Disembarking from the ferry didn’t mark the end of their journey, however. They needed an additional source of transportation to carry them across the seventy-mile island. Olga bargained with one of the locals for the use of his car. Once a deal was struck, she took possession of his battered old rust bucket and drove the Arkana operatives to Khuzir. With a population of two thousand, it was the largest town on the island and the only place offering decent accommodations. They found a modern hotel which boasted its own restaurant and the unparalleled luxury of showers in every room. Immediately after registering, the four scattered to unpack and wash up. They agreed to meet back downstairs an hour later to regroup.
Cassie had returned to the lobby ahead of the others and was now savoring the sensation of sitting motionless for the first time in days. She glanced up to see Olga crossing the room toward her.
The scout stood for a moment, gazing out the picture windows to admire the panoramic view of the lake and mountains beyond. “It is very beautiful here, no?” She took a seat beside Cassie.
“Not just beautiful,” the Pythia said. “The energy of this place is really strong. I can sense why Lake Baikal became Shaman Central.”
A few moments later, Griffin arrived with Daniel in tow.
The Scrivener checked his wristwatch. “It’s only half past three in the afternoon. I realize today has already been exceptionally long but we may still be able to accomplish something useful before dark.”
“We have enough time to go to Shaman Rock,” Olga suggested. “It is only a little walk from here. There is a cave that you should see. It may be where your Minoan relic is hidden.”
“There’s no guarantee that the Sage Stone will still be there,” the Scion countered skeptically. “Is the cave easy to access?”
“Sadly, yes. Shaman Rock was once considered such a holy place that people feared to visit it. Only shamans went there to perform ceremonies. Now, nothing prohibits tourists from climbing the rock and exploring the cave.”
“I think it’s still worth checking out,” Cassie said. “Even if the Sage Stone isn’t there, at least I might be able to pick up the trail of the Minoans.”
“Very well then, it’s settled.” The Scrivener swept his arm toward the exit. “Shall we?”
The little party left the hotel and walked down the main road leading toward Khuzir. It was situated on the landward side of the island which tended to be dry and dusty in the summer. Rolling steppe grasslands gave way to hilltops overlooking the beaches of the western shore. The eastern half of the island was quite different. It consisted of pine-covered mountains that rose abruptly from the lake, making it relatively inaccessible to casual visitors.
As the four approached the center of town, Cassie let out an unexpected laugh. Pointing to her left, she said, “I guess we won’t need to ask directions to Shaman Rock.”
Two immense stones shaped like jagged shark’s teeth jutted upward at a height of at least a hundred feet. The formation appeared to be surrounded by water except for a narrow dirt causeway that connected it to Olkhon Island like an umbilical cord.
“That is Shaman Rock,” Olga confirmed. “It is one of the most famous sights of Lake Baikal.”
The curious landmark had attracted the attention of several tourists who were already clambering over its surface and snapping pictures. One venturesome teenager had climbed to the top, cell phone in hand, recording the view from the summit. Though Shaman Rock wasn’t particularly high, he crowed with as much triumph as if he’d just scaled Mount Everest.
Cassie’s heart sank on approach. During every previous stage of their quest, she’d always been able to tell if the Minoans had been nearby. Either her psychic powers were misfiring or... She censored the thought, unwilling to consider the alternative.
Olga led them across the causeway to the base of the rock. “The cave is in the middle, between the two stones. You cannot see it from this side. We will have to climb there.”
Daniel, Griffin and Olga all began their ascent with Cassie bringing up the rear.
As the Pythia grabbed hold of an outcropping to hoist herself up, a surge of electricity shot through her arm and sent her flying backwards into the air.
