Chapter 9-Chapter 14

Chapter 9

Serena woke slowly and found she was still immobilized. But at least she was no longer on the ground in the alley, but on a cot in a small room inside a building. The air was cold and sent shivers through her body. She looked around the best she could but found she was alone. Where was Jake?
She remembered being shoved into an alley then excruciating pain throbbing in her neck and then falling to the ground. She vaguely remembered Jake calling her name then everything went black.
What had they done to him, she wondered as she closed her eyes again. Gods she was messing this up badly. Trying to fit in to the human world was taking its tole on her sensitive senses. Some night stalker she turned out to be. They’d gotten their hands on her not once but twice since she’d left her island. She was going to have to start using her cat senses more. This was becoming embarrassing. A high priestess of the Shan-da order did not allow mere humans to control their destinies. She was stronger than that. She had been well trained and so far she’d been overpowered by demons and slags!
Serena heard footsteps coming closer so she closed her eyes hoping they would think she was still asleep.
“Nah, she is still out.” she heard one of her captors say.
“How much of that stuff did you give her?” the other one barked.
“Enough to immobilized her but I’m sure it wasn’t enough to kill her.”
“It best not be, you know how Dimitri is with merchandise. He’ll pay a pretty penny as long as the goods aren’t damaged.”
“Yeah well, he had better get here soon. I don’t like having to babysit this particular piece of merchandise.”
“Maybe we should have a little fun before turning her over.” the slag replied, rubbing his grubby little hands together.
“No. Dimitri said untouched. We leave her alone.”
“Man! You’re no fun.”
“Sounds like the rest of the gang finally showed. Hope they brought some food with them, I’m starving.”
“Yeah, well, you’re always starving.” They closed the door behind them and walked away. Serena opened her eyes and listened. Sounded like they went down some stairs, which meant she was in a room on a top floor. That wasn’t good. Once she was able to move again her only way out may be through the lot of them downstairs.
Having nothing else to do, her mind wandered to Jake. She hoped he was alright. She wondered if he was in one of the rooms up here as well. Didn’t much matter at the moment. If she called out, they would know she was awake and might give her more of that drug. She needed her senses about her if she were going to get out of this mess.
Time was quickly running out. She had to find that temple and the artifact. In just under a week there would be a solar eclipse. Not just an ordinary eclipse but a monumental one for her people. The Alusian War God, Tin-nak-qua, would rise from the nether hells to claim the artifact and the High Priestess. She shivered and closed her eyes. In order to save their people he would have to shed her blood. As High Priestess of the Shan-da faith, she had vowed to give up her life willingly. But that was before she’d met Jake. Now she wondered constantly what his lips would taste like. How his skin would feel next to hers. All the thoughts that a virginal High Priestess should not have.
She could imagine his long hair would feel like silk running through her fingers and she would love to see those lupine eyes swirl with heated passion. She had watched him intently the last time he had rescued her. Muscles bulging beneath his t-shirt, straining to break free of the confinement as he had fought his way to her. How would it feel to have those arms surround her with passion, caressing her body, filling her with his heat?
Serena pushed the thoughts out of her mind. It would do no good to test those waters. She was destined for other things. She sighned and tried to move again and happily found she could move her arms and shoulders. At least now she could sit up and check her surroundings better.
She found no windows and only the one door. This must be some kind of storage closet for there were cleaning supplies, buckets and the like scattered in the corners of the room. The cot must have belonged to a once employed janitor. It was hard and lumpy, a sign of much use.
She waited a few more minutes trying to decide what to do. She still felt her weapons on her body so they hadn’t even searched her. That was a plus on her side. She began to get a tingling sensation running through her legs and feet. Then she heard a commotion downstairs. She jumped up but fell flat on her face.
Chapter 10

Jake followed them to an old abandoned warehouse at the edge of town. The streets were deserted and as far as he could tell there were no slags lurking in the shadows. He moved cautiously against the building, having already reverted back to human form. He started to take a step and suddenly the air bombarded him with the sweetest aroma he’d ever smelled, arousing him intensly, almost like a drug. He shook his head to clear it and took a deep breath. Serena. That was Serena’s scent only more intoxicatingly sensual. Was she thinking of him, he wondered with a smile on his face or had she been enjoying her captors company? That thought blazed through his mind so intensely that it shook him to his core.
