by Teri Barnett
“Elizabeth was a headstrong, ambitious woman.” Connor shook his head. “Michael Greene owned half the silver mines in Nevada and she was hankering after money. That’s why she left me.” He snorted and shook his head. “Sheriffs aren’t rich. That’s all I know.” He looked up first at Zachariah and then at Bethany. “You didn’t answer my earlier question. Tell me, is she dead?”
Bethany glanced down and studied the mosaic stone patterns in the floor. This was the part she had been dreading. She reached into her waist pouch and pulled out the ornate tortoise and mother of pearl comb. Her eyes caught Connor’s and he slowly held his hand out for it. As she placed the object there, her fingers touched his. A spark of energy flew through her body, jarring her. She immediately withdrew her hand and looked away.
Bethany’s eyes filled with tears as something inside her stirred. She tried to shrug it off. It was part of being a Knower, after all, to experience another person’s pain and sorrow. “In my vision, Elizabeth and Michael arrived here in a bright flash of light. At the site, we found ashes and bone fragments. I tried to read them, but there wasn’t enough substance remaining. I could only make out they were human and nothing more. I believe they were the remains of your wife and Michael Greene, with the exception of the comb and the box with the manuscript.”
Bethany shook her head, reading Connor’s unasked question. “I don’t know how these two items escaped. She must have dropped them when the flames overtook her. I’m sorry, Connor.”
Connor turned the comb over and over. “I gave her this on our wedding day.” His voice was quiet. “It was my mother’s.” He leaned back into the chair. “I never wished Elizabeth any harm, I only wanted her to come home.” Connor looked at Bethany. “How would she know to come here?”
“Legend tells us it’s all explained in the Book of Eitel. It supposedly outlines how to travel between the planes without benefit of Zachariah’s portal or death.”
“I’ve heard that when you die, your life flashes before your eyes. That must be why you’re telling me all of this — so I can remember the details of what brought me to this point,” he said in a low voice, taking another drink of whiskey.
Bethany stood, wrapping her arms around her. It couldn’t be. Her stomach clenched and she took a deep breath to quell the nausea that threatened. Here was her greatest hope for finding Sarah and it was nothing. Nothing. She walked over to the fire and stared at the flames, her back to Connor and Zachariah. The man knew less than she did about Elizabeth and Eitel. She lifted her hand to her mouth, stifling a sob.
Connor leaned toward Zachariah. “What’s the matter with her?” he whispered.
“She had hoped you would be able to help her find her daughter. She thinks the Eitellans have taken the child and thought you’d know something, given your connections to Elizabeth.”
“Me?” His laugh was bitter. Harsh. “Well, that’s a new one. No one has wanted my help for a long time. Seems like most people I know can take care of things without me. Just like Elizabeth and Devil’s Gate.” He leaned back in his chair and exhaled loudly.
Bethany turned to Connor, her gaze blurred by her tears. She had expected too much from the man, she could see that now. “Well, Connor Jessup, if you’re ready, I’ll escort you back to the Earth plane.”
“You mean I can go, just like that?” He looked over to Zachariah, who nodded. “Wait a minute. What about the comment you made about seeing how I did here? Did I do all right, then? I don’t have to die yet?”
“You did what you could, given the circumstances and your degree of knowledge of the events presented to you. From here, Bethany will have to go on alone.”
Connor studied Bethany. “Is there a chance Elizabeth is still alive?”
Bethany shrugged. “I would assume not, but I can’t be absolutely certain at this point.”
“Then I’m staying.”
“You can’t stay, Connor Jessup.” Bethany took a step toward him, growing suspicious. “Why would you want to, anyway?”
He looked around him. “If there’s a chance my wife is here, wherever here is, I want to find her.” Connor stood and walked over to the window where the two suns rotated around each other.
Bethany turned to Zachariah. “I don’t know about this. Won’t he have to travel as a shadow, just like I did? What if we don’t find Sarah in the two days given before he’d have to return?”
