Irresistible: A SciFi Alien Mail Order Bride Romance (TerraMates Book 9)

by Lisa Lace

  “I don’t think we have time for extensive explanations.”

  “Right. Abel, do you have anything that can weigh the ladle without disturbing it?”

  Abel nodded his head. A woman on his team pulled out a device and aimed it at the ladle, calling out the weight.

  “We think the object itself is the tripwire. We need to swap it out with something with approximately the same weight. It’s a classic protection because it’s effective.” Abel’s team was already busy weighing rocks and various objects they carried.

  “This device is close, but it’s a little heavier.” The woman handed a piece of gear to Morley.

  “Don’t give it to me yet. Remove parts or cut off plastic until the weight comes down. We need to make sure the weights are as close as possible.” With a sigh, she took out her knife and began scraping off some of the plastic.

  “Making the swap is going to be tricky.” Morley looked nervous. Tricky was an understatement. Abel eagerly began to approach the altar but we both ignored him. He wasn’t close enough to disturb us.

  Slowly, Morley set the device down next to the ladle. I stood on the other side, waiting for the right time. When we were both ready, I started sliding the device toward the ladle while he pulled the ladle away.

  At the back of my mind, I vaguely realized Abel was suddenly directly behind Morley, but I was concentrating on moving the things in front of me a little bit at a time. Morley finally retrieved the ladle from its resting place as I simultaneously slid my weight into position.

  As soon as Morley pulled the ladle away, Abel bumped him, reaching for the prize. After waiting for so many years, he couldn’t last a second longer. Abel’s greed triggered a series of events. Abel inadvertently pushed Morley’s hand into the weight, moving it from the correct position. I quickly pushed it back, but it was too late.

  Morley and I looked up. We heard the grinding of old gears and stone against stone. I glanced at Morley. Usually, he was calm even in the most difficult circumstances, but I knew he was genuinely afraid this time. We heard the sound of something large moving inside the ceiling.

  Abel wasn’t paying attention to any of it. He stared desperately at the ladle, clutching it tightly in his hands as he ran to the closest fountain.

  Morley and I moved together. We each picked up one of Ven’s arms, lifting and dragging him from the room. Abel’s team had already disappeared. Ven had a massive body, and my half was hard to carry.

  He groaned but didn’t wake up. When we were almost to the door, I made a decision and released him.

  “Morley, there’s no point in getting Ven out of here if we have to leave the ladle behind. I’m going back to get it.”

  “You’re going to take it from Abel by yourself?” Morley asked. “He’s going to kill you. Even if he doesn’t, the stone wheel will crush you.”

  It felt like the room was listening to our conversation. We heard the sound of something massive rolling around in the ceiling.

  “I have to get the ladle.” I was prepared to do anything to get what I wanted. “Even if we can move Ven out of here, we won’t be able to save him without it.”

  I ran back to where Abel stood by the fountain, carefully dipping the ladle into the water. I held my breath, walking up behind him. Would I be able to grab it and go?

  He took a deep breath and drank.

  The rumbling noises that sounded so far away were getting louder. Less than a minute had passed since Abel inadvertently activated the trap, and I knew the Stone Goddess’s wheel was coming to smash us all into tiny pieces. I dived for the ladle as soon as he finished drinking, but misjudged the distance and missed badly.

  Abel moved back. “You’re never getting it.” His eyes were full of hatred.

  “Please.” Despair threatened to take over my soul. “I’ll give it back. My friend needs it, just like you.”

  “He’s nothing like me. For one thing, I’ve already used the ladle.”

  The noise in the background grew so loud that it overwhelmed our conversation. I couldn’t hear the rest of his words. The stone wheel materialized overhead, showering red dust over our bodies as the ceiling shattered.

  Abel and I both started running for the door, but it was too late for us. A piece of rock slid into place, covering the door and sealing the room.

  If there had been any question about the strange shape of the chamber, it was definitively answered as the wheel crashed onto the altar, destroying it. The stone began rolling to us, gradually picking up speed.

