Eighteen

Early on Monday morning, Nahum pulled the car off the dusty road that was surrounded by desert, and turned to Barak, who was in the passenger seat. He had Catarina’s map stretched across his lap, heavily marked, with his finger on the spot identified by the earl.

Nahum asked, “Are we close?”

“According to this we are, and the GPS agrees.”

They had entered the coordinates of the dig into the car’s navigational system, but Catarina had warned them that they weren’t exact. Although the earl couldn’t remember the specific location now, they were a lot closer than they would have been only days before.

Ash leaned forward, wedged between Niel and Estelle. “Are we close enough to set the tents up?”

“A little further,” Barak answered, staring ahead into the wild terrain. “There are still more people around than I would like.”

Estelle leaned forward, too. “Don’t forget that I can veil us in a protection spell.”

“Nevertheless, I would still like us to be more off the beaten track,” Nahum mused, looking through the windscreen and lowering his sunglasses back over his eyes.

The directions had led them deeper into the desert, the rocky terraces folding around them like a rumpled blanket. He tried to marry it with his recollections of the past, but it had been so long ago that it was virtually impossible. It used to be greener, and so much was missing. And of course, so much was new.

He looked to the south. “Do you remember the ziggurats towering above the city walls? The gardens within the cities? They were spectacular.”

“I remember the paved roads,” Niel said. “They were so flat, so perfect. And there were canals and rivers.”

“It wasn’t this dry then?” Estelle asked, wonder in her voice.

“Not at all.” Ash’s hand swept across the horizon. “You could see patches of greenery among the desert sand, far more than there is now.”

“And what about Mardin?” Estelle asked, looking comfortable in the heat. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail to keep her neck cool, and she wore a t-shirt that showed off her toned arms. “That’s an ancient city.”

Nahum twisted in his seat to look at her more easily. “The layout is familiar, but even so, most of the buildings are new compared to our time…even the really ancient ones. It has a familiar feel, though.”

Barak tapped the driving wheel. “Come, brother. Let’s get on so I can stretch my legs.”

Niel grunted. “I second that!”

Nahum nodded, and checking that the road was clear he accelerated again, following the twisting asphalt that shimmered in the heat. Barak directed him on to a narrow track that led up into the hills, leaving the main road far behind. They rose higher, snaking along the contours of the terraces, passing hollows in the rock, until they finally reached the end of the path.

“Shit. It doesn’t go any further,” Nahum said, driving off the road and onto hard, packed earth and sand. “Are we close?”

“Hard to say,” Barak said, frowning. “I think beyond this terrace, but I’m not sure.”

Niel was already opening the door. “Then we need to explore on foot.”

They were already high above the plane, and yet terraced rockfaces, pitted with dark crevices and cave entrances, still rose around them, casting their surroundings in deep shadow. It was deserted, too. They clambered out, and once out of the air-conditioned car, the heat felt like an oven.

Barak stretched his arms above him as he studied the landscape. “This could be a good place to camp, but I’d prefer to be out of view of the road.”

Ash nodded. “I agree. Why don’t you and Estelle check out beyond the ridge, and we’ll investigate here?”

“Sounds good. Estelle, are you ready?”

“Sure.” She swung a small pack over her back and fell into step next to Barak, heading towards the rift in the rock.

Nahum turned to Ash and Niel, disgruntled. “Look at this place! It’s riddled with hollows and caves. I know we’ve narrowed it down, but it’s still going to be hard to find.”

“But we’re high up,” Ash said, his eyes gleaming. “And therefore, the many folds in these terraces could mean multiple entrances. The Igigi wouldn’t box themselves in.”

“Look around!” Nahum swung his arm wide, and despite his sunglasses, shaded the top of them as he stared around him. “Look at how ridged the whole landscape is. On first impression, it all looks the same. And down the valley there are monasteries set into these hills. We could find remnants of many old dwellings, but be in the completely wrong place!”

“Have faith in the map,” Niel said, “and in the directions we were given.”

Niel seemed to have forgotten his argument with Zee the other night, although he seemed not as upbeat as he usually was. Nahum hoped that being out here would do him good.

“While I don’t want to come across Black Cronos,” Nahum admitted, scanning the road they’d just driven up, “at least seeing them here will mean we’re in the right place.”

“Do you think we can risk flying?” Ash asked, almost a plea in his voice.

Nahum knew why. To glide along the desert thermals would be fantastic. “As long as we don’t fly too high, we’ll be fine.”