Zachariah tilted his head toward Connor. “He is emotionally involved, Bethany, like you—but there’s a difference. The amount of drink he consumes clouds his thinking and his perspective. Given his altered state of mind, I don’t believe there’ll be any real danger in his getting locked into your plane. If he so chooses, I’ll let him pass to Keilah bodily.”
Connor turned away from the window when his eyes started to burn. “I don’t know what you two are talking about, but this has been one hell of a day, I’ll say that much,” he muttered. “The way I see it is, I’m either dead—which you keep telling me I’m not—or I’m dreaming.” Bethany started to speak, but he cut her off. “I know what you’re going to say, but I’m not believing any of it. This place is too strange to be real.” He glanced at Zachariah. “Especially him,” he whispered.
“Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Jessup,” Zachariah responded tersely.
Bethany giggled.
“There now, Angel, that wasn’t so hard was it?”
Bethany sniffed. “What wasn’t?”
“To smile. My mama used to tell me a story. She said when it rained, it was the tears of angels crying over sinners.” He walked toward her and his footsteps echoing in the great hall were the only sounds to be heard. “Well, this sinner has seen enough of tears. I’ll help you find your child, Angel, if you’ll help me find Elizabeth.”
Chapter 13
Bethany took Zachariah’s hands into hers. “I’ll return with Connor as soon as we find Sarah.” She deposited a light kiss on his cheek. “Thank you for your help.”
Zachariah chuckled, nodding in the direction Connor had walked a moment before. Connor stood apart from them, studying a painting that had been incised into the wall. “You’ll have your hands full with that one.”
“I know,” Bethany whispered. “May the Mother of All grant me the strength to see this through.”
“She already has, Bethany M’Doro.” Zachariah smiled and took her by the arm, guiding her to the place where she had entered the portal. “Come along, now, Mr. Jessup,” he called over his shoulder.
Connor took his time walking, all the while scrutinizing the sights around him—from the gemstone encrusted walls to the heavily patterned floors to the high pyramidal ceiling. To Bethany it seemed as though he wanted to imprint every detail into this memory.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” He took a deep breath as the walls of stone on the other side of the opal haze before them began to part. Bethany started to walk through, but he stopped her. “Wait a minute.” Connor pulled the flask from his boot once again and drained the contents. He handed the empty silver container to Zachariah. “For you. It was made from Nevada silver by a friend of mine, Jimmy Brown Eagle.”
“Perhaps you should keep it then,” Zachariah said, turning the item over in his hand. The details of applied conchos and turquoise were beautiful.
“No, I want you to have it. You can add it to your art collection here. Jimmy’d be proud for you to have it to show.”
Zachariah nodded. “Thank you, Connor Jessup.”
“Don’t mention it.” Connor turned to Bethany. “Well, Angel, lead me to the Promised Land.”
Bethany looked at him out of the corner of her eye. Promised Land? Would she ever be able to understand what he was talking about? She shook her head. “Follow me,” she said, walking ahead of Connor through the passage to Keilah.
“Whoa-what wa
s that?” Connor froze just past the threshold, a deep vibration running through his body.
“It’s from moving through the continuum, a reaction by the essences of your body,” she said.
Connor looked at Bethany. The sun was behind her, casting a golden halo all around her entire being. He sucked in his breath.
Bethany pushed the long shimmery curls away from her eyes. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “Are you all right?”
Connor’s eyes locked with Bethany’s. She was right about her “knowing” as she called it. When she looked into his eyes, it shook him to his core.
“I can heal you, Connor Jessup, if you’ll let me,” she whispered.
He studied the rocky countryside that lay before him. “You know, this place doesn’t look a whole lot different than where I come from. The desert here runs straight up to the mountains and the land is as dry as any I’ve ever seen.”
“Did you hear what I said?”
“Yeah, I heard you. My Daddy said he could heal, too.” He started to walk. “Sorry, but I’m not buying much of it.”
Bethany fell into step beside him. “What bitterness is this that you feel for your father? Can you explain it to me?”
