"The village T'Mal told us of is just beyond this plateau. We will check if T'Sela is there and relay T'Mal's message."
"And then?"
He ignored her question and lifted her off her quinar. Then he turned and pulled some food out of his pack. “We will eat mid-meal now."
Sitting on Shadow's cloak, which was spread over the bare rock, Dale ate dry bread and hard cheese, washed down by icy melted snow. She didn't taste the meal as her thoughts went from Shadow to T'Sela to Thea in a dizzying blur.
She picked the least painful subject. “Do you think T'Sela's in the village ahead?"
From where he lounged, Shadow rose on his elbow to look at her. “No. She runs with the Falin now. T'Mal would do well to consider her dead. She has gone feral."
"Is there no hope for them?"
He shrugged. “Who knows? Perhaps if T'Mal is determined enough he can find and reach her. Otherwise she is lost to the Shakar world."
Sunlight and shadow flickered over his face. Light and dark. Like the two halves of the man he was. Which was real? Which false? What had driven him to this life?
Thick and straight, his dark hair fell over his broad shoulders, framing his rugged features. He kept his emotions well hidden behind an impassive mask. But Dale had seen him stripped naked, his mask discarded. Before she left him, she longed for another look into his heart. But how could she feel that way about a man who had betrayed her?
He helped her into Jo's saddle, and then settled Ava on her shoulder. He mounted Diablo and kicked him into a trot. Dale slipped sideways as Jo followed suit. To keep from falling she grabbed the saddle horn. Ava's talons dug into her shoulder. “Damn you, Jo! Can't you wait for my command?"
Jo had to be female. She followed Diablo like a mare in heat.
It took them most of the afternoon to cross the plateau. The sun sank behind the looming mountain peaks as they approached the far cliff wall.
"Wait here,” Shadow said as he slipped from Diablo's back.
"As usual,” she muttered. During the silent trek, angry questions fermented in her mind. Why had he lied to her? Who was he? What were his plans for her? Why was she yet attracted to him? Now those questions threatened to boil over.
With the setting of the sun, shadows crept over the plateau lending it an eerie moonscape look. The air chilled. Churning black clouds rolled across the clear blue sky. In the distance lightning flashed. Seconds later came the answering rumble of thunder. The smell of ozone scented the wind swirling around her. A storm approached.
Memory told her this was what she needed. Her fingers closed around the medallion. A static charge jolted through her.
She looked at Shadow, who walked along the sheer cliff wall, searching for the hidden passageway T'Mal had revealed. Pain seared her heart. Evidence and facts branded him a liar, guilty of terrible crimes. But her heart told her otherwise. How could she leave without knowing the truth? How could she stay?
A flash of lightning streaked across the now dark sky. Thunder reverberated through her. Jo shifted nervously, trying to edge closer to Diablo. Dale held the beast still. Ava squawked and beat her free wing.
Now! Now! Now! The medallion throbbed insistently in her palm. With each pulse, a painful surge of static energy raced through her, muddling her thoughts.
Again lightning flashed, followed almost instantly by a crack of thunder. Large raindrops splashed against the rock. Jo tugged against Dale's hold.
Dale slid off Jo's back. The ground shook with another roll of thunder as the rain started in earnest. Jo bolted toward Diablo. Ava's bandage slid off and the frantic bird took flight, disappearing into the deluge.
With one last longing look at Shadow, Dale lifted the medallion into the air and headed out onto the flat, windswept plateau. Thunder vibrated through the soles of her feet as the storm intensified. Thick sheets of rain drenched her. Her body tingled, as if she were about to outgrow her skin. Overhead, lightning flared between rolling black clouds and streaked toward her.
Before a brilliant white light engulfed her, Shadow's shout was the last thing she heard.
* * * *
Thea shifted in discomfort as she trailed behind T'Nar up the steep mountain trail. In the space of a day, the weather had gone from cold to wet to hot. Now the sun beat down relentlessly on her head, but it did little to dry her damp, itchy clothing. She could feel the skin on her nose and cheeks beginning to burn, while the tender flesh of her thighs chafed. Her long hair clung to her head and neck like tangled straw.
