by Amy Lignor
Gareth shook his head, and sent her a grin. “It’s a good thing I love you, lady. You know that? Sometimes you can be a real pain.”
“This is true,” she agreed. “By the way, you smell awesome.”
“Yeah? Nice to know that my wife’s love of caffeine-scented cologne should make those third degree burns worth it.”
Leah grinned. “Okay. What can I do to make it up to you?”
A grin spread across his face. Leaning in closer, he whispered in her ear, “Now that you mention it… Being an uncle is definitely going to be cool, but fatherhood would be even better.”
Leah stepped back so quickly that her boots hit against something behind her.
Reaching out, Gareth took hold of her wrist and stopped her from falling to the ground. “Something I said?”
“Don’t press your luck, Lowery. Even first degree burns won’t change my mind on the subject of breeding. I’m still pretty much at the point of: It’ll be a cold day in—” A scream shot through her lips as she turned around and came face to face with a man holding a humongous snake around his neck.
“What the—?”
As her shock subsided, Leah sent out a curse to whoever it was that constantly kept throwing vile things in their path. She squinted at the carving on the wooden sign that she’d fallen against, trying to make out the smaller details that were barely visible.
She felt Gareth nod against her shoulder. “That’s just the marker for the Asklepion. The locals said it was out here somewhere,” he said.
“Klepto, what?” Leah took a deep breath. She could feel the card catalogue in her brain struggling to open, but her nerves were just too frazzled to let it.
Gareth laughed. “Asklepios was a god.”
She hung her head. “Isn’t everybody?”
“The ancient healer who was taken from the earth by the gods.”
“Uh, huh.”
Gareth came around to her side, and offered a smile. “When he was mortal, the guy possessed extraordinary healing powers; cured all types of sickness and injury.”
“Guess it was tough to do without the drugs we have nowadays.”
“He used snakes. They thrived here at one time.”
Her head dropped once more and Leah began searching the ground, pressing up against Gareth’s side as if a nest of hissing reptiles was about to appear in front of them.
“I’m sure there aren’t any left,” he snickered. “It was a pretty long time ago. I’m also sure you know that snakes were credited with a score of healing powers back then.”
Leah nodded. She began to draw the knowledge she needed, but it was difficult, like sipping a milkshake through a straw. “Ancient people thought snakes had some sort of special powers that could help humans survive, no matter what was wrong with them.” She stuck out her tongue at the thought. “Yuck, by the way.”
Gareth laughed.
Her brain came alive as she revived the librarian within. “The Asklepion… That’s where the doctors worked their magic. If I’m remembering this correctly, they operated out of round rooms called ‘dream temples.’ The sick would enter them at night and lay down on the floor. When they fell asleep, little doors that were carved along the base of the walls opened to let in harmless, non-venomous snakes. They would slither all over the person while they slept, granting them dreams. Then, when the person woke up, they would tell the doctor what they’d dreamt about. By using this information, the medical man would then figure out a way to cure them.”
Leah swallowed the bile that rose in her throat at the disgusting image. “I’d rather take a pill. It’s a safe bet that having snakes crawl all over me would’ve made me lose my mind, not cure me.” Her skin felt like it was crawling already as she visualized the practice. She glanced up at him. “This supposed fact has to be a lie.”
“Why?” he challenged.
“First, no one in their right mind would be able to sleep under a blanket of snakes. Second, even if you’re so ill you’re walking down the path to Zombieville, no dream is going to show you the way back to health and happiness.” Thinking for a moment, she continued, “Tiny bottles of wine had to have been pushed through the little doors, too. Because turning a patient into a complete and utter drunk would make more sense. That way they never even saw the creepy-crawlies. And everyone knows slamming back a bottle will make you forget any ache or pain you’ve got.”
Gareth bore the look of a frustrated professor, as his mocking tone filled the almost empty street. “I’ll have you know that the snakes are fact. Asklepios is still admired today. In fact, Hypocrites—the father of modern medicine—was a member of the Asklepios cult. I assume you’ve heard of the Hippocratic Oath?”
“Very funny. Yeah. That one I heard about,” Leah snorted. She paused, trying to recall the history of this mystical man. “But why take the guy away and stop his work if he was such an all-powerful healer?”
Gareth’s voice took on a more solemn tone. “Asklepios became bored with the sick and injured and began resurrecting the dead. He was trying to find a way for mankind to live forever.”
“So because he was playing god, he was taken out by the gods, and made immortal, anyway?”
Gareth shrugged. “The gods apparently appreciated his skill and innovation.”
“Before he became a sick, twisted freak. Got it.” Leah rolled her eyes at the thought.
He continued, “The people here in Pergamon thought their Asklepion was safe. It’s forbidden for the God of the Underworld to enter a dream temple, so anyone resting inside couldn’t be hurt.”
Taking another look at the sign, Leah studied the so-called God of Healing. “He looks familiar.”
“Don’t be mean,” Gareth said. “I still own a full head of hair.”
