As Cait spoke, Gene edged his way between her and Corrado, gripping the grenades tightly in his hands.
Corrado became furious, seeing Adrian’s indecision, and fire erupted from his hands as he howled in anger. The cavern shook, and Adrian seemed to come out of his stupor. He glared at Corrado as a big brother would when seeing his little brother getting into trouble. Adrian still had compassion for him. Cait could feel it and knew this would probably be what doomed humanity.
“He is my brother, and for all of his faults, I can’t believe he would betray me. We’ve been here for so long together; each other is all we have left. No, I will not listen to your words.”
Corrado smiled, sensing he was winning the battle that raged in Adrian’s mind. “Yes, brother. All I have is you, and all you have is me. Now you see that I am trying to protect you as I have always done. I will end this for you right now to spare you the pain.”
As Corrado raised his hands to strike, Gene threw the grenades at his minion, who stood poised to do his bidding. They both struck their target as the beast screamed in pain.
“You and Drew go!” shouted Gene, pulling another grenade from his tactical vest. “I’ll hold them off as long as I can. Get to the tomb. Maybe there’s still a chance.”
Cait knew what he was doing was suicide and that he was sacrificing himself for them. She also knew he was right; they had to make it into the tomb. With one final look at Cait that said everything, Gene ran toward Corrado with his rifle firing and throwing a grenade. She lost sight of him in the bright light that erupted from the creature and Corrado.
“C’mon! We have to go!” shouted Drew, pulling her toward the opening. She eased in and began to climb the rock ladder. Drew took one last look at the fury that was taking place around him. He could no longer see Gene, but he saw Corrado’s minion approaching fast.
“No! This is my decision!” screamed Adrian as fire erupted from his hands as he ordered his servant forward to deal with the disobedience of Corrado’s minion. The beasts engaged in a furious battle, their tentacles searing through rock as they swung furiously. Fire blasted from their mouths as they fought, melting everything around them.
The rock ceiling began to collapse above him as Drew took one last look around for his friend, but he knew it was hopeless. He stepped into the opening of the escape stone and began to climb, unable to see Cait up above him. The shaking almost made him lose his grip several times, but he continued upward for what seemed like an eternity. He called for Cait but doubted she could hear him through the earth-shattering noise below. The violence of the battle below him was intensifying based on the sounds that got even louder as the rock vibrated. He could feel the stone ladder, which he desperately gripped, shake as the creatures tore through just inches below his feet. He watched as the cylindrical stone chamber below him fell into the glowing red mass of the creatures below.
Cait looked below for Drew but saw nothing but dust and debris. She called desperately for him but got no response. Finally, as the ear-splitting noise was at a deafening climax, she saw Drew emerge from the stones’ opening. She grabbed for his hand as what was left of the escape stone fell into the chaos below.
“Are you okay?” she asked as she pulled him to safety.
“I think so,” said Drew, looking terrified.
“What about Gene? Did you see what happened to him?” she shouted desperately over the cacophony below, knowing there wasn’t much of a chance.
Drew just shook his head, signifying there was little hope for their friend. The sound from the battle below began to fade into the distance, and soon all was eerily quiet. He embraced Cait, who buried her head in his chest, mourning Gene and feeling the enormous loss of her father and her friend.
“What the hell happened?” asked Drew, as he brushed her hair aside tenderly.
“I suspect the battle is still raging either in the pit or off in the distance. Adrian is confused. I can feel it. He doesn’t understand how Corrado was able to turn his minion against him. While he deals with that, we have a bit more time.”
“Time to do what?” asked Drew as he pulled two flares from his vest, lit them, and handed one to Cait.
“Let’s find out,” she said, shining the light ahead. A small stone hallway opened up into a large room almost totally adorned in gold. The walls glistened as the light reflected back at them. Images of a beautiful queen were cast in gold along every surface. Massive statues honored Khaheet’s beauty in an almost perfect depiction. The ceiling had one massive image only, of Khaheet’s face looking down. They were by far the most spectacular things they had ever seen in their many years as archaeologists and as human beings.
