The Black Madonna (The Mystique Trilogy)

by Traci Harding

  My father was crouched to hide his nakedness, even though this meant his arms were stretched high above his head. His head hung low in shame—I had never seen him so broken.

  ‘Come, come, my angel, I’ve brought you the most precious thing in your whole wide world.’ Ishtar grabbed a handful of Albray’s hair and yanked his head up to look at me. He screamed his protest at the top of his lungs.

  ‘Use the fucking spike,’ he challenged his abductor. ‘There’s nothing more you can take from me.’

  ‘Oh yes there is,’ she assured him with a smile.

  I was so devastated by my father’s anguish that it took a moment for my Anunnaki rationality to overcome my distraught human side. I drew my weapon from the back of my jeans and aimed it at Ishtar. Sure she was wearing an Orme dress, but her head was unprotected. I fired, but as the light began to disperse throughout her body, her atomic structure sparked, fizzled and collapsed. A nanosimulator, I realised, and thought the diversion rather clever—Ishtar wasn’t even here. As the replica of Sabine Labontè disintegrated so did the threat to my father’s life.

  ‘Kill me,’ he pleaded nevertheless, unable to look at me. ‘Please, Kali.’ He broke down in tears, shaking uncontrollably.

  At my mental bidding he was released from his bonds, and I conjured clothes upon his body so that he might feel less exposed. I crouched beside him and spoke gently.

  ‘Arcturus, right now Amenti’s staff are preparing to go back in time and pluck you from this plight before it ever occurs. You will not remember any of this, for indeed it will never happen.’

  ‘You will remember.’ He remained hunched up, refusing to make eye contact.

  ‘And I shall admire you all the more,’ I said, all the time praying for my mother to get her plan in gear and get my father out of this reality.

  Her plan, or rather Polaris’s plan, was to rescue my father prior to the Amenti taskforce going back in time to open the dormant Signet stations, as my father’s station was among those needing to be activated. Once Albray vanished from this time line, I would only have a very short window before the second part of Polaris’s plan was launched. For although their mission would take some time in the past, the changes their actions would cause here in the present would be practically instantaneous.

  ‘I need you to come with me now,’ I urged, expecting a flat refusal. ‘You are my only indication of how much time I have left.’

  He attempted to stir his weary, shaken form, unsuccessfully.

  ‘Namtar is taking Killian to Ill in the Underworld. If he is Mathu, I’ll lose him,’ I appealed, and burst into tears without even considering that this was the one thing that never failed to rouse my father to battle.

  ‘I’ll need a sword,’ he said.

  I wiped my eyes to see my father the knight staring at me. He forced a supportive smile, which I returned as a sword appeared in my hands. ‘I thought you didn’t like Killian,’ I said.

  ‘What I feel about him is irrelevant.’ He took the sword and motioned for me to lead the way.

  I flew over the upstairs banister and landed in the foyer; Dad took the stairs. We both made for the archway through which Namtar had taken Killian.

  ‘Tamar!’

  I turned to find Emmett eyeing the front door I had blasted from its hinges earlier. Then he looked at my father in astonishment, wondering where he’d sprung from.

  My father was relieved to see him. ‘Thank god you weren’t kidnapped, or murdered!’ he said.

  ‘You know what happened at Montségur?’ Emmett said, even more puzzled.

  ‘No time to chat,’ I called back to them. ‘If you want to come along, keep up.’

  We reached the manor’s large kitchen, where my father pulled me to a stop. My senses heightened to full alert and I realised we were standing in the epicentre of the porthole to the Underworld—it was directly beneath us.

  ‘Basement,’ my father and I said at the same time, as we spotted the thick timber door. It had no handle, only an electronic keypad.

  ‘Chase over?’ Emmett asked as he caught up with us.

  I approached the keypad and mentally bade it to unlock; the keys punched out a sequence of numbers and the door opened to reveal a set of stairs leading down.

  Emmett looked at my father. ‘You must be very proud.’

  I jumped down the staircase in a single bound, my companions following at a more sedate pace. Up ahead was a stone wall with a gap in the middle; I ran through it straight into a labyrinth of stone walls and passages.