Only one way to find out and that was to rush the bastards. Going around the corner he saw a few windows and a closed bay door. He crept up quietly and peeked through the window. It was so dirty he could barely see through it. Using his fingers he rubbed a small place on the window to get rid of the dirt and made a clear view of the interior. There they were. Their assailants sitting around a table eating and playing cards, but there was no sign of Serena.
He saw stairs leading up to a second floor so perhaps that’s where they had stashed her.
He walked away from the building and looked up to see if there was any way he could climb in with out them seeing him but he could find no external entrance. Leaning back against the building he took a deep breath. Damn, but he hated slags! They were smelly and had oozing sores all over their bodies. They couldn’t talk without dribbling all over themselves. Their only unique feature was their ability to meld into the shadows, so his weapons would be of little use. No wonder the underworld liked to use them as assassins.
Jake quickly changed into wolf form and backed away from the building. Taking a running leap he busted through the window. Landing on his feet and running he attacked the first slag he came across, ripping his throat out with his sharp fangs. He heard shouts and scuffling as he left his first victim jerking with deaths grip. There had been four of them sitting around the table. One lay dying, two were in hiding and the third one was standing there ready to fight.
“Come on stalker! I thought I finished you last night. I won’t make that mistake again.”
Jake growled low in his throat as they circled one another. The slag had a knife in each hand then slashed out toward Jake. He dodge and grabbed the slag’s arm in the process, feeling the tissues rip beneath his mighty jaws. The slag cursed as he tore his arm away from Jake, blood dripping down his arm, a gapping hole where Jake’s teeth had been.
Jake circled his prey then felt the hackles rise down his back. He caught movement from the corner of his eye but didn’t dare look away. The slag with the knives was trying to corral him. The others must be waiting for him in the shadows behind the boxes to his left. There wasn’t much he could do about it until he found a way to kill the slag in front of him.
Sudden movement from the corner of his eye made him tense, knowing he was going to be pounched upon in that area. Just as the knife slag moved forward and sliced the air beneath his throat, the shadows moved toward him at a frightening speed to grab him from behind then from out of nowhere the scream of a cat filled the air as he heard two thuds hit the boxes now to his back.
A stunned slag now stood before him and he took advantage of the diversion. Jumping, he grabbed the slags throat and ripped it from his neck. The slag slumped into a puddle of his own blood.
Turning, Jake saw the sweetest looking little jaguar he had ever seen finishing off one of the other slags. Before he could react to the last slag the bastard had driven a knife through Serena’s shoulder. Her screech was ear splitting, but before the slag could do any more damage, Jake had taken his head from the slag’s body with his own knife as he had transformed in mid jump.
Rolling and landing on his feet, he ran back over to Serena, pulling the dead slag’s body off of her.
“Don’t move, Serena and don’t transform. You will heal faster this way.” Jake was saying to her as he examined the wound.
Serena growled low in her throat and panted heavily. She closed her eyes against the pain and allowed him to check her over. Even in cat form she found his touch reassuring and soothing.
“We can’t stay here in case there are others coming. I know it’s dangerous to pick you up but you’ve got to trust me, Serena. I promise I won’t hurt you.” he told her as he ran his hand down her back. He knew she was vulnerable and it could be deadly for him to even pick her up, but he needed to move her and that was the only way. He could have had her change but she may not have had enough strength to change back so that she could heal faster.
“Easy now.” he said as he put his arms underneath her to lift her up into his arms.
Serena growled a low warning, but didn’t try to strike out at him. Once he raised her to chest level and had a secure hold on her, they left the building and headed out away from the warehouse. Jake headed toward the wooded area that surrounded one side of the road. Soon as he felt they were safely secluded from the road he rustled some leaves together with his feet to make a makeshift bed then laid her down on the ground beneath a huge tree.
He noticed she was panting pretty hard. He knew a shoulder wound was very painful as he knelt beside her.
“Serena I’m going to leave you here for awhile. They took all our supplies so I’m going to retrieve them. Promise I won’t be gone long.” he soothed her, rubbing her muzzle gently with his hand. He smiled softly as she purred beneath his touch.
She watched him go until he disappeared into the brush. She was in so much pain it was hard for her to breath. Finally she closed her eyes to rest, feeling safe that he would return for her.
