Cataclysm (Alternate Earth Series, Book One) (21 page)

“No, there really isn’t,” Brand agrees. “We just need to be patient for a little while longer.”

“I only have patience with my children,” I confess, feeling helpless and slightly annoyed.

“Which makes you an excellent mother,” Mason tells me, casually taking one of my hands in his.

Daniel sighs heavily as he looks around the temple.

“Well, there’s at least one thing we can do,” Daniel says, “clean up the mess Mammon left behind. I don’t think our Father would appreciate us leaving things as they are.”

The boys work together to reshape the base of the Ark back into a square so the lid can fit on it properly.

“My face isn’t going to melt off if I take a peek at the tablets, is it?” I ask, gaining a few chuckles all around. At least I know the Indiana Jones movies made it into this reality, too.

“The ten commandments were made for humanity,” Mason tells me. “They won’t hurt you.”

Although reassured by my husband that I won’t encounter some dire consequence, I nevertheless remain cautious as I peer into the Ark and look at the rock tablets lying within it. I have to admit that I feel a bit underwhelmed by their appearance. I’m not sure what I was expecting them to look like, but they just appear to be two slabs of rock with strange writing on them. I do feel privileged to view them in person, though. I know very few people have actually been able to see them with their own eyes.

“Did you think they would be glowing or something?” Mason asks me, placing an arm around my waist as we both look down at the holy artifacts.

“Something like that,” I admit, unable to keep disappointment out of my voice.

Malcolm and Brand place the lid back on the base of the Ark, and we’re able to leave King Solomon’s Temple in almost the same condition in which we found it.

After we return to the salt mine, Daniel excuses himself, saying he will return later with someone Brand requested that we meet with.

“Who is he bringing back?” I ask Brand as we all gather in the kitchen area. It’s almost time to prepare supper for everyone in the mine. It’s a chore we all have to help with in order to do it in a timely manner.

“Her name is Jai Lin Huang. She’s the Empress of China,” Brand says as he pulls out a big stockpot from a back room. After he sets it on the stove, he turns to face Mason and me. I hope my expression tells him how stunned I am by what he just said so nonchalantly, because I can’t think of a good response to his announcement.

“Ok,” Mason says recovering before I do. “And why is the Empress of China involved with the resistance? Why do you want us to meet with her?”

“I was thinking about what Jess said the other day,” Brand tells us. “After we depose Ravan, people will need someone else they can put their faith in. Jai Lin is poised to take Ravan’s place on the world stage. She’s a natural leader, and most everyone in the world knows who she is. If Ravan didn’t have the princes backing her, Jai Lin would have been the person people rallied behind to lead them. The only reason Ravan succeeded her is because she was able to bring about peace with the Watchers after the earthquake.”

“But that was all a set-up,” I point out.

“We know that,” Brand says with a nod of agreement. “But the average person on the street doesn’t know the truth. All they know is that Ravan brought about peace and is giving them a safe place to live and enough food on their tables to feed their families. In the end, that’s all you need to do to earn a person’s loyalty.”

“And what is your strategy to place the empress in power?” Mason asks.

Brand grins grimly. “That’s something I’m hoping the two of you can help me figure out. But I feel sure there will come a moment when the timing is just right to make the transition. We simply need to be as prepared for it as possible. I want you to meet her and let me know if you think I’ve made the right choice.”

“Why?” I ask, considering this an odd request. “Why do you need our opinion? Don’t you trust your own judgment?”

The hint of a blush colors Brand’s cheeks as he says, “Where Jai Lin is concerned, my appraisal might be slightly clouded. I would appreciate an unbiased opinion of her.”

“Do you have a crush on her?” I ask, seeing no other cause for Brand’s reaction.

Brand smiles. “I have a lot of admiration for the empress.”

“Well, my interest is certainly piqued now,” Malcolm chimes in, looking more than a little intrigued to meet the woman who has captivated this world’s Brand.

Considering both Brand and Malcolm love Lilly in our world, I can see why he would be curious to know who this Brand has set his romantic sights on. I have to concede that I’m eager to meet her myself.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Brand makes a simple Asian noodle soup with shrimp and Napa cabbage. I’m not sure if he’s planning to tempt the Empress of China with his culinary skills, but my stomach is very appreciative of his efforts.

As we sit on my cot together and eat our soup, Mason comments, “Your appetite definitely perked up after we got here. I’m happy to see that. You’ve been worrying me the last few years.”

“I’m sorry,” I say, knowing how true his words are. “And I promise things will be better when we get back home.”

I stare at Mason for a moment, wondering if this is the right time for me to tell him about what Gabe saw. I decide to wait. Before I mention anything about a baby to him, there’s something I want to try first.

A little after Brynlee’s birth, Mason was very diligent about trying to get me pregnant again. My plan was to have our third child before coming back to alternate Earth. I wanted to have the baby sooner rather than later, so he or she would be closer in age to Brynlee and Max. I wasn’t questioning the timing though. I was just grateful to know that another son was on his way to us. Having another little mini-Mason running around our world was a sight that was long overdue in my opinion.

