Get Lost (16 page)

Jack steps forward, solidly built. His presence is a strong reassurance. “We have samples of everything in here, except the ice itself. We couldn’t even scratch the surface of that. Though, I’ll be the first to admit, I didn’t try all that hard. I can’t really bring myself to damage it.”

Taking a deep breath, I look down at the angel lost in the ice casket. “I think we should analyze the samples ourselves. We have the tools here, and if we send any of it to the commercial labs, word is going to get out. It will inevitably get back to the funders, and then they’ll want to know where the samples came from.”

“I agree, Seamus,” Diane’s voice is soft, a comfort even now. “Why don’t the three of you work on that, while I start recording this place?”

Nodding, Jack and Mark make their way out of the cavern and through the passageway to the outer caves. Yet I linger, resting my hands on the ice above my angel. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll get you out of this crystal as soon as we can,” my voice is quiet, a breath, no more. I can feel Diane watching me. I know she sees me speaking, as I saw her earlier. It occurs to me that I should be embarrassed to be caught talking to a dead woman, but somehow I’m not. It feels right to talk to her, like the most natural thing in the world.

With a last caress of the ice, and with a nod to Diane, I walk away. As I step into the passageway and out of sight of my goddess, I feel bereft. I have to force myself to keep walking when everything inside me is screaming at me to turn back. I promise myself that it won’t be for long. She needs me. I know it. I promise myself, and her, that I will always be here for her. As I step into the main caves, I make my vow. She will never be alone again, not so long as I draw breath.

Throughout that day and the next we spend our time analyzing the samples we’d gathered. I’m amazed to learn the sand is powdered gemstones, ground as fine as baby powder. It’s the softest thing I have ever felt. The crystals are unique too. They seem to absorb energy very easily, from any source: heat, sound vibrations, a breath of wind. Then they slowly release that energy as light. The crystals closer to the casket seem to have more of a charge to them, and thus they glow brighter.

By night, I move my bedroll into the back cavern keeping my vow never to leave my angel alone, not even for a moment. During the day, I take every opportunity to slip away from the machines and join Diane in the crystal cavern.  She seems to understand my need to be close to my angel. She’s as protective as I am, and I often hear her talking to the woman trapped in the ice. Diane tells her what she is doing, how she gets that perfect shot and more. She talks about herself and her childhood. She tells stories of her parents and her younger sister. I didn’t even know she had a sister. She talks about college, her first love and her friends. I learn more about Diane simply by spending time near the casket than I have in the last eight years.

Finally, after two days, Diane is done. She’s photographed every inch of this cavern. We begin to set up the tools Mark will need. The cutters he will use are the best that money can buy, and they should cut through the crystals like a hot knife through butter. None of us are really worried about the ice beneath the crystals. Despite his best efforts, Mark was unable to get a sample of the ice to analyze. The ice resisted all his attempts, and nothing even scratched the surface. Jake, Diane and I breathe a sigh of relief when he finally gives up. None of us want to risk the ice being damaged in any way.

I can feel the excitement building now. We all need her free of the crystal. I know the weight of them must be suffocating. It doesn’t matter that she has been dead for a thousand years, because in my head she is only sleeping. I talk to her, and I believe she hears me. I keep seeing the others talk to her too. She has become real to us, more than a perfectly preserved body in a casket of crystal and ice. She is simply perfect. I rest my hands above her and whisper softly, “Soon, my angel, soon you’ll be free of the crushing weight of the crystals.”

I step back and nod to Mark. I watch as he slowly and carefully starts cutting away the crystals. He is methodical, making absolutely certain his tools never touch the ice. The crystals keep falling to the floor, making the gemstone sand dance and sparkle in the air. Suddenly, the Earth shifts under our feet and Diane is yelling for Mark to stop.  He freezes, but it’s too late. A loud crack fills the air. The ice has fractured. Pulling his tools back, Mark steps away from the casket. As he does so, a sudden burst of power erupts in front of him, throwing us all to the ground. Sand is everywhere, filling the air, coating my eyes. I rub the sand away, and when I can finally open my eyes, I see her.  My angel stands before me, there, where her coffin of crystal and ice was just a moment ago.

Read more from The Spark and Future of Flames books 1-3 available now on Amazon.

Acknowledgement

At this point I would like to just take a small moment and thank those of you who made this possible for me.

Crazy Lady – Thank you for being my biggest fan from the day I was born.

Her Husband – Thanks for all the pride you have in me.

The Law Student – Thanks for being the first person the gang met outside of me.

Lumber Jack – You made this journey possible in more ways than I can describe. Thank you.

The Guru – Thank you for teaching me so much about writing, from the art to structure. I would’ve been lost without your constant help.

Betty Paige – Thanks for the constant faith and belief in me.

My Fans – Thank you for believing in this book before it hit the shelf, sticking with it until the end, and being excited that there are many more to come. Thank you for believing in my dream as much as I do
.

Other books by Xavier Neal

Senses Series:

Vital (Prequel) Found in Interwoven

Blind (Book 1)

Deaf (Book 2

Numb (Book 3)

Hush (Book 4)

Savor (Book 5)

Callous (Book 6)

Agonize (Book 7)

Suffocate (Book 8)

Mollify (Book 9)

Senses Series Box Set (Books 1-5)

Havoc Series

Havoc (Book 1)

Chaos (Book 2)

Insanity (Book 3)

Collapse (Book 4)

Devastate (Book 5)

Havoc Series Box Set (Books 1-3)

Never Say Neverland

Get Lost

Lost in Lies

Lies Mistrust and Fairy Dust (Coming Soon)

Adrenaline Series

Classic

Vintage

Masterpiece (Coming Soon)

Connect with Xavier Neal

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