Chapter 5
Sapphira, shivering in the bitter cold breeze, crept toward the giant’s body. Without a hint of movement as he lay sprawled out on top of the generator roof, his face charred black and his legs sliced through at the ankles, he had to be dead, but she didn’t want to take any chances. Too many strange things had happened lately. A mangled giant coming back to life after being electrocuted and having his feet chopped off wouldn’t be the strangest.
Pulling her sweatshirt’s hood over her head, she looked up and scanned the sky for Gabriel. Since she perched near a dimensional portal, her vision had sharpened, enabling her to see across miles of Montana scenery—snowcapped mountains, highways threading the passes, and houses nestled in the folds. It was all truly beautiful.
After a few seconds, she spotted him. He flew high above, battling the breeze and circling as he searched the area for any sign of the other giants who had helped this dead one create the power grid.
Now that the sky had returned to normal, blue and sun-drenched, the view of Heaven seemed like a dream. Yet it was only days ago that the very roof she stood upon had been the anchor point for a connection between Earth and Heaven, a connection of electricity, fire, and spiritual power that had nearly destroyed Earth and the Bridgelands, the region separating Heaven from the created worlds.
As Gabriel descended, she stooped at a splotch of blood where Karen had fallen. After the little redhead had cut off the giant’s feet, ending Mardon’s plans to build a new Tower of Babel, she hit the concrete at this spot, gashing her forehead and spilling her precious blood before she died.
Sapphira dabbed the blood and rubbed her finger and thumb together. Still tacky. How strange! It should have dried long ago. Touching her finger to her forehead, she bowed and prayed in a whisper. “Father in Heaven, let this anointing remind me of the great sacrifice your faithful witness made at this altar. I am thankful that she now knows how pleased you are with her as she basks in the warmth of your holy light and luxuriates in the splendor of your loving embrace.”
As she rose to her feet, Gabriel landed, flapping his wings to steady himself. Breathing heavily, he touched her forehead, a grin breaking out on his youthful face. “New kind of makeup?”
Sapphira smiled. “Just a symbol. I want to be at least half as brave as she was.”
“I know what you mean.” He nodded toward the power plant’s dam, barely visible over the wall that once supported the roof. Water poured through the spillway, creating a low roar. “I saw a bunch of huge footprints. The giants must have congregated over there, and a trail leads to the highway, but with all the pavement, I couldn’t figure out where they went after that. I guess we won’t be able to report anything new to Sir Patrick when he gets here.”
Sapphira pushed on the dead giant’s arm with her foot. “Should we do anything with this one? When they finally decide to reopen the plant, finding him here might give someone a heart attack.”
“I don’t think so.” Gabriel twitched his nose. “Just another monster. The merging with Hades kind of made Earth a big Halloween party. They might be getting used to it.”
She looked out over the devastated power plant—its ripped metal roof, partially collapsed cinderblock walls, and scorched machinery. There was no way they could clean up everything, but maybe they could dispose of the Naphil’s carcass. At least that would forestall some of the investigation. “We could roll his body off and burn it on the turbine room floor.” She snapped her fingers and opened her palm, displaying a grapefruit-sized flame in the middle. “It would be a snap.”
“Maybe.” Gabriel knelt and wedged his hands under the giant’s body. Grunting as he pushed, he looked up at the sky. “We should have asked Thigocia to haul him down there before she left.”
“Thigocia?” Sapphira extinguished her flame and joined in, matching his grunts. “Don’t you call her ‘Mother’ or ‘Mom’?”
“Not yet. I knew my mother as a human for thirteen years, so it’s hard to say ‘Mother’ to a dragon.”
Exhaling heavily, she stood again. “I could try to transport him. We could see where this portal goes now.”
“I thought we were going to wait for the Bannisters and Patrick and his knights.” Gabriel sat back on his heels. “If we had Sir Barlow here to help us, we could roll this lug off the side and not have to risk a portal jump.”
