The Dragon Queens (The Mystique Trilogy) (22 page)

‘I do not think so.’ Lord Devere was almost amused by the proposal. ‘Better that we accompany
you to complete your quest and make sure that you do not have any second thoughts about where your loyalties lie.’

‘Hear, hear.’ I could not have agreed more.

‘There is no more time for argument,’ the entity decreed. ‘Follow me now or perish. I cannot be discovered before my task is done.’

He turned and walked outside.

For us, it was a matter of chase him or lose him.

In the street, doors and shutters had been flung open and people were trickling out into the street to be about their business. As we hastened along behind my son, Mr Taylor warned us all to be surefooted, for if anyone fell into the slippery muck beneath our shoes, not all the exotic scents in Arabia would make them sweet again.

We made our way through the city unseen by all we passed; we kept silent too, although in all probability the locals couldn’t hear us either. We exited through the gate of the city that led towards Jerusalem, past guards and officials and into the outlying lush green hills and valleys of Hebron. The landscape was clad with vines and orchards of olives, pomegranates, figs, quinces and apricots. So thick was the morning dew upon the earth that the instant our guide led us off the road and across country, our lower garments became soaked.

‘Not really what I was expecting,’ I commented, taking in the lovely fresh air after the stench of the narrow city streets. The mountains of Hebron were a vast contrast to the desert of Persia.

Mr Taylor played tour guide. ‘Nowhere in Judea, bar the Jordan valley, will you find such an abundance of water.’

The sky above us was mainly blue, but in the distance a storm was fast approaching. Levi watched it warily as he strode on at a steady pace. ‘There is a cave three hundred good paces from here,’ he said. ‘It would be advisable to take shelter there before that storm arrives.’

I wondered aloud why an ancient demi-god would be wary of a little bad weather.

‘Fishermen,’ he explained to me in a word.

In the storm? I looked to my husband, who was just as bemused by the comment.

Miss Koriche kept pace with our guide, curious about the entity. ‘Do you communicate with Levi?’ she asked.

‘He oversees my mission.’

‘But everything you’ve told us could be a lie.’ She eyed the pendant that hung around Levi’s neck, which she had given him on behalf of her order. ‘You could have snatched Levi’s body and left his soul to flounder in the ether for all I know.’

‘What an adventure.’ He smiled at her bafflement and strode on ahead.

‘I would like you to return my necklace,’ Miss Koriche called after him.

‘It is not
your
necklace, it belongs to me,’ he said without turning back.

Miss Koriche was curious that Thoth should claim ownership of the pendant.

‘Then how did my order obtain it?’ she challenged.

He turned to enlighten her. ‘I left it in their safekeeping before I was to face a terrible foe, just in case I perished. The gold contains a relic of my biological form, by which my soul can be summoned forth from oblivion into a conscious form again.’

‘You perished in the battle then?’ Miss Koriche assumed.

He raised both brows to query this. ‘I thought so for a time, but, thanks to Levi, my consciousness lives to awaken my allies and fight another day.’

‘It is said that the body of Hermes, formerly Thoth, was buried in the Valley of Hebron, in a cave near the Oak of Mamer—the tree made famous by Abraham’s meeting with three angels beneath it. The divine knowledge of Hermes, the scribe, was reportedly buried with him. Ancient Jewish legends tell of Abraham’s wife-sister, Sarah, encountering the sleeping scribe in a cavern, which she fled when the sleeper began to stir. It is said that many centuries afterwards the cave was uncovered by Alexander the Great and, by means of the powerful knowledge he found within, he conquered all of the then known world.’

Miss Koriche shared with us what she knew about the place where we were likely bound.

Mr Taylor seemed rather overawed by Miss Koriche’s educated guess as to our destination. ‘That doesn’t sound like somewhere you should be taking me,’ he joked. Miss Koriche appeared briefly amused by Mr Taylor’s awareness of his own shortcomings.

