by S. E. Smith
“Goddess, I should have stayed on the beach with the others,” Ashure groaned.
“The others didn’t make it?” Ross asked.
“Nay,” Ashure tersely replied.
The shaking stopped and Ross deeply sighed in relief, focusing on remaining calm. Gem was somewhere up ahead. Hopefully, the quake hadn’t destroyed the stairs – or their exit above.
On a good note, if we are stuck in here, at least Drago, Orion, and Nali know where we are and can help dig us out, he thought.
“Ross, are you alright?” Gem called.
Ross turned his head when he saw a glowing light. He smiled. His Princess had struck again.
“Thank you, Goddess,” Ashure mumbled.
Ross looked at Ashure. He was surprised to see a thin film of sweat beading on the man’s brow. Ashure’s eyes were focused on the light in Gem’s hand.
“What’s the matter? Are you afraid of the dark?” Ross asked.
Ashure shook his head. “The dark is fine. The dark combined with a very, very small place is not so good,” he confessed.
“Ross…?” Gem called again.
“Yeah, we’re good,” he answered.
“Thank the Goddess. The passage opens into a large cavern,” she informed them.
“You can move a bit faster – I think she misses you. It is just an observation,” Ashure said, nodding his head at Ross.
Ross snorted in laughter. How he could find amusement at a time like this amazed him. Was it because he was lucky that he was still alive or that he knew the damn pirate wanted to get out of the narrow passage? Whatever the case, he would go with the flow.
He stepped out of the passage with relief and looked around. Behind him, he could hear Ashure murmur his own amazement. The light in Gem’s hand reflected off the crystals in the cavern, causing a prism of color to dance along the walls and ceiling. On the opposite side, Ross could see a staircase winding along the wall before disappearing through an opening.
“Here, open your palm,” she instructed.
He held his hand out, and she rolled the ball of light onto his palm. He blinked in surprise when he realized that it was not one of her creations, after all, but a light that was sealed inside a crystal sphere.
Ross looked up when Gem stepped over to a large pillar. It was covered with the round light globes. She pulled one free and shook it. He grinned when the light swirled inside like a glow stick.
“This is for you, Ashure,” she said, holding the sphere out. “If the light begins to dim, all you have to do is shake it again.”
Ashure took the orb. He shook it and the light became brighter. Ross chuckled when Ashure held the orb up and studied it with a thoughtful expression.
“You know, I could probably sell these for a good profit,” he murmured.
Gem shook her head. “I’m sure you could,” she replied.
“What about the others?” Ross asked, looking back at the dark entrance.
“They will have to use their magic to reach the top,” Ashure stated.
Gem nodded. “It won’t make much difference now. They had to use it to reach the shore. Wayman and the alien will know that we are here now,” she responded.
“Well, if the bad guys already know we’re coming, I guess there’s no need to tread lightly. I really wish I hadn’t lost the sword you gave me, Ashure. I’d feel a hell of a lot better if I had some type of weapon,” Ross said.
“A good pirate always carries a spare – or three,” Ashure chuckled.
Ross blinked in surprise when Ashure lifted his empty hand and held out a jewel-encrusted sword. Ross moved the glowing sphere to his other hand and took the sword. He stepped back and lifted it.
“Nice! Where you hide these damn things, I don’t want to know, but I’m glad you’ve got them,” Ross exclaimed.
Ashure dropped his voice to a loud, conspiratorial whisper, “Some secrets are best left to the imagination.”
Ross laughed when Ashure winked and patted the crotch of his form-fitting pants, as if insinuating that he hid his weaponry there. Shaking his head, he patted Ashure on the shoulder.
“I agree,” he said with an answering grin.
“We had best be going. I can feel a change in the Isle. I have a feeling that our time has just about run out,” Gem said, looking at them grimly before she turned and began walking toward the staircase.
24
Gem kept her eyes on Ross as she climbed the staircase behind him. Once again, he had insisted that he go first. She paused when he stopped to kick some loose pebbles off the steps.
“You care deeply for this one, yes?” Ashure murmured behind her.
Gem flashed Ashure a startled look before she turned back around and focused on the steps in front of her. “What I feel is none of your business, Pirate,” she haughtily stated.
Ashure chuckled. “These humans in our world intrigue me. They are amazed at the things we take for granted, yet are surprisingly resourceful without having the ability to do magic or shapeshift,” he observed.
“He doesn’t need to do any of these things,” she replied.
“I saw another human,” he suddenly confessed.
Gem stopped, twisted around, and looked at Ashure with a frown. “There is Carly, Jenny, and the man who was with Marina,” she said.
Ashure shook his head. “No, another woman,” he murmured.
“Where did you see her?” Gem asked in surprise.
Ashure looked over her shoulder at Ross. “I don’t know. The mirror – I see only confusing glimpses. She is tied to Ross in some way. I saw her with him,” he said.
Gem swallowed and gave him a sharp nod before she turned away. She looked at Ross. He stopped when he realized that she and Ashure had paused. He was gazing down at her with a curious expression. She closed the distance between them.
