauty around her as she was landing on a private airstrip just outside the ancient city, ready to confront any of the demons awaiting her, as she prepared for the fight of her life.

Alexandria was built by the Greek architect Dinocrates in 332-331 BC on the site of an old village, Rhakotis, at the orders of Alexander the Great. The city, immortalizing Alexander's name. It was the site of the Lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, as well as the Great Library. It was along these shores that history took a tragic turn at the time of Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, and Octavian. Laura remembered it. She remembered bathing with Cleopatra, laughing over different ways to look beautiful. It had been such fun. Alexander had been such a boy, Laura thought to herself, laughing out loud, she noticed they were entering Alexandria.

Meanwhile, back in England at the Collins Castle, Cassandra had practiced over and over and over in her head what she would say to Roger, but had dismissed every conversation so far. Another scene played in her mind, it was one of Nicholas Blair accusing her of sounding like a suburban middle-class housewife.

The very thought of Nicholas angered Cassandra, and she knew he couldn't tell Roger what was going on, he would think her mad, and it would be the end of their marriage, their family.   But what about David? She would ask herself. Oh, I'm not getting anywhere like this. She just knew Roger was not going to find out about Laura and Barnabas. She would find David, make him forget the horrors that he had gone through.

Convincing Roger to take her to Alexandria might not be easy, but it would not be impossible.   Excitement coursed through her as she heard her husband's voice downstairs, and she went to greet him.   I will have one night alone with my husband, without trouble, or discord, Cassandra thought as she hurriedly dabbed Chanel No. 5 behind her ears, and walked towards the door.

"Mrs. Collins, Mr. Collins has arrived. Shall I show him to your rooms?"Mrs. Phillips asked.

"Yes, of course, and make sure high tea is served," Cassandra directed the housekeeper impatiently.

"Cassandra, my love." an excited Roger Collins exclaimed happy to see his wife walking hurriedly to his opened arms.