Eternal Flame - Book 6 (The Ruby Ring Saga)

by Chrissy Peebles

  “You will not win this ridiculous battle, Sarah. I have over a dozen immortals with the exact same powers as yours with me, and many of them know better how to use them.”

  “Powers from a ruby ring immortal automatically surge when our emotions are piqued. I’m having a bit of a mood swing, considering that my baby has been kidnapped and a fool is trying to push me around. I would watch out if I were you.”

  “Perhaps, but I have far more manpower on my side.”

  “Your manpower is nothing compared to a mother who is desperately hunting for her baby! I’m surprised you haven’t sicced your goons on me yet.”

  “I cannot afford you to be in a vegetative state, Sarah. But if that’s what I have to do, then I will do it. I need you to complete what you started. We’re almost done. This is the final leg of the journey.”

  Brightly colored energy emerged from my fingertips, and a powerful current jolted through his body once again. A beam of energy struck my chest, and the pain ricocheted through my body. Closing my eyes, I concentrated hard and focused on grabbing one particular power, invisibility. It didn’t matter how big his army was, because I could hide and easily run right past all of them.

  “Sarah!” my mom shouted, jolting me out of my trance.

  I stopped and opened my eyes, only to see that Jackson’s men had forced my frantic parents out of the house.

  “Sarah,” my mom said, “what’s going on?”

  I swallowed hard and slowly turned to meet Jackson’s gaze. “Let her go!” I demanded.

  “You have no right to treat me like this,” my father said, struggling to get out of the immortal’s grasp.

  Jackson held out his hand and pulled Victor’s sleeper move; in one fell swoop, my confused and frightened parents collapsed into the immortals’ arms.

  “Dad! Mom!”

  “They are fine...for now.”

  “Don’t you dare hurt them!”

  “Your parents are weak mortals,” he said, holding his arm out toward them. “If you continue to be so stubborn, I may have to do something more...drastic. I am sorry to put you through all this, Sarah, but my rebels and I will do whatever it takes to take down the blue-ringed immortals and get our world back.”

  “My son is missing, and now you’re threatening to kill my parents. What kind of monster are you, Jackson?”

  “I am not the monster, but you are married to one. I’ve seen him in my visions, all those horrible things he has done. You, my dear, are sleeping with the enemy.”

  “He’s a changed man. Your visions must be off if you didn’t see that.”

  “His father’s evil blood still pulses through his veins, and they run through your son’s as well.”

  “Alexander will escape his grandfather’s legacy.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because he has my blood too.”

  “I have seen your Alexander as well. In those visions, he is not the blessing you hope he will be.”

  “Then you know why I can’t let Ethano ever get near him.”

  Frustrated and growing weary of Jackson’s nonsense, I summoned fireballs to rescue my parents. Suddenly, a roaring inside my head grew louder and louder, as if someone had smacked me in the head with a sledgehammer. Spots dotted my vision, and I could feel myself going to sleep, against my own will. I tried to fight it with everything I had, but in seconds, the blackness consumed me.

  Chapter 24

  I opened my eyes and glanced around groggily, trying to make sense of where I was.

  “She’s awake,” an immortal woman said.

  Jackson approached. “Stay calm, Sarah, or I will be forced to put you in restraints. The choice is yours.”

  “Wh-where am I?” I asked.

  “Egypt,” he said calmly, as if it was completely natural to be there.

  “What!? Take me back!”

  “Your parents are fine,” he said, “but if you try to run or attack, I am not sure I will be able to guarantee their continued safety.”

  “Again with the threats, Jackson?”

  “If you won’t take me seriously, you will force me to prove my dominance in one way or another.” He stared at me, not a flicker of mercy, compassion, understanding, or friendship flickering in his hard eyes. “I could’ve tied you up,” he said, “but I didn’t.”

  “Gee, how nice of you. You only knocked me out and dragged me to another country, another continent, all with my baby missing and my husband gone. Please understand how much I need to find my baby.”

  “Cooperate and help us get this key so we can open the Box of Shadain. Help us restore order to my people. Not only will I be able to stop the corruption, but I’ll also be able to stop mortals from being used as food, as they have been for centuries. It will fix everything, make our world a better place. Then, I promise to let your parents go, and I will make it my personal mission to find your baby.”

  “How do I know you didn’t abduct my baby in the first place? You seem to be good at manipulating people.”

  “If I did, would I not be using him as leverage instead of your parents? In fact, some advised me to tell you that I have him, to threaten to kill him. That is not who I am, Sarah. I could never threaten or harm an innocent child like that.”

  “You kept me out longer than I needed to be. Did you do that so Victor couldn’t find me?”

  “I cannot afford any interruptions. We need to get this key as fast as we can.”

  “He could have helped us, you know.”

  “No, his efforts should be focused on finding your son. It would behoove you to tell him that you are fine and that you are now staying here on your own free will. Tell him to keep searching for your child.”

  “Why don’t you want him here?” I asked. “Are you going to try to sacrifice me to Ra?”