Connor snorted. “Daddy was a tent preacher. We traveled from one side of the Mississippi to the other. His special talent was ‘healing.’ Mama and me, we’d sneak into the back of the tent and sit with the crowd. When he was ready to do his show, he’d ask if there were anyone who needed help. Well, Mama and me, we’d run up there as fast as we could.”
“Were you and she sick?”
“No, no. You see, we’d just go on up there, before anyone else. Then, he’d make like he was curing us—calling on the power of the spirit and all. People would follow along, giving Daddy money to make them feel better.”
“Are you saying your father was a healer or not?” Bethany asked, confused.
“Oh, I guess you could say he was. At least, that’s what he told everybody who had a nickel to spend.”
“I’m sorry, I still don’t understand.”
“No, I guess you wouldn’t, being an angel and all. You probably can’t imagine someone lying to folks. Telling them he’ll cure their body and soul, then taking every last bit of money they had. He’d leave them with nothing, not even enough coin to feed themselves.” He stopped walking and reached into his breast pocket. Connor opened the flask and tossed down half a swallow. He lifted it to his lips again before realizing the container was empty.
He flung it against a rock and the hollow sound echoed down the hill, mocking him. “Damn.”
Bethany glanced at him. “How many of those containers do you have? Do you keep one in each pocket?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. The problem is that was the last one with anything left to drink in it.” He shoved his hands into his pants pockets and stood still, again surveying the land. “I kind of figured Hell would be different. You know, the fire and brimstone?” He looked up at the sky. “It’s too blue.”
“What color should it be?” Bethany asked, her lips quirked in a smile.
“Well, if this were really Hell, I’d guess it’d be as black as the darkest starless night, with flashes of red fire against the horizon.” He squinted his eyes as he looked off into the distance.
“What do you see?” Bethany asked.
Connor gazed at the stand of long needled conifers. “Just the ghost of a memory.” Connor shook his head. “I buried my Daddy, almost twenty years ago, under some trees like those over there, right along side Mama. They both died of the fever, only a few days apart.”
“How old were you?”
“Barely sixteen. I’ve been on my own ever since.” He rubbed his eyes wearily. “Except for Elizabeth.”
Bethany studied his profile, trying to make some sense of the puzzle Connor Jessup represented. She could see the strength that had once been there translated into the way he held himself. And, more importantly to her, a strength of spirit that occasionally showed through the drunken demeanor. “In my world, a clump of trees of that sort would indicate the location of a kiyolo.”
“Kiyolo? Is that anything like a saloon? I sure could use a drink.”
“Hardly.” Bethany picked up her pace. “Watch your step,” she said. The ground was covered with sharp rocks, designed to deter intruders.
“A kiyolo is a place of prayer for the Eitellans,” she explained as they hurried along. “Originally, these underground caves were used by an even earlier group of people, the Druas. When they disbanded, the followers of Eitel adopted the caves for their own use. At least, that’s what the legends say. I’m praying I’ll find some information here that’ll help me find Sarah.”
Bethany and Connor reached the brush around the kiyolo, finding it to be thick and heavy with the scent of pine. They pushed back the boughs and the sticky resin that coated the branches clung to their hands and clothes. In the middle of the trees, covering the opening, rested a large flat rock. Bethany bent over and struggled to move it out of the way.
“Let me help you,” Connor offered. As he did so, he stumbled over an exposed tree root and fell forward, landing face first on top of the stone.
Connor grunted. “Got anything liquor-like around here?” he managed to ask between breaths. Bethany shook her head.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Connor whispered roughly, pushing himself to his knees.
“Like what?” Bethany struggled to guard her expression.
“Like you feel sorry for me. I won’t have you feeling sorry for me.”
Bethany reached out and pushed back a stray lock of midnight black hair that had fallen over his eyes. She gasped and pulled away, but not before she felt his imminent death. It was the same feeling she’d had when studying the Akashic Records and it welled up inside, overpowering her.