He pulled his t-shirt off and flung it in the car, and then extended his wings. The rush of pleasure gave him a surge of adrenalin, and he soared upwards, catching the current. If they achieved nothing else this morning, at least he’d have flown in the sunlight. Something he hadn’t done for a very long time.

The market sellers’ voices assaulted Shadow’s ears as she browsed the stalls in the bazaar, but she was enjoying every moment.

Mardin reminded her of the cities of the Djinn in the Realm of Fire; the rich yellow stone of the buildings gleaming in the sun, the desert stretching around it in all directions, the pungent scent of spices, and the overwhelming heat. It all triggered her senses. And what was even better was how excited Gabe was to be here.

He had eventually fallen asleep after his disturbed night, and she watched him now, aware of the grief he carried still, and wishing she could ease it more. Knowing about his child made her want to protect him. Or at least his heart. He was huge; he certainly didn’t need her physical protection. But their talk seemed to have helped. A soft smile had played about his lips all morning, and he bartered now with obvious pleasure. She couldn’t understand a word he was saying, but he seemed at ease here, as did Zee. He was a short distance away with Catarina, browsing the spices for their cooking—at Niel’s insistence, while he explored with Nahum.

Shadow couldn’t lose herself entirely to the moment, though. She kept a wary eye out for signs of Toto and The Silencer of Souls. If they weren’t already here, they would be soon. The paperwork they had found in their bags meant they were targeting this area, too. With luck, Nahum and the others would have found a promising spot to set up camp. Shadow just hoped they wouldn’t be camped out for weeks.

Gabe finished his bartering and placed the small selection of pots into his backpack before shouldering it again, and walking on to the next stalls. “Excellent find. We’ll take some fresh food with us, as well. It will last a few days at least, so we don’t have to survive on that reconstituted stuff.” His nose wrinkled as he said it, and she laughed.

“Dried food isn’t great, but it’s better than nothing. Although, we won’t be that far from the town anyway, will we?”

“An hour or so, maybe more. It’s hard to say. I guess one of us could always come back for supplies if we need to.” He echoed her own sentiment. “Hopefully we’ll be there hours, rather than days.”

“You’re looking forward to this, aren’t you?”

“The camping? Yes. The Igigi, no.”

They caught up with Zee and Catarina, and Zee gestured to the bags they carried. “We managed to get a good price for these blankets, so we won’t freeze at night.”

Shadow was unconvinced. “Are you sure we’ll need them at all? We’ve got sleeping bags.”

“The desert is always cold at night, especially higher up, where we’ll be,” Catarina explained. “My husband said they had camped well above the plains.”

“Fair enough,” Shadow said, reaching forward to take a bag from Catarina. “Are we done here?”

“Except for some meat and a few treats,” Gabe said, leading them towards the food section of the market. “Time for some authentic Turkish delight, I think. And then we’ll be ready for coffee.”

Fifteen minutes later they were seated at a table on the pavement in front of a small café, shaded by a colourful umbrella, with the smell of cardamom coffee wafting around them. Gabe opened the box of Turkish delight and passed them around, and Shadow selected the pistachio flavour. “Perfect, thank you.”

“So, what now?” Catarina asked, lifting her hair to allow her neck to cool as she glanced down the crowded street.

“We load the car up and join the others in the hills,” Gabe said. He leaned back in his chair, facing the street, so he could see their surroundings with ease. “I’ll feel safer when we’re away from prying eyes.”

“You think they’re here?” Catarina asked.

“If not now,” Zee said, “then they’ll be here soon. There’s too much at stake to wait.” He smiled at her. “You did well to hide the maps.”

“I wish I could have hidden the tablet, too.”

“Herne’s flaming bollocks!” Shadow exclaimed, her hands already on her knives. “I think I’ve just seen The Silencer of Souls.”

“The who?” Catarina asked, alarmed, her head whipping around at the same time as the others.

Zee quickly explained, “The woman with Toto.”

“That’s her name?” Catarina shrank in her chair. “She sounds deadly.”

“She is,” Shadow murmured, not taking her eyes off the deadly woman. “So far, we haven’t been seen. She’s at the far end of the street. She must have come out of one of the little lanes.”

Gabe downed his coffee and threw the box of sweets into his pack. “Then we’ll leave right now.”

“You go,” Shadow said, standing. “She’s heading away from us. I’m going to follow her.”

“No! There’s no need,” Gabe said, his brow creasing with worry. He had a tendency to do that lately. Ever since they’d become a couple. It was protective, caring, and also seriously annoying. “If she hasn’t seen us, then we’re in no danger.”

