Spartan Heart, Part Two

by Kristine Cheney

  “Dangerous for a mortal, Evan, but Philip and I will be fine. We intend to have Tommy stay with you at the hotel. I’m afraid he isn’t aware of this yet.”

  “Please let me stay with you, Dorien. I-I can help.”

  He knew she gave a last ditch effort to stay. “Nay! You can help by going back to the hotel. I want some hot food in your stomach, and for you to get some rest.” His hands cradled her bulging belly. “Get my children to safety, woman!”

  Her lovely face relaxed. Evangeline’s eyes were starry-eyed and lazy, almost doe-like. Dorien loved it when she looked at him like this. This was how she looked every time she contemplated kissing him. “All right. I’ll go. But what about the statues?”

  “They will stay with us. When the storm dies down, we will call for Tommy and take the statues back to the hotel. I don’t trust leaving them unattended in this field. I don’t want them here any longer than necessary in the event Demona is on to what we are doing here.”

  Evangeline nodded. “Who have you found so far?”

  “We have Celeas and Paraebates.”

  “So you only need to find Thessalus?”

  Dorien couldn’t help the tone of confidence in his voice. His knowing smirk gave him away. “Aye. I have a feeling we will find him fast.”

  The softest fingers caressed his face. But her skin felt as cold as his immortal flesh. “I can’t wait to see them up close. I’m so glad you’re free.”

  Dorien kissed her hard and opened the passenger door. “Aye, my love. You are freezing! Now be a good girl and get in the truck. Turn that heater on!”

  Evangeline obliged him. Dorien shut her door and approached the driver’s side window. “Tommy, listen! When you take the women back to the hotel, I want you to stay there until I call you.”

  “But Dorien, I…”

  “Son, if you want to help, you will do this! I need you to take orders. I‘m trusting you with the care of what is most precious to me. Get Evan and my children to safety. Watch over them until I call for you. I will phone once I feel the storm is better. You are mortal, too, after all. Please don’t make me pull the boss card. I will risk your anger for your safety.”

  “Okay, Dorien. You promise to call?”

  Dorien tousled Tommy’s wet hair. “I promise! Call me when you get to the hotel. I’ll be waiting!”

  “No problem, Dorien. I will watch after them with my life.”

  Dorien patted the vehicle twice. Its engine revved away into the night. With a sigh of relief, he turned towards Philip. Hard at work, his brother continued riding the field for any sign of Thessalus. A shot of thunder shook the ground. Freezing rain continued to pour. With the truck lights gone, they were left in total darkness. If not for immortal vision, they would have had to go back to the hotel. Dorien dashed towards Philip and pointed into across the field. “Philip look!”

  Philip’s stare followed Dorien’s finger.

  “We found Leo here and Pops there. Think logical. We must reduce our minds to that of Demona’s minions. Looking at point A and point B, where would you put point C?”

  Philip rubbed his fingers against his chin. “Well, the obvious thought would be in the middle.”

  “Exactly! Burying Thessalus in the center of us would have been the easy way out.”

  “This makes sense, Dorien! You and I were buried in the opposite direction.”

  “Aye. It would seem the minions buried us in an “x” pattern.”

  Philip spat on the ground. “Stupid minions!”

  They both grabbed their shovels and dug deep in the drenched, soggy mud. For every shovelful of goo taken, it was replaced with a bounty of rain water. The head of their shovels struck something solid. Dorien and Philip submersed themselves deep into the water. It was a statue all right! The water made it easy. It helped clear away the remaining encrusted debris. Both of them broke the surface of the water.

  “Dorien, I will go back under and lift up the statue. When you see it surface, grab it and pull it out.”

  “Aye. Let me know if you need anything.”

  Philip disappeared under the water.

  Dorien swam towards the edge of the pit and attempted to climb out. The mud edge collapsed under the power of his weight. Falling back into the water, he cursed Demona’s name. His new habit always made him feel somewhat better.

  The statue of Thessalus rose out of the water next to him. With a little thoughtful enlightenment, Philip was made aware of their zany predicament. Dorien ordered him to halt all of his efforts. They had a much bigger challenge this instant.

