Dark Truth

by Lindsay McKenna

  Glancing upward, he realized that Ana was above him in the temple. She had escaped Guerra’s attack, and now Mace wanted to go to her. But he couldn’t. There was so much confusion in his mind that he turned and padded slowly back down the narrow stone steps. He had to get down off the mountain and make for his room in Aguas Calientes. At the edge of the jungle, near the railroad tracks, he would change again from jaguar to man. But not until then, because he didn’t trust Guerra.

  Ravens didn’t fly at night, and Mace was sure he’d land on the nearest tree, remaining until daylight. When anyone shape-shifted into a physical form they were bound by those strengths and weaknesses of the individuals they became. And ravens did not fly at night. Guerra would have to wait until dawn. And then what would he do? Mace might, if he was lucky, have a second chance of killing the sorcerer.

  Mace kept up his guard as he padded down the steps. His heart centered on Ana. How was she doing?

  The lightning ceased and the night grew dark once more. Ana heard a shriek, accompanied by the familiar growl of a jaguar who had trapped his quarry. Dizzily, she sank to her knees on the floor of the temple. The shape-shifting sensation seemed to be gone. She was still human! But who was that jaguar who had leaped upon the hunter?

  Escape! I have to escape!

  Blindly, Ana scrambled forward on her hands and knees. She didn’t see the rock wall coming toward her, and was knocked unconscious.

  As she came to, she noticed the downpour was even heavier. Torrents of gurgling water rushed past where she lay. But she heard no more growling, no more commotion. No one was assaulting her mind without her permission.

  By luck, Ana discovered a sheltered niche and crawled into it. Though barely able to fit into the hollow, she found it was surprisingly dry and removed from the fury of the storm. Wiping her face, she shut off her flashlight. She didn’t want to be found by the hunter. He hadn’t come to help her get to the top of the mountain. He’d been about to kill her.

  Until the jaguar leaped at him, Ana reminded herself. Rubbing her face, she lay on her belly, heart pounding. Had this all been her imagination? Mace had warned her that magic still existed in South America.

  Ana knew what she’d witnessed had really happened. Confused, she rested her forehead on her folded hands. The storm continued unabated around her, but here in this crevice, she was relatively dry and safe. Oddly, as the storm began to let up, Ana no longer felt the stalking terror she’d experience before.

  Had the jaguar killed the hunter? Was that why she felt safe now? Wiping her face, she waited.

  Vidonia had said she must fit the claw into the stone no later than 3:00 a.m. It was a jaguar moon, the time in the lunar phase when there was no light. Vidonia had warned that evil walked the land under a jaguar moon, but she’d also said that the claw she’d given Ana would protect her, so that she could finish her test and receive the initiation she wanted.

  Exhausted, Ana closed her eyes. The hands on her watch read 11:00 p.m. Feeling tiredness pulling at her, she stretched out in the temple atop Huaynu Picchu, and fell asleep.

  Ana jerked awake in total darkness. But she could hear crickets and frogs chorusing outside her hiding place. The storm had moved on.

  Groggily, she crawled out of the hole on her hands and knees. The air was damp, and she could smell the honeyed scent of nearby orchids. Yet even out here it was dark.

  The priestess, Vidonia, had appeared in her dream. She had told Ana to wake up and go to the triangular stone.

  Turning, Ana listened intently. While she felt no threat, no sense of danger now, she wondered if the hunter lay in wait for her somewhere.

  No. He was gone.

  What about the jaguar? Was he still around? If he’d killed the hunter, chances were he was eating the body. Shivering at that thought, Ana ran her hands up and down her arms.

  Something internal drove her to shrug on her knapsack, turn on her small flashlight and make her way through the temple.

  Glancing down at her watch, Ana saw it was two-thirty. She had half an hour to locate the triangular rock. As quickly as possible Ana climbed about, slipping in the puddles, the clay sucking and sticking like glue as she shone her light over the jumbled rocks.

  When at last she exited the temple, Ana found in front of her a huge triangular rock, just as Vidonia had described. Moving quickly up a set of wider stone steps, she stopped before the megalith, which was at least fifteen feet high and twenty feet in width.

