“There’s more,” Helena said.
As I turned to glance at the wall, I saw more colors swirl in the portrait, and a figure next to me began to form. I stared into the handsome face of my wonderful husband, beaming as he touched my stomach.
Happy tears ran down my face as I collapsed to my knees, consumed by emotion and hope. “He’s alive!” I couldn’t believe it. Victor hadn’t even been at the ceremony in the temple, and Ethano had killed a shape-shifter who’d taken on Victor’s image, just to upset me as fuel for his spell. Now I was positive Victor was being held prisoner somewhere.
Helena stretched out her hand to help me stand. Her eyes glittered as she smiled, and I could tell by the look on her face she was truly happy for me.
I could hardly contain my excitement as I hugged her, then Liz. I sobbed into Liz’s chest. “Can you believe Victor is alive?”
“The walls tell no lies,” Helena said, pointing to the next room. “The next portrait awaits you.”
Liz stroked my hair softly. “We’re gonna find him, Sarah. I promise you that. C’mon. There seems to be more to the story.”
I didn’t want to see the next portrait. Everything was perfect, and Victor was alive. I’d soon be bringing a beautiful baby into the world. It was the happiest moment of my life, and I was terrified it might be shattered by the next visit.
Liz clutched her heart. “I’m dying to see about Charles.”
I smiled. “I’m sure answers are coming soon.”
As we walked into the next room, swirls of paint began spreading rapidly across the cave ceiling and walls. Stars speckled the night sky above us. Then, dead on the ground, I saw Victor and me, while Ethano held our baby, with a smile plastered on his face.
Rage engulfed me. “The bastard!” I shouted.
“It’s all clicking into place,” Liz said, her voice echoing along the cavern walls. “The reason why Ethan’s shape-shifter spell didn’t work was because there is a life force still attached, only—”
“It isn’t Victor’s. It’s my baby’s!” I knew in that moment that our baby had saved my life, and I was stunned by the thought. I was supposed to protect that little, fragile life, but the child had saved its mother. I touched my stomach. “Thank you for saving me, my beautiful son.” My voice wavered. The amount of love I felt for the infant already was nothing short of amazing. I looked up at the wall and touched my son. He was beautiful, absolutely beautiful, and the sight of him melted my heart, even if he was in Ethano’s arms.
“Ethano did disconnect you from Victor,” Liz said.
I let out a sigh. “I knew he had because I couldn’t feel our bond.”
Liz’s lips pressed into grim lines. “Ethano sensed the baby. He wants your baby.”
The thought infuriated me. “No!” I screamed. “Never! I’ll kill him first!” Then Helena’s voice rang in my ears: “The walls don’t lie.”
“We won’t let it end this way,” Liz said. “The future can be changed.”
I looked at Helena for affirmation. “Can it?”
“The walls don’t lie, but that doesn’t mean the future can’t be changed.”
According to the current path of events, my child was destined to be snatched from me and raised by a monster. I had to change that, no matter the cost. My heart ached, knowing that my precious child could be used in such a vile manner. I couldn’t imagine not being there for him. I wanted to be there to put a Band-aid on an open cut, kiss away all his pain, and tell him everything was going to be okay.
Without hesitation, I ran to the next room, where the next portrait awaited.
Ethano patted the back of a five-year-old boy, who held out his hands. Fire sprung from them and devastated a city, consuming it with smoke and fire. When I blinked, the boy in the portrait spun around to face me, and I recognized him instantly. He had dark hair, and his blue eyes shone brightly, just like his father’s.
“That’s my son,” I said in horror. “What’s Ethano doing to him? He’s training him to be a killer!”
“Immortals do not have power during childhood,” Liz whispered.
“Then how is he doing that?” I asked. I turned to the old woman. “Where would my son get such powers?”
“Another legend tells of a boy who would be born from a warrior king and a loving queen with a pure heart. The boy will have unspeakable powers. His father will have conquered countless countries, and his mother will have stopped wars. Your son will either take after his mother and become a hero of the land, or he will take after the bloodline of his father, tyrants who have ruled for centuries. Ethano will choose to take him down his father’s path, down the path of his wicked grandfather. He wants to shape him into evil.”
