Azrian continued to read. “Besides unexpected fluxes in the weather, any Fallen who dare trespass the island will do so at great risk to themselves. Along with numerous booby traps, rumor states that once the Fallen enter the underground tunnels that lead to the keep, they will combust on detection.”
“C’est la vie,” Sabree said, easy to see the relief that ran off him like a waterfall. “Put that idea to bed.”
“No freaking way. I bet Pop’s anti-ness kept him from being detected. Ariane and I carry the same gene. Anyway, it’s probably just BS to keep the Fallen out.”
“Brian’s different,” Sabree growled. “Superior. Do you wish to risk your lives on a hunch? My child’s life? And, of course, neither of you care about moi.”
Azrian scoffed at his uncle’s pity party. “Stay behind. I’ll enter the keep, get White Ghost, and then we can leave together. We’ll find our way out on foot back to the boat.”
“Mini-Me, wise up. What do we have to gain for such risk?”
“Zoe. That’s enough for me.”
Arms folded, Ariane stood by her nephew. “Enough for me too. Stay home if you wish.”
A huff admitted defeat when Sabree slapped a sticky note pad and pen in front of the laptop. “Jot down the longitude and latitude.” He slipped a hand inside his pants pocket and jiggled the contents. “I have an idea how to transport you two with me to a nearby island. No airport, and travel by ship from Madagascar would take almost a month. On the mainland, I’ll rent an inflatable to deliver us to the Screnian island.” He shot a frown at Azrian. “No jet skis or motor boat.”
“You won’t regret it, Unc.”
“Oh, I already do.” Sabree trudged up the stairs and turned at the door. “Do not mention any of this to Brian. He’s got enough to deal with. Agreed?”
“Yes, sir,” Ariane and Azrian chimed together.
She loved it when her husband took some control but not all.
3 3 3
Days later, they met in the great room before sneaking into the maze with just their day packs. Sabree mentioned something about a surprise, a new way to carry them and the gear while he misted to the main island.
He shrugged on his pack. “Meet you in the maze.” His hair rustled from a sudden gust. He glanced at the spot where Brian appeared. “Merde.”
“What’s up? Going somewhere?”
Ariane swore to herself when Sabree acted the coward and misted, abandoning her to explain everything. Her husband didn’t care if Brian detained her all week, his opinion that the fool-hardy mission would fail anyway. Azrian’s holler from outside startled her. Her nephew had been waiting for her on the porch.
“We’re going to hike the crags,” she said before she could stop herself. “Don’t worry about us, I packed the snow globe.”
“Really? Azrian too? What about me?”
“aThorsis can’t hurt you.”
Brian leaned toward her and flicked the end of her nose. “No, silly. Why didn’t you invite me?”
“You’re busy. Don’t you have Archangel 101 to attend?” Ariane slowly sidestepped toward the front door. “They’re waiting in the car,” she lied. “Just a quick honeymoon hike.”
“With Azrian tagging along?”
“He’s our chauffer. Damn good butler too.” She winked when he helped her hoist the pack onto her shoulders. “See you at supper.” Ariane walked out without sneaking a backwards glance to make sure he didn’t follow.
“Have fun,” he called out.
She cringed when she let the door slam behind her. The disappointment in his voice churned her nervous tummy. He deserved the truth, but then he’d lock them all in the basement. She sprinted toward the maze and stopped when she met Azrian at the gate. “Your father caught me on the way out. I told him we took aAriel’s talisman to protect us.”
Azrian opened the gate and stepped aside to let her enter first. “Maybe we should have. Maybe it will stave off the booby traps.”
Together, they fast-walked to the center. Sprawled out on the marble bench, Sabree bristled with boredom as he juggled a purple stone.
“Thanks, sweetheart,” Ariane said after she caught the stone in mid-air, “for leaving me behind to do the dirty work.”
“Your idea, your responsibility. Besides, Brian has some kind of X-ray device that detects when I’m lying. Like he’s reading my mind. Impossible, I say.” Sabree sat upright, holding his hand out for the stone. “Now, pay attention. Both of you.” He eyed Azrian. “This stone is better than anything Harry Potter could dream up. Oui, I read the books. Anyway, it opens like a large pouch, large enough to hold you, Ariane, and our gear. Once inside, brace yourselves. The ride might get bumpy.” Sabree held the stone between his thumb and index finger. “It’s small enough to carry you all to the main island. Any questions?”
