Authors: Traci Harding
Albray looked around, unable to believe Molier was nowhere to be seen.
‘You’re being paranoid, the sun is far too bright for Molier.’ Of that much I was sure.
Albray glanced to the horizon and spied something that bothered him.
I looked for the source of his concern to see storm clouds churning. ‘How long until that gets here?’
An hour perhaps?
‘Plenty of time to get in and out,’ I said, moving off toward the gateway, determined to deliver my charge without further delay.
My knight accompanied me into the darkness; we didn’t notice the four camels that descended to the gateway and follow us down the glistening red pathway.
At the entrance to the central chamber I was taken aback by the skeletal remains of a knight, and I realised at once that this was all that remained of my dear Albray.
I’ve seen better days.
Albray attempted to make light of the moment, but I realised how disturbing it must be for him, and so I did not stand and dwell on the tragedy.
‘The best of you still lives on,’ I replied, turning my attention to the spectacular chamber that was revealed in the light of my torch. ‘You could have picked worse places to dwell for eternity.’ My heart leapt into my throat at the sight. I felt such excitement at penetrating this ancient, sacred place that was still in immaculate condition. Now I truly understood Lord Hamilton’s obsession with this site and why men had died to prevent its discovery and subsequent desecration.
I walked past the round canals that circled the chamber, down the entrance path that led to the crossroad of red, to approach the pillars that supported a beautiful golden dome. These huge columns depicted goddesses of the Egyptian pantheon. I was truly mystified by the artistry, which appeared to be as pristine and brilliant as the day it had been worked. In the centre of these four amazing pillars was a round platform where the red pathway extended out in the four cardinal directions. To one side of me was a white-pillared annexe; to the other an identical annexe with pillars of red at its entrance. Directly ahead was a large arched gold door. ‘A sacred Ark could lie behind those doors,’ I thought out loud, ‘that could grant passage to another realm of existence.’
And you are one of the few mortals on this Earth who could activate the porthole without fatal results,
Albray commented.
Are you tempted?
‘With a storm massing in the distance, and Molier’s whereabouts unknown…?’ I brushed off the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, inwardly regretting that circumstances were not in my favour. Only the goddess knew what such exposure would do to my unborn babe. ‘I think not. I am all
for getting these vials back where they belong and retreating as fast as possible.’
A wise decision,
Albray confirmed, smiling proudly at my restraint.
I moved toward the Fire-Stone’s annexe and had not even cleared the dome when several gusts of a suspect, chilly wind rushed past me and around the chamber. I halted, put on guard by this development.
The vial,
Albray urged me.
Now!
I was so rattled by the sudden negative atmosphere in the chamber that I complied with Albray’s instruction and, in my panic, I consumed rather more of the Star vial substance than I had to date.
My inner being seemed to explode with bright light that was just as inwardly blinding as the dispersal of the gate had been to my external sight. The world beyond my own being vanished, and I felt myself propelled into a timeless, weightless void of pure peace, contentment and love. I struggled to hold on to this vast, all-knowing, all-loving feeling, more exciting than any ancient knowledge, discovery or experience I had witnessed since birth. I felt connected to the answer I had been ceaselessly chasing all my life…
What is god? And what in the heavens was the Almighty thinking, placing me in this era?
The answer was just as the Bible had always claimed: god is love, the bliss and contentment that is the inspiration of creation. The divine was the birth of every new and constructive contribution in the evolution of life.
You must return to me. I need you now,
a male voice instructed. Although the message was clear, the source sounded far away. I felt I should recognise this voice. Was it that of my knight?
Albray!
The recollection of him brought me rocketing back to my senses. To my great relief, the situation had not altered. Albray seemed no more alarmed than he had when I’d left him. I could only assume that my little trip to heaven had been momentary.
Thanks for calling me back to reality, Albray,
I bethought my knight, as we both warily eyed the spaces beyond the central golden dome.
Did you go somewhere?
he replied uneasily.
Now that I thought about it, the voice had not been Albray’s, and yet not entirely unfamiliar.
Well, if you did not order my return from my ecstatic state, then who
—
?