I was mortified. “How can I stop it?”
“Can it even be stopped?” Liz asked.
“This is the current path, but the future can be changed.”
“How?” I asked.
She pointed to the next room, and I rushed through the cavern opening, my heart racing.
There was a picture of Victor and me in a hospital room—a modern-day hospital room. I gasped when I saw myself in an ugly, backless gown, holding a precious bundle in my arms. Victor had given up his kingly garb for a black polo shirt and blue jeans.
Tears rolled down my face, and I brimmed with happiness. Victor was alive, and I was having a bouncing baby boy. I’d do anything to save all of our lives, even give up the kingdom and people I’d grown to love over the last year. “We have to leave through the portal,” I said. “It’s the only way.”
“Yes, it is the only hope to save your lives, as well as your son’s,” the woman said.
“Tell me, Helena, where is Victor now? I must go to him,” I said.
She looked at me, and I knew it was her cue for me to move to the next room, where the next portrait was ready and waiting. Victor and Charles were chained in leg irons, sealed in a giant tomb. The chains had to be something special, or the Immortal would have been able to break them. Torches blazed from the dark, cracked walls of the underground prison cell. There were no windows and only one heavy door.
“They’re both being held captive in a castle Ethano recently conquered,” Helena said.
Liz touched the image of Charles. “We have to rescue them.”
“We’ll get them back, no matter the cost. I’ll take in an army and storm the castle.”
Helena gripped my arm and closed her eyes, shaking her head. “I can see the scene evolving before me. That will end in disaster for everyone involved, including your unborn child.”
I looked at Liz, confused. “Surely the soldiers would be better than just the two of us going on our own. We could send the army, and I could stay back at the castle so my baby is safe. It’s really the only way.”
“I didn’t say you should go in,” Helena said. “I said according to my visions, the castle will be better breeched by one or two rather than an army.”
“Listen to her,” Liz advised. “She obviously knows her stuff. If she says an army won’t work, it won’t.”
I bit my lip. “Then what do you propose?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Let’s think about it.”
The old woman’s face grew even more serious. “You cannot escape Ethano. He wants you and your child. He has taken over many countries and castles already, and he is a force to be reckoned with. You cannot take him lightly.”
“He hasn’t taken over every country. Tastia is still safe,” I said.
She shook her head. “I am afraid you cannot return home. It must have been fate for you to come to me tonight, for Ethano is in your castle at this very moment.”
My heart sank, and the thought of him swarming my home made me nauseous.
Helena touched my arm. “By coming here, you avoided capture.”
“How did Ethano become so strong so fast?” I breathed out.
“If you want to save yourself and your child, you must leave this world.”
“
But this is my home now,” I said.
“Why? You are not from here.”
Victor’s handsome face flashed in my head. “Because the love of my life resides here.”
“I second that,” Liz said. “I cannot possibly leave Charles.”
Helena smiled. “It doesn’t matter what world, country, or city you live in, my dears, as long as the love of your life is there by your side. Take your menfolk with you and go.”
Liz nudged me. “She has a point. I could live in the North Pole or in the middle of a desert, but it wouldn’t matter as long as Charles was there holding my hand and whispering sweet nothings in my ear.”
“Why hasn’t he killed Victor?” I asked.
“I sense there is a strong reason he is keeping him alive. There’s a woman protecting him, but I don’t have all the answers you seek.”
I wondered who the woman was. “Della? Is Della protecting him?”
She shook her head. “It is not Della. Ethano harbors ill feelings for that one. If she were in his castle, he would have killed her already. No, your lover’s protector is another who loves him very, very much,” she said. She squinted, then closed her eyes, as if she were struggling to see something inside her head. “This same woman is loved by Ethano also.”
“Who?” I asked.
“I’m sorry,” Helena said. “The vision and feelings have faded, I’m afraid.”