“This is incredible,” said Drew, using his flare to light several torches along the walls. “If it wasn’t for the fact that this is probably the end of the world, we’d be looking at the most spectacular archaeological find ever discovered. This makes King Tut’s tomb look like public housing.”
As the last of the torches were lit, they exposed a large pedestal in the middle of the room. A gold coffin depicting Khaheet’s sleeping form sat atop a massive, elaborately carved marble base. It was exactly as Cait had seen in her visions. Khaheet’s image was again a perfect representation of her as she was in life. Rubies, emeralds, and diamonds formed a spectacular perimeter around the sarcophagus.
“I’ve never seen you so lost for words,” said Drew, watching as Cait ran her hands along Khaheet’s face. She felt the love and desperation that Khaheet had for Adrian and the fear she felt of what would become of him if her plan failed.
“I’ve been here before,” she said, staring forward. Chills ran down her back as she recalled Adrian’s anguish thousands of years ago while Khaheet was laid to rest. “I watched as Adrian and Corrado paid their last tribute to her. I saw Corrado murder his servant in cold blood to hide his betrayal,” she said looking to the crumbled bones of Setenisi that lay beside them. “And I saw this,” said Cait, pointing to the date emblazoned on the front of Khaheet’s tomb.
“Oh my God!” gasped Drew as he knelt in front of the tomb, running his fingers across the cold stone. “It’s today—the awakening was—is going to happen today no matter what.” Drew lowered his head, looking defeated. Cait saw that the hopelessness of the situation was finally starting to take its toll on him—and she was beginning to feel the exhaustion as well.
“Yes,” said Cait, kneeling beside him and putting her hands gently on his shoulders. “Unless we’re able to stop it, humanity’s fate was decided over four thousand years ago. This is where Adrian’s promise to her ends. She’d hoped he’d find himself by now and return to the light. He probably would have if not for Corrado’s influence.”
Drew stood, looking determined. It wasn’t in his nature to wallow in despair, and he certainly wasn’t giving up. Cait could see the look on his face and she knew it well.
“What is it, Drew?” she asked, standing beside him.
“Kirby’s journal—do you still have it?” he asked urgently.
“Yes, it’s right here,” she said, pulling it from her pocket and caressing the soft leather cover as she recalled with anguish how Kirby had tossed it to her before he fell to his death.
“If we can’t stop this,” said Drew, “we’ll need to get the hell out of here pretty fast. Your father shared Hagiel’s escape plan with me, and I think we started to figure it out. I don’t think that was just a coincidence. I suspect he might have known it might come to this. I just need to find the first stone of the escape chamber.”
She handed him the book, and he thumbed through it while holding a small flashlight in his mouth as he frantically searched for pages containing clues to the entry point. After a few minutes, he found the ancient writing Kirby had shown him earlier. Cait watched as he would read a passage, close his eyes, and then move on to the next. This was a memorization technique he’d often used in t
he past, and she knew he was already planning their escape. While he continued studying the book, Cait’s expression turned dour as she walked languidly toward the large image of Khaheet on the far wall. She felt as if she was being pulled into one of her visions, but this was different. Even through the fog that was filling her thoughts, this felt more real than anything else she’d experienced.
“It is time, Cait,” said Khaheet as her image came to life and she took human form, her silhouette bathed in a vibrant white glow. The light faded gradually, and Khaheet stood before her. She was dressed as she had been thousands of years ago. Her long black hair was cut perfectly straight around her face as it fell just above her shoulders. She wore a gold and ivory diadem that had shimmering jewels hanging from it. Her features were stunning, especially her large brown eyes. And Cait knew this was the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen. She couldn’t distinguish whether the beauty was from Khaheet’s appearance alone or from the glow of the pristine light that still surrounded her.
“What must I do?” Cait asked, still consumed in her trancelike state.
