She’d never actually thought about what would happen after the prophecy was fulfilled. Her whole life, her every thought had always been on fulfillment of that duty.
He settled beside her and pulled her against his chest. She tried to relax, but the tension inside her refused to go away. She glanced up the stairs, to the ark that seemed to emit the light filling the cavern.
She forced her gaze away from the artifact and onto the man beside her. His eyes were closed. His breathing was slow and steady.
“Alan,” she called softly, checking to see if he truly was asleep.
She waited. He didn’t stir.
Slowly, careful not to disturb him, she slid out of his arms and stood. She glanced around the cavern, at the quiet stillness greeting her. Why was it so silent? If there were plants down here, then where were the other creatures of the land? She’d seen no evidence of rats or snakes or birds. Not even the smallest spider or fly. It appeared as though Alan and she were very much alone in this underground chamber.
She strode across the walkway through the trees and down the path leading back to the hot springs. She was eager to discover just what lay beyond the trees. But even more than that, she wondered if she might find a way out.
Because as far as she could tell from what she’d observed, they were trapped in this hidden paradise, along with the ark.
Chapter Sixteen
Alan opened his eyes and instantly felt Jessamine’s absence. He shot to his feet. She was nowhere in sight. “Jessamine,” he called.
His heart raced. Had she wandered off? Had someone taken her? As irrational as it seemed, he couldn’t force the thought away.
He ran through the angel-lined path and through the trees beyond, all the while calling her name, over and over. He should have been more alert. Never had he slept so soundly as he had just then.
And he knew the reason why. He’d never been so content. A chill followed in the wake of the thought. Nor had he ever had as much to lose. Jessamine and the ark were treasures beyond price. What would become of him if he lost one, or both?
He picked up his speed, racing through the cavern that just hours ago had seemed a paradise. Now, the golden hues that danced on the walls seemed almost sinister, taunting him as he passed. “Jessamine,” he called, louder this time.
“Alan?”
His heart stumbled at the sound of her voice. He followed it until he burst through the trees into an open space. A garden, he realized, as he raced to her side and pulled her into his arms. She trembled.
“Jessamine, what’s wrong?”
Her eyes were wild, her face pale. “I’ve searched everywhere. There’s no way out. We’re trapped, Alan. The prophecy led us into a trap. We’ll be stuck here beneath the ground forever.”
“That cannot be,” he said pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Why would all the clues lead us here, only to trap us inside?”
Her trembling lessened.
“Have you ever felt that the prophecy would lead you to harm?” he asked, his voice gentle.
The fear in her eyes shifted to hope. “Never.”
“Then there is no reason to believe that now.”
She frowned. “What if the reason there are no more etchings in the chamber’s entrance is because there is no more to the story?”
He reached up to smooth her dark hair. He inhaled her scent. “Jessamine, I’ll never let anything happen to you. On my honor, I’ll protect you with the same fierceness as I want to possess you, all the days of my life.”
Warm color flooded her cheeks and her gaze dropped to the ground. “You don’t understand…The choice isn’t…” Her gaze touched his face once more. “I haven’t said I’d marry you.”
“Married or not, Jessamine, I belong to you.”
The dark centers of her eyes dilated. “What?”
“You know it’s true. Say it.”
She hesitated, then finally said, “You belong to me.”
He nodded. “Just as you belong to me.”
She buried her cheek against his chest.
“Why do you not speak?” he asked.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you’ll marry me…when you are ready. For I want you to crave my touch, my heat, with the same intensity that I crave you.”
A flicker of pain crossed her face, then disappeared. “You are hard to resist.”
He smiled as a sudden surge of tenderness swept through him. She felt the bond between them too. It was beyond either of them to resist the other. Alan turned toward the garden. He plucked the trumpet of a lily, then stepped back to her, sliding the ivory bloom behind her ear. The flower was a stark contrast to her dark, exotic hair. “I can wait until you say the words I long to hear.”
Her fingers came up to touch the silken petals. She took a step back, putting some distance between them. “Let’s find a way out of here first, shall we?”
He nodded, accepting her retreat. “Let’s return to the ark and begin there. I have an idea.”
They made their way back to the stairs. He folded his Templar tunic inside his saddlebag, then secured the bag over his shoulder. “Do you think you could help me move the ark?”
She nodded and headed for the first step. His hand on her arm stalled her. She turned to face him.
“Are you ready to leave now? Because I have a feeling once the ark moves, we’ll have no time for anything else.”
She drew a deep breath. “I’m ready.”
He took her hand, and together they headed back into the presence of the ark. Alan moved to the far end of the holy artifact. “Place your hands on the poles and let me go first down the stairs so the bulk of the weight is on me.”
Jessamine paused. “Why do you think moving the ark will cause something to happen?”
“The only thing that makes sense is that the ark is the light source down here.”
Jessamine nodded solemnly and took the poles that ran the length of the ark in her hands. With Alan on the opposite side, they lifted the ark, then paused expectantly, allowing it to hover above its platform.
Jessamine released a heavy sigh. “I almost expected another earthshake, or lightning to strike.”