Shadow stood her ground. “But knowing where they are and who she’s with will help us. And she won’t see me. You know she won’t.”

Gabe huffed and stared at Zee for support, but Zee just shrugged. “She’s right. An idea of their numbers will be useful. But don’t be long, Shadow. We’ll pack up and be out of here within the hour.”

Shadow nodded, checked her watch, and then left them, slipping through the crowd with ease as she engaged her fey magic. It wasn’t as effective in towns, but it worked well enough, and unless the soul-sucker was a very good actress, Shadow remained convinced they hadn’t been seen. The crowd of other café patrons had hidden them well.

Shadow reached the end of the street, momentarily puzzled. They were in the old town, halfway down the hill that Mardin was built on, and the warren of streets was both fascinating and baffling. She hadn’t seen her quarry cross the road, so Shadow headed right, and was rewarded a few moments later when she caught sight of her threading through the locals and tourists, before taking a left turn. Shadow hurried after her, The Silencer of Souls leading her deeper and higher into the old town, past ancient buildings, places of worship, hotels, restaurants, and cafés. The number of people around thinned out, but the lanes wound frequently as they staggered upwards, steps mixed with gently sloping rises, and it was easy to stay out of sight. Although Shadow was on alert for any other Black Cronos members—they had a dead-eyed look to them that she’d come to recognise—she spotted no one else.

Finally, the woman slowed and turned into a building, and after waiting a few moments before getting closer, Shadow realised she had entered a traditionally designed boutique hotel, similar in style to their own. A narrow lane, barely more than a footpath, ran along the side, leading up steps and to more streets behind it, and Shadow realised she could climb onto a wall to see into the hotel courtyard that was undoubtedly at the rear.

She raced down it, vaulted onto ledges, and found a spot against a wall in deep shadow, hidden from the morning sun. She settled into place, drawing her fey magic around her, and concentrated on the scene below: a fountain in the centre of a stone-flagged courtyard, with potted plants scattered amongst tables. But voices from above caught her attention. A wide balcony with fretted stonework overlooked the area, the door thrown wide open. A flash of white-blond hair appeared out of the gloom of the room. Shadow was almost at eye level and she froze, trying to sink into the wall. As she focussed, The Silencer of Souls came into view, and someone was next to her. Stefan Hope-Robbins had joined them.

Barak emerged from the narrow gully that ran between a ridge of terraced rock, and found himself in a flat area surrounded on all sides by craggy rockfaces, all except for a break to their right offering a view of the desert below.

The wind dropped and he turned his face to the sun, saying, “I like this place. This would suit us well for a campsite. The top is wide enough to allow in a good amount of sunlight, and sheltered enough to protect us from the winds.”

“I agree,” Estelle said, already striding to the gap to look on the desert below. “The drop from here is sheer, so easy to defend, too.”

He walked to her side, feeling the air cool as he plunged into shadow. But beyond, the glare of the sun on the golden sand was enough to make him pull his sunglasses firmly over his eyes. “Stunning, isn’t it?”

“It has an unusual beauty. Harsh, but I like it.”

“It becomes addictive after a while. It looks like nothing could live out there, but it teems with life.” He smiled down at her. She was above average height for a woman, but still barely reached his chest. Her hair was still in a ponytail, and he saw the sweat glistening on her skin. A tan was already developing, and she seemed to be more relaxed than ever. “This place suits you, Estelle. You look beautiful.”

Her hand brushed across her cheek, sweeping an errant hair away, suddenly self-conscious. “Thank you. You look…beautiful isn’t the word. Magnificent.” She laughed and sighed out, “Yes, that’s right.”

Barak hadn’t kissed her yet, but he figured there was no time like the present. They were alone, in a place of stark beauty, and she seemed to be more relaxed with him than ever before. He turned to face her and pulled her into him, her arms resting on his chest. He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. She looked up at him, her gaze wary but promising, and cupping his hand around the back of her head, he leaned in to gently kiss her. She sank against him, responding fully, and their kiss grew deeper, until they broke away, both breathless.

“Well,” he said, when his voice steadied, “that was worth waiting for.”

A smile lit her face, but she was already pulling away. “Yes, it mostly certainly was. But we should probably find the others and set up the camp.”

He pulled her back to him. “We should, but they can wait a few minutes more.” The arrival of loud, noisy brothers would ensure no more intimacy for a while, so he’d get it while he could.