She touched her jeans pocket where she had put Walter’s cell phone. “Billy said they’ll fly out on their airplane today, but they won’t get to the mountain until morning.”
“Can you get a quick look through the portal and come back if it isn’t safe?”
She shrugged. “I don’t see why not. I’ve done it before.”
“Then let’s go together.” He stood and reached out a hand. “Just like in Dragons’ Rest.”
“I hope not like that.” As she rose with his pull, she looked back at the dead giant. “I guess we’ll have to straddle him to make sure he comes with us.”
Gabriel spread his legs and set a foot on each side of the massive torso. “No problem.”
“Easy for you to say.” She moved down to the giant’s thighs and matched Gabriel’s pose. “I’m shorter than you are.”
Grinning, he patted her on the head. “Okay, short stuff. Let’s light up the skies.”
Sapphira lifted her hands and shouted, “Give me light!”
New flames burst from her palms and covered her hands and wrists. She waved her arms around, making the fire swirl until it transformed into a ring of flickering orange. As she lowered her hands, the ring descended in a swirling curtain that surrounded her and Gabriel, like a cocoon spun from an inferno. When it reached below their knees, it spilled out over the giant. The flames crawled along his body and coated him in a fiery blanket.
Heat bathed her skin, raising prickles that made her shiver in spite of the warmth. A few seconds later, the flames thickened and flashed brighter, as if refueled. She furrowed her brow. That was so strange. She hadn’t pushed more energy through her hands, and the flames were usually ready to die away by this time, not strengthen. This was supposed to be a glance, not a plunge.
She looked over at Gabriel. Sweat trickled down his cheek. He gave her a “what’s going on?” kind of look, but all she could do was shrug. She had already slowed her arms, but the flames just kept growing.
After almost a full minute, the fire thinned out and vanished. They stood on a grassy meadow filled with colorful wildflowers. A warm breeze replaced the bitter wind and bathed their bodies in a fragrant aroma. On one side, the meadow stretched out for miles, grass as green as emeralds decorated with pools of brilliant blue. On the other, a bright blue sky filled their entire view, as though the meadow ended abruptly at a sheer cliff. Yet, it looked solid, like a wall painted to resemble the horizon.
Sapphira narrowed her eyes. Everything seemed brighter, fresher. “I think this is the place we saw from Earth, the place Elam was when Karen cut down the tower.”
“You mean this is Heaven?” Gabriel asked.
“I’m not sure.” She stepped away from the giant and reached toward the wall. “I think they were standing right in front of this.”
“Wait!” Gabriel leaped for her and pulled her back. “Maybe you’d better not do that. Remember all the lightning that shot out from it?”
She stepped away. “I guess you’re right.”
He walked her back to the giant and prodded its body with his toe. “So should we leave this bad boy here, or what? I don’t think Heaven’s janitors would appreciate us leaving our trash behind.”
She touched the giant’s shoulder. Something seemed different. His body now lay curled in a fetal position. Could the transport have repositioned him somehow? “We’d better not. Maybe we could—”
“Sapphira!” Gabriel pointed at the body. “His feet! They’re attached! And where did he get the sword and scabbard?”
She jumped to the spot where the giant’s legs flattened the grass. His pants had ridden up a few inches exposing his bare ankle. There was no sign of the sword’s severing blow. And a scabbard now hung from a belt strapped to his back, the hilt of a sword protruding from the end.
With a long moan, the giant shifted and stretched out his arms.
Sapphira and Gabriel jumped back. The giant turned his head and faced them. Squinting, he rose to a sitting position. “I have dreamed of my beloved Sapphira many times,” he said with a yawn, “but this is the most vivid of all.”
Sapphira edged closer. She stared at the giant’s bearded face, his bright eyes, and his gentle smile. Shivers ran across her body as she whispered, “Yereq?”
Gabriel pulled a dagger from his belt. “Are you sure it’s Yereq?”