  The inscription was right. Was it possible for us to survive?

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  EMMY

  The huge wheel of the Stone Goddess was going to crush us. We had nowhere to run.

  Abel was pissed. “I can’t believe it.” His face looked miserable. “I just got healed, and I’m going to die under a rock.”

  An idea popped into my head. “Let’s go into one of the fountains.” Before I darted away, I stole the ladle out of his hands.

  “You’re not taking that from me.” Abel started running after me. The wheel was forgotten for a moment while he concentrated on retrieving the ladle. But I had it now, and I wasn’t giving it up until I saved Ven.

  The fountains were set into the tunnel walls. If we managed to stuff ourselves inside, the wheel would roll by and completely miss us. I climbed into the nearest fountain, not caring if I got drenched. I fit inside perfectly if I pulled my legs to my chest. I squeezed against the far side as the enormous wheel rumbled past.

  The wheel rolled up as far as its momentum would take it, then reversed and began to retrace its path, picking up speed again and spinning by me. I glanced down at my arms. They were covered in white dust from the ceiling.

  Now that I wasn’t facing imminent death, I began to form a plan to get the ladle, fill it with healing water, and bring it to Ven. The first step was securing the ladle. I unbuttoned my shirt and tucked it inside, buttoning my clothes over the artifact. I checked to make sure my shirt was tightly tucked in and shifted my thoughts to getting out of the room.

  The door wouldn’t work any longer, but I was sure there was another way out. We thought monks had used the ladle in the past. If they did, they would need an escape route in case someone accidentally triggered the wheel of death.

  Where was the emergency door?

  The fountains were the first place anyone would go to escape the wheel. I held my breath as it rumbled past me again. Its weight and destructive force were frightening even though I was safe for now.

  If the fountains were a natural hiding place, any escape door was probably located inside. I turned slightly and examined the outer wall of my fountain, looking for anything indicating a door. I pressed everything I could see and ran my hand over the surface of the walls and floor. Nothing happened.

  What if I was in the wrong place? Did I have to check all the other fountains until I found the one with a door? What if my guess was incorrect, and I was looking for something that didn’t even exist? I closed my eyes. I decided to check all of the fountains on my side first, then cross over and investigate the other side. I didn’t know how long the big rock would keep its momentum, but I guessed it could continue moving for some time.

  As the stone wheel rolled past me again on its way to the other side of the room, I jumped out of the fountain, ran as quickly as I could, and dove into the next fountain.

  After examining it, I realized there wasn’t a door in this location. Two fountains later, I sat back to catch my breath and looked across the room. Something caught my eye in the fountain directly across from me.

  A deity inhabited each fountain. The one across from me held a representation of the Stone Goddess. My heart sped up. Was that the fountain with the door? It would make sense to indicate which fountain had the escape route. The Stone Goddess kills, but the Stone Goddess also saves. There was a poetic symmetry somewhere.

  I prepared myself and waited. As the stone wheel rolled past again,
I dashed across the room and scrambled up into the fountain of the Stone Goddess. I made it with only a second to spare as the rock rumbled past me once more.

  A moment later, I was examining the alcove, searching for a mechanism to open a secret door. I pressed everything imaginable, but I found nothing.

  Did Ven have much more time? What if he was already dead? When Morley and I lifted him, Ven had groaned, so he was alive at the time. I clung to the hope that I could find Ven with time to spare, but that would only be true if I got out of here.

  My arms were still covered in white dust. Was something the matter with white dust? It was dangerous, but I carried a cure with me.

  I took the ladle out of my shirt and grabbed onto the Stone Goddess’s hand, using her to hold steady as I reached into the water and filled the ladle.

  I took a sip, relishing in the cold drink. As I refreshed myself, a previously-unseen door swung open by itself, revealing a dark passageway. Either pressing on the hand of the Goddess opened the door or taking a drink did.

