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MORNING FINALLY ARRIVED, and I called Jesse. Of course he came right over in no time, just like Julie said he would. He wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me up off the ground, then gave me a deep, passionate kiss.
“Geesh,” Julie said, chuckling. “Either get a room, or fill Jesse in on what’s going on.”
He held me at arm’s length. “What’s up, baby?”
I told him the whole story, and he pulled me into a tight embrace. I didn’t want him to ever let go. Of course I’d left out some of the juicier details, such as the fact that Drake expected me to be at his beck and call. I also tried to hide the fact that Drake had been pretty rough with me, but the marks on my throat were impossible to cover up, even with the most high-powered Maybelline I could find. I wore a scarf, but being a vampire, Jesse saw right through that sort of thing, both literally and figuratively. Furious, he made several phone calls in a rage, and I was angry with myself for stirring up more trouble. The last thing I wanted to do was get Jesse all mixed up in my drama, but he insisted on being my dark knight in shining armor, no matter what.
Julie handed him the map and he studied it hard, then glanced up at me.
“Drake claimed you at that party,” he observed. “He wanted to feed from you, to drink until you were almost dead, then he would’ve sacrificed you. I’m sure Jonathon would’ve done the same thing. Drank until you were near death, then called his people to sacrifice you.”
“Jonathon was shooting at us.”
“To scare you. Maybe injure you. But not kill you. He would’ve called Drake and they would’ve had a ceremony that night or the next. Trust me, if he wanted to shoot you, you would’ve been dead. The plan was to kill you, but not by a bullet. You would’ve been killed in some kind of ritualistic fashion.”
I gasped.
Jesse shook his head. “Drake’s sole purpose was to kill you so you couldn’t help the werewolves or the witches.”
I cringed at the horrible thought. I remembered his creepy, thirsty smile while we were dancing and talking, and now I knew that all along, he was far more interested at getting in my veins than he was at getting in my pants. It really was quite sick, like a blind date from hell. If Jesse had not been there, Julie and I would’ve most likely been dead.
“I think he had a change of heart when I healed Jonathon’s sister,” I said. “He was...thankful. I could see it in his eyes when his Elizabeth awoke and the wound had disappeared.”
“How is our blood even pure enough to heal a vampire anyway?”
I pondered. “I haven’t figured that one out yet. It must be because we’re petals. Whatever that is.”
Julie let out a long breath. “Taylor’s right. I really think he was thankful that Elizabeth was saved.”
“I don’t know,” Jesse said. “I don’t trust him, and it could be some sort of trap.”
“If he wants her dead, why didn’t Drake just kill us after Elizabeth was healed?” Julie asked.
“Many of the ancient rituals require that the victim go willingly. Otherwise, the magic won’t work.” His strong, broad chest heaved as he let out a long breath. “He’s trying to lure you to a temple, right? What better place for a sacrifice?”
“But that sounds like a great place to keep an ancient book,” Julie said.
I looked at Jesse. “And if the book is real, it might have the answers we’ve been looking for.”
“He did promise us answers,” Julie said, nodding in agreement.
“You can’t trust the promises of a psychopath,” Jesse reasoned. “It’s a recipe for disaster. That temple is run by some of the most ancient, deadly vampires in this world. If you’re going, I’m going with you.”
Julie sighed. “Well, truth be told—and no offense—but I’m more worried about you. I just hope you ate really well before you left. I don’t want you craving some kind of snack while we’re walking in the woods.”
“What can I say?” Jesse said. “Taylor brings out the beast in me.”
I nudged him and laughed. “Don’t worry, Julie. Jesse is well fed, and he even packed some extra...well, he’s got what he needs on ice in his backpack.”
“Won’t the ice melt?” Julie asked.
“It’s one of those insulated vinyl lunch bags with ice packs. You worry too much. Everything’s fine. Now c’mon.”
* * *
I PARKED MY CAR OFF the road, and we all unbuckled our seatbelts and hurried out. In addition to the blood he’d need, Jesse had also packed water, regular snacks, and a compass, amongst other outdoorsy things we might need. I scanned our surroundings, looking for the big boulder on the map, but all I saw was pine trees.
“Well? Where is it?” I asked. “According to the map, it should be right here by the road.”
“Maybe we need to go in deeper,” Julie said, parting two giant ferns and disappearing into the green foliage.
I walked over to Jesse, reached for his hand, and glanced up at him. “Are you sure you wanna do this?”
“I don’t like it, but if this is what we’ve got to do to get answers, I suppose we have no other choice.” He wrapped an arm around me. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I had lost sight of Julie and pushed branches aside, then took bigger steps into the dense vegetation. Birds chirped overhead, and insects hummed in the thickets and grass. The thick aroma of fresh earth and California wild roses lingered in the air.
“Julie?” I called.
“Over here,” she said, much to my relief. “C’mere! Quick! I think I found it!”
I pushed through more greenery and spotted Julie.
“Our first clue!” she said excitedly.
I looked at the big, gray boulder covered in green lichen, then studied my map. “According to Drake’s map, we should head this way,” I said, pointing south.
