The Center of the Earth (The Lost Keepers Book 10)

by AR Colbert

  Chapter 5

  “You should wait here.” Any mirth from our exchange just moments before completely vanished from Tate’s face. His golden eyes darkened, a storm brewing within them.

  “Should? Maybe. But there’s not a chance I’m leaving you to face whatever is out there alone.” I strode confidently ahead, moving past him to grab the front door. “Thank you, Hattie,” I called out over my shoulder. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”

  Tate touched my arm before I could step out. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay and finish your chocolate? Things could get ugly out there. Agarthians can be a bit… unpredictable.”

  “I’m sure.” I remembered the red paint dripping down the bench out front, and I suspected whatever commotion Hattie referred to had something to do with Tate’s new position. It seemed not everyone was happy to have him in charge. “After you.” I pulled open the wooden door and gestured for him to go out.

  The light outside was bright, though I still couldn’t place where it was coming from since there was no sun. I heard the shouting across the street before my eyes adjusted enough to make out the angry mob. Standing on the park bench was the guard who had reluctantly allowed my entrance into this underground world the day before. Lightning hands. Beside him stood Osborne.

  “As Agarthians, it is our duty to our territory, and to the greater earth above, to lead with the highest nobility. We need a king who understands the complicated inner workings of Agartha. We need a leader who has studied the political history of the Keepers—one who can rule with the knowledge of our ancestors. And most importantly, we need a king who wants to lead. Aside from the true heir to the throne, there is no man who loves Agartha and its people more than this man.” The guard gestured to Osborne. “Until we can locate King Titus, we should insist that Osborne takes the role as interim leader. It should be up to the people of Agartha to choose who takes the reins of our territory, not some stuffy old council members behind closed doors at a conference we weren’t even invited to attend.”

  Tate clenched his teeth and made his way to the growing crowd in the park. I hurried to keep in step beside him. They didn’t look dangerous, but they weren’t exactly a cheerful group of kids at a carnival, either. Tate was crashing their meeting, and he was the last person they wanted to see.

  Tate fixed his face into a cocky sneer—the kind of look he used to give me when he was still hunting my soul. He clapped slowly, loud enough to draw the attention of the bystanders back to him. “Such a moving speech from this previous member of the royal guard. Did you have anything to add, Osborne?”

  Murmurs filled the crowd as realization dawned on them that the guard had just lost his job. They shifted uncomfortably on their feet, suddenly worried about what other punishments Tate might bring upon them for being involved. But Tate’s eyes were glued to one man only.

  Osborne sneered right back at him with an arrogance only an Agarthian hunter could be capable of. “Ah, Thaddeus. We were just talking about you.”

  “I heard.”

  “Well since you’re here, I suppose you should know our people have a slightly different idea for the future of Agartha than the members of the council did. I hate that Titus is still missing, and I can’t just sit around any more while he’s still out there somewhere. So I’ve agreed to lead the charge in finding him. But it seems the people may wish for me to lead more than just the manhunt.Given my track record of loyalty and dedication to the royal family, they’ve nominated me as the interim ruler. ”

  My blood boiled as Osborne spoke. But to Tate’s credit, he didn’t so much as flinch at Osborne’s words. The men never broke eye contact. It was a mental game of chicken, and my money was on Tate.

  “How very noble of you. Unfortunately, the laws don’t work that way. I am the second-born son, and next in line for the throne.”

  “You abdicated the throne,” Osborne shot back.

  “I never had a throne to abdicate. Titus was primed to fulfill the role of king. I went on to carry out other work for the nation. Now that it’s my turn to serve, I’m here. At least until we find my brother.”

  Osborne looked like he bit into the sourest lemon, his features twisted with disgust. “I fear that may be a conflict of interest, seeing as how you’re the reason your brother is missing.”

  “He is not!” The words flew from my mouth before I had time to think them through. Osborne had that effect on me. I was raging. Darkness crept in around the edges of my vision, and my inner Athena urged me to strike against him. Goodness knows he deserved it, but thankfully I had enough reason to know better than to attack him here in Agartha.

