Coil of Worlds

Consternation swept through him, why did he react to the woman this way? Before his capture, Skye would have never touched a woman outside of the Pleasure House with such familiarity. It was a wonder Lara hadn’t lost more of her composure than she did.

Skye leaned over the side and shouted down to the pakas, “We’ll work until I lose the light.”

Eiren brushed her mind along his, worried he’d overextend himself. He dryly reminded her, Eiren, if the woman can work, then I can as well.

Her words tripped over themselves, My Lord, my apologies. Of course you are fine. My anxiety is not so much the work but your upcoming use of Tal’Ai magic. I don’t trust the magic in this place. I know magic can never be good or evil, but rather it is the person wielding it. However, I must make an exception for this place. It hounds us, nipping at our heels, coming closer the farther we travel inward. You were warned against using your magic, but soon you’ll not have a choice. We have yet to reach the tomb, which is our half-way point. Which mean we still have a number of days inside the House of the Dead.

Her anxiety grew as she explained, and he was hard put to calm her. The same feeling clawed at him. Remember that the magic here feeds on our emotions. Strive to maintain an optimistic outlook. Keep our goal resolute in your mind. We’re almost to the tomb. If I must, then Lara can lead me through the House so that I don’t resort to the Tal’Ai magic.

You’re right. My apologies for fretting. My memories of you being unconscious are too close, which has made it almost impossible to lower my own anxiety. I find myself checking on you throughout the day, making certain you are alive and well.

Her embarrassment at her perceived weakness was surprising. It was another reminder that he wasn’t alone.

Racing against the light, his body sought out a quick rhythm of bending over, picking up rocks, and heaving them to the side. Though his words came in pants, he soothed her, Eiren, you are not weak. You’re stronger than anyone I know. If you doubt my words, look into my mind for the truth. If I begin to struggle, you’ll be the first one to know. You are my bondmate and my family. Besides, you have never shown doubt in our quest, don’t start now.

She didn’t response, but he felt her acquiescence. Her worry bled away, leaving behind hope and determination. How much longer will it take?

The hole was now big enough for Eiren to squeeze through, but no one else.

Lara screamed, “Look out.”

Without hesitating, he jumped toward the wall, wrapping his arms around Lara, sweeping her along with his larger body mass. The two pakas screamed their bondmate’s name, though their voices were soon drowned out by the rockslide. His quick thinking saved both their lives. Lara curled under him while they both waited out the rocks. When dust suffused the air, suffocating them, Skye grasped onto the woman’s shirt and raised it to cover her mouth before raising his own. Despite the barrier, they hacked and coughed, barely able to draw breath.

The back of Skye’s back, legs, and ankles were pummeled by the rocks and pebbles, but he ignored the pain in lieu of protecting Lara. He brought the woman closer to him, covering her with his bulkier frame. When the rockslide finally came to a stop, Eiren’s voice filled the void, screaming his name. He raised his head to look around.

No wonder Eiren was worried. They were both in a deep depression, hidden from view. Skye straightened, sending pebbles clattering to his feet. Certain the rocks wouldn’t shift beneath him, he pulled Lara up but kept her plastered to him.

Skye yelled hoarsely, startling Lara in his arms, “We’re all right.”

The clamor of rocks and pebbles came closer, then Chion’s white face peered down at them, his eyes filled with worry. The paka’s relief was instantaneous when Lara raised her head and smiled at the paka, though her eyes were dilated from shock.

Skye warned Lara, “Do not move.”

He held her until he was certain she’d follow his order. He took a careful breath to steady his own nerves. The rockslide had been too close for comfort. Feeling Eiren’s anxiety, Skye realized she hadn’t left the ground below, and he sent the paka his request.

Open my pack and bring us the rope. I can climb out, but Lara doesn’t have the upper body strength. We’ll have to pull her out.

I have it now. I’m on my way.

He slowly turned Lara in his arms, careful to keep their weight distributed across several boulders. His throat dry, his words came out rougher than he intended. “Lara, I’m going to pull myself out, then use the rope to pull you up.” She was covered with gray dust, which made her eyes appear darker than normal. Lara patted his arms with both her hands. The action knocked loose more dust, sending them both into a coughing fit. She grimaced her apology.

He examined the rocks around and above him, then lifted his arms to test the wall’s stability. With a grunt, he climbed the rock face, the House’s sobs and wails keeping him company. Every once in a while, rocks fell from where he was, and Lara yelped below him. When he reached the top, Skye rolled onto his back and spent time simply breathing in and out. Eiren nuzzled him, and he raised his filthy hands to scratch her.