Ariane and Azrian exchanged glances. Ariane asked, “Have you carried people in it before? Won’t we be crushed by our gear?”
“Is it something like Mary Poppin’s magic carpet bag?” Azrian asked.
“How does your generation even know about that?”
Azrian shot a glance in the direction of the mansion. “Pop.”
“Oui, of course. The nut doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Sabree smirked as his eyes flicked to the stone and then back to Ariane to answer her question. “No, but it works. I gave Brian one to carry his own goodies like stones, Colton tablets, and pocket watch. Plus, it’s fire and water proof. Brian beamed with joy when he tried it out. Let’s hope we do too.” Sabree opened the palm of his hand to reveal the purple gem. “Let’s try a trial run. Mini-Me, you first.”
“You want me to do what?”
“Just stand there.” Sabree narrowed his gaze on Azrian and then on the stone. His nephew and gear turned into a purple mist before the stone sucked it inside. “Okay, now to make sure he exits okay.”
In a few seconds, the purple mist spewed and out popped Azrian. “Well, get on with it,” he said.
Sabree blew out a breath that ruffled the hair hanging in his eyes. “It works. Thank goodness for small miracles. All aboard.”
Whether Lighted or Malakhim magic, these stones performed miracles. Travel by carry-all topped the sword stones in her opinion. Desperate to rescue Zoeree, what choice did they have? Ariane stepped aside. For this time only, she ignored the male etiquette of ladies first. “After you, Azrian.”
33
Game of F-Ups
T ravel time took minutes via misting in a carry-all stone. The ride was smooth. Other than that, Azrian couldn’t recall being scrunched inside the rock with his aunt and gear. They disembarked on Grande Terre near the docks. The Zodiac Sabree rented stood out against the lower-tech fishing boats and rowboats. Azrain eyed the ATV onboard. He couldn’t wait to drive around the island on it. Hopefully, Sabree would let him take the controls. This 3.0 version of Sabree was a take-charge kind of guy.
Already gassed, an extra tank stored onboard, Azrian helped Ariane climb on and let her sit near the wheel next to his uncle. He loaded the rest of the gear and sat in the bow. “Need help, Unc? Do you know how to drive one of these?”
Sabree eyed him as if he had two heads and scoffed. “Pay attention to the GPS device. Tell me when we hit the right longitude and latitude coordinates.”
Azrian turned toward the front. “Sure thing, know-it-all,” he grumbled, whispering the insult. He never spoke again until the GPS beeped. He stared ahead as the island came into view.
Ariane sat next to him. “I feel guilty lying to your father.”
“Pop can handle it. He’s lied enough times himself.” The salty spray battered his face as the Zodiac sped closer to shore. “Unbelievable, we’re here.” He hugged the bag in his lap and smiled to himself. Stored in the unmarked gear bag, he had spent over ten grand of his own money on a quadcopter thermal imaging drone. Pop would have a shitfit if he found out.
“Let’s do this,” Ariane said, squeezing his shoulder. “For Zoeree.”
> “I hate to admit it, but maybe Sabree’s right. Maybe you should have stayed behind.” Uncertain why, Azrian didn’t feel right about introducing her to dangers unknown. “You’re with child. A burden.” Expecting a backhand, he flinched.
Nothing came. Ariane fell silent for a moment and then said, “I thought about it. But what if you and Sabree don’t make it back? I’d be stuck on this island until I caught a ship home. Better off sticking with you guys.”
The engine of the Zodiac slowed to a steady purr. “Almost ashore,” Sabree hollered over the motor.
As they neared the coast, the motor started to sputter until it gagged, blowing out a puff of black smoke. Oily fumes almost made Ariane lean over the edge of the Zodiac. Her face turned a pale shade of green.
Azrian patted her lightly on the back. “Take it easy.” A crooked smile, devilish like his father’s, replaced the concerned frown for his aunt. “Looks like someone ripped you off, Unc.” Azrian snickered. He stood up to determine how many feet off shore they had gotten.