  “You were there when Rasputin struck,” I continued. “You watched his men kill the king. Tate had nothing to do with it, and you know it! It was Rasputin and his Manticorians who took Titus.”

  “Rasputin and your Manticorians. Don’t play dumb, girl. We all know you’re working together. You’re not like the rest of us, and you can’t hide it any more.”

  My fingers felt for Rossel’s small dagger I had hidden in the waistband of my pants as Osborne took two long strides toward me. His accusation thickened the air, making it difficult to breathe as every Agarthian eye turned toward me. The murmurs started again. They’d just noticed how different I was. Not Agarthian, but not quite Atlantean either. My white aura suddenly felt like a spotlight.

  Power heated up in my chest, pumping out from my heart through my limbs. I was filled with a charge, and I wouldn’t be able to hold it in much longer. The moment Osborne laid a finger on me the power would unleash, and I wasn’t sure exactly what that would mean for everyone else standing nearby. I wasn’t even sure if I’d be able to protect Tate.

  “Touch her and you die.” Tate’s warning was a low, feral growl. And it wasn’t an empty threat. Anyone who saw the look on his face knew that he’d snap the life out of Osborne or anyone else who dared to put a hand on me.

  I didn’t need his protection, but seeing his fierce loyalty for me was a welcome change. And it was further confirmation that we were connected on a different level now. Soulmates or not, Tate was more than a friend. We were two pieces of the same puzzle.

  The men silently circled around one another for what seemed like forever. Eventually, the other Agarthians in the crowd began shuffling their feet, moving away from the rally turned staring contest.

  “Come on,” I said after another moment. Tate’s bicep was tight under my hand as I gently pulled him away from Osborne. My inner warrior had decided Osborne wasn’t a threat… for now, anyway. And we had more important things to do than play Osborne’s games. There was a blade waiting for me to retrieve it in a fiery lake somewhere around here.

  Tate turned toward me, his jaw instantly relaxing as he laid eyes on me. “You’re right. We should go. This guy isn’t worth our time.”

  He took my hand and we walked slowly back through the park toward the palace. I felt Osborne’s eyes on our backs until we turned a corner out of sight. It was only then that I felt comfortable asking about the blade.

  “I don’t want to wait another day, Tate. We’ve got to get it as soon as possible. I’m sure that’s not the last you’ll hear from Osborne and his cronies. I want to be ready in case he makes another scene… or worse.”

  Tate ran a hand through his hair. “It’s more than just a handful of cronies. Half the nation wants Osborne on the throne. That was their goal all along. Even if Titus became king, it would be Osborne calling the shots. He’s been trained right alongside my brother since the three of us could walk.

  “So what? It’s not his throne to take. And if only half of your people want him to lead them, then that leaves another half who want you. Besides, you’ve got the power of the Deliverer on your side.” I winked. “And after we get the blade he really won’t stand a chance against you. So what do you say? Should we go get it?”

  “I wish it was that easy.” His throat bobbed. “Let’s wait until tomorrow at least. Please? I really jus
t want one perfect day with you.”

  He didn’t finish his thought, but he didn’t have to. I knew what he was thinking. He wanted one perfect day together because he thought it might be our last. No one had ever survived an attempt to get the Firelake Blade before.

  Maybe I was a fool for thinking I could be the first.

  Chapter 6

  I stabbed the steak on my plate and dunked it in the yolk of an egg. Any other day I would have been thrilled to eat steak and eggs for breakfast. It was the kind of thing I’d always heard about but never actually been able to afford for myself. But today, even the most delectable breakfast turned my stomach.

  I was a bundle of nerves. Tate and I had shared a lovely afternoon and evening touring Shamballa, but he retreated to his room early last night without so much as a kiss goodnight. I tossed and turned in my own suite for hours, thinking about the mission that lay ahead of me.