He whispered, “I’m all right, just tired.”

She tried to insert some humor into the situation. Do you think we’ll ever have a day where nothing dangerous happens to us?

His chuckle was husky. “As if you’d have it any other way.” He groaned as he sat up, feeling for the first time the pain from his back down to his legs.

The rope, My Lord, as you requested. The bundle of rope was dropped into his lap.

Competing with the sorrowful wails, Chion yelled down to Lara, informing her of each step they took. Skye found a place with a solid enough foothold and wrapped the rope around him before swinging one end down to Lara. The rope burned his hands, but he didn’t stop pulling until Lara lay sprawled on the top of the mound, hugging Chion’s head to her.

For the first time since the rockslide, Skye took in the damage it had caused. His brows shot up in surprise. He tapped Eiren’s leg with his foot before making his way over to the hole. Despite the shadows the torch threw from its shrinking flame, Skye could see through to the other side of the corridor.

The rockslide had done a large portion of their work for them. They’d have spent days clearing a path through the debris, the cave-in far deeper than initially believed.

We are through. The Goddess be praised. Eiren scampered back to Lara and Chion to get their attention.

Skye knelt down and leaned in as far as he dared, while keeping a one-handed grip on the archway’s highest point. He was scoping out their route when the others joined him. The air felt cleaner and cooler than anything they’d experienced in the last five days. Skye drew in deep breaths and smelled water. Odd. He didn’t remember a river or lake on any of the maps.

Lara croaked, “The landslide opened up the passageway.”

Skye climbed back out and stood up. Chion studied them both. You need to clean yourselves as much as possible before we go anywhere. You also need to eat.

Skye shared a grin with Lara, their teeth white against the grayish brown dust.

Her arms out to better show the extent of the filth, Lara teased, “Chion, you’re far too polite for your own good. State it like it is. We’re filthy.” She blew her hair out of her face. “You know, I was thirsty before; but now, I could drink a river or an entire lake. I think my skin is going to shrivel up if I don’t get water into me.”

The paka hummed in response, though he couldn’t hide his relief. Eiren clung to Skye’s side as they descended to the ground. He realized the pakas were far more surefooted than either Lara or him. Several times Lara latched onto Chion’s back when her foot slipped.

As if planned, his world was plunged into darkness as soon as his feet touched the floor of the corridor. No one commented on the lack of light, but it did dampen their exhilaration.

Closing his eyes and holding his breath, Skye ran his fingers through his hair and shook his clothes out to rid himself of the excess dust. He wasn’t looking forward to wearing the dust for the next week or so, but it couldn’t be helped.

Without a word, Eiren led him to his pack, and he dug around for the leather-wrapped strips of jerkin. Skye heard the soft crinkle of parchment. Sitting back on his heels, he asked, “Now that we can enter the corridor, how far is the tomb?”

A whisper of cloth and a rustle of paper against paper reached him. “That’s what I’m trying to determine now. It actually doesn’t look like it’s far,” Lara said. “Chion, what do you think?”

There was a moment of silence. My Lady is correct. We are not far from our destination. It’s a relatively short distance, only requiring us to change direction twice more.

Skye, how will you climb over the debris? Eiren asked, her golden eyes turning to look at him in concern. Not that I doubt Lara’s willingness, but it is too treacherous to depend on Lara to lead you.

Shrugging one shoulder, he shook his head. Eiren already knew his answer. “I don’t have a choice. I must use my other vision.”

She lowered her head and then raised it to look straight at him. You will be careful? The moment you feel the magic change, you tell me.

Little one, we’ll assist your Ai as best we can, Chion promised Skye’s bondmate.

Eiren agreed, though her next words were laced with tension. I worry. I feel the encroaching darkness, though I cannot see it.

After Skye relayed her comment, Lara seconded Chion’s promise, “You’re not alone in what you are feeling. I think we all feel we’re running out of time, both here in this huge mausoleum and the Malirran invasion.”

Yes, Chion said, I feel it as well. Let’s find this tomb, so we have our answers at last.

Using his other sight, Skye followed the others through the opening and across the boulders and rocks, bending over and crawling on all fours in a few tight spots. His pack scraped the top of the corridor, making the hairs on his neck tingle. Claustrophobia hovered under a thin veil of restraint. Skye kept his sight on Eiren’s tail, though he was aware of each move the others made, which path they took, and each boulder and rock that shifted beneath them. The crunch of pebbles and the clatter of rocks filled the corridor.

