“There are rooms down here for which the purpose is not yet known. There are tiny doors, with copper handles.”
“So we’re making deals and opening doors? Gee. I hope I get more than a consolation prize, Monty,” I joked.
Ignoring my attempt at humor, Jackson said, “If I read the drawings correctly, the key lies behind one of them.”
I pointed to a drawing of skulls. “What’s all this mean? Looks like the grim reaper’s calling card.”
“When the door is opened, we will piss off the love god.”
“You mean, like...some crazy, rabid Cupid?”
“Don’t worry. We’ll be okay.”
I peered at him intensely. “But what does it mean?”
“If you are in this pyramid with someone you love and you open that door, your lover will die. I think we’re both safe.”
“What?”
“Don’t worry. I made sure there are no lovers on this expedition. You don’t have a crush on me do you? We can’t afford any secret admirer’s down here.”
I laughed. “Jackson, you have nothing to worry about. Wait... Is this why you didn’t want Victor to come with us?” I whispered, feeling foolish for having been so angry and distrusting.
“Exactly.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me?”
“Would you have believed me?”
“No, but—”
“Well, there you have it. I don’t want Victor to die, and these curses aren’t to be taken lightly.”
“I don’t believe it.”
“I know. Not bad for a guy who supposedly doesn’t care, eh? I’ve been with you from the beginning, Sarah, and I have worked hard to protect you. I saved you from being kidnapped at that minimart before I even knew you carried the special mark. I’m a good man, and I hope I have your approval to date Beth.”
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. On our talks on the porch, you said your mother was a kind, generous, compassionate woman. I think you take after her.”
“That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
I smiled.
“Why don’t you stay here, in your home world?” he asked.
“To the people here, my life story sounds like a fairytale, something crazy and made up. Back in Tastia, though, no one questions me. I’m not normal here, and I never will be. I am what I am, and I can’t change it. I just want to live in Victor’s world, where he will happy and I will fit in. Victor is the love of my life, and I will follow him anywhere.”
“Now that’s love,” he said.
“So, anyway, what’s up with this door?”
“It can only be open for seventy-two hours, and I couldn’t miss this time window, even with Alexander missing.”
“When does it open again?”
“An immortal stamped with the Mark of Lanera could try again in another twenty-five years.”
“Wow. I see why you dragged me here. If I didn’t come, I would’ve ruined everything, all your hard work.”
He shifted his stance and looked at me hard. “Somehow, I don’t think I could manage to keep you around for that long.”
“No, you couldn’t,” I said softly. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“My priests just found this out yesterday as they were studying the ancient books once again. They wanted to make sure they didn’t miss a single thing. I hate to put all this on you. But we can’t mark anyone new, since Ethano’s mom took the spell book when she left.”
“And now it’s in Ethano’s possession.”
“I know, and I want back what’s mine.”
“Wait. The book is yours?”
“It belonged to my family for centuries, but Ethano’s mother stole it. I’m sure that’s how she found her way into Victor’s world.”
“I don’t think Ethano knows his mother is from my world,” I said. “If he did, he would’ve been over here trying to take over. I’m so glad Ethano is in the dark.”
He nodded, then sighed. “Let’s go. We’ve got work to do.”
“I’m ready.”
Jackson gave me instructions. I lifted my arms in the air, and a wind circled us. I touched the granite wall with both hands. It grew hot as smoke seeped from it, and then all the rock just disappeared. At the end of the newly made corridor, I saw the small door.
“I see something,” I said. “Let’s go check it out.”
“I can’t go any farther,” he sadly said.
My eyes widened. “Wait. You expect me to step through the freaky door by myself? I’m not Alice, and this sure as hell doesn’t look like Wonderland.”
“The Key of Life resides somewhere inside those chambers.”
“You promise I won’t have to fight off some creepy three-headed guardian or go through a series of booby traps? Will mummies attack, or will giant beetles—”
“You watch too much television.”
“You remember those skull-face creatures in the rainforest?” I retorted.
“I’m trying to keep you calm and focused. Besides, what are the chances we’d face them here?”
“Might I remind you, we’re in Egypt?”
“I didn’t see any warnings on the walls about a guardian.”
“You said I’m looking for the Key of Life?”
“Yes. It’s going to give all of us a new life. Mortals won’t be used as food. Immortals who are inflicted with the virus will be cured. Immortals won’t have powers to hurt humans anymore.”
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly as I took my first brave step toward the door. Jackson gave me a pep talk with every step I took. My fingers wrapped around the door handle, and I glanced over my shoulder, down the corridor at Jackson.
“Go on,” he urged. “Open it.”
“Easy for you to say,” I mumbled. My hands trembled, and I slowly opened the door to reveal a brightly lit room. Rain poured from the ceiling, but it was unlike any rain I’d ever been through before. Droplets flew in every direction, in direct opposition to gravity. ”It’s, uh...raining down here,” I said over my shoulder.
“That rain is apparently like acid to us,” Jackson said.
I swallowed hard. “And you expect me to step inside?”