Chapter 11

Jake carried as much supplies with him as he could gather upon his back. They would be packing light. Hopefully where they were suppose to go would not be too far to travel. A few days supplies was all he could find amongst the stuff they had stolen from them. He covered his tracks the best he could as he headed back into the forest. By the time he had returned to Serena it was past mid day. He found her sleeping where he’d lain her, but she was no longer in cat form.
“Baby, why did you change?” he asked as he threw off the backpack and knelt beside her.
She opened her eyes and smiled at him.
“I couldn’t maintain the form any longer. I was in too much pain.” she told him, glad that she was no longer alone.
He leaned her forward and checked her shoulder. It was starting to heal, but he would have felt better if it was healed completely.
“If you can walk, we need to get moving. I want to get as far away from here as soon as possible.”
“I can walk, if you can help me up.”
He grabbed her under her arms and lifted her to her feet. She swayed and he held her against him. There was that heady scent again. Her scent. The arousal was instantaneous as she leaned into him. He held her as close as possible without hurting her. He looked down at her upturned face, their lips bare inches apart.
“I think this is a dangerous position.” he stated softly.
“I think you’re right.”
“What are we going to do about it?”
“What do you want to do about it?
“I’ll settle for this right now.” he stated, bending down and touching his lips to hers.
Her musky scent intensified around them as their lips melded together in a lusty yearning neither one could deny any longer.
Her lips tasted of sweet honey. He could no longer deny the emotions that swirled within him. He cupped her face with his hands and delved his tongue deeper within her mouth, letting it dance a sweet song of surrender. Gods, but she tasted so good he didn’t ever want to let her go. But reluctantly, he did let her go. He knew if he kept this up there would be no trekking through this forest until way later because he would lay her back down on that bed of leaves and make hot passionate love to her until he couldn’t walk and talk at the same time.
Serena hadn’t realized she’d closed her eyes when their lips had met, the feel of him was so intense, she had wanted nothing more than to savor him for as long as possible. The loss of his warmth and his lips left her bereft as she slowly opened her eyes. If her eyes were as passion glazed as his, then it was a good thing he had separated them.
Reluctantly he let her go and pulled on the backpack. When he returned he wrapped his arm around her to give her support. They said not a word but headed deeper and deeper into the woods toward their destination.

~

They had been traveling through the woods all day stopping only momentarily to drink some water and chew on some jerky. By night fall they had put quite a bit of distance between them and the chaos they’d left behind. The woods had turned into rainforest about an hour earlier making it hot and sticky. They’d found a stream and followed it and was very glad they did. Besides it being a source of fresh water, it would be refreshing to bath in once they made camp.
Jake helped Serena settled down upon a boulder and then he unloaded his pack.
“Stay here and rest. I will check out the area.” Jake told her.
She nodded as she watched him leave. She was thankful for the time to rest. Her shoulder wasn’t hurting as badly as earlier but it was stinging as though a thousand fire ants were making a meal of her.
Now that she had time to sit and think, she pondered the emotions that surfaced when Jake had kissed her. She had known he’d gotten under her skin, but until that moment she hadn’t realized how badly. She couldn’t let it control her judgement. She had a job to do and only a few days left in which to do it in. If they didn’t find the artifact in time, her people were doomed.
When Jake returned he found her deep in thought. What could she be thinking about to make her frown so, he wondered curiously.
“All clear.” he told her. “We can make camp here for the night and go on in the morning. From what I recall from your brother’s maps we should be heading in the right direction.”
“I hope so. The sooner we find the artifact the sooner my quest will end.” she sighed with a heavy heart.
“I’m not sure finding the artifact will include finding your brothers killers. In fact, I hope they are no where to be found.” Jake stated, taking the tent out of the pack and rolling it out to set up.
“Well, I know who killed him. I just want the satisfaction of knowing they will pay for his murder. Until I have my hands on that artifact, there is nothing I can do about it.”
Jake said nothing else as he put the tent together. Serena helped him and they unrolled the sleeping bag and set it inside. Serena looked around for the other bag, but couldn’t find it.
“Only one sleeping bag?” she asked suspiciously.
“I could only carry one. You were in no position to help, remember? Besides, we can share it. There’s room on it for the two of us.
His cock-eyed grin was contatious and she couldn’t help but shake her head and smile back at him.