‘Interesting that Abraham met angels there,’ I said to my husband as we considered the implication of fishermen approaching within the storm—a supposition that seemed to have extraterrestrial connotations. Personally, I had always felt that many historical accounts of gods, angels and demons were in fact extraterrestrial encounters. I had never encountered any being in the physical world that was not terrestrial in origin, but if it was true that humans were blocked by a seal within our astral form, then perhaps this hindered me from perceiving such higher-dimensional beings? Or maybe I had simply never been in the wrong place at the right time? There was also the possibility someone or something was shielding me from the malign forces that Thoth had spoken of earlier. I recalled a very comforting presence that visited me in my dreams as a child, but all I could remember of the being was its wonderful energy; whether it was some sort of guardian I could not say.

Levi came to a stop in front of a couple of large boulders set in the side of a hill.

‘Have we arrived?’ Cingar queried.

‘We can’t have,’ Taylor objected. ‘Where is the famous oak?’

‘Further yonder.’ Levi pointed off over a rise. ‘Do you think I am stupid enough to leave an easily definable landmark near a site of such significance?’

‘But this rocky hillside looks practically identical to all the others around here,’ Taylor said, sceptical.

‘Not to my eyes,’ Levi assured, reminding us of his unearthly gaze.

Cingar moved to test the sturdiness of the boulders blocking the alleged passage into the earth. Finding them, well, solid as rocks, he
grinned. ‘If there is a cave behind that lot, you’ll need the wisdom of Hermes to get to it.’ He chuckled at his jest.

Levi looked to the sky as the clouds came over. He uttered something under his breath and the two large boulders simply vanished into thin air. He turned to Cingar, who had ceased to be amused. ‘In Hebron every stone has a story.’

A useful thought, I mused. The walls inside this ancient cavern might have a tale or two to tell about our questionable new friend.

‘Inside.’ Levi beckoned us to follow him into the dark depths beyond the narrow opening—it was a good thing we were all on the slim side.

‘This is as far as I go.’ Raineath stepped backwards. ‘I shall not be held captive again.’

Cingar looked concerned, his loyalties divided. ‘I cannot leave you to find your way back to Italy alone,’ he objected.

‘Then come with me,’ she suggested. I knew that Raineath was well aware of how Cingar prided himself on his loyalty to me. If he chose her cause over mine, then perhaps she stood a chance of capturing his heart within this lifetime.

Levi granted them leave to depart. ‘The gypsies are not in danger.’

‘You mean they are not prized genetic fodder?’ Lord Devere was clearly wary of a trap.

‘I have done all I can,’ Levi said, and entered the narrow opening.

Miss Koriche did not think twice about following him.

Mr Taylor shrugged. ‘Could anything be more challenging than what we’ve already endured this past week?’ He followed his love interest into the
unknown. After hearing of his previous terror from my lord, I was surprised to see he seemed only a little unnerved by the confined space. Clearly Taylor had undergone some transformations of his own.

Lord Devere appeared to be in a mental quandary about our next move.

‘We shall keep watch,’ Cingar told us. I could see he wanted to maintain his services to me as long as possible. ‘If anything unusual happens, I shall raise an army and come after you.’

I smiled at my dear friend and hugged him. ‘Do not loiter here, it could be dangerous. Return to your kin.’

‘You are scaring me.’ Cingar was clearly reconsidering his position.

‘Fear instead for those who cross me, for I am well protected,’ I said, then added quietly, ‘Raineath needs to escape this region; I have kept her from her freedom long enough. And I feel sure that she is the reason Chiara sent you, so your quest will not be over until she is safely delivered into the loving arms of your kindred.’

Cingar nodded, conceding to my view, too choked up to say anything more.

Lord Devere slapped the gypsy’s shoulder. ‘Cheer up, we shall meet again, my friend.’ Then he took my hand and led me inside the cave.

