by Liz D. Marx
Watchers at the gates of Sada-noo-hi,” Chloe uttered in Tula.
A sudden gush of wind invaded the cave and quickly built up into a small tornado. The chainsaw, loose rocks and guns went flying around.
“Hold on to anything that’s fixed to the ground!” Mason shouted to his friends, and lunged at a solid-looking stalactite.
The small tornado grew wider and settled above the hot pool, pulling the cave’s waters into a gigantic swirl.
Mason held on tight, trying to fight the powerful pull from the wind. He heard a cry behind him―it was hard to discern whose it was over the deafening roar of the water-whirlwind above them. Then he saw one of the guards fly past and be sucked into the massive void. Hanging on tighter, Mason prayed for Chloe’s safety. He didn’t care for whatever would happen to him, he just wanted her to be safe and well. She, and Adsila, had suffered enough on his account.
But his concerns were quickly washed away when unbearable pain hit him hard.
He felt his body splintering into a million pieces, as if someone had put a C-4 charge inside him and had just pushed the red button. Mason’s legs turned into gelatin, his knees buckled and he plummeted to the ground. He gripped both sides of his head in a feeble attempt to make it stop when his raven shrieked in protest then vanished into thin air. Through blurry vision, he registered several of Crawford’s guards fleeing from the cave in fear, then Foster’s face came into sight.
“Mason!” his friend’s strained voice sounded far away. “Chloe, stop! You’re killing him!”
“No!” Mason tried to shout but the pain was too much.
He saw Chloe cross the now empty pool, walking on mere air. She landed gracefully on solid ground, then closed the distance between them and crouched beside him.
Her lips met his in a tender kiss. “I love you, too,” she whispered.
Mason wanted to reply, to tell her he had always loved her, but the agonizing throb in his head had engulfed his whole body, choking him.
Chloe’s brow creased slightly in apprehension, but then she lifted her arm and Crawford’s body was dragged sideways, stopping at her feet. Taking her boss’ hand into hers, she severed his palm with the Binding Stone. Red blood gushed out of the wound but, instead of dripping down to the floor, it snaked up, tracing a path through the relic’s fissures.
“Obey the command of this faithful servant,
And awaken this empty vessel of lost spirits,
As true eternal soul binds us all.”
She repeated the procedure, opening a small cut on her own wrist, then her free hand paused over Mason’s cheek and her sorrowful gaze met his.
“Do it,” he managed to murmur.
Chloe nodded, then brushed her fingers through his hair as if saying goodbye one last time, before chopping off a thick lock of his hair.
“Your fathers and sons have withered and departed.
Your memories no longer are required to remain alive,” Chloe chanted rubbing his hair on the stone, blending it to the two bloods.
“I, servant of Mantaka,
The last Chenesi of the great Tula people,
Set your noo-hi free of this curse.”
Mason felt an enormous pull in his gut, then his body was lifted off the floor.
He caught sight of Crawford also being hoisted by invisible hands. They were both flown around the cave and thrust into the massive twister.
“As long as Dai-mo shines powerful in the skies,
As long as Elo-hi crafts life in this world.”
Mason barely heard Chloe’s final words. The thick squall had engulfed him and the pain in his gut had grown into impossible heights.
After a few moments that felt like an eternity, the whirlwind disappeared as suddenly as it had materialized. With it, all of the pain and grief that had consumed Mason for more than two hundred years lifted.
Peace and utter quiet enveloped him.
Right until he realized he was still up in the air, probably some twenty feet above ground.
Crap.
His stomach fluttered as gravity got a firm grip of his body and Mason braced himself for the crash.
He hit the ground hard, with a loud thump and a crack―his left shoulder met his chin at an impossible angle. The air was rushed out of his lungs with the impact and then there was just darkness.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Mason!” Chloe shouted as she ran to his side.
Oh, dear Dai-mo, what had she done?
