Lost Treasure

by Midnyte Dupree

  "Where are you?” What she was looking for, she didn't know for sure. Only in her dreams had the man shown her a goblet or a ceremonial chalice lined with rubies along the edges. Surely, that wasn't what she would find. It could be worth millions.

  Roaming the edges of the dig site, she looked out across the hundred-by-hundred-foot area. Little places dotted the earth where the workers had roped off to show their spots. Everything looked in order. Nothing jumped out at her, yelling for her to dig here.

  Elena laughed. Of course, nothing would just jump out.

  "Oh, Daddy. Where are you when I need you the most? I know I'm close,” she whispered.

  The wind whipped around her body, finding an opening in her shirt. She quickly moved her hand to cover the gap at her stomach. The tiny spaces between the buttons were perfect places for infiltration. As she held her shirt close to her body, she turned around looking out at the line of the trees. A huge rock sat on the edge of the wood. Gray in color and smooth on the surface, the object looked as if it shouldn't really be there, but should be a part of something bigger.

  The glow from the lamps just barely illuminated the area, but Elena stepped closer to it anyway. She felt something inside her. A tingle that increased with each step she took. A low-level hum drifted around her, but her thoughts were on the rock.

  Stepping in front of it, she reached out with her hand, lightly touching the hard surface. She placed her palm flat against it. Shocked at the warmth, she pulled her hand away quickly.

  "What the hell?"

  Her hand moved slowly toward the surface again. Her eyes were large with excitement, and she felt a smile that probably went from ear to ear. This is what she's been looking for. The rock meant something. Probably a marker for whatever lay around it ... or under it.

  Elena placed both hands on the rock and, instantly, she felt transported. Everything around her turned black. The lights became too bright for her eyes, so she squeezed them shut. Her body swayed as if it were moving a hundred miles an hour. But that couldn't be possible. She was standing in the forest in South America. Behind her eyelids, she could still see the pulsing of the light, and her hands still felt the hard surface of the rock. Wherever she was going, the rock was with her.

  "Open your eyes, little bird.” The voice drifted through her. Not necessarily in her ears, but in her mind. It was the same voice from her dreams.

  Carefully, she opened one eye, and the light had faded away so she opened the other one.

  A man stood before her. Instead of seeing him kissing her naked body, now he actually stood away from her with clothes covering parts of him. Well, what she thought were clothes. They were actually pelts from animals that covered his waist and draped across his shoulders. His eyes glowed, penetrating her with his stare. She moved her hands away from the rock and turned her body to him.

  "I'm not dreaming now, am I?"

  "No, little bird, you are not.” He stayed where he was, but she felt the sexual pull of his body. She wanted to feel his muscles once again along her body. She wanted to feel the wicked way his tongue tasted her stomach, her nipples, her neck.

  "You must stop with those thoughts. I have to warn you."

  "Warn me?” Her voice came out soft. God, his body called to her. She wanted to step closer to him. Wanted to just touch him, to feel if he were real.

  He shook his large head, and his jaguar hood moved slightly. The head of the cat made him look like an ancient warrior ready for battle. The width of his shoulders and the bulges from his muscles sent shivers through her. Her eyes couldn't get enough of him. This man, who had visited her for most of her life, was now standing in front of her. Well, it was probably some dream realm, but still it felt more real than any of her dreams. The pull to go to him was strong, intoxicating. Her eyes felt heavy, but she couldn't look away. He was beauty and sex all wrapped together.

  "Elena, you are in danger. You must hurry and find the chalice. Only then will I be able to protect you. Come to me, little bird."

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  Chapter Five

  Hauyna watched as his savior barely took in his warning. He couldn't tell her that her lover was out to kill her. Even with his abilities, he could not discern why her lover had lost his mind. He could just feel the evil that surrounded the man.

