“What if there were another way?” Sarah pleaded. “What if there was a better way to save your husband, while preserving those ten innocent lives? We’re looking for the Gold Minerals of Life. If we can find them, we can heal King Taggert and then trade them for our loved ones.”
Another burst of light came, and the shape-shifter morphed into a bird. She flew through the trees and into the night sky without another word.
“Wait!” yelled Sarah. “Come back! Going back without us as your prisoners is surely a death sentence for your husband!”
“Don’t call that wretched woman back,” admonished Victor.
Sarah placed a hand on his shoulder. “She could be an asset to us.”
His gaze narrowed. “How can she be trusted? She took your sister!”
“Right now, I have to see past that. What’s done is done. Having her on our side may mean the difference in getting Liz back and saving my friends.” Sarah spun in a slow circle. “Listen, shape-shifter! We can work together. Sometimes people do crazy things when their loved ones are taken, but I can feel that your heart is pure. You allowed me to live back in the forest when you could’ve easily killed me and my friends, when we were marked for death.”
The leaves rustled, and a glorious tiger approached.
Victor went to reach for his sword, but Sarah grabbed his arm. “No.” She turned to the large beast and asked, “Do we have a deal?”
“I’ll add to this deal to assure your cooperation,” Victor said. “If you help us obtain the minerals, you shall be given Logwood Forest.”
Sarah glanced over. “What’s that?”
“It is a piece of land, property the Shadow People have been begging me for, desiring it for over 500 years. Do you agree to these terms, shape-shifter? If you do, and we succeed, you will be considered a hero among your people for obtaining such a treasured piece of land.”
The tiger morphed into her human form. “You set forth a most generous offer. Of course I accept the terms, and you have my complete trust. I’ll even allow you to put me in a compelled state so you will know I will not to hurt you or your wife. In my animal form, I can smell the Immortals. If you choose, I can become a bird and fly and see with eagle’s eyes. It’s best I stay in that form so I can use my senses for our journey.”
“Acceptable,” Victor said.
She bowed. “We have a deal, my King.”
Sarah shook her hand. “Yes, and we’ll work together as a team.”
The woman nodded. “I am Lana.”
“Nice to meet you again,” Sarah said.
Victor glanced in the direction of the city. “It would not be wise to go back. I’m sure Immortals are waiting for us in our room.”
A burst of light blinded Sarah as Lana morphed into a bird and flew into the towering trees.
“Where did she go?” Sarah asked through the sound of roaring water and chirping crickets.
Victor glanced around in the moonlight. “I do not know, Sarah, but I feel she cannot be trusted.”
“I can!” Lana said from behind him. “Immortals are closing in from all directions. I am afraid we are trapped.”
“Liar!” Victor said. “We will not fall for your tricks, shape-shifter.”
Branches snapped off in the distance, and Sarah jumped. “I don’t think she’s lying.”
Victor took a step toward the water. “We can swim under the waterfall through a maze of underwater tunnels. You’ll be able to hold your breath for much longer than a human.”
“There’s no way I’m doing that, mister,” Sarah said, shaking her head.
Victor raised his brow. “Why not?”
“Why?” She took a deep breath as her mind tried to come up with a good excuse. “Um…for starters, uh, it will be pitch black.”
“That’s your reason?” Victor asked, amused.
Lana put an arm on Sarah’s shoulder. “I will be with you all the way, Sarah. I will shift into an anglerfish.”
“The fish that attacked Marlin and Dory with the dangling light in Finding Nemo?” Sarah asked.
Lana and Victor exchanged a confused glance. “I am not sure who Nemo is,” Lana said, but we may have to find him later. We must stay focused on our original plan.”
Sarah put up her hand, exasperated. “Never mind.” Glancing up, she gasped. Immortals crept out of the shadows and through the towering trees with moonlight glistening off their swords. “Let’s get out of here,” she whispered. “Right now!”
Chapter 12
Victor reached for Sarah’s hand.
