CHAPTER 22
The tip of Gaetan’s cane slipped between two rocks, sticking in the soft mud. He yanked on the wood and the mud gave way, a loud sucking noise issuing from the gap. Tightening his grip on Nicole’s hand, he drew her into the small cave.
A cool, damp breeze caressed his cheek, the source unknown.
“This is it?” Nicole’s soft voice echoed around the chamber.
Water rushed over the tunnel, filling in the space. Darkness closed in around them. Gaetan’s pulse rose, a sense of entrapment slithering along his nerves.
Nicole gripped his arm, her fingers digging into his muscle. “I can’t see.”
She fears the dark.
Empathy for her crept from a tiny place in his heart. The back of his hand burned, the line reappearing. His chest swelled. He placed his hand over hers and gave her a gentle squeeze. “Don’t worry, my little water lily. I can take care of that.”
He rubbed his thumb over the sunstone embedded in his cane. A soft glow emitted from the gem, lighting up the cave walls.
A gentle sigh eased from Nicole’s lips. “Thank you. That’s much better.”
The relieved smile that graced her features accentuated her rosy cheeks and the sea-green hue of her eyes. He held his breath, mesmerized not only by her beauty, but by the zest for life that reflected in those deep green depths. How he longed to feel the same way, but after so many years, the pain had dulled his senses.
Pain… The constant agony in his knee was blessedly gone.
A brief memory of running through the woods in his beast form skimmed across his mind. The beast hadn’t experienced any pain. Was he healed?
A sudden rush of blood zipped through his veins. He took a tentative step without his cane, putting pressure on his bad knee. The leg started to buckle, and he leaned on his cane once again. No…he wasn’t healed. The urge to pop a pill made his mouth water. His fingers twitched, and he fought the impulse to reach for his satchel. “At least the pain is gone.”
“There are so many rocks here. Do you see the blue sunstone?” Nicole’s voice brought him from his reverie.
Light from the sunstone in his staff reflected off a small pool of water near the cave entrance. Rocks in all shapes and sizes lined the shore. He raised his cane, illuminating more of their surroundings, and scanned the area, eager to find the blue sunstone. “It’s here somewhere. It has to be.”
He wouldn’t entertain the idea that they were wrong. They’d seen the gem through the water tunnel, but what if that had been an illusion? No, he wouldn’t go there. He had to retrieve the stone and find Anlon. The guilt he’d become so familiar with resurfaced, heavy and burdensome.
Nicole searched near a pile of small boulders, her brow scrunched in focused determination. Soothing warmth started deep inside, easing up his chest and across his arms. Her willingness to help him stripped away one of the chains around his heart, easing the weight.
A sense of urgency pushed him in the opposite direction. If they didn’t hurry, they’d be stuck here all day. He scanned the rocks, searching…searching…
“Oh! I found it!” Nicole held the blue sunstone between her fingers. It caught the light from the gem in his cane, reflecting in a brilliant cascade. She scrambled over the small pile of rocks and handed him the sacred stone.
“Seems I can’t get rid of you. Not yet anyway.” He shoved the stone into his pocket. “We should leave while we still can to find Anlon and—”
A shudder rippled over his skin. “No, no, no!”
“I felt it, too. We’re too late. The sun is up.” Nicole trailed her fingers over the back of his hand, caressing his mark.
The desire to pull her to him, kiss her until she cried out his name, flared along his nerves. But, he didn’t deserve her. He was too broken and too scarred. With enough force to kill his enemy, he slammed the tip of his cane against the ground. The light on the end flared.
“Look!” Nicole’s soft voice echoed around the chamber.
In the far corner, cut into the very rock itself, a small passageway became visible.
“Let’s check it out.” Nicole tugged on his arm.
“Since we’re stuck here, we might as well.” He gripped her hand, and she clasped her fingers around his.
A smile curled her mouth, tugging at her plump lips. The urge to kiss her rippled over him once again, but she drew him forward. All he could do was follow.
As they approached the small entrance, the breeze picked up, flipping Nicole’s tresses over her shoulder. He couldn’t stop himself, and he caught a few tips between his fingers. She glanced at him, her brow furrowing around her inquisitive eyes.
He returned her smile, his chest expanding from the brief exchange.
Closer now, the dark outline of objects in the room took shape—a desk, a chair, a bed, and the scent of ageless time carried by on the breeze.
After crossing the threshold, sunstones embedded in the walls flared to life and brightened the room. Scattered over the desk were several old tomes, some open, others stacked on top of one another. Next to a table sat an old, rickety wooden chair with a slat missing from the back. A large green comforter covered the massive bed. In the corner was an odd looking sink, water filling the bowl to the rim. Despite the sense of age, everything appeared clean and untouched.
“It looks like someone lived here.” Nicole picked up an odd stylus from the desk. She studied the tipped end.
“Indeed, but who?” He trailed a finger over one of the ancient tomes. Cuneiform characters graced the cover. “Hey, I recognize this language. It’s Lemurian.”
He read the titles of the closest books. “Research… Portal transportation…” His gaze landed on one with the distinct symbol of the letter ‘M.’ “Lemuria.”