“What are you thinking about?” Mason asks, grinning at me.

“What makes you assume I’m thinking about anything in particular?”

“Because you were smiling before I asked my question,” he says, narrowing his eyes at me. “Why do I get the distinct feeling there’s something you’re trying to hide from me?”

I instantly know I’m in trouble. Mason is like a bloodhound if he thinks he’s on the trail of a secret being withheld from him. Keeping his Christmas presents a surprise every year is a battle of wills between the two of us, but I always maintain my silence, no matter how much coaxing he does in the bedroom.

“I was just enjoying the soup,” I tell him, stuffing a good-size shrimp in my mouth so I have some time to think before he has a chance to ask his next question.

“
Jess
…” Mason says, drawing my name out and somehow making it sound accusatory. “What aren’t you telling me?”

I just look at Mason and continue to chew my food as I try to think of something to say. Finally, I decide to come clean and tell him the truth.

“I do have something I want to tell you, but I would really rather wait and say it when I’m ready. Can you please not ask me about it again until I’m prepared to let you know?”

“Of course,” Mason replies. “That’s all you had to say.”

Mason sets his empty bowl on the floor and takes my almost-empty one out of my hands to set on top of his. He then scoots closer to me until our bent knees are touching. He leans in towards me and whispers, “But is this something I can… tempt …out of you, with a little bit of persuasion?”

“No,” I say with as much willpower as I can muster while Mason begins to massage my knees before slowly sliding his hands up my thighs.

“Mason,” I say in a strident whisper, “we’re in public.”

“I know,” he murmurs back. “It’s the only reason I’m not trying to persuade you any harder.”

I shake my head at my husband and lean in to kiss him on the lips.

“If we were alone,” I tell him, “I’m confident I could convince you to forget about asking me any more questions.”

Mason looks at me aghast. “Jess, do you think I have so little self-control that I would allow you to dissuade me from such an important mission?”

“Yes,” I answer, with a knowing smile. “I know exactly what to do to make you lose all self-control. It’s that little thing I do with my tongue and your…”

Mason grabs me to him, kissing me so deeply I almost forget there are other people around us.

When Mason finally pulls back, he looks into my eyes and whispers, “I would take you right here and now if it wouldn’t cause all these good people to either run out of here screaming or faint where they stand.”

“There has to be somewhere we can get a private moment or two,” I say, feeling a desperate need for a good five or ten minutes alone with my husband.

“I’ll need more time than that for what I have planned,” Mason replies with the promise of secret, delicious delights in his eyes.

“Care to share your plans?” I ask, finding it increasingly hard to breathe because of the way Mason is looking at me.

“And spoil the surprise?” Mason says with a slow shake of his head. “Never.”

“I hate to interrupt your foreplay,” Malcolm says as he walks up to us. “But your presence is requested by the Empress of China.”

“She’s here?” I ask, standing from my cot, with Mason following right behind me.

“Yes,” Malcolm tells us. “She and Daniel just arrived.”

“And?” I ask as Mason and I fall in beside Malcolm as he walks us out of the great chamber and down the tunnel where the underground lake is situated.

“And, what?” Malcolm replies, giving me a sideways glance as he plays coy.

“What did you think of her?”

Malcolm gives a small shrug of his shoulders. “She’s beautiful. Seems above average in intelligence. And Brand is completely besotted with her. I can see why he wants us to give him a second opinion.”

“Are you …attracted to her?” I ask, wondering just how deep Brand and Malcolm’s taste in women goes.

“Would I bed her if she offered herself up to me? Yes,” Malcolm says with no shame. “But did I fall instantly in love with her, like I did Lilly? No. There’s only one Lilly, and she’s in the Origin. There will never be anyone else like her in any other reality.”

Malcolm’s complete devotion to Lilly has often saddened me. I hate seeing a good man waste everything he has to offer on someone who can never return his affections. He has so much potential, yet, he remains steadfast in his loyalty to Lilly. It’s a bond that seems unbreakable, and I know Malcolm will never find true love unless he willingly lets go of his feelings for Lilly. I’m just not sure when or if he will ever let that happen.

When we reach the lake, Brand is facing us with Daniel and the empress standing in front of him, but with their backs to us.

“Here they are,” Brand says when he notices our approach.

Jai Lin and Daniel turn around to face us.

The Chinese empress is just as beautiful as I expected her to be. She looks to be in her mid-twenties with porcelain-smooth skin that is just as pale. Her long black hair is pulled back into a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck. She’s wearing a simple dark green t-shirt, beige cardigan, and slacks. There is a slim silver chain around her neck with a pendant in the shape of a Chinese symbol hanging from it. What immediately strikes me about Jai Lin are her smoky-brown eyes. They seem to judge me in one fleeting look. From the small smile that appears on her face, I can only assume I meet with her approval. There’s an undeniable intelligence behind her eyes that I’m happy to see, but there is also a sense of purpose in the way she holds herself that is sometimes lacking in those who think they can be leaders. Empress Jai Lin is not a woman who will allow anyone to push her around or dictate what she thinks. She has the strength to stand and fight for what she believes in. She is exactly the person we need to lead the world when we take Ravan off her self-imposed throne as the world’s despot.

