Desert of the Damned (28 page)

“Good. Your desire will give you more power.”

The chanting got louder and Jake shook his head. The room spun.

“It’s almost time,” the elder announced. “Jake, follow your totem animal into the vortex, into the sand painting. If you see a dark swirling cloud, step into it. That should take you to the Otherworld. Find Amy.”

Jake turned slowly toward the sand painting. It was spinning like a two-foot whirlpool. He looked back to the elder. “And how do we get back?”

The elder smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know. Haven’t done this ritual before.”

“Great.” Jake rubbed his face.
If I find her, we may not have a way back. But what choice
do I have?

“I’ll do what I can on my end,” Bill tried to reassure him.

A shadow across the room caught Jake’s attention. When he raised his head, the stick figures of the cave drawing expanded away from the stone and moved to the next stone on the wall.

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Jake held his breath. He could hear the shamans chuckling. Did they see them too?

The black stick-figured animals followed each other around the walls like a moving picture. When they reached the opening of the cavern room they paused.

Jake laughed. “Run out of wall?”

The chants of the shamans grew louder. Then the three animals swelled, became three-dimensional and jumped out of the stone wall.

Jake sucked in the smoking air and choked, then turned to Bill “Can you see—”

Bill silenced him again with a hand on his arm. “It’s time to go. Stand.”

Panic rose inside with his racing heartbeat. He stood on shaky legs. All along he’d hoped he would find a way to rescue Amy but he’d never thought this ceremony would work. Now he feared it would work but still he would fail her. Unable to decide what he should do, he glanced to each shaman for guidance. They stared back with blank expressions.

What was he thinking? He wasn’t a shaman. He didn’t know their ways, their signs.

How was he supposed to use their magic to save Amy and himself? He would die today and he would fail her, fail his grandfather.

Glancing at Bill, Jake raised his arms, begging for help, while the deer, the bear and hawk moved around the fire circle.

His grandfather smiled. “I am proud of you, son. Keep your mind and eyes open like the elder said. Look for the vortex and follow the hawk spirit. He will guide you.”

He pointed to the deer as it dived into the swirling sand painting and was sucked into the whirlpool.

“Oh God,” Jake whispered.

“Get ready,” Bill ordered.

Then the bear dived headfirst into the sand painting and vanished. Jake’s throat tightened. He moved to the edge of the sand painting, peering down but not seeing anything in the two-foot area but moving sand.

The hawk flew around the room in its black shadowed form, dipping down toward the shamans and passing close to Jake.

“Go with the blessing of the Great Spirit,” Bill said as the hawk flew down the whirlpool.

“Now!” the elder shouted.

Gripping the straps of his backpack, Jack stepped into the swirling sand. His stomach dropped as he was engulfed in darkness.

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Chapter Eighteen

Amy spent her first day on Anartia training with Sakari, learning her slave duties.

The alternative was punishment. When Valdon pointed to the chains and shackles attached to the column at the far end of the main room, the meaning of the type of punishment was quite clear. He didn’t need to explain further. Until she could find a way out or talk to Dante, she would obey.

“The red wine should be opened in the early evening before the mistress has finished the offering with one of the Drones or her favored time with Tarik,” Sakari said as she placed a bottle on a tray along with two goblets.

“Offering?” Amy asked.

Sakari gave her a sly smile. “Don’t worry about it. You’ll understand all that later.

Learn this now to save yourself grief from Gwyllain.” Sakari helped Amy cut and arrange cheeses, tropical fruits, fine meats, seafood and pastries.

“Where does all this food come from?” Amy followed Sakari into the main room with a tray of cheeses and canapés and placed them as directed on a side table near the pool. On another table, Sakari poured wine into two goblets.

“Tarik manifests all the food through the portal. He scans swanky parties and events and acquires what he needs.”

“Acquires? You mean he steals.”

Sakari shrugged.

“Gwyllain said she was immortal and would make me immortal too. If they’re immortal, why do they need to eat?”

“They wish to duplicate the routines and indulgences of their home world. They can never return, even if Tarik manages to break Anartia free.”