  As he watched her, he noticed that on this realm she was even more beautiful than in their dreams. His eyes took in her dirty appearance, but even that appealed to him. A light radiated around her, surrounding her with a halo of pure energy. Elena was a true gift. One he would never think he deserved unless you counted the many years he had put up with the total darkness of this curse. Maybe the gods were finally looking down on him.

  Elena's sexual desire for him burned him; he felt so lucky to have found her. He had to push that aside, fight against her powerful pull. Her clothes were a little different than his, but over the years he had watched how the times had changed. Only when he had connected with Elena was he able to truly see the changes in the world. It was all he had, but he took it. He was a starved man for the world outside. This damn curse is killing him. Or it was killing him. Then he had found Elena.

  Her dreams had connected with him because the images in her mind were so real. She had conjured his world, and they somehow called out to him. She had transported herself to South America and into his life. He later found out that her father had spent many years there and had told her multiple stories of the area. That could have been what connected them.

  "Can you tell me your name? I've been dying to know, but we've always been ... well ... preoccupied.” Her sweet voice broke through his thoughts. Every time she spoke, he felt the words rush through him, calming him, grounding him. He could listen to her forever.

  "I am Hauyna. I am a shaman of a small tribe that lived on the outskirts from the Inca's many years ago."

  The woman moved closer to him, and he fought the urge to step away. How could such a small woman scare him? For one, if she touched him, he was afraid he would lower her to ground and take her. This was time for information, not for sexual pleasure.

  As is eyes roamed over the clothes that hugged her body tightly, he couldn't stop his erection from pushing against the leather of his loincloth. He shifted his body so that she would not see the result of just being in her presence. He felt silly having to hide his desire.

  "Hauyna,” she whispered.

  He closed his eyes. No woman had said his name in four hundred years. It was almost too much for him to control his need for her, but he had to warn her to make her understand the danger she faced when she returned to her realm.

  His feet, of their own accord, moved forward until he stood just a few inches away from her.

  "I am warning you again. Go and be careful. I have to let you go now, little bird. You must return and find the chalice.” He waved his hands to break up the realm and return her when her voice broke through.

  "No, wait! Please. Tell me why the chalice is so important?” Her hand come up and touched his chest, and he hissed.

  Instantly, his hand covered hers, allowing the heat of her palm to seep into his flesh. He threw his head back and savored the moment. She felt so good. A little more real now. Her lips came down to his bare chest almost breaking his control. Her tongue darted out to taste him. He moaned. He could feel her strain for him, but he had to be in control. He had to stay in control.

  "Oh, little bird. You must go. Be careful.” Then he forced himself to return her. She was gone, and he was once again alone in his realm. In the realm where he was cursed to stay until he found the one who could drink from the chalice without harm. In his heart, he knew that she would be the one to save him.

  He cursed in his own language. He screamed out his frustration into the unmoving air around him. That damn shaman had found his tribe and cursed them. Where the other elders were, he didn't know. Maybe Dya had killed them and only cursed him into the chalice. The man was evil. Dya had been part of
his tribe and had trained under his hand. Then when he got older, he figured he could lead the tribe. But when he tried to take over, the other members shunned him and banished him from their city. Dya had returned a few years later with the darkness of evil tainting him. He brought down the whole tribe, saving Hauyna for last.

  The night had bound him to stillness while Dya weaved his curse, sending his spirit clinging to the golden ceremonial chalice. Dya had held the cup high into the air and laughed.

  Hauyna roared with anger as he recalled his past. The pain tore through him for not being able to save the tribe and not seeing the evil that Dya had hidden inside him. He thought he could save the boy, make him into a worthy male. It had killed him when the others had banished him, but somehow he had hoped it would make him grow up.

  He sat down on the hardened surface of his world, crossing his legs, and began to chant. Soon she would enter into her dream world, and he would be there. This time he wouldn't hold back his desire for her.

  * * * *

  Elena found herself on the dust-covered ground with her hands pressed firmly into the sand. Her head pounded, and her breathing seemed a little erratic as she sat up slowly.

