“I wasn’t given that information, sir.”
“Just get them to the waiting ambulance, or I’ll hold you responsible for the woman’s death.”
“Yes, sir,” the pilot conceded.
The doctor lifted his hands, and the winds started to pick up, blowing at incredible speeds. The helicopter started to spin as the lady with her black hair tied up into a bun threw giant, leaping flames. With a loud, thunderous boom, the helicopter exploded.
Another woman rushed onto the roof. “You idiots! I needed the new test subject alive.”
The man shrugged. “Too late. She’s dead now, along with her wretched companion.”
“But I needed them alive, and you killed my most dependable pilot. Do you have any idea how long it took me to find him?”
“Mortals are expendable,” the doctor said. “You know that. It doesn’t take any great skill to fly this metal contraption. We can get another pilot within a day.”
“No living beings are expendable!” the woman snapped.
“Pssh! They are less than the dirt under my boot,” the man roared.
Suddenly, I was transported back into normal time, horrified that the Immortals were going to blow the helicopter up with us aboard. I let go of Della’s hand, scooted up to the pilot, and tried to warn him, but he thought I was nuts and demanded to know who I was. I didn’t have time to argue with him. When he radioed in that two women were aboard, I knew my vision was becoming a reality. “Listen, Della,” I said, “they’re gonna blow up this helicopter! We can’t stay onboard.”
Fortunately, Della believed me. Her eyes widened. “I’ll make us invisible, and we’ll jump off.”
“Let’s go,” I said.
Gripping her hand, we climbed out of the helicopter quietly as possible. The Immortals were arguing and engrossed in the conversation. I held my breath as I took steps past them, praying and hoping they wouldn’t know what we were doing.
When a group of Immortals opened the door to the roof and came out, we took advantage of the opportunity and rushed right past them. A loud boom echoed, and I stopped midstride.
“Your vision was correct,” Della said.
“Spot on.” I sucked in a deep gulp of air, glad we hadn’t been on that whirlybird when the whole thing had gone up in smoke and flames.
Della gave me a tug, and we continued. We made it down the stairs and followed the maze of corridors. We turned around the bend and stopped in our tracks. A chilly wave rushed over me, and I panicked as a group of soldiers strode toward us. We were sadly outnumbered, but I set my jaw and raised my chin a notch, ready to kick my way out of there if I had to. I refused to let anyone kill my precious miracle, my beautiful baby boy, and I’d die fighting if I had to.
Chapter 16
Leaning up against the wall, I held my breath as they passed us by. I knew I was invisible, but that didn’t make me feel any better. My shirt clung to my sweat-slickened skin as I pressed myself as close as to the wall I could get. I ran the tip of my tongue across my chaffed lips and clenched my hands. I took several breaths to slow my racing heart, and I listened intently to make sure we weren’t being followed.
Della gripped my hand in victory, and I breathed out, relieved. We headed down the stairs and made our way to the main exit. It was as simple as following a security guard, and we were outside the gates in no time.
I continued to grip Della’s hand tightly as we scurried deep into the scattered trees. My senses were on full alert, so I immediately saw the flash of cameras mounted in the trees. My grasp on Della’s hand tightened; without her gift of invisibility, we never would have made it out of there alive.
I stopped to catch my breath. “I think we’re safe for a minute.”
The deep furrows between Della’s eyebrows smoothed, and her shoulders relaxed as she drew in a deep breath. “We’re free.”
With my heart racing, I quickly scoped out the area. I waited a moment before I dared to start breathing again and realized that was becoming a bit of a habit. My jaw tightened. “Hear that?”
“It’s only the trees whispering among themselves.”
“The wind,” I said. “Right.” I knew I was being paranoid, but I couldn’t help it. “Let’s keep moving.”
“My shoulder’s not healing,” she said. “It should’ve been better by now.”
“It’s that shot that gave us.”
“I’ll be okay,” she said, trying to sound brave.
I walked over the blanket of green moss and deeper into the towering trees. I was thankful the Immortals thought they’d blown us to bits. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have made it out of there without them on our trail. Setting my jaw, I bolted through the plants and vegetation, and we didn’t stop until we came to a steep drop.
Della’s jaw dropped, and all she could do was stare back at me, with a blank look on her face. “We’re above the clouds, at a very high elevation, and there are so many trees. I thought you said they’d taken us to a desert.”
I inclined my head, just as confused as she was. “We’re...on a mountain?” I squinted against the brightness as my eyes tried to take in the fantastic array of colors. I glanced down past the fog and saw a breathtaking view of pine forests, meadows, and tons of granite formations. The panoramic view was breathtaking, but I wasn’t there on vacation. I was running for my life, and I knew if they spotted us, we were as good as captured. My heart thumped harder. The Immortals thought we were dead, and we had to get out of there before we were spotted. If Della got any weaker, she wouldn’t be able to keep us invisible. I spun in a circle, slowly taking in detail after detail, hoping and praying there was a way out. “I think we’re on a mountain in the California desert.”
“What do you suggest we do now?” Della asked.
“We get the hell off this mountain. There has to be a way down to the desert floor.”
