The Treasure Hunter's Lady (21 page)

She wrapped her arms around herself. “N-naked?”

A soft chuckle broke through his troubled face. “Lay your pants and shirt over there. Rest for a while. I'm going to have a look around and get my bearings. We can't stay here long.”

“I'm sorry,” she whispered.

He gave her a puzzled look. “For what?”

“G-getting us lost. You s-said it would be easy, b-but I messed it up.” Her lower lip trembled. She remembered the Amazon disaster and wondered what kind of trouble would find them now. They might not get to the Diamond in time. If Abel died . . . . Romy’s heart constricted and tears rolled down her face, mingling with the water dripping from her hair.

He knelt in front of her, placing his hands on her arms. “This isn't your fault. That wasn't on the map and you were right to be worried. I guess somehow I thought I'd waltz in, pick up the Diamond and waltz back out. The overconfident deserve whatever challenges are thrown at them.”

She looked behind him, surprised to single pack on the ground. The faded letters showed her name. “Abel, where’s your pack?”

He grimaced. “It’s gone.”

Fear boiled up inside her like storm clouds. “But the venom . . . the dynamite.”

He shook his head. “Gone.”

“We needed it to kill the Serpent. What are we going to do?”

“Don’t cry, darlin’. We're still going to get the Diamond. Too many things are riding on this. Too many lives. If I have to crawl to the snake pit, pulling myself along with my fingernails and teeth, and do the same thing to get out, I'll do it. Everything will be okay. Trust me?”

She managed to nod, but doubt wouldn’t let her agree. “Don’t be gone too long.”

“Let me figure out where we are and we'll get going. No more boat rides or airships for a while. Just nice, solid ground.”

Romy wondered how he could be so calm. On top of losing the venom and explosives, they'd destroyed their only hope for getting back to Bismarck.

****

He’d been terrified when Romy slipped away from him and more so when he found her snagged on the log. Even now Abel felt shaky thinking about her lifeless form. A few minutes more and she’d have drowned. Saving her was worth the loss of his pack, worth the loss of the dynamite and the venom.

He paused at the top of the hill to get his breath. They had no plan, no weapons besides a water-logged Lighthouser. Out here alone, no one knew where they were and he wasn’t even sure himself. The air felt different here, as if the shoreline Abel had washed up on wasn't part of the same world he'd always lived in. An odd smell, metallic and sharp permeated the air. Weariness settled into his bones, but he was too intrigued by the mysterious feelings to give in.

He glanced behind him and paused to watch Romy peel her wet shirt over her head. Her movements were stiff and gave away how tired she was. He’d let her rest a while. God knew they both needed it, but he had to find some kind of landmark for them to go by. First things first, he needed the lay of the land before he could figure out anything else.

Clambering up the hillside, he inhaled, picking up the scent again. Then it struck him. It was a reptilian smell. A chill ran down his spine. The snake image on his chest tingled. Common sense told him it couldn't be. Mythical serpents wouldn't have a scent. Maybe something in the dirt or a plant caused the smell.

Human flesh. I sense you and that which you possess.

Waves of pain washed through Abel's head. The foreign thought pulsed between his ears. His legs gave out and he hit the ground on his knees.

You have something that belongs to me and I
will
have it back with blood payment. Come to me, human, and face your fate.

The band of tension threatening to crush his skull let up until it vanished, leaving him bent over and gasping. Not a bird or a bug moved on the hilltop. It wasn't bad enough that he was going to die if he didn't find the Diamond, now he was hearing things.

Laughter echoed around him. He tilted his head to listen. But it wasn't laughter, just the wind in the trees, the gurgle of the river below. He turned and looked down at the shore. Romy's red hair stuck out like a flag. Her white underclothes glared in the sun.

She appeared to be reclining on a flat rock, taking in the sun's rays. It wouldn't hurt to go a little farther.

Rustling in the grass alerted him that he wasn't alone. His Bennett had been lost in the water as well. He hadn't bothered to check Romy's pack to see if the Lighthouser had gotten too wet for use. Out here in the wilderness, he was unarmed.

Come closer.

