by Flynn, Mac
Contents
Title Page
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Smashwords Books
POOLING HEAT (LOVERS OF LEGEND) © 2014 Mac Flynn
A short story in the LOVERS OF LEGEND series
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Romantic Comedy / Paranormal Romance / Fantasy Romance
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Chapter 1
I could never have imagined a lover such as him, nor the depth of the emotions I felt for his touch.
It was the middle of summer when my friends and I decided to take the road trip north into the Indian Reservation. We'd graduated from high school in the early summer and were enjoying our last month as youths before the fall swept us away to our futures. Some of us would go to college and a few lucky ones had jobs waiting for them come Monday. I was one of those set for college, but little did I know my life was going to travel in a very different direction
We piled into a rental van and plodded our way up the long highway into the heavily forested woods of Canada, home of maple leaves and lumberjacks of questionable gender identity. The trees were thick on either side of the road that twisted and wound its way deep into the heart of no-reception.
"Guys, can we put a little more speed on this thing? I'm not getting any reception on my cell phone," my best friend, Anna, complained. She rode shotgun. That is, the front passenger seat.
"We could, but I think it'd fall apart," our driver, Tom, joked. Fortunately, the van looked a little sturdier than that. There were only a few dings and scratches on the outside. Maybe a loose wheel or two.
"How much farther?" our resident whiner, Clarisse, moaned. She sat beside me in the center of the van so she couldn't distract Tom. They were a couple, and sometimes Clarisse had a hard time not distracting Tom with 'declarations' of love.
"Another hour," Tom replied.
"Pipe down. Some of us are trying to sleep," Tiffany spoke up. She sat in the back seat with her arms wrapped around her own boy-toy, Alex.
Alex was your typical nerd with an ego the size of my soon-to-be college football stadium, but he was useful. He was the one who told us about this great lodge we were going to. It'd been part of some archaeological paper he'd done for one of our history classes. He pushed his thick glasses against his nose and glared at the rest of us. "Yes, you're all a little too loud," he complained.
Anna turned in her seat to face me. "Trish, can you get anything on your phone?" she asked me, ignoring Alex's complaining. That was my name. Well, my pet name. My full name was Trisha.
I glanced at my screen. There were no bars. "Nope," I replied.
Anna frowned and faced forward with her arms crossed and her lips pouting. "Don't the squirrels know enough to set up cellphone towers?" she commented.
"Were you expecting the five-star treatment here? Never forget that we are out in the middle of territory hardly crossed by modern man," Alex scolded her.
She rolled her eyes and glanced over her shoulder at the rest of us. "We know, we know, the Indians revered this place as some sacred religious site. You've told us that a million times."
"Then you will hear it a million and one times because you can't seem to understand that we are traveling to a very important and sacred site for the Native Americans," Alex told her. He swept his hand over the trees that flew by and Tiffany glared at him for moving. He was oblivious to her Evil Eye. "Every summer the scattered tribes would travel through these woods to the holy mountain to pray to their gods for a good year of hunting and fishing. They would feast and tell stories, and during this period all crimes were taboo. To break the taboo meant death."
Anna groaned and faced forward. "Please gods be merciful and give me death," she muttered.
"Does anyone else have to go to the bathroom?" Clarisse wondered.
One pit-stop and thirty miles later the road changed from a shallow up-and-down, side-to-side path to a curvy, winding, inclining route. We drove by a large, wooden, weathered sign. "Sacred Pools Lodge," I murmured, reading the contents of the sign.
"That's our turn, so that means only thirty more miles," Anna comforted us all.
Tom turned right onto a road that was part gravel, part dirt, and half pothole. If there weren't potholes trying to swallow us then we had to contend with washboards or washouts. The trees rose up either side of us and were pressed so close against the road that another car would have trouble passing ours. Large rocks dotted the few patches of land between the thick trees, and the scent of clear water invaded our vehicle. The van rattled its way up the winding driveway, and after a few sharp, slow turns we bumped over a wooden bridge that spanned a small but lively creek. I glanced out the window of the van and into the crystal-clear water. It looked cold, and I couldn't help but shiver.
Soon the trees cleared enough that we caught our first view of where we were staying. Sacred Pools Lodge was a rectangular, two-story building hewn from large logs cleared from the site. The front had large windows that looked down on the road and us, and there were several steep peeks in the roof to keep off the notoriously heavy Canadian winter snow. A large chimney stuck out near the front of the building, and there were several smaller ones at the rear and peeking out from the roofs. I glimpsed several trails that led from the front of the lodge up the rocky, pine-covered hill behind the building.
The driveway wound its way to the pair of front doors, and Tom parked the car there so we could unload. A small parking lot stood to the side of the lodge and in front of where Tom parked the van. The area was empty except for our vehicle.
We piled out and stretched our weary, cramped limbs. The doors of the lodge opened and an old fellow stepped out. Judging by the dark skin, hair, and facial features I guessed he was an Indian. His long, gray-speckled hair was tied back in a braid that stretched down most of his back. I was jealous. Mine wouldn't even stay out of my face, much less grow that long.