“It isn’t every day a girl gets to go looking for the Temple of Doom with her BFF and her vampire boyfriend. Got a bullwhip and fedora on ya, Indiana?” she said to Jesse.
I smiled. “Wow. So glad we brought you along for comic relief.”
Without saying a word, Jesse parted the towering ferns and stepped in that direction. For the first hour of our trek through the forest, we climbed over thick undergrowth and ducked under ferns. The tree canopy rose high and thick above us, and the ferns grew sparse, giving the woodlands the impression of a great green cathedral. My breathing was labored but steady as we moved farther, and twigs scratched at my bare arms as I pushed through the thick undergrowth.
“You don’t think this Drake is sending us on some sort of wild goose chase, do ya?” Julie asked.
“No. Things have changed,” I said. “Like it or not, we’re on the same side now.”
“Yeah right. Until Drake says differently.”
“We saved a very dear friend of his,” I said. “This is...payment for our services.”
“So you trust the bloodsucker who’s tried to kill you more than once?” Julie asked.
“You shouldn’t trust him at all,” Jesse interrupted, pulling me closer. “You have no idea what you’re up against. Drake is very secretive and unpredictable, but he is loyal and protects his own. Since you cured Elizabeth, he might be willing to help you, if only temporarily, but it could just as easily be a trap. Since you don’t know for sure, maybe your best course would be to tread lightly.”
I gave Jesse’s hand a squeeze of reassurance.
The sun beat down on us mercilessly, cutting through the trees like a fire iron, even hotter than before. Sweat trickled down my temples and forehead. I wiped my brow with the back of my hand. I craned my neck, trying to see over giant blooming plants, then parted the large fronds and peered through. My heart jumped when I saw a flash of gray through the vegetation. When I peered closer, I noticed a large, weathered, stone structure overrun with plants, covered with moss and cracked by time and erosion, entwined in thick, twisting jungle vines that had probably been there for centuries. Tree roots were burrowed into the walls, and rope-like vines and ivy wrapped around gateways and huge pillars. The stone steps were covered in moss and lichen.
Julie stopped and peered through the binoculars Jesse had brought. “The place looks old and run down.”
Jesse peered ahead. “Ancient relics.”
“I can’t believe there’s something like this out here,” I said, staring at the gigantic trees and vines that engulfed the building. “Why haven’t scientists and historians raided this place?”
“I-I’m not sure it’s something the average person can see,” he said. “Only immortals or petals.”
We walked to the temple, and I couldn’t stop staring at the ruins out there in the middle of the woods. It was like finding Stonehenge in the middle of Chicago, and it didn’t really make sense. My shoes crunched over the twigs and pebbles under my path.
Julie pointed toward the wooden doors. “So...is this like a Motel 6 for vampires or what? You know—‘We won’t leave the lights on for you.’”
“This is their lair, so I’m sure some are inside.” I tried to open the doors, but of course they wouldn’t budge. “Locked,” I said. “Don’t have a lock-picking set in that handy, dandy backpack of yours, do ya, babe?”
“No, but let me give it a try.” With one solid yank, the doors burst open.
Julie stepped closer. “Wow! Gotta love that vampire strength.”
I squinted inside and saw shadows dancing on the wall from the flickering torches situated in crude sconces ever few feet. I took one cautious step toward the entrance but jumped back when I saw a figure in the doorway.
An old, ancient monk stood before us, a tall man, with white, thinning hair. He was dressed in a wide-sleeved, kimono-style robe with a knotted rope tied at the waist.
“You startled me,” I said, holding my chest and gasping for air.
“Perhaps you are the one startling me. It is rude to enter without knocking,” he scolded.
“I’m sorry, Father,” Jesse said.
The old man motioned us in. “Still, I’ve been expecting you. Please come in.”
I followed Jesse and Julie and the old man into a large room with vaulted ceilings. Mahogany beams ran across the width of it, carved with intricate details and designs.
“You said you’ve been expecting us?” Julie asked suspiciously.
“Yes,” he said. “I have been indebted to Drake for some time now. Follow me.”
Jesse refused to budge.
Julie grabbed his arm. “C’mon, big fella. It’s okay. You don’t have to be scared of monsters in the dark,” she teased.
“It is nowhere near okay,” he snapped. “This is...way too easy. He would not simply hand over such a precious artifact just because Drake asked him to. Something about this just isn’t right.”
“What do you think is going on?” I asked.
Jesse squeezed my hand. “We’re in a temple, and he’s trying to lead us somewhere. You tell me.”
“As long as he doesn’t take us downstairs to some creepy basement dungeon, I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Julie said.
“What if he’s taking us to the vampires, for a mid-morning snack?” I whispered.
“They would have attacked us the second we walked in,” Julie said, “and they didn’t.”
“Because they’re sleeping.”
“Then what are you worried about? We’ve come all this way, and—”
“He may be taking us to the sanctuary,” Jesse said nervously, “to kill you in a ceremonial sacrifice so you can’t help the werewolves.”
“Taylor...” a haunting, demon-like voice suddenly whispered, like a leaf in the wind.