It was slow going, but they made it safely to the other side. They all took a moment to stretch. Skye blinked a few times, certain the dim light was a figment of his imagination.

When it didn’t disappear, he asked Eiren, I’m not the only one that notices the light up ahead, am I?

No, I see it as well. Eiren’s tail whipped from side to side, her body quivering with curiosity.

Not realizing they were conversing, Lara interrupted, “Do any of you smell water? Maybe there is a river nearby.”

Chion and Eiren raised their heads and tested the air. Yes, Chion said, I do scent water. Strange. I don’t hear the trickle of water.

Skye was less concerned with the possibility of water as he was the light. Impatient, he took point, striding down the hallway. Right before he turned the corner, he lifted a hand in warning and drew his sword. Someone stood with his back against the wall on the other side of the corner waiting to attack.

Chion drew up beside him, sniffing the air, trying to sense what Skye did. Motioning the others to stay put, Skye jumped around the corner with a yell. Right before his sword met the other’s neck, he stepped back, wrenching his arm away. In the muted glow—the long corridor masking the light, his eyes landed on the silhouette his magic sensed.

He chuckled and relaxed his arms. God’s teeth, he felt like a fool.

It was a full-size statuette. In the shadowed illumination from the source ahead, he dropped his magic in favor of scrutinizing the sculpture with his natural sight. The stone statue was remarkable for its detail, showing a man slightly shorter than him holding a sword with both hands as if in mid-strike. The snarl on the man’s face was one he had seen as a trainee.

“It looks so real,” Lara uttered in an admiring tone.

Skye jerked his chin in the statue’s direction. “Yes, so lifelike I almost beheaded him.”

Lara doubled over and whooped with laughter. The others snickered, and he chuckled again. Skye sheathed his sword and turned down the hallway. Along the opposite wall, a paka almost the same size as Chion was frozen in mid leap. Its back feet were attached to the ground, and its muscles were bunched. The paka’s mouth was open as if a roar was about to escape, displaying large, sharp incisors.

Eiren drifted around him for a closer look. Whoever carved these statues was truly gifted. I have never seen anything this meticulous, she whispered in wonder.

The next statue depicted a woman at attention as if at roll call. Her intense stare gave him the impression she’d move at the least provocation. One end of a longbow poked through the woman’s braid; the strap looped in the front from her shoulder to her hip. In between the next set of statues, a massive celebratory scene was carved into a small alcove. Platters of food and wine goblets covered the long table, and a free-hanging stone chandelier dangled from the ceiling.

Skye reached out in awe, anticipating the feel of fine animal fur along a woman’s stole. Cold stone met his fingertips, and his hand drew back as if stung. Skye realized the entire corridor was filled with sculptures and carved scenes along the walls before they disappeared down a sharp slope.

Chion observed, I have not heard the House moan or wail since entering this new passageway. I wonder if the cave-in blocked the magic from transforming this section.

They all paused to listen, then Skye said, looking at Eiren in confusion, “It is the oldest section of the tunnel. How is this possible? The magic should be strongest here. It houses the longest buried dead.”

When no one argued with his logic, he rolled his shoulders back, standing straighter. “Let’s move on,” he suggested, beckoning Eiren to go first.

The farther they walked, the lighter it became. Descending the ramp, Eiren’s gasp had him scrambling to see behind her. Tiny flickers of whitish-blue light studded the walls and ceiling of the medium-sized cavern. At first he thought the light also filled the lake, but the flat surface created a mirror effect. Lining the wall, half submerged effigies kept vigil. Above them, large stone beams graced the ceiling, each carved with intricate swirls and plants. Glimmers of light bounced off large, vibrant tiles, painting the upper walls in a swath of color.

In the center of the cavern, a large candelabra hung suspended from above. Candles the length of his forearm perched in ornamental cups. Although he knew it was all made from stone, they were so realistic, Skye expected flames to emit from the candlewicks.

“Oh my God, they’re bugs,” Lara exclaimed.

Her voice spooked the insects, causing the large room to teem with a low hum. All at once, hundreds of thousands of insects took flight, swarming the air in a dizzying display of light. The buzz of delicate wings swelled, echoing off the walls. Combined with the stately room, it was a dazzling array, and Skye breathed a quiet prayer of appreciation to the Goddess. After several minutes, the room quieted, the walls enveloped once more in luminance.