“He’s angry and uncertain—tortured by memories of the past and shrouded in confusion by Corrado’s treachery. He’s more vulnerable than he’s ever been in his entire existence. This is our last chance to save him, or I fear he might give in to his bitterness, and then he’ll be lost forever. He’ll be beyond my ability to help, and humanity will pay the price.”
Khaheet reached out and gently caressed Cait’s face as a mother would comfort a child. “I’m so scared,” said Cait as she knelt in front of Khaheet. “I’m afraid for my friends and for Drew. I’m heartbroken over my father. You’ve shown me the light, and I know it will be okay in the end, but my courage is leaving me.”
She thought of Kirby and all of the times he had helped her find the strength to go on. He had always been there for her through the many tragedies that she’d faced in her life. She thought of her precious dog, Lady, her mother, and Tom as a single tear fell from her eye and landed on the thin layer of sand that covered the stone floor beneath her. One constant flowed through each of those memories–—the tender caring and unending love of her father. Now that he was gone, she felt lost and alone.
“He’s still with you,” said Khaheet, helping her to stand. She looked at Cait with her mesmerizing brown eyes and spoke softly. “In the same way that I showed you Tom is still with you. Try to focus your heart as you did before.”
Cait closed her eyes and felt a cold chill run up her spine. From the spot of her tear, a whirlwind originated and began spinning faster and faster as it grew larger in size and intensity. It sparkled brightly as if made of thousands of particles of sand and gold flakes, with a soft glow illuminating from its center. She stepped back cautiously and looked back at Drew, who was still studying the journal. This must all be happening in her mind, she thought, as he seemed to be oblivious to Khaheet’s presence and the growing vortex of light that spiraled swiftly before her.
As the shimmering tornado dissipated, the brightness intensified as Cait squinted to see the light coalesce into what appeared to be a human form. All at once, the brilliant glow faded and her father stood before her. Not old and frail as he’d become over the years, but young, as he was the day he stood over her on the road as she wept over Lady. The same soft glow radiated from him as it did Khaheet. It was clear to her that Kirby and Khaheet were both now from the same place.
“Don’t be afraid, my precious daughter,” said Kirby—his voice powerful and vibrant as it reverberated—as if he was speaking in a large hall. “I’m here with you now, and my spirit will be with you forever. There will come a day when you’ll be here with us.”
“I’m so sorry, Father,” she said with a sob as Kirby reached out his hand and caressed her face, just as Khaheet had done earlier. “I’m so sorry you had to die to save me. I miss you so much already.”
“I love you, Cait. I’m alive in you, and my love for you can’t be killed. Don’t you see, my daughter? Love and sacrifice are your greatest weapons against this evil. It’s so pure and at the heart of all things. I see that now. They can’t destroy it. They can only deny it, but it’s more powerful than anything they can bring upon the world. Forget the weapons you brought with you. They’re useless now. Remember the silver box? It was love in its purest form. That’s why Corrado couldn’t go near it. Harness the love you feel inside, and trust it above all else. Your heart and soul can hold more of that love than any box ever could.”
Cait embraced the image of her father even though she could not feel his physical body. Khaheet stepped forward, smiling as the energy of their love filled all three with a power she couldn’t explain. She watched as Khaheet’s expression changed to one of great concern as she released the embrace of her father.
“He’s coming now—they are coming,” said Khaheet, stepping back. “Remember, he’s angry and is free to make the choice. We’ll be with you no matter what happens.”
Kirby smiled, and all at once their images faded as the ground trembled, knocking Cait to the ground. She looked up to see a blinding red flash as Adrian and Corrado appeared on opposite sides of the room. Adrian’s eyes glowed red and were filled with fury as he stood, his body bathed in flame. She watched in horror as red light shot from Adrian’s hands, sending Drew airborne across the room as he helplessly smashed against the base of the far wall, dislodging a large stone. She could see he was unconscious as Adrian walked over to finish him off. She dived behind a pillar as Corrado raised his hands, and his red flame missed the target, shattering the pillar into thousands of pieces.