“I don’t want to risk a fire tonight just in case we are being follwed so we’ll have to make due with some jerky, nuts and whatever fruit I can scrounge up.” he told her as he rummaged through the pack.
“That’s fine. I’m really too tired to eat anyway. I would like a bath and cool down though.” she told him, earnestly looking at the stream with yearning.
“I saw a small pond just the other side of that outcropping. Why don’t you make use of it while go foraging.”
“Maybe I will.” she said settling down on the bedding and removing her boots.. “But first I want to rest.”
“Good. You get some sleep and mend. I will be back shortly.”
He grabbed a packet of trail mix and stuck it in his pocket. He’d much on it later if he got very hungry.
Serena watched him leave then laid her head down on her arms. She was suddenly so tired she couldn’t keep her eyes open so she let them shut and fell instantly asleep.
Chapter 12

The sun was just setting by the time Jake returned to camp. He’d found a banana tree and a date tree so at lest they would have some fresh fruit to go with dinner tonight and breakfast in the morning. If he could catch some fish out of that stream they could feast like kings. He looked around the encampment but didn’t see Serena any where. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary so he figured she must be down at the pond taking a bath. Setting down his treasures he went in search of his partner.
When he saw her, his breath hitched up a few notches and the blood flow from his brain to his groin stopped in mid action he swelled so rapidly. She looked like a goddess as she stood in the middle of the pond, water slucing down her body and the last rays of sunlight reflecting off the rocks behind her, giving her a golden glow.
He didn’t know if she had heard him approaching or if she had felt his presence. All he knew was she turned around at that moment and looked at him with the most amazing blaze in her eyes he had ever seen on a woman. The depth of fire in those crystal green eyes burned him alive. He locked gazes with her and did not hesitate to strip off his own garments.
She watched him there upon the shore, a heat going through her body so intense that it consumed her. He was a magnificent speciman of a man. Tall, muscular and very well built in all the right places. Though she had none to compare him with, she would think her assumtion was correct where he was concerned.
Slowly he entered the water and walked toward her. She shivered with anticipation. She should not be doing this, but it may be her last chance to know the full extent of being a woman. It wasn’t mandatory that she be a virgin for Tin-nak-qua. The prophesy just said he needed the blood of the High Preistess. Her virginal blood was to be the God of Wars but he would not have mated with her in the sense that normal people would mate. He would have mated with her spiritually and then took her life after that.
She wanted this man who now stood before her. She wanted to feel his heat surrounding her, entering her and blessing her with life. She needed to taste him. All of him. She hungered for what he had given her earlier that day. Soon as he got close enough and put his hands on her arms, she reached up and pulled his lips down to hers. A fire so intense coarsed through her body like a raging river. She could almost see the steam from the water surrounding them.
By the heavens he was in exstacy, Jake thought as soon as their lips touched. He was on fire, burning with such a need to have her that he felt like he was being burned alive. What was it about this woman that screamed at every nerve ending in his body. He wasn’t some young buck new at the game. Hell, if truth be known, he was older than dirt. But yet he felt so enamored of her. She felt precious to him and he wanted all of her.
His lips left hers and trailed down the side of her neck, licking, suckling, leaving little kisses and nips down to the tops of her breasts. Oh and what beautiful breasts they were. He held one in his hand and as soon as his tongue darted out to flick the little bud she cried out and leaned toward him. He circled the little nub and scraped his teeth across its sensitive tip and she melted in his arms, her knees growing weak.
“You are so beautiful.” Jake whispered as he left her breasts and kissed his way down to that tantalizing stud that graced her belly button.
“Jake.” she inhaled as he flicked his tongue around her stud and swirled the inside of her navel. He was sending shivers throughout her whole body. She wasn’t sure which sensations to savor first.
“Jake, I want you. Now.” she cried out pulling him back up into her arms where his lips again claimed hers. When coherent thought passed through her mind once more she felt something solid against her back and realized they’d drifted to the out croppings.
“Baby, you are so beautiful.” Jake breathed again, nipping her neck, her ear lobe. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.” she answered wrapping her arms around his neck. He looked her straight in the eye and with both hands cupped her face and kissed her hard with all the pent up passion he’d been carrying around with him.