My thoughts turned briefly to my son. Could it have been him? I
need you now,
the voice had said, and it was hardly like Albray to need me consciously present. More the other way around, really.
I gasped when I saw the shoes, attached to legs, attached to the rest of their bodies, floating down to stand in front of all four pathways that led from the dome—there was one man per direction. I recognised Molier, and Mr Jenkins from the Arsenal Library. Mr Jenkins’ light-body had quite a few more dark patches than when last I’d seen him…his undead status was obviously a recent development.
It seems Molier has been initiating others.
I drew my sword as Albray backed up toward me, preparing to enter my form.
But we have the vial?
Albray didn’t understand.
‘The vial is self-filling.’ Molier answered our unspoken query, exposing the fact that he could perceive Albray’s presence. ‘I have enough barrels of the Fire-Stone stashed away to keep a small army going for a century!’ His eyes turned red, and he drew his sword. I noted that he carried a pistol on his belt
also. Clearly his choice of weapon was for Albray’s benefit—a sentimental gesture of challenge. ‘And now that you are going to release both keys into my possession, my days of darkness and dependence on the Fire-Stone substance shall be over.’
‘There is nothing here that can save you from damnation.’ All I had to do was look at him to see how heavily the events of his abnormally long life weighed on his spirit.
Molier laughed in the face of my confidence, and started to walk toward me. ‘I love the way you can say that, having only just set foot in this temple for the first time. Whereas I spent six hundred years trapped in this place!’ His raised voice conveyed his unhappiness at this fact. ‘And, unlike anyone else who has stepped foot in this temple since it was abandoned by Moses, I have deciphered every hieroglyph and studied every artwork by the red glow of the Fire-Stone. I can assure you that as far as man’s use of this site is concerned, there are a few hidden clauses.’
Albray stepped into my form and I felt his powerful presence take control of my physical body. He raised our weapon to block Molier’s attack.
I had never been so glad to arrive anywhere as I was to arrive at the plateau atop Mt Serâbit. I knew I had the gruelling journey back through the stifling desert heat to endure, but at least I could be assured that the journey was half over. Even my lightest long-sleeved frock was not appropriate for these conditions, but since other Frankish women in the East managed to maintain their dignity and countenance, so could I. I did not feel comfortable
dressing as the Arab women did, and could not dress as a man; I just didn’t have Ashlee’s daring or social abandon.
Our party arrived to find ten or so heavily laden camels, and the round gateway leading to the Star-Fire Temple open.
As Mr Devere jumped from his mount, Cingar ran to meet him. ‘Praise the Great Mother you have arrived. I thought you’d never catch up!’ The gypsy confessed to keeping the pace of his journey as slow as possible in the hope that Devere might be able to make up the distance between them. ‘I delayed the opening of the gate long enough—’ Cingar glanced to the gateway and was surprised to find it open. ‘Perhaps not,’ he was forced to concede, as he scratched his head. ‘Well, I guess that might explain where the missing camels disappeared to, at least.’
‘What missing camels?’ Lord Malory came to stand beside Devere.
Cingar told us of the four strays they’d encountered upon arrival and of how he had feared they might belong to bandits. This also explained why he was not aware that Ashlee had already managed to open and enter the temple.
Something our party had failed to fathom was how Molier, intolerant to sunlight, could possibly travel into the middle of the desert. The only solution to his problem, we imagined, was that he would have to travel by night. We could not guess where he might seek shelter by day, but we had assumed that he was no threat during the daylight hours.
‘Of course.’ Lord Malory had to restrain himself from cursing in my presence. ‘It has been suggested that vampires, if they drink the blood of an animal,
can then assume its form! Perhaps the camel’s form has protected Molier during his journey through the desert.’
‘But there are four missing camels, you said?’ Mr Devere directed the query at Cingar, and when the gypsy nodded his head, the concern of all increased.
‘The creature has increased its number.’ Malory was clearly horrified by the prospect. ‘We must destroy them all.’
Lord Devere, Mr Devere, Lord Malory and Cingar drew their weapons. They were all armed with swords in addition to their pistols, as no bullet could kill our adversaries.
