“Who held Bethany’s soul captive?” she asked.
Maeve.
How did Sparrow know all of this?
“And she put her here?” Emma asked.
Not here, but a place like it. You were bold when you freed Bethany. Many spirits witnessed it.
“I had no idea what I was doing.”
Then you must learn again.
Emma’s eyes flew open and she was back at the fire with Nathan, Taap, and Charley. The drumming and chanting stopped.
“What happened?” Nathan asked.
“A test, I think.” Emma’s eyes met Taap’s. “I don’t think I passed.”
Taap spoke then Charley translated. “To travel in the underworld is to learn a new world again. It will take time. Trust your power animal, Emma-kele.”
* * *
“Emma-kele,” Nathan murmured into her hair as they lay together in their shelter. “Did you get married in the underworld?”
She laughed, relaxed from their loving, her naked body draping his.
“Should I be worried about this Mister Kele?” he asked, his tone light.
“Kele means sparrow. I have a giant sparrow that helps me in the spirit world.” She looked up at him. “I wonder what your power animal would be.”
“Well, probably something like a tiger or a bear.”
“I was thinking maybe an otter,” she teased, “or a squirrel.”
“And how shall I be called? Nathan-chipmunk?”
She laughed and kissed him. After a time they slept, cushioned by the soft plushness of the new deer hide. Emma’s dreams were filled with Nathan.
* * *
The next morning, Nathan went with several of the men to the south rim of Grand Canyon to help round up several wild ponies.
Emma spent the morning with Ilwi. The petite woman spoke in her own language, gesturing frequently, walking and urging Emma to follow. Emma didn’t really understand much, but smiled and did her best to interact with the woman. Ilwi led her to a secluded area, surrounded by rock and trees. The Indian woman became very quiet and solemn, which caught Emma’s attention. A pile of feathers collected in a circular area, and as Emma approached she saw it was a pile of dead birds.
Sparrows.
“Why?” Emma asked.
Ilwi spoke softly, her arms opening to encompass the area. The look in her dark eyes seemed to implore Emma to help.
“I don’t understand.” Emma knelt beside the pile of dead birds.
Ilwi soon departed. Sitting in the stillness Emma concentrated on the creatures, letting her awareness slip away, to another place and time.
The sparrows fed from a spring nearby. Contaminated with deer fecal matter, it was making them sick. But there was something else…a disturbance not unlike the one Emma had felt the previous night while in the Lower World with Taap. A reverberation that affected the sparrows; a malevolent wave that had been too much for the weaker of the birds.
Emma stood and went to tell Ilwi of the spring. Perhaps it could be cleansed or drained somehow. Rock Jones intercepted her. He didn’t speak English either, but he knew enough words to get her attention.
“River man, he go. You go, too.”
Emma knew he spoke of Nathan. The Havasupai had given Nathan the nickname River Man.
“Where did he go?” she asked.
Rock Jones pointed toward the Colorado River. “River.”
“Why would he go all the way there?”
He pointed at her. “You go. He say. You go.”
This didn’t make sense to Emma. Why would Nathan want her to go all the way to the river alone? It was such a long, arduous hike.
“I think I’ll wait here for him,” she said, but she knew Rock Jones didn’t understand her. She wished Charley was here, but he’d gone with Nathan.
“Diamond. You go. You go.”
Emma looked at the Indian man sharply. Did he mean that Diamond was here? Was Nathan trying to warn her to leave?
She turned away from the short man and walked to the shelter she and Nathan shared. Rock Jones followed. When she started to collect her things he prodded her on, shooing her away and in the direction of the river. Startled by the man’s pushiness, fear shot through her. Diamond must be here. Nathan must’ve seen him and somehow relayed a message down here. It seemed to be the only explanation. As much as she disliked Rock Jones—even more so now with the way he treated her—she decided to heed Nathan’s message. She returned quickly inside the shelter, rolled the buckskin hide, and stuffed it as best she could into the knapsack. She pulled it onto her back, and began the long hike to the Colorado River.
Chapter Twenty
All day she hiked. Tired, sweaty, and hungry, it was late afternoon by the time she made it to the Colorado River. Peeking over the ledge, she could see the dory but it had been moved. Nathan must be here. She scanned the surroundings but saw no one.
Without warning she landed face-down in the water, stunned by a piercing blow to the back of the head. Dazed, she struggled to stand. Diamond jumped into the water beside her. She lifted her hand to ward him off, but he grabbed her arm and dragged her to her feet. She winced from the pain.
“Let’s go witch.” He pushed her into the boat, removed the rope anchoring it to the canyon wall then pushed it into the river. He climbed aboard, causing the craft to wobble violently.
Nauseous, Emma struggled to gain her bearings, but darkness closed in.
* * *
The rocking of the boat roused Emma from a formless dream. Where was she? Confused, it took a moment for her to remember.
“Good, you’re awake,” Diamond said. He held to the oars as he navigated downriver.
She lay on her side with her hands tied behind her and her feet bound. Her head throbbed and her neck ached from lying against the hard wood. Her face felt hot. She must be sunburned. And she was drenched in sweat. She must've been out for some time.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked, her voice hoarse. Unease about Nathan rippled through her. What if Diamond had hurt him?
