His Lost Mate (A Steamy Paranormal Romance Novel) (19 page)

She ignored the possible implied comments. “Do you need a hand, Jim?”

“No, Miss Lauren, I almost got it.” Jim struck a match and soon a blazing fire crackled and tossed glowing embers into the darkening sky.

“Where did you find dry firewood? It’s been raining all afternoon,” Lauren said.

“I keep a stash stored in the shed out behind the kitchen.” Jim picked up his guitar, sat on a canvas stool and started picking out a tune.

Justin and Kyle pulled their chairs close to Jim, listening intently to his version of the Eagles. Sylvia arrived and sat down on the far side of the campfire, sipping coffee and staring into the flickering flames. Her expression was weary and distant.

A light breeze creaked through the tall trees as radiating streaks of orange in the clouds deepened to carnelian, then purple and then blackness flooded the sky. Thankful for the company of brilliant stars, Lauren tried not to think how engulfed in blackness the jungle would be on a starless night.

Insects and other night creatures scurried in the leaves and murmured their chants. Lauren loved to listen to the sounds of the jungle, especially at night. It was so alive, even more so after the sun went down. The sounds were different at night and louder.

Lauren sighed deeply. Despite her uneasiness about her experiences, she thought she was finally settling into her new home.

Lauren glanced at Deven’s tent, his light was on and every once in a while she saw his shadow flicker across the canvas walls. Was he going to be in there all evening?

“He has reports to write up,” Margaret said as if she read Lauren’s mind. Margaret dragged her chair next to Lauren’s and lowered her voice so the others couldn’t hear. “We never had a chance to finish our talk. I’ve been thinking about your vision on the top of the Temple of the Two-Headed Snake. Very interesting and extremely disturbing. I’m sure you have some connection to the past. You shouldn’t let it upset you. These visions can’t harm you. Have you had any other visions since then?”

Lauren hesitated.

“It’s all right, dear, feel free to talk to me. Maybe there’s a reason you’re experiencing this phenomenon.”

Lauren sighed and began slowly. “Back at the hotel, I think I saw a ghost in my room. He looked like an ancient Mayan shaman with the headdress and all. The odd thing is the ghost is the same man who is in my dreams.”

“Hmmm.” Margaret sat back in her chair.

“What does it mean?”

“I don’t know, dear. Tell me more about your dreams.” Her tone was comforting and put Lauren at ease.

“They’re strange and vivid. I’m a Mayan woman from ancient times in the dreams and a shaman warns me about danger, urging me to escape with another man, a warrior. There seems to be some urgency about leaving the village. The dreams are very emotional. I feel the panic and terror. It’s like one of those dreams where you are trying to run because someone is chasing you, but you feel like you’re wading through molasses.”

“I sometimes have dreams like that. So do you escape?”

“I don’t know. Each dream is like a continuation of a traumatic story. I haven’t gotten to the escape part. I’ll let you know how it turns out.” Lauren laughed—a faint, strained sound, trying to lighten the conversation. “Except the dream last night was different, not part of the escape story.”

“How’s that?”

“I followed the shaman into the jungle and he pointed out two stelae standing next to an isolated pyramid. One stela had a carving of the maize god on top and four vertical rows of glyphs beneath. The shaman told me that my jade owl is buried there. He said I needed to uncover it for my protection.”

Margaret looked off into the forest and thought for a moment. “Interesting.”

“That’s not the most interesting part. I think I walked in my sleep last night. I woke up this morning wearing my clothes and boots. And my legs were all cut up. I don’t remember leaving my tent.”

Margaret frowned. “That’s worrisome. The jungle is a dangerous place to be wandering around at night.”

Lauren’s head buzzed with adrenaline from reliving the dream. She suddenly had second thoughts about confiding in her. “Will you tell Deven?”

“Not if you don’t want me to. I think you should tell him yourself. We may have to secure you in your tent somehow to prevent any more nocturnal strolls.”

“I can put something in front of my tent door that I would trip over. Then I would wake up. I’ve never sleepwalked before, so maybe it was a one-time thing.” Lauren stared into the blazing campfire and inhaled the resin-scented smoke. She remembered the sexual dream with the handsome warrior at the pond. Her heart skipped a beat thinking about Kayab touching her while they embraced in the warm tropical pond. It was a dream, a lovely sensuous one. She could indulge in her fantasies if she liked. Maybe Deven’s kisses were invading her dreams.

