Chapter 24

Ana reached down to grab Chance by the arms when a sound made her stop. She looked up and saw someone moving toward them.

Since she could only see the light patterns around her, she didn’t immediately recognize him. But it was clear it was Mac when he said, “Have you seen the amazing pictographs? They’re truly beautiful, but they didn’t happen to include a map of the place. I’m not sure where the nearest restaurant is. Could you help me?”

Thin strands of light traced Mac’s body in a meshwork. A vibrant blue and green glow emitted from his core that could be seen when he was only a few feet away from them.

“What now!” Ryan roared. “Who are you?!”

“Your promise—” Ana whispered and pointed to Chance, each breath she took burning her throat.

“Oh, look, my friend appears to need a little time out,” Mac said. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’ll introduce myself again after I put him in a cooler place. Don’t let his complexion fool you—he’s quite a delicate flower.” He heaved Chance’s limp body over his shoulder. He turned around and waded across the water-filled cavern to the entrance and disappeared for a moment.

Relief filled Ana’s singed heart. She didn’t care what happened next as long as Chance was safe from harm. The rest didn’t matter.

Mac did as he promised and walked back into the grotto as if he were enjoying a day at the park. Even with her newly modified vision, she could make out enough of Ryan’s expression to gain some small amount of amusement from it.

Once Mac reached Ryan’s side, he held his hand out to him. “I cannot say it is a pleasure to meet you again, but my friends call me Mac. Hmm, maybe I should have made up a more intimidating name, but I guess I lost my opportunity. Oh, well.”

Ryan didn’t lift his hand, but squinted at Mac in suspicion. Through his illuminated mapping, Ana could see the gleam of sweat beading on his temple and chest from the elevated temperature in the enclosed space, but he didn’t seem to notice. He only said, “I’m Ryan.”

Mac’s lips parted to reveal his teeth and he chuckled. “I think we both know your name is not Ryan. That is the name of your host. Although host sounds so hospitable—I doubt he feels that way.”

A scowl distorted into anger, then Ryan hissed, “Who are you?”

In only his style, Mac shot Ryan a smirk and wagged his finger in his direction. “I have someone I want to introduce you to—you need to look beyond the fact she walks with the spirits, but she’s much feistier than her sister—doesn’t like megalomaniacs—so you’ll have to work on that, but I see her straightening you out.”

His eyes, narrowed into slits, Ryan stalked forward two steps. “Get out of here, you insane old man.”

Mac tilted his head to the side. “I probably am at this point, but the years don’t seem to have improved you either. You see, I’ve traveled the world for millennia with the purpose of maintaining balance and”—he shrugged—“catching some sporting games in between. I’m here to guard the earth from our kind—fools who think that with more power they will be happier, stronger, have fabulous hair, or whatever their reason. But I know the truth. Power leads to cruelty and corruption—you’re proof of that. It cannot be allowed to happen ever again.”

Fists balled, ready to throw, Ryan said, “You can’t stop me. I’m immortal—I can’t be killed.”

Mac pointed to Ana. “She can though. Look at her—”

Ana had been trying to watch despite the fact that her hair was singeing off, her skin was blistering and it was agony to breathe. Every time she inhaled, she moaned. If it hurt this bad to exist, she didn’t want to know what she looked like. The end was welcome now that Chance was safe.

Ryan glanced at her, but couldn’t look away. He appeared caught, his eyes wide.

Mac continued to speak, “See the light pouring from her like a million candles lit all at once. Let your mind go free. Think of the one thing that can save her from this agony—the phoenix talisman. Show us where it is, Ryan.”

Ryan’s hands lifted to his head, but his eyes remained on her. A frightening expression warped his face as his mouth opened into a silent scream.

For the first time since they’d left Lifen’s house, Ana sensed her friend stirring. She also noticed that below the surface of the strands of light that overlaid each other in a net around his body, a blue glow emerged from within the green luminescence.

Agonized that Ryan was caught in the middle, she said with a scratchy voice, “I’m so sorry . . .”

His eyes met hers. Caught in an internal battle, Ryan appeared to be struggling with himself. His hand rose up to point at Ana’s feet.

“There,” he choked out, “under you.”

Ana looked down at the fire licking at her flesh. The pages of the book and papers scattered at her feet were in flames. She stepped aside and squatted down, ignoring the pain of burning flesh touching burning flesh.

Her fingers tried to lift the charred pages aside, but they incinerated at her touch. She worked her way through a layer of books and carved wooden sculptures, their acrid smoke biting at her nose. Then she saw it. A metallic engraved lid shone through the blackened debris.

Before she could touch it, Ryan roared so loud it made her jump. “I will not fail now that I’m so close!”

Through the stitching of his energy pattern Ana detected a jade glow emanating from Ryan’s body. Any trace of inner conflict disappeared. He hunkered down and launched himself at her. His shoulder connected with her upper body, sending her backward off the altar of treasure and into the water. As soon as her body hit, bubbles and steam rose. At first it was soothing against her skin, but nothing could slow the heat and energy pouring out of her.

Like sledding down a snow slope, she’d carved a path in the valuables, pushing them below the pool’s surface. Perched on top of the treasure was Ryan, arms flexed and muscles tight. He was not going to let her near the golden box.

A dark form towered over him. Long hairy arms wrapped around his shoulders and dragged him off the mound. The Sasquatch gripped Ryan tight but only for a moment, until he morphed and dropped onto all fours. Larger than either of them, a huge bull with enormous horns snorted and pawed at the loose coins in front of him. He turned his body to the side and swung his dangerous spiked weapons at Mac, who jumped back. Then, the angry beast stampeded onto the pile of treasure. With fire reflected in his eyes, he bellowed a thundering threat.

