“No, that’s not what I meant,” Cynnia said, throwing up both arms to keep me off of her.
“I have no idea how to teach what you’re asking. It’s supposed to come naturally. Honestly, if I had a clue as to what I could do, I would tell you. I don’t want to contemplate how much energy you can hold or the damage you can do once that power is released. I’d rather you become the conduit that Shelly spoke of.”
I paused and looked back at Shelly, who was nodding at me. “I’ve never heard of this problem,” she added. “I have to reach for the power of the earth, pull it into myself, and it naturally flows back out again, like a river. When it flows through, I simply scoop up what I need for the spell that I am weaving.”
“Damn it,” I muttered, walking back over to plop back down on the edge of the bed. I shoved both my hands through my hair, pushing it out of my face in frustration as I desperately sought some solution, any kind of solution, to the problem. I couldn’t avoid the swells. In fact, I planned to be haunting each and every one of them until Rowe and his crew were finally taken care of.
The hairs on the back of my neck suddenly began to tingle, and I sent my powers flaring out of my body, running through the hotel like a horde of ghosts until they finally settled on Danaus. He was approaching. I was out of time for now. We needed to leave.
“Maybe you can help me in another way,” I began, looking up at Cynnia. “What can you tell me about Ollantaytambo?”
“Nothing,” she said with a shake of her head. “I’ve never heard of it.”
“It’s a place just outside of Machu Picchu,” I pressed. I needed any kind of information she could give me before we left on this fool’s errand. “I think there’s some sort of old Incan temple or structure there.”
Again Cynnia just sadly shook her head at me. “I only know the name Machu Picchu because you use it. It’s not our name for this place. I just know that it’s the last place that we attempted and nearly succeeded at opening the door.”
“What do you call this place?”
Cynnia said something in her own lyrical language that I couldn’t even begin to replicate, causing me to frown at her. “It translates roughly to Mother’s Garden.’ It’s what we call the entire valley area.”
Danaus knocked on the bedroom door. It was time to go to Ollantaytambo. It wasn’t that I really wanted to go this site of ancient Incan ruins, but that I felt I had to go. There was something calling out to me from my past here. A door that needed to either be opened finally or firmly shut and locked forever.
Twenty-One
Only the human guardians spoke during the car ride to Ollantaytambo. Even then it was low, whispers in broken bits of Spanish or Italian. I rode in the front seat next to Danaus, who graciously volunteered to drive. At the random intersection, he’d stop, grunt, and we’d silently look at the map Eduardo had given us before we wordlessly continued on. Stefan lounged in the seat directly behind Danaus, vainly attempting to unnerve the hunter. If he succeeded, I couldn’t tell, but then again, that was Danaus. As far as I knew, I was the only one who had succeeded in rattling him. And I had every reason to believe he was going to cut my heart out for my troubles.
Stefan’s goal was also to remain as far from Cynnia as possible. It had not gone well when I informed the nightwalker that both an earth witch and a naturi would be joining us on our journey to Ollantaytambo. He would have been content to cut Cynnia’s heart out where she stood in the middle of the city sidewalk and leave her for the humans to find later, but I deftly talked him out of it, using promises of being able to use her as a bargaining chip later at the battle of Machu Picchu.
So, for now, Shelly acted as a thin, human buffer, sitting between the powerful and brooding Stefan and the all too quiet Cynnia as we headed deeper into the Sacred Valley by a sliver of fading moonlight. I would have liked to ask either of the two women if their sense of the power in the air was getting stronger, but I didn’t want to alert Stefan to any of this earth magic nonsense just yet. I preferred for him to think that I maintained a strict captor-captive relationship with Cynnia. He didn’t need to know that I was currently depending upon her to give me some kind of guidance when it came to controlling, or at least using, the earth magic that seemed desperate to flow through my body.