  How were they going to get out of this pit?

  Philip surfaced. Aware of their dilemma, he couldn’t hold back his laugh of disbelief. “You are joking, right?”

  “We truly are stuck, Philip.” Dorien confirmed.

  “I have tried climbing out, but this mud collapses under my weight. Immortal strength is a bit too much for weak, soggy edges.”

  They both grew silent. The twang of Dorien’s cell phone rang from the equipment. His voice filled with agitation. “I know it’s Tommy! I hate to say it, but I think ordering the boy to stay at the hotel was a bad call.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up, Dorien. It was a good decision for the sake of the women. None of us could have expected this.”

  “We have no choice but to wait until they come back for us on the morrow. It’s a good thing temperature doesn’t affect our bodies, or this would be a grave situation.”

  A hideous laugh came from the edge of the pit. Dorien recognized the voice in an instant.

  “Well, well! What do we have here? Immortals in distress? You’re both pretty cocky to attempt this feat, even with immortality. How lucky could I be to rid myself of both of you at once? The best part is…no one will ever know!” Phebus’ gnarled hands picked up a shovel. With a grained scoop of mud, he threw it at them.

  Dorien felt the flecks of mud hit his face and chest before falling into the water. He felt the rippled sway of clods oozing their way down and settling at his feet.

  “Poor Evangeline! She will cry with despair when you fail to return to her. Perhaps Demona will gobble up your wretched twins!”

  “Phebus, I’m warning you. If you value your existence you will walk away. Demona swore she would not interfere with us. We have a wager!”

  “That is where you’re wrong, Spartan. Demona swore not to kill your woman. She never promised anything else.”

  “Then why do your thoughts tell me she knows nothing of this! You were a fellow brother of crimson long ago. How could you betray us?”

  Phebus hissed like an angry snake. “Demona doesn’t know about this! Do you honestly think I value my existence? Save your words of valor, warrior! The color you speak of means nothing to me now. My patriotism is as dead as our city and our people.”

  Philip smirked and jutted his thumb towards Phebus. “You know this jerk, too?”

  Dorien spat through his gritted teeth. “Unfortunately, yes!”

  Heaps of mud fell on top of their heads and dripped down their faces into the pit. The weight of the mud raised the water level and forced a small stream to flow across the field. The earth made the water thick and soggy. It was difficult to move. Thanks to the minion’s immortal strength, sludge now rested just below their chins.

  “I’m asking you again, Phebus. Stop this madness! Help us out of here!”

  Phebus threw two vials of liquid at Dorien. They landed on top of the gooey crust. “Never! I plan for this to be the last of you both. I wonder how many more centuries you’ll be buried alive? Unfortunately for you, you won’t die, unless you decide to drink these!”

  Dorien grabbed the vials and placed them into the safety of his pocket. “You give us nectar of Ambrosia?” he asked incredulous.

  “I’ve grown tired of chasing after you! I’ve had it with Demona’s games. The last time I buried you both, I wasn’t as merciful. You now have the choice to make yourselves mortal. You can die to escape your pri
son. My gift will end your suffering.”

  Dorien growled. “How kind of you!”

  “Yes. I rather think so.”

  “What will you do with the statues of Celeas and Paraebates?” Philip pressed.

  “That’s easy! I’ll leave them! With the two of you dead, thieves will come and realize they’re worth something. I’m sure they’ll be sold to the highest bidder. No one will know they are anything more than statues. I don’t have to worry about them. They are no longer my problem!”

  Philip glared at the minion. “It sounds like you have it all planned out.”

  Phebus snarled and covered their heads with the last shovelfuls of mud. “Indeed! Give my regards to the afterlife!”

  Dorien was entombed with Philip and the statue of Thessalus. Wicked, muffled laughter vibrated Dorien’s ears. The thick, squishing echo of mud-filled footsteps was sickening. Phebus ran away and deserted them. His sadistic cackles faded off into the night.

  Chapter Ten

  “Tommy! Please try calling Dorien again!” Evangeline begged.