“Why can’t they just leave?”

Sakari glanced over her shoulder toward Gwyllain’s quarters, then quickly picked up two of the miniature pastries, handed one to Amy and popped one in her mouth.

“Anartia’s existence depends on Gwyllain and she cannot survive without Anartia.

Neither can exist without the other. If she were to leave for any length of time, Anartia would be destroyed and its destruction could have catastrophic effects on Earth.

“Tarik continues to search for a way to free her with his experiments.”

The idea of experiments brought to mind old movies of Frankenstein and she didn’t want to think about that. Those movies, as silly as they were, always frightened her as a child. “What does Gwyllain mean by merging me? Is that part of the experiments?”

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“Tarik explained it to me once, although I don’t understand it. He said merging is altering the magnetic resonance of your body to align you with Anartia.”

Amy frowned. “Doesn’t make sense to me either.”

Sakari retrieved a pair of snips from her pocket and began cutting bougainvillea from the numerous ceramic pots surrounding the pool. Brilliant blooms in red, pink and lavender clusters grew on gnarled branches with thorns.

“Ouch.” Sakari sucked on her finger and carefully handed the cut flowers to Amy.

“Mind the thorns. We may be immortal but we can die if seriously injured on Anartia.

Gwyllain reminds us of that flaw in her world and holds the threat of our destruction over our heads,” Sakari said. They walked back into the food preparation area and she handed Amy a crystal vase for the flowers.

“Is Dante with Gwyllain now?”

“Tarik is with the mistress this afternoon in her private quarters. They should be coming out for their evening bath soon. I haven’t seen Dante. Maybe he went back. If his cycle is complete, he won’t return for many years.”

Years? Oh no. Panic rose inside Amy’s chest. There had to be some way out. “When do you think Tarik will perform this merging on me?” Maybe Dante hadn’t left yet and she could convince him to help her get back before that happened.

“Probably tonight after their bath.”

Amy tried not to look alarmed at she continued to add bougainvillea stems to the vase. “Then what?”

“He’ll make you immortal and unless they continue to the next step and make you a Drone, you can never leave Anartia.”

A thorn pierced Amy’s thumb, she jerked her hand, knocking over the crystal vase.

The loud crash made Sakari cry out. Shards of glass and broken blooms spewed across the floor.

* * * * *

A fierce storm howled around Jake as if he was in the middle of a hurricane. An invisible force yanked on his limbs and he feared he would be ripped apart. Then his feet touched down onto solid ground and the storm calmed. The wind died to a gentle breeze filled with the scent of the ocean and grass.

Twilight replaced darkness. He stood in the middle of a grassy field in front of a large white building with columns. To his left, the field sloped down to the edge of a cliff and beyond was the rolling green waves of an ocean. Looking up and down the shoreline, he didn’t see any other buildings. The coastline appeared steep and treacherous. If Amy was anywhere, she had to be inside that building. He searched for the hawk, the totem creature that Bill said would be his guide. There was no sign of any of the three animals who’d led him there. Had the peyote worn off? Weren’t they 156

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hallucinations anyway? How could a hallucination help him? He still didn’t know how he would return.

Find Amy first, then worry about getting back.
He ran up the steps, skipping two at a time and entered the structure.

Inside, he saw a man and women reclining in chairs around a pool. Two women in blue toga-like outfits stood off to the side, like Grecian waitresses. Around the pool, several women, mostly naked and young, lounged in chairs or on the floor. It took him a moment to realize one of the women in the blue robes was Amy.

“Amy!” he cried out before thinking. He took one step then was slammed sideways into a column. The wind was knocked out of him and he crumpled to the floor. When his head cleared, metal shackles were clamped around his wrists, ankles and neck.

His backpack and its contents were dumped next to the couple’s lounger. The bearskin lay beside them on the floor.
Shit.

Wincing at the throbbing pain in his head, he managed to stand but found he was chained to one of the columns and couldn’t move more than a couple of feet. The man and woman glanced at him, then went back sipping drinks and snacking on plates of food. Finally, the woman sat up a little straighter and raised her chin toward Jake.