He whispered in the woman’s ear, “Whisper from now on. Let’s not startle the insects more than necessary.”

When she turned toward him, Lara’s eyes reflected the light, giving her an ethereal look. An awe-filled gasp escaped past the hand clasped over her mouth.

Eiren’s sweet voice said, This place should have been treasured, not forgotten. She twisted her head to look back at him, her amazement written across her face. This cavern is surely more majestic than any king’s throne room. The luminescence emitted by the insects affords this chamber a gift, a blessing from the Goddess herself.

He didn’t doubt Eiren’s statement, but what had caused the flooding?

Chion, ever the practical one, asked, How are we to cross the cavern? My Lady, you can tell me if I am wrong, but I believe the tomb we seek is against the far wall.

Skye regarded the far wall, his gaze latching onto the stone sarcophagus. Big enough to hold four people, it sat on a raised portion of dry land. Engravings on the wall bracketed the large tomb. He eyed the water. “The priest warned us not to touch or drink the water, but I don’t feel the magic’s presence here.”

Lara’s adamant denial overrode Eiren’s softer comment, “Oh, no. Oh, hell no. I am not touching that water.”

Chion’s exasperation was palpable, My Lady, I agree with Skye. Nothing will happen to us if we swim across. The water is safe.

Lara insistently waved them forward to the bank and pointed down. She explained in a fierce whisper, “See, I’m not worried about the magic. The water has flooded the other burials. We’ll be swimming or walking across the sarcophagi.”

Skye stared into the water. The light from above provided them with mere glimpses of the stone tombs below the water’s surface. To his right, submerged steps led to the floor below. As his eyes traveled the length of the cavern, Eiren’s words haunted him. These people’s descendants had forgotten their dead generations ago, leaving them to float inside their tombs.

Unfortunately, he didn’t see any other way across. “Lara, the dead can’t hurt you. It’s not as if they are floating in the water. The dead are safely ensconced in their tombs. The stone is far too heavy for the water to move.”

The blatant distaste stamped on her face mirrored his own. The dead should be shown respect; instead, they’d be disturbed when they swam over the tombs to reach their destination. It couldn’t be helped. Lara mumbled under her breath, but he ignored her. Skye took off Eiren’s and his pack, stacking them against the wall. While he unbuckled his sword and took off his shirt and boots, Eiren tested the water with her front foot.

It is surprisingly warm.

He knelt down next to her, throwing an arm across the paka’s shoulders. “At least we won’t freeze.”

“Hmph,” Lara grumbled, though she set her pack with the others.

“Think of it this way,” he coaxed in a volume no louder than a whisper. “The water will wash away the dirt and grime from the rockslide.”

Thankfully, the woman didn’t hear Eiren’s inelegant snort. He shot the paka a grin before he slid into the warm water with a splash, sending the insects into flight once more.

On the other side of the cavern, Skye’s toes hit the ground, and he crawled up the small embankment. Water sloughed off him, his pants clinging to him. He turned in time for Eiren to spray him with water. Skye helped Lara the last few feet, then couldn’t shift his gaze from her.

The woman’s tunic clung to every curve she had, highlighting her feminine figure. Vague images of Lara naked during the first ritual darted through his mind’s eye, and he cleared his throat, wrenching his gaze from her.

You notice Lara. You enjoy her company, whereas in the past you deemed her merely an annoyance, Eiren commented, her eyes solemn. He sighed. Nothing ever slipped past his bondmate.

She is the only woman I’ve seen in weeks, he argued. I’ve not enjoyed the company of a woman in more days than I care to count. He wrung the water from his hair and threw it back over his shoulder.

No, My Lord, do not discount Lara’s allure. You have stated in the past that you’ve never spoken to a woman, a lady. You complement each other well, in spite of the cultural differences you each have. Her physical singularities, I imagine, entice you. When he didn’t respond, she gasped with sudden comprehension, And you have no idea what to do with a woman you respect and are beginning to have feelings for.

Her surprise streamed through their bond. Skye grunted, refusing to rise to the gauntlet she laid down. Yes, he found the woman beautiful in her own way. But it was more than that. Having visited her world, he held a deep respect for Lara. Skye admired her fortitude, her strength, her ability to laugh at herself. He watched for the way her face lit up when she learned something new. He mentally shook himself, pushing away his untoward thoughts with determination. They had more important matters than his growing fascination with the woman.