  “Are you with us or against us, Sarah? It’s a simple question, but your parents’ lives depend on your answer. You promised to help me, and we had an agreement. I hope you will hold up your end of the deal. You would not be alive if not for me. I went out of my way to find that eternal bloom and used every connection I had to carry you safely there and back. My men and I have watched over you and your family day and night.”

  “Wow. Threats and guilt-trips again. They work like charms, don’t they?”

  His gaze narrowed into unimpressed slits.

  “I’m here, and yes, in some way, I do owe you my life,” I said. “I made a promise to finish this, so let’s get it over with. I am eager to get as far away from you as I possibly can.”

  “No tricks, Sarah.”

  “How could I? If I do anything, you’ll kill my parents like the manipulative bastard you are.”

  His face softened. “There is no need for insults. I don’t want to hurt them.”

  “Don’t try to pretend you care.”

  He closed his eyes and sighed.

  “Jackson?”

  He zoned out, then finally said, “I just need your help, and you won’t give it to me willingly. I did not want things to go this far.”

  “Let’s just get it over with,” I snapped.

  He held up a hand. “First, you must call Victor off.”

  “What?”

  “You told him where you are. He will come for you.”

  “I didn’t tell him. He sees it because we’re connected.”

  “I had a vision just now, and I can see that he is furious and ready to come here.”

  “Is that why you zoned out?”

  “Yes. Now you must call him off, redirect him, or he will interfere with our plans.”

  “Maybe Victor won’t approve of these plans of yours. I can’t say I would really blame him. You abducted his wife while he was out looking for his stolen baby. I’m pretty sure he’s not the president of the Jackass...er, uh...Jackson Fan Club right now.”

  “Sarah, he will not be fond of the next leg of the journey. You must call him off.”

  “He watched me get stabbed in the heart,” I
said. “Think of what you’ve put him through. No wonder he doesn’t trust you.”

  “Can’t you trust me?”

  “Asks the man who threatens to kill my parents.”

  He held out his hand and helped me up.

  “Fine. I’ll call him off,” I said. I closed my eyes and talked to Victor in my head. He wasn’t happy about it, but I made him promise to stay away. I told him we’d have the key soon and be a step closer to getting rid of Jackson forever. There was really no use hiding things from him, so I told him my parents’ lives depended on his cooperation.

  “Is it done?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Then by all means, let’s get on with it,” Jackson said.

  “Lead the way.”

  “I hope you’re not claustrophobic.”

  I wiped my hands on my pants and nodded. “Don’t worry about me, Jackson. Somehow, your concern gives me a bitter taste in my mouth.”

  ***

  The climb was steep, and the opening was only four feet tall. The place was humid and cramped, and I had to crouch. In spite of my angst about being dragged along, I was amazed at the architectural skills of the ancient builders. We turned and twisted through the mysterious passages as beams of light from their flashlight swung around in front of me, bouncing from wall to wall.

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “The king’s chamber.”

  “It’s located in the center of the pyramid,” said one of the women in our group.

  We trekked through the cramped labyrinth, navigating to the main chamber. It seemed harder to breathe the deeper we went. Thunder rumbled, and dust fell like rain. Coughing, I covered my mouth and moved over to the side, just as a huge stone beam fell.

  “Sarah!” Jackson screamed, moving me out of the way as the ceiling crumbled and caved in on top of us.

  “My legs! I’m pinned down,” I said.

  “Let me get you out.” Heaving, he hoisted the huge stone off of me. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Sure. I’m having the time of my life. You sure know how to show another man’s wife a good time.”

  We walked over to the entrance, only to find that it was completely buried. Jackson shouted for his collages.

  I began moving stones and rubble, trying to dig out of the Egyptian tomb. As I dug, more debris and rubble fell on my head. “You brought me here to die,” I said.

  “You must stop thinking like a human. We both know this won’t kill us.”

  “We could be trapped in here for days. There are humans with us, and they might die...and for what? Some key that we aren’t even sure exists.”

  “It exists. If we found the box, then why wouldn’t we find the key?”

  I focused, and a torch of light sprang from my hand, illuminating the room. It slowly lifted from my hand and hovered in the air.

  “Nice,” he said.

  “I have lots of tricks up my sleeves, like blasting my way out of here with a bolt of energy.”

  “Whoa! Let’s not get carried away. If the ceiling caves in any further, the humans will die.”

  “Why are you so passionate about all this ancient box mumbo-jumbo?”

  “I’m doing this for Samantha, for the woman I lost,” he said.

  “I’m sure she’d be proud of your tactics,” I said, not hiding my sarcasm.

  “I’m just trying to make this a better world,” he said, “for Samantha’s sake. She believed we could do it, and I promised her I would never give up on that dream.”

  “Personally, I think your judgment is clouded by this promise you made to her. You really don’t seem like the type to go around threatening to kill people’s parents.”

  “Her family was killed by the immortals, and I saw her pain firsthand. When they took her away from me, I swore revenge.”

  “You want a better world. I get that. I do. Still, you can’t just boss people around and use them like pawns. That makes you no better than the blue-ringed immortals. I mean, I’ve been kidnapped by you and them now.”

  “You wouldn’t come on your own. If you had, I wouldn’t have had to resort to those desperate measures.”