  Before I left, I was going to take some magic water with me. I carefully filled the ladle again, then moved awkwardly around the fountain into the dark passageway. A giant insect dropped down in front of me, and I batted it away. Shuddering, I stood up in the passage.

  I was comfortable with man-made obstacles, but I didn’t like any biological threats. It was dark in the tunnel, and it was difficult for me to see. I hoped I wouldn’t run into anything terrible.

  After a few minutes of clumsily shuffling through the darkness, I bumped into a door and spilled some of the precious water.

  “Fuck.” I felt around, being careful not to drop any more. I didn’t know if the amount of water was crucial but it might be the difference between life and death for Ven.

  The door swung open, revealing so much light that I started to blink. I moved slowly out the door being careful not to empty the ladle. When my eyes had adjusted to the brightness, I saw Morley with his back to me, kneeling next to Ven. Ven was unconscious on the floor.

  I strode ahead, keeping my eyes focused on the ladle. As I approached, Morley heard my footsteps and turned around. “My girl, I thought I lost you.” There were tears in his eyes.

  “I’m tough to kill.” I smiled when I saw he was alive. “I brought the ladle, and it’s full of water.”

  “Ven needs it right away. He stopped breathing.”

  I knelt down beside Ven. His body looked as solid as a board, and he was clenching his muscles. Morley was on his other side and opened Ven’s mouth.

  “Do you think I should just pour it in?”

  Morley nodded, his eyes shining. He had waited twenty-five years for this moment.

  I placed the ladle against Ven’s lips and tried to keep my hands from shaking. I tipped it carefully until all the water dribbled into his mouth. After that, all we could do was wait.

  After a minute had passed, there was no sign of movement. My tiny flicker of hope turned into despair.

  “This stupid ladle’s not doing anything.” I felt a lump in my throat. Everything we sacrificed had been in vain. Ven was going to die today. I couldn’t stand it.

  “Be patient.” Morley was trying to be kind, but I could see he was losing hope. The years spent searching had been a fool’s errand. We had risked our lives for an illusion.

  I closed my eyes, pressing my fingers against his neck, tears spilling out as I frantically checked for a pulse. Nothing. He had no heartbeat.

  Ven was gone.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  VEN

  I drifted in and out of consciousness, floating outside of my body. There were voices. One belonged to a woman, and others blended into a cacophony. I remembered I was supposed to do something, but I wasn’t sure what it was. The thought was on the outskirts of my mind. It vanished every time I tried to focus on it.

  The woman was someone important. We were doing something together. I didn’t know what.

  What I did know was that pain filled my body. Agony was a part of every muscle, bone, and nerve. The last thing I wanted to do was think about my suffering. I noticed a beautiful light. It was peaceful and beckoned to me. I knew if I went into the light all my pain would go away.

  Merely moving in the direction of the glowing light felt wonderful. I sighed, feeling my pain start to disappear. I was about to enter the light when I paused.

  Wasn’t there something I was supposed to do? It was related to the woman. Was she important?

  The light had a magnetic pull on me, and involuntarily I began moving to it again. I heard a noise in the distance and imagined my body was moving, but everything seemed far away. The light was right here. I felt torn in two directions. It was time to enter the light, but a little part of me was reluctant to surrender. Could I stay and bear the pain?

  I don’t know how long I floated between the light and the pain. The place was timeless. I wasn’t in a hurry. I had to choose between doing something easy and doing what was necessary.

  Without warning, the pain receded. I felt an intense relief and immediately moved back toward my body. I glanced longingly at the light, but I realized I wasn’t supposed to be there yet. I had things to do. I felt like I had been underwater and was going back up for a breath of air when my consciousness reintegrated with my body.

  Crashing back into reality, I woke up.

  Everything hurt. I could hear the sound of someone crying. My eyelids were so dry that I could barely pry them open. When I finally managed to open my eyes, I wasn’t sure where I was.