The voice in his head lured him on and he forgot his worry about protection. An eerie chill passed over him. His fingers and toes tingled and something inside him felt like it was coming home. Yes, he knew this place though he'd never set foot here before.

****

The sun shifted behind the hills, casting shadows across the river. The flat rock wasn't a comfortable bed, but it held significant warmth. Romy felt as if she'd been sleeping for a few minutes instead of half the day. Sore from her crown to her toes, she was reluctant to wake up fully.

Footsteps told her Abel had returned. Maybe he'd let her sleep. It was too much effort to move. Tomorrow would be a better time to start looking for the Diamond anyway. So much of the day was already gone. She wanted a fire and the protective circle of Abel’s arms. Everything else be damned.

A shadow stretched across her head, blocking the glare of sun against her eyelids. Forcing one eye open, she squinted up into the face of a stranger. A face unlike any she'd ever seen loomed over her. Bright yellow and black paint accented the eyes and cheeks. A mouthful of teeth stood out from blood red lips. Romy screamed.

Gone. No sooner than she'd looked at the man—or the thing she thought was a man—he was gone. The only sounds were a few birds and the play of the water. Rocks skittered down around her and she looked up to see Abel beating a path down the hill. His eyes were wide, his stance stiff and wary.

“What was it?” he demanded.

“I thought I saw . . . I don't know what I saw. A man or a monster.” She shook her head to clear the fog of sleep away.

He gripped her shoulders and scanned the shoreline. “You must've been dreaming, darlin'. I don't think anyone is out here.”

“It went over the rocks and vanished like a ghost.” Glancing around, she hoped whatever vision had visited her was the product of exhaustion and too much excitement. A bird called out; the noise echoed over the sound of the water. It raised the hair on the back of her neck and she shuddered as she remembered the face that had loomed over her.

Abel studied her. “Do you feel it?”

She didn't like his words or the wary way his eyes roamed the landscape. “What?”

“I think we're close.”

“How can we be? We're lost.”

You're right where I want you, human female.

The soft, hissing voice seemed to surround her. She looked around, but they were alone. “Did you hear that?”

“I didn’t hear anything.”

It must have been her imagination hard at work. “Nothing. It's the wind. So you recognize something? Landmarks from those maps you've studied?”

He shook his head. “There's nothing I recognized, but it feels like I should know this place. Remember when I told you about gateways to other worlds?”

Romy stared at him. “That’s not possible. It was a story.”

“We’re looking for a magical jewel. That’s not possible either.”

He had a point. “So the river split and brought us through a gateway. How do we get back?”

Abel shook his head. “I don’t know yet. For now we should stick to our plan to find the Serpent’s lair. We're going to have to walk, try to find some shelter for tonight. Are you up to it?” His thumb caressed the scrape on her cheek. The tenderness in his voice made her long to crawl into his lap and cling to him.

She’d traveled the world over and lived this long. Sitting beside the Missouri and worrying wasn’t going to solve any of their problems. This could be her greatest adventure yet. Why not make it at the side of the man she loved? “Of course. Let me get dressed.”

For the first time he seemed to notice she was nearly naked. His warm gaze raked over her body. “You're beautiful, Romy.”

She laughed at his absurd statement, worries forgotten as she looked into his eyes. “You're saying that because we're in the middle of nowhere and I'm the only woman for miles and miles.”

“No, I mean it. I thought so from the second I spotted that burning bush of hair.”

She smiled, leaning into him. “I thought you were a cad when you put your hands on me the first time. I don't know if I was angrier about that automobile or you.”

He shrugged. “Doesn't matter. You forgave me. I can't be too mad at the driver. It's because of him that we're together. Damned lucky, if you ask me.”

She laughed, certain he'd lost his mind. “What's lucky about being lost in the middle of nowhere?”

“The company could be worse.”

She rolled her eyes and bent to retrieve her clothes. Her things were still damp. The material dragged along her skin, warm from the sun, but uncomfortable. She noted, with some amusement, that Abel averted his gaze while she dressed. So her treasure hunter had decided to play the gentleman again. Somehow he always managed to surprise her. She gathered her hair into a loose bunch and dug in her pack for length of string to tie it back.