‘Good luck, Raineath,’ I called back. ‘Be spectacular!’

‘Like you,’ she returned, forcing herself to smile despite her concern.

Once Lord Devere and I were inside the cavern, the two huge boulders reappeared to block our point of entry.

Lord Devere made light of the development. ‘That’s probably for the best. Now Cingar cannot change his mind.’

‘Lucky Raineath,’ I added. She had managed to gain enough of Cingar’s affection to sway him from my service.

Along the darkened passage we perceived a light and steadily made our way towards it.

We entered a large antechamber that appeared to have been carved out of the rock; it was painted an ORME shade of gold and all sorts of artefacts were scattered about the floor: shields, armour and weaponry from the Crusade period, other shields and weapons from a much earlier time, broken pots, jugs and old burnt-out torches. Our guide, Miss Koriche and Mr Taylor awaited us there.

Upon sighting the weaponry, Albray was fast to point out that since I had left my sword back at Ur, we now had only a pistol, which was not his weapon of choice. He quietly advised that I retrieve a sword and scabbard from one of the dead, and directed me to the sword of a fallen crusader knight.

‘What are you doing, Mrs Devere?’ My husband knew immediately that my actions were at Albray’s request.

‘There is nothing wrong with being prepared,’ I told him.

My husband gave me a discerning look and moved in close. ‘Could you please put him aside for a while? I’d rather he wasn’t whispering to you on the quiet.’

‘All right.’ I decided I could appease them both. I removed my ringstone from my palm and put it in my pocket and then when Lord Devere moved on, I strapped the scabbard to my belt.

‘This labyrinth contains the biological forms of some of the great visionaries and leaders of the ages,’ Levi explained. ‘There are such caches in caves all over the planet. These remains are only relic fragments of the great ones who are no longer living, but even the smallest remains still hold enough “living” genetic material to sustain a high vibrational frequency at specific points of the Earth grid. Via their genetic consciousness, these sentinels support and guide the spiritual nature of the planet and the human race at large.’

‘So why are your relic fragments buried here?’ Miss Koriche asked. ‘Wouldn’t the vibration of a traitor be detrimental to the other pure energies herein?’

‘All roads lead back to the Sovereign Integral eventually, Miss Koriche. Even a traitor can unwittingly benefit the greater scheme, and in fact sometimes treachery is required to bring about a specific outcome. Someone must volunteer to play that role. I repented my misdeeds before I departed this world, although by then it was too late to rectify the damage.’ He sounded a little more human now as I detected traces of hurt and guilt, but perhaps the show of emotion was purely for effect.

Taylor looked surprised at Miss Koriche’s attack on the man she was supposedly in love with. ‘Dear gods! Why do I get the feeling that I have missed something of vital import?’ He turned to Lord Devere and myself. ‘And why are you two so wary of your son?’

‘Not now,’ Miss Koriche advised her associate, her eyes firmly fixed on our host. ‘Is Levi another incarnation of you?’ she went on. ‘The young
Mr Devere was such a fine being, it seems hard to believe.’

The entity got a good laugh out of that premise. ‘No,’ he said, eventually sobering. ‘The entity you know as Levi is my human sponsor, set in place by karma to oversee my mission. Should my will to complete my quest falter, he shall strengthen my hand.’

‘I see.’ But Miss Koriche didn’t sound entirely convinced. ‘Down which of these tunnels are your relic fragments to be found?’ she asked rather callously.

Levi conjured from his hand a bubble of light, which floated off down the tunnel straight ahead. We followed the light source and Levi along many twists and turns, passing by some tunnel openings and entering others.

As we walked, I ran my hand along the walls, probing for atomic memory. There were mostly long stretches of darkness at first, then I began to get flashes of occupation: various bands of soldiers; a terrified woman running past; holy men of an ancient order, hooded and hidden beneath long robes. The torches of the priests lit the cavern for a long period, then more darkness until I came to a place where the passageways and chambers were lit by stationary balls of light, much like the light bubble we were currently following. And all around were humanlike lizard warriors, angry and aggressive. I was focused on the two closest to me, curious about their appearance, when suddenly one of them broke from the conversation to stare me straight in the eye. It hissed, as if it had spotted me. I gasped and withdrew my hand from the wall.