  Ana felt all kinds of energy striking the flat surface of the stone and pinging back out. It reminded her of a big radar screen of sorts, sending and receiving signals. Mystified, but knowing she had to find the hole, Ana quickly ran her palm across the surface, trying to locate it. Finally, after a lot of searching, her index finger dipped into a hollow. Immediately, Ana focused her light on the area. And there it was.

  Heart pounding with dread and excitement, Ana lifted the jaguar claw that hung around her neck. Vidonia had told her to keep it on, but insert the claw and then flatten her body against the stone and wait. The hole she had found was head high, and Ana positioned herself against the stone. It felt oddly warm, considering how cold and wet the night had been earlier.

  Fully pressed against the stone, her left cheek tilted, Ana lifted the claw and inserted it into the hole. A perfect fit.

  In an instant a flash of light went off around her. There was a sense of swift motion, but her eyes were tightly shut and she clung to the stone, her palms flattened against it. Fear mingled with hope, and dizziness assailed her. Her knees weakened. No! She had to stay against the stone! She had to know the truth. She had to find her parents. A whirling sensation began in earnest, and soon every particle of her essence seemed as if it were being drawn into the great megalith. Ana felt the rock, felt its spirit and sheer power. The light continued to dance in front of her tightly closed eyes. Warmth replaced cold. Dryness replaced the wet clothes that clung to her trembling body. Before she could even think about moving she heard a slight popping sound. It didn’t go on for long, and when it stopped, Ana felt at peace. Gone was her fear. Her longing. Her terror. Her questions.

  Slowly, other sounds came alive. The gurgling of a nearby brook. The squawk of parrots. The light continued to embrace her, and Ana opened her eyes. She was still pressed against the triangular stone, but things were different—very different. Lifting her head, she looked up. The dawn sky held shreds of low-hanging clouds just above the mountain where she stood. Monkeys called back and forth in the jungle canopy. The world was awakening for a new day.

  How could that be? Seconds ago, it had been pitch dark. Ana pushed away from the stone, but kept her hands flat against it for a moment more. The ground beneath her now was covered with thick, lush grass, not mud. Where was she? What had happened?

  “Welcome once again, child.”

  The familiar voice made Ana jump, and she spun around in surprise. Grandmother Alaria stood less than six feet away, smiling at her. The tall, regal, white-haired woman extended her thin hand toward Ana. A dark blue robe covered her lean body, and she wore simple leather sandals on her feet. Ana’s eyes honed in on the leather thong holding three jaguar claws around her neck, along with the Vesica Piscis necklace.

  “Grandmother?” she croaked, unsure of how she’d gotten to the Village of the Clouds once again. Before, she’d visited the elder in her dream state. This was different, and Ana felt completely unsettled. She wasn’t dreaming this time.

  “Welcome back to the Village of the Clouds, my child. I was expecting you, so do not be frightened. You are safe here, Ana. Completely safe.”

  Drinking in the soft, glowing light around the elder, Ana could only stare openmouthed. “But how did I get here, Grandmother? Where is this place?” Ana looked around. The Village of the Clouds appeared to be like any other community she’d seen in the jungles of South America. Only the feeling was different there. She felt incredibly at peace and in harmony with all beings.

  The sain
tly glow around Alaria’s head reminded her of the halos she’d seen in Italian Renaissance paintings of Mother Mary. The woman seemed ageless and unearthly. Perhaps it was her gentle smile and her sincere welcome.

  Abruptly, Ana realized she had not seen the elder’s lips move. She had heard the woman’s low, warm voice in her head. Once more, Ana was experiencing telepathy, but it wasn’t harsh or invasive as with Victor.

  “My dear child, there is not much time. On another visit, perhaps I can answer more of your questions. You’re here because you just passed one of your initiations. The jaguar priestess, Vidonia, gave you something that belongs to you. And that is why you are here with us.”

  Frowning, Ana clutched the jaguar claw that hung down between her breasts. “This? It belongs to me?”