“Let me help you,” he offered, taking the string from her.

“Okay.” She shrugged and turned her back to him, still holding her hair.

He looped the cord above the part she held and tied it. Then she felt his breath caress her neck and a second later, his lips. A shiver of pleasure ran down her spine. He placed his hands on her shoulders, kneading the tight muscles. At first she cringed at the pain, but as the knots melted, she moaned in relief.

“How did you know?”

“You moved like an old lady.”

Abel ran his hands down her arms until he reached her waist. He pulled her into his embrace, drawing her against his chest and folded his hands over her stomach.

“Abel?”

“I thought we were finished. That we'd probably end up like the boat. I'm glad you're safe.”

“I'm glad you're safe too. I don't know what I would do if you . . . .” She trailed off for fear of giving away too many feelings; part of her longed to say she didn't want him to let go. Wanted to recreate the lovemaking she'd experienced on the
Ursula Ann
. The other part took a more rational approach to things. She forced her voice into a hearty tone. Why complicate things further? “We're both fine. That's the important part. By the looks of things, we'll be soaking wet soon if we don't get a move on.”

Dark gray clouds had caught up with them again, rolling across the sky with the occasional flash of lightning. He let go of her and stepped away, expression neutral as he studied the sky. If he missed her touch as much as she missed his, it didn't show.

“We'll follow the river as best as we can. Keep your eyes open for a cave or an overhang. Anything will do.”

“All right.” Romy tried not to let their situation remind her of the Amazon. Her visitor, whether he was a dream creature or real, made her think of the people who tried to take her from Papa. Abel had brushed it off as though natives were the least of their troubles. For all she knew, they were. The Eastern papers were full of news about skirmishes between the natives and the military, but what was a tribe of warriors compared to being poisoned by the Horned Serpent?

He heaved the pack on his back.

Romy’s brow furrowed. “Let me carry that.”

However well he seemed, if the story he told was true, he was still dying. All he needed was an added burden. “No. We’ll take turns.”

“I’m not a child, I don’t need to be coddled.”

A wicked light came into his eyes. She blushed under his scrutinizing gaze.

“You’re not a child, but you are the most puzzling woman I've ever come across. Anyone else would have my hide for sending them down a waterfall.”

He smiled and her pulse quickened. Thunder sounded in the distance and she looked away from Abel. She couldn't have him and damned if she was going to pine away for him. Without answering, she picked her way along the bank, stepping over roots stemming from scrubby trees and pushing through long grass to forge a path.

Looking for shelter became a second priority as she fought to keep her balance on the uneven ground. Mud sucked at her boots, making squelching noises as she led the way.

“What makes you think we'll find anything out here?” She frowned at the caked mess on her soles.

“Just a feeling. Something's out here. Something that's not ordinary.” He looked around as though he expected Uktena to materialize. “As crazy as it sounds, the fang wants to go home. It's in my pocket and I can still feel it wanting. I can't explain it any other way.”

“And suppose your fang leads us straight into the Serpent's mouth. Then what? I've read the legends about the warrior who saw the snake and their families died. I don't have any desire to inadvertently kill my father or any long-lost relatives.” She didn't like the idea of meeting the Serpent at all.

“No one is going to die, either by accident or on purpose.” He pushed ahead of her, leaving her to stare at the back of his head.

Romy stopped on top of the tree to catch her breath and try to clean her boots off. “So how do you plan to kill it?”

He turned to face her and the look in his eyes was uncertain. “I haven't figured that out yet.”

She raised an eyebrow. “We're probably lucky it didn't rise up from the deep and swallow us on that dreadful boat.”

“We had a way to kill it then.”

She shivered. “Uktena is probably watching us right now. Or has some little snaky minion slithering after us.”

The sky opened up, sending down stinging drops of rain. Romy yelped as the cold droplets hit her face.

“Come on,” Abel picked up the pace. He skittered along the bank as it rose above the river.

A silver tongue of lightning licked at a tree on top of a hill. She swallowed a cry. The smell of burnt wood and singed earth overpowered the coppery scent. Abel slowed down and took her hand, twining his fingers through hers.