‘What is it?’ Taylor was jumpy, his nerves set on edge by the confining spaces we were moving through.

My husband gave me a stern look; the last thing he needed right now was for Mr Taylor to have another episode.

‘I thought I saw a snake,’ I explained. ‘I am so sorry if I unduly alarmed you.’

‘You are forgiven.’ Nevertheless, Mr Taylor loosened his collar; he was beginning to sweat. ‘I feel I am handling this rather well,’ he said shakily.

Miss Koriche turned back on hearing the distress in his voice. ‘You are doing very well,’ she said with much encouragement. Taking hold of his hand, she gave him a reassuring smile.

‘Won’t your boyfriend be jealous?’ Taylor whispered, although I wondered why he bothered as we could hear every breath of every person in our party.

‘That entity is not my beloved,’ Miss Koriche told Taylor, annoyed by the suggestion. Still, she did not withdraw her aid or favour, but led Taylor through a low doorway and into a white marble hall. As my lord and I followed, I was astounded to see that the walls therein were painted with beautiful and intricate symmetrical designs, very much like the mandalas of Tibet. Some were spiralled, others were round, star-shaped, interlocking triangles and so forth, but within each basic symmetrical design appeared myriad intricate symbols of breathtaking colour.

‘What are they?’ I asked, looking around me in awe.

‘The twelve time codes of the primal sound fields,’ Levi said. When I looked at him, none the
wiser, he added, ‘These are the photosonic mathematical programs that clear all unnatural seals from the light-body systems.’

Now he was starting to make a little more sense. ‘So the astral seal we all have, which prevents us from engaging in astral projection, could be dispersed with one of these?’ I asked. I leaned in closer to study the symbol directly before me.

Levi nodded. ‘And your soul-mind will be aligned to the divine blueprint locked inside each of the twelve chakras of your light-body.’

‘Twelve!’ Miss Koriche and myself echoed. I had only ever learned about seven.

‘Seven activated chakras will get you beyond the three-dimensional holographic illusion that is life on Earth. Twelve activated chakras will connect you to every consciousness that exists in this dimensional universe and the next.’

‘Whoa,’ we gasped, turning circles in a vain attempt to absorb all the designs in an instant.

‘But that would take far more time than we have today,’ Levi said, and sent the floating light source further along the hall. He turned on his heel and followed it.

‘Just one moment longer,’ I begged, desperate to be left with enough light and leisure to admire this entrancing art, painted in colours so vibrant I could literally feel the atoms in my eyeballs becoming excited by their rare brilliance.

My lord took my arm gently. ‘We don’t want to lose him in here, my love.’

I knew my husband was right, but before we ran to catch up with our guide, I could not resist the opportunity to peek into the past of this intriguing place. I placed my hand on the wall.

This hall had stood since before the time of the lizard people, in darkness for the longest time. Then came a great explosion deep within the Earth and the hall shook violently. Pieces of damaged metal supports and glass appeared all over the floor, then flew up to reset a long arched roof. The entire hall began to glow as if it were spirit, but appeared no less dense or vibrant. The glass set within the arched ceiling allowed the rays of the sun to dance upon the stunning works of art and science, and the sky beyond the windows was a beautiful shade of violet. Then people appeared in multitudes, as if the Hall of Time Codes had been opened to the general public and not just the holy orders. These people appeared human but were extremely tall, slender and graceful and their heads were more elongated. The colours of their skin and hair represented all races currently known on Earth, plus there were some of pastel hues. They were so beautiful, so perfect in fact, that I knew in my gut that they represented what the human race once was and what we would again become.