Ignoring his laughter, Leah attempted to recall who it was the man reminded her of. Looking past the tourist sign, she saw a narrow path leading into a tunnel. She peered through the small passage. What should have been bathed in darkness was actually lit by an unexplainable source. The flickering glow looked like a group of lightning bugs, banding together to help visitors see their way through.
Gareth answered the unspoken question that was rattling around in her head. “It’s getting dark now. I’m wet, sticky, and I seriously need a shower. I say we do this in the morning.”
Her gaze returned to the bald man with the snake around his neck. “But why does this look so familiar?”
“The symbol’s everywhere, Leah,” Gareth’s voice was exhausted. “It’s the symbol used by the AMA, even. You’ve seen it. The staff with the serpent wrapped around it.”
“It’s not that.” Leah kept her full concentration on the sign. “Gareth, medicine and science were worshipped here. Not just gods and astrology.” The card catalogue suddenly flew open with a flourish, feeding Leah the data. Her blood ran cold. “Jesus.”
“What?” Gareth reached out for her. “What’s the matter?”
“This is Ophiuchus.” She looked at Gareth, waiting for recognition to dawn. “He’s the constellation the Church threw out because a serpent was part of it. The holy-rollers claimed it was a picture of the Devil, so they pulled it out of the astrological charts and pretended that it didn’t exist.”
Gareth sucked in his breath. “The 13th sign.”
Her thoughts raced. We’re coming full circle. She suddenly felt like the Devil was once again creeping up behind her, just as he had at the beginning of their adventure when the 13th orb had been put into place in Glastonbury, completing the key that would open the gates to Paradise and allow the serpent to crawl back inside. The image, the thought…everything from their first journey still scared her to death.
Her brain screamed at her, ordering her to stand up straight. Leah knew it was different now. She and Gareth knew the face of their enemy and it was certainly not the Anti-Christ; it was a mortal man. Dangerous, yes, but completely human.
She gazed at the oddly lit tunnel. The ancient path felt right; it
felt like a path they needed to walk in order to find answers.
“Okay,” Gareth said, expelling a sigh. Reaching into Leah’s pocket, he pulled out the glossy stone. “Let’s flip for it. Black, we proceed; white, I get a much-needed shower and we go to bed.”
Tossing the stone in the air, Leah knew in her heart that the choice had already been made by someone other than them.
The black side glared up from the palm of his hand. He shrugged. “Two out of three?”
The power was overwhelming. Her mind was set. There was no crown of Satan here and no missing parents to be found, but Leah knew Pergamon held something they needed…something they had to understand in order to beat Hansen at the sick game he was playing.
“At least we should flip to see who goes in first.”
Leah finally spoke, “I think the tallest should lead.”
Although his face showed a massive need for sleep, Leah caught the small flash of excitement in his eyes that only a true lover of adrenaline could own. “I say the prettiest one should.”
“Good. That settles it.” Leah stepped aside. “Lead the way, handsome.”
Taking her hand, Gareth kissed her on the forehead and led the way.
Swallowing her panic, Leah walked blindly ahead. She couldn’t believe it. After everything they had gone through, she and Gareth were once again striving to solve a mystery that included the 13th sign.
CHAPTER 20
Leah and Gareth, hands linked, formed their unbeatable team as they walked down the ancient tunnel.
She swallowed. Her mouth was bone dry, like she’d eaten a desert full of sand in the last two minutes. “I’m sure it’s fine.”
“So am I.” Gareth issued a quiet chuckle. “If it were daylight we’d just see a plain, old, empty tunnel.”
“Yeah,” Leah agreed in a very unconvincing voice. “Heck, the subway tunnels in NYC are scarier than this.”
“True.” Gareth kept walking along as if he had not a care in the world.
Leah knew he was trying his best to make her calm, but she made sure her whisper was loud enough to reach his ears, “If you see any snakes, I’m gone.”
Listening to him chuckle, Leah peered at the walls of the empty tunnel, trying to discover where the small, yet continuous glow was originating from. The pale light was not coming from the candles stuck in niches carved into the walls; nor could she spot a light source that had perhaps been put in so tourists could enjoy this path at night. No matter where she looked, the light continued to flicker from an unknown place—a golden glow that was just enough to keep the night at bay.
A sudden gust of wind hit the top of Leah’s head, sending the heavy curls around her face like a whirlwind. Jerking her chin upwards, she searched for the opening that had to be there. What she found was a small hole cut out of the marble roof, with similar holes situated every few feet down the passageway. “Not as claustrophobic as the subway,” she mumbled.
Gareth pulled her forward and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “They left holes so people could always get sunlight in here.”
“Why cover any of it up in the first place, I wonder?”
“Weather. It’s usually scorching hot outside. This tunnel would have allowed the patients to stay cool as they walked from place to place,” he replied.
“But the wind coming through…this horrible whistling noise…I think it would’ve driven them even crazier than the snakes would have.”
“I don’t think that’s the wind,” Gareth said softly.
“What do you think it is?”
“Sounds to me like a few bats have set up house in here.”
“That’s it!” Pulling the leather coat over her head, Leah took off running down the tunnel, praying she wouldn’t trip and land in a pile of snakes that’d become homesick enough to return to this creepy location. Bursting out the other end, Leah came to a halt. Thankful that the moon was now grander up above, casting an extra veil of silver light onto the strange world, she placed her hands on her knees and took a deep breath.