As we drove close to Ollantaytambo, hills rose up around us, blotting out what little light the stars had to offer. Naturally, the moon was nowhere to be found. Reduced to a slim sliver of her once great glory, she remained hidden from sight, seemingly content to let us fumble around in the overwhelming darkness. The animals that watched us lumber along the narrow, winding road were silent, cloaked by the rocks and bushes.
After more than two hours of driving, both the mountains and the scattering of trees and brush at last pulled back, opening into what seemed to be a tiny valley. Despite the fact that I didn’t breathe, I had to fight back the urge to draw in a deep breath at the sight of Ollantaytambo. The city was small, with only a handful of streets and a few hotels. It wasn’t a major stop for tourists. Some would take a short day trip to see the ruins at the edge of the city, but then move on to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu.
As we slowly rolled down the main street, I noticed that the four humans we’d brought along had fallen silent. At the back of the van I could make out the sound of cloth rustling and the soft snap of weapon guards being released so knives and guns could be quickly drawn.
Before leaving the hotel room, both Danaus and I once again loaded up on weapons. He had a short sword strapped to his back along with a pair of guns that I couldn’t readily identify. The hunter had also been kind enough to return to me the same style of Glock and Browning that I’d used at Crete. I didn’t like handguns but was familiar enough with these two that I could manage better than starting with two totally unknown weapons. I also had a short sword strapped to my thigh. I was hoping to avoid using my power while we were here, as there was already too much energy crackling in the air to make me feel comfortable.
As we drove into the city, I noted that each block was surrounded by high walls in the traditional Incan design. Inside the walls were a cluster of neat little houses, and a courtyard in the center of it all. It was nearly midnight when we entered the town, and each of the houses was shut up tight and the lights doused.
At the end of the main street, Danaus halted the car and looked at me for direction. Now that we were here, I didn’t want to move, didn’t want to speak. It had sounded like a good idea while I was sitting in a crowded bar in Cuzco surrounded by my own kind. No, that’s wrong. It had sounded like a horrible idea when I was in Cuzco, and now that I was sitting here in the dark, I knew it was disastrous.
“Mira?” he prodded when I still refused to speak.
“The ruins,” I replied in a low voice, proud that it didn’t tremble. Of course, I was still struggling to loosen the death grip I had on the door handle. “Were we followed?”
There was no reason to ask who I was talking about. Only one group would be able to follow us without being detected by normal means. There was only one group right now that any of us were worried about. The naturi.
“No, but they’re not far away,” Danaus said. His deep voice was even and calm; a soothing balm despite the ominous words. Since we left the hotel, there had been a steady throb of energy seeping from him as he searched the area for our enemy. The relentless waves washed over and through me, pulling me closer to him. Those waves had both protected and sought to tear me apart in the past. Now I needed their protection not only from the enemy that was drawing close, but also from the ghosts haunting my past.
Danaus turned the grumbling white van down the road and drove the short distance to the ruins. Surrounded by hills, it was easy to make out the ruins rising up before us with the intricate stonework carved out by men centuries ago. The hunter pulled the van into the small, gravel parking lot a few hundred yards from the base of the mountain. Of course, mountain was a relative term considering we were alread
y more than nine thousand feet above sea level.
By the looks of it, the hike to the peak of the ruins was less that a quarter of a mile.
“Well, Mira,” Stefan started, breaking the silence that was punctuated by only the rough breathing of the humans. “We’re here. What is it you wished to see?”
Turning in my seat, I looked back at the naturi huddled as close to the door as she could get, putting as much distance as possible between her and Stefan. “Cynnia? Is there anything you can tell me?” I asked, ignoring the nightwalker for the time being.
“Nothing. I’ve never been here. I’m not quite sure why it would be viewed as important.
I couldn’t argue with her there. The air seemed thick with energy, as if it were moisture on a hot and humid day. The energy within the area had become an entity that seemed to demand its presence to be recognized. Well, I was about to.
“We go to the top,” I bit out, goaded on by Stefan’s insolent tone. If the nightwalker had any special skill, it was his ability to instantly get under your skin like a tick. “The humans stay here and guard the van.”