“So far, so good,” Alan chuckled.
They headed for the stairs. The ark was heavy but not nearly as cumbersome as he’d expected. The builders of the holy vessel had balanced the weight well by placing the poles slightly below the lid.
Once down from the altar, they proceeded through the path with angels on each side. They walked side by side with the ark between them.
“Alan,” Jessamine asked in a whisper. “Do the angels appear to be watching us as we pass?”
The lifelike statues did appear to follow them with their eyes as the couple moved slowly down the promenade. The golden feathers that made up their wings seemed to whisper despite the lack of a breeze. “Keep walking, Jessamine. It’s an illusion. We’re safe. You touched the angels yourself and found them to be solid and lifeless.”
“What’s this idea you had about getting us out of here?” Her voice sounded tense, but she pulled her shoulders back and kept pace with him.
“The third stanza of the prophecy.”
She stumbled, then caught herself. “We’ve already lived through the predictions there.”
“All except one passage.” Alan tightened his grip on the ark, prepared to take the entire burden if need be. “ ‘A whisper of I Am that I Am will pave the way,’ ” he recited. “The name of God given to the ancient Hebrews. It’s the only part of the stanza that hasn’t come to pass.”
She frowned. “Perhaps.”
“Say it with me.”
“I Am that I Am,” Jessamine whispered. “Nothing’s happening.”
“Keep saying it.” They repeated the words over and over, their voices mingling, as they strode through the column of angels.
The golden path suddenly jerked beneath Alan’s boots, tossing him to his knees. The ark crashed to
the ground and Jessamine along with it. The path was splitting, great jagged cracks gaping like hungry mouths of stone.
“Alan!” Jessamine screamed. “What’s happening?”
“Keep chanting.” Alan was at her side, helping her once again to her feet. “I want you to run. Get out of here.” He turned to look behind him.
The promenade of angels was shivering, undulating. He tried to remain steady, but the path shifted beneath his feet. It was like riding the back of a giant serpent. He turned back to Jessamine, hoping to see her far in the distance, only to find her next to the ark. “I won’t leave without you.”
“Do you want to die here?” He hastened to her side and gripped both sides of the ark, raising it against his chest. He took two steps forward, but felt as though the movement of the path sent him backward instead. “Dammit, Jessamine, get going!”
“Not without you.” Jessamine’s mouth was set in a grim line. “Give me one side of that ark to carry.”
Alan cast her a glance of both desperation and exasperation. “If we get out of this alive, I swear…” He set the ark down and grasped the poles on one end.
She took her place on the opposite side. “We’d better hurry.”
They ran with the ark between them along the path on which they’d arrived. They had to swerve many times to avoid gaping holes where the entire path had fallen away. The words I Am that I Am became their chant, the words matching their steps.
The earth beneath them quaked and shuddered, bringing down chunks of rock from the limestone walls. The rocks crashed around them, forcing them to stop and alter their path before moving forward again. Then the ceiling started to give way. Huge boulders rained down around them.
Jessamine screamed as a slab of rock dropped right in front of her. “Merciful God!”
“Not so merciful at the moment, I’m afraid.” Alan ducked to avoid a rock coming at his head.
“Where are we headed?” Jessamine shouted when they came to a four-foot pile of rubble that blocked their way. “There’s no way out!”
He set the ark down, forcing her to lower her side as well.
“We have to think about the clues,” he growled in frustration. “I Am that I Am is the name of God. How can that help us here?”
Huge jagged cracks appeared in the rock floor on either side of them. Enormous rocks were dislodged from the walls, hurtling down behind them, in front of them, all around them. Crashing, roaring noises echoed in the confines of the cavern, vibrating until Alan felt the reverberations deep inside himself.
He focused his thoughts. He had to figure out what the clue meant if they were to survive. “God is the creator of Heaven and Earth. We are in the middle of the destruction of this bit of the world.”
“Maybe the answer has nothing to do with biblical details and everything to do with the ark,” Jessamine moaned in frustration.
Jessamine’s eyes widened.
Alan felt the shock of an idea.
They both turned to the ark. “How can this get us out of here?” he shouted over the thunderous noise.
“Stones!” Jessamine said, her eyes suddenly bright. “Do you still have the stones of fire?”
He reached for his satchel and the precious treasure inside. “Here.”
“You said whoever controls the stones, controls the ark and all its power.”
He palmed the twelve stones and held them over the ark, between the angels’ outstretched wings on the lid. “It’s worth a try.”
As he held the stones, a bluish light appeared above his hand. He extended his other hand out to Jessamine. When she placed her cool grip in his, he pulled her tight against his chest. He wanted to feel her heartbeat against his. “Close your eyes and chant with me.”
“I Am that I Am!”
The stones warmed in his hand. A cool rush of air touched their faces. The ground beneath their feet shook. The air became a swirling rush, curling around them, carrying them upwards. Higher and higher.
It was as though the hand of God carried them from the paradise below to the world above. Jessamine clung to him. Her touch was the only sensation that seemed real as they floated for what seemed like an eternity. Then as suddenly as it had started, the wind died, leaving a deafening silence in its place. They descended until Alan felt something solid beneath his feet.