T'Nar seemed impervious to the clammy air. His dark fur repelled the rain and now lay sleek and dry.
Thunder rumbled over the mountain peaks looming above them. Lightning streaked from churning cloud to churning cloud. The tiny hairs on her body stood on end. Around her neck the white crystal started to glow. Its heat against her chest made her lift it away from her body.
Unease sent prickles running through her. She stopped. “T'Nar. Stop. Something's wrong."
He turned and shot her an impatient look. “What? If we do not hurry the storm will catch us in the open. I do not wish to be wet again. There is a cave ahead where we can shelter for the night. From there it is but a few hours to a Shakar village."
Her “other” memories were hazy shadows in her mind, but she could recall that T'Nar had always been the adventurous one, while her “other” self was more cautious. He had little patience or fear.
Before she could answer, a bolt of white set the mountain peak ablaze with a blue-white light. Blinded by the glare, Thea stumbled. Thunder rocked the mountain. Clutching the crystal in her fist, she fell to her knees.
"Mom!” For an instant, the crystal she held connected her with her mother. A familiar tingle started in her palm, and then crept up her arm.
Drawn by the crystal's power, flashes of lightning and thunder continued to dance down the mountain toward them. This was her chance. Somehow she knew that bolt of lightning had transported her mother off this planet. But to where? Earth? Somewhere else? She had to follow or risk losing her forever.
She opened her fist to reveal the chunk of crystal, which glowed an eerie red, to the raging elements. With new vision she watched the electrical charge, the energy that would enable her to follow her mother, grow inside the roiling mass of clouds now above them.
"Moon Fire! What are you doing? Get down!"
T'Nar's voice came from a great distance. Ignoring his frantic protest, she clambered to her feet. Like an offering to some pagan god she held up the crystal.
In slow motion the lightning formed—a savage arrow of unbelievable power, aimed at her. Her skin drew taut in anticipation and fear. She trembled. The smell of ozone stung her nose. Sweat rolled between her small breasts and down her spine.
Mesmerized by the awesome beauty, she waited for the bolt to strike and carry her home—to her mother.
T'Nar's warm, furry body slammed into her, throwing her to the ground. The crystal slipped from her hand. The fragile braided hair chain that held it around her neck broke and the crystal flew into the air. In a burst of light and noise the bolt hit the crystal and both were gone. Like in time-lapse photography, the storm clouds evaporated. Late afternoon sun shone down from a crystalline blue sky. Not a shard of crystal remained.
Beneath T'Nar's body, Thea screamed and pounded his shoulders in rage. “Why did you stop me? Now I'll never find her. The crystal is gone. I'm stuck here. I'll die here. Alone."
He accepted her blows in silence, and gathered her to his chest. “Shhh, my hapala. You are not alone. I am with you. My family is now yours."
She struggled against him, against the sense of belonging she felt with this strange creature. But her “other” memories refused to be stilled. They grew and expanded inside her until her sobs softened. Longing for her mother would never end, and as long as she lived, she would not cease to try and find a way back to her. But she also belonged here in this world with T'Nar.
* * * *
Raf st
ared in disbelief at the heap of clothing lying on the ground in front of him. What moon cursed magic was this? The sky was now blue and clear, the sun warm on his head. No trace of the black thunderclouds lingered. Nor, besides her clothing, was there a trace of Dale. Like the woman, Cathy, Dale had vanished in a bolt of blue-white light. All that remained was a small shard of the milk crystal she valued so highly. He rubbed his thumb over the newly broken edge.
Was she a seraph? A messenger of the Eternal One sent to test and guide him? Or was she sent from Oblivion to tempt and lead him into destruction? When he'd found her, it was as if she'd fallen out of the sky. Now she'd returned to her own realm without revealing her true purpose.
Perhaps she was neither. Raf found he didn't care where she was from. Whatever blessing or curse she might carry, she was his. He would have her back.
He picked up the stone. Still warm, it seemed to vibrate against his palm. As his fingers closed possessively around the shard, a faint echo of Dale filled his mind. Somehow, someday, he would find her again.
