Stairway To Heaven

by Shannon Leigh

  "I don't even know your name,” she said with a pout, as his mouth moved up the back of her leg toward her feminine vee.

  "I don't have a name,” he replied. The words were a warm breath against her inner thigh. “At least, not one you could pronounce."

  Rhea shuddered. “Then, what shall I call you?"

  "Whatever you wish."

  His tongue touched her throbbing nub and Rhea's insides convulsed. Even before his mouth came down to possess her, shivers of desire crept of up legs and culminated at the apex of her womanhood. As she felt herself careen over the edge into orgasmic bliss, she called out his name. “Valos!"

  CHAPTER 7

  The sound of her own voice jolted Rhea awake. She bolted upright, eyes bulging, breaths gasping. Sweat trickled down along her hairline and between her breasts. Remnants of her orgasm slowly faded away, like the aftereffects of a fleeting dream.

  Clearly alarmed by her cry, Ashley jumped up as well. “What? What's wrong? What happened?"

  Daylight filtered in through the glassless windows, illuminating Ashley's features just enough for Rhea to read the concern in her expression. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Rhea turned toward her friend, wanting to tell her all that had happened in her dream.

  But how could she explain what she'd seen? What she'd felt? How could she tell Ashley that the Guardian, Valos, wanted her to be his mate so he could live among them in a human form?

  She'd think I'm crazy. Hell, I think I'm crazy!

  Rhea chewed at the inside of her cheek. She'd better keep her visit from Valos a secret. At least until she had time to sort things out. Perhaps it had been a dream after all.

  Rhea swiped at her brow with her forearm. “It was nothing, just a bad dream. I think. I ... can't even remember it now."

  Ashley collapsed back onto her pillow with an irritated huff. “This was the worst night's sleep I've had in a long time, thanks to you."

  Rhea smiled. “Aw, you're just upset because you were alone."

  Ashley giggled. It was a mischievous sound that made Rhea roll her eyes and groan with dismay. “Oh, Lord. Who've you scoped out now?"

  Ashley flopped over onto her belly and turned to face her. “Well...” She bit her bottom lip, as if unsure she should speak her mind. “Dr. Speck is ... rather ... nice-looking.” Then she cringed and gave Rhea a half smile, obviously expecting retaliation.

  I knew it! Well, she could do worse.

  "He did tell you to call him Jon, after all,” Rhea replied in the snootiest English accent she could muster. “I must agree; he is a rather handsome fella. And a doctor no less. A girl could certainly do—"

  Ashley launched a pillow at her head. “All right, smart ass. I get the hint."

  Rhea caught the down-filled square just before it smacked her in the face. The two women glared at each other. Several seconds passed in terse silence. But neither one was able to maintain their farce and both finally busted out laughing.

  Rhea tossed the pillow back to her friend. “I'm just kidding, Ash. I don't care if you like Jon. I've never considered him anything beyond a good friend. More like an uncle, really. And he did seem to like you as well. Actually, I've never seen the man blush before. But you had him flaming like a green schoolboy."

  Ashley's eyes lit up with delight and her sensual mouth curled into a stunning smile. “You think so?"

  Rhea nodded. “No doubt."

  And Jon will likely never get any better than that. Not at his age, anyway.

  Then Ashley grew silent. Cocking her head to the side, she stared at Rhea a long moment, one of her finely shaped brows arching with suspicion.

  Feeling as though she'd been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to, Rhea became increasingly uncomfortable. “What?"

  "You seem ... awful giddy this morning. You sure you don't remember your dream? I'm thinking you do, down to every last detail."

  Rhea felt heat rise in her cheeks. She bit her bottom lip, unsure of what to do. Should she tell her friend about her visit from Valos?

  "I ... uh. You ... probably wouldn't believe me if I told you,” Rhea blurted out.

  She could tell Ashley was about to protest, but a soft rap on the hut's palm door interrupted her objection. “Rhea?” It was Jon.

  Rhea sighed with relief. “Come in, Jon. We're decent."

