“Do you know whether or not she’s still alive?”
“I don’t know, but why shouldn’t she be?”
Sarah shrugged, hysteria bubbling up inside her. The journey had proven to be nothing but an emotional rollercoaster. If she continued this way she was bound to develop a borderline personality disorder, what with all the crying and laughing and hoping, only to have her hopes dashed an instant later. “I shouldn’t have left her. How can I ever forgive myself? I shouldn’t have been so scared of the creature and dumped my own sister like a sack of potatoes.”
“You were only a kid yourself,” Frank said, “a teenager. “A grown man would have been scared seeing one of those Bigfoots up close and personal. Heck, even I about crapped my pants, and you know how brave I am.”
“She was fifteen, Frank—lost, scared, and wandering around in a forest with countless Bigfoots chasing her.” Sarah turned back to the priest. “When was the last time you heard from her?”
“Let me think.” The man’s eyes glazed, deeply buried in his memories.
Sarah appreciated his help, but her patience was growing thin. She wished she could shake them all out of him, make him answer faster, because her pangs of hope were killing her inside, but she couldn’t risk alienating him; he was her only link to Liz. So she clasped her hands behind her, digging her nails deeply into her skin until a burning sensation traveled up her arm.
The priest answered eventually. “She left when she fell in love with a man. Last I heard she was still with him, and they are doing splendidly.”
Sarah smiled. Somewhere in the midst of all that tragedy, Liz had found true love—something Sarah couldn’t manage to hang on to if her life depended on it. “So she’s happy.”
The priest nodded. “Very much so.”
A thought struck her. “When we arrived in the cave, it was nighttime, but when we walked through the portal, the sun was out. They’re opposites!”
“So she would’ve arrived at night,” Frank finished.
Sarah swallowed, unclasping the necklace and putting it around her neck. “She had to be so lonely and frightened. I hope that man is good to her, whoever he is.”
Frank lifted her hair and clasped the locket around her neck. “We’re going to find her and take her home. Do you remember the man’s name, Father?”
The priest scratched his head. “His name was Charles, and I believe he was from Ripteenia, north of here. Liz never told me much else about him. She was a bit secretive, that one.”
Sarah jumped as the front door slammed open and Jules walked in, his eyes wide. “Two villages away, when the sun sets, they plan to hang three people by the names of Beth, Steven, and Adam,” he announced between labored breaths, as though he had just run a marathon. “I heard they were dressed in odd clothing, similar to those Frank was wearing when I met him. My friend said they came through the forest of the Guardians, just like you two. Do you know them?”
Sarah gasped. “Of course! That would be my BFF, my lead researcher, and my cameraman.”
“BFF?” Jules and the priest asked in unison.
“Never mind,” Frank said to them with a groan. “Sarah, they followed you in? You’ve got to be kidding!”
Chapter 12
Sarah stared at Jules, wide-eyed. Three members of her team had made it through the portal, but now they faced execution. She felt awful about that. Once again, it was all her fault that people she cared about were in trouble. She’d been in charge of the expedition, and she’d picked the spot where they hunted for Bigfoot. Waves of guilt surged through her, first over Liz and now over her friends, her team. If anything happened to them, she could never live with herself. She grabbed Frank’s hand, avoiding his apologetic gaze. “We can’t just let them die in this place, Frank. We have to do something—anything! Let’s go!”
“What do you suggest we—” Frank started.
Jules grabbed her shoulder, interrupting Frank. “Where do you think you and Frank are going? We’re in the middle of a big village crawling with knights. You take one step out there, and it will be an execution of five instead of three.”
“He’s right,” Frank whispered. “Besides, it might be a trap. They probably know we all came from the same world and that we’re friends. They might be trying to bait you out of hiding, Sarah.”
Sarah was trying to think logically, but having more people on her conscience wasn’t an option. She had done enough harm already. Shaking her head vehemently, she turned to face Frank, her eyes ablaze. “I don’t care! They are only here because they were loyal, trying to find me, and I’m not going to desert them now. I’m going, with or without you.”