  ‘Keep up,’ I called back to the others. ‘I know the way through.’

  I could sense the right way to go; I just followed the strongest flow of negative energy.

  ‘I’m feeling sick,’ Emmett said, stumbling to a halt. ‘And really angry!’

  ‘It’s a by-product of this place,’ my father advised, urging him to keep going. ‘The atmosphere here is pure evil, and the fact that you’re adversely affected by the negativity indicates that you’re one of the good guys.’

  ‘That doesn’t make me feel any better,’ Emmett grumbled.

  ‘Just think happy thoughts and don’t buy into where the energy is trying to lead you,’ Dad instructed.

  While Emmett recovered I went on ahead; we were so close to the end of the maze. ‘This way,’ I called back to them as I passed through a final doorway and into a huge diamond-shaped chamber. Black illuminated stairs led down on all sides to a central platform that was a seething pit of dark energy. On the edge of this abyss stood Namtar with Killian.

  ‘You can come visit your little friend in Irkalla,’ he called to me, and jumped into the mass of darkness.

  ‘Tamar!’ Killian yelled, holding out a hand towards me as he was dragged down with his captor.

  I was halfway down the stairs when Emmett emerged from the labyrinth and shouted, ‘Stop! Your father’s vanished!’

  I halted, my heart pounding in my chest—I was running out of time. ‘Of course,’ I mused, looking towards the dark vortex: the Underworld was outside the constraints of physical time, just as the Otherworld was. Killian would not be transported out of this current time line, but I would be. That meant I had to follow him into the abyss; but what of Emmett?

  ‘You’re not seriously thinking of going down there!’ Emmett raced down the stairs two at a time towards me.

  ‘Listen,’ I told him, ‘you have a choice to make.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Just listen!’ I said, running short on patience. ‘The time lines of your current reality are about to change.’ I held up a finger to warn him against interrupting. ‘If you stay here, you’ll find yourself in a reality where your father won’t become involved with the Montségur dig, and so he’ll still be alive and well. Everything will be as it was before Killian Labontè came into your lives.’

  Emmett took only a second to process that information. ‘Which means we’ll never meet,’ he said.

  I shook my head as I backed away towards the dark abyss.

  ‘That hole leads into the spook world, doesn’t it?’ Emmett weighed up all the knowledge he’d obtained from me against returning to his past. ‘My father will still be resurrected whether I’m here to see it or not,’ he said, following me a step at a time.

  I nodded. ‘But if you follow me, which I advise you don’t, there’s a very good chance you won’t live to see him.’

  ‘But if I don’t go with you, I’ll never see you again.’ The sadness in his voice caused tears to well in my eyes; how could his feelings for me run so deep? ‘I’ll forget all about you.’

  ‘That’s right,’ I said. I felt a lump form in my throat and realised that my own heart was aching at the thought of parting from Emmett. Still, the idea of leading him to the slaughter of the Nefilim was even more heartbreaking. ‘I can’t allow you to come with me,’ I said firmly.

  ‘But why do you have to go?’ he asked.

  ‘I have to save Killian.’

  ‘Be
cause he is of the blood? But I am of the blood too.’

  He ripped open his shirt to expose the mark of Cain on his chest, but I was more shocked by the gold pendant around his neck that glowed dimly in the darkened room.

  ‘Where did you get this?’ I asked, almost choking on the words as I reached out to ensure it was real.

  ‘My dad…it’s an old family heirloom,’ he said, surprised by my interest. ‘It means…’

  ‘…he awaits beneath the lotus,’ I concluded for him.

  He looked stunned. ‘Yes. It makes no sense to me, but the inscription means a lot to my family…’

  Struck by the same thought, we both looked up to see a huge golden lotus flower carved into the ceiling directly above the dark vortex. I was overwhelmed by delight, relief and a million other emotions. ‘Mathu?’ I said tentatively.

  ‘Who?’ Emmett’s eyes were nearly popping out of his head. He backed away from my suddenly seductive manner. I willed him to a standstill as we were a little pressed for time.

  ‘Is that really you in there?’ I asked.

  ‘What are you doing?’ he cried, protesting the loss of control of his body.