“There must be a reason for your lucid dreams.” Margaret didn’t look at her, only stared up into the star-filled sky. “I’m still leaning toward a past-life experience. I’m not sure. I’ll have to meditate on it. Write down your dreams and experiences immediately after they occur, while the memories are fresh. Talk to me if you have any more. And try not to worry.”

“I’m not worried. Thanks, Margaret, I’ll keep you posted.”

“Tomorrow, Jim will be coming out with us to the excavation site. He’s hoping to meet with the Lacandons and do some trading. Deven’s taking Sylvia to the museum and will run some errands in town.”

A tug of disappointment pulled at her gut. Deven wouldn’t be at the camp all day.

“This time we’ll have Jim with us as an interpreter if we cross paths with the Lacandons again,” Margaret said. “I still have to show you those other ruins. Although the pyramid is not excavated, the energy there is powerful and incomparable to other sites. There’s something there that I believe might shed some light to the meaning to your dreams. I’m curious to see your impression.”

The watchful presence of a million stars filled the night sky. The longer Lauren stared at the brilliant specks, the more they seemed to multiply. Still, the sparkling ornaments offered little light in the jungle. Lauren shook herself to clear her head and gripped her pink-handled trowel. Gently, she began to dig bits of earth from around her piece of pottery. It was almost free. She placed the trowel on the ground and used her hands to brush away the remaining soil holding the artifact to the ground.

“You can lift it now, Cimi.” Muan stood next to her as she removed the piece from the hole.

Lauren looked up at him and smiled. “It’s a beautiful piece, so well preserved.”

“I can remember when you painted it. You were so proud of this vessel. You made it for me right after your mother traveled to the divine kingdom. Look, some of the design remains.” His large, weathered hands pointed to the intricate pattern. “The Moon goddess sits on a crescent moon holding a rabbit.”

“I remember giving it to you,” she carefully held the pottery in her hand and examined it.

“Cimi, if you dig deeper you will find something else.”

“The jade owl?”

“No, the maize god guards the owl.”

“Then what else is here?”

“My chisel. The one I used to carve the stela.”

She glanced at the stone structures at the base of Devil’s Pyramid. “Which one did you carve?”

He ignored her question. “It’s time to go, Cimi. Remember the chisel. It’s important for you to remember, my daughter. You must find the jade owl and free it from the earth. It will protect you. Your life and the lives of your companions are in danger.”

“In danger from what? Muan, I don’t understand.”

“You have to go back now. Unearth the owl, Cimi.”

“ I don’t know where it is.”

“The owl will find you. The maize god protects it now.”

Muan disappeared. Lauren’s skin tingled with the swirling electric current in the air. Despite Muan’s ominous warning, she felt calm, but her mind was foggy and her legs wobbled when she stood. The darkness of the jungle closed in around her and she suddenly felt exposed and vulnerable. As quickly as the darkness would allow, she ran toward the camp.

* * *

Deven awoke from a restless sleep. He thought he heard footsteps. Probably one of the guards. The two guards stayed in one of the spare tents. One patrolled El Zotz during the day and the other one at night. He checked his watch. The luminous dial read three a.m. He rolled over in his cot, hoping to catch a couple more hours of sleep. But the footsteps came closer and sounded odd, someone was running. He got up and looked out his tent.

Lauren jogged across the compound, her head down, blonde hair covering her face. “What the…” Deven jumped into his shorts and rushed out to her. “Lauren, what are you doing out here? It’s three in the morning.”

She slowed to a walk, not answering him. Didn’t she hear him? He grabbed her arm and made her stop. “Lauren,” he said louder.

She lifted her head. “Deven? What is it?”

“What are you doing out here? It’s not a good idea for you to be out here alone. Were you heading to the restroom?”

“I…I don’t remember. I guess so.”

“Have you seen the guard?”

“No. What time did you say?” she asked dreamily.

“Three o’clock. Do you want me to walk you to the bathhouse?”

“No thanks, I’ll be fine. I’ll be right back.” The dreamy slur to her words worried him. She looked around, up at the sky, then directly into his eyes. Her eyes had a glassy look like her thoughts were miles away.