“Of course I’m sure. Put that knife away.” She stooped and ran her fingers through the giant’s thick hair. “Wake up, sleepyhead!”
Yereq climbed to his feet and looked down at them from his staggering height. “I’m getting the impression that this isn’t a dream.”
Gabriel looked up at him, wide-eyed. “I’m starting to hope it is.”
“Oh, don’t be silly, Gabriel.” Sapphira reached up and threw her arms around Yereq’s waist. “You’re alive! I can’t believe you’re really alive!”
“My sweet angel!” He picked her up, wrapped his long arms around her, and spun in a circle. “I’ve dreamed of doing this for centuries!”
Sapphira laughed. The beautiful landscape swirled, a thousand colors stretching out into lovely ribbons of green and blue and yellow and purple. His powerful arms held her fast, arms of love that would never let her go. As he slowed his spin, she closed her eyes and laid her head on his shoulder. “Oh, Yereq! My precious spawn!”
He set her down, keeping her hand in his. Sapphira teetered. The world kept spinning, but she laughed again as her giant kept her from falling. When she finally recovered, she pulled away and set her hands on her hips, cocking her head as she stared up at him. “My, how you’ve grown!”
“You fed me well, my little gardener.” He raised his arm and flexed his bicep. “Worm guts made me big and strong.”
Sapphira giggled and spun around to Gabriel. “Isn’t he amazing?”
“Uh … yeah.” Gabriel’s smile trembled. “That wasn’t the word I was thinking, but … yeah.”
“So,” she said, looking up at Yereq again, “what happened? How did you get here?”
Yereq shrugged his massive shoulders. “I do not even know where ‘here’ is, much less how I arrived.”
Sapphira reached for Gabriel’s hand. “Can you tell him? I’m smiling so much my cheeks hurt.”
“Yeah. … Sure. … If I can figure it all out myself.” Gabriel cleared his throat and took a step closer to the giant, still gawking at him. “I think we’re at a place in Heaven, or at least nearby. We saw it from Earth when Mardon tried to lasso Heaven and bring it down, but we messed up Mardon’s plans and killed one of the Nephilim. When Sapphira and I were trying to see if we could transport him, you know, to kind of clean up our mess, it was like you took over his body, and we all showed up here.” Grinning, he stretched out his wings. “I guess that all sounds too weird to be true, especially coming from a guy who looks like me.”
Yereq let out a belly laugh. “After battling demons at the very shore of the Lake of Fire, your story seems tame by comparison.”
“The Lake of Fire,” Gabriel repeated. “Not exactly the best place for a vacation.”
“The worst of all places.” Yereq stooped, glancing between Sapphira and Gabriel as he continued. “Just before I blacked out, at least twenty demons confronted me, so close to the lake, the sulfur fumes curled my nostril hairs, and the heat in the sand radiated through my boots.”
Sapphira painted the images in her mind as he told his story, a sea of blackness with a dark red sky and skinny naked devils thrusting pitchforks at her beloved giant. “What did you do?”
Yereq waved his arms back and forth. “I swung my sword in every direction. I whacked off a few hands and feet, but they pushed me closer and closer to the lake. The liquid fire lapped against my boots and ignited them.”
Sapphira looked down at Yereq’s feet. Black scorch marks covered the heels of his boots, and a hole in each one exposed his skin.
“So I just leaped into the demons, kicking and punching and hacking, but when one of them stabbed me in the leg, I fell over and hit my head on something.” He rubbed the side of his head, wincing. “I suddenly felt at peace, as if all my battles were over. Soon, I heard the warble of my little songbird, asking me to awake.”
Gabriel touched the sheathed dagger at his belt. “Fighting demons is a dream I’d want to wake up from. That’s for sure.”
“It wasn’t a dream,” Sapphira said, pointing at Yereq’s boots. “We must have pulled him out of that dimension when we transported.”