Ana watched the scene, unsure what to do. She didn’t know if she’d survive shifting even if she tried. It could push her past the breaking point and she was already millimeters from the end of the thread that connected her to this world. But she had to get to the golden box somehow. She had to try. Even if it meant dying. Especially if it did.

The bull continued to make threatening noises and tilted its head back and forth to keep an eye on both her and Mac. It was helpful seeing the energy patterns around her since the amount of steam that rose from the water obscured her vision further. She stooped low, breathing slow and steady, and waited for her chance.

Tucking down behind her view of the bull, the hulking Sasquatch disappeared. Seconds later, a yellow lion leapt on top of the massive creature. Its claws dug into the bovine’s flesh as it settled near its neck. The fur which draped the impressive cat’s arms shrank away. Before Ana could blink, the feline had transformed back into Mac, who wrapped his arms around the bull’s neck, locked his hands together and squeezed.

Daemon, who’d been unable to move quickly in his hulking form, began to teeter and stumble. He shifted sideways off the mound and Ana acted. She ran to the place he’d just stood, scanning for the rectangle of gold. Moving a carving of a bird out of the way, she found it. With her fingers, she scooped away the coins and jewelry that surrounded the box.

Just as she fumbled to lift the lid a thundering roar echoed through the sweltering cavern. She looked up and saw Mac standing behind an enormous gorilla. Sharp white teeth flashed in the primate’s mouth, its eyes set on her.

Without blinking, she lifted the lid to the box, blindly reached inside and put her fingers around what was within. As soon as her skin touched the smooth object, something slammed into her.

Every inch of her body, inside and out, was in pain and burning hot. Daemon smacked her hands. He grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her as far as he could. It didn’t cause her any more discomfort than what she was already in.

She hit a rock formation and she slid down into the water, realizing she no longer held what she’d withdrawn from the box. A moment of panic set in. She didn’t know what it looked like, plus she wasn’t sure she’d be able to see it.

Ana took a slow breath. The impossibly hot air hurt going in and killed as she exhaled it. She wasn’t sure how much longer any of them could survive exposure to her power.

At the foot of the treasure mound, the gorilla grappled with Mac’s Sasquatch. Both were grumbling and grunting from the excruciating heat. The hair on their bodies began to burn.

Ana stumbled back toward the pile of relics and valuables, the light pouring from her body, nearly blinding her. Her eyes traced over the open box, searching for the smooth stone she’d felt in her hand.

The two men’s grumbling turned to screams. She was horrified to find them writhing in the shafts of energy that now radiated from her cracking flesh. Tears couldn’t come, but she sobbed anyway.

As the scene deteriorated before her, she thought of Chance. Felt him with her. And knew what he’d tell her to do. Move! Find the talisman! With his voice screaming in her ears, she focused on that singular task.

Her hands combed over the treasure, feeling for the smooth object she’d held minutes earlier. Only seeing energy fields that formed shapes, she sought out the organic shape that fit perfectly in her palm and found it.

Brittle, charred fingers fumbled to hold it safe. Cupping it carefully, she studied the pendant. The precise gold wings encircling its radiant, spherical center began to soften and melt in her hands. The central glassy stone gleamed like a bulb before dissolving at her touch.

Fear struck her heart. Maybe the talisman was only a treasure to those who valued wealth and not the kind of knowledge she required. It didn’t matter any longer. She hoped the pain would stop soon.

At her feet, the curled up bodies of the gorilla and Sasquatch had stopped moving. The smell of burnt hair and flesh filled the air and she could barely breathe. One after the other, a burst of blue light shot out from the animals. The shockwave surged through her, almost knocking her over.

From the lifeless bodies, fingerlings of green energy curled up and expanded into the ghostly forms of two men, one much older than the other. The younger of the two appeared to be a teenager. His features were dark and his gaze couldn’t be swayed from her. He reached his translucent hand toward her. When the tips of his fingers touched the power emanating from her like radiation off a fire, they sparked. He moved closer, lighting up his palms, then arms. The corners of his mouth lifted into a sneer.

Behind him, the other older man, who had hair to his shoulders and a familiar glint in his eyes, wrapped his arms around the teen and began pulling him away. Desperate to reach Ana, the boy clawed at the air but grasped at nothing. Eyes wide, he was dragged slowly across the cavern.

The older man’s lips moved and she thought she made out a voice saying, “It’s time for us to leave, it’s never good to keep a lady waiting. Try being a nicer version of yourself—it might help for a change. Say goodbye to this world. You’re done here.”

Mac turned his attention to Ana and smiled just as he began to dissipate. Both ghostly figures dissolved into the walls of the sandstone chamber, their lights going completely out.

Ana was alone. A single flame.

Anything that hadn’t already ignited went up in flames. The mass of golden treasure turned into mush which sizzled in the bubbling waters. Steam and smoke filled the air. Ana’s blinding glow illuminated everything in the chamber. Orange-tinged light glimmered from her pores, growing brighter every second that passed.

In her hands, the liquid coating of gold and glass shone like a precious second skin. A fan of black wilted strands sprawled across her palm. In an instant, the threads ignited and etched a pattern of light on her skin before turning to ash.

Unable to contain the energy flowing out of her, Ana threw her head back and gave her life over to the fire consuming her soul.

For always, my love.