“Mira?” Shelly’s voice softly broke the quiet of the van.
“You stay close to Cynnia. Don’t let her out of your sight. Don’t let her anywhere near the ruins where she might be able to escape us,” I commanded, more for Stefan’s benefit than for Shelly’s. I didn’t expect Cynnia to make a mad dash for freedom here, not if she was afraid of the allegiance of any naturi she found. For now, she was actually safer in my hands.
“Are you sure she can handle—”
“She can handle it,” I snapped, interrupting Stefan’s question.
Without waiting for any additional comment or argument, I shoved open the door and stepped out. I had to get moving. A flock of nightwalkers would be arriving in less than an hour to fetch us and carry us back to the lodge at the base of the ruins. This would be my only chance to see this place. Yet, all well laid plans are nothing without the occasional stumbling block.
The moment my booted foot touched the gravel-covered ground, my knee buckled beneath me. Luckily, I had yet to unwrap my fingers from around the armrest on the door, saving me from landing on my butt. The weight of my body pushed the door all the way open, pulling me out of the van. My other foot touched the ground and a second shockwave of power surged through my body, pulling a soft whimper from my throat. I tightly locked both hands around the armrest and leaned my head against the door, waiting for the feeling to pass.
I couldn’t get my legs to work. They remained limp, useless noodles beneath me. Pain filled me in massive, endless waves as the power from the earth pushed and pummeled my body from head to toe.
“Mira?” Stefan laid a hand on my shoulder, his voice questioning but without its usually cold indifference. I hadn’t even heard the side door slide open when the nightwalker alighted from the van.
“Don’t you feel it?” I choked out as I unclenched my teeth.
“Feel what?”
The question startled me enough to force my eyes open. I twisted my body to look over my shoulder and find Stefan standing just behind me, appearing perfectly fine. Then I lifted my head to see Danaus walking around the van. He also appeared unaffected. There was so much energy in the air it was positively suffocating. How could either of the two men manage to be completely oblivious to it?
“Shelly?”
“I feel it, but it’s not painful,” she said, coming to stand by me. “It feels like a lot of energy just flowing by me, sort of like standing in the middle of a fast-running stream.”
“It’s not running by her like it should,” Cynnia said as she walked toward me.
“It’s trying to push its way into her. Even with the manacles, I can feel the energy swirling around Mira, swamping her. It wants in.”
“What’s going on?” Stefan demanded over the buzz of conversation and contemplation.
“What energy are they talking about?”
“The energy from the earth,” I muttered when no one seemed willing to talk directly to him. “I can sense it.”
“Is it going to make you useless to us?” he continued in his usual less than cheerful manner.
“Danaus?” My eyes fell shut again as I concentrated on holding onto the armrest. I didn’t need to worry about Stefan and his attitude at that moment. I had to worry about finding a way to function like this. If we were attacked right now by the naturi, I would be useless to the group, a liability.
I listened to the crunch of gravel beneath Danaus’s feet as he stepped closer. His broad hand rested on my back and a surprised grunt escaped him. He drew his hand away and I opened my eyes to find my dark companion staring at me in confusion.
“What is that?” he growled.
“The earth,” I whispered. “Pick me up.” My grip on the door of the van was beginning to weaken and I didn’t have the strength to crawl back into the van. It also wasn’t an option. We had to get to the top of the ruins before the other nightwalkers arrived.
Without a word of argument, the hunter lifted me up into his arms. Instantly, the surge of energy was gone. For a moment my limbs felt weak and shaky, but even that quickly subsided. Laying one arm around his shoulders, I rubbed my temple with the heel of my other hand, trying to clear the fog from my brain. I didn’t have a clue why the energy was so strong there. This wasn’t where they would make the sacrifice in order to open the door. We all knew that was going to be at Machu Picchu. But for some strange reason this place was a maelstrom of energy, and I had to know why before we continued on to the lodge. If this place was of value to the naturi, I needed to know why before we left it at our backs.