She had tried to use the stone’s powers to stop Mason’s fall but didn’t know how. Once the spell was broken, the whirlwind died down, the water receded to its original state and she lost her grip on both men. With her heart in her mouth, she witnessed Mason plummet straight onto hard rock. Crawford had fallen on the other side of the cave and also seemed to be unconscious.
Her heart hammered in her chest; she could barely breathe. She wrapped her arms around Mason’s limp body. Blood oozed out of his temple and mouth.
“Oh, Ami-Tolah, please don’t let him die,” she prayed silently. “Mason? Can you hear me?”
“Let me take a look at him,” Running Bison said, coming to her side.
He crouched beside her and took Mason’s pulse.
Chloe noticed that the other Caddo farmers had also stepped in close. Her gaze landed on a tall man with dark hair, who looked more Italian than American.
“Do you have a cell phone?” she asked. “Can you call an ambulance?” The growing lump in her throat made it difficult to spell out the words. Hot tears rolled down her eyes. “Please, we have to get him to a doctor.”
“No need.”
Mason’s hoarse whisper was barely audible over the sound of falling rocks and waterfalls.
Chloe turned her attention to the man in her lap. Brown eyes framed by thick eyebrows gazed back at her.
“I thought I lost you,” she whispered against his lips, hugging him tightly. When Mason’s muffled groan reached her ears, she let go of him...a little bit. “Sorry, you’re hurt and I’m making it worse.”
“Don’t,” Mason replied weakly. “I couldn’t care less if all my ribs are broken, Chloe. I’m alive and you’re with me.”
He reached out and brushed the back of his fingers along her cheek. By Dai-mo, she loved that man. When his lips found hers, a wave of tenderness and utter fulfillment overwhelmed her. They could have stayed like that, wrapped in each other’s arms on the cold hard ground forever, and Chloe wouldn’t have minded a bit.
“Watch out!”
She heard Foster’s warning a second before a massive rock crashed not even a foot away from where they were sitting. She looked up and saw several of the beautiful curtain-like stalactites give in to the pressure of her magic.
The cave was collapsing.
“We’ve got to get out of here, fast,” Running Bison growled, already helping her lift Mason up. “Can you walk?”
Mason nodded in reply but his face contorted in pain. “Where’s Captain Clarke?”
“Who?” Bison asked.
“Crawford,” Mason clarified. “Where the hell did he go?”
“He fell by the pool over…” A block of ice settled in the pit of her stomach when Chloe saw nothing but rocks and moss where her ex-boss had fallen.
“Forget about him,” Foster shouted over the noise of crumbling rocks. “We need to get the hell out before we get trapped.”
Chloe helped Mason wrap his good arm around her shoulders and together they followed the others through the internal maze of chambers toward safety. After a few turns, Chloe heard Foster yell something about seeing the light of day ahead, so they quickened their pace. It wasn’t an easy task, though. It was dark and large dripstones were plunging from everywhere.
“Almost there,” Mason murmured in her ear. His voice was weak and breathless.
Chloe smiled and sighed in relief.
Too early.
A massive body collided into hers out of nowhere, ramming her against the wall. The air was whoo
shed out of her lungs and her head slammed hard onto the ground. Forcing herself to stay conscious, she saw Crawford tower above her; his eyes were wide, a crazed air permeated his aura.
She searched for Mason and found him a few feet away, sprawled on the floor. Oh, gods. The others were probably too far ahead to have heard them.
“Give me the stone,” Crawford growled then knelt over her, trapping her body between his knees. His hands went straight at her blouse, ripping it apart. She felt his callused fingers touch her skin, in search of the stone.
Memories of the Captain on top of Adsila flooded Chloe’s mind and irrational panic overtook her reason. She suddenly lost the ability to breathe as her brain went into overdrive.
“Get off of me!” she cried out, trying to free herself from his grasp. “No, stop!”
“Where is it?” he shouted back. Rough hands yanked the buttons of her pants open.
A war cry echoed in the cave’s chamber and Chloe felt Crawford’s body lifted from hers.