  "Damn!” Ashley looked down at her oversized, shapeless T-shirt with an air of disgust. “If I'd known he was coming, I'd have made sure to wear something a little more appealing."

  "You mean a little more revealing!” Rhea whispered quickly, just as Jon stepped through the doorway.

  Both women snapped to attention. Rhea quickly pasted on an innocent smile and offered a, “Hi.” But Jon wasn't paying any attention to her; his vision was locked tight on Ashley, as though he'd just discovered a rare breed of flower.

  Rhea quietly watched the appreciative glances between her lab partner and mentor with amusement. Perhaps Jon was just what her friend needed.

  Ashley's world had been filled with temporary beaus, men who came and went. Great for sex, but certainly lacking in emotion. Barring the age difference between them—

  "And what of our age difference, Rhea? Will that bother you?"

  The questions were as audible in her head as if Valos were sitting right next to her and had whispered them into her ear. Rhea let out a startled shriek and jumped up from the cot, spilling her pillow and blanket onto the floor. Eyes glued to the now empty bed, searching for the faintest shimmer of his presence, she slowly backed away.

  Jon was instantly at her side. Her gripped both her shoulders with gentle, but firm, fingers and turned her to face him. When she refused to look up at him, but rather continued to stare past him at her empty and disheveled bed, he gave her a gentle shake.

  "Rhea! What is it? What frightened you?” His fingers tightened on her upper arm.

  Rhea squinted, straining to see the fine sparkles she knew had to be there. After several more seconds of silence, Jon dipped his head down and to the side, sufficiently blocking her view of the cot. She blinked a few times before meeting his concerned stare.

  "Rhea, sweetheart. What did you see?” His voice was calm but persistent.

  "Uh ... nothing. Just a spider. They give me the creeps.” When she pulled away, he instantly let her go.

  "A spider?” he asked incredulously. “You screamed like that over a bug? Honey, you're in the Amazon. There's gonna be bugs."

  "Yeah, girl. Get a grip. There's bigger things than bugs out there,” Ashley chimed in, pointing to the window.

  Rhea silently agreed. Bigger and definitely more dangerous.

  Jon took a step toward her. “You okay? You look a little pale. If we need to hold off the expedition this morn—"

  "No,” Rhea cut in. “I'm fine. Really. It just ... startled me. That's all."

  "And if not, I've got some bug spray,” Ashley added cheerily, holding up a small squirt bottle she'd pulled from her duffel bag. “This stuff'll keep anything away."

  Jon turned to her and smiled. “Good then. Breakfast is ready. Let's get going. We've got a lot of ground to cover today."

  He started for the door. But when he reached the threshold, he paused. “Oh, and we'll be camping away from the village tonight. So be sure to bring a small pack with your personals and a change of clothes.” Then, as an afterthought, “Only the necessities mind you,” he added, wagging a finger in their direction. “I'm not carrying any extra bags."

  "Cross my heart,” Ashley said with a strangely husky purr. Then she made a crossing motion over her left breast.

  Jon gave her an appreciative stare, his gaze dropping to just below Ashley's manicured nail. Then, realizing he was staring, he cleared his throat with a nervous cough. “We leave in twenty minutes. Breakfast is in the gazebo.” He turned and left.

  Rhea absently nodded. “Okay,” she said softly, her mind on things other than hunting for plants today. How did Valos do that?

 
She thought about her dream. He'd taken something from her ... My essence. And in doing so, had apparently created a link with her she was powerless to deny.

  "Oh, dear God,” she said, sinking onto the edge of her cot.

  "What? What is it?” Ashley demanded, sitting down next to her. “What's happened?"

  When Rhea didn't answer, Ashley grabbed her shoulders, forced her to face her, then shook her none too gently. “Rhea! Don't zone out on me. What's going on?"

  Rhea looked at her friend. “He wants me,” she said quietly, calmly.

  "What? Who? Jon?"

  Rhea collapsed back onto the cot with a frustrated huff. “No. Not Jon. He obviously wants you."

  "Really? You think so? I mean, I thought he kind of liked me. But I've never really ... hey! Don't change the subject! This isn't about me. It's about you."