“We can’t leave,” I said. “My people need me. There’s so much more I need to accomplish before I return to my world. I haven’t conquered the hunger problem, for one thing. What will the villages do without me?”
The old woman met my gaze. “If you stay, Ethano will win. He will reduce you from queen to concubine, and thousands of people will die when your son comes into his powers under Ethano’s influence. If you stay, you will doom our world. To truly save us, you must go.”
I couldn’t speak and was at a loss for words when I heard Liz calling for me. She had backtracked a few rooms, and I hurried to see what she wanted.
“Look! The picture of your son destroying the city is gone!” she said.
My mouth gaped, for the picture had been replaced with a modern-day one. My son was sitting in a highchair, and Victor was holding the main decorated birthday cake with a blue candle shaped like the number one. Balloons and streamers decorated the kitchen. I walked to the cavern wall and touched the cold stone. A brilliant flash of light blinded me, and then I opened my eyes. I was watching a scene unfold, like in a movie. Victor and I were singing the famous “Happy Birthday” song. I handed my son the smash cake, the smaller version of the birthday cake meant for him to eat. He grabbed fistfuls of cake and stuffed them in his mouth. Victor leaned over to wipe his face with a cloth, laughing; I’d never seen him so happy. My eyes welled up with tears at the precious sight. Then the scene froze before my eyes, but I was able to walk around.
I kissed Victor on the lips. “I’m going to bring you home, my love.” A tear slid down my cheek as I stared at Victor’s image. I missed him terribly and was dying without him. All that love surged up inside me, and I knew I’d love Victor forever.
I stared at my own smiling face; I hadn’t seen myself that happy in ages, every since I’d been thrust into the grasp of grief’s icy clutches.
I cupped the cheek of my darling baby, who was clearly enjoying his first birthday. “You are going to have a wonderful life with us, little one. I already love you with everything I’ve got.” My baby would be beautiful and perfect in every way. I wanted to hold him in my arms, rock him, and tell him how much I loved him. I wanted to see my child, to kiss him, hug him, touch his palm, and watch his tiny fingers curl around mine. I’d never loved somebody so much, and I hadn’t even met him yet.
A flash of light exploded all around me, and I opened my eyes as Liz’s voice pierced my ears. “What happened?” she asked. “You zoned out.”
“I’m back in the cave,” I whispered.
“You never left.”
“I saw this very scene in my head, but it wasn’t a picture. It was like it was really happening, in real time. My baby was smiling and eating cake.” I shook her shoulder. “Victor’s going to make a wonderful father!”
Helena touched my back. “Welcome your gift of sight, my child.”
I sucked in a deep breath. Seeing my baby had been unbelievable and amazing, even better than those fancy ultrasounds in 3D.
“That’s your gift,” Liz said. “You’ve seen it for yourself. How fantastic!”
“I can sense it has not taken hold yet,” Helena said. “It’s there, buried in your consciousness.”
“Why did the image change?” I asked. “Why did it go from destruction of the city to this?”
“Because you’ve already changed the future with your thoughts of leaving this world,” Helena said. She handed me a tear-shaped crystal necklace, then gave Liz an identical one.
I touched the pendant as it shimmered from the portrait shining in the cave. “What’s this?”
“It will transport you back to your home world.”
“How does it work?” Liz asked.
“It will only work for those who were born in your world.”
“So Liz and I can use it,” I said.
Liz cocked a brow. “Can I take Charles with me?”
“Whoever touches you will go with you. Just press your thumb on it. When it turns blue, touch it again, and you will go.” She gripped my hands. “Put the necklace on. You need to leave. Go to the castle while Ethano is not there and get Victor. You must leave this world. Ethano will never find you.”
“C’mon,” I said, gripping Liz’s hand and thanking the old woman on the way out.
Chapter 10
We went as fast as we could, but even our Immortal light speed had its limits. After an hour, our power was drained, so we hiked for most of the night. We knew we’d do no one any good if we were too tired to think or fight. We gathered logs, and I easily lit them with a fireball the size of a dime. We then made camp and slept.