He lifted her legs and they wrapped around his waist. She could feel him pushing, testing before finally, with one swift motion he penetrated and broke through her barrier. She cried out and clung to him and he went still as stone.
“Oh, baby, why didn’t you tell me? I’d have been more gentle.” he told her, holding her close, cradling her in his arms.
“It’s alright, Jake. Please, don’t stop. Please.” she whispered into his chest where her face was buried.
He kissed her cheek and started moving once again. Faster and faster, their rhythm beating a heated race toward release. Jake took her scream of release into himself as he kissed her at the moment of her heightened pleasure. Mere seconds later he joined her on that plane of exquisite rapture.
Serena wasn’t sure how long they stayed there against the out cropping just getting their breath, relaxing into one anothers arms. She felt so wonderful that mere words could not describe the high that she was on. She had never realized how good this could be and her body began its greedy dictation all over again.
“How is it possible that I want you all over again, Jake?” she told him, his breathing returning to normal. She planted little kisses over his broad chest, her hands splayed across each of his nipples turning them hard as pebbles.
Jake felt himself come to life again. Just the mere thought of having her beneath him surged him forward.
“I want you too, but not here. I want you lying beneath me while I love you until you can not move.” he told her.
She shivered again with anticipation as he led her back to camp. If she had her way, they’d make love all night long. Perhaps tomorrow or the next day she would have to be the High Priestess of the Shan-da faith, but for right now, she was just Serena, a woman enjoying the arms of a man.
Chapter 13

It had been three glorious days since Jake had taken her into his arms and not let her go. How she hated for it to end, but end it had to.
Yesterday they had found the temple her brother had talked about and the passageway beneath the main hall way. They hadn’t found the artifact as hoped but perhaps their efforts would be rewarded today. Tonight was the face of the full moon in all its splendor and Tin-nak-qua would rise and expect his artifact and High Priestess to be waiting for him in the main alter room of the temple.
She dashed away a stray tear as she dug diligently through the rubble of the tomb she was looking through. They had decided to split up and figured each of them may have better luck in finding the gem. Her heart was breaking and there was nothing she could do about it. Jake would soon be lost to her forever.
She had realized this morning that what she was feeling for him was love. Pure and sweet and the full meaning of it left her heart bereft and aching to know she would never again be ensconced in his arms and feel his lips upon her body. She had watched him while he slept this morning and it had filled her with such a feeling of rightness she nearly wept from the intensity of it. Life was cruel and unfair to have finally found her mate, her match. They were suited to each other in all ways.
She wiped away another tear and found her face was wet. She’d been crying full board and hadn’t even realized it. She stopped and dabbed at her eyes with the end of her shirt. She could not do this. She could not leave him now that she had found him. But what was she to do? Every day of her life had been bred for this moment in time. There was no going back.
She heaved a heavy sign and swalled the lump in her throat. She would have to be brave. She would have to-
“Serena! Serena I found it!” she heard Jake’s muffled call from the other tomb.
“By the gods!” she breathed with excitement, then, “Jake! Don’t touch it! Don’t touch it!” she yelled as she dropped her shovel and ran to where he was at.
A brillant light echoed through the hallway as she ran into the tomb. There it was, enclosed within a glass case that was embedded within the stone wall.
“Jake, please, don’t touch it.” she said again as she walked slowly up to him. He had his hand in mid air, reaching for it, almost as if he was mesmerized by it, then lowered his hand when he heard her voice.
“I’ve never seen anything like it.” he said stepping away from it.
“It is of the Alusian people and it has not been sought after for several thousand years. It is the future of my people.” she told him as she walked slowly toward it.
Jake grabbed her arm to stay her forward motion.
“What are you doing? I thought only a High Preistess of the Shan-da faith could touch it and not be harmed.” he reminded her.
“Yes, that is true.” she looked at him and then reached out toward the case. She turned her hand, palm up and whispered a word that Jake did not understand. Then in the next instance it was no longer in the case but in the palm of her hand.
“You. You are the High Priestess?” he asked with disbelief.
“I should have told you.”
“Damn right you should have told me!” his voice quivered with anger and something else. Hurt? Betrayal?
She reached out to touch him and he backed away. She slowly lowered her hand. So this was how it would end.
“You lied to me Serena.” his voice was cold and distant.
“I’m sorry Jake, but there was no other way.”