Mason.
She crawled backwards until her back hit the wall. Blinking the panic away, she saw Mason punch Crawford, but soon after the tables turned and Crawford settled himself on top of Mason. The chamber was awfully dark and dusty; she could barely make out who was who among the interlaced limbs. She heard the thumps and grunts of their savage fistfight more than she could see them. She looked around for some kind of weapon, anything she could use to help Mason.
“The Tula stone!”
Reaching down, Chloe lifted the hem of her pants and tugged inside her boot, where she had secured the stone. But when she pulled it out, ready to crash it against her former boss’ head, she spotted Mason tower over Crawford.
He placed one hand over his old enemy’s chin and cross the other one over the opposite shoulder. With a thunderous roar, Mason wrenched his hands, cracking Crawford’s neck.
Her boss’ dead body fell to the ground with a thump.
Chloe was paralyzed. Her mind couldn’t decide if she was relieved or horrified.
Mason’s eyes glowed red, his muscles still tense from the violence, his shoulders and jaw were locked as if wanting more. By Dai-mo, he still had magic in him, despite having been freed from the curse.
His eerie glare found hers, and Chloe felt in her gut the force of his warrior soul.
He blinked a couple of times and his eyes went back to normal.
“I’m sorry you had to witness that,” Mason said while slowly closing the distance between them. A frown crossed his brow, probably sensing her distress. He knelt down in front of her and enveloped her in a warm hug.
Dear gods, it was over. Chloe swallowed dry and forced her mind to wake up from the shock. It did—and her stomach too.
Bile rose up into her mouth and she only had time to pull herself out of Mason’s embrace and turn sideways. Thank Dai-mo she hadn’t eaten since morning, because the little she had in her belly came rushing out.
“Way to go, Chloe,” she chided herself, while wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
Mason’s low chuckle near her ear was very comforting. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. You went through a lot in the past two days. Your body is probably telling you it needs a break.”
“Get me to a nice hotel with a large bath, please,” she said, averting her eyes from Crawford’s dead body.
Mason helped her up and, together for the second time, they made their way to the exit.
But just before they reached the threshold that would lead them out onto a sunny afternoon, Chloe felt a tug in her heart. Careful not to move Mason’s arm from her shoulder―she needed to feel his warmth more than air right now―she turned around.
Ami-Tolah stood by the other end of the dimmed chamber. The air around her glowed incredibly blue.
Chloe felt her heart squeeze in sorrow. Her first thought was to apologize for having brought so much pain and destruction to such a sacred place. Mantaka was falling to pieces and it was her fault.
“I told you, Adsila,” Lady said. It was just a soft whisper but Chloe could hear it perfectly. “You have to forgive in order to truly understand your powers.”
“I did, I truly forgave Kaye,” she replied.
“What about yourself?” the goddess asked. Kindness seeped out of her and enveloped Chloe’s troubled mind. “Have you forgiven yourself?”
Chloe’s sight went blurry as tears pooled in her eyes. Her old “imaginary” friend was right. She had pardoned Mason for betraying their people, but she needed to come to terms with her own past in order to carry on with her life―Chloe’s life. She had to let Adsila go, otherwise she would never have a chance at true happiness with Mason.
She felt the love of her life embrace her. Chloe didn’t know who was supporting whom anymore.
“Who is she?” Mason whispered in her ear.
“She’s the reason we found each other,” Chloe replied warmly.
Ami-Tolah’s gaze shifted to Mason. “Your journey is not over yet, Shaman Kaye. You have a duty to your people; you have a duty to me and your gods.” It wasn’t a warning, just a statement. “Storm and Thunder have come and gone, but they will return and, when they arrive, the Warriors of the Rainbow must rise again.”
Lady’s tender gaze found Chloe’s once again. “Heed my words, my dear. You are responsible for the hearts you claim.”
Warmth engulfed Chloe’s soul; she felt her dolphin noo-hi swim inside her. She still couldn’t believe that her childhood invisible friend was a goddess. She felt great honor fill her heart, so she bowed low in reverence.