“You’re marked, Sarah. You’ll be safe.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Stepping inside, I held my breath, hoping my skin wouldn’t melt off. Thankfully, it only soaked my clothes and dripped down my face. I kept walking, but I could barely see through the sheets of freaky, haphazard rain. When I finally cleared, I found myself walking down a long, winding passageway.
I was in a life-sized maze, and I began to wonder if it was such a good idea. I shined my flashlight, and the light beam shook in my wavering hands. I descended the steep stone stairs. At the bottom, I shined the light around. Dust swirled all around me, and it appeared I was in a small, empty chamber. I felt along the rocky walls and assumed I had reached a dead end.
Closing my eyes, I tapped into my powers and honed in on my immortal sight to a deeper level. When I opened my eyes again, I saw every tiny detail, from the grains of stone to a tiny dust particle. Glancing up at the ceiling, I made out a trapdoor in the stone. Tricky, tricky... It wouldn’t open. Was it a sealed entrance?
I lifted my hands in the air, and electricity sprang from my fingers. I ducked as rocks crumbled to the floor. “Bingo!” I said, gazing up at the gaping hole I’d created. I jumped from the floor and grabbed the rim of the hole, then pulled myself up.
The next chamber was huge, occupied by massive boulders. I didn’t know whether or not to blast through them, but my gut told me it was a dead end. I decided it was best to go back and try the other passageway. If that didn’t pan out, I would just return and try my luck.
I backtracked and took another corridor. The air was stale and musty. I followed the passage until it also came to a dead end. Frustrated, I blew out a breath; I’d been fooled once again.
Suddenly, my immortal sight picked u
p on something: A panel of stone was loose. I jiggled it around a bit, and the sliding stone opened into another empty room. Cautiously, I stepped through and swung my light beam in front of me.
With my extra-crisp eyesight, I saw the outline of another trapdoor to the south side of the room. Pushing through it, I found myself in a long passageway. I had no idea if I was going the right way or if the labyrinth was just luring me down a bunch of rabbit trails. At the far end, massive stone blocks were covered in ancient symbols, graffiti I couldn’t possibly understand. I didn’t know whether to burst through the stones or try another way.
I glanced down and spotted two open burial shafts embedded in the floor. One was filled to the top with stone slabs, and the other was empty. My gaze swept over the empty one, but I didn’t notice any openings or trapdoors.
I decided to go back and try a different way; I couldn’t waste my time blasting through walls, only to get nowhere. Time was waning, and I had to keep exploring. The old Sarah Larker would have loved every minute of the adventure, but my heart was not in it. All I could think about was my precious son and his whereabouts.
Walking back up, my eyes caught the outline of another passageway in the wall. I gave it a kick, then another. When I burst through, I found myself in another chamber, hollowed out from stone and capped by a forty-five-ton slab of rock. Right there in front of me, like some elusive treasure on a RPG videogame, the gold key was sitting in a large nook in the rock. My heart thundered at the sight of it. What a stunning piece of gold craftsmanship. It was the fanciest, antique key I’d ever laid eyes on. I’m sure it was quite ancient, maybe even thousands of years old. Now, all I had to do was give it to Jackson and open the box when all the immortals were assembled. Payment would be made in full, and I could find my son and leave forever.
A growl echoed from somewhere off to the left, and my stomach clenched. Jackson had accused me of watching too many movies, but this was all too real. “Really? A freaking boss guarding the special item?” I said, sighing and wondering how I would defeat it. “Damn. I forgot to look up the cheats.”
Chapter 25
Glancing around, I looked for the creature, but I couldn’t see anything. When I heard a second, more menacing growl, a chill shot down my spine. I was definitely not alone in the room, and the breath in my throat froze. Part of me contemplated running, but the stubborn part said I’d gone too far to stop now.
The beast finally showed himself: a lion, with a thick neck, broad shoulders, and sharp claws, a hungry animal built like a linebacker. His body was the color of sand, with black on the sides of his muzzle. I gasped as he moved into a crouching position and bared his sharp fangs. He stood only five feet away and showed no fear.
I tried to make myself look bigger and waved my arms up and down, yelling and screaming. My mother had taught me how to scare off mountain lions so I would be safe on my expeditions in the woods, but I knew the tactic wasn’t going to do much against this raging king of the pyramids.
The lion stopped snarling and just stared at me, his ears alert and perky. He looked adorable for a whole five seconds, until his ears flattened and his nostrils flared. I tried to show him in my mind the good we would be doing with the Key of Life, but it didn’t work like last time. There wasn’t time to think before he pounced and launched his attack. His powerful teeth threatened to crush my neck as his claw dug into me. The animal was so heavy, and he would have been unmovable for the typical human.
I pried his jaws open, and it was some relief to know I had a distinct advantage over the creature. I was immortal, and I would put my powers to good use. I had extraordinary strength, and I planned to use it to my full advantage. I threw the lion, sending him crashing into the moist wall. I concentrated on defeating the creature and knew that whatever my heart and mind believed, I could achieve.
The lion came back, agitated and stronger than before, and slashed his claws at my chest. I quickly moved out of the way, thankful for my speedy immortal reflexes. I whipped my hands back and threw out a stream of electricity. The lion levitated and seemed to float in midair. I’d been so long without my powers from the imbalance of my energies, and it was great to have them back. I felt like a force to be reckoned with.