“Sarah, you’re being irrational,” Jules said. “I won’t let you go.”
“And you care why?” Sarah asked. “Last time I checked, you couldn’t wait to get rid of us.”
“You scammed King Victor and dragged Mia into all your craziness. I might not like it, but I promised Mia I’d keep you safe. I’m not going to just stand by and watch you walk into death’s arms. Throughout this journey, I’ve regarded your safety as my top priority because I will not break a promise to my love.”
“Walking out there is a suicide mission,” Frank said. “Unless this Immortal nonsense can also make you invisible, we’re gonna need a disguise and a smoking hot plan...and a couple of Uzis really would have helped.”
The priest smiled. “I may be able to help with the disguises,” he said proudly, walking over to a peeling wooden chest. He pulled out two black cotton robes, frayed where the hem had dragged over the ground. “Just wait a bit longer. In one hour, hundreds of priests will gather for prayer and to attend a short midday service. When they leave to return to their villages, you’ll blend right in with them.”
Frank nodded, brows raised. “I love it when a plan comes together,” he said with a smirk.
“I think this will work,” Sarah said, slipping into a robe, tying the hood, and then adjusting the white belt cord. The coarse material hid her supple curves, giving the impression of someone much leaner and less feminine.
She turned her attention to Jules. “Are you onboard with this or not?”
He seemed confused. “I don’t understand. It is not necessary to use a boat, as we’ll be traveling on foot.”
She rolled her eyes, more at herself at forgetting the poor guy wasn’t accustomed with twenty-first century slang. “Sorry. I meant to ask if you are in agreement to help us with this. Can you guide us? We cannot find the village on our own.”
“I said we’ll be traveling on foot, didn’t I? And I know a shorter way.”
The mention of a shortcut made Sarah smile, in spite of the sarcastic tone in Jules’s voice. “Even better,” she said, tossing him a robe.
The priest handed Sarah a staff, a pair of glasses, and an oversized silver cross on a long leather string. “You need the best disguise possible, considering you’re their main target.” He squeezed a small bag of gold into her hand. “Take it. Your sister would want me to help you, and you may need this on your journey.”
For a moment, she struggled with the idea of taking the old man’s money. His torn clothes and the tattered condition of his church told her he needed it as much as she did; however, she knew they might not make it without his monetary support. Even though her throat constricted at the idea, she held out her hand and grabbed the sachet, then hugged him tight. “You’ve been a huge help, Father. Thank you,” she whispered, vowing to come back and repay her debt.
* * *
Sarah leaned against the giant stone pillar outside the back of the church. The beams of sunlight felt good on her face. She wondered how her sister had dealt with the drama of finding herself in a dangerous new world with no one to protect her when she came through the portal at fifteen. The sudden helplessness had to be world shattering. Not only had Liz lost all of her friends and family, but this odd world was very different from what they were used to, and one tiny mistake could’ve cost her her life. S
arah jumped as bells chimed in the distance, jolting her out of her thoughts. She straightened her back at the realization that the church service must be over, and the time had come for her to leave the sanctuary of the kind priest’s church.
Frank put up his hood and turned to face her. “It’s time.” His voice came low and grave, too grave for an easygoing man like him. It wasn’t like him to let his worries take hold of his spirits.
“Yep, I’m ready.” She infused as much cheeriness into her tone as she could muster. At least one of them had to keep up the good mood before they drowned in their own pool of despair.
Smiling, Frank straightened up her glasses. “There, you look perfect.”
“Thanks for everything, Father.” She turned to hug the old man. “And thanks for taking care of my sister when she had nobody else to look after her. That means the world to me.”
“My doors are open to anyone in need of refuge, as our heavenly Father would have it.” The priest nodded graciously, and Sarah thought she might have seen a tear in his eye. “Be careful,” the priest said. “I’ve just received word that Ethano Milers is tracking you as we speak.”