  Rhea drew in a long breath, then let it slip noisily through her pursed lips. What was she going to do? Apparently, Valos had already claimed her as his mate, whether she agreed or not. But she couldn't ... Wait, what had he said about being with her?

  "No matter where you are, I can be with you, if I want," came the voice in her head again.

  "Stop it, Valos!” Rhea jumped up from the bed.

  Ashley jumped up as well. “Whoa! What's going on? Who's Valos?"

  "Stay out of my head!” Rhea didn't care that her voice likely carried across the entire village. This was insane. He had no right to just take up residence in her thoughts.

  "It's only for a little while, Rhea. When you come to me, I'll be ... tangible."

  "The hell you will!” She shook her fist at the bed, sensing, rather than seeing, that he was there. “I didn't agree to this, Valos. You can't—"

  "Rhea! I don't know what's going on here, but you're really scaring the crap out of me.” Ashley stepped between Rhea and the cot.

  Suddenly realizing how ridiculous she probably looked and sounded, Rhea instantly dropped her hand to her side. Not knowing what to say or how to explain her bizarre behavior, her gaze drifted to the floor, unable to meet her friend's terrified stare.

  After a long moment of uncomfortable silence, Ashley declared, “It was your dream, wasn't it? He came to you in your dream.” Then she took a step toward her. “What'd he do to you, Rhea? You're talking like a crazy woman."

  Her voice grew shrill with panic when Rhea didn't answer. “What'd he do?” Ashley reached for her shoulders again with the apparent intent of shaking some sense into her.

  Rhea glanced up at her lab partner, anger filling her every pore. “He took something from me,” she replied in a voice that was strangely calm despite the raging emotions assaulting her soul. “Without my permission."

  Ashley immediately dropped her arms to her sides. “What?” She shook her head as if trying to clear her thoughts and assure herself she was hearing Rhea correctly. “What did he take?” she finally asked.

  "My essence,” Rhea replied with a low growl. “And I'm gonna get it back!” She snatched her duffel bag from the floor by Ashley's feet, then headed for the table across the room.

  "He's here,” Rhea called over her shoulder. “Right now. He thinks I'm going to be his mate, let him come and go in the human world at will, give him children, be a faithful and doting wife. But he's wrong. Dead wrong. I won't have a man who thinks he can just pop in for a quickie, then leave. If that's his idea of giving me what I need, then he's got another think—"

  "Who said anything about leaving?"

  Rhea's spine stiffened. She slowly turned to look toward the bed, ignoring Ashley's bewildered expression and the toiletry items that fell unheeded to the floor. “What?” she whispered softly.

  "I plan on staying forever."

  CHAPTER 8

  The day had proven useless. By nightfall, the group had no more found any evidence of the elusive Yagana plant, than Rhea had the Stairway to Heaven. All proof of Valos and his insane suggestions seemed to have disappeared. And Rhea wondered for the hundredth time if perhaps Juanita's story hadn't merely jolted her normally restrained imagination into overdrive.

  Ashley and Jon had scarcely paid any attention to anyone but each other, and the small band of natives, including Gabriel, the Huitito shaman, had been so intent on searching for traces of the Yagana, that Rhea had pretty much been left to her own defenses. She'd traveled along at the back of the group, admiring the passing scenery and trying not to think on the Stairway's Guardian. By the time they'd set up camp along the Amapayaco River, they were nearly twenty miles from the Huitito Village, and Rhea had almost convinced herself that Valos didn't exist.

  She knew she needed to return her attentions to the purpose of her trip, and quit allowing herself to be sidetracked by Juanita's fictional Guardian and promises of a happily-ever-after. Those were endings found in fairy tales, not everyday life. And they only happened to important people, certainly no one as insignificant as herself.

  I'm just a biologist.

  "You're not insignificant, Rhea. Not to me. You are my world."

  It took everything she had not to scream out loud. Rhea gripped the fallen log upon which she sat so tightly her knuckles turned white.

  "I thought you were gone!” she snapped in a terse whisper, making sure no one else could hear. Her lab partner already thought she was losing her marbles. The last thing she needed was for anyone else to suspect her sanity.