“Welcome to Anartia. I am Gwyllain. Why have you entered my world?”

Jake was surprised she didn’t ask how he’d gotten there. He glanced around and saw Amy was leaning against the other woman and weeping. If he could only get the skin on he could get himself free of the chains and get Amy out.

Dante came out of a side room, walked up to Amy and handed her something. She looked at him with a strange expression. Was he trying to hypnotize her again? “The man came to take Amy back with him,” Dante answered.

“Stay away from her,” Jake said, struggling against his chains.

Dante laughed and put his arm around Amy. “If I want her now, I can have her in any way I wish,” he taunted.

This seemed to please Gwyllain who gave a shrill laugh. “I will miss you, Dante, until your next cycle. I do enjoy your offerings.”

The man next to her shot Gwyllain a disapproving look. A jealous lover? Jake wondered. “We don’t need another Drone at this time. Send him back.”

Gwyllain considered her lover’s request, not taking her eyes off Jake. “But your experiments. Couldn’t we use another Drone? I think this one pleases me.”

Tarik shot Jake a look of hatred. “The woman slave is all we need at the moment,”

Tarik insisted as he drew circles around her naked nipples.

Gwyllain inched closer to him. “I suppose.”

Dante stood behind Amy, wrapped his arms around her and began kissing and whispering in her ear. Amy frowned and shook her head, then glanced at Jake.

“Damn you. Leave her alone.” Jake jerked on the chains until the skin around his wrists and ankles was raw.

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“Jake, stop. You’re hurting yourself,” Amy said. She tried to pull away from Dante and failed.

“Tarik, my love. This is so entertaining,” Gwyllain said as she eased onto her lover’s lounger and began stroking his chest. “I’m getting excited again. Maybe Dante will make love to our new slave for our pleasure.” Seeming to forget Jake for the moment, she paid full attention to Tarik. The man was obviously aroused beneath a silky cloth covering his hips. Gwyllain pushed the cloth aside, exposing him and gripped his erect shaft.

What is it with these people?
Jake turned his attentions back to Amy, trying to figure a way to get out of the damn shackles. If he did, he would wrap the chains around Dante’s neck.

Dante rubbed Amy’s arms and ran his tongue from her shoulder, up her neck and to her ear. She twisted away from him. “Hmmm. That would be a pleasurable send-off.

I would like to take her to my room and prepare her first,” Dante said.

“No,” Jake roared. “Let her go and I’ll stay in her place.”

Tarik raised his head from sucking Gwyllain’s breasts. “Very noble but the mistress has decided to keep you both. We’ll use you as a Drone.” Tarik didn’t seem pleased but the man didn’t look like he would argue with Gwyllain either.

Jake didn’t bother to ask what Drone meant because he was watching Dante lead Amy around the pool. The cruel bastard let Amy stop as she passed Jake.

“Say goodbye,” Dante said to Jake.

Amy rushed into Jake’s arms and kissed him, ignoring the laugher from Tarik and Gwyllain. “Jake, I’m sorry. I promise I won’t leave you.”

“Amy, I’m sorry I couldn’t get you out of here. We’ll figure out something, I promise.” How could he admit that he had absolutely no idea how to rescue her?

Dante pulled her away and Jake spat out a string of curses.

* * * * *

In the hallway outside the pool room, Dante placed the nebula stone necklace around Amy’s neck. “You’ll need this. When you get back home, keep it in a safe place.

Do not destroy it.”

“You’re helping us escape?” Amy touched the stone, felt its coolness where it rested between her breasts.

“You’re a Sha Warrior, Amy. You are a guardian of the Earth. You have more life force energy than most mortals. Tarik believes that you and other Sha Warriors may be the key to safely break Anartia free from its inter-dimensional ties to Earth and end our prison exile. He has begun his experiments. But he has not told Gwyllain because he doubts she would agree to the destruction of her kingdom.”

“Rather rule in Hell than not to rule at all?” Amy asked.

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Dante nodded. “Exactly. Gwyllain thinks he’s trying to discover a way to collect and store power more efficiently.”

“I still don’t understand why you’re letting me go.”