She lifted her eyes to meet his encouraging gaze, and with a long, deep breath, she dove into the water with him, confident that he knew what he was doing. Ignoring the unnatural sensation, she opened her eyes and strained to recognize shapes in the blackness surrounding them. The water around her began to shake, and a burst of light appeared, illuminating the way like the thick beam of a flashlight. Her gaze swept over the school of fish following the ragged side of a large rock that disappeared into what looked like a dark tunnel. She pulled Victor’s sleeve and pointed ahead, then shook her head.
He just smiled and shrugged, as though signaling her to suck it up and do the inevitable.
Her whole body shuddered at the idea of swimming through that tunnel, but she had no other choice. Following Lana, she swam through the tunnel. Up ahead, a swirling hole caught her eye. She sped and broke the surface.
A yellow ball of light hovered in the center of the room, obviously Victor’s doing because the moon couldn’t possibly penetrate that stony ceiling with its giant stalagmites. The soft rays of the light caught on the ragged peaks of pale stones.
She glanced at Victor, blinking the water out of her eyelashes. Her heart thumped. There was no way she could avoid drooling over those rippling muscles and glittering eyes. She was mesmerized as she stared at his dazzling, breathtaking male beauty—from his beautiful skin and full lips, to the sculptured lines and angles of his forehead, to his amazing cheekbones and chiseled jaw line, to the droplets of water that clung to his face.
As if reading her thoughts, he smiled, and she felt her cheeks burn. He raised a brow, making her wonder what was going through his mind. She would’ve loved to break into his thoughts but, as usual, they remained hidden to her. His cheeky look made her nervous, so she clung desperately to the first thing that crossed her mind. “Love the artificial sun. How do you do that?”
He shook his head, sprinkling her with droplets of water.
She laughed at Victor’s playful manner in such a stressful situation. “So…are you going to tell me?”
His dripping hair was now slicked back. “There’s so much to teach you.”
Victor swam to the ledge and held out his hand, helping her to her feet. Then, like a true gentlemen, he extended the offer to Lana, who was now back in her human form.
Sarah’s teeth started to chatter as a cool breeze blew over her.
“This is the perfect place to spend the night,” Lana said, wrapping her arms around her waist as though to keep from shivering.
Sarah snorted. Perfect? Is she kidding? A bed in a nice hotel with some of those fancy chocolates wrapped in shimmery foil advertising the Swiss Alps would be my idea of perfect—not this. “In an underwater cave?” She peered around her, already searching for something—anything—that might be used as a pillow, but all she could see were rocks and more rocks.
“They’ll never find us here,” Victor said. “They’ll search the entire area and be gone by daylight.”
She had feared that answer, and it did make sense, but it certainly didn’t make the whole situation any easier to bear. She rubbed her hands over the goose bumps rising up and down her arms. If she really had to stay the night, she might as well make good use of it. “I’m freezing. Can I borrow some body heat?”
Victor smiled, holding out his arms.
“Lucky you,” Lana said. “I guess I’ll have to come up with a plan of my own.” In a burst of light, Lan
a morphed into a golden beast with a mane of long fur covering half of her face.
Sarah took a step back. “Not sure I’ll ever get used to all of this paranormal freaky stuff.”
The lion lay down, and Victor put his hand on the creature’s head, then looked into its golden eyes. “You won’t hurt us—not now or ever.”
The lion walked to the corner of the room and closed its eyes, as if drifting off to sleep.
Sarah peered at him for a while, not for the first time wondering what was really going on in his mind. “You still don’t trust Lana?” she eventually said.
He shook his head. “Trusting the enemy can have deadly consequences.”
“So could sleeping in a cave at night,” Sarah muttered, thinking back to the day she’d followed the Bigfoot. She couldn’t believe how much something as insignificant as taking a wrong turn had changed her life. She still couldn’t wrap her head around that part. Pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind, she slumped into a corner, resting her back against the damp wall, and held out her hand to Victor. “Care to join me?” Her voice came low and hoarse.
