Treasure So Rare (Women of Strength Time Travel Trilogy) (26 page)

Iliana followed the light, and suddenly emerged into a large
cavern with an eerie green luminosity. Transfixed, she stared at the ground
below her mounts hooves.

¤¤

Erik rode through the short hills, searching each cavern
opening close to where Iliana had fallen into the collapsed ground.

Suddenly he heard her calling him and she rode toward him
with her beautiful smile, her hair a dark banner behind her. William, in the
saddle in front of him, began to bounce up and down in excitement as he saw his
mother.

Erik rode to meet her, dismounted and lifted her wriggling
son into her waiting arms.

"William, you are a little knight," she exclaimed,
kissing him again and again. She put her face down into his dark curls, tears
spilling onto her cheeks.

Iliana looked at Erik, traced his cheek with her fingertips.
"You love my son," she said with wonder. "It is in your eyes and
in your deeds. This is a treasure to me. How can I thank you?" she
whispered.

"Love me."

"It is done," she said, lifting her face to the
sky and laughing. She looked down at him. "We must leave this place now,
Erik," she said swiftly. "I have found the green gem."

"Touching," said a mocking voice. "And I
would see the gem."

Erik turned. "Devanesque."

"LaTour," the sorcerer said mockingly.

"Mandrak!" Iliana exclaimed in anger.

The sorcerer bowed. "John Moses Devanesque at your
service, my lady Iliana. You have led me a chase, but you have found the rare
treasure -- excellent. It is useless in the hands of those who do not
understand its power. Now I will have it," he exclaimed triumphantly.

"I thought I was rid of you when the sharks made a meal
of you," Erik said, stepping closer to the man, but halted as the man's
skin changed to rotting flesh, then reverted back to normal skin. "My God,
man, you've lost the looks which used to charm the ladies!"

"Do not mock me, LaTour. It is a minor thing, and when
I have the gem, all this old flesh will revert to eternal youth. Now where is
it?"

Iliana looked at Erik.

"Do not look to your lover," the sorcerer sneered.
"If you value all you have just found, bring me to the gem now."

Iliana nodded toward the cavern she had just exited.
"It is in that cavern. Half buried in the red soil."

"Then we shall unbury it," the sorcerer said.
"Lead the way."

¤¤

They entered the coolness of the cavern, and it was several
moments before Erik's eyes adjusted to the shadowy interior. But then he began
to notice the strange green glow inside the cavern walls. High above their
heads were red and blue paintings of hands in the ceiling of the cavern.
Thousands of palms.

Iliana still sat atop her horse in the cavern aperture,
William in the saddle before her.

"Come," Devanesque snapped. "Show me where I
will find the gem."

"There." She pointed toward the ground inside the
cave.

Erik saw the wink of the green stone. He pushed his shoe
against the sandy soil, and the edge of the gem was revealed. It was easily
three inches across. He knelt and gently pushed the sandy grains away,
revealing the stone as it lay in the ground. He noticed a much smaller gem lay
half concealed beside it, and turning in a half circle, he saw the ground
littered with similar emeralds.

Devanesque knelt on the ground and hurriedly scraped his
hands through the soil. Erik moved more sand back and Devanesque pushed him
back with one hand.

"Nay, do not touch the gem."

Erik stood, looking at the rest of the cavern, amazed at the
gems embedded in the stone walls.

"You have the gem," Erik said, "now we are
leaving."

Devanesque looked up from digging up the gem. "That was
not part of the bargain."

"There is no bargain." Erik tightened his jaw.
"And no reason for us to remain. You have the treasure, we will be on our
way."

Devanesque did not look up. He pulled the gem from the
ground and stroked it with reverence. "The power of this gem is
unrealized. I can move heaven and earth if I choose, and perhaps a bit of
hell." He laughed, and looked up at Erik. His skin was rejuvenated and
youthful once more. He touched a hand to his eye, which had shown part of his
skull bone when Erik first saw him. "Aye, go then. I have what I
need."

Erik moved toward Iliana and the mouth of the cave.