  “I’ve called at least ten times. I’m sorry, but he isn’t answering.”

  “Evan, I’m sure everything is fine. They’re probably busy digging and can’t hear the phone.” Taryn tried to encourage.

  “No! Something is wrong! I feel it! Please, let’s go back to the site. The storm and rain have let up a bit. I promise if everything is all right, we can come right back.”

  Tommy looked unsure. “I don’t know. Dorien was pretty clear with his instructions. He made me promise to keep you and the babies safe. I intend to keep my promise.”

  Evangeline’s smile was cunning. “Of course you’ll keep your promise. You can still keep us safe as long as you’re with us, right?”

  Tommy bit his lip and frowned. The boy’s expression was tense in contemplation. “Well, if you put it that way. I guess there’s no harm in that.”

  Eliza could barely keep her eyes open. The hollow rings resting under her long lashes gave away her exhaustion. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to stay and go to bed. Today has been a long day. I’m pretty sure I suffer from jet lag.”

  Taryn yawned. “I’ll stay with you, Mum.”

  Evangeline clenched her jaw in anger.

  Was everybody going crazy?

  “Okay, Tommy, it’s only the two of us. Are you taking me to Dorien or am I going alone?”

  Tommy’s eyes narrowed in challenge. “You wouldn’t dare!”

  “Try me!”

  “All right! All right! But if Dorien gets angry, I’m blaming all of this on you.”

  Evangeline clapped her hands in victory and kissed his blushing, freckled cheek. “Thank you! I owe you one! Yes. I’ll accept all of the blame.”

  Cold air swirled and whipped around them the moment they exited the hotel. Tommy cried out in surprise and slipped in a large puddle of water. He tumbled down the front hotel steps in a whooshed blur. Howling in agony, he grabbed at his smarting ankle. His head fell forward in obvious pain.

  Evangeline crouched next to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Tommy, how badly are you hurt?”

  “Give me a second, Evan. My ankle feels like it’s broken.”

  Her brow furrowed with worry. Tommy held out his hand. Evangeline grabbed it and pulled with all of her might to help him to his feet. It was no use. She couldn’t lift him. He fell back to the ground in a crumpled thud.

  “Owww!”

  She lifted Tommy’s pant leg and gently removed his shoe. “I hate to do this, but I must remove your sock.”

  Tommy bit his bottom lip.

  “On the count of three. Here we go. One-two-and three!”

  Tommy groaned through his gritted teeth. The sock was pulled from his swollen appendage. Evangeline winced at the horrid sight. A bluish-purple balloon engulfed his ankle. She wouldn’t be surprised if it soon spread towards the top of his foot.

  “We need to get you back upstairs! Eliza needs to take a look!” She grabbed the truck keys from of his hand.

  “Hey, now!” Tommy snapped.

  “Calm down! We’re going back inside the hotel.”

  “Sorry, Evan. I just don’t want anything happening to you or the babies.”

  “It’s all right, I know. But I can’t carry you in my condition. I must get help from the front desk.”

  Tommy’s index finger pointed down towards the wet concrete. “I don’t know what’s worse…my ankle or sitting in wet pants. I’m afraid I’ll be right here when you get back.”

  She ran to the front desk. With repeated slaps Evangeline hit the round silver desk bell with her palm. A tall, bald clerk with a big, black bow tie sauntered lazily from behind the counter. She was greeted with his frown of irritation.

  “Can I help you, Miss?” he breathed with a nasal whine.

  Evangeline felt pricked and grouchy in an instant. Feeling every bit wet and heavily pregnant, she bettered his scowl. “Yes, Mr. Smarty-Pants! For your information, we are guests here. I have a friend who has just slipped on your front steps! What do you think a bloodthirsty barrister and an iron-rich lawsuit would have to say about that?”

  The clerk’s demeanor changed in an instant. Concern reached his thick, unruly bushy brows. “I beg your pardon, Miss! Please, what can we do to assist you and your friend?”