Facing Sabree, Azrian waved a thumbs-up. “No problem. If we ride the current, I can swim ashore and set anchor in the sand. We don’t want Aunt Ariane to get her feet wet.”
Curses about the inflatable being a dud filled their ears. “That’s the trouble with renting stuff.” Sabree glanced into the sea and whistled. “Shark infested waters. There goes one now.”
“I’ll swim fast. Use the drone to look out for sharks.”
“Drone?” Turquoise eyes that outshone the sea narrowed on Azrian. “You brought a drone?”
“Aye, right here.” He held up the bag. “Bought it on Amazon. Not rented.” Azrian didn’t mean for his father’s Scot’s brogue to surface but surface it did. “You’re not the only rich dude who buys and brings stuff.”
Sabree’s frown widened into a broad smile. “Smart lad. Set it up so you can tow us ashore. Spit spot.”
Still into the Poppin’s innuendoes, his uncle eyed the drone as Azrian handed Ariane the controller. He pointed to the miniature joysticks. “Use these to navigate her around me and keep an eye on the screen. Left controls the yaw and throttle, right, the roll and pitch.”
Sabree almost drooled when he reached for the control. “Always wanted to try one of these. May I?”
“By all means,” Ariane said. “Between yaw and roll, I’m not sure I want to control anything. I’ll watch for fins.” She giggled with Sabree.
By the time Azrian showed his overzealous uncle how to control the drone, the sun rose to its zenith. Azrian tugged the Zodiac ashore and tied the anchor to a fat palm. No other incidents slowed them further except for a shark breaking surface a football field away. The drone worked like a charm. Never had Sabree been so entranced with technology before now. Not even future Sabree.
While Azrian unloaded the gear and rolled the ATV out of the boat all by himself, Sabree remotely flew the drone toward the extinct volcano to find a path the ATV could navigate. “So much for my toy.” Azrian said. He took advantage of his uncle’s distraction and readied the ATV. Assigned himself as captain. “Hey, Unc, since you’re in control of the drone, and are familiar with the terrain, why don’t you let me drive the ATV. Cautiously of course, seeing as we have a baby onboard.” Azrian held his breath for a positive response.
“Great idea,” Sabree said as he flew the drone in an upside-down loop.
Behind him, Ariane giggled and then complained about the stench and frigid wind. Azrian sniffed the decayed seaweed that, by the looks of it, had washed ashore from a recent storm. Rotten sea life littered the beach in its aftermath.
Plotting a thirty-mile course to the volcano, Sabree recommended an easier path through mossy dunes and a less-dense forest of brush. The ATV four-wheeler sat three with Sabree in the trunk seat watching the drone. The new route should cut their time in half, still slow going because of the rugged terrain. The descent into the keep should take them no more than a few hours.
Bingo. Smart man his uncle, although not gearhead enough to repair the Zodiac’s motor. “Make sure you load the extra batteries. That should give us enough juice to keep her flying to and from the cave.” Then Azrian had to ask. “How are we going to get back to the mainland? Set the Zodiac adrift and wait until we’re a mile out so you can suck us into your stone and mist home?”
Sabree glanced up from the controller and smiled. “Thank you, Azrian. You just solved problem number one. While we’re at it, why not carve a couple of oars before we set off.”
Azrian didn’t know whether to take that as Sabree’s usual sarcasm or as genuine gratitude. He bet his aunt knew which was which and shook his head when her answer confirmed it.
“Let’s hope you two are clever enough to avoid the booby traps.” Ariane curtsied after she added her two cents.
An hour of rough conditions, Azrian grew tired of maneuvering the ATV on command while Sabree controlled the drone overhead. The thickest part of the woods was still a mile ahead. Squishy low brush and moss pits slowed their excursion. They had hoped to be at the wooded border by now. Weeks away from December when no true night emerged, the days stretched longer. At least they’d reach the cave before nightfall. Then it wouldn’t matter how dark the island got, the cave even darker.
“Anything ahead, Unc?” Azrian asked as he gritted his teeth for the next turn up a slight hill. “Too bad this ATV doesn’t have power steering.”