* * *
Morning came, and we continued our journey, until we reached the designated spot.
“We’re here,” I said, practically ready to kiss the ground.
Liz glanced around. “Why don’t we climb one of these trees for a better look?”
“Good idea. We need to know what we’re up against.” Gripping the tree branch, I pulled my weight and climbed. The morning sun streamed down on the large, stone, complex structure—a strong fortress. It looked like the average medieval castle, complete with soaring towers, a deep moat, a barbican, a gatehouse, and a wooden drawbridge. Gazing down, I stared at the security that Ethano had put in place.
“Immortals are guarding every entrance,” Liz said. “How are we gonna get in?”
“Hmm. Let’s look for a weakness, maybe study the guard patterns.”
“That’ll take forever,” she said.
“We have to do this right, Liz. We can’t afford any mistakes.”
“I know,” she said, peering through the leaves. “I guess I’m just in a hurry to get it over with.”
The woman Helena told me about kept popping into my head. “Who do you think the woman is, the one who’s helping Victor?” I asked.
“She said it was somebody Ethano cares about.”
“How can that man care about anyone?” I hissed.
“Tell me about it.”
“Do you think it’s an old girlfriend, somebody who’s with Ethano now?”
“Can you imagine being Ethano’s girlfriend? Ick,” Liz said. “Then again, from what I’ve heard from Della, Victor was quite a pill himself.”
“I know. That was why she dumped him, but he’s changed now.”
“Yes, thanks to you, but at one time, he was a very dangerous, heartless brute, just like Ethano, though maybe not quite as insane.”
I shook my head. “Uh-uh. My Victor would never want to steal somebody’s son and destroy the world!”
“Bu
t he battled William like a madman for hundreds of years, launching battles against countless countries. He fought in the front lines, killing all those—”
Liz had been poisoned by Della’s stories, and I was tired of hearing about it. “The past is the past. I forgive him,” I said, cutting her off.
“I know,” she whispered. “I do too.” She inhaled sharply. “Look at that!”
“What?”
She pointed way over to the left. “They’re bringing in slave girls and women to work in the castle.”
A group of shackled females was being herded down a cobblestone path that led to the castle. A bearded man controlled the captives with his fearsome whip. I was sure they’d be worked like dogs and used for the most foul things, and my heart went out to them. They’d been ripped away from their homes and loved ones and would be forced to perform grueling labor for the rest of their lives.
As I looked at them, I realized that sneaking in with them was a brilliant plan. I nudged Liz. “You up for washing dishes and scrubbing floors for a while?”
“Sure, but those dishes will get as clean as cold water can get them.”
I chuckled, then stared through the opening in the leaves. “We’ll go in with them, posing as slave girls. We have to act fast, while Ethano is still back at my castle. The last thing we need is to bump into the prince of darkness himself.”
She sighed. “Tell me about it.”
“But what about our rings?” I asked, clambering back down the tree.
Liz hopped down, wiped the bark from her hands, and smiled.
“What?” I asked.
She ripped the top of her dress, exposing her cleavage. “You really think they’re gonna be gawking at our fingers?” She pushed up her breasts and smirked. “If you were born with it, you may as well flaunt it—especially when it might save your neck.”
I laughed. “I’m sure Mom would disagree, but it’ll be a great distraction. I like it. I just hope it works.”
She held out her chest. “These babies have never failed me—not once. Men are very easily persuaded.”
I smiled weakly, amazed and a little jealous at how calm she was. I was terrified of walking into Ethano’s lair. I knew he wasn’t there, but the thought of entering gave me the creeps. What if one of his men recognizes me? What if they throw me in a dungeon until Ethano returns? The negative thoughts weren’t helping me one bit, so I took a deep, cleansing breath and tried to still my shaking hands. “I guess we can turn the rings around so the ruby can’t be seen.” I took another deep breath, “but I’m wearing the necklace Helena gave me.”
Eternal Fire - Book 3 of The Ruby Ring Saga Page 11