He lay down next to her and pulled her to his chest. As she met his gaze, she noticed he had the faintest stubble shadowing his jaw line, making him look even sexier than before.
“Victor,” she said softly, reaching out to touch his skin. “Tell me about the history of the ring and the Immortals. I’ve been dying to ask you, but we’ve never had a chance before.”
“We haven’t had a minute to relax, have we?” He sighed.
She waited for him to continue. When he didn’t immediately, she didn’t press the issue; she could sense that the past was painful for him.
He spoke eventually, and when he did, a shadow clouded his features. “Thousands of years ago, my people were slaves, beaten and left to starve, for there was no food. To gather nourishment for his rebel troops, Taggert, one of the original Immortals, and his wife hiked deep into the mountains, where they fell into a deep hole and stumbled upon a cave. He figured it’d make a great place to sleep until morning, so he started a fire. That was when he saw something in the flames—diamonds and rubies embedded in the wall.”
“Wow,” Sarah said, leaning forward so she wouldn’t miss a single word of his tale. “That must’ve been an awesome sight.”
Victor nodded. “It was. In fact, it was so beautiful and amazing that Taggert and his wife pulled out two diamonds and two rubies to add to their wedding rings when they returned home. They decided they would return later to retrieve the rest of the treasure to sell for supplies, weapons, and food to feed their starving army. Each slept with the treasure in their hand, and when they woke up, they discovered they could hear each other’s thoughts.” He paused for effect.
Sarah nodded, even though she couldn’t understand how a stone would ever bring about such a miracle. “So they found out they were connected after that?”
Victor barely bobbed his head in response as he continued with the story. “Yes, but the real shock was yet to come. On the way back to the camp, they were stabbed by robbers. Not only did they have the power to fend off their attackers, but they also lived even after losing an immense amount of blood. Taggert then realized the rare rubies and diamonds had to be spinning some sort of magic, so he decided to use them to make his rebel troops Immortal, so they could break the tyrant’s rule.”
“Did it work?” she asked.
“Yes. They discovered that the diamonds or rubies, when worn on the body, would make one immortal. The rubies had the special power of creating a psychic bond between mates, so they were only handed out in marriage.”
“So where’s your diamond?”
“Only the originals wear diamond rings. Once they were turned into Immortals, they had children who were Immortals. The adult Immortals receive ruby rings when they are married.”
“And Taggert still lives?”
“Yes. King Taggert is our current leader. He’s always been king of the Immortals.”
“I’ve heard talk about him dying. The shape-shifters even mentioned it.”
“For some inexplicable reason, he is slowly passing, and no one knows why, considering that he is supposed to be Immortal. He is the first one to face such a fate, so perhaps it means that his time is simply coming to an end. It’s a shame, though, for Taggert is not only a wonderful and loyal friend, but he’s also kind and generous.”
“Tell me more about King Taggert and the rebels,” Sarah coaxed.
“Well, weeks after his find, he made masculine diamond rings and handed them out to the resistance. The moment the ring was placed on a finger, it sealed and wouldn’t come off. The resistance easily conquered our leaders and overthrew the kingdom.”
As Victor fell silent, giving her time to process the information, she tried to picture the land as it was a long time ago: poor and in need of a strong hand who wouldn’t let the people starve. Maybe Taggert and his wife brought about a few of those changes, but she wondered what happened in the long run. “I can’t believe the Immortals can have children,” she said, breaking the silence. “Were there many?”
Victor laughed. “Yes, plenty. I was one of them. Initially, they believed their newfound immortality wouldn’t allow them to bear children, but once they discovered that they could bear offspring just as before, King Taggert founded the Royal Council and enacted a great number of rules. He declared that Immortals could have no more than two offspring, and he also concluded that no human could ever be turned Immortal. Of course, there were rare exceptions throughout the centuries.”
“And if a human put on a ruby ring, they’d become Immortal…like me,” Sarah whispered.
