Ginny didn’t realize they’d fallen asleep until she awoke hours later. She went from sound asleep to wide awake in a heartbeat, immediately aware she was cuddled next to Alton with her cheek pressed against his chest. The room was dark, and they were lying down instead of sitting up against the headboard.

Alton was warm and their skin damp with perspiration where they touched. She was struck with the intimacy, the fact she’d actually fallen asleep beside him on the bed. She was still dressed, but all he had on were his knit boxers, which left a whole lot of Alton exposed.

He slept soundly with one hand resting on her hip and she lay there for a moment, silently critiquing the sensation of waking up with such a tall and powerful man curled around her. She’d never once slept through the night with a man.

Not that the opportunity hadn’t been there, but she’d never known any man before whom she cared enough about or trusted enough to let her guard down around him. For some reason, she trusted Alton, which made no sense. She hardly knew him. Even more bizarre, he’d already admitted he wasn’t human.

Neither am I.

Oh, God. She’d avoided thinking about what HellFire said. That was going to take some getting used to. Was she just going to accept the word of a talking sword? For that matter, was she going to accept the fact a sword could talk?

Hard to ignore a talking sword. Especially a snarky talking sword. This was all just way, way too over the top.

Never in her wildest dreams…

Biting back an impending case of nervous giggles, Ginny carefully slipped out from under Alton’s arm, grabbed her overnight bag, and quietly went into the bathroom. She hadn’t had a shower since leaving Phoenix so many hours ago, and even though it was almost three in the morning, washing off the grime of travel was her number-one priority.

She showered quickly, towel-dried her hair, and resigned herself to the fact she’d have frizzy instead of smooth curls in the morning. Then she slipped into her cotton knit sleep pants and the soft cami top and padded quietly across the room to her own bed.

A blue glow on the little round table by the window caught her eye. Could HellFire be awake? She glanced at Alton. He snored softly, but he’d rolled over on his side and his back was to her. Before she could talk herself out of it, Ginny carefully grabbed the hilt and slipped the sword out of the scabbard.

Alton’s warning slammed into her thoughts just as she pulled HellFire free. He’d told her she couldn’t use his sword in battle without risking death. She stared at her fingers wrapped solidly around the jeweled hilt, at the way it fit her hand, and hoped the threat didn’t extend to quiet conversation.

Nothing happened. She let out a soft, shaky breath. Then she quietly lay the glowing sword on the floor beside the bed and sat down next to it, out of Alton’s line of sight.

The blade shimmered with a soft, blue-toned light. She ran her fingers along the crystal, careful not to cut herself on the razor-sharp edge. Whispering softly, she asked, “HellFire? Are you awake?”

I am.

The voice was in her mind! Clear as a bell and not nearly as snarky as it had sounded earlier. She answered with her thoughts and hoped she was doing it right. May I ask you a question?

You may.

Oh, this was just too weird, but she’d been afraid of waking Alton and she had so many questions! You said I was a daughter of Lemuria. How can that be?

There are very few who walk upon the earth with the blood of Lemuria in their veins. Only when like meets like does the blood run true.

She thought about that a moment. When like meets like…Are you saying that both my birth mother and the man who fathered me carried the blood of Lemuria?

The sword glowed brightly and then went dark. Ginny stared at it for a moment before whispering, “Guess that’s an affirmative.” Maybe she should have asked HellFire if she could ask questions, as in plural.

A snarky, literal sword.

Smiling at the thought, she carefully slipped the sword back into its scabbard and set it on the table. She started to crawl into her bed when Alton rolled over and blinked sleepy eyes in her direction. “Ginny? Is something wrong?”

“No. I felt grimy. I just took a shower.”

“Come back to bed. We have a busy day ahead.” He was lying on top of the covers, but he raised the sheet, inviting her to join him.

She glanced at her empty bed and shivered. She didn’t want to sleep alone. Not with Alton so close, but at the same time, she had a feeling she could be making a terrible mistake…or not. With a last glance at the dark sword, she walked around the extra bed and crawled in beside Alton. He covered her with the sheet and tugged her close against his side.

Within seconds she knew he slept, but Ginny lay awake for a long time, wondering about the blood in her veins and the legacy she’d not known of until now. Wondering what it meant, and how this knowledge might change her life.

 

Alton awoke once more during the night. Ginny slept close beside him, tucked up under his arm with her nose pressed against his ribs. When he’d reached for her earlier and realized she’d gone, he never dreamed she’d come back to his bed.

The fact she’d fallen asleep in his arms in the first place had thrilled him more than it should have. He’d been afraid to move for fear she’d wake up and leave his side, but she’d come back. Awake and aware, she’d still slipped into bed beside him.

There might be a sheet between them, but she was closer than he’d expected, more relaxed beside him than he’d dreamed.