  I grinned as I stepped closer. ‘Hold still, this won’t hurt a bit.’

  Emmett looked absolutely horrified, and I would have been insulted had I not realised his gaze was fixed on something behind me. I turned to see the dark energy mass at the centre of the porthole rising at a frightening rate.

  ‘Ill,’ I said, recognising his energy.

  ‘Tamar!’ Emmett implored me to release him, which I did just in time for him to embrace me and hold me close.

  The dark mass surged out of the pit and engulfing us, we were dragged down into the Underworld.

  PART 2

  TIMEWALKERS

  CHAPTER 14

  SOPHIA-HOKHMAT—NOVA SCOTIA

  This is a Signet station,

  one of twelve pyramids of light

  placed on the Earth plane by design.

  Each station is as unique in frequency and purpose

  as the twelve Masters who are the keys.

  They are the Council of Amenti,

  who incarnate as the teachers

  and healers of their timelines

  to oppose an enemy

  that transcends time and space.

  The keeper of this station

  is the soul frequency Polaris,

  the Master of Time, Space and Realities.

  The battle of good versus evil,

  light versus darkness,

  may be viewed here.

  And you will know what you must do.

  MIA DEVERE—MERIDAN

  Once the Signet station at Montségur had been secured and the light-filled souls of our Dracon foes had been delivered to Lugh Lamhfada for ascension through the Hall of Amorea, the staff of Amenti directed their attention to saving Arcturus from the Nefilim.

  Polaris’s plan was to pull Arcturus out of Montségur, just as he had following my husband’s first private meeting with Sabine Labontè. We could not spare him from Sabine altogether as this option was the one that would cause the least disruption to the time lines.

  ‘If I go back any further, then Tamar’s reality is going to be altered too, and she will lose any progress she’s made on her mission in the interim,’ Polaris explained. ‘This way, I arrive to collect Arcturus a few moments before I did last time, and only his recollection of events will be altered. Tamar’s reality will remain the same. So, if you would all be so kind as to meet me at Polaris Station, I will return there with Arcturus presently.’

  ‘I’m coming with you to collect him,’ I insisted.

  Polaris wasn’t keen on that idea at all. ‘Your husband’s feelings are still going to be confused and raw in the wake of his meeting with Sabine. I don’t know that you being present when he arrives on the Klieo is going to be all that helpful…no offence.’

  With a wave of my hand, I made myself invisible. ‘He won’t even know I’m there,’ I said, and reappeared to the applause of my staff mates. ‘It’s all only matter, which is of no matter to me any more,’ I explained.

  Polaris was still wary. ‘You have to wait on board the ship,’ he said, caving in to my wishes. ‘I don’t want to risk losing you in the process of rescuing him.’

  ‘Agreed.’

  ‘I’ll send the others to Polaris Station ahead of you,’ Denera said as Polaris, Levi and I headed off to the Klieo.

  ‘Much obliged,’ Polaris said with a bow.

  With Levi at the helm, Polaris and I stood in the teleportation station within the Klieo’s belly while she melded into the time-space continuum to return to yesterday once more. As the ship was engulfed by the Blue Flame energy that enabled it to move through time, I unexpectedly made contact with Tamar and was able to fill her in on all that had transpired this day. But the Blue Flame faded and we were cut off before I had the chance to learn anything of her situation.

  The huge round crystal plate inset in the timber floor of the round chamber melted into a light vortex that swirled downward.

  ‘Better make yourself scarce,’ Polaris suggested, and I assumed my invisible form. ‘Back soon,’ he said, and jumped feet first into the swirling light matter.

  He ascended again in seconds, with my husband in tow.

  ‘Thank God you heard me,’ Albray said as the porthole hardened beneath them. ‘I never thought I’d be so glad to see you.’ He slapped the captain’s shoulder and gave a laugh.

  ‘Me either,’ Polaris said, not taking offence.

  ‘You must lock me up immediately,’ Albray implored, grabbing hold of the captain’s jacket for emphasis. ‘One of the Nefilim has got her hands on my ringstone and I fear that I’m now a great threat to the Amenti Project.’