  It was bright here too, even though I had turned away from the light. A woman’s head was on my chest. She was sobbing like she had a broken heart. I vaguely recalled someone crying like that on my shoulder before. I wondered why it didn’t make me uncomfortable.

  Suddenly I remembered everything. Searching for the ladle, making love to Emmy, getting hit with poisoned arrows, and passing out. I had no idea what had happened after I lost consciousness. All I knew was that Emmy was crying on my chest like she had lost a family pet.

  I tried to speak, but the only thing that came out of my mouth was a croak. Her head came up, and I tried again. “What’s wrong, Emmy?” I thought I managed to speak clearly this time. She started weeping even louder than before, and Morley appeared from somewhere. They both talked at the same time. I wasn’t sure what they were saying. My brain felt a bit fuzzy. I knew I had to tell her one thing before I thought about doing anything else.

  “Listen to me.” My voice was rough, but it worked. She took my face in her hands and gazed into my eyes.

  “I love you.” Now she knew, and I could die in peace. She closed her eyes as if she were praying and leaned down to kiss me soundly on the lips.

  Her touch made me feel much better. Maybe it wasn’t the kiss. I felt like I was regaining strength with each passing moment. The pain and stiffness were receding in my limbs. Soon I felt strong enough to sit up.

  Morley and Emmy exchanged incredulous glances. I shook out my arms, which seemed to be working. I wiggled my legs. Did the poison leave my body? I pulled up my shirt to check on the wound on my chest and saw a round, pink scar.

  “I guess the ladle is real. It worked.”

  Emmy nodded and hugged me. “What about Abel?” she asked. “He’s still in there.”

  Morley nodded and walked down the hall, going through a small door. He was back a few minutes later with Abel in tow.

  “You didn’t even tie him up?”

  “He’s my brother, Emmy.”

  “Not to me. He’s a danger to everyone.” She shook her head.

  Before they could enter into an argument, the room started to shake. Dust began falling from the cracks in the ceiling.

  Morley looked at Emmy in dismay. “Taking the ladle was the last straw.”

  “Are you saying there’s additional danger?” Abel looked incredulous.

  Morley shook his head. “We have to get out of here. It sounds like the entire catacombs are at
risk.”

  “The Stone Goddess leaves no survivors,” Emmy whispered to herself.

  Cracks appeared in the ceiling and the walls. Dust poured out of the cracks, coming down in a thick cloud that threatened to cover us.

  Emmy started shouting above the noise. “It’s not regular dust. It’s hematite. Put your mask on!”

  She was already wearing her mask. My hand reached into my pocket and pulled out the cover, putting it over my face. Morley produced a mask for himself, and Abel was forced to cover his nose and mouth with his shirt.

  Morley motioned to the tunnel, and we followed him quickly. Once inside, we saw two paths go in different directions. One appeared to lead back to the ladle’s resting place while the other had stairs leading up. “We have to climb. I’m not sure how much time remains.”

  I moved behind Emmy, and we raced up the stairs together. I kept looking back to confirm Morley was still behind us. I didn’t care if Abel died down here, but I was determined to make sure Morley came with us.

  In case we needed further incentives, dust and stones began to fall in the stairwell. Emmy slipped, but I caught her ass. We stayed on our feet. My muscles started to ache from the effort, and my lungs were burning. I hoped my breathing problems were from the exertion, and not because I accidentally inhaled hematite.

  We had started to slow down when we came to a door. More rocks were filling the stairwell. One crashed into my head. When I touched my forehead, my fingers came away wet with blood.

  Emmy was fumbling with the door. There was a handle, but I could see her searching for a puzzle. Morley pushed past her and leaned on the release. “Sometimes things aren’t complicated.”

  We all slipped out of the door, emerging onto the mountainside where we saw Abel’s team trudging down the mountain. It was cold in the shadow of the cave, and we moved out into the blissful heat of the two suns. Looking through the door, we could see the demise of the structure. I held Emmy’s hand as the catacombs which kept the Silver Mestolo of Zelia safe for centuries collapsed into ruins.