She was falling through space. The beach around her dissolved into darkness but the darkness was alive with bizarre shapes. Some were recognizable as humans or animals but other forms melted together into outlandish creatures that never existed in nature. Beasts resembling gargoyles flapped their leathery wings. Bears with glowing red eyes lunged at her. Disembodied skulls spoke. Distorted human shadows whirled in a mad dance against cave walls. Her ears swam with a roar of sounds to match the chaotic images rising before her eyes. Birds screeched, wolves howled, horses screamed, people chanted. She thought her head would burst from the pressure of it all. One voice asserted itself above the rest. “Cassie! Cassie! Can you hear me?” It was Griffin. She followed the sound back to consciousness.
The Pythia blinked several times. She found herself sprawled on the sand at the base of the rock. Three faces were peering down at her anxiously.
“She is awake,” Olga reported to the others.
“Thank goddess!” Griffin helped her sit upright.
Cassie clutched her head.
“Should we go for help?” the Scrivener demanded urgently. “Is there anything we can do?”
“No, just give me a minute,” the Pythia replied, rubbing her temples.
The trio regarded her in tense silence, waiting for an explanation.
“I should have seen that coming,” she admitted dolefully.
“Wh... Wh... What was that about?” the Scion quavered. “Nothing like this happened to you in Japan.” Daniel stared at her as if she were a ticking time bomb.
“Every place has its own quirks,” Cassie explained. “Remember when we were in Australia and I didn’t want to touch any of the rock paintings on Injalak Hill?”
The Scion nodded. “Yes, you said something about too many lives in the paintings, too much static. You thought you might become disoriented.”
The Pythia contemplated the stone landmark wryly. “This was more than static. Shaman Rock is one big honking tainted artifact all by itself. The second I touched it, I knew I was in trouble but it was already too late. Everything came rushing toward me at once. It was like switching on a radio but instead of getting one station, I got a thousand stations all transmitting on the same frequency. And it wasn’t just the shamans who were flying through the airwaves at me. I got all the weird stuff they conjured during their trances—things from their own imaginations or whatever freaky alternate dimensions they visited. I sensed things that don’t exist in this reality—skin-walkers, demons, animal spirit guides, talking corpses. Not to mention astral projection and blood sacrifices and dancing and chanting and drumming. All of it happening at once.” She groaned and rubbed her eyes. “I’ve never done drugs but I think a bad acid trip might feel exactly like this.”
The Pythia hesitated before adding apologetically, “Guys, I’m sorry but I can’t climb Shaman Rock.”
“But how will we search it without you?” Olga seemed nonplussed.
“Someone should stay here to make sure you’re alright,” Griffin said.
“I’m fine,” Cassie insisted. “You all go on ahead and scope out the cave the old fashioned way—with your eyeballs. I’ll wait on the beach.” She rose shakily and retreated across the causeway. Selecting a spot several yards away, she sat down on the gravel-strewn shore and gave her teammates an encouraging thumbs-up.
The others returned to their climb, disappearing into a crevice between the two rocks. About fifteen minutes later, they reemerged, clambered back down, and walked over to join her.
“No lily symbol in the cave,” Daniel reported, crouching next to Cassie. “It wasn’t very big so it didn’t take long to search. Nothing that looked like a niche where an artifact might have been hidden either.”
“I didn’t think so.” The Pythia cupped
her chin in her hands.
Griffin sat down to Cassie’s left and studied her with concern. “Still having trouble shaking off your vision?”
“That’s not it.” The Pythia raised her head and gave him a dispirited glance. “There’s nothing here for us.”
“Are you sure?” Olga demanded urgently. “This is a place of magic. There must be something.”
“Oh, there’s magic alright. Enough of it to crack my skull open like an eggshell.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Daniel frowned.
“The magic here has nothing to do with us,” she retorted. “Out of all those ten thousand voices screaming in my ears, I couldn’t pick up anything from the Minoans. Not here and not anywhere along the way either. Nothing in Japan. Nothing from the Amur River. Nothing at all!” Cassie sighed. “Guys, we’re at a dead end. I don’t know what to try next.”
She turned to Daniel apprehensively. “You once told us that your old man isn’t known for being patient. If we don’t come up with a solid lead soon, I hate to think what he might do to Hannah and Erik.”