She fidgeted with her hands. “The terrain is much too dangerous, especially for you, in your condition.”
I swallowed hard as realization kicked in. We had no equipment or gear for mountain-climbing. We didn’t even have any food or water. I’d been on enough research expeditions to know that things could become very precarious without proper nourishment and supplies, and I feared that mountain was going to be our doom. “Well, it’s not exactly going to be a leisurely stroll downhill, but what goes up must come down, right?”
She heaved a sigh. “Impossible, Sarah. They brought us up here in one of those flying machines.”
“A helicopter.”
“Yes, and that is the only safe way down.” She glanced down through the fog. “We cannot continue on foot. Not in our condition.”
“Look, Della, I appreciate your help getting us this far, but I don’t believe in fairytales or acting like some helpless damsel in distress. We can’t just sit around here waiting for Prince Charming to ride in on his white stallion and rescue us. We have to rescue ourselves! We might not have the proper equipment, but we have no other choice.” Gripping her arm, I pulled her. “C’mon. We need to find the best way down.” I scooted to a ledge and jumped three feet to the dirt floor. “At least it’s better than going up.”
“I hope we can do this without our abilities,” Della said. “I feel so...human. We have no advantage whatsoever.”
“Just be thankful we have our excellent hearing and eyesight...and consider yourself lucky that you’re not pregnant,” I said, huffing and puffing. My voice came low and raspy, barely audible in my throbbing ears.
As we hiked down the mountain, I briefly told Della about my unstable energy and how I found Dr. Meyers.
“That doctor saved your life,” she said.
I smiled. “She’s my guardian angel.”
Walking down the steep slope, I pressed through the tangle of weeds and tried not to slip on the gravel. Every time we tried a different way, we ran into impassable boulders. Since we didn’t have the strength to jump over or climb them, we had to backtrack the way we’d come and try a diff
erent way. I knew the journey was going to test my courage as well as the tread of my shoes.
The merciless sun beat down on my neck and shoulders, heating my skin to unbearable temperatures as we traversed the mountainous descent. I gasped for air, partly because of the climb and partly because of the thinning oxygen. I rested for a minute and leaned back against a giant rock slab. My throat was parched, and I longed for a drink of water.
Della heaved herself through a narrow opening in the leafy ferns and bent over, bracing her hands on her knees as she fought to catch her breath. “This is much more difficult than sitting on my royal throne all day.”
I laughed. “You’re doing fantastic,” I said between breaths. “Maybe you should think twice before you world-hop.”
“Your California has been quite the experience, Sarah. Of course, I believe this treacherous journey would not be so difficult if those madmen had not poked and prodded me and injured me with one of their projectile weapons.” She touched her shoulder. “This is so very painful.”
“I’m so sorry for all those horrors you faced and everything this place has put you through.”
“I’m just glad to be free.”
“But what about the others?” I managed to squeak, my stomach in a tangled mess of knots. “We have to help them.”
“Perhaps this doctor friend of yours will know someone who can help. We cannot rescue the captured ones ourselves. I’m far too weak and injured, and you are pregnant and suffering from unstable energy,” Della said. “We will get them help though. I have suffered great miseries at the hands of those monsters, and I will not knowingly allow others to suffer the same cruel fate.” The determination in her voice was so convincing that I believed she wanted to help them as much as I did.
“I’m surprised they didn’t keep you in one of those capsules,” I said.
“They did not want me anywhere near the humans. I have no idea why.”
Alexander kicked me, and I smiled, happy to know that he was doing well.
“What is there to smile about?” Della asked, arching a suspicious brow at me. “Did I accidentally say something humorous?”
I laughed. “No. It’s just the baby. He’s kicking.”
Della’s hand hovered over my stomach. “May I?”
“Sure.”
She touched my stomach and grinned as she felt the kick. “It must be amazing to carry a life inside of you.”
“It is, and I’ll do anything to protect him, now and for the rest of his life.”
“Me too. ‘Tis the least we can do for Victor, to keep a mindful eye on his little one.”
I was growing a bit tired of her blatant lingering crush on my husband, but there was no use arguing with her on top of that mountain, when we were both struggling just to survive. “Let’s go,” I said sternly. “I know you’re tired, but we can’t afford to stop. We’re losing daylight, and this mountain is going to become very dangerous at night.”
She nodded, her black hair damp with sweat.
As I hiked down the mountain, I glanced at Della.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Tell me something nice and romantic Victor has done for you,” I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me and chewing me up from the inside out.
She smiled. “I know I often speak of his horrible moments, but there were reasons I stayed with him. He always made me feel like the most special woman in the world.”
“If this is too awkward, we don’t have to talk about it,” I said, even though I’d brought it up.
“Victor and I got into this awful fight, and we both said some horrible things that we would regret.” She pondered for a moment, then continued. “He lit a million candles in the banquet hall and cooked dinner for me, all by himself.”
“Victor cooked?” I said, walking briskly through the vegetation.
She pushed a branch aside and stepped past it. “The turkey was tough as leather. I tried to pretend I loved it, though, because I was so touched by his attempt.”