“I don’t find many like you,” he said. “And your protector deserved to be taught a lesson.”
Emma sensed the undercurrent of rage. Whatever Nathan had done to him at Bright Angel River, Diamond clearly harbored resentment, bordering on revenge. She needed to tread carefully. She struggled to push herself upright, squinting from the direct sunlight beating down on them.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“The same place you were going with him. Down the river.”
“Have you been here before?”
“No. At least, not in person.” He smiled but it only reached his mouth.
She must be miles away from Nathan. Despair washed over her.
“Did you hurt him?” she whispered, unable to stop the question.
“Who?”
“Nathan.”
“No. Just slipped by him like a snake.” He let out a short laugh.
Emma let out a breath of relief.
“No reason for confrontation,” he continued, “if you can steal the prize from right under a man’s nose.”
Emma remained silent. Fear whispered in her ear, not of physical danger, but of something deeper, something far more sinister. Diamond would twist her soul. At least he would try, of that she was fairly certain. What was her best course of action? What would Nathan do if he were here?
The relentless pounding in her head and the numbness in her hands from the tight rope brought on a wave of hopelessness.
The river remained calm until Diamond finally came ashore in an inlet on the north side. Emma knew this would make it harder for Nathan to reach them. It was clear the river couldn't be forded easily now, and the Havasupai encampment had been on the south side. Did Nathan even know she was missing? Another thought suddenly plagued her.
“Where are the Baxters?” she asked. She knew Nathan could handle them in a fair fight, but what if they ambushed him?
“They kept
the Havasupai busy while I went to the river looking for you.”
Diamond dragged her out of the boat and pushed her to the ground. “Can you cook something?” he asked.
“Yes,” she replied quietly.
“What can you make?” He appeared freakishly ravenous.
“Biscuits, coffee.”
“Make a lot. Stay here while I get some brush for a fire.”
He left and Emma lay on her side, watching the steady calmness of the river. It occurred to her that food would help her think better. It would help to keep her wits about her. Diamond returned, built a fire then untied her.
“I’ll be watching you,” he said. “Be quick about the food.”
But quick was tough, considering how stiff her limbs were. She shuffled to the boat to retrieve the supplies she required, aware that she was in no shape to make a run for it. She soon prepared a meal and they ate. Diamond was noisy and greedy—if only she’d thought to bring a food poison with her.
When they were done, he told her to clean up and watched her the entire time. Then, he tied her up again and went to sleep, although the sky still showed a hint of daylight.
With the devil slumbering, Emma contemplated a getaway. She had no firearm; Diamond found it and tossed it into the river. He hadn’t let her use a knife while preparing the food, but maybe at some point she could get her hands on the ones she kept in the boat. Tired and defeated, she could think of no more options. In time, sleep claimed her.
* * *
Emma awoke to a blazing fire although it was still night.
“Good. You’re awake.” Diamond pulled her upright then sat across from her. “I don’t usually sleep much at night. What kinds of gifts did the good Lord give you?”
His earnest question caught her off-guard.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” she answered.
“The Hopi call you a powaka. That means witch. So, you must have done something to make them think that.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“The Baxters said you’re from San Francisco. What kind of training did you have there?”
“I didn’t have any training.”
He stoked the fire while he seemed to think. The flames flew upward in a violent fury. Emma became overheated from the close proximity.
“You know, come to think of it, neither did I,” he replied. “I grew up in Louisiana. My mama knew voodoo but she never taught me. I could see things, though. I always could.”
Diamond's lucid and clearheaded thinking took Emma aback.
“It can be confusing sometimes, the workings of the other worlds,” he continued.
“What did you do to Loloma?” Emma asked, unable to hold the question back any longer.
Diamond stared at the fire, his demeanor changing to one of wariness. “Did the old woman say it was my fault?”
“Why is that boy catatonic?”
He shrugged. “Sometimes things don’t always go as planned. I was trying to help him, protect him from bad spirits, but he ran away. Did you find him?”
Emma didn’t answer.
“No success?” he asked. “I could teach you how to find lost souls.”
“Is that what Loloma is? A lost soul?”
“Maybe. If you like, I’ll help you learn to navigate the underworld.”
“Why would you do that?”
“It’s the way of things. We shamans, we medicine men, must pass the traditions down. The old woman didn’t like that Lenmana wanted to learn from me.”
“But Lenmana’s dead.” Emma regretted the words as soon as she said them.
Diamond’s back stiffened and a muscle in his cheek twitched. He didn’t look at her, but she could feel a contained rage within him. She wanted to run.
“Lenmana didn’t listen,” he said, his voice tight. He turned his gaze entirely on her now. “I’m no monster, as some have called me. I can show you direct access to a power beyond your wildest dreams.”
* * *
Emma lay awake in the pre-dawn light. After her exchange with Diamond she couldn’t sleep, although she pretended to for some time so that he’d leave her alone. She felt restless. Diamond had an almost magnetic pull, drawing her toward him. She was both repulsed and curious. What was wrong with her?