He led Iliana's horse down the small hill to where his own
horse awaited. "We have to get out of here as quickly as possible,"
he muttered.

"I agree," she said, hugging William in front of
her.

"Before he changes his mind," Erik said. He turned
to her, held out his arms. "Let me take the child, it will make easier
riding for you."

Iliana handed William to Erik. Erik mounted his horse, the
child in the saddle before him, his arm securely around William.

"Poor Ulrich," Iliana said softly, seeing the
scavenger birds in the sky. "I wish we could bury him."

"It cannot be," Erik said. Ulrich had saved
William at a great cost to himself. "I dare not linger. Devanesque is a
madman at best. We return to the monastery for fresh horses and then on to Dutton
keep."

Iliana nodded.

"Is your ankle paining you?"

"It is bearable. I agree we must hurry."

Something in her voice alerted him. Iliana touched the
saddle sack behind her, briefly lifted the cover and then let it drop, but not
before Erik had seen the green stone as large as a platter, winking green
sparks.

"Please, we must bury Ulrich first. I cannot bear to
remember him strewn upon the rocks when he went to such risk to save
William."

"We must hurry then," he said, and they urged
their horses back to the rocks whereupon lay poor Ulrich.

Using Ulrich's shield, Erik dug a hole as best he could,
glad the red soil was like fine beach sand. There was not much left of Ulrich
to bury and with a few words of prayer he was laid to rest, his bones were
covered and his shield placed above his makeshift grave.

They set off for the monastery.

¤¤

Iliana was glad to finally see the red walls of the
monastery ahead. She was incredibly tired, having slept not at all in the last
twenty-four hours. Fear for her son had drained her, and as they dismounted
their horses outside the stable, she took William back in her arms once more.
She pressed her nose gently to the top of his head. Even dirty, his scent
intoxicated her.

"I will saddle our fresh horses," Erik said,
"and we'll continue on."

He untied the leather thongs of the saddle sack. "You
already had the treasure," he said, gazing in wonder at the large emerald.

"Yes. And then when Mandrak demanded it, I knew there
were other stones in the cave that might satisfy him so we could escape."

"Our problem lies in the fact he will eventually find
out he has the wrong stone."

"But I hope to have the gem secured by then within the
sacred circle. We must ride swiftly to the keep."

As they led the fresh horses out, the young monk from the
night previous peered at them through an iron gate leading to the inner
courtyard. She waved at them.

"You may tell the abbess we have young William,"
Erik told the monk. "We have exchanged horses and will be on our
way."

"Her ladyship and her brother have fled," the
young girl blurted.

Erik turned back. "What do you mean?"

"She was shamed that the lady here has sacrificed so
much. She declared she must finally step outside the comfort of these
walls."

"What brother?" Iliana asked.

"Desryn."

Iliana put a hand to her mouth. "By all the saints --
where have they gone?"

"They did not say."

Iliana looked at him. "Let us go quickly."

They were on their way once again.

¤¤

Iliana no longer tried to keep pace with Erik's horse. The
destrier was considerably larger, and his legs allowed for a longer stride.
"Erik, I know you will arrive faster if you ride ahead."

He looked at her incredulously. "My dear Iliana, do you
think I would leave you? We will get there in time enough." She understood
he feared letting her out of his sight.

William rode with Erik once more and they galloped for some
distance, then let the horses slow their gait and recoup their energy, before
riding hard the remainder of the way to the keep.

For the first time in three years, Iliana was overjoyed to
see the dark stone fortress against the red sky.

They cantered across the wooden plank and through the open
portcullis and into the courtyard. Iliana was surprised to see what appeared to
be most of the village gathered inside the courtyard.

As they drew to a stop beside the stables, all eyes turned
on them, and then smiles and happy expressions were seen.

"My lady!" Someone called out.

"Young William is returned."

They rode to the second courtyard and right up to the sacred
circle of trees. With William in one arm, Erik helped her dismount as she
carefully placed weight on her ankle.

They both stared at the strange light emanating outward from
the sacred circle, haloing out from the trees, shooting straight up into the
red sky. Red clouds churned and swirled in the sky above.