  You can start by dialing room five-o-seven! Ask Dr. Elizabeth Hampton and Dr. Taryn Hampton to come down at once. In the meantime, have your staff carry my friend into the lobby where he’ll be more comfortable. After all, it is raining outside!”

  The clerk appeared contrite. His shiny cue-ball head bowed low in submission. “Yes, Miss. We are at your service!” He picked up the phone and barked orders in fast Italian. His soft manicured fingers snapped crisp like bone. Hotel staff came running in an instant.

  Evangeline tried to stifle her giggle. Employees were hustling all right! Red and gold fringed bellboy suits and all! Talk about an Eighties time-warp. She blew a sigh of relief. Tommy was carried, wet pants and all, to the comfort of a plush lobby sofa.

  Taryn and Eliza bolted from the elevator and ran towards them. Eliza snapped into doctor mode. She crouched and evaluated Tommy’s ankle. “What has happened here?”

  Evangeline grabbed Taryn by the arm and pulled her aside. “Come on, we’re leaving!”

  “Have you lost your bloody mind, Evan? What about Tommy?”

  “Tommy will be fine! He’s in capable hands with your mum and you know it! I need your help!”

  Taryn’s hazel-green, kitty eyes brimmed with suspicion. “This is about going to see Dorien and Philip, isn’t it?”

  “Please help me! I need you right now, Taryn. Please say you’ll help me!”

  Taryn rubbed her hands up and down the length of Evangeline’s arms. “How is it you can always talk me into anything? She whispered. “All right, Evan. Please don’t cry. We can go now.” Taryn cupped the keys from Evangeline’s open hand. “Tommy, I’m taking Evan to find Dorien. Mum will stay here and take care of you. I’ll deal with Dorien about this, agreed?”

  Tommy rolled his eyes. He fluttered his hand dramatically in the air, shooing for them to go.

  * * * *

  Heavy rain pelted the cab and hood of the van. Clamorous slams against metal sounded like a storm of falling hammers. Taryn shook her head in agitation. The sarcasm in her voice was coated way too thick. “The rain has let up, huh, Evan?” Her highlighted hair swished in front of her face. She bobbed her pretty head in a botched attempt at mimicry. “Tell me you remember where to go? It’s so bloody dark, I can’t remember.”

  Evangeline hoped to sooth a few ruffled feathers. “Don’t worry. I remember. You’ll need to make a left when you see Meter Marker Seventy-One.”

  “Meter Marker Seventy-One!” Taryn yelled suddenly. She cranked the steering wheel hard to the left. Evangeline white-knuckled the front console at the unexpected turn. Sliding tires spun for traction in circles. The van swiveled back and forth in its
adjustment from asphalt to mud. Taryn was no stranger to four wheeling. It only took her seconds to correct.

  Taryn pulled the truck onto the side of the road and threw it into park. The seatbelt sucked into the roll the moment she unbuckled it. “I need to put this big ol’ gnarly rascal in four wheel drive! I’ll be back in a second.”

  Evangeline giggled to herself. Perhaps her best friend had been watching too much American television?

  Taryn dashed around the truck. She got soaked locking all four tires. She slid back into her seat and flipped the inside switch. Her long gorgeous hair was now a horrid, dripping mess. She swiped wet strands away from her face and threw Evangeline a loaded look. The gears grinded as she shifted the van back in drive.

  They were unable to see through the fogged windshield. Taryn leaned forward and squinted. “I’m not going to talk about my muddy Coach tennis shoes, Evan, so I’ll change the subject. What I do want to know is where to find Dorien and Philip?”

  They both scanned the battlefield. The constant rubbery swipes of windshield wipers squeaked against the blurred glass. Evangeline fought the tight rise of panic in her chest. “It’s too dark! I can hardly see anything!”

  A white bolt of lightning flickered in the sky. The ghost-like silhouettes of Celeas and Paraebates were illuminated in the flash. Taryn inched the truck a little closer and parked in front of the statues. Evangeline jumped from the passenger seat and ran to the still, alabaster forms. Looking up in wonder, she placed a hand on Paraebates’ bare muscled thigh. “I wish you could tell me where they are! We could sure use your help about now.”