  "What on earth?” It was still night, and the lights from the lamps still shone brightly across the earth. She looked over at the rock. Images began to flood her mind as she remembered her dream man. No, his name was Hauyna. She would be sure to use it. Elena loved the way it rolled off her tongue. It was so exotic and wild, just like the man.

  Shaking her head, she couldn't believe what had just happened. Had she somehow tripped and hit her head on the rock? Reaching up, she felt around her skull for any signs of blood or bumps. Nothing. It had felt real, but not quite. Could this man be real, somehow trapped in a different place?

  "This is crazy. How on earth could the man from my dreams be real? And what does he have to do with this chalice?"

  She shivered. Looking over the rock, she scooted closer and began to use her hand to brush around the edge of the rock. Something was definitely going on with this rock. It felt right that she was standing there in front it. The sand moved out of her way easily and, as the night grew darker, the edge of the rock got deeper and deeper. She found a hand shovel and began to work her way farther down along the edge. It looked like a normal rock, but inside she felt the vibrations from its energy. Something was down there. Elena began to dig without even realizing how passionate she had become about it. The dirt and sand flew around her.

  She began to dig deeper, faster. The cool air brushed over her skin, cooling the sweat that had accumulated. But she didn't care that it was getting cold; her only thoughts were of moving the sand away from the rock. Inside, she felt driven. Something down there was giving up powerful vibrations. That was always something she was able to feel in artifacts.

  Inch by inch turned into foot by foot, as she made her way down into the earth. Soon she was digging below the rock until it perched perilously on the ground. Elena didn't care. She felt like a starving woman trying to get to food, and the food was ten miles below the earth. The shovel kept moving the dirt out of her way one scoop at a time.

  Clink!

  Elena's breathing stopped. She had found something! She threw the shovel aside as she cautiously began to move the dirt away from the object with her fingertips and a small brush. Soon the shape of a box began to be revealed. Her heart pounded harder in her chest. Her adrenaline pumped wildly through her veins. This was it! She had found it. She knew she had!

  Once the dirt was moved away she saw that the box was brown with a dirty outline of gold. Elena found a handle and carefully pulled it from underneath the rock. The night had started to turn pink with the coming sun, but she didn't care that she had gone without sleep. Her treasure had finally been found. That was all that mattered. She knew it. She felt it.

  The box wasn't too heavy, so she grabbed it, taking it up to the top. She found the place where one of the lights could shine down, giving her the best angle of discovery. Her hands caressed the outer casing, feeling every curve and splinter along the wooden edges.

  "I can't believe this. But let's see, how do I get you open?” Turning the box to the front, she found a pick and carefully placed it between the cracks. The seal hissed with the rush of stale air as the top popped open, causing Elena to jump.

  She had found many items before but, with this one, she felt like a newly licensed archaeologist discovering her first treasure.

  Slowly, she pulled back the top and almost passed out. The gold glowed against the red velvet lining. It looked as if it had just been placed in there. Her eyes grew wide, and her breath came out fast. It was beautiful. Even the rubies glistened from the light of the lamps. It was exactly the image he had projected to her. Hauyna had shown her this discovery. He had somehow guided her to this place.

  With careful hands, she moved to pick up the cup. As she grasped the cup, an electrifying shock raced through her fingers, but she didn't let go. Instead, her hand clinched harder around the stem as if it had come alive and was forcing her to hold on to it. The current felt like raw power running inside her. She could feel it, like a living thing touching her nerve endings, her organs, her mind.

  Then the feeling eased and holding it wasn't uncomfortable. She looked inside, and another shock rocked her mind. Inside the cup there was liquid.

  "Oh, my God,” she whispered, and the liquid stirred from her breath.

  Drink.

  "What the hell is going on?"

  Drink the liquid.

  "Well, well, well."