“I am pleased to finally meet you, Jess,” Jai Lin says, holding out her hand to me. After we shake hands, she holds her hand out to Mason for him to shake. “And I’m pleased to meet you also, Mason. Over the years, since your last visit, Brand has mentioned you to me quite often. I feel honored that you have returned to help us in our time of need.”

For some reason, I never thought our first visit to this Earth would have had much of an impact on the people. Yet, our brief time here seems to be remembered by many through stories told by those we met. It’s strange to think about how much one life can affect another, even in a different reality.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Empress.” I say. “I have the utmost faith that we can help you take Ravan’s place as the world’s leader.”

“Please, call me Jai Lin,” she tells me. “To be honest with you, I have no desire to rule the world. I only want to help the countries find their way back to how they used to be before the Tear appeared and the Watchers took over. We need a return to normalcy before we lose our cultural differences. If Ravan has her way, we will all be united as one under her rule. That is not the way the world is meant to be, and I refuse to hand over my heritage to someone who literally conspires with the devil himself.”

“You won’t have to,” I promise the empress. “We were sent here by God to help you, and I don’t believe He would have helped us return if He thought the war here was a lost cause.”

“That is almost exactly what Brand was just telling me,” Jai Lin says, turning her full attention back to Brand.

I watch the red hue of a blush return to Brand’s cheeks as Jai Lin looks at him.

“I didn’t want you to lose hope,” Brand tells her. “I told you that my Father would help us, and Jess, Mason and the rest of her friends are proof that He wants to see us succeed in our plans for the future. We
will
make this world what it should be, Jai Lin. You have my word.”

Jai Lin smiles at Brand, which does nothing but worsen his flushed appearance.

“I should take the empress back to the palace now,” Daniel says regrettably. “Otherwise, her absence will be noticed.”

“Oh,” Brand says, sounding disappointed about the necessity for Jai Lin’s abrupt departure. “Can you give me just a minute? I want to send something with you.”

“All right,” Jai Lin says hesitantly.

Brand phases, leaving us to fill an awkward silence after his exit.

“I think he’s making you a doggy bag,” Malcolm says, looking at the spot where Brand stood. “His phase trail leads to the kitchen.”

“Oh, he is an
excellent
cook,” Jai Lin says with sincere excitement. “I would appreciate taking something home made with his care. The cooks at the palace do not understand my tastes at all.”

“So is China ruled by a monarchy?” I ask, knowing the China in our world is controlled by a communist government, though in the past few decades they’ve embraced the concept of capitalism and become a far richer and more powerful country because of it.

“Yes,” Jai Lin replies. “Is it not that way on your Earth?”

“No,” I say with a small shake of my head.

“My family has ruled China for the last 1000 years,” Jai Lin tells me with a certain amount of pride in her heritage. “I think the only reason Ravan has not tried to influence my rule is because she knows I would revolt. I see through her pretense of being the great peacemaker, and she doesn’t like it.”

Brand phases back with a plastic Tupperware bowl in his hands filled with the soup he made for supper. Instead of having the expression of a smitten man in love, Brand looks extremely worried.

“What’s wrong?” I ask him, not knowing if I can take any more bad news in one day.

“Follow me,” Brand tells us, holding his hand out for Jai Lin to take. “You need to see what’s happening.”

Jai Lin quickly places one of her hands in Brand’s, making the action appear to be something she’s done countless times before. Brand phases. Mason takes hold of one of my arms and follows Brand’s phase trail.

We travel to a room in the mine I haven’t been to yet. It’s not very large, and it’s jammed with people watching a holographic display playing high on the side of a wall of the room.

I see Ravan Draeke standing behind the podium commonly used by the President of the United States to give speeches. A long hallway within the White House with a red carpet edged with a yellow-gold design is directly behind her. On either side of the entrance to the grand hallway are two flags. The one on the left is the American flag, and the one on the right is a black flag with Ravan’s red dragon symbol.

“Who’s the lucky guy?” I hear a man off-camera ask, presumably a reporter since the set up looks like it might be a news conference of some sort.

Ravan graces the unseen man with a smile, making her features crinkle with what appears to be happiness. Nevertheless, the expression of joy she’s trying to convey never reaches her eyes, telling me that whatever this news conference is about, it’s a calculated presentation.

I watch as Ravan holds her arm out to someone off-camera, offering the person her hand.

This world’s version of Gabriel, tall, blond, and athletically handsome, takes Ravan’s hand and stands beside her at the podium.

“Meet the man I plan to make my husband,” Ravan announces to the world. “My Chief of Staff, Gabriel Magnuson.”

I feel myself become physically ill at the picture they make together.

“Why?” I ask Mason, not having to say anything else.

“It could be a political move,” he says, never taking his eyes off the scene playing out before us. “People want to see their leaders happily married. It adds a note of stability to their character.”

“When will the wedding be?” a female reporter off-camera asks.

“As soon as possible,” Ravan says with a hint of urgency in her voice, which isn’t lost on the reporters in the room, considering the next question.