“And left the dead one behind?”
“I suppose so.” Sapphira slid her hand into Yereq’s. “Back in the mobility room, I saw your body. I listened for your heartbeat. I know you were dead.”
“It is true,” Yereq said, nodding. “When I died, I was transported to the shores of final judgment. I met Walter there, and we battled a few demons together, but after he left, one of the angels who guarded that realm told me I would soon be going back to Earth. He said something about Earth and Hades combining, so, even though I was dead, I could exist there.”
“Well, we’re not on Earth right now,” Sapphira said, “but we have to go back there and meet some people on a mountaintop.”
“Yes, I remember that now.”
“You remember?”
“The angel spoke of things I knew so little about, it was difficult to piece it all together.” He pushed his hand through his hair and scratched his head, speaking slowly, as if trying to remember the exact words. “He said all the former dragons must be gathered to battle, and to regain their fire and mail, they must go to a mountaintop I would soon visit and be transported to another realm. He also told me that I would become the guardian of the tomb, whatever that means.”
Sapphira touched her chin and looked skyward. “Guardian of the tomb … I have no idea.”
“In any case, he said to gather a pocketful of soil from the place of my awakening and keep it until I learn what I must do.” Yereq pushed his fingers into the lush turf and peeled back a patch of deeply rooted grass. Then, digging into the soil, he collected a handful and transferred it to his pocket. “I suppose that will be enough.”
“More than a pocketful for most people.” Gabriel drew closer to Sapphira and the giant. “I guess it’s time to do the fiery transport thing again. Maybe we’ll find out more when we get to the mountain.”
“You bet.” Sapphira raised her hands and, locking her gaze on Yereq, shouted, “Give me light!”
While Irene disappeared in the inner darkness, Enoch backed away from the motel door. Seconds later, the latch clicked, and the chain slid across its bracket. As he turned to leave, the room’s curtain pulled aside slightly, and Bonnie’s face appeared in the narrow opening. She smiled and offered a little wave, making a necklace of colorful beads sway across the front of her frilly nightshirt.
Enoch paused and gazed at her lovely blue eyes and beautiful smile, a countenance that allowed a glimpse into what she had proven to be, an even lovelier inner spirit.
He returned her smile, nodded amiably, and hurried into the parking lot. The portal from Heaven’s Gate had dropped him off far behind the motel. He had chosen to appear deep in the woods to keep from alerting anyone in the vicinity, so now he would have to march with all speed to get back to the portal in time to meet Sapphira. Since Irene and Bonnie knew what to do, the little white-haired Oracle was next in line to receive her set of instructions for the divine plan.
When he reached the corner of the building, he glanced back at Irene’s room. In the parking space directly in front, a man had climbed on top of her rented SUV and appeared to be tying something to the luggage rack.
Enoch hurried back, raising a finger as he ran. “You there! What are you doing?”
The man looked up. His eyes shot open wide. He leaped to the pavement and dashed away in the opposite direction, far too fast for Enoch to chase.
Slowing as he approached the SUV, Enoch looked all around. No sign of the man anywhere. Either he was quicker than a jackrabbit, or he had hidden somewhere close by.
Enoch raised up on tiptoes and examined the luggage rack. Nothing there. He pulled on the passenger door handle. Although the door was locked, the lights inside flashed on, enabling him to scan the seats and floorboards. A Wendy’s cup with a protruding straw sat in a cup holder on the driver’s side, and pillows and blankets lay strewn around the folded-down area in the back. Other than that, the inside looked safe, no sign of tampering.
The motel door’s chain slid again. Enoch hurried to an old car parked a couple of spaces away and ducked behind it, but he allowed himself a peek over its rusted trunk.
Irene bustled out first, leaving the door open. Carrying a travel bag in one hand and the straps of a small black purse in her teeth, she pressed a key fob with her free hand as she quickstepped to the SUV.