“You used me to get you here. Hell I actually found the artifact for you. What? Do I have moron written on my forehead? I made love you! By the gods, I took your maidenhead! Was that all a like too?”
“No, Jake. That was real. That was-”
“Save it, baby.” Jake turned and walked out of the tomb. Serena went after him, the artifact safely tucked in her pocket.
The suns brillance temporarily blinded her when she emerged from beneath the ground and then she stopped dead in her tracks. Jake was standing only a few feet away from her but he must have worn the same look as she. One of stunned disbelief.
“Friends of yours?” he asked as he turned to stare at her.
They were surrounded by more than a hundred Alusian warriors. Ancient Alusian warriors.
“Jake, no, I swear. I’ve never seen them before.” she told him as she descended the stairs to stand next to him.
“My queen, you have finally arrived.” a warrior of some substantial ranking said to her as he came to stand in front of them.
“Queen?” Jake sneered at her.
She gave him a dubious look then answered the warrior. “I don’t know what you are talking about. I am not your queen.”
“Oh but you will be, my lady.” a soft voice came from behind her. Serena turned and stood stunned to find the elder of her faith smiling warmly at her.
“What is the meaning of this Shenika?” Serena asked turning to face her.
“I am sorry my lady, but you are too valuable to let go out into the world alone. Once we realized where you were heading, it didn’t take us long to find you.” Shenika bowed slightly toward Serena.
“Well, now that you’ve found me, you can leave. I’ve no need of your services.” she turned her back to the old woman and looked at Jake.
“I’m afraid we can’t do that at least not until after the eclipse and the ceremony is complete.”
“What eclipse?” Jake asked with interest.
“Didn’t Serena tell you? No, I don’t suppose she would have since you were just her guide here.”
He started to speak and Serena slightly shook her head at him to silence him. He didn’t know why he obeyed her but he did. She had ripped his heart out of his chest and squeezed it until there was no life left within it. She had lied to him and used him. How could he have been so blind to her.
“You see, Mr. Mosely, when the solar eclipse tonight takes place, that is when Tin-nak-qua, the Alusian God of War rises from his realm and is able to enter ours. With the help of Serena’s blood and the Shan-da artifact, he will be able to supply our people with the blessed gift of life. But only after the High Priestess gives hers.”
“What?!” Jake looked at Serena and knew that it was true. She would be the one to die this night. Now it all made perfect sense. The blood of the virgin priestess, but wait, she was no longer virginal.
“Serena,”
“No, Jake. You were right. I lied to you. I used you just as I had always planned to do. Now its time for you to go.” her voice cracked but once as she stared at him, hoping he would say nothing else. Hoping he would leave it be and never look back.
He stood there and stared at her for the longest time, then he looked at Shenika and then raised his eyes to the warriors that surrounded them. Best to cut his losses now. This was no time for pride to get in his way. He would be fighting a loosing battle and for what? Just to have another Alusian female rip him apart?
He said not a word but turned his back and walked down the steps away from her.
Serena watched him go. Her heart was breaking and she could barely breath, but she’d had to do it. He didn’t stand a chance against these warriors if he chose to stay and fight for her.
“Come my lady. There is much to do before tonight.” Shenika said taking Serena’s arm and guiding her back toward the temple chamber.
Chapter 14

The time was nearing midnight and the eclipse would soon be starting. Shenika had prepared her a royal bath and rubbed her body with purifying oils and crushed rosemary. She wanted to scream that she wasn’t dead yet, but she’d kept her mouth shut and endured the rituals. So much was at stake. Her people needed the gift of life that Tin-nak-qua could provide.
She studied herself in the brass mirror that hung against the wall of the room. She was dressed in a long flowing white toga like garment that hung down to her ankles. Sheer golden sandals adorned her feet and her hair was lifted from her neck in a twisted braid that made the tips look like a silver halo surrounding her head. Pure gold bands adorned both arms. She looked to the side and studied the Shan-da amethyst. It was actually pulsing with different spirals of energy rotating in and around itself. It seemed almost alive with anticipation of the coming evening.
Serena paced the length of the room. Nervous energy keeping her from sitting patiently and waiting for the end. The end. She swallowed a lump that formed in her throat as it constricted with the certainty of death. Dieing had never bothered her before, she knew that was her destiny. But then she had met Jake. As soon as he had touched her, everything had changed.
