Beautiful Salvation (24 page)

A faraway look came into her eyes. “Death was a true god then. He was a strong, fierce god and he demanded the same from his people. Our men were warriors back then. Death used to wait at crossroads, challenge young men to fight, to test their skill. If they failed, they died there on the road, their blood seeping into the ground. All in the kingdom knew the importance of strength, and they worked hard to be worthy of Death. We would lead the people into war, urge them to glorious heights worthy of song.”

As Chumana grew more and more absorbed with her rant, Aiyana eased her body out of the water, using her claws to give her whatever purchase she could find on the slippery rock. Her body shivered with the cold and she ached to rid her fur of the water that clung to it in icy drops. She scanned the room, searching for something—anything—she could use to her advantage. Nothing presented itself. Just the polished stone of the walls and the crystals flickering in the fireplace.

The Spring Maiden started pacing, quick agitated movements. “You ruined it all. Without his strength, his enemies were too powerful for him to be the same brazen man I knew. He forgot about training warriors, forgot about making love, forgot about everything except the miserable maiden lying in a tower! The land has grown weak and miserable without him and it is all your fault!” She sneered. “He’s been sulking for the last century, moaning and groaning about how terrified the people are of him. He’s lived among them so long now that he’s started to believe he’s one of them—he’s forgotten he’s a god!” She whirled around to glare at Aiyana. “Who cares if they’re terrified? We support them, we give them land, we fight their enemies. I will not grovel on the ground and beg for their good will. I don’t
want
it!”

 
“Good will is not given, it is earned.” Aiyana shoved herself to her feet and met Chumana’s eyes, itching to rake her claws across the woman’s arrogant mouth. “Saamal cares about his people, wants what’s best for them. He hasn’t always made the best choices, but for better or worse, he did it for his people—not for the sheer pleasure of seeing their blood flow!”

Chumana ran a hand down her neck, trailing her fingers down to the curve of one breast. “When he first stole me from my husband, I was frightened. The Black God—Death—had dragged me to his bed by force. He told me our union would bring us both power, would strengthen the land. Two earth deities…” The corner of her mouth twitched up in a smile. “He was very convincing. And he was right. The power I’ve gained since then is more than I ever could have imagined. That serpent form you saw, that is a gift from the power he gave me, a result of the combination of our energy. I am more than just the Spring Maiden now.” She met Aiyana’s eyes. “So you see, little human. You do not know him as I do.”

It was Aiyana’s turn to smirk, and she put all the disdain she could manage into the expression. She called on everything she’d ever learned as a princess, drew herself up with all the poise that came from ruling. It was easy to look down her nose at Chumana, letting her scorn show in her eyes. “You
used
to know him. Back when he wanted to know you, back when he wanted anything to do with you. I have part of his spirit inside me, I have seen into his mind. And I know the prophecy.” Inspiration struck and Aiyana followed the thread out loud, keeping her voice strong and sure. “The prophecy said that I would bring him power and then I would lead him away from the bloody path he’d followed. And that’s the key, isn’t it? As long as he was on the path he used to travel with you, he didn’t yet deserve more power.” She straightened her shoulders. “But he does now. And I’ll do everything I can to see that he gets it.”

Chumana rubbed her temples. “I tire of you, little human. You cannot see what is so clearly right in front of you. I am meant to be with Death, not you.” She dropped her hands to her sides, throwing her shoulders back and fixing Aiyana with an icy stare. “You will die, here, tonight. And after you’re dead, I will lead Death back to his true path, and I will walk it with him, as I was meant to do.”

She raised her hand and snapped her fingers. The stone beside her moved, a doorway appearing where once there had been only unbroken, solid rock. Pink and blue light streamed through the opening from a hidden room beyond, and a hunched figure emerged. It was impossible to guess the stranger’s height, given his stooped posture, and their body was obscured by the voluminous folds of the cloak. Two legs stuck out the bottom of the material, the only sign that whoever it was appeared humanoid in shape.

“Yes, My Lady?” the cloaked newcomer rasped.

“I’m leaving. See that this kitten is skinned and cooked. I will eat her tonight after I return.” Chumana tilted her head, tapping her chin with one slender finger. “And use that sauce
Robert
that you make so well,” she added, smiling sweetly at Aiyana.

Before Aiyana could respond, Chumana held up her arms. Scales fell down her body like a rain of shiny beetles, coating her in the skin of her serpent form. Her black hair was flat against her body, the scales covering the ebony locks, pressing them against her body so that her final form was sleek and hairless. With a vicious flick of her tail, the goddess slid over the floor and vanished into the water with hardly a splash.

Aiyana quickly turned to the cook, determined to fight. If she could defeat this servant, perhaps she could swim out of here. It was her only chance, the only way she could get back to land. If she could make it back, perhaps she could find Tenoch. The ghost might be able to get a message to Saamal. Tightening her resolve, Aiyana bared her teeth and prepared to leap at the stranger.

The hood of the cloak fell back as the figure straightened, revealing a familiar face. The old man held up his hands and more blue and pink energy flickered to life in his palms, lighting up his features and confirming his identity. Aiyana’s jaw dropped.

“Okomi?”

The gardener’s brown eyes were warm and dancing with the reflection of the light in his hands. “Yes. My animal spirit saw Chumana pull you into the lake and notified me immediately. I came as quickly as I could.”

“How did you get down here?” Aiyana asked, a tiny sliver of suspicion keeping her from giving herself completely over to relief.