A ghost of a smile crossed the deity’s face, then the Lady of the Rainbow and goddess of the sacred Valley of Vapors melted into the shadows of the collapsing cave.
Chloe tightened her arms around Mason. Dark fingers tangled with hers and together they stepped out, leaving Mantaka behind.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The cab turned left on West 82nd Street and pulled over in front of the three-story brownstone house. It had been a long time since Chloe had visited New York City.
“That’s forty-five dollars and twenty cents, ma’am,” the driver announced from behind the glass in a delicious Jamaican accent.
Chloe paid the fare and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The terraced house had large bay windows and a round facade that reminded her of all the romantic comedies she had spent her college years watching over and over again. The upper west side in Manhattan was truly magical, and Central Park was just a couple of blocks away.
“You live here, ma’am?” the friendly cabbie asked while getting her purple suitcase out of the trunk.
Chloe didn’t know what to say. Her mind was still struggling to grasp everything that had happened in the past few weeks.
After they managed to safely get back to the Caddo Cultural Center, Mason spent almost a week in bed and another one to fully recover. If she’d gotten her way, they would’ve taken him to a hospital in Hot Springs, but Mason wouldn’t have it. He said that if any doctor got wind of his “condition”, he would be in a secret government warehouse sharing a room with green aliens in no time. But Chloe knew that deep inside he was curious, and somewhat fearfully anxious, to know how long it would take his wounded shoulder and broken ribs to get better. Apparently, when he’d been seriously injured on previous occasions―the sound of that statement alone gave Chloe the chills―it had taken him no more than a couple of days to be back in shape.
“Maybe when the curse was lifted, your immortality went with it,” Running Bison had suggested and he was probably right, but there was no way of checking it.
Chloe was happy enough to leave it to time to confirm. She had had enough of life-and-death battles, magical whirlwinds and dark caves.
Over the weeks it took Mason to heal, the Caddos became Chloe’s most valued friends. She was surprised to learn that they had all known about Mason’s special condition and were not at all shocked by the revelation of his real identity.
One rainy morn
ing, Johnny joined them for breakfast in the pavilion but left shortly after. He’d looked edgy and fidgety, and when Matilda asked him what was troubling him, he refused to share anything. Mason was uneasy by the encounter and vouched to dig deeper into it once he got his health back.
Chloe had also felt a strange tug, like a recognition or something, but like before, she was so damn happy for the whole rollercoaster to be over that she didn’t want to start reading too much into anything.
In the evening before they left, the Caddos held a special Ghost Dance, acknowledging Mason and Chloe as their brother and sister. It was a truly beautiful ceremony that had brought tears to Chloe’s eyes. The whole community danced around Running Bison, who asked for Caddi Ayo, their great god, to guide them in their journey and bless their union.
“Call if you need another ride, okay?” the cabbie’s words jolted Chloe out of her reverie.
She thanked him one more time then drew a deep breath and stared at the five steps that would lead her to her new life once and for all―Mason’s front door.
She loved him, right? She wanted them to be together, right?
“So why the hell are you so nervous?” she asked herself.
“Because change is never easy,” Mason’s deep voice came from somewhere behind her.
Chloe jumped in surprise.
Would he ever stop startling her?
She turned around and faced the man who owned her heart. Butterflies danced the rumba in her stomach. And would he ever stop making her insides turn to mush?
Chloe smiled. She hoped not.
Mason cocked his head and his lips curled in a lazy smile, as he hugged her.
“Yes, change is usually tough,” she agreed, then she went up on her tiptoes and flung her arms around his neck, careful not to touch his bad shoulder, which was still in a sling. “But it can also be very exciting.”
Mason’s lips met hers and Chloe silently cheered the instant warmth his touch brought to her soul. He held her with his good arm and moaned deeply when her body pressed against his.
“I missed you,” he whispered against her mouth. “A week apart is too much.”