Her heart convulsed with the knowledge that she would never see him again. Would never lay in his arms again nor taste his sweet lips. She hated that he left the way he’d left but it had been for the best. It was better he hate her than grieve for the loss of her. She just wished she could have told him how much she had loved him and how happy he had made her these past few days.
She took a deep shuddering breath and wipe a tear from the corner of her eye. Off in the distance she heard the clang of a gong. It has begun.
Serena walked out of the room and down a flight of steps to reach the outside courtyard where the steps were located that took her up to the alter platform. A fire had been lit on either side of the steps that reached all the way up. She saw Shenika standing next to the alter, waiting for her to ascend the steps.
Behind Shenika, Serena could plainly see the full moon and the eclipse that had already started. She figured by the time she reached the alter at the top, Tin-nak-qua would have risen and waited for her. Slowly she ascended the stairs, the artifact held in front of her in her hands. Off in the distance she could hear the steady beat of drums or was that her heart pounding in her ears. She wasn’t sure about anything anymore. She didn’t really care. This was her time. Soon she would be no more.
Shenika was chanting softly. A gong could be heard again, marking the time. In the dim glow of the firelight she watched closely as a white mist began to form next to the alter as she reached the final steps. Then she too was standing next to the alter cradling the artifact in front of her.
Shenika dusted the alter with burning incense chanting while she did it, then beckoned Serena to lie down upon it. She complied and held the artifact just below her navel where the gift of life would seed.
Then she saw him. Tin-nak-qua. In a full headdress, a large metal collar draped around his neck, looked to be gold, arm bands of gold around his mighty biceps, a loin cloth draped around his hips with gold chains encircling his waist. He held his spear in one hand, both wrists encased with jewel encrusted bands. He had a hawk like nose with piercing crystal green eyes with hard lines tracing his face. He looked at her and smiled. She watched him raise his spear, then she closed her eyes and swallowed hard. This was it. There was no turning back.
She heard the rush of air as he jabbed the spear in a downward motion. She felt a quick shove, then a scream and found herself on the ground.
“Shenika!” she yelled as she picked herself up off the ground. “What happened?”
“I couldn’t let you sacrifice yourself like that.”
Serena whipped around, tears glistening in her eyes.
“Jake.”
Serena ran into his arms and he held her close to him.
“I couldn’t let you go Serena. No matter that you used me. You had my heart the moment you walked into my office.” He whispered in her ear nuzzleing her neck as he spoke.
“I love you Jake.”
He looked into her eyes then and saw the truth of the matter. He didn’t care what had happened before. All he knew was that he loved her as well and could not live his life without her. But before he could speak the spirit of Tin-nak-qua came toward them.
“I don’t think the ceremony is done yet, baby.” Jake told her, trying to put her behind him.
“It’s alright, Jake.” she said walking toward the spirit.
She cast a glance at the alter and saw the blood of Shenika having been spilt there in her place. The blood of a virgin had been sacrificed to the god. Now he was ready to give her people the seed of life. She opened her hands and the stone levitated from her palms. Its brilliant hues pulsing all the colors of the rainbow. Tin-nak-qua raised his hand and covered the spinning stone, filling it with immense energy. Then it lowered back down into the palm of her hand.
When it touched her skin again it shot jolts of energy coursing through her body.
“Serena!” Jake yelled and reached out for her.
“Do not touch her Immortal before the energy has spent or she will die.” Tin-nak-qua said in broken English.
“Why? What have you done to her?”
“She carries the seed of life within the stone. In return, it has granted her immortality.”
Jake remembered that now. Who ever held the stone when it was filled would be granted the gift of life.
Moments later Serena collapsed on the stone floor still clutching the artifact. Jake rushed to her and gathered her in his arms. He looked up in time to see Shenika’s spirit hovering next to the ancient god then they were both gone in the next breath.
“Jake.”
He looked down at Serena and smiled. She was his for all eternity. Tears glistened in his eyes as he bent down and kissed her.
“I love you Serena. I don‘t ever want to loose you. Can you forgive me?”
She reached up and caressed the side of his cheek and smiled at him.
“There is nothing to forgive. I love you too.”
At last his heart had found a home. No longer would he wander the street of Immortality alone. She held the future of her people in her hands as well as his heart.

The End