She bit her lip. "I have never seen the light move in
this manner. I must place the stone within, but what if I am trapped on the
other side?" With the saddle pack in her hands, Iliana paused at the edge
of the trees. "This is not as I left it. Mandrak has invaded the sacred
circle. Has he turned it into an evil thing?"

"Is it possible the power of the gem can correct the
damage he may have wreaked upon it?" Erik said hopefully.

"I do not know." Once she walked inside, there
would be no retreat.

"I will bring the emerald into the circle," he
said, holding out his hand.

Iliana's ankle began to throb. She shook her head. "I
must do it." She looked at him. "I pray I do not lose both you and
William."

Wind swirled around them. Erik gripped her waist, William in
his arms as they were pulled into the trees, the limbs unfolding and opening to
receive them. They stood in the center of the maelstrom, light of all colors
swirling around their heads as gently, their feet were once more on the ground.

Knowing there was no choice now, Iliana lifted the large
emerald from the sack, placed it in a small depression that now appeared on the
ground. There were strange inscriptions and symbols on the gem, and it seemed
to settle into place of its own will. Light now bathed them, a deep, soothing
green with tiny spheres of white light.

Gradually, the gusts of color settled, the colors moved in
harmonious fluency with each other, and the churning red clouds changed to blue
to compliment the sky. Then all became still.

Iliana stared at Erik, and her son in Erik's arms, his
chubby fingers reaching out as if to catch the little sparkling balls of light.
William laughed, and laughed again, becoming excited as the light burst between
his fingers.

"The red sky is gone," she said.

They looked down at the ground where the emerald sat half
exposed. Gradually, the circle of trees around them retreated back into the
ground, and little sprouts of new grass sprang beneath their feet.

Now they saw the people of the village who stood around them
in the courtyard, the wonder on their faces, no doubt a reflection of their
own.

"The curse is lifted?" someone said.

"The power of the emerald has been given to us,"
someone else said.

"Thank you, my lady."

"You have saved us," Rowenna exclaimed, stepping
from the crowd to stand beside Iliana. Her eyes lit up to see William, and then
she dropped her eyes and stepped back.

"Rowenna," Iliana said, "William being taken
was not your fault."

"But William was in my charge," Rowenna said
painfully, still looking at the ground.

"He used sorcery on all of us," Iliana said.
"I know how much you care for William."

Rowenna looked up, tears sparkling on her lashes. "I
thank you for your forgiveness. The veil has been lifted from our eyes,"
Rowenna added. "We see you, mistress, as the one who has redeemed our
world. If not for your perseverance, our lives would be as nothing."

"Rowenna," Erik said, "do you mean everyone
knows that Iliana is not her ladyship Graziela's sister?"

Rowenna smiled at him. "Yes, my lord pretender. There
is no sister."

"Erik," he said dryly. "Rowenna, can you take
William a moment?"

"Of course." She took William in her arms and
reverently placed a kiss on his forehead.

To Iliana's surprise, Erik lifted her up into his arms and
she placed her arms around his strong neck.

"Is Sorenta about?" Erik asked. "Iliana needs
care for her ankle."

"I am certain Sorenta will be waiting for you,"
Rowenna said, and followed them inside as Erik carried her through the stone
archway and into the great hall.

Sorenta waited for them in the great hall beside the fire
pit, a woven basket filled with herbs and lotions beside her.

Erik put her on her feet and helped her to a chair beside
the fire where embers burned gently. His hand lingered on her shoulder and she
looked up, loving him, her gaze running over him. He wore a smile on his mouth
but she sensed his worried preoccupation.

Iliana put her foot upon a wooden stool and pulled the dress
up to expose the swollen and bruised ankle.

"It is a mystery you did not break it," Sorenta
said, placing an icy lotion along the skin and then wrapping the ankle snugly
with a length of linen.

"Thank you, Sorenta." She looked around the hall.
"It feels different in here." She smiled. "I do not see any of
the witches."

"Gone." Sorenta laughed. "You cast them out,
did you forget?"