“That’s beautiful.”
“At the end of dinner, he handed me the deed to Malore Island.”
“He bought you an island?” I asked in surprise. “Wow.”
“Yes, and it was the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me.”
“That’s amazing.”
“Victor is an amazing man.” She then smirked. “And he’s an amazing lover, is he not?”
“The best I’ve ever had,” I declared.
We both grinned at each other. While we had our differences, our love for Victor and our will to survive were two things we had in common.
Chapter 17
We climbed down a steep slope, sending rocks and pebbles tumbling down the hill. I stopped at a drop-off and tried to gauge how far of a jump it was. I assumed it was about twenty feet, but there were vines we could climb down.
I gripped a vine tightly, till my knuckles turned white. I gave it a hard yank, then turned to face Della. “If this thing will hold my pregnant self, it’ll surely hold your skinny little butt,” I assured her with a smile. When her lips pressed together in a grim line, I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “You can do this, Della.”
“If I was Immortal I could—”
“You are Immortal. Your powers are just paralyzed.”
“I suppose you’re right.” She gripped the vine and gave it a tug. “We just climb down these like ropes?”
I took a few steps forward, peering downward. “That’s the plan.”
She took a deep breath. “I have never done such a thing.”
I was starting to find Della tolerable, but some things about her still drove me crazy, and it was time to give the royal pain in the butt a modern-day reality check. “Look, Highness, I know you’ve been pampered for hundreds of centuries in a comfy castle, but we’re not royalty in this world. Queen or not, right now, this is all about survival.”
A slow rumble echoed all around me, a noise that didn’t sound good at all.
“Sarah!” her voice boomed off the rock walls.
I could hear the panic in Della’s voice even through my racing heart drumming in my ears. As I glanced up, I saw a huge boulder rolling down toward us. “Jump!” I shouted.
In one fluid movement, I clutched the vine, jumped off, and swung through the air. Cool gusts of wind rushed against my face and whooshed in my ears. The rubbing of the vine and the creaking of the branch from the stress of my weight made me groan. If this thing breaks...
Della swung next to me just as the boulder tumbled past us, crashing at the bottom with a loud boom.
“I can’t do this as a mere human!” she said, hanging on with a death grip as she dangled in the air.
Sweat dripped from my brow as I caught my breath and shot her an exasperated glance. “You can, Della. You have to!”
She glanced down. “I’m petrified, Sarah! I am a queen, not at all used to this sort of...nightmare.”
“You have been pampered and spoiled and have forgotten how to fight for yourself, Your Majesty. Now, it’s all up to you to fend for yourself. Hold on!”
She clutched the vine with every ounce of her limited strength. “I am so ill prepared. How can I ever outrun the Immortals? If they find out we’re alive... Sarah, I do not want to die! Not here and not now!”
“You aren’t going to, Della. We can do this.” My voice held more confidence than I actually felt, but I put on a good show.
She nodded and started to climb down. I hung on as tightly as I could to the cluster of wet, tangled leaves. The scent of moss and damp earth hung in the thick air all around me. Throwing Della a last glance, I started to gingerly ease my left foot down, followed by my right. We made our way down the tangle of vines, and I was relieved when my feet struck solid rock once again. By the time I reached the bottom, my breath was coming in ragged gasps, and my hands were trembling something awful.
Della pulled back her sweaty hair. “Thank you, Sarah.”
I nodded
and gave her a shrug and a smile. “That’s what friends are for.”
She lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the glaring sun. “I didn’t know we were friends.”
Her voice still had a sarcastic ring to it, even after all we’d been through. “We’re both in the same predicament,” I said. “Ethano wants us dead, and the blue-ringed Immortals hate us.”
“And that is why you have declared us friends? Because we share common enemies?”
“Gosh, Della, you really are a pain in the butt...but I have to admit that I kind of like you.”
Her brows furrowed above her intense eyes, and the wind whipped through her long hair. “I cannot say the same, but I will tolerate you for the sake of Liz and Victor.”
I snorted. “Wow. That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
She smirked as her black hair was tossed around in the wind.
I glanced up at the sky. “It’ll be nighttime soon. We need to find a place to sleep.”
“Only for a few hours, to rest our weary muscles and bones. We can still hike during the night with our vision.”
“How’s your shoulder?” I asked.
She winced as she touched it. “The pain is horrible, but I’ll survive.”
Bursts of energy surged through me, and spots flooded my vision. Sweat poured from my forehead, and I knew the temperature on the mountain had nothing to do with it. A fever was coming on, my unbalanced energies struggling to take control within me.
“Are you okay?” Della asked.
“No. I need my pills. The energy is out of whack, and I can feel it bouncing all around my body.”
“The quicker we get down this mountain, the quicker we can get more medicine for you. Perhaps we should forego the sleep and keep going.”
Blinking, I studied the cracks, gaps, and holes in the rock. “No, I’m getting too weak. I need a little rest.”
She pointed to a jagged opening in the rock. “How about there? It seems the perfect spot for a nap.”
Eternal Faith - Book 4 (The Ruby Ring Saga) Page 16