He froze, his eyes steady with Bethany’s. “You’re reading me, just like you did with my badge, aren’t you? Tell me what you see, Angel,” he whispered.
Bethany shook her head. “I can’t.”
“Please, Angel. Tell me.”
She looked away. Why should she have such an intense sense of connection with this man? The only important fact about Connor Jessup was that he was going to help her find Sarah. Sarah. The thought of her daughter helped Bethany refocus and push aside the heavy sadness and sense of loss she felt for Connor.
“You know, I can’t move this stone with you kneeling on it.”
Connor glanced down, then scrambled to his feet. “Would you let me help you now?”
“I can take care of it. You just make sure there’s no one around watching us.”
Connor raised his hand to shade his eyes and scanned the area around them. “Nothing to report, Captain, Sir.”
Bethany shot him a frown then returned her attention to the stone. She gave it one last pull and it finally slid along two tracks carved into the solid ground. Bethany stood and brushed the red dirt from her leggings. “I’m going in.”
“Not so fast.” Connor held up his hand and stepped in front of her.
“What do you mean?” Bethany placed her hands on her hips.
“It means I’ll go in there first. A woman doesn’t have any business running headlong into what could be trouble.” He took a step down on the stone stairs that were carved into the side of the kiyolo.
“Hold on there one minute, Connor Jessup. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I’ve been doing it all my life, even more so since my husband died. You have absolutely no idea what to expect when you enter that cave, whereas I do. I will go in there first.”
“You had a husband?”
“Did you hear anything I said?” Bethany sighed, exasperated. This was as difficult as trying to explain her need for independence to Ian Johns. Didn’t men understand? They themselves wanted it, but it wasn’t considered
acceptable for women. It was beyond belief that here was another man from a completely different plane reacting the same way. She shook her head. “Are all of you men alike?”
Connor puffed himself up. “Well, forgive me for not knowing angels have husbands.” He looked away, shaking his head. “How the hell was I supposed to know? Then you go off getting mad at me, like I did something wrong.”
Bethany poked a finger at his chest. “I will not stand here arguing with you anymore. My daughter’s very existence is at stake and, while I appreciate your help, I want you out of my way. Now!” With each of the last words she spoke, Bethany poked him in the chest.
Just as she finished her tirade, Connor grabbed hold of her wrist. When he spoke, his tone was flat and low. “You talk to me like I don’t have the sense God gave a jackass.”
“Well, I won’t disagree with you there. I don’t know what a jackass is, but it sounds like a stubborn animal!” Bethany struggled to wrestle her arm free. She gave Connor a slight shove and, before either could react, he lost his balance and tumbled down the worn stone steps, pulling her with him.
The pair hit the bottom with a thud, stirring up a cloud of dust and sending what Bethany guessed to be several rodents scurrying. Slowly, she sat up, taking a mental inventory to make sure no bones were broken.
“Of all the stupidest things!” Connor rolled off his back and onto his side, trying to rub the pain in his right thigh away. “You’re awfully damn clumsy for an angel.”
Bethany whacked him in the shoulder with all her might. He yelped. She stood and looked down at him. “I’m not an angel.”
Chapter 14
Frustrated, Bethany left Connor where he lay on the compacted clay floor and began to search around the side of the stair. She ran her hands over the cool stone, feeling every bit of its surface.
“What’re you doing that for?” Connor asked, now rubbing his shoulder. “I’m gonna have a hell of a bruise, thanks to you.”
Bethany chose to ignore the last comment. “Every kiyolo I’ve been in has had a compartment where the makings of a torch are stored. It’s just a matter of finding it.” She glanced up at the opening they had just fallen through. The sky was growing dark and the first stars were beginning to shine. The crescent moon could almost be seen from the edge of the entry as it began its passage through the night. “There it is.” Bethany spotted a niche set high into the wall. From it, she extracted a stick with an oiled cloth wrapped around one end. She reached into her waist pouch, searching. “Oh no.”