Without glancing away from the GoPro screen, Sabree said, “We’re lucky they had more than one to rent. A private owner. I gave him Brian’s contact information and charge card in case something happened to it.” Sabree laughed until Ariane slapped his arm.
“That’s mean.” Then she joined in with his laughter. “He won’t need a charge card where he’s going.”
All three lurched forward when the ATV rolled over a mossy crop of rocks and stopped short. The front tires spun in midair, the back tires eating into the moss. Azrian swore when smoke rose around them. Overheated motor fumes choked everyone. Ariane leaned over to empty the contents of her stomach. The motor died, all silenced except for her retching.
“Blast our luck,” Azrian said. He slapped the steering wheel to release pent-up frustration. He had gotten his wish—no more steering this lug. “He stole a glance at Sabree, looked upward, and cried out, “Look out!”
The drone crashed on top of Sabree’s head even after he ducked. He yelped and slapped the drone to knock it off his lap. The rotor blades still spun, the overheated gears burning a hole in his pants. It sputtered and reeled a mechanical death when it hit the mossy ground.
“What the hell?” Azrian freaked when his mind visualized thousands of dollar signs crashing on top of the drone, everything soaked in oily fumes. “What’s going on?”
“The death of living creatures, human, and mammal…”
“One and the same, Sabree,” Ariane corrected.
He silenced her off with a flick of his hand. “Oui, but this must also include man’s mechanical creations like the Zodiac, ATV, and now the drone.”
“You’re right, Unc. The Zodiac motor died first and now the drone and ATV together. Each device lasted approximately the same amount of time. The drone a bit longer.”
Holding a hand over her mouth, Ariane leaned forward to study the road ahead. “Does that mean we have to walk now?”
Their well-thought out plan had gone from pretty good to downright effing bad. Azrian glanced at his uncle to find out if he intended to give his wife the bad news. Sabree shrugged and raised an eyebrow to egg him on. A guy thing, Azrian recognized the gesture. His aunt would not react as poorly if she heard the sucky news from him instead of Sabree. So he stepped in. “We walk, but only a little way. And if we move out, we should reach the cave before dark.”
Sabree shrugged. “Couldn’t have said it better myself. Let’s get moving.” All three scrambled for their packs.
“Do you think we should’ve asked Pop to help?” Azrian’s gaze fell on the wreckage. Where did he go
wrong? Assumed too much on his own.
“Brian may be a know-it-all, but he doesn’t know White Ghost.”
“And you do?” Azrian snapped. His uncle’s lame rationality sealed the deal. This expedition turned out to be a game of f-ups. How was he ever going to prove himself to his father now?
“Azrian,” Sabree said. “Get a move on.”
“After you—Ew!” Azrian scooted away from the spot where Sabree stood. “What’s that thing crawling around your feet?”
3 3 3
Seated on the dirt floor, Ariane leaned against the wall for support. The threat of tears moistened her eyes. Her backside and limbs ached from icy numbness. What had gone so wrong? The temperature in the cave system stayed a steady 45 degrees. She had put on every article of clothing to keep warm. Close to empty, the two flasks of wine stashed in her pockets failed to act as anti-freeze. Her pack emptied out, she forgot where she left it. No matter, the flashlights didn’t work for long. The oil lamp Sabree brought still lighted their way, although no one dared move onward. No one could.
A bead of stalactite sweat dropped on top of her head. She almost leapt out of her skin, her shoulder bumping a groggy Azrian. The poor kid, gung-ho like his father, rushing ahead as usual, took the brunt of the poisoned darts. She lost count at twenty.
Then her head bobbed in Sabree’s direction. Slumped forward, he leaned against the same wall. His steady but shallow breaths concerned her. He had lost a lot of blood when he stepped into the path of the swinging axe at the cave entrance. The pit and the pendulum took a chunk out of his upper arm.
A wounded Sabree and Azrian had managed to roll a huge boulder into the path of the axe. Sparks flew everywhere when celestial metal sliced into rock. She dragged out the first-aid kit, used the roll of gauze, a few large bandages, and tossed the rest. No one needed the tiny finger wraps and expired aspirin. She wrapped the wound as best she could. Mummified it.
Archangel of the Fallen Page 24