Where was Nathan?
She wondered what she should do. And when no answers came, she finally dozed off.
Chapter Twenty-One
Nathan pushed on to the south rim of the Grand Canyon, his fury overriding the exhaustion of not sleeping in the last twenty-four hours.
When he’d returned to the Havasupai village late yesterday, and come face to face with none other than the Baxter brothers, he immediately pulled his gun and searched for Emma. But a swift hunt turned up no sign of her. The Baxter boys offered nothing useful, and Nathan refused to waste time interrogating them. Supai Charley translated a recounting of Rock Jones’ earlier conversation with Emma—stating that she’d decided to go to the river and wanted Nathan to meet her there—but that just didn’t add up. However, he went to the Colorado anyway. He had no choice. He would’ve tied up Abner, Reggie and Hersch but they’d managed to ingratiate themselves to the tribe, so he did what he could—he warned Charley to watch them.
But after a thorough investigation at the water's edge—and no sign of Emma or Paradise—his worst fears were confirmed.
Somehow, Diamond had her.
Wasting no time, he began the climb back to the village, frustration pulsating in every step he took. Why the hell had she gone to the river alone? He’d shake some sense into her when he found her. To think of any other outcome left him cold, with a barely contained panic right behind it. He pushed it aside and moved quickly, much more so than when he’d hiked the side canyon with Emma days before, and stopped only briefly at the village to request supplies from Ilwi. She and several of the Indian women gave him a knapsack of coffee, flour, dried meat, and gourds filled with water. Fast farewells were made with Charley and Navahu. The Baxter brothers were long gone.
As he crested the southern edge of Grand Canyon, two men appeared on foot from the east. Nathan waited while they neared. It was Na’i and Masito.
“Diamond has Emma,” Nathan said without pretense. “They’re on the river.”
“We have been tracking him,” said Masito. “We will go with you. There may be pathways to the water along the way.”
“I know where we can acquire horses,” Nathan replied, thinking of the ponies he’d helped corral the day before.
With no further discussion, Nathan led them to the animals. Using ropes, they mounted bareback and set off at a fast pace.
The river only flowed one way.
Emma and Diamond could only proceed in one direction.
Nathan would find her.
* * *
When Emma awoke, she saw Diamond reading her journal.
“What are you doing?” She pushed herself upright with both hands since they were still tied together. “That’s mine.” Anger welled up inside her.
“This is very interesting,” he said. “You’re so lucky to just know things. I’ve had to work at it.”
Emma glared at him. From the height of the sun, it was mid-morning.
“What happened with this girl Bethany? You started to write about her, then stopped. Did you ever find her?”
“Yes, but it was too late.”
“So she died?”
Emma nodded. Two birds landed on a nearby bush. She watched them, their heads twitching this way and that, their eyes watching…something. Maybe they watched her. She wished she was a bird, able to fly away, able to feel the world less.
“It’s hard when you’re connected and that person dies,” Diamond said, an almost imperceptible crack in his voice.
“How would you know?”
“A long time ago, I lost someone very important to me.” He flipped to the back. “I like the recent entries. You have a connection to Blackmore. I thought I had that with Lenmana, bu
t it turned out to not be so good. Be careful. He probably won’t like the way you are. He won’t ever understand.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me.” But her voice lacked conviction.
“No, not really. But you and I, we’re the same. We see a bigger world. What do you believe in? Do you pray for salvation from the Christ Jesus?”
Emma couldn’t answer. She honestly didn’t know what to believe anymore. It made her feel indecisive and apathetic. Religion had hardly given answers to the direction of her life, to the dichotomy of her experiences. It provided no clear explanation for her gift of sight and the horrific events that took the lives of her ma and pa, to the pain and suffering that her sister Molly endured at the hands of the Comanche.
“The Hopi have a creation story,” he continued. “The Creator Tiowa gave Spider grandmother guardianship of the earth. When she arrived, she scooped two handfuls of dirt and spit into her hands.” He spit into his for emphasis. “Instantly two men appeared, twins, and they were called Poqanghoya and Palongwhoya. Poqanghoya went to the North Pole, where he used his special magic to give structure and form to life. Palongwhoya went to the South Pole. While he prayed, he heard a distant rhythm. He began to beat it out on his magical drum. The sound was that of Tiowa’s heartbeat. When the two beats were in perfect harmony, a surge of life force came shooting down to the earth. It struck the earth, and went deep down to become the crystal at the center. As this energy spread, it became structured from Poqanghoya’s magic. It distributed throughout the crust of the earth like a spider web. It brought this planet to life.” He paused. “There are some places where this energy is more abundant than others—sacred places. The Hopi call them the ‘spots of the fawn.’ I like to call them magic points.”
He closed her journal. “Why did you come here?” he asked.
“I felt drawn,” she answered honestly.
“This Grand Canyon, this entire place, is a magic point.” He threw his arms up into a wide, encompassing gesture. “If you want answers, they’re here. If you want salvation, it’s here. All you have to do is tap into it.” His dark gaze gleamed with energy, alluring and dangerous.
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