Gareth walked slowly out of the passage, looking like a tourist ambling about and enjoying the remnants of history. He laughed. “You’re such a baby. They’re just bats.”
“Just bats?” Placing her hands on her hips, Leah assessed the man she wanted to both kill and love for eternity. She decided to bring up the one thing she knew scared him to his very core. “You know, I was thinking. I really liked that mean dog we met in Athens, so I think we should get a Doberman when we get back to the city.”
The handsome face went slack. “You’re really not funny.”
“What’s the matter? It’s just a dog.”
Gareth mumbled, “Point taken. Move on.”
Just as her foot slipped out from underneath her, Gareth’s strong arms appeared and lifted her into the air. Setting her back down, Leah gazed into a large hole that lay directly in her path.
“This is the second time you almost fell to your death today.” Gareth’s voice definitely owned a hint of anger. “Would you please be more careful?”
Leah exhaled. “Nice place for a sacrificial pit. I suppose the thought process was: if you can’t cure ‘em, let ‘em trip into a hole and bury ‘em.”
Gareth looked around the area, as if taking stock in the ample moonlight. “Actually, this would have been a pool where the patients could sit and relax. You have to remember, these are the remnants of an ancient world. I’m fairly sure there was something here long ago to alert people so they wouldn’t trip and fall in.” He smiled.
“I hear a hissing sound.”
His smile disappeared as he let out a sigh. “There’s probably just an air hole down there where the water was pumped in to fill the bath. There are no snakes.”
Not ready to chalk up the spot as a reptile-free zone, Leah continued to take in the details around them. “This was the courtyard,” she thought out loud.
Gareth agreed. “See the square covered with the big slabs of rock?”
“Crypts?”
He chuckled. “It’s another pool. They covered them with sheets of marble to keep out the critters you love so much.”
Leah twisted her body around. “I’m telling you, something is hissing.” She was positive that a parade of snakes was slithering through the pipes, following their every step.
“God,” Gareth whispered. “It’s like that stellar brain of yours somehow got stuck inside a B-movie.”
“The last few years of our lives have been a B-movie,” she muttered.
Traversing the baths, Leah and Gareth walked to the end of the courtyard and exited the area. The light seemed to grow incomparably brighter, and they stopped to stare at the building in front of them. Although part of the dome had caved in over time, leaving a large hole in the roof, the basic structure looked as if it’d once been a marvel of ancient architecture—before earthquakes had come to take out the upper floor.
Leah walked up the small staircase and stepped over what was once the threshold of the cylindrical building. The room was a large circle, with six apses leading to other rooms marked with their own archways. What was odd, is that all the smaller rooms had closed doors that seemed strong and solid, as if they’d been installed only yesterday.
Moving forward, Leah pressed her ear against the first wooden door.
“What are you doing?” Gareth asked.
“Listening. For critters.”
Gareth went silent. Leah knew if the sun had been beaming through the broken roof right now, she would’ve witnessed an Oscar-worthy eye-roll at her words. “I just can’t get enough of these lovely tourist traps, can you?”
His laugh was loud; it echoed like an intercom, as if calling out for an ancient healer to appear.
Leah continued, “Being the medical building, I would assume these smaller rooms were probably used for the dream therapy they practiced, with a second story that most likely was used as a regular hospital.” Making her deductions, she continued to walk around wha
t she assumed was the lobby of the Asklepion. Pausing in front of each small door, she took note of the icons marking the wood.
With Gareth walking beside her, testing the latches, and attempting to peek inside each room, they found that not one of the doors would budge.
Leah pointed at the crack beneath one in particular and crouched down, witnessing the same flickering light that had been present back in the tunnel. Her heart took up residence in her throat, as she stood back up and ran her fingers over the carved symbols.
“Alpha and Omega,” Gareth said behind her.
“The beginning and the end,” Leah agreed. “Not exactly a statement that would make a sick patient feel at ease.” Reaching out, there was a part of her that hoped the latch was as secure as the others. But as the click echoed inside the once formidable building, Leah felt as if they’d just been announced as thieves in the night.
Shaking her head, she took a deep breath. “Let’s get this over with.”
Opening the door, Gareth was the first one to speak, “Holy—”
“—crap,” Leah finished. Bringing her hand up to shield her eyes, she attempted to block out the bright beam that cut through the room like a spotlight. It took time, but as she stared at the floor, her eyes finally focused on what looked like a river of liquid silver running beneath her feet. “What is this?”
Gareth squinted as he knelt down, pressing his fingertips into the sparkling substance. “I think it might be mercury.”
“Quicksilver?” Leah remarked. “What the hell’s quicksilver doing in here?”
“No idea,” he replied. “But it certainly hasn’t been here for centuries.”
“That stuff is dangerous,” Leah reminded her hero, pulling on his arm so he would stand back up and move away.
“It’s only dangerous when it’s heated,” he corrected. “When it comes in contact with fire it becomes poisonous, but not until then.”