When she returned from the bathhouse, Deven asked, “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, just tired. Sorry to wake you.” As she turned toward her tent, Deven saw a shadow move at the edge of the jungle. “There’s the guard. Why didn’t he stop you?” He looked closer at the silhouette of the man then froze. “That’s not one of the guards,” he whispered as he grabbed her arm.

An intruder. The realization pumped hot adrenaline through his veins. Who was he? It was too dark to make out details, but he noticed that the man held a long object in his hand.

A gun? He couldn’t tell. Damn, his own pistol was in his tent. While keeping his gaze on the man, Deven slowly pulled Lauren to his side, maneuvering himself between her and the stranger. He put his arm tightly across her shoulders.

“What’s wrong?” She gripped his arm.

“Stay calm. We have an intruder.”

“Where?” Lauren’s voice quivered.

“Shhh, he’s over by the path.” Deven squinted. What was he wearing on his head? Never mind. He needed to alert the guards and Jim. The man could have comrades. “We need to go to my tent so I can get my gun.”

She looked behind Deven toward the path. She clapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh my God.”

“Stay close to me. Let’s go, quietly.”

She put her arm around his waist as he led her to his tent. When they were inside, he sat her down on his cot, then picked up his pistol and double-checked that it was loaded.

“Stay here, I’ll be right back.”

“Wait.” She grabbed for his hand.

“It’s okay. I’ve been trained for this sort of thing. I have to find the guards and Jim. We’ll need to check this guy out and search the area.” He looked outside, but the man was gone. “I don’t see him. He must have gone back into the jungle. I’ll be right back and tell you what we find. Don’t leave.”

Deven scanned the perimeter of the camp, but didn’t see any movement. The intruder could be hidden at the edge of the woods and watching him. He strained to hear over the breeze rustling through the trees and the whirring of insects. He couldn’t detect the sounds of someone wandering through the woods.

He trotted across the field to the CUB. Inside, one of the guards was sitting at a table drinking coffee. “Andreas, go wake up your partner, there’s an intruder in the camp.” When Andreas hesitated, Deven repeated his words in Spanish.

Andreas jumped to his feet. “Intruder? Where?”

“By the path leading to the dig.”

Andreas picked up his rifle lying across the table. In his thick Spanish accent he said, “I wake Diego, we go find intruder. I not seen or heard a thing all night. Do not worry, it probably be someone from town. They all curious about your project.”

“It’s a two-hour drive from town. I haven’t heard any vehicles driving around tonight, have you? I don’t imagine anyone would have walked all the way out here from town.” Deven’s voice had an edge. How qualified were these guards? He had to ensure the safety of his crew.

He’d have to relay this incident to his CIA contact. Just when the project was going well, he had to deal with tomb robbers.

Deven stood at Jim’s bedroom door in the back of the kitchen and knocked. “Jim, sorry to wake you. We have an intruder in the camp.”

“Be right there, Deven.”

A lamp clicked on in Jim’s room. A thin stream of light showed under the door. Deven thought he heard whispers and giggles. Jim opened the door a crack. He was tying the drawstring waistband of a baggy pair of colorful Guatemalan pants. “Let me get a shirt. I’ll be right out.” Jim disappeared back into the room.

“What is it, Deven? What’s wrong?” Margaret’s voice asked from inside Jim’s room.

“Margaret?” Deven pressed his lips tight, trying to keep from smiling. I should have known. “I thought I was aware of all the interesting developments in the camp,” he teased.

“Ha. Even you can be surprised sometimes.” Margaret’s tone didn’t sound the least bit embarrassed. “Should we go and inspect the excavation site?”

“You stay here, Margaret. The guards are checking the area around the camp. Jim and I will take a run to the dig and make sure the site is secure. Jim, grab a couple flashlights and your gun.”

Outside, Deven noticed the guards on opposite sides of the camp sweeping beams of their flashlights into the jungle. Jim ran out of the CUB and handed Deven a flashlight. In one hand he held a flashlight and in the other his rifle. “Let’s go.”

The two men ran up the path to the excavation site. They were both winded by the time they reached the dig.

“All the tarps are in place, doesn’t look like anything has been touched. Thank God,” Deven said.