  ‘No, you’re not.’

  ‘Yes, I am!’ Albray insisted. ‘I need you to go back in time and—’

  ‘I already have,’ Polaris cut in. ‘Sabine didn’t instil any covert mission in you.’

  ‘Really?’ Albray was reassured but confused. ‘But how did you even know about our meeting?’

  Polaris grinned. ‘I am who I am.’

  ‘So what happened with Sabine?’ Albray wondered. ‘Did I…I mean to say, did she…’

  Polaris winced.

  ‘Please tell me she didn’t.’ Albray was looking ill now.

  ‘The Nefilim being who has taken the guise of Sabine Labontè is Ishtar,’ Polaris told him.

  ‘The ancient goddess of lust and war?’

  ‘What hope did you have?’ Polaris broke the news as gently as he could. ‘What hope would any man have?’

  My husband almost collapsed under the weight of his distress. ‘Curses!’ He paced about as if trying to evade the truth, then stopped still to look at the captain. ‘Does Mia know?’

  Polaris nodded. ‘Kali witnessed a good part of the seduction and wrote down what transpired for both your own information and Meridan’s.’

  ‘Goddess, no!’ Albray was horrified.

  ‘It wasn’t your fault,’ I said, and dropped my invisibility. ‘I was the one who lost the damn stone.’ Tears of remorse fell from my eyes as Albray embraced me. ‘I’m so sorry,’ I blurted.

  My husband held my head in his hands and said firmly, ‘This was not your fault.’

  ‘It wasn’t yours either,’ I was quick to respond, and the conviction in my voice reduced him to tears. ‘We’re going back in time to open the Signet stations, and when we have, Sabine and André will never meet, and we’ll ensure that we get the ringstone before she does.’ My tears were streaming now, for all I knew that he did not. ‘And although we’ll remember your abuse at the hands of this being, you have already been spared the worst of it, which was yet to come.’

  As we clung to each other for comfort, Polaris quietly left the room.

  Albray pulled back to look me in the face. ‘I’ve missed something, haven’t I?’

  I nodded and smiled. ‘Praise the goddess…and Pol
aris, bless him. The dear captain has been your greatest supporter and a very good friend to you. Even though you will never recall it, we are deeply indebted to him.’

  ‘Seriously?’ Albray was a little stunned. ‘The captain and I have been friendly?’

  ‘Your greatest supporter,’ I repeated.

  ‘Well, he did owe me a favour or two,’ Albray pointed out in an effort to explain the anomaly.

  ‘Please don’t be an ass about this,’ I implored him. ‘Just be thankful.’

  ‘I am,’ he said, then, unable to recall exactly what he was grateful for, he frowned. ‘I guess.’

  I returned his frown with one more perturbed and he quickly changed his tune.

  ‘All right! I promise I’ll be nice…and thankful.’

  At Polaris Station we were met by the entire Amenti team, apart from Denera, who was to remain at Giza to monitor the grid and the time lines from the Hall of Records.

  Our meeting took place inside a large boardroom that, like the rest of Polaris Station, had a very nautical feel. It was filled with priceless furniture from the thirteenth century, collected by Polaris’s last incarnation, Captain Henry Sinclair.

  Polaris explained that Zalman would not be coming with us on the mission either. ‘As Zalman’s Signet station, Ta-She-Ra El Amun, played such an integral role in bringing us all together, we can’t go back in time past the year 2003 when it was opened.’

  ‘Wasn’t that station active in the nineteenth century?’ I asked, recalling how Ashlee Granville-Devere’s journal recounted her meeting with Zalman there.

  Solarian was amused by my lack of comprehension. ‘Yes, but once the station was activated in 2003, six months before Zalman and Jamila made contact with you at Giza, Ta-She-Ra El Amun rose out of physical existence and was no longer constrained by time. Just as we are outside of time here in Polaris Station at present. Now that the station is active, it can be accessed from any point in Earth’s history, if the guardian of that station so chooses.’

  ‘So you don’t really need the Klieo to travel through time?’ I asked Polaris.

  As time-space architects, Polaris and Solarian easily understood these principles; it was the rest of us who were having trouble.