The Scion swallowed hard. “I wish I could say your fears are groundless. But they’re not.”
“It would seem we’ve reached an impasse.” Griffin’s tone was bleak.
The group sat in a huddle, listlessly staring at the waves lapping the shore until Olga broke the silence.
“Perhaps all is not lost.” She treated them to an unexpected smile. “There may be a way.”
Chapter 31—Making A Love Connection
Hannah woke on high alert. She sat upright in bed because she thought she’d heard a sound at her door. Given Mother Rachel’s recent attack, her central nervous system was still hyper-reactive. She checked her alarm clock. It was three in the morning. Maybe she’d been dreaming.
She whipped her head around at the sound of a gentle tapping. No, she hadn’t been dreaming. Somebody really was outside her room. Scanning her surroundings wildly for a weapon, she focused on the table lamp next to her bed. It had a heavy metal base. Maybe it would do in a pinch. She unplugged it and crept up beside the door.
“Hannah, let me in!” the voice outside insisted.
It didn’t sound like Joshua so she relaxed. “Wait,” she commanded. Setting the lamp down on the floor, she went to fetch the key she’d stolen from the matron.
After she unlocked the door, she took the precaution of raising the lamp like a baseball bat in the event she needed to quell another adversary.
The open door revealed Erik silhouetted against the hall light.
He noted her battle stance and chuckled. “Expecting somebody else?”
She hastily dropped the lamp and gestured him inside before closing the door. “Sorry about that. I thought maybe...”
The Paladin shrugged. “After the Mother Rachel incident, I’m the last person who would accuse you of overreacting.”
“Why are you here so late?” She returned the lamp to the table, plugged it in and switched it on.
“I was up and about doing recon in Metcalf’s office when it hit me.” Erik seemed abashed about something. “I’m sorry I didn’t think of this sooner. I should have.”
“Thought of what?”
“This.” He held forward a cell phone.
She stared at it. “What do you want me to do with that?”
He sighed. “Given what you’ve just been through, I thought you might need to hear a friendly voice.”
“A friendly voice?” she echoed. “Whose?”
The Paladin rolled his eyes. “Oh, I don’t know. How about a really annoying teenager with spiky hair who’d give his right arm to talk to you?”
Hannah flounced down on the bed in disbelief. “Zach?” She smiled as the notion sank in. “You want me to call Zachary?”
“It’s not an order,” Erik demurred. “I just figured the two of you might want to reconnect for a few minutes. Catch up on the news and all that jazz.”
She didn’t need any further urging. Hannah dialed the familiar cell phone number. She prayed he would pick up despite the late hour but even hearing his voice mail greeting would be a blessing.
“Hello?” A groggy voice answered. “Whoever this is, it better be good. Do you know what time—”
“Zach,” Hannah cut in.
There was a sharp intake of breath. Apparently, Zachary recognized her voice even if it had only uttered one syllable. “Hannah?” he asked in disbelief. “Hannah, please let it be you.”
“It’s me, Zach. I’m using Erik’s cell phone so we can chat for a little while.”
“Are you OK? I know Daniel said you were alright but I didn’t believe him. You know people can lie about stuff like that. Is somebody holding a gun to your head now? That can happen too. Give me a code if that’s true. Tell me your noise itches.”
Hannah smiled to herself at his babble. “I’m fine, Zach, really. Erik is right here if you want to ask him.”
“No, that’s OK. Why would I want to talk to him when I can talk to you?”
“I won’t tell him you said that,” she teased.
“Tell me what?” Erik asked suspiciously.
“Nothing,” Hannah countered innocently. “Zach says hi.”
Erik grunted a response and headed for the door. “I’ll give you two some privacy. Tap on the wall when you’re finished and I’ll come get the phone.” As a final warning, he added, “And don’t run down the battery. I just charged it.”
“We won’t be long,” she reassured him and waited until he’d left the room before turning her attention back to Zachary.