The lion roared, and my electricity suddenly dissipated. Somehow, he managed to break free of my grasp. Like any cat, he landed on his feet and lunged for me. Blazing balls of red energy sprang from my hand, and I hurled one after another at the ferocious beast. The lion whimpered but didn’t go down, so I went for option two: Bolts of lightning shot from my fingertips. It slowed the creature down but still didn’t stop his angry rampage. I knew then that I needed a Plan C, and I needed it fast.
With a giant leap, I ran up the side of the wall like some kind of action hero, gaining momentum. I leapt on the lion and wrapped my arms around his thick neck, trying to put him in a sleeper hold like some kind of WWE superstar. A short while later, the creature went limp in my arms. I could hear his heartbeat and shallow breathing, and I was glad I hadn’t killed him.
I let go of the animal and made a beeline to the ancient key. I picked it up, praying that it was the one Jackson needed. I stuffed it deep in my pocket and, not wasting another minute, headed for the exit and retraced my steps.
As I bolted down the corridor, a loud roar echoed behind me.
“Damn it! Will the fun never end?”
I shuddered as the creature thundered behind me. Focusing on my powers of invisibility, I vanished, hoping the maned menace would not catch my scent. I ducked under the jagged doorway and sped away with the heavy key in my hands. I thought my heart would explode out of my chest as I bolted down the last corridor. The lion couldn’t see me, but that didn’t deter him. He was coming fast, enticed by the succulent aroma of a potential meal.
Seconds passed, and I ran faster, gasping for breath. The lion roared right behind me, so close that I could feel his hot breath on my neck. I ran at an immortal speed, so fast everything that blurred around me. I opened the door and scurried through just as his jaws clamped down near me. I slammed the door shut, and the animal crashed into the door like a runaway locomotive, with a loud thud, followed by a surprised squeal.
Jackson greeted me warmly at the end of the corridor. “You’re bleeding! What happened?”
“Guardian, just like I suspected, but I’m fine. I’ll heal.”
He ripped off a piece of his shirt and started to dress the bleeding wound on my arm. “Oh, Sarah.”
“Did you know?” I retorted. “About the lion?”
He blinked. “None of the texts or maps mentioned a guardian.”
“Well, somebody needs to write a sequel then.”
“But you defeated it.”
“Only because I’m an immortal. Any human would have been slaughtered.”
He tied the cloth around my arm. “Sarah, you did well, but...”
I reached in my pocket and handed him the gold Key of Life. “My job was to get the key. Here.”
He stared at it in complete shock. “This isn’t the right key.”
I swallowed hard. “You’re kidding. Because I’m not going back in there again!”
A tiny smirk curled on his lips. “Just kidding.”
I clutched my chest. “Thank goodness.”
I smiled as he grinned. He was trying to cut the tension with a joke.
He stared down at the key in stunned amazement. “Isn’t it glorious?”
“Yes.”
“We now have everything we need to shift the power over to the rebellion. Now all you have to do is use this precious key to open the box once we gather all the immortals.”
“We’re so close,” I said.
“Yes we are.”
“Do I hear voices?” I asked.
“Yes, it’s the others. I’ve spoken to them. They’re okay.”
“Where’re they?” I asked.
“Guarding the perimeter.”
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go,�
� I said.
He wrapped his arm around me and helped me traverse back through the musty corridors.
“Hey!” the redhead on our team called. “We’ve got company!”
“The immortals are here,” I said. I could feel them very close. “Is there a back way out?”
“No. We’ll have to go through them,” he said. “Whatever happens, we can’t let them get are precious key.”
I nodded. I knew what was at stake. Without the key, the box was useless and our plans were foiled.
A group of intimidating immortals, armed with machineguns, rounded the bend and met my gaze.
I didn’t fear them this time and was ready to fight. Jackson tried to shield me, but I squirmed away. I refused to be frightened any longer, especially since I knew I was strong enough to face my adversaries. I actually smiled as they walked toward me.
“I’m going to wipe that silly grin right off your face,” a blue ring immortal said.
“Yeah? I’d like to see you try.”
The group, dressed in black, stopped about twenty feet away.
“Jackson?” the immortal said. “How nice of you to join us.”
“Hello, Jared.”
Jared stared for a moment, as if he was stunned. “Traitor! I never would have thought you would join the foolish rebellion.”
“Want another surprise?” Jackson asked.
The guy cocked his brow.
“I’m the leader of the rebellion.”
The guy laughed. “Son-of-a-bitch.” He looked around at the dark, damp corridor. “How fitting that a mole would be lurking in this dark hole.”
“And I’m not surprised that a rat has joined us,” Jackson spat.
“I am a fair man. I will give you a chance to give yourselves up before I spray you with bullets,” the immortal said. “After all, we need the girl alive. Or maybe I’ll shoot you anyway. It will sting like hell, and it will be good to watch you writhe in agony as we strip you of that key you so bravely fetched for us.”
“Where is the Box of Shadain?” another immortal demanded to know.
“How would I know?” Jackson replied.
“Do you have it?”
Eternal Flame - Book 6 Page 18