“Let’s get going,” I sharply said, feeling awkward giving commands while being cradled in Danaus’s arms, but I’m sure I accomplished it with my usual aplomb. “How long until the others arrive?”
“They’re already on their way,” Stefan stiffly said. Danaus had started walking, and the nightwalker was forced to take a couple jogging steps to catch up. “You can’t have him carry you to the top.”
“I can’t touch the ground here just yet. There’s too much energy in the area. It’s either Danaus carrying me or you flying us both to the top,” I snapped. I didn’t trust Stefan. I wouldn’t put it past him to fly me to the lodge and leave Danaus to catch up in the morning. I didn’t want to be separated from the hunter. Not until after the sacrifice was stopped. He was the only one I knew that shared the same goal: stop the naturi.
“We haven’t time for this nonsense,” Stefan grumbled, his pale gray eyes flaring with frustration.
“Why are we here?” Danaus smoothly interjected as if sweeping the nightwalker and his concerns under the rug. What do you remember?”
“Nothing.” I shifted my gaze from Stefan to the path ahead of as we wove our way up the mountain. The very air seemed to tingle about us.
“Did they mention this place?” Danaus continued.
“No.” I started to shake my head, but something caught my eye. “Stop!” Reaching out, I touched one of the huge stones that comprised the wall. The gray stone had three straight lines scored into the rock. Two lines ran parallel, cutting diagonally across the stone, while the third line slashed through the rock in the opposite direction, running through the other two lines. It wasn’t a naturi symbol, but it also definitely wasn’t natural.
“Put me down,” I said in a hoarse voice, already pushing against Danaus’s chest. Slowly, he let my feet touch the ground. Again the power surged into me, causing my legs to buckle.
My knees hit the ground, jerking a soft cry from me as I continued to cling to the stone.
Clenching my teeth, I reached out mentally and touched any creature that had a soul within the immediate area. If earth magic was going to push and hammer against my body until it found a way in, then I was going to fill my body with as much blood magic as I could find to keep it out. Around me, I could feel the energy flowing from Shelly and the humans down at the van. More im
portant, I had fired up the connection between Danaus and me. I could feel his emotions so clearly now, as if they were my own. With very little effort, I knew I would be able to hear his thoughts as well, but I was careful to keep that door shut.
The wellspring of power flowed cool and soothing into me, helping me fight back the intense energy that was trembling in my limbs. Pain still filled my joints and caused a heavy throbbing in my temples as the two energies fought for dominance within my slender frame.
But at the moment, the pain didn’t matter. I finally remembered why Ollantaytambo was so important.
“It’s their gateway,” I announced, struggling to my feet.
“What do you mean?” Stefan asked. Standing close, he cupped my elbow with one hand, helping to steady me now that I was standing again.
Instead of answering him, I twisted around so I could look at Cynnia, who seemed to shrink from my gaze, shifting so she was partially hidden behind Shelly. “You can travel through the energy, can’t you?” I demanded in a harsh voice.
Cynnia nodded to me, her brown hair falling forward to obscure her face. “It’s how we can quickly get from one part of the globe to the other part. It takes some practice and a lot of control, but most naturi can manage it, from what I’ve been told.”
“Can you?”
The young naturi snorted at me and took a step away from Shelly. “Of course not. I’ve not been on earth that long, and no one has bothered to tell me how they work. I’d probably get myself killed in the process.”
“I’d stay away from it,” I warned. “We would hate to lose you.”
“So, there’s a gateway up here?” Danaus interjected, cutting short my ominous threats.
He really did have a knack for ruining my fun.
“There are great energy flows through the earth like massive underground rivers.
The naturi can ride these rivers to travel around the world,” I explained, my voice gaining strength as I continued up the path. One hand slid along the rock wall face in an attempt to steady myself. “But there are only a handful of openings to these flows. The closest one to Machu Picchu is here in Ollantaytambo. It’s why I’ve been here; why I remember it.”
Dawnbreaker Page 21