Tom, as our unofficial leader, stepped forward and shook hands with the gentleman. "Hi, we're the group who rented the three rooms," he explained.
The Indian bowed his head. "I give you greetings. My name is Chiniki, and I am the owner of Sacred Pools Lodge. Your rooms have been prepared for you if you would follow me," he invited us.
We followed him inside and were all pleased to see there were clean carpets over the real hardwood floors and there wasn't a speck of dust. The entrance hall was a large, open-rafter room that occupied the center and left-front half of the lodge. A wide staircase at the back led to the second floor, and to our right were a couple of doors that led off into the kitchen and dining hall. The large chimney I noticed over the roof ended in a wide hearth against the far left wall. A roaring fire crackled beneath the mantel, and couches and chairs were positioned close to the heat.
Chiniki led us over to the staircase and a desk that stood close by. He offered us the sign-in book while Tom pre-paid our bill. "Is the hiking good this year?" Tom asked the proprietor.
"As good as any," Chiniki replied.
"No trouble with falling logs or mudslides?" Tom wondered.
Chiniki smiled and shook his head. "No, the gods do not tolerate the destruction of their paths," he told us.
"Will we be able to see the ancient meeting grounds?" Alex spoke up. His reason for coming was a free ride to the archeaological funland at the top of the mountain. Room and board not included.
Chiniki nodded. "Yes, they are open, but I will need to guide you there myself. The trails are numerous, and one can easily get lost."
"Don't you have any maps or pictures of t
he trails?" Tiffany asked him.
"No. We do not allow cameras on many of the trails. The gods wish to remain hidden," he explained.
"That's fine. When can we go up the trails?" Tom wondered.
He, like Anna and I, were here for the hiking part of this little adventure. The trails around the lodge were legendary for their scenic views, wildlife, and flowers, ane we weren't about to miss out on a chance to see those sights. Clarisse was along for the ride to enjoy Tom, and Tiffany was there to lend moral support for Alex.
"It is too late today to hike, but there are many trails that loop around the top of the lodge which you can travel on without a guide," Chiniki replied. The long drive had taken most of the day and the sun set early among those forested mountains. It was early September, and the days were already preparing for Fall by shortening themselves and being on the slightly chilly side.
"Then I guess we'll take our rooms and sit by the fire," Tom suggested.
Chiniki handed us three room keys and we headed up the stairs.
Chapter 2
The top back half of the lodge was where the rooms were located, and we found ours close to the rear. Anna and I shared one while the two couples took their own. Our room had a view of the side of the lodge from the direction we'd come and we could see the trails that led up into the thick woods. A few autumn leaves drifted from the aspen that grew around the lodge, but most of the area was covered in pine trees. The sun was low on the horizon, but the day probably had an hour or two left of light.
Anna went over to the window and pulled aside the curtain to inspect the view. "Wouldn't it be really neat to go for a night walk?" she spoke up.
"Nope," I replied.
She turned to me with a pout on her lips. "Why not?" she asked me.
"Because I don't want to get a broken ankle and have to be airlifted out of here," I told her.
"I don't think you'd get that hurt. You're too careful about everything," she countered.
"You make that sound like a bad thing," I commented.
She dropped the curtain and walked over to sit on the bed. "It is a bad thing because it means nothing happens to you. You're going to go through life working until you retire and then dying an old maid," she scolded me.
I grinned and rubbed my chin. "I don't quite see that happening," I mused.
"Then how do you see it happening?" she asked me as she bounced on the bed.
"I see myself taking a nice, comfy desk job at some company and dying there," I corrected her.
She rolled her eyes and sighed. "What am I going to do with you?" she wondered.
"Take me downstairs where we're supposed to meet the others," I reminded her.
We tromped downstairs and found our friends on the couches in front of the fire. There was no sign of our host, or anyone else, for that matter. The crackling fire warmed the large hall and everything was quiet except for the talking of our friends. I strode over to the wide mantel around the fireplace and warmed my chilled hands. Our room wasn't exactly a heated paradise.
"I don't understand why we can't go to the sacred place today," Clarisse whined.
"We don't want to get lost trying to find them, and without any maps of the trails that's what would happen," Tom reminded her.
Alex pushed the bridge of his glasses against his nose and frowned. "I must present a miracle to you all and agree with Clarisse. I, too, am very surprised and disappointed they don't offer maps. It would be more convenient for the guests," he pointed out.
Anna plopped down beside Tom on the couch, and Tiffany sat on his other side and pinned him between them. "Maybe their gods are too shy to want to be found. Maybe that's why they also don't like cameras," Anna teased.
"My people believe that the cameras capture the soul, and we do not want tourists to take away the spirits of our gods," a voice spoke up behind the couches. We jumped and swung around to find Chiniki standing close behind the couches. He frowned at each of our sheepish faces. "I would appreciate your not bringing cameras when I take you on the trail tomorrow to the sacred meeting grounds," he requested.
"That is quite all right. I was prepared to sketch and have brought my pad and pencil," Alex replied.