Bonnie ran out the door, her eyes darting from side to side. Her blond-streaked locks waved in the cool breeze as she pulled a hefty suitcase along on its wheels. When she let it bump down to the parking level, her backpack entered the streetlamp’s glow.
Enoch nodded. Good girl. Obviously she had followed her mother’s instructions. Still, if she had wings, she likely wouldn’t be out in public without her backpack anyway.
While her mother closed the motel room door, Bonnie opened the SUV’s rear access and heaved the suitcase inside. She then slung open the front passenger door and got in, but she paused and touched her chest, a perplexed look wrinkling her face.
“What’s wrong?” Irene asked.
Enoch shuffled closer to listen.
Bonnie brushed her hand against the front of her sweatshirt. “It’s weird. It feels like spider webs or something, but I can’t see anything.”
Irene brushed her own hand across the embroidered lion on Bonnie’s sweatshirt. “It’s nothing. Close the door. We have a long way to go.”
“Aren’t we going to check out?” Bonnie asked.
“I left the key in the room, and I prepaid.”
With a quick tug, Bonnie closed the door. The engine started, and the SUV backed out, then shot away into the night.
Enoch waited behind the car for a moment. Now that he was out of sight, would the man who tried to tamper with their vehicle return? A few seconds of silence passed, then a man emerged from the shadows of a side corridor. He held both hands in front of him as if grasping a fishing pole, though there was nothing in his grip.
Inching as close as he dared, Enoch squinted at him. The man turned his way for a moment, giving Enoch a glimpse of his spectacles and thinning white hair. Something else appeared in the streetlamp’s glow, a sparkle of light that floated around the man’s head.
Enoch rose slowly to his feet and cleared his throat. “Mardon, why are you here, and how did you acquire a companion?”
Mardon froze in place, still holding to his invisible fishing pole. He just stared at Enoch and said nothing, while his companion flashed red and hovered next to his cheek.
Enoch took a step closer. Could Mardon have a weapon? He seemed too frightened to be dangerous. But what might the companion be telling him to do? How could a prisoner of Hades acquire something that only residents of Second Eden were allowed to have?
“Son of Nimrod,” Enoch said, raising his voice, “I ask again, what are you doing here?”
Releasing his grip with one hand, Mardon reached into his pocket and withdrew a gun. Holding it shakily, he pointed it at Enoch. “Please …” His voice matched his trembling hand. “Please come no closer, or I will have to shoot you.”
Enoch stepped back and raised his hands. “You have no reason to fear an unarmed old man. I merely saw you on top of that SUV and wondered what you were doing.”
The companion flashed red over and over. Mardon scowled at it. “I will not shoot him! He has not been aggressive.”
Enoch eased a foot forward and reached out his hand. “Mardon, come with me. I can arrange to have you released from that companion. It will not enslave you ever again.”
“Stay where you are!” Mardon hissed. The companion flew up to his nose and strobed at a frenetic rate. Its light flashed in his eyes, making him blink wildly.
“Please, Mardon,” Enoch called, taking another step. “Why make things worse than they already are? A tower of pride will not lead you to Heaven. It will only hasten your ultimate destruction.”
Mardon gritted his teeth and shouted at the companion. “I don’t have to listen to you! I am not your slave!”
A light blinked on inside one of the rooms, and a man looked out the window. He quickly snapped the curtain closed.
Enoch took yet another step. “Is your companion telling you not to explain your presence here? If so, perhaps you should tell me to prove you are not enslaved to it.”
Mardon re-aimed the gun. “I am no fool to be baited. I will keep my own counsel.”
Taking two steps back, Enoch lifted his hands again. “Do what you must, Mardon, but let it be known that you have been fully warned.”
The companion flashed brighter than ever. Pointing the gun into the air, Mardon slapped a hand over his ear. “Stop it! You’re splitting my brain in half!”