  Nodding, Alaria said, “Never be without it from now on, my child. It is your ultimate protection. You have been sent here for a reason. You will undergo another initiation shortly. That is your path and that is how you will come to understand who you really are.”

  There was a sensation of heat on the back of her neck, and Ana ruefully rubbed the area where she knew the Tupay symbol resided. “I know who I am now, Grandmother. And it’s not good.”

  Alaria gave her a look of compassion. “No, you do not know fully who you are, Ana. Things are not what they seem to be, my child. Some call you evil. Others see you as someone to be controlled. And if you cannot be controlled, they will try to destroy you, instead.” Alaria lifted a thin finger and pointed to the pendant Ana clutched in her hand. “That claw contains the truth. And in the next few days, all will be revealed to you. Do you see where it hangs? Over your heart!”

  Ana let it fall between her breasts. “Yes.”

  “Remember this—everything you do in these coming days must come from your heart. You have the capacity to allow your love to transcend any fear you carry within you. Love can change the world, Ana, but you must have faith and know that it can. When you think all is lost, my child, focus on the love in your heart. Focus on it with every breath you take and it will save you. It will change the dynamic that is loose in our world right now. You can help us so much. But you must begin by following your heart.”

  Stymied, Ana murmured, “I’ve found out Victor is my father and he’s a horrible sorcerer. He tried to kill me again on the steps of the temple, until a jaguar came out of nowhere and attacked him. I want to know who my mother is. Vidonia said I would find out. I have to know, GrandmotherAlaria. I’ve waited my whole life to discover who I am. Can’t you tell me something about her? Even just a name?” Ana’s voice cracked with emotion. Tears burned in her eyes as she pleaded hoarsely with the elder.

  Alaria moved forward until there was barely a foot separating them. “You have carried the weight of the worlds upon your young shoulders, Ana. You are stronger than you realize, and that is what you must now connect with—your strength. Your path is through your heart, the path of love and compassion. To do this is to know who you are. The information you seek will come to you within days. That I promise you. What you must do now is go back to your world and play out an event that you have agreed to take part in.” Alaria lifted her hand and tenderly brushed the tears from Ana’s cheek.

  Ana gulped back a sob. She had never experienced such incredible peace as she did at this moment. The elder’s touch was like that of a butterfly grazing her flesh, and Ana felt her neediness dissolve.

  “Your mother’s name was Magdalena. And she was the opposite of your father. Hold on to that knowing, child. Call upon her when you feel all is lost. It is time now for you to return to your world. Know that we love you, and that we will meet again when the moment is right.”

  And with that, Grandmother Alaria vanished, leaving Ana with more questions than ever before.

  Chapter 10

  Mace gritted his teeth as he stood beneath the hot stream of water in the shower. He’d injured his left shoulder when the Lord of Darkness had struck him with that rock. The heat took the ache out of his badly bruised muscles, but his disappointment overwhelmed him. He’d missed his target!

  As he’d lunged up the steep, slippery steps, he had miscalculated distance. Instead of landing squarely on the Lord of Darkness’s back, his outstretched claws had ripped into the man’s cloak.

  Mace felt some satisfaction that the sorcerer had had to drop his rifle. The shot he’d fired had missed Ana, who’d been crouching on the mountaintop above them.

  His mind hazy from exhaustion, Mace had morphed back into human form at the edge of the jungle near town. His green eyes changed back to blue. Once the change was complete, he’d felt the full impact of his shoulder injury. Plus, being struck in the head by the sorcerer’s rifle had given him an ongoing headache. After getting back to his room, Mace had taken a couple of aspirin to dull the pain.

  He scrubbed his face now beneath the pummeling jets of water. He’d been damn lucky, he knew. The sorcerer had been knocked off the stairs, but Mace had not been surprised by the fierce defense Guerra put up when they’d landed twenty feet below.

  The Lord of Darkness was still alive and well, that he could sense. The sorcerer had shape-shifted back into his human form by now. At least Mace knew what animal Guerra had chosen. From now on, Mace would be extra watchful for a raven.