“I wonder what they say?” Nicole pulled close, and her arm rubbed against his.
Heat ignited between them. He fisted his hand and swallowed, unwilling to give in to his desires. “Let’s find out.” He cracked open the first one and began to read.
Nikki had seen the gleam of desire in Gaetan’s eyes when she’d brushed her arm against his. A part of her had wanted him to kiss her like he had before, to take her and finish claiming her as his mate. For a moment, she thought he’d do exactly that, but he hadn’t. Instead, he’d buried himself in the old tome.
While he read, she explored the small room. In a cabinet over the table, she found canisters with dried herbs and a few jars with some peaches. She unscrewed one and sniffed the contents. The peaches’ sweet scent tickled her nose. There must be some unique magic in this place to keep the food so fresh.
She approached the basin against the far wall. Smooth as glass, the water filled the bowl to the rim. She peered into the dark depths. Her fingers twitched. A small ripple danced over the surface.
“This is fascinating. Someone named Mitan lived in this small cave. From what I can tell, he was a Lemurian god, like Alora.” Gaetan’s voice floated across the room, but Nikki’s attention was on the water as it started to bubble.
“His notes indicate he had characters here, a long time ago. He marked them all with an…an… ‘M’ in their palm for ‘Mitan.’ Do you know what that means?” The scrape of the chair leg against the floor resounded in the room. “It also mentions that even though they are gods to us, we as characters, have free will. That’s life altering.”
“Gaetan, come quickly.” The water in the bowl churned, swirling, splashing droplets down the basin’s side and onto the rocks lining the floor. She couldn’t control her power. Fear sent her pulse tripping through her veins.
He approached her from behind and brushed his hands down her arms, sending a calming warmth under her skin. With a quick tug, he pulled her against him, his breath tickling the back of her neck and causing a shiver of need to tickle her bottom. The water in the bowl calmed along with her racing heart. She relaxed into him, letting him catch her, bear her weight.
Images flashed across the water. A green planet, red patches marring its surface. Two moons. Tall trees, branches intertwining above a sea of houses and platforms embedded into their massive trunks. The vision pinpointed on a single home in a large tree, a deck surrounding three sides. A man dressed in a pair of silky white pants and a matching shirt placed his elbows on the deck railing. His brow furrowed over a pair of intense brown eyes.
“Who is he?” This was unlike anything Nikki had ever seen before, and her voice trembled.
Gaetan planted a warm kiss along her earlobe. “I don’t know. Perhaps—”
Heated voices burst from the image.
“Let’s watch,” Gaetan whispered.
Nikki relaxed into him, eager for his comfort and his tender touch.
Another man, this one dressed in a tailored suit strode onto the deck. He had shoulder-length brown hair, piercing blue eyes, and a tiny jewel glittered in his nose. Arrogance and menace radiated from him, permeating the air with tension.
The first man turned around and crossed his arms. “Zedron. I told you never to come here.”
Zedron… Zedron… Nikki recognized that name but couldn’t place him. Wait! Sheri mentioned this to me. That’s Alora’s nemesis. The god we’re fighting against. Nikki held her breath and focused on the picture.
“Oh, Mitan. You’ll come around, you always do.” Zedron smiled, revealing a perfect set of white teeth.
“I won’t be a party to your plan to win Alora’s hand. She’s my best friend from childhood. Once she finds out you intend to tarnish Veromé’s reputation, she’ll never bond to you.” Mitan’s eyes flashed.
Zedron trailed his finger over the back of a deck chair, toying with the cushion’s ribbon. “Perhaps I should tell the council that a member of the neutral faction colonized a planet, a little blue planet with a single sun.”
Mitan pushed away from the railing. The wood creaked from the pressure. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Oh, I would.” Zedron tsked. “Neutral faction families don’t support free or slave parties, so your actions are scandalous. I know how much pain that would bring your council member father. He’d lose his seat in disgrace.”
Mitan’s nostrils flared, and his fingers curled into a fist. “Alora won’t love you, not like she does Veromé. That’s something your money and power could never buy.”
“So, you’re telling me you won’t cooperate?” Zedron took a step forward, his blue eyes flashing.
Mitan closed the distance, the males mere inches apart. “No, and better yet, maybe I should turn you in. I’m sure the council would be very interested in how you acquired this information. Spying is a capital offense.”
The muscles in Zedron’s shoulders tensed, his arms shaking with fury. A roar of pure rage rushed from his throat. He gripped Mitan’s shirt and shoved him.
Mitan stumbled across the deck. He collided with the wooden rail.
A loud crack echoed between the trees.
Mitan ran toward Zedron, but the evil god was ready. His fist connected with Mitan’s chin. Mitan crashed against the railing once again. Wood splintered and slipped over the edge.
“Goodbye, Mitan.” Zedron’s lip curled, and he kicked Mitan in the gut.
The railing gave way with a loud, sickening crack.
Mitan yelled and disappeared over the edge.
Low, predatory growls rose from below.
Nikki screamed, her heart racing. As she pushed away from the strange basin, her fingers scraped against the rough stone edge. Pain rippled up her arm, and blood dripped into the water, mirroring her sympathy to Mitan’s plight.