  Elena jumped. The voice had startled her from her thoughts, and she dropped the cup to the ground. It clanked softly against the sand, but the liquid did not spill. Elena looked and the cup was empty. Just the gold from the bottom glowed up at her.

  "So you found it?"

  Elena turned quickly around, but she didn't see anyone. The hair on the back of her neck bristled, and she rubbed at it with a dirty hand, making the sand feel like sandpaper across her skin.

  "Who's there?"

  Only a laugh answered her. The sound wasn't pleasant, but instead made her skin crawl. Something familiar fluttered in her mind.

  "How could you forget me so easily ... Lena?"

  "Samuel?” She bent down to pick up the chalice.

  "Stop! Do not touch the cup again!” He yelled through the trees at her. She heard him moving, but couldn't really tell from what direction he was coming.

  "Samuel, what are you doing?” Elena kept her voice light, neither accusing nor threatening. She wasn't sure what she was up against with him. Why would he be here?

  Then he stepped from the trees. This man before her looked wild; his hair was sticking up and his eyes showing a glossy tint. Something wasn't right with him. He paced around the edge of the woods like a caged animal, looking at her, then at the dropped chalice.

  "Why are you here, Samuel?"

  "You know why I'm here, Elena. Your father had us looking in all the wrong places. He said he knew where it was; he said he knew.” Samuel stalked closer, then retreated a little as he looked down at the cup on the ground. His eyes fixated on it. It was as if he were a starved man and before him was a delicious cooked ham.

  Shaking her head, Elena took a deep breath to calm down. “Father wasn't looking for anything specific, Samuel."

  "Oh, yes. Yes, he was. Elena. He described that...” and he pointed down at the golden cup. It glistened, as if answering him. “Actually, it's more beautiful than he described, but that's it."

  Elena bent down to pick it up again, but Samuel rushed her, knocking her to the ground.

  "I said, don't pick it up! It's mine now. This will bring me my notoriety. I'll be the one all the others look up to. I will get the millions. Me, Elena. It should have been me years ago, but your Father always took the credit for the discovery. Not anymore,” the last he whispered as he slowly bent down to the ground to study the cup.

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  Chapter Six

  Hauyna felt it the moment Elena caressed the cup. He hadn't expected her to dig for it that night but was so pleased that she had felt compelled to do it. Maybe she wanted to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her. The feel of her hands around the stem of the cup felt as if she were wrapping her hands around his torso. He could feel the pulse of her heartbeat through her palm and wanted to snuggle deeper into her hold.

  After all the years he had endured in this living hell, he was now on the verge of the curse being broken. He would once again be in the arms of a real woman and feel all their magic flowing together. His little bird did have magic. A psychic link that she probably was not even sure she had, but he knew. He could feel the power she had suppressed all her life, and he would help her harness it.

  Hauyna felt the chalice fill with the liquid of his life. He knew if she would take one drink, he would be released into her world. A world he would have a lot to learn about. It was a little frightening to think about, but he knew that with Elena by his side, she could teach him all the things he needed to know.

  Just then he felt the cup falling. Her hand was no longer around him, but the cup plummeted to the earth and hit the sand, causing Hauyna to gasp with sudden shock. It felt as if the breath had been knocked out of his lungs.

  He heard Elena's voice, but couldn't make out what she was saying. Then he heard something else. No, it was someone else. A male voice. He sounded irritated. Hauyna could feel the vibrations of the people on the other side. Elena's voice was scared but was remaining calm. The other was agitated. The man was bothered and upset. Hauyna could feel the evil that poured from this individual. Not quite as evil as Dya had been, but evil was never a good thing in any strength. The man's voice rose in a warning, and Hauyna stood up to listen to the sounds and to feel the energies.

  He suddenly felt worried for Elena. This person's mental capacity had diminished, and all his reasoning was gone. He wanted the cup for his own monetary gain, and he would do anything to get it.