  He cursed himself again for letting Guerra get away. Worse yet, the Dark Lord had veiled himself, so Mace could not pick up his energy trail. All he could do was wait for the sorcerer to reveal himself later. With Ana at large, Guerra would return.

  Gripping the soap, Mace lathered his sweaty body. He couldn’t stop thinking about Ana, how scared she must be. But he couldn’t hang around to protect her, no matter how much he wanted to. He was injured himself and had to assess the damage to his shoulder.

  Sending energy feelers to locate her, Mace had sensed she was still on the top of Huaynu Picchu, even though it was dawn. Why was she there?

  That one kiss they’d shared had magically connected them to one another. Damn. He needed to keep his wits about him. Loss of focus would get them both in trouble.

  After shutting off the shower, Mace wearily stepped out and reached for the yellow, fluffy towel. He looked into the steamy mirror and briskly rubbed his damp hair, feeling torn. It was 6:00 a.m. and he was due at the drilling site in an hour. But he wanted to get to Ana first and find out if she was all right.

  Leaving the bathroom, he jerked open a dresser drawer, found a white shirt, clean jeans and socks and quickly donned them. Then, rubbing his jaw, he remembered he had to shave.

  As he stood in front of the mirror again, electric razor buzzing, he could feel the Dark Lord’s presence. Guerra was definitely nearby. But just because Mace could sense the master sorcerer, that didn’t mean he could find him. Only when Guerra unveiled himself could he track him down.

  Mace switched his psychic radar back to Ana. He could feel her—all of her. Every emotion. She felt better than she had last night, that was for sure. Far better than Mace himself felt at that moment. Every time he moved his shoulder, it pained him.

  What with his jaguar shape-shifting energy, the area would be fully healed within twenty-four hours, he knew. Until then, Mace had to be careful. Being injured in either form was dangerous for a hunter-assassin, and he hoped the Dark Lord wouldn’t come out of hiding while he was still healing, and therefore vulnerable. He finished shaving and set the razor on the white countertop. Ana was on the move again. He could feel it. She was going somewhere.

  Switching his attention back and forth between his two quarries, Mace got a really bad feeling.

  Ana was in danger—again.

  By noon, Ana had descended Huaynu Picchu via a small, slippery path down the sacred mountain. Grandmother Alaria’s words from last night haunted her. “Go to the lunar temple at the base of the apu,” she had said. “There are two temples—one above, on the peak, and the other below. They are mirror reflections of one another. As above, so below. You have been initiated on the top o
ne. Now you must go to the one near the Urubamba River, and claim your birthright.”

  Moving carefully down the narrow trail, Ana saw the first tourist hikers of the day, just ahead of her. They were chattering and laughing, and she felt exhausted and frightened in comparison. The dampness of the morning made her shiver as she walked quickly down the uneven, rocky path. Ragged-looking clouds hung just above the jungle canopy, threatening rain.

  Ana ate a protein bar to quiet her growling stomach. Was Victor alive or dead? Her own father had tried to kill her last night…

  She decided the sorcerer was still around and continuing to stalk her. She didn’t know how she sensed that, but trusted the instinct. Maybe her jaguar spirit guide had alerted her. She just knew Victor continued to be a very real danger to her.

  Ana touched the jaguar claw hanging from the leather thong as a frisson of warning raced through her. For a second, she slowed her step. Victor was close. But where? She scanned the forest around her, the path ahead. She had no weapon with which to defend herself…either.

  The possibility of dying was suddenly very real to Ana—and terrifying. She hadn’t bargained on a life-and-death initiation. She wanted to live! And she wanted to find out who her mother was, why Magdelana had abandoned her.

  This whole journey was turning into a perilous quest across quicksand, where shifting realities constantly obscured the truth. Ana had thought her parents might be Quero farmers, simple, benign people of the land. Her investigation was turning out to be anything but simple and benign. Rubbing her damp brow, she frowned. What orphan ever imagined she could come from such awful parents? The bitter reality left a sour taste in her mouth.