  Today was the day I was going to retrieve the Firelake Blade. As far as anyone else was concerned, this was the last day of my life. Maybe that’s why they prepared steak and eggs for me. It would’ve been a good last meal if I’d have been able to eat it without getting nauseous.

  Tate didn’t eat much either. We spoke a little about the blade over breakfast, but there wasn’t much to discuss. It was a bit of a mystery. No one knew what it looked like or where exactly in the lake it was hidden. Other than some folklore passed down through the ages, we didn’t have any solid evidence that it existed at all.

  Our plates had long been cleared, and I swirled my spoon through my lukewarm coffee as I built up the courage to stand and move forward with my mission. When I looked up from my cup, Tate’s golden eyes were trained on me, his emotion unreadable.

  “We better get going,” I said more to myself than to him.

  He gave a solemn nod. Standing, he led me silently back through the palace toward the great hall we’d entered into on my first day in Agartha. After commanding a couple of guards to clear the room, Tate grabbed two water bottles resting for us on a small table beside a giant portrait of a knight. “You can go first.” He waved a hand toward the painting.

  “I take it this is another portal?”

  A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I forget you’re new to this.” He took my hand into his. “We can go together.”

  I hadn’t realized how badly I’d been craving his touch. This was the first time we’d made contact since the chaos in the park yesterday. My heart still pounded every time he was near, but I’d been so focused on giving him the space he needed to grieve for his father and overcome the challenges with Osborne that I’d forgotten how complete I felt when we were together. I hoped he still felt it too.

  The portrait shimmered as we touched it and together we moved through the cool plane inside the frame and into a dank cave system on the other side. He immediately dropped my hand again, but I tried to shake it off, focusing on our surroundings, instead. “Are we back in Kentucky?”

  “No. Though Kentucky doesn’t sound half bad right now. This is still within Agartha. We’re about halfway between our world and the surface. Entering through this portal covers us in a shield that will protect us from the heat at these depths. Otherwise it would get pretty steamy.”

  “But it’s not enough to shield me from the Firelake?”

  “Not even close.” He frowned. “Come on, I’ll take you to it.”

  The only sound in the dark cave tunnels was the crunch of our shoes on the gravelly floor. We walked silently for ten minutes or so before the cave began to brighten. Tate’s golden glow was overpowered by a deep blue light. It was so faint at first I thought I might’ve been imagining it, but it grew brighter and brighter as we moved ahead.

  The ground began to drop downhill as we neared the light, and though I knew it was coming, I still wasn’t prepared for the sight that lay ahead once we finally cleared the hill. The Firelake was stunning. A small stone staircase led down to the expansive lake, and from where we stood it looked like the most incredible crystal blue water. But it wasn’t a real lake. It was an expanse of rolling blue flames.

  “Take a sip of your water,” Tate instructed as he did the same. “You can’t feel much of the heat because of the protective shield, but it will still burn you up. You need to stay hydrated.”

  I was burning, but it wasn’t from the gorgeous blue flames licking across the surface of the lake. It was something internal—a fire in my chest, white-hot, urging me closer to the lake.

  “It’s here,” I whispered. “I can feel it.”

  Tate wore a brave face, but it didn’t conceal the worry in his eyes. He looked like he might ask me to turn around and go back home at any moment. But now that I was here, and I could feel the power of the blade calling to me, there was no turning back. Tate must have known, because he didn’t say a word.

  I moved down the stone steps, following an invisible string tugging me along. As I neared the shore of the lake, the heat began to break through my shield. I could feel the skin across my cheeks growing tight under the dry warmth.

  “Everly, back up! You’re on fire!”

  I glanced down to find a flame dancing across the hem of my jeans. I brushed it off and took two steps back, turning in time to see warring emotions across Tate’s face.

  “The blade is in there. I’m gonna have to go in.”