“Is everything alright?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yes, we only have one more level to go before we reach the top,” she explained.
“Okay, if you need to stop, let me know,” he murmured.
She fought the urge to close her eyes when he tenderly caressed her cheek. Instead, she looked deep into his eyes. He gazed down at her with concern, warmth, and a question in his eyes.
“Ross – when this is over—” her throat tightened, and she couldn’t continue.
“When this is over, Princess, you’ll have your kingdom and your people back to normal,” he promised.
She nodded. “Do you want me to take the lead?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No. I’ve got this,” he replied, looking over her shoulder at Ashure.
“Are you doing okay, Ashure?” he asked.
“Well, if you want the truth—” Ashure started to say before Gem glared at him. He shrugged. “I’ve never been better,” he finished in a dry tone.
Gem turned back to Ross.
“Okay, next stop is the top,” Ross said.
Gem took a deep breath and gently shook the orb in her hand. In silence, they finished the journey to the top of the staircase. Ahead of them, a heavy, wrought-iron gate protected the entrance. She and Ashure stood back when Ross signaled them to wait. He carefully lifted the metal latch, pulled the gate open, and stepped out.
She watched him as he moved along the rock wall to the outer area. The narrow passage was strewn with smaller rocks that had broken free from the tremors shaking the Isle. Gem slid the orb into her tunic pocket under Ross’s sweater. She pressed her palm over her heart. It was pounding so hard that she was afraid it would be heard.
“Clear,” Ross quietly called out with a wave of his hand.
Gem moved forward on silent feet with Ashure behind her. She slipped through the open gate and hurried over to Ross. He was still scanning the area.
“Do you see the others?” she asked.
“Not yet,” he murmured.
“They are still here,” Ashure said, walking around them as if pulled by an invisible force.
“
Ashure – who are still here?” Gem started to protest before she paused in bewilderment.
Ashure stepped out into the open. Gem looked at Ross with concern before they both cautiously followed him. She walked over to the Pirate King and touched his arm.
“What do you see, Ashure?” she quietly asked in concern.
“Your people,” he exclaimed in awe. “This magic is – beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Gem looked around her, then at Ross. He shrugged. Neither of them saw anyone. At the top of the staircase, the entrance opened into a vast courtyard that was used as a public park. The staircase had been built a thousand years ago by the first King as a gift for his wife who loved going down to the lake for a swim. The vast park was added later so that families could enjoy the wonders of the cavern on their way to the lake.
“Tell us what you see?” she murmured.
Ashure slowly turned to her. He opened his mouth to explain when a shadow passed over them. They all looked up. Ashure grinned when he saw Drago landing a short distance away.
Drago shifted back to human form and scowled at them. Gem frowned when she didn’t see Orion or Nali with him. She looked back at Drago.
“Where are Nali and Orion?” she asked with concern.
“They are not far. We encountered another taste of the alien’s reception when we flew over the palace,” Drago said.
“What happened?” Ross asked, coming to stand next to them.
Drago turned to him. “Gem was correct when she said the alien knew we were coming. An Elemental’s shadow appeared out of thin air and attacked Nali,” he explained.
“Nali! Did the alien survive?” Ashure asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Ashure,” she hissed in admonishment.
“Is Nali okay?” Ross asked.
Drago nodded. “Yes, she shifted into a Gargoyle. The alien could not penetrate her skin, but it did drag her out of the sky. She was not happy about that. She hit the ground pretty hard,” he replied.
“We went after him but he disappeared. Unfortunately for the creature, it didn’t stay gone,” Drago growled in satisfaction.
“Did you destroy it?” Gem asked.
“No. Nali wants to see if she can get some information out of it. It is obvious that the creature we caught is nothing more than a fragment of what is here,” Drago replied.
Gem nodded and looked at Ashure. “Ashure, you said you can see my people, correct?” she said, gripping his arm.
“That is true,” Ashure reluctantly agreed.
“Can you share your gift with me – so that I can know for sure that my parents survived? The alien is bound to be near them and I don’t want to endanger them if it is,” Gem requested.
Ashure vehemently shook his head in denial. “Never, Princess Gem. You do not know what you are even suggesting,” he responded in an uncharacteristically hard voice.
“Gem, I think it would be better to join Orion and Nali. Drago said that Nali was trying to get information out of the alien fragment. Maybe they will know,” Ross suggested.
Gem bit her bottom lip and nodded in agreement. “You are right,” she said.
“I’ll lead the way. I noticed what looked suspiciously like the round mud traps that I saw back in the forest when I was searching for you. We will need to proceed with caution. Not all of the traps were easy to see from the air. They will be even more difficult from the ground,” Drago said.
Gem nodded. She was thankful that Drago’s keen eye had spotted the traps. The last thing they needed to do right now was deal with falling in a trap in addition to dealing with the alien. She felt like an idiot for forgetting the very real possibility of there being more of her father’s traps so close to the palace. She had been too preoccupied with the alien to think about it.
She stepped forward, following Drago and Ashure as they moved ahead of her and Ross. She started when Ross gently grasped her hand. A glance at his face told her that he knew she was troubled.