“Yes. No one knows where the mystical stones came from, though legend claims they were stored there by a goddess, who used the cave to hide her treasures. One of my goals in life is to figure out the true answer to that mystery.”
“Is there a way for a human to return to being mortal?”
She noticed his instant hesitation, as though he didn’t want to share what he knew. “Once the magical ring has touched your skin, Sarah, it is there forever. You will never be human again. You are now an Immortal being. I am sorry, but you must learn to accept it.”
“Yeah, I figured,” she said, sounding defeated. “I guess I just need more time to process it.”
He cupped her face in his hands. “I’m sorry you weren’t given a choice. If I could go back, I would.”
“It’s okay,” she whispered. It was easier to drop it than to ponder the what-ifs. Even if he wanted to turn back time, he couldn’t. She just didn’t want to think about it anymore. Her eyes felt heavy as she snuggled against his broad chest and drifted into an uneasy sleep in the safety of Victor’s arms.
Chapter 13
When Sarah finally awoke, she found the place next to her deserted, though Victor had taken off his cloak to prop it under her head as a pillow. She found him in the next cavernous room, whispering with Lana, a huge frown wrinkling his forehead. The moment they saw her approach, they stopped their conversation. She knew it was because he was worried, but he didn’t want to burden her more than necessary. A few minutes later, they left their safe haven and resumed their journey. Even though he tried to entertain her, something about his attitude had changed, but she didn’t feel it would do any good press the issue.
Eventually, they reached the woods again, followed by a serene clearing.
Victor stopped in his tracks and pointed through the giant purple and green leaves. “We’re here. This is the place rumored to hold the Gold Minerals of Life.”
Sarah’s heart jumped in her chest. Finally! It was what they had come for, and it felt surreal. She focused her gaze in the distance. Through a meadow of colorful flowers, a wide, brown arc led to a cave.
Lana cocked a brow as she regarded Victor coolly. “Your Highness, don’t you think it’s time to tell your wife about the legendary beast that resides in this ancient place?”
Victor’s expr
ession grew grim.
So that’s what they were whispering about this morning. Sarah threw him a sideways glance. “No, he happened to leave out that little tidbit. Care to elaborate, dear?” The sarcasm in her voice came out stronger than she intended. She bit her lip so she wouldn’t burst out in laughter at his pained expression.
He slid an arm around her waist. “I was going to tell you…as soon as the right moment presented itself.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Do I look like I scare easily?”
He smirked. “Of course not. You’re unlike any woman I’ve ever met.”
“Damn straight! Now fill me in on this creature so I know what we’re up against. I refuse to leave this place without the minerals, regardless of lions and tigers and bears, oh my!”
Lana motioned toward the cave. “I am not sure we can complete this quest. No one has ever found the Gold Minerals of Life. Immortals in the past have come out empty-handed…or dead. Please consider my warning. I have brought you here because you requested me to accompany you, but I do not believe we will leave here with the minerals and our lives intact.”
Sarah gulped. If it was scary even for a shape-shifter, it was definitely a risky move, but they had no other choice. She was as good as dead anyway. The Gold Minerals of Life were her only hope. They had to try…or die trying.
“If he will not tell you of the dangers, then I shall,” Lana’s voice broke into her thoughts. “Legend says a monstrous dragon covered in red scales guards the minerals, and it doesn’t take kindly to strangers invading its territory.”
“A dragon? Okay.” Sarah nodded, amused. “So it’s true. I’ve landed right in the middle of a fairytale.” She glanced at the jagged opening. I wonder if everyone lives happily ever after in this one? Hmm… “Think old scaly breeches is expecting a few guests for dinner?” she joked. “I hope shish-kebob isn’t on the menu.”
Victor squared his shoulders. “Only one way to tell.”
In a burst of golden light, Lana transformed into a magnificent hawk. She let out a high-pitched whistle, like that of a steam engine. The bird of prey soared upward, flapping her wings as she flew off into the clouds, toward the opening of the cave.
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