  “Need I remind you that my son is missing?” I said, trying to hold it together.

  He came over and hugged me.

  I tried to step away, but he held me tighter.

  “Quit trying to hold in all the pain. Just let go,” he said. “I’m here for you.”

  “You don’t have kids. You have no idea how much pain I’m in.”

  “I do. I’ve been there myself, albeit in a different way.”

  I started to weep. “I-I just want another chance. I want my baby back.”

  He cupped my face. “We’ll get him back, Sarah.”

  “I want to believe that, and I don’t wanna give up hope, but I’m lost without my son. I know I told you I’d help you, but it’s hard to even think straight. My head is so scrambled with grief.”

  He held me close, and I sobbed into his chest. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I shoulda realized how hard this is for you.”

  “I know I shouldn’t criticize you. You’re on a mission, trying to cure the afflicted immortals and stop the needless deaths of human prey. You’re trying to fix this messed-up world, and that’s really honorable. I’m so sorry they killed the love of your life.”

  “I will have my revenge, with your help. I will send them to their knees, take their power away, stop them from killing innocent people, and stopping their evil reign of terror. Sometimes I get so focused on my mission that I forget to consider the feelings of others. Maybe it’s because I have little heart left. Ever since I lost Samantha, I’ve been numb and dead inside.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “My problems don’t even begin to compare to yours though. My Samantha is dead and gone, but your precious child is still out there somewhere, possibly in danger. We will narrow down every suspect and find Alexander the second we get back.”

  “About that... Why was Beth at the house the night Alexander disappeared? I can’t get that out of my head. She didn’t speak to anyone we know. It was odd, and a little too secretive for me. What if she kidnapped Alexander? Maybe she’s never gotten over Frank being stuck on me. I don’t know.”

  “Sarah...” he said.

  “Yes?”

  “She was there looking for me. I was supposed to meet her at the diner, but I stood her up. She got worried and came over. I was getting ready to leave and saw her talking to my security team. I called her over and told her I’d follow her home so we could drop off her car and go get dinner.”

  I blinked. “Why didn’t Beth tell me about that?”

  “I told her not to,” he slowly said. “I told her if she breathed one word and I found out, our relationship would be over.”

  “So...you’re dating Beth?” I asked, dumbfounded.

  “We met through you, talked here and there. I can’t deny that there is some connection between us, as heartless as I feel sometimes. I really think there is something special between us.”

  “Your enemies could hurt her,” I said.

  “I know. That’s why we haven’t told anyone.”

  When I glanced down, I noticed that I had blood all over my clothes. “What the heck?” I asked. My gaze shot to Jackson’s stomach, and I noticed that a slab of rock had pierced his skin, causing him to bleed profusely. “Jackson, you’re hurt!” I said.

  “It just started bleeding.”

  I ripped off my shirt and applied pressure to the wound.”

  “I don’t think Victor would approve of you walking around in that tank-top,” he said.

  “Since when do you care what he thinks? Besides, I’m not going to stand around and watch you bleed to death.”

  “You might have when we first got here. When you woke up, you looked pissed.”

  “Shush. You’ll heal faster if I stop the bleeding. I can’t have my kidnapper slowing me down, not when I have to find that key and stop those b
lue-ringed bastards.”

  “You’ve got spunk, just like Beth.”

  “I can’t believe you have been dating my best friend on the down low.” I blew out a breath. “Boy, I did not see that one coming.”

  “I only came clean because I couldn’t have you thinking that your best friend kidnapped your son.”

  “Hmm. Well, you have your occasional moments of honor, I guess.”

  “I’m not the monster you think I am.”

  “I’m sorry I threw that fireball at you earlier.”

  He smiled. “And I’m sorry for firing back.” He held out his hand. “Truce?”

  “Truce,” I said, shaking it. “I’ll help you find that key, and with all your resources, you can help me find my baby. Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  “Great. Then stand back so I can get us out of here.”

  He stepped back. “I don’t sense the humans or immortals.”

  “Did they leave?”

  “I bet they went for help. Lucky you. You got stuck with me.”

  There was nobody around so I knew it was safe to blast through the rock and make us a door. I lifted my arms, summoning a ball of red fire in each hand. I whipped them at the granite rock, and debris shot out all around me. Covering my eyes, I took shallow breaths through the swirling dust. “Fire in the hole,” I said.

  He chuckled.

  As the dust settled, I could see a jagged opening. I grabbed Jackson’s arm and led him out of our prison. “Where are we?” I asked.

  “A burial chamber, but if we go out that entrance and zigzag around, we should find the others and be back on track.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  When we didn’t run into the others, I looked at Jackson. “Do you think they’re okay?”

  “Odd. I don’t feel any immortal presence, nor do I sense any humans. My guess is that they went for help.”

  “Can we get the key on our own?” I asked.

  “Of course.”

  We followed the ancient drawings, and Jackson seemed to know what they meant and which direction we should go.

  “Wow. You’re quite the little tour guide, Jackson.”

  “We’ve studied and mapped out these pyramids with sophisticated computer software. Treasure collectors have told me they’ve found glass that will not break and metal that will not rust.”