I wasn’t sure if anyone else heard the voice, but when I spun around, I saw no one. I wondered if I had imagined it, since my nerves were so on edge. Still, while I couldn’t explain it, I felt as if I was being watched. I glanced up at the life-sized, stone gargoyles perched on the dark walls. Red eyes, made from rubies, stared back at me. Real fire burned in their mouths, as if they were stone dragons about to come to life. As I stared at them, a cold chill rushed through me, and I began to gasp for air. It felt as if something had passed through my body.
“Your destiny has been set in stone,” the voice whispered. “Do you think reading the book will actually change what fate has called you to do?”
I stopped midstride, dizzied by the voice and its frightening words.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“We are the Guardians,” the voice replied.
I froze.
“What’s wrong?” Jesse asked.
“Something’s talking to me,” I said.
“I heard it too,” Julie said frantically. “Whatever it is, it sounds possessed.”
“What is it that I’m called to do?” I asked.
“Dieeeeeeeeeee!” the voice hissed.
My stomach lurched.
“Just ignore it,” Jesse said. “Whatever it’s saying, just ignore it.”
“You can’t hear it, even with your supersonic vamp ears?” Julie asked.
“No.”
“It must be a petal thing.” She glanced around, her eyes wide. “Did you hear what it just told me?”
“No,” I said. “You can tune them out. Just focus on something else. Block them out.”
Julie stopped and gripped my arm. She was trembling, obviously scared to death. “Look, maybe we oughtta consider a Plan B. I-I don’t need answers this bad. Let’s just call this off.”
Cold fingers touched my shoulders, and I jumped. There wasn’t anything there but air, but I swallowed hard as a voice rolled across my mind.
“Your blood smells so heavenly. I’m tortured by your scent. If only you would’ve come uninvited, I would be feasting on your sweet, sweet flesh, sucking you dry! Why did you get permission? Why?”
I jumped back, panting loudly. “I agree with Julie,” I said between gasps. “Let’s just go.”
“Are you sure?” Jesse asked.
“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life,” I answered, my hands shaking at the thought of that invisible entity’s horrible words.
“Father,” Jesse said, “thank you for your time, but we would like to go now. We have changed our minds.”
The monk walked over to Jesse. “But you’ve only just arrived.”
Evil, sinister laughing cackled through the air, and I spun in a slow circle.
“We’ve gotta go...like now!” Julie said, her eyes wide with terror. “We’ll find another way.”
The priest looked up at the stone gargoyles. “Not another word!” he said, like an impatient father yelling at two toddlers in church.
Immediately, the voices ceased.
He gazed at me, then at Julie. “I’ve invited you into my temple, and because I am a man of my word, I will take you to the gateway that leads to The Book of Tanesa. You’ll never have another opportunity like this again. If you leave, you will never be allowed to return for this book.”
I didn’t trust him, but I really couldn’t trust anyone but Jesse and Julie. I had no idea if Drake had told me the truth or not. Did he send me here to kill me like he originally wanted to, or will I really find answers here? I was relatively certain he was thankful that I’d saved a member of his coven from a horrible death, but I couldn’t be sure how genuine his gratitude was.
“He’s right,” I said, nodding toward the monk. “We’ll never have this opportunity again. He led us down a hallway with ancient guardians who could have destroyed us in a heartbeat, yet we’re still okay.”
“If the vampires wanted to harm us, they would’ve already sucked us dry or thrown us in chains,” Julie said.
“Unless they need us to come on our own free will,” Jesse said. “As I said, that is a typical stipulation for such ceremonies. If we willingly enter the sanctuary without being forced, they will be able to do as they please.”
Julie looked at me, her blue eyes shimmering in the dim light. “Do we really wanna die trying to find answers?”
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance, Jules. If Drake and this monk are telling the truth, he pulled a lot of strings to make it happen.”
“Hmm. I guess you have a point. If Drake wanted you dead, he could have done it already.”
“So you think we should take our chances?” I asked.
She nodded slowly, and Jesse just looked on, stone-faced.
“Jesse, we need answers,” I said. “I hope you understand.”
“Whatever you decide, I’ll stand by you.”
“Thank you.”
“Shall we continue?” the priest asked.
“Yes, Father,” I said, hoping I wasn’t making a life-altering or life-ending decision for all of us.
The priest led us to a set of huge double-doors. My heart thundered as he pushed them open. We walked into a large room and glanced around. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw that there were no chanting priests, candles, or an altar. I couldn’t get the sacrifice out of my brain, and while deep down I knew it was foolish to be there, I needed answers if I was going to remain sane at all.
“Stare straight ahead,” the priest said.
I didn’t see anything but a stone wall, weathered with time, lit by only a few torches here and there.
Julie nudged me, then whispered, “So, uh...what exactly are we supposed to be seeing?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea.”
The priest waved his arms and spoke some words in a language I’d never heard before. The entire wall illuminated, and stones began to shift as if an ancient tomb was being opened. I squeezed Jesse’s hand, hoping Drake didn’t have some crazy surprise waiting for us on the other side. When I saw what was before me, I gasped, unable to believe my own eyes.