“Erik left. He says we shouldn’t stay on the line for very long.”
“Uh huh. I get it,” Zach concurred.
An awkward silence opened between them.
“So, how are you?” Hannah began.
“I’m fine. Worried about you though.” He gave a brief sigh. “I wish I could be there to protect you but, according to Erik, you know how to take care of yourself. Word on the street is that you really cleaned that old lady’s clock bigtime.”
Hannah scowled with puzzlement. “What word? What street? Mother Rachel wasn’t holding a clock. She was holding a butcher knife. Even if she had brought a clock, I’m sure I would have refused to clean it for her!”
Zach burst out laughing.
“Are you making fun of me?” she accused, feeling offended by his reaction.
“Nope.” He was still chuckling. “I forgot how much I miss listening to the way your mind works.”
“Oh, I see. This is more slang I don’t understand.” She felt abashed but hastened to reassure him. “I’ll work on it some more. I want to fit in.”
The tyro’s mood shifted. In a soft tone, he said, “Promise me you’ll never try to be like everybody else. You’re too special for that.”
Hannah blinked back a few tears. “After the night you tried to rescue me, when I heard that Erik was dead and you were gone, I was sure our time was up. I never thought we’d speak again.”
“Me either,” he said with a catch in his voice.
To distract him, she asked hurriedly, “How’s Granny Faye?”
This question did little to change his troubled mood. “She’s... uh... still sleeping.”
“Oh,” Hannah said in a whisper. “But she might come out of it?”
Zach tried to rally. “Yeah, that’s what everybody keeps telling me. The doctors are waiting for the swelling in her brain to come down. Then we’ll see.” He forced a laugh. “Cassie said Gamma is too tough to kill.”
“I believe she is,” Hannah agreed. Her eyes welled up again.
“We’re gonna get you out of there,” Zach rushed to cheer her up. “Cassie and Griffin and Daniel are closing in on the Sage Stone. It won’t be much longer. Metcalf promised to exchange you and Erik for the artifact.”
Hannah sighed deeply. “I don’t really believe he’ll let me go, even for a little while.”
“Neither do we,” Zach agreed.
“What!”
“We expect a double-cross but don’t worry. Everybody on this end is working on a plan. Don’t think for a minute that we’d abandon you. You have no idea how much they all care about what happens to you. How much I—” He stopped speaking abruptly.
Hannah understood the implication. “I care about you too, Zach.”
“That’s good,” he concurred lamely. “It’s good that we both—” Again he cut himself off.
“Yes, it’s good that we both...” Hannah trailed off with a smile.
“Um, do you think Erik will let us talk every few days or so?” the tyro asked hopefully.
“I’ll make sure that he does. I’ll tell him it keeps up my morale.”
Zach chuckled. “Mine too. I can be a real pain when I’m not happy. The people I work for will do anything to shut me up. If Erik gives you a hard time, I’ll pester his boss until she orders him to let us talk.”
“Oh, I don’t think that will be necessary. Still,” she paused, “I better give him his phone back now.”
“Yeah well, it’s good we talked because, um...” He gave an exasperated sigh. “You know...”
“Yes, I know. Me, too. Goodnight, Zach.”
Chapter 32—The Lady In The Lake
Daniel, Cassie and Griffin sat on the shores of Lake Baikal gazing hopefully at Olga. The scout was on the brink of offering a solution to get them back on track.
“We must go to Matushka Ayana at once. She can help us.”
“‘Matushka’ means ‘mother’ in Russian,” Daniel noted cautiously. “I can’t imagine how your mother can help us except perhaps to lend moral support.”
“She is not MY mother,” the scout replied with a laugh. “That is simply what the people on the island call her. Matushka Ayana is a shaman. Her spirit guides are very powerful. Perhaps she will be able to see what the Pythia cannot.”
The Sage Stone Prophecy (Arkana Archaeology Adventure Series Book 7) Page 18