“What is it? I know you’ve got a plan forming in that beautiful brain of yours,” he gently inquired.
She shot him a rueful smile. “You sound like Samuel,” she said, her voice breaking on the guard’s name.
Grief struck her at the thought of the old guard who had meant so much to her. Even though he’d died almost three years ago, to her, it was like it had just happened. Ross stroked her hand with his thumb. She looked down at their linked hands.
Samuel had been there for her all her life, and yet somehow, Ross had also become extremely important to her. It was a very different feeling what she felt for Ross, but if she lost him too…. How could she feel so strongly about someone she had only known a short time? It was more than a physical need; the connection was all-encompassing – mind, body, and soul – and she desperately needed that right now. Ross was the constant keeping her grounded right now, after everyone she ever cared about had been ripped away.
“What happened to him?” Ross asked in a gentle tone.
Gem took a deep, shuddering breath and blinked the tears away. Her grief would have to wait until after they defeated the alien. She refused to believe there could be any other outcome.
She lifted a hand and brushed her hair behind her ear. “He was killed protecting my parents and me. The alien took over my cousin – Wayman’s – body. It targeted my father when my parents tried to stop it. Samuel was the King’s Personal Guard, but he was more than that to me. He was my mentor and my friend. He taught me how to ride and fight. He helped me deal with the frustrations that came from being the only child and next in line for the throne when all I wanted to do was fly away and go on adventures. I never expected to be on an adventure like this, though,” she shared in a somber voice.
“It’s hard losing someone close to you unexpectedly,” he said.
She looked at him. “You lost someone as well?” she asked.
Ross nodded, staring straight ahead. “Yeah, my mom. She died a few months back from cancer. She knew she had it but didn’t tell me. I never realized how much she had done – or given up – to protect me. She left me a little money – enough for a fresh start somewhere else.” He snorted and shook his head. “She even made me promise to quit smoking,” he said with a sigh.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Ross. I – What will you do when you go back to your world?” she hesitantly inquired.
He gazed down at her in surprise before turning his head and looking around in bemusement as he thought of her question. She felt a moment of loss when he pulled his hand free from hers and rubbed his face. He grimaced when he felt the rough whiskers on his jaw.
“I need to shave – but, to answer your question, I don’t know. I honestly haven’t thought about it the last few days with everything that’s happened,” he admitted.
“But surely you did before you came here. You mentioned going to this Hawaii. Do you still wish to go there?” she asked.
“Yeah, I guess so. I don’t know. Things seem – different now. Almost dying a few times a day gives you a different perspective on the things you once thought were important,” he said.
Gem wanted to ask him if he had further considered staying, because he’d said he might, but she bit her tongue. Their night together may have meant something different to him than it did to her.
Other things made her hesitate. The first was his comment about almost dying a few times a day. That alone was not something that would exactly say ‘stay’.
She looked around her, trying to see the place she had always known through his eyes. Even with the damage from the quakes, there was a beauty to it that she had never fully appreciated. Did he see it the way she did?
The second reason she didn’t ask was because she was afraid of the answer. Ashure said that he had seen Ross with a woman from his world. What if he wanted to return to her?
“Yes, almost dying does give you a different perspective,” she agreed.
“Careful, there are three traps here. You can see t
he first two, but the third is well hidden,” Drago cautioned.
“Good eye, old man,” Ashure said in an impressed tone.
“There are two more up ahead. You may want to leave the love talk until we get past them,” Drago added, glancing over his shoulder to look at them with a grin.
“Have you no couth, Drago? Hasn’t your lovely Carly taught you anything? We could die today and you are eavesdropping on a very intimate moment. One or both of them could die today! Surely you could give them a little privacy as they share their deepest sorrows,” Ashure admonished.
“Shut up, Ashure,” Ross, Gem, and Drago all said at the same time.
Gem grimaced and shot Ross a wary expression. “I forgot that dragons have a very keen sense of hearing – and so do pirates, apparently,” she said.
“Pirates use our exceptional hearing to gather information about things that may be of use to us later – like which merchant has a shipment worth stealing or who might not want their lovely spouse to know they are cheating on them. It’s all business, of course. We never meddle in other people’s business for malicious purposes,” Ashure hastily added.
“You are not helping your or my cause, Ashure,” Drago growled.
“I see Nali. She does look a bit upset,” Ross remarked.
Gem nodded. Nali looked more pissed than upset. She wasn’t sure that she’d ever seen the Empress angry before. She hurried forward when Nali and Orion turned in their direction. Nali’s right arm was dark gray with a marble-like texture. Gem’s eyes focused on the squirming black mass held tightly in the palm of her claw-shaped hand.
“Is that—?” she started to ask, looking at Nali with concern.
Nali nodded. “Yes, this is a piece of the alien creature that was not as fortunate as the rest when it escaped,” she said.
The alien tried to wiggle free from Nali’s grasp, but every time it attempted to change shape, Orion waved his trident over it. Small arcs of bluish electrical charges surrounded the alien. The alien stiffened before reforming into a black, tar-like blob.