“Who is he?” Sarah asked.
“He’s a very powerful Immortal from the Cardashian Court. I don’t understand why they would send somebody so high up to personally bring you in for trial. Usually, they just send in an experienced and skilled tracker. My prayers will go with you, child.”
Sarah shook her head. Obviously there must be a reason. She officially had her third enemy. “They must really want me.” She gave the priest one last hug, and this time, there was a tear in her own eye.
Jules led the way through the lush green grass to the front of the huge stone church. They blended in with all the other priests in monk’s robes, exiting through the two giant oak doors.
Sarah’s mouth dropped. Reality came crashing down at the sight of hundreds of knights on horses, all there with one mission: to behead her. Shudders rocked her body. She couldn’t give in to her fear, though—not when her life and the lives of so many others depended on her. She forced herself forward, gazing only at the ground, trying to gain her composure. She hoped that if she didn’t look, her heart would stop beating so fast, but the closer she inched, the more her hands started to sweat. Her nerves felt like they were fraying like the bottom of her borrowed robe with every step she took.
The knights swarmed the place, waiting for the moment she’d come out of hiding, as if they were cats and she the mouse.
Taking a deep breath, she started limping as she clung to the staff, hoping it might throw them off her trail. Her heart pounded as she swerved between two knights on black horses. A horse neighed, and Sarah nearly jumped out of her skin. She wasn’t sure if her nerves could take another moment of it. She took a deep breath and focused on seeing her sister’s face again.
“Sorry about that, Father,” a knight to her right said.
She nodded and tried to understand his logic. He was sorry his horse had scared a priest, but he seemingly had no qualms about killing an unarmed woman for no apparent reason other than identity theft. What kind of place is this? Is that their idea of justice? She hobbled along, and in no time, they came to the edge of the city where knights guarded the perimeter.
“Halt!” a knight ordered.
She peered up past the black horse to the red tunic covering the guy’s chainmail.
“Let us pass so we can get more bread from the next village,” Jules said. “No one told us about the extra guests.”
“You intend to feed our troops?”
“Indeed,” Frank said. “We just need a few supplies—some wine, bread, and potato chips.”
Potato chips? Sarah nudged him. It was no time for making jokes.
“Splendid, Father.” The knight lifted his visor, his brown eyes shining at the thought of filling his stomach with a free meal and then plundering the village.
“What is your answer then?” Jules prompted impatiently.
Sarah kept her head down and bit her lip, waiting for the soldier’s answer, her heart pounding hard.
The knight motioned his colleagues to clear a path. “Let them pass to go for provisions!”
The others obediently took a few steps back.
Sarah let out a tiny sigh of relief and walked into the forest, taking swift but measured footsteps so she wouldn’t look conspicuous. Either the disguise or the kind priest’s prayers had worked—or maybe a little of both.
An animal snort, along with the sound of thundering hooves echoed behind them. She spun around to see a group of knights approaching, and her hands began to tremble. She frowned.
The knight’s hand moved to the hilt of his sword as he inched closer. “Wait, you.” His hard gaze focused on Sarah. “Hello, Father.”
She swallowed hard, words frozen in her throat. Sweat gathered across her brows, and her pulse started to race again. Their plan was falling apart, she knew it, yet she wasn’t about to go down without a fight, dressed like a clergyman or not.
“I’m sorry,” Frank chimed in. “He’s a mute. I can translate for him if you’d like. I know the language of hand signs.”
The knight didn’t tear his gaze off Sarah. “Ask him why he’s wearing pearl earrings in his ears. Is he blind as well as dumb?”
She took in a sharp breath, marveling at her own stupidity. Crap! How could I have forgotten to remove those?
“Oh. I am sorry, sir, for the confusion, but it is our way of penance, a punishment to purify a troubled soul and thoughts,” Frank said, unfazed.
“Really?” He let out a chuckle. “Ask him this. What is it like to be married to the most evil man in the entire world?”