  "I told you, my love. I'm not going anywhere. I've just been busy today, preparing for our meeting."

  Rhea felt a brush against her shoulder, a sweep of her ponytail away from her neck, then a gentle kiss as soft as a rose petal caressed her flesh. She gasped when a shudder worked its way down her spine, around her waist, and centered itself at the juncture of her thighs. The muscles in her pelvis contracted as orgasmic tremors rocked her core. A rush of heat flamed her cheeks.

  "Stop it!” she whispered again, swiping at the back of her neck.

  "You all right over there?” Jon called from the other side of the fire pit. He and Ashley were sharing a meal of fish that one of the natives had caught while the others had set up camp.

  "Uh ... yeah. Just these darned mosquitoes,” Rhea returned with a nervous laugh.

  "You want ... my bug spray?” Ashley asked between mouthfuls.

  "Nah, I'm fine. Really.” Rhea waved her hand out before her as though dismissing the suggestion altogether. Ashley shrugged with indifference, then turned her attention back to her meal, and to Jon.

  Rhea glanced to her right, sensing Valos's presence. “What do you want from me?” she asked softly, trying not to draw any more unwanted attention to herself.

  "You know what I want, Rhea."

  "Why me? Why not Ashley, or one of the Huitito women?"

  "Because, you need me."

  "What makes you think Ashley doesn't need you? Why do—"

  "Look for yourself, Rhea. Ashley has what she needs. Everyone has one true mate in life. Ashley has found hers, as you have found yours."

  Rhea chanced to look over at her lab partner and mentor. They did seem rather pleased with each other. Jon's eyes never left Ashley's beautiful face as she placed a chunk of food between his lips with her fingertips. And she didn't flinch or pull away when he leaned forward and captured her mouth in a gentle kiss.

  He's right.

  As much as she hated to admit it, there was no denying the obvious. Ashley and Jon needed each other. And their meeting had to be more than coincidental; it was—

  "Destiny. As was ours."

  "But—"

  "It's time, Rhea. Time for you to find the Stairway to Heaven. Time for us to join."

  Although Rhea knew she should argue, should refuse to find his stairway, refuse to join with him, refuse to do anything at all he wanted, she found herself rising from her seat and turning toward the shadowed rainforest behind her. Then, without so much as a backward glance to see if any of the others would notice, she disappeared into the darkness.

  * * * *

 
Rhea only felt a vague sliver of fear as she stepped off the trail and began to work her way deeper and deeper into the maze of trees and curling vines composing the mighty Amazon Forest, and farther and farther away from the safety of the camp and her friends. Regardless of the outcome, she had resigned herself to the fact that she had to find the stairway, alone, and she had to face Valos, if not for anything else than to assure herself of her sanity. But how sane was traipsing through a rainforest loaded with poisonous dart frogs, venomous snakes, and God only knew what other types of dangerous creatures, with no weapons, no flashlight, and no—

  "Don't worry, my love. I shall keep you safe."

  Rhea nodded, suddenly feeling comforted. She could scarcely see more than five feet in front of her, and yet something inside told her that Valos was sincere. He would protect her from any harm.

  "That's it. Now turn to your left and continue straight ahead. The stairway isn't much farther now. You're doing just fine."

  Rhea did as instructed, feeling more like a puppet on a string than a living person. Hands held out before her to break a fall in case she tripped, she started forward into a gaping black hole, which seemed to swallow her and everything else around her. Not even the steady hum of locusts, the occasional chirp of frogs, or the squawk of an irritated macaw permeated the darkness into which she crept.

  A shiver raced down her spine. The creatures of these woods wouldn't venture here. “So why am I?” she wondered out loud. Even though she'd barely spoken above a whisper, her voice broke the stillness around her with a resounding echo.

  Before she could change her mind or ponder the question, her hands bumped into what felt like a wall of tangled vines and leaves. As though innately knowing which direction to go, Rhea turned to the left. Carefully running her fingertips along a single thickened and corded vine—almost as one would a banister down a long, darkened hallway—she started forward.