rock was warm to the touch from the noonday sun. She made
herself look beyond the colored surface, beyond the solid reality of the stone.
She pictured a tunnel. Cool
and dark, it beckoned. She pressed her hand against the warm rock. Instead, she
felt a cool draft of air from the tunnel as her hand disappeared all the way to
her elbow.
She shrieked and tugged. Her
hand slipped easily out of the stone. “Oh. My.” She stared at Dax. “That is
just too weird.” She took a couple of deep breaths and shook off the shivers
coursing down her spine. “Is it going to be dark in there? How do we know where
we’re going? I really don’t want to end up in Abyss.”
Dax laughed and grabbed her
hand. He felt so warm and solid, she immediately calmed down. “Neither do I. We
need to think of the Lemurians. When we step through, I want you to hang on to
Bumper’s leash and hold my hand so we’re not separated. I’ll recognize the
dimension for Abyss and should be able to pick out the one for Eden. If there’s
a third, we’ll know it’s the Lemurians.”
Eddy nodded. “What if there’s
a fourth?”
Dax sighed. “Then I guess
we’ll go to Plan B.”
“What’s that?”
He shook his head. “Haven’t
got a clue, but we’ll figure something out.”
“Why doesn’t that give me a
sense of confidence?”
“Probably because you’re
hungry.” He walked a few steps down the hill and found a shady spot beneath a
stunted pine with a few large rocks beside it. “I thought breakfast would last
forever, but now I’m glad you made me bring sandwiches. I’m starving. This body
needs a lot of fuel. Would you like to eat?”
“Sure. Why not?” Kill demons, find the portal, take a lunch break. Sheesh. Eddy found a spot on a smooth rock and sat. She noticed Dax kept his attention
focused on the portal, even while he worked his way through two of the
sandwiches. The last thing they needed was a demon joining them for lunch.
Except
that’s exactly what I’m sitting beside. She took a deep breath and a
bite of her sandwich, and put that thought out of her mind. Denial was easier.
Not necessarily safer, but definitely easier.
The sun reflected off the dark
scree, and it was warm here, even this high up on the mountain. Dax slipped his
flannel shirt off and draped it over the rock. Eddy almost choked. She’d been
trying so hard not to think about him, about the attraction she felt, but there
was no denying her body’s response.
Demon or not, the man was
gorgeous. He’d replaced the bandages on his chest and side after his shower,
but they didn’t detract from the powerful muscles or the lean strength of him.
Even the snake seemed to fit, glistening across his flat belly and winding up
his chest. The head rested just above his nipple with jaws gaping wide, as if
to swallow that perfect copper-colored disk whole.
Suddenly the snake writhed
across his skin. Dax shuddered. His body curved forward, and he gasped, as if
in terrible pain. Eddy reached out and grabbed his arm as he sat down, heavily,
on the rock next to hers.
“Dax? What’s wrong? Are you
okay?”
“A minute…” He closed his eyes
and took a series of deep breaths. His face was chalky. Perspiration beaded his
forehead. The snake tattoo glowed hotly against his skin. After a moment, he
opened his eyes and slowly ran his fingers over the inked scales.
“What is that thing?” Eddy knelt
in front of him with her hands resting on his knees. His body trembled; his
breathing was ragged. Willow zipped between her and Dax, glowing like a tiny
spotlight.
Her blue glow bathed his
chest. Dax slowly straightened, took another deep breath, and let it out.
“Thank you, Willow.” He placed his hands over Eddy’s. “I’m sorry if I
frightened you.”
“What happened? I swear I saw
that tattoo move across your skin, almost like it was trying to coil to strike.
What is it?”
He looked down at his chest
and ran his fingers along the colorful tattoo. “As I
herself look beyond the colored surface, beyond the solid reality of the stone.
She pictured a tunnel. Cool
and dark, it beckoned. She pressed her hand against the warm rock. Instead, she
felt a cool draft of air from the tunnel as her hand disappeared all the way to
her elbow.
She shrieked and tugged. Her
hand slipped easily out of the stone. “Oh. My.” She stared at Dax. “That is
just too weird.” She took a couple of deep breaths and shook off the shivers
coursing down her spine. “Is it going to be dark in there? How do we know where
we’re going? I really don’t want to end up in Abyss.”
Dax laughed and grabbed her
hand. He felt so warm and solid, she immediately calmed down. “Neither do I. We
need to think of the Lemurians. When we step through, I want you to hang on to
Bumper’s leash and hold my hand so we’re not separated. I’ll recognize the
dimension for Abyss and should be able to pick out the one for Eden. If there’s
a third, we’ll know it’s the Lemurians.”
Eddy nodded. “What if there’s
a fourth?”
Dax sighed. “Then I guess
we’ll go to Plan B.”
“What’s that?”
He shook his head. “Haven’t
got a clue, but we’ll figure something out.”
“Why doesn’t that give me a
sense of confidence?”
“Probably because you’re
hungry.” He walked a few steps down the hill and found a shady spot beneath a
stunted pine with a few large rocks beside it. “I thought breakfast would last
forever, but now I’m glad you made me bring sandwiches. I’m starving. This body
needs a lot of fuel. Would you like to eat?”
“Sure. Why not?” Kill demons, find the portal, take a lunch break. Sheesh. Eddy found a spot on a smooth rock and sat. She noticed Dax kept his attention
focused on the portal, even while he worked his way through two of the
sandwiches. The last thing they needed was a demon joining them for lunch.
Except
that’s exactly what I’m sitting beside. She took a deep breath and a
bite of her sandwich, and put that thought out of her mind. Denial was easier.
Not necessarily safer, but definitely easier.
The sun reflected off the dark
scree, and it was warm here, even this high up on the mountain. Dax slipped his
flannel shirt off and draped it over the rock. Eddy almost choked. She’d been
trying so hard not to think about him, about the attraction she felt, but there
was no denying her body’s response.
Demon or not, the man was
gorgeous. He’d replaced the bandages on his chest and side after his shower,
but they didn’t detract from the powerful muscles or the lean strength of him.
Even the snake seemed to fit, glistening across his flat belly and winding up
his chest. The head rested just above his nipple with jaws gaping wide, as if
to swallow that perfect copper-colored disk whole.
Suddenly the snake writhed
across his skin. Dax shuddered. His body curved forward, and he gasped, as if
in terrible pain. Eddy reached out and grabbed his arm as he sat down, heavily,
on the rock next to hers.
“Dax? What’s wrong? Are you
okay?”
“A minute…” He closed his eyes
and took a series of deep breaths. His face was chalky. Perspiration beaded his
forehead. The snake tattoo glowed hotly against his skin. After a moment, he
opened his eyes and slowly ran his fingers over the inked scales.
“What is that thing?” Eddy knelt
in front of him with her hands resting on his knees. His body trembled; his
breathing was ragged. Willow zipped between her and Dax, glowing like a tiny
spotlight.
Her blue glow bathed his
chest. Dax slowly straightened, took another deep breath, and let it out.
“Thank you, Willow.” He placed his hands over Eddy’s. “I’m sorry if I
frightened you.”
“What happened? I swear I saw
that tattoo move across your skin, almost like it was trying to coil to strike.
What is it?”
He looked down at his chest
and ran his fingers along the colorful tattoo. “As I
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