“We don’t marry,” Jules said.
“Perhaps you don’t, but I can assure you she does.” The knight dismounted. In two long strides, he reached her and yanked down her hood and glasses. “We’ve finally got you!” he hissed, the stench of his breath floating into Sarah’s nostrils.
“Get away from me!” she spat, her anger flaring.
His hand clasped around hers, and his eyes lingered on the ring. “She wears the mark of the Immortals! Seize them!” Pointing at the others, he drew his sword out of his sheath, his cold stare meeting hers once again. “My Queen, for your crimes, you are hereby sentenced to death.”
“No!” She shook her head, willing her magical powers to make an appearance, but nothing happened. Whatever the Immortal thing was, it didn’t work on command. In her time, Frank or someone like him would have debunked those so-called powers ages ago. Her heart thundered in her chest.
Jules and Frank shouted from behind.
The sun caught in the soldier’s blade as he raised it over his head, ready to strike. “I promise that I shall make this as quick and painless as possible, Highness. Your friends won’t feel a thing either,” he said with a laugh that told her he was lying about that part.
“No!” she screamed, her heart pounding in her ears.
He turned to the other knights. “Get her in position.”
Sarah glared, and a few soldiers backed away.
“Do not fear her!” a knight said. “She’s merely an infant, a baby Immortal who ran away from her teacher. She doesn’t know a thing about her powers or how to wield them.”
How could this be the end? Maybe I can appeal to him emotionally, make one last-ditch effort. She looked deeply into his eyes as a knight jerked her to her knees. “Please stop this! Put that thing down. You don’t want to kill me.” A burst of heat spread through her forehead.
He stared at her, wide-eyed. For a moment, all color drained from his face, as though he had just seen a ghost. Then his cheeks turned red and his eyes beady.
She stared at him, frowning, wondering what was happening to him.
The soldier’s hand waved, his sword dangling over her head menacingly.
She shook her head.
He imitated the action, then put the sword away ever so slowly. His voice came low, b
arely louder than a whisper. “I don’t want to kill you, miss, but you’re still under arrest.” He had a grim line perched on his forehead, his hands clenched as though he was leading an inner battle.
“You did it!” Jules whispered.
She stared at him as realization kicked in. Maybe this Immortal ability business isn’t a hoax after all. She couldn’t believe it was so easy, but ultimately, it worked! She’d somehow managed to tap into his softer side, appealed to the part of him that did not want to harm or kill a helpless woman. But being arrested wasn’t going to help her situation. She knew somebody else, some heartless individual, would just do the dirty deed and behead her in a second.
A knight gripped her arms behind her back. Pain surged through her body, blinding her for a second. In spite of the burning sensation, she struggled against his strong hold hissing, “Let go of me!” Another burst of intense heat flooded her mind, weakening her against the pictures that threatened to form before her eyes.
His grip loosened.
Sarah swung around, baffled. What is going on? He’s listening to my commands. Where did this ability come from? She didn’t know what kind of power it was, but she planned to use it to her full advantage. “You’ll command your men to let me and my friends go. This is a big misunderstanding. Let us go so we can bring back food for the feast.”
His head bowed, and he looked at the other soldiers. “My mistake, milady. You and these men are free to go.”
Another knight stepped forward, shaking his head vehemently. “Sir, you can’t do that! She’s put a hex on you. Our orders clearly state that—”
Sarah gazed into his green eyes, drops of sweat rolling down her forehead. Anger built up inside of her. How dare he question his superior? She closed her eyes against the building surge of electricity pouring through her. Her body jerked in convulsions, and she couldn’t move. Am I—paralyzed? It was as if she had absolutely no control of her body. She gasped and lifted her hands. No...I CAN move! As she opened her eyes, a wind whipped through her hair and rose to a fierce howl. Lightning flashed; thunder cracked. Ice-cold drops of rain fell from the sky, cooling off her hot skin.
Immortal Dreams Page 39