Her heart raced as she tried to control her fear and remember what Khaheet and her father had said. Her heart ached as she knew Drew only had seconds and was still unconscious. Blood dripped from her face as the shrapnel from the shattered stone tore through her forehead.
“You should not have betrayed me, Cait!” said Adrian as he walked slowly toward Drew’s crumpled body. “I’ve had enough betrayal for one lifetime,” he said, glancing furiously at Corrado, who bowed his head in feigned shame.
Knowing she had only seconds, she jumped from behind the remains of the pillar and sprinted toward Drew. Corrado once again shot flame from his hands that impacted the floor beneath her, exploding more rock and sand into the air. She felt her feet leave the ground, and she was somersaulting uncontrollably toward Drew. In a split second, her mind went back to her days riding horses in Colorado and the many times she’d been thrown from a young stallion she was trying to break. There was a proper way to fall to avoid breaking one’s neck, and she’d been forced to do it more than once. She tucked her head, braced her right shoulder and rolled to a stop, placing herself between Adrian and Drew.
Adrian hesitated for a few seconds, confused at the sacrifice she was making for him. Part of him envied the love he knew she must have felt for him. He’d forgotten what that felt like but couldn’t find mercy in his heart to stop. He lowered his hands, still looking unsure. “Then you will both meet your fate together,” he said as he and Corrado both raised their hands as the concentrated red light and flame shot forward from their fingertips. As much as Corrado was clearly in trouble for his betrayal, he still mustered up a look of arrogant victory as he stared at Cait.
She closed her eyes and fought beyond her fear to try and channel the love she’d felt minutes ago. If this was to be their end, she didn’t want to give Corrado the satisfaction of knowing she was terrified. She remembered Kirby’s words about love and that there was more power in her heart than any box could hold. She fought to find the place within her soul that held this energy. As her fear faded, pure love began to permeate her being. She looked down at Drew and felt her love for him. She felt the love from all of the others that waited for her in the light. They were feeding her in a way she couldn’t comprehend, but she knew they were with her no matter what. She understood how all beings were joined by this bond of pure
love; you only had to know where to find it in yourself and channel it to others. There was no more fear or uncertainty. As the flame was about to strike her, she stood defiantly, still protecting and sacrificing herself for Drew. Her heart reached out to his like two hands intertwining as she channeled her love through him.
Chapter 25
Silence fell over the cavern that just moments before had echoed with the cacophony of shattering stone and splintering marble. Cait tried to gather her senses as she lay upon the cold cavern floor. As her vision cleared, she could see two forms in the distance lying motionless. She fought through the haze that still filled her mind to make sense of this. “Am I dead?” she asked herself in her mind. The last thing she recalled was putting herself between Drew and her attackers.
“Drew!” she shouted in desperation as she tried to find him. As her vision cleared, she once again noticed the forms in the distance beginning to move slowly. The forms were Adrian and Corrado, somehow immobilized from the events of the last few minutes, but now recovering. “Drew!” she shouted again, hoping to hear his steady, calm voice telling her it would be okay. She began digging through the rubble of stone and sand and found Drew’s leg under the pile. She frantically uncovered his torso and head and held his lifeless body in her arms. She struggled to breathe life back into him as she pressed her lips to his. Tears flowed heavy as the reality set in. Drew was dead.
Cait sobbed uncontrollably as she brushed the debris from his face and hair. She pulled him close and felt the same anguish as she had with the loss of Tom and her father. In seconds she relived all of the tragedies of the loss of those she loved most in her life. For a moment, her mind took her back as she stared at her dog, Lady, lying lifeless in the street. The vision then switched to the train station the moment she knew Tom was never coming back. She recalled the loss of her mother at such a young age. Finally, she watched in slow motion as Kirby fell to his death below her. The pain was unbearable, and sobs turned to howls of agony. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Adrian pull himself up, still disoriented. She didn’t care; death would be a welcome relief from the grief that had overtaken her.
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