‘If what you say about these creatures is true, then they all possess the strength of ten men!’ I objected.
‘She’s right,’ Lord Malory conceded. ‘We need the Fire vial, for at least three of us could drink from it and even up the odds a little.’
‘I couldn’t possibly.’ Lord Devere was repulsed by the notion.
‘It’s amazing what you’ll do when your life is at stake,’ Malory challenged.
‘We have backup.’ Mr Devere gestured to Malory’s men. ‘They can surround the entrance and ensure nothing escapes.’
‘Torches.’ Cingar ordered the Bedouins to oblige his request with the greatest haste.
‘Not for us,’ Mr Devere decreed. ‘We need the cover of darkness if we hope to surprise them. I know the layout of the temple. It was detailed in Hereford’s journal.’ At another thought, Mr Devere added: ‘Have torches lit for Lord Malory’s men.’
‘So I am just expected to wait here, I suppose?’ I folded my arms, annoyed that I could not wield a
sword. ‘I’ll have you know I’m not a bad shot with a hunting rifle.’
‘That’s good to hear.’ Devere handed me his pistol. ‘I need you to operate the lever.’
‘No.’ My lord flatly rejected the idea. ‘Get one of Malory’s men to do it.’
Mr Devere’s expression was dark—he was obviously not keen on the suggestion nor was he eager to state why, openly.
‘My dear pupil does not entirely trust his brothers any more,’ Malory explained.
‘But I do trust your wife,’ my brother-in-law told his brother.
Lord Devere did not have to ponder for long to realise he had to agree with his brother. ‘The lever is right by the door,’ he supposed. ‘So, as soon as you execute your part, you are to return out here in the greatest of haste.’
‘Of course,’ I assured him. Anything to get a look inside this great temple of mystique.
Molier was better with a sword than anyone Albray and I had challenged to date, but then he’d had centuries to perfect his skill. He was cautious of the torch in my hand, until he managed to nick the hand that held it and the torch dropped to the floor. He was also exceedingly strong and when we locked swords, Molier thrust me clear off my feet, then willed my sword into his possession. The extent of Molier’s psychic aptitude took both Albray and myself off guard.
‘Give me the keys,’ our antagonist requested, the tone of his voice smug with victory. ‘I’ve killed you
once, Devere. Would you have me sacrifice this
woman
due to your stubbornness?’
I felt Albray’s resolve weaken and yet I was truly fuming, insulted not to be considered a threat. How dare this man be so arrogant in a temple of the goddess! Obviously, this pathetic creature was not aware that I’d had a bit of experience with psychophysics myself. I dispelled Albray from my form as I rose to stand and confront Molier’s extended sword.
Molier smiled, believing that I was submitting.
I smiled too, noting the other three members of Molier’s party closing in on me, swords drawn.
I cast my mind back to my darkest hour—a memory I had always done my best to repress. I realised in this moment that my reluctance to return to the asylum tower of the Black Rose was not fear of reliving my abandonment to the devices of such an evil man. What I feared was my own destructive potential, which I had not dared to unleash since that day. I knew that the child victims of Dr Rosen had achieved their revenge thanks to my underdeveloped and untrained psychic talent; the ability to control physical matter I had only temporarily lent to those dispossessed souls so that the murders might be stopped.
Trembling, I gathered my will unto me, drawing on the mastery of my mighty foremothers. My arms were crossed at my chest, and I abruptly thrust them, palm out, away from my body, whereupon all four of my attackers were sent rocketing backwards.
Molier, who was directly before me, was impaled on a sword, and as he dropped to his knees, I saw my dear Mr Devere at the handle of the debilitating stroke. As I turned full circle I saw that the same
fate had befallen Molier’s three accomplices, for all had been struck dead-centre in the chest and their spinal cords severed. It was only Molier who was still moving, for his injury was just right of centre.
‘The lever,’ Mr Devere cued Susan, who was standing by the control at the door.
Molier released a strange unearthly sound and, raising himself to standing, he walked forward to relieve himself of the sword through his chest. Then he turned to Susan, who seemed mesmerised. ‘Back away from that lever, Lady Devere…there’s a good woman.’