As a siren wailed in the distance, the companion dimmed. Mardon swiveled toward the sound, his eyes widening. “The rope!” He batted at the air for a moment, then, dropping the gun, dove to the ground. After brushing the pavement for a moment with his hands, he grasped something invisible. Breathing a sigh, he rose to his knees and pulled, as if winding a rope into a loop over his shoulder.
As the siren grew louder, Enoch lunged ahead and scooped up the gun. “What are you holding?”
Mardon scowled again. “Can’t you see? I’m a madman playing with an imaginary rope.” He released the rope with one hand, grabbed the companion out of the air, and stuffed it back into his pocket. “But I suggest that you leave. The authorities are more likely to be sympathetic toward an empty-handed madman like me than toward a Bible-movie reject holding a gun.”
Enoch looked down. With sandals on his otherwise bare feet, he didn’t quite fit in with the modern crowd, especially in cold weather. When he looked up again, a police car’s flashing lights came into view well down the highway. He slid the gun under a car and strode toward the rear of the motel. As he turned the corner, he glanced back. A woman dressed in red appeared in the streetlamp’s glow.
He whispered her name. “Semiramis?”
Just as the police car roared into the parking lot, Semiramis raised her arms and threw something down to the pavement. An explosion of sparks and smoke enveloped her and Mardon, and when the breeze cleared the area, they were gone.
Enoch turned and hustled around the building and into the woods. The presence of Semiramis meant trouble and plenty of it. If she had conjured some kind of magic rope, who could tell how she and Mardon might be using it?
He found his portal, a shining aura, shaped like an oval and standing upright. As he stepped into its radiant embrace, he took a deep breath. Maybe Bonnie wasn’t as safe as he had thought. It was time to journey to Montana and make sure she entered the mines without interference.
Walter shuffled to the precipice and looked over the edge. The face of the cliff below plunged straight down, a sheer drop as far as the eye could see. The cliff on the opposite side, maybe half a mile away, did the same. The two walls seemed to join at the bottom of the deep chasm, an illusion created by a glimpse at apparently infinite lines.
The view seemed to waver, then swing back and forth. He pressed the toes of his shoes against the ground to keep his balance. The chasm was so deep … so amazingly deep. Something drew his attention, movement so far down it was almost imperceptible. He leaned over, reaching. Something drew him closer, something—
A strong hand yanked on his shirt. “Walter!”
He stumbled backward but kept his balance. With a quick spin he found the source of the pull. “Ashley?”
“It looked like you were about to fall in,” she said. “Something must have been messing with your mind.”
A sudden surge of wetness covered his body—cold sweat. He swiped his sleeve across his forehead. “Yeah. It was weird. Thanks.”
Ashley tugged on a rope tied at the top of an upright metal pole anchored at the edge of the chasm. “Seems strong.”
Walter pulled a rope hanging parallel to Ashley’s. The two lines ran across the long gap, making up the top supports of a suspension bridge that spanned the chasm.
He knelt and pressed his hand on the first of hundreds of narrow planks that tied a lower pair of parallel ropes together. It moved downward an inch or so but held fast. Reaching out farther, he pushed down on the second plank. A crack in the center broke open. The heel of his hand punched through, but he jerked back before he lost his balance.
Straightening his body, he looked up at Ashley. “Not a good idea.”
They looked out over the chasm. A strong wind beat against the bridge, whipping the lowest part of the arc into a galloping swing.
“Definitely not a good idea.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “But what do we do about Glewlwyd’s warning? We can’t ignore it.”
Walter rose to his feet and looked up at the pale blue sky. Thigocia soared high above. She seemed to be about a third of the way across the chasm, yet flying toward them and descending rather than attempting to cross as she had said she would. Abigail rode high on Thigocia’s neck, her body straight and her shoulders back. She seemed to be having the time of her life.
He scanned the edges of the precipice in each direction. To the left, the elevation rose to three times his height. Pointed towers of stone blocked his view of what lay beyond. To the right, the ground ascended even higher with massive boulders strewn around in haphazard fashion.