  He shook his head silently but didn’t object. He thought I was going to die. And really, how could I survive it? I turned back to the lake, mesmerized by the motion of the fiery surface. It was almost choreographed. The way the flames moved reminded me of a ballet. I could even hear the music—ancient and full of emotion. It was a song of sorrow and a song of promise. The lyrics were enchanting, sung in a language I’d never before heard.

  I pulled my gaze away, back to Tate. He couldn’t hear it. No, this song was for me. An idea occurred to me then. Twisting off the plastic lid of my water bottle, I channeled all of my energy into the liquid, willing it to rise out of the bottle.

  The water responded, rising and growing as I urged it forward with my mind. If I could somehow overpower the flames with water, I could forge a pathway to the blade. It was my only reasonable option—the only way I could survive this insane mission.

  As I worked, I realized I was humming a tune of my own. It was different from the song of the blade, but complementary somehow. Words formed on my tongue that I’d never before heard. It was the song of Atlantis, and it was something I knew in my soul but not in my mind. Perhaps it was time for me to step out of my soul’s way and let my ancient untapped knowledge get to work.

  The water continued to pour out of the bottle growing into a large flowing liquid wall. Once I was certain it was enough, I lowered my hands in a calming motion before me, laying the watery wall over the flames like a blanket to create a narrow pathway. I wasn’t sure if I could extinguish them or if I would have to use the water as a vehicle to enter the lake like a highway over the scorching surface.

  Unfortunately for me, neither was true. The water met the flaming surface with a sizzle and steam. Then it was gone. No one knew how deep the Firelake was. There could have been miles of flames to cut through for all I knew. But my little water blanket wasn’t even close to being strong enough to overcome the vast waves of heat emanating from the lake.

  I tried again to pull more water from the bottle, but the spot where power burned in my chest before was nearly empty now. I’d used it all up. Cursing, I threw the bottle into the lake and watched it instantly melt to nothing.

  “It’s okay, Ev. We’ll do some more research and try a different approach another day.” Tate’s cheeks were flushed from the heat, but noticeably more relaxed. His whole stance had changed as relief flooded him.

  I wish I had felt some relief as well, but all I could focus on was my failure. There had to be a way to get in there. I could hear the song of the blade even now as I regretfully left it behind.

  With tensions running high in Agartha, Ro
ssel unleashing terror on the Keepers, and Rasputin’s Manticorians threatening the entire surface of the earth, there wasn’t time to delay. If I couldn’t get the blade, I at least had to find the next piece of the tablet while I was here. I wouldn’t let my time in Agartha go to waste.

  And just maybe the tablet would have the information I needed to retrieve the blade. All I knew was that there was definitely a connection between the blade and the prophecy. I could feel it as clearly as I felt my connection with Tate.

  “I’ll agree to try for the blade another day under one condition.”

  “What’s that?” Amusement flickered in Tate’s golden eyes. I suspected the interim king of Agartha wasn’t so used to little Atlantean girls calling the shots.

  “I’d like to spend the rest of today searching for the Agarthian piece of the tablet. Know of any highly classified locations we might be able to explore?”

  “There might be a couple, but they’re all back near the palace.”

  “There’s nothing else here in the caves?”

  “Just the Hall of Souls.”

  My heart skipped a beat. I knew I wasn’t at risk anymore, but the thought of entering the place where fractured souls were left to die was chilling. I doubted the tablet would be there, but I couldn’t deny my curiosity.

  “Will you take me there?”

  Chapter 7

  The Hall of Souls wasn’t close to the Firelake at all. It was about halfway between the portal and the palace in Shamballa, but it turned out there were miles between the two. The cave system was never-ending, and my feet were aching by the time we arrived.

  While the Firelake was an intense blue, the Hall of Souls emanated a redder hue. It wasn’t warm like a sunset, but haunting and almost cruel. This was how I’d always pictured Agartha before I arrived. And really, this was at the heart of what they did. It was the Agarthians’ duty to extract all the fractured souls from the surface. And this is where the souls were kept.