Her hair had dried into tight little curls. He inhaled and smelled the same shampoo he’d used on his hair. With the warmth of her body beside him and the clean scent of soap and shampoo tickling his nose, he drifted back to sleep.

It was light when Alton awoke again. Ginny stood beside the bed, dressing. He barely caught a glimpse of smooth, dark thigh and curved buttock when she slipped out of the soft pants she’d been wearing. Within seconds she’d pulled on a pair of pale blue underpants and a matching bra, followed by snug, faded blue jeans and a stretchy T-shirt. Her hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail this morning. She pulled the end out of her shirt and fluffed the frizzy black curls with a look of pure disgust on her face. While she was fiddling with her ponytail, he sat up in bed and waited for her to notice he was awake.

She turned around and bit back a short shriek. Then she glared at him. “How long have you been awake?”

He faked a big yawn and stretched. “Just now. Give me a minute and I’ll be ready to go.” He noticed the fresh bandage wrapped around her fingers and palm. “How’s your hand?”

She shook her head. “Healing pretty fast, actually. There’s no sign of infection.” She held her hand up and showed him how she could flex her fingers in spite of the bandage. “See?”

“Good. I’m glad it’s better. What time is it?”

“It’s early. Barely six. I don’t think the clinic opens until at least nine.”

“Someone may come early to feed the animals,” he said. “We can park nearby and wait.”

 

Ginny drove through a fast food place and they bought a couple of breakfast burritos and cups of coffee. It was only quarter to eight when she parked the Focus down the street from the clinic.

Alton reached in his pocket for his cell phone. He’d remembered to charge it at the hotel, but there were no messages on it. He tried calling Eddy, but it went straight to her voice mail, so he left a message that they were at the clinic to check on the possessed pets, ended the call, and stuck the phone back in his pocket.

He’d thought about telling her of his plans to take Ginny to Lemuria. Thought about it, and discarded the idea. If Eddy said it was too dangerous, what would he do? He still wasn’t sure it was the right move, but he had to do something. Had to find out if his people were going to help fight this battle that seemed to be growing more involved, more confusing, by the day.

 

They had a good view of the parking lot and employee entrance as well as the front of the clinic. Alton sipped his coffee and studied the building. Ginny nibbled on her egg burrito and studied Alton.

He filled the passenger side of the little car. Even though the seat was shoved as far back as it would go, his long legs were bent and his head nearly touched the top. Still, he seemed relaxed as he stared at the little adobe building that housed the clinic.

As big as he was, he moved like a man confident in his body. He’d slept the same way, on his back most of the night on top of the covers, his long hair like a tangled blond halo around his head. This morning he’d pulled it into two long, thick braids hanging forward against the sides of his face. The ends were tied with colorful twine he’d woven into the braid.

She thought about how her opinion of him was changing. He’d been so arrogant and overbearing when they’d first met. Cocky to the extreme. She still thought he was arrogant and cocky, but why didn’t it bother her as much?

She’d need to think about that one. She had no patience for arrogant men, never liked their attitude or the way they treated her. She’d definitely had her fill of macho types while working as a 911 dispatcher. There were the ones who looked down on her, either because of her race or her gender or both, or the ones who thought she was the kind of girl to lie back and spread her legs merely because she was female and they were such hot stuff.

She’d certainly straightened them out in a hurry. In fact, she was damned proud of her reputation at work as a ball-buster, but at least it kept the jerks away. She had no patience for them. None at all.

She wasn’t sure if Alton had backed off on the attitude that bugged her so much at first, or if she was just getting used to him. For whatever reason, Ginny was actually looking forward to spending the day with him.

She wasn’t all that certain about going to Lemuria, but in the back of her mind she fully expected Alton would stop at some point and tell her it was all a joke.

What if he didn’t? She wished she could get ahold of Eddy. There was an awful lot she really wanted to ask her best friend. So many questions Eddy might be able to answer.

An SUV pulled into the parking lot beside the clinic. Ginny recognized the veterinarian when he got out of the vehicle—the same fairly young man, with dark, shaggy hair, and a neatly trimmed beard, whom she’d seen yesterday. Though Ginny hadn’t met him, she’d admired the way he calmly checked out the animals when she and Markus had brought Tom to him. He’d been equally patient with the stressed-out owners hovering over their pets. He seemed like a nice enough guy—tall and lean with such kind eyes. He’d acted competent, if a little confused by the strangely acting animals filling his clinic.

Yesterday? Ginny let out a deep breath. Not even twenty-four hours ago. How could so much have happened in less than a day? She couldn’t wait to see what was coming next. Alton set his coffee on the dash and climbed out of the car. Ginny followed him across the street to the clinic.