But first he would fulfill his obligation to T'Mal and complete his mission against Devros. Only then would he be free to seek his destiny.
If he survived.
* * * *
Hard rock pressed against her cheek. The warm sun beat down on her body, and a fine spray of cool water misted over her bare back. She shivered at the contrast.
Disoriented, she sat up and blinked. The world swam slowly into focus. A river flowed past her. The Council River.
She was home!
Over her shoulder Cathy's house—her house—sat on a bluff overlooking the river. In the sunlight, the house's large windows reflected the view of the river.
Dale scrambled to her feet. She was home. Thea was here, waiting for her. Unmindful of her nakedness, she hurried up the rocky dirt path that led to the house. A tattered remnant of yellow police tape made her pause. She touched the tape. What crime had occurred here?
In the seven years since Cathy had disappeared and her house became Dale and Thea's home, Dale had trod this same path a thousand times. Each time she remembered the chilling sight of yellow police tape and the clothing abandoned on this same rock. Though no bodies had ever been found, until Dale had transported off Earth, she'd believed Cathy had met with foul play. Now, she knew Cathy's fate, for all the good it had done her.
The thought of Cathy's clothes lying in a sad heap made her think of her own nakedness. Had her clothes remained behind for Shadow to find? What would he think—feel—at the sight?
She hardened her heart to his possible distress.
She was well rid of him. He'd abducted her. Lied to her. Kept from her the means to return home to Thea for long, lonely, worry-filled days. She owed him nothing.
Nothing, but her life, her conscience reminded her.
Her fingers curled into fists. Sharp edges of the crystal bit into her palm. She loosened her grip and stared at the rock. It appeared decidedly smaller than before. She brushed a ragged edge with her fingertips and bits broke away. With each use the stone grew weaker. Soon it would crumble to dust. Good riddance. She started to throw the crystal into the river then stopped. Cathy was still out there. Maybe after Thea was well again the crystal could help them find and bring her home.
Dale cupped the stone and its crumbs carefully in her palm and made her way toward the house.
The house sat quiet and empty in the afternoon sun. Though the yard was neat and well kept, the house had an abandoned air about it. She tried the front door. It was locked. Limping on her sore bare feet, she moved to the back door. Locked. With her free hand she located the spare key from under one of her sculptures that decorated the small back porch and opened the door.
The house smelled closed and stale, and the odor of old paint and turpentine still lingered from when Cathy had her studio in the house seven years ago. Dust motes floated in the sunbeams streaming in through the large plate glass windows, and a fine layer of dust covered the simple furnishings. The refrigerator door stood open, an indication it had been emptied and turned off.
Dale's heart sank. Thea wasn't here. Then her mind cleared. Of course she wasn't here. Scott wouldn't let her stay alone in the house. He'd take her to his home. Or was she in the hospital?
She calculated the days she'd spent in Shadow's world, but did time flow the same there as here? How long had she been gone? Was she too late?
The thought nearly sent her to her knees. No, she refused to believe it.
After sealing the crystal and crumbs in a zippered plastic bag, she picked up the phone to call Scott, but the line was dead. She'd have to drive over there. She hurried up to her room to dress.
The sight of herself, wild-haired and streaked with dirt, in the bedroom mirror as she started to pull on some clothes made her pause. She couldn't frighten her daughter by appearing like this. She jumped into the shower.
The pipes groaned and the showerhead sputtered for a moment, then spewed a satisfying stream of hot water over Dale's body. Standing beneath the pounding water, she leaned her head against the cool tile and struggled not to let fear overwhelm her. She had to remain strong for Thea.
The stroke of liquid over her breasts and down her belly brought to mind another touch. Her body tingled at the memory of Shadow's hands and mouth following the same trail. How sweetly he'd made love to her, slowly, gently reintroducing her to the passion she'd long denied and thought she'd forgotten.
"No,” she groaned. “I won't—I can't—think of him now.” She grabbed the soap and tried to scrub away the memories.
Once out of the shower, she rubbed herself dry and moved back into the bedroom. Her reflection in the mirror over the dresser made her stop. Who was that women?