As Thigocia’s winged shadow passed over their bodies, Walter spied something at the edge of a boulder, something red. He hissed at Ashley. “Someone’s here.”
Ashley pivoted toward his line of sight. “Are you sure?” she whispered. “I didn’t sense any thoughts but yours.”
He took several steps to his right, hoping to improve his angle. The red figure appeared again but quickly jerked out of sight.
“Who’s there?” Walter shouted.
A trembling feminine voice called out. “It is I, Semiramis.”
“Why are you stalking us?”
A pretty young woman, maybe twenty years old, peeked out from the side of the boulder. She pulled back a red hood, allowing silky brown tresses to fall over her shoulders. “I am not stalking. I want to speak to you, but I fear the approaching dragon.”
Walter looked up. Thigocia seemed to be making a final sweep across the chasm as she closed in. “The dragon won’t hurt you,” he said. “She’s a friend of ours.”
Lowering her head as if dodging raindrops, Semiramis scooted toward them. Her cloak’s red cape swept the air behind her, revealing a matching velvet dress that draped her legs almost to her bare feet. When she came within a few paces, she stopped and laid a palm on her chest. With sleeves covering most of her narrow hand, she patted herself as though she were calming her heart. “I was so frightened. I have heard of dragons, but I have never seen one in these lands.”
Walter squinted at her. “Do you live here?”
A smile spread across her lovely face, allowing shallow dimples to form in her cheeks. “Oh, yes. This is my home. I am the guardian of Zeno’s Chasm.”
Ashley set a hand on her hip. Walter didn’t have to read her mind to interpret her skeptical posture. Since she couldn’t pierce this lady’s thoughts, she probably concluded that Semiramis meant trouble.
“Guard the chasm?” Walter asked. “Are you afraid someone will steal it?”
Semiramis’s lips curled upward. “I perceive a jest, my lord, for no one could ever steal such a chasm. I am here to ensure that no one tries to navigate the bridge. It is far too dangerous.”
“I can believe that.” Ashley moved her arms back over her chest. “Why don’t you just cut the ropes and be done with it?”
“I have tried to destroy the bridge in many ways, but no blade is sharp enough to slice those ropes, no hands are strong enough to uproot the support poles, and no pick is hard enough to break the bedrock that holds them in place. All I can do is warn travelers not to cross. Many have ignored my call and have fallen into the chasm.”
“What’s at the bottom?” Walter asked.
Her head tipped downward, and her voice lowered to a whisper. “Lucifer’s Lair.”
Ashley scrunched her eyebrows. “Lucifer? As in the devil?”
“No, my lady. We in the Bridgelands have named the land below Lucifer’s Lair, because it is governed by a cruel king who wantonly murders all who oppose him. If you were to fall into the chasm, you would transport into his kingdom. His loyal subjects would enslave you, and any covert rebels would never trust you. There would be no place for you to hide.”
A rush of wind beat down from above, throwing Semiramis off balance. Walter caught her by the hand and pulled her upright. “It’s just the dragon’s wings,” he said. “Nothing to worry about.”
Seconds later, Thigocia landed in a galloping slide on a nearby patch of grass, her ears twitching as she came to a stop.
“Thank you, my lord.” Semiramis eased away from Walter’s grasp. “I am not worthy to be rescued by you. It is I who must serve you.”
Walter’s fingers tingled. Her touch had sent a mild electrostatic charge of some kind into his body.
Abigail dismounted. As she and Thigocia approached, Walter reached for Semiramis again. “Don’t be scared. Her name is Thigocia.”
She dodged his touch and bowed. “Greetings, great dragon. I am Semiramis, guardian of this chasm. I trust that you have come with good news about an alternative crossing.”
“I tried to fly to the other side,” Thigocia said, “but after I reached the halfway point, I seemed unable to get any closer. I detected no headwinds, so the mystery remains. I decided to search for another route, but the chasm remained deep as far as I could see.”