“Good morning, Doctor.” Alton nodded to the vet.

The man jerked away from the door he’d just unlocked. “Goodness,” he said, tilting his head back to look up at Alton. “You startled me.” Recovering quickly, he smiled and paused with his hand on the door. “We’re not open yet. And even if we were, all my cages and pens are full. I can’t take any more patients, at least until we figure out what’s wrong with the ones we got in yesterday.”

Ginny smiled. “My cousin brought his cat in yesterday. You have Tom here already.”

Before the vet could comment, Alton added, “Ginny’s cousin said you believe the creatures are possessed. I happen to agree with you. I would like the chance to observe the animals, if you don’t mind.”

The man blinked. He took a step back and Alton passed his hand in front of the vet’s eyes. The man blinked again, smiled, and held the door. “Come in. Please. Take a look. I just need to get everyone fed.”

Ginny glanced at Alton. He winked at her and waved her through the door. She entered the clinic with Alton and the vet right behind her.

The place was quiet. She’d expected banshee screams and the reek of sulfur, but it smelled like a regular veterinarian’s clinic, sort of doggy and antiseptic with an overlay of cat pee. Alton glanced at her and frowned, but he spoke to the veterinarian. “Where are the affected animals?”

The vet didn’t speak, but he led them through a set of double doors. Cages and wire kennels lined the room along both sides. As soon as they entered the room, dogs started barking, but they sounded perfectly normal. The veterinarian had to raise his voice to be heard. “Dogs are here, cats in the next room. I need to get everyone fed. Feel free to take a look.”

He walked away without a backward glance.

“Wow. Just your everyday mind control, eh?” Ginny stared at him for a long moment with her hands planted firmly on her hips. “Definitely effective, isn’t it? That’s what you did to me?”

Alton smiled as he stepped close to a kennel holding a large German shepherd. “That’s what I tried to do to you. Didn’t work, remember?” He sighed dramatically. “And that is why I was forced to kiss you.”

Ginny flashed him a flirty grin. “Hmm…should I apologize for being such a tough sell?”

Alton smiled down at her. “Never apologize, Ginny. Not for being who you are. You’re really quite amazing.” Then, after dropping that bombshell, he merely added, “Notice anything?”

She blinked. Talk about switching gears! Going back to the subject of possessed animals, she shook her head. “Other than the fact they sound like normal dogs? No stink of sulfur, either. Look at that guy. Normal dog teeth. Where’d the demon teeth go? For that matter, where’d the demons go?”

“I imagine they’ve gone back to the void, unless they could find new avatars after leaving the caged beasts. Let’s go check the cats.”

They found the vet staring at the rows of cages filled with cats. A couple meowed quietly. He turned to Alton and shook his head. “This doesn’t make any sense. All these animals were screeching yesterday. Their teeth had changed, their eyes were glowing. Today they’re regular cats. I don’t get it.”

“I’m not positive, but I imagine once the demons realized the animals were going to stay caged, they lost their value to the demons. Demons took possession of the animals to give themselves mobile avatars in this dimension. It’s the only way they can stay here and move about. Caged avatars don’t do them any good.”

Obviously confused, as much from Alton’s compulsion and his offhanded explanation of the patently impossible demon possession as he was by the perfectly normal animals filling his clinic, the vet stared at Alton and shrugged. “I still don’t get it. Where are the demons now?”

Alton glanced at Ginny. “I wish I knew. They can’t last long in Earth’s dimension in their mist form, but they could have searched for new avatars. Wild animals or pets running free, not caged. I imagine you’ll be seeing an entirely new group of patients, animals possessed by the same demons that once inhabited the creatures you’ve got here.”

The vet scratched his head and stared long and hard at Alton. “How do you know this? When I told people I thought their pets were possessed, they looked at me like I was nuts.”

“That’s because the truth is often frightening.” Alton stared at the rows of cats staring at him from their pens. His words had a sense of destiny to them, as if he was making a pledge as much as explaining himself to the vet. “I come from a long line of demon fighters. This is the job I was born to do.”

Then he seemed to reach a conclusion. “I want you to remember my visit after I’m gone,” he said, brushing his hand in front of the veterinarian’s eyes. “You’re going to want to keep me informed of any new and unusual activity.”

The doctor blinked and shook his head. He smiled at Alton, but now his eyes were bright, focused. “What did you say your name was again?”

Alton stuck out his hand. “Alton Artigos. And this is my partner, Ginny Jones. We were talking about the animals you saw yesterday. As I said, the demons probably fled once they understood their avatars were caged, but I’d appreciate it if you’d let me know if you have another rush of animals like these. I forgot to ask—how long has this been going on? Is it a recent phenomenon?”