"That is good. I also wish to tell you that dinner will be served in the dining room in one hour." Chiniki bowed his head to us and walked off.
Tiffany frowned. "Where did he come from?" she asked us.
Anna wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. "I don't know, but doesn't he give you guys the creeps?" she whispered.
"And the heebie-jeebies," Clarisse added.
"He's fine, just a little odd," Tom argued. He rubbed his hands and looked at each of us. "Now what do you want to do? Try going for a short hike to work up an appetite?"
Alex pushed his glasses against his face and frowned. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea. We may become lost," he argued.
Clarisse pressed against his chest and smiled into his face. "Come on, snookums, we've been stuck in a car all day. Let's stretch our legs," she cooed. The way she rubbed his chest I doubted the leg muscles were the only ones she wanted to stretch.
'Snookums' choked on his argument. "I-I suppose we could do something," he stammered.
"Great, so how about we go up one of the trails near the lodge? Those looked easy, and we'll only go for a mile or two just to get a handle on the terrain," Tom told us.
With no more arguments we went upstairs to fetch our coats from our rooms. I'd thrown mine on my bed and was reaching out to grab it when a hot wind blew over me. I gasped when the heat sent a delightful shiver through my body. It was like the touch of a lover on my flesh. I paused and glanced around looking for a ventilation grate, but didn't see anything.
"You coming or not, slow-poke?" Anna called from the door. I half turned to her still searching for an answer to the breeze. Something in my face must have set off alarm bells in her because her hand fell from the door knob and she walked over to me. "Is something wrong?" she asked me.
"Did you feel hot air pass by just now?" I wondered.
She shook her head. "No, why?" She leaned in toward me and narrowed her eyes. "This isn't just some fart joke, is it?"
I rolled my eyes and pushed her face away. "No, I was just wondering where it came from. It felt, I don't know, it felt weird."
Anna furrowed her brow and froze, but her eyes wandered around the room. "Well, I don't feel or see anything that could have caused it. This place actually feels kind of cold to me."
I focused on the air and realized the room was now back to its chilly temperature. "Huh. Must have been my imagination," I suggested.
"Probably, now let's go. Everyone's probably wondering where we are," Anna replied.
We hurried downstairs and found our impatient friends waiting by the front doors. Alex checked his watch and frowned at us. "Did you powder your noses?" he wondered.
"And our asses. It's hard to get into that crack, but we're ready now," Anna shot back. Alex curled his lips back in disgust and opened his mouth with a snarky reply.
Tom stepped between them. "Less arguing, more marching. Everyone follow me," he commanded us.
We followed him out the door and he took a left to the front corner of the lodge nearest the entrance road. Once there we took another left and were presented with the side of the lodge where sat our bedroom window and the hill with the trails. On our right lay the thick forest, and the trees pressed close against the trails as the paths wound their way up the gentle slope. There was a wide, gravel path along the wall of the lodge, and we crunched along that until it passed the building and faded into the dirt. The start of the trails was just ten yards beyond that, and there were several to choose from.
"Which way, Columbus?" Anna teased Tom.
He turned his head left and right, then shrugged. "I don't know, they look good either way," he replied.
"Then I suggest we flip a coin and be on our way before we can't see our way," Alex spoke up.
Bein
g the plastic-card carrying kids we were none of us had a coin. Anna rolled her eyes and sighed. She strode forward, pushed Tom out of the way and marched up the left path. "Then I vote this one," she announced. "Anyone have any problems with that?"
I opened my mouth to agree with her, but a hot breeze swept across me. It felt like the same one from the room, and it came from the right path. "Why don't we take the other one?" I spoke up. My sudden suggestion surprised myself as much as my friends.
Anna frowned at me. "Why that path?" she asked.
"Because left is unlucky?" I squeaked.
"Superstitiously, yes, but we are all cultured people and I choose the left path," Alex argued.
Anna smirked. "Then we're taking the right path. Come on before we can't see the boots on our feet," she commanded us. She strode forward up the right-hand path and we hurried after her.
The trail was a narrow dirt path where we were forced to march in single file. Even then our arms brushed against the needled branches of the trees and brush. The slope was gentle, but rocky, and we had to climb over boulders nearly as large as us. By the time we'd made a mile up the trail it was twenty minutes closer to dinner time. We stopped for a look back and saw the lodge far below us. Some of the lights were being turned on against the coming night.
"I. . .I think I've had enough for today," Clarisse huffed.
"I must. . .concur," Alex chimed in.
"And it will be dark before we get down," Tiffany pointed out.
"All right, I'm sure we're all pretty hungry, anyway," Tom agreed.
We turned and headed back. I somehow ended up as the tail and was innocently following the others when that breeze brushed over me. I paused and glanced up the trail. It'd come from that direction. Another soft, hot wind blew across my cheeks. It was like the feel of a gentle hand stroking my skin. I closed my eyes and leaned into it imagining the hand to be some lover tempting me with sweet promises of a beautiful life together.
"Trisha," a voice sang to me. It sounded far away, but oh so close. Maybe if I went further up the hill I could find it.