The first sight to meet his eyes was Jessamine. Her hair was windswept, her cheeks were rosy, and her eyes clenched shut.
“Jessamine?” He shoved the stones back into his satchel and reached for her shoulders.
Her dark eyes snapped open. She searched his face. “Are we safe?”
“I think so. Are you unharmed?”
She nodded.
Alan raised his gaze to the sky and crossed himself. “Thank you, most merciful Lord.” He released his grip on her and turned to assess their situation. The glint of gold caught the corner of his eye. Alan reached for his sword as he turned.
“Alan.” Jessamine’s voice trailed off.
The ark rested not ten paces from them, glittering in the afternoon sun as though it belonged there, next to the spring at the summit of Jebel Madhbah.
The Spring of Moses? Whatever force had spat them from the depths below had sent them back down the mountain where their quest had begun.
His gaze met hers. A burst of unadulterated joy exploded inside him. He reached for her, twirling her around as he’d done in the cavern below. “We found the ark.”
Jessamine laughed. The sound blended with the joy in his heart. “I don’t care how it happened,” she exclaimed. “I’m just grateful it did.”
He sobered and set her back on her feet. “Now the real work begins.”
She stared at the ark. “Transporting it to Jaffa?”
He nodded. “If only there were a way to disguise it.”
She smiled. “There is. Look.” She bent and gathered a handful of rock dust in her hand, then moved to the edge of the Spring of Moses. She created a thick paste before she returned to the ark and spread it over the gold finish, leaving a patina of reddish brown.
“Jessamine!” Alan stepped forward, then stopped. “You touched the ark.”
“I didn’t figure after all we’ve been through together that it would harm me.”
“Your heart is pure.” Alan smiled. “And your idea to disguise the gold is brilliant.”
A smile started to form on her lips, then faded just as quickly. “Alan, where are the horses? Where’s Will? This is where we left them.”
“Will is familiar with the desert. He most likely took the horses where they would be protected from the storm last night.” His gaze scanned the desert beyond them. “We might have to go find him when we are finished here. Until then, you keep covering the ark. I’m going to build a way to transport it, using the horses.”
She nodded and returned to her work, alternating between preparing the paste and patting it over the gold.
Alan headed to a nearby tree, and using his sword, he struck the branches off until he had a pile of wood before him. He set about lashing the branches of acacia wood together with a length of rope he carried in his saddlebag, until he’d created a solid wooden platform to drag behind the horses.
When he was satisfied the transport would remain secure, he asked Jessamine to help him lift the ark onto it.
Jessamine continued covering the ark with the sandy paste as Alan searched the ground near the shrubs where they’d left the horses tethered. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if Will had abandoned them here. They needed those horses to get out of the desert, with or without the ark.
He searched the sand. It didn’t take long to discern the trail of hoofprints leading off to the right. Alan frowned when he realized all the prints belonged to the horses. There wasn’t a single footprint mingled among them.
Had Will made it back down the mountainside after they’d separated?
Alan’s gaze shot to the steep trail leading up the hillside. Could the old man h
ave fallen? Was he hurt? Waiting for them to rescue him? At his advanced age, he wouldn’t survive long out here without water.
Alan hurried back to Jessamine. She’d finished her task and was now cleaning her hands and face in the pool of water. As he approached, she turned toward him. “Any luck?”
“It’s worse than we feared. Someone must have untethered the horses. It appears that they’ve wandered off into the wilderness.” He hesitated. “And the evidence suggests Will never made it down from the mountain.”
Her eyes went wide. “Poor Will. We have to go back for him.”
“Aye, but when we find him, the horses will become more important than ever. Perhaps we should go after the horses first, then Will.” He bent before his saddlebag and withdrew his Templar cloak. With a flick of his wrists, he unfurled the cloth and draped it, Templar cross down, over the ark. “It won’t provide much protection from possible looters while we are gone, but the cloak will at least protect the ark from the elements.”
He offered her his hand. “Come.”
She hesitated. “Wouldn’t it be better if we split up, and you went for the horses while I went to search for Will?”
He frowned. “I’ll not leave you alone.”
“Alan, we have no other choice. If Will is hurt…”
Frustration seared through him, stronger than ever before. “I don’t like it.”
A flush touched Jessamine’s cheeks. “I know, but there is no other choice.”
With a heavy sigh, he lifted the water bladder from the saddlebag and handed it to her. “Take this. If you find Will, make him comfortable, give him water, but come back here, to me. Once I have the horses, we’ll be able to move him. Agreed?”
She nodded.
“Come here.” He opened his arms to her.
She moved into his embrace. He wrapped his arms around her, cradling her against him. She nestled her cheek deeper into the hollow of his shoulder. He felt heavy inside. He buried his face in her hair. “Be safe.”
Why was parting with her so hard?
She stayed there against him for a long moment, letting her warm strength flow through him, until finally she pulled back. “I know what is in your heart, even if you don’t say it,” she whispered.
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