Semiramis touched her chin with her finger. “How strange!” she said, her lips pursing into a comely pucker. “I know of an easy passage, and I hoped to lead you there.”
Ashley rolled her eyes but said nothing. Again, Walter knew that look. She didn’t trust Semiramis, not in the least.
“My human friends have been charged by Glewlwyd to use the bridge,” Thigocia said. “I assume that I must find another way.”
Semiramis nodded slowly. “Glewlwyd is wise, to be sure, but have you asked yourself why he stays on this side of the chasm? He fears the bridge, and he distrusts me. Such lack of faith will keep him here forever.”
“Elam crossed,” Ashley said with a huff. “We saw him through a portal. He was at Heaven’s Altar.”
“Ah! The son of Shem! I remember him well, for he is the only one ever to cross successfully. I heard later from Glewlwyd that he had eaten from the tree of life, thus protecting him from death. If you have also eaten the fruit, then by all means use the bridge.” She covered a gentle laugh with her fingers. “I should have known that those in the company of a dragon would be unusually gifted. Forgive me for not recognizing you as ageless ones.”
Ashley clutched her stomach and pulled Walter’s sleeve. As he drew close she whispered, “I sense something.”
He replied in a low tone. “Are you sick?”
“No. Just an excuse to talk to you privately.”
“Do you sense something dangerous?” Walter kept an eye on Semiramis. With her head tilted to one side, she seemed perplexed but not annoyed.
“Other minds … getting closer. One thinks clearly. The others are dense and stupid.”
“Any idea who they are?”
“I see images. The intelligent one is thinking about Mardon.”
“The Nephilim?”
She nodded. “We’d better cross right away. I don’t want them around while we’re on the bridge.”
“Good thinking.” He looked again at Semiramis. “Shouldn’t we warn her about the Nephilim?”
“No. Just trust me.”
As Walter stepped back, he nodded at Semiramis. “We have to get going. I think something in the air is bothering Ashley.” He added in his mind, Thoughts of stupid giants are in the air.
Abigail untwisted a cap on a water bottle and handed it to Ashley. “Are you sure you’re well enough to cross?”
Ashley took a sip and extended the bottle. As Abigail grasped it, Ashley drew it back, forcing Abigail to step closer. “Play along,” she said, barely moving her lips.
Abigail took the bottle and hustled back to Thigocia, obviously whispering something to her as she put the bottle in the backpack tied to one of her spines.
Ashley pulled Walter. She staggered slightly as she approached the bridge. “Gotta go,” Walter said. “Nice chatting with you.”
“Travelers!” Semiramis called, raising a hand. “Please hear me. The bridge is fraught with danger. Even youthful, vigorous Elam crossed with extraordinary effort. In this young lady’s condition, you will never make it. Please, just stay with me a little while until she has recovered.”
“Thanks all the same.” Walter steadied Ashley at the edge of the chasm, then let go and stepped onto the first plank. Grasping the side ropes, he shifted his weight forward. He kept his focus on the opposite side, trying not to think of the miles of empty space below, and stretched his leg over the broken plank. He shouted to compete with the cross breeze. “If it’ll hold me, it’ll hold you two, so just watch where I step.”
“And the dragon?” Semiramis asked, raising her voice as well. “How will she cross?”
Walter glanced back, twisting while holding tightly. He had no clue how to answer.
Thigocia stretched out her wings. “I will fly in an orbit over their heads. At the very least, I can protect them along the way. If they can make it, perhaps I can.”
“Very well.” Semiramis bowed her head. “Good journey to you. I will climb one of the higher ridges to watch and pray for your progress.” With a wide twirl of her cape, she turned and strode away. Within seconds she disappeared behind the boulder.
Standing on the first plank, Ashley touched Walter’s back. “Better hurry. They’re getting closer, and the smart one wants to kill.”