“Although I am unfortunately not able to manipulate the physical realm from here, it is a simple matter to manipulate the Dreamworld. My animal spirit was able to give me a detailed account of where the serpent had taken you. It was merely a matter of willing myself into a similar form to get down to her sanctuary. I found a room at the back of the cavern and discovered a human cook. He is a prisoner here, and after I explained to him that you had been taken, he knew immediately that the serpent would insist that he cook you for her dinner. In exchange for helping him escape, he readily agreed to help me disguise myself so that I might help you.” He held out his hands, offering her the magic in his grasp. “There is no time to lose. Here. Touch your face to the light. It will let you breathe underwater until you reach the surface.”

“But I don’t understand. Is Chumana the fairy you sent me to see? What about Saamal, how am I to get him back now?”

Okomi smiled. “Too many questions and not enough time. Take the power, Your Majesty, and go. All will be clear very soon.”

Despite the nagging desire to understand everything that had happened, Okomi’s sense of urgency rekindled her own. Her heart beat faster as she imagined Chumana reaching Saamal first, what Saamal might do if he believed she was dead. Aiyana leaned down and did as Okomi told her, breathing in the crackling energy in his hands. It was like inhaling the sweet, sharp aroma of a eucalyptus, cool and refreshing. The energy reached down inside her and filled her lungs so fully, so completely, that she felt as if she’d never before taken a true breath.

Okomi nodded at her and she leapt into the black water. The cold seized her for a moment, stinging her skin, but she gritted her teeth and pressed on. Her jaguar eyes were little better than human this far underwater, but she could make out the barest hint of light. She swam until she found the hole in the cavern that Chumana had brought her through. All the while she swam, Aiyana couldn’t help but imagine more serpent people, their bodies lashing through the water, their almost-human hands reaching for her, snagging her hair and her legs and dragging her back to the bottom of the lake. Fear ached in her heart and the warmth of tears welled in her eyes before being washed away by the freezing water all around her. She didn’t stop swimming until her face broke the surface of the lake.

The spell inflating her lungs dissipated, leaving Aiyana momentarily gasping and clutching her chest. The withering sensation passed and she closed her eyes as she was finally able to take a normal breath of air. A stick broke to her left and her muscles seized, nearly sending her underwater. Lowering herself as far as she could without submerging her nose, she scanned the land around the lake quickly, making certain Chumana was not standing there waiting for her. She found no sign of the Spring Maiden, nor any other apparent threat. Gathering her determination, Aiyana swam as fast as she could for shore.

Her pulse thudded so hard in her throat she nearly gagged, her mind torturing her with images of the serpent woman rearing up out of the water and dragging her back down into the dark depths. The fur on her back stuck out painfully, every nerve in her body tensed in preparation to fight off an attack. By the time she pulled herself back onto land, her entire body was trembling.

“Flower goddess my furry tail,” she ground out, digging her claws into the grass and imagining it was Chumana’s neck. She grunted as she hauled herself out of the lake, scrambling onto dry land. “Little human. Pathetic.” Her fear receded like last year’s snowfall and rage took its place, swirling inside her like a summer storm. The sun streamed down on her, lighting up the world and chasing away the memories of the darkness under the water. Her courage grew under the warm rays and she glared up at the sky as if she could see Saamal. “I can’t believe you ever had anything to do with that…woman!” She wrinkled her nose in disgust. She couldn’t get Chumana’s voice out of her mind, couldn’t wipe away that insipid smile on the Spring Maiden’s face as she’d talked about being kidnapped by the Black God. She crushed her own thoughts before they could torment her with thoughts of Saamal with Chumana, his hands on her body, his mouth…

Aiyana grabbed her hair in her hands, pulling sharply to tear her mind from her own foul imaginings. That was the past, it was all in the past. Thinking of it now would serve no one, it would only please Chumana to know she’d gotten to her. Aiyana gritted her teeth. She wouldn’t give that miserable snake the satisfaction.

She sprang to her feet, viciously swiping at the dirt on her clothes. Her skirt was heavy enough to give the impression it was carved from stone, waterlogged and caked with mud as it was. Every bead that had shone so beautifully when she’d made it was now clogged with earth. She’d lost her cloak at some point, most likely during her impromptu swim. She was in no state to present herself to her future husband—a god.

“Oh, let him see me like this,” she muttered, crossing her arms. “It’s his fault I’m in this state to begin with. Let him see the consequences of his poor taste in ex-lovers.” Pausing, she lifted her head. “I’m talking to myself.” She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, wringing out the water she could. “I suppose that’s a bad sign—talking to one’s self.”

“I’m listening too.”

The voice came from directly behind her. Aiyana whirled around, her heart in her throat, her claws extended and ready to tear to shreds whoever had dared to sneak up on her. “You!”

Tenoch’s eyes widened and he stilled, hovering beside her like a deer cornered by ravenous wolves. “What? What did I do?”

“Did you know about Chumana?” Aiyana demanded, the question coming from out of nowhere. She furrowed her eyebrows, but didn’t take her gaze off Tenoch. “Well?”

The ghost eyed her like she’d grown a second head. “The Flower Maiden? Of course I know of her. I assume you’re referring to her time as the Black God’s consort?”

“Don’t speak to me about that.” Irritation sharpened her voice to a fine point. “I know all about it, and I don’t want to hear anymore. Believe me, when I see Saamal again, I’ll—” Her earlier plan flew back to her mind and she tried to grab him by the shoulders before she remembered his incorporeity. Tenoch quirked an eyebrow at her, but she ignored him. “Can you travel to the physical plane?”

The ghost leaned back, eyeing her warily. “Yes. But I can’t take you if that’s what you mean.”

“No, but I need to you go to the physical plane and find out what happened to Saamal, then come back here and tell me.”