Gone was her casual pixie, tomboyish appearance. The woman she saw looked softer, more feminine, younger, a pagan goddess awaiting the arrival of her lover. Longer than usual, her hair lay over her shoulders in silken ropes. Water darkened the normally straw colored strands to a pale honey color. Her breasts looked firmer, her belly taut and flat. Even the pale blonde nest of hair between her legs seemed darker. Beads of moisture glistened there like amber diamonds.
She shivered and blinked away the disturbing image. One night with a man, no matter how glorious, could not change who she was. Her thoughts had to focus on her daughter and her life here on Earth. Shadow belonged to another world—a beautiful, but primitive, violent world she wanted no part of.
Anxious to cover the physical evidence of Shadow's impact on her life, she grabbed up jeans and a shirt and scrambled into them. Stuffing her feet into tennis shoes, she bent over and hopped toward the bedroom door.
"Stay where you are,” Scott yelled from outside the bedroom. “I'm coming in. Don't try anything funny. I'm trained in martial arts, and I've called the police."
Dale choked back her laughter. Scott might be an expert in the martial arts and physically fit, but he was clumsy and the gentlest person she knew. He couldn't even bring himself to swat a fly. Instead he kept a butterfly net to catch and release them.
She started to straighten and answer his belligerent challenge, but before she could, the bedroom door crashed open. She stumbled and landed on her backside.
"Ouch! Blast it all, Scott. Don't you knock?” She rubbed her butt and climbed to her feet.
Scott's tall, lanky frame skidded to a halt just inside the door. His eyes widened in shock, then he rushed forward and crushed her in his embrace. “Dale? Is it you? Thank God! Where have you been? We've been going crazy looking for you. Everyone thinks you're dead."
With each word he squeezed her tighter, pushing her face against his chest until she could barely breathe. Gasping for air, she pried herself free.
"Does Thea think I'm dead?” The thought caused an ache deep in Dale's heart. “Where is she? With Gail? How is she? I can't wait to see her again. I've so much to tell her—and you. You won't believe what happened to me. I think I know what happened to Cathy. She may be alive
. But let's go get Thea first, so I don't have to tell the story twice.” She grabbed Scott's hand and tugged him toward the door. His sudden silence made her pause. “What's wrong?"
He pulled her down next to him on the edge of the bed, but wouldn't meet her anxious gaze. “I don't know how to tell you this."
Dale's heart started to race in fear. She gripped his arm. “Has something happened to Thea? Where is she? Tell me. Is she ... is she...” Her words caught on a sob. Tears blurred her vision. Thea gone? Pain exploded in her chest as the future stretched out before her, long and empty.
"No, not that, Dale. She's not dead."
"Thank God. Then what?” The relief she felt was short-lived.
"She—she disappeared shortly after you did."
"What? How? Where? Have you notified the police?"
"The police don't have a clue where she is.” He lifted her chin with his hand. “But I think you might. Here. I found this the day she vanished. It's addressed to you, but since you were also missing, I read it. It didn't help the police. Maybe you'll understand what she's talking about.” He handed her an envelope.
Dale pulled the letter out and started to read.
Dear Mom,
If you're reading this, you've found a way back from where the crystal and lightning took you. And I'm either dead or I've gone where you are.
Everyone here thinks lightning killed you and that I'm crazy. No one believes I saw you vanish. They couldn't answer when I asked where your body went.
After trying in vain to get people to listen to me, I started studying the problem, and I came up with a plan to find you. Since it involved some danger, I told no one.
If I'm not dead, you can follow me back to the other place by going to our secret spot. I've left you instructions.
Love,
Thea
Dale crushed the letter. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Foolish, foolish child.
"I assume you have some idea of what she's talking about,” Scott said. “If I wasn't so well liked around town and the sheriff wasn't my uncle, I'd probably be in jail for your murders. They'd most likely try and link me with Cathy's disappearance, too. Can you tell me what's going on? Where's this secret place? What are you going to do? And what can I do to help? We have to find her soon. She's already missed two treatments. Her doctor says she won't last much longer without the transplant."
Shadow Moon Page 12