“It’s just bizarre. Yesterday was the first day folks showed up with their pets acting so strange. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“Then how did you know it was demon possession?” Alton’s question seemed to catch the vet by surprise.

“Why…I…” He shrugged. “I don’t know. They felt wrong to me. They looked wrong. It seemed obvious, though I guess most people wouldn’t phrase it quite the same as I did.”

“Here.” Ginny dug a business card out of her handbag. “My cell phone number is here. I’m so glad to see Tom looking normal and healthy. He was scary yesterday. He got me good.” She held up her bandaged hand. It still hurt.

“He bit you?” The vet took her card. “That’s not typical behavior. Normal, socially adjusted pets don’t bite people.” He blinked and stared at the rows of caged cats. “They’re nothing like they were yesterday. I need to call their owners to come and get them. Strange. It’s all very strange.” With a last, somewhat confused glance over his shoulder, he walked out of a room filled with perfectly normal cats.

“What now?” Ginny tilted her head. She gazed up at Alton standing so quietly beside her.

He shook his head. “I guess we go to Lemuria. There’s nothing for us here. I sure hope HellFire knows what he’s talking about.”

The little half smile he gave Ginny wasn’t all that reassuring. Not when he’d told her he had a death sentence hanging over his head.

 

It was cool and overcast when Ginny parked the car in the empty parking area at Bell Rock. She stuffed a few things from her suitcase into her daypack while Alton checked to see what he wanted to take in his. There was no point in carrying any more extra weight than they had to.

After locking the car door, Ginny slung her pack over her shoulder and adjusted the weight. Alton grabbed his. It didn’t weigh much at all, as he’d pared it down to the minimum, but he didn’t take more than emergency overnight stuff. With any luck, he figured they could be back before sunset.

He wished he felt luckier. He stared up at the deep red sandstone of Bell Rock and tried to imagine what awaited them, but he had no idea what might happen once he and Ginny crossed into Lemuria. HellFire remained dark and silent, though the solid weight of the leather scabbard across his back was a surprising comfort to him. More so, now that HellFire had found his voice.

What would his people think of his sentient sword? As nervous as he was about entering Lemuria after the way he’d left—sneaking out with escaped prisoners in the gray light of early dawn—Alton couldn’t help but feel a sense of achievement. His sword spoke to him, proof he’d gained status as a Lemurian warrior.

And, petty as it seemed, he hoped his father would be proud. It was not easy, living an immortal lifetime as a failure, feeling as if he’d always been a disappointment. He hated to think what his father had been thinking of him over the past week. All the chancellor knew was that his son had failed once again—he’d broken a Lemurian edict and, as far as anyone in Lemuria knew, Alton was nothing more than a common criminal.

He shivered, seeing himself as his father saw him. Seeing himself as someone even worse than a failure.

“C’mon, Alton. What’re you waiting for?”

Jerked out of his black thoughts, Alton shook his head. “Nothing. Just thinking,” he said, but before Ginny had a chance to ask him what he’d been thinking about, he took off at a brisk walk along the well-marked trail.

Leading Ginny up the bluff, he realized he’d not thought of his lack of accomplishment since leaving Lemuria. He hadn’t dwelled on his supposed failings, on the fact he’d not measured up as the son his father wanted. Only now, knowing he would be facing his father in a very short time, was he suddenly swamped in self-doubt and insecurity.

Since he’d left Lemuria, he’d been filled with confidence and he’d acted bravely, with honor. He’d changed. He wasn’t the same man he’d been just over a week ago.

He was a warrior. A confident fighter, one who’d met demons in battle, all because he’d chosen to take a stand for the right reasons and risk everything for a principle he believed in.

The self-confidence that had begun to ebb reappeared. He walked tall, proud of himself, proud of the woman beside him—just as proud of the sword slung across his back.

Pride goes before a fall. He shook his head. Now was not the time to be thinking of old human sayings.

They followed the worn path that led up and around the towering red rock. It was still early and the threat of rain hung close in the dark and heavy clouds.

They crossed a large, flat area where the wind had scoured the rock smooth. Alton recognized it as the spot where the class had been meditating when he arrived from Shasta. A few fat raindrops fell, sending up tiny puffs of red dust as they hit. Alton grabbed Ginny’s hand and tugged her toward a perpendicular bluff of deeper red sandstone. “This is the portal,” he said, stopping in front of the smooth wall. “We pass through here.”

Ginny shook her head. “How? There’s nothing there but solid rock.”

“Watch my hand.” He pressed his palm against the rock, hesitated a fraction of a second, and his arm disappeared into the stone. Ginny gasped and her fingers tightened around his.

“That’s impossible. Absolutely impossible.”

He grinned at her, and then, because he really couldn’t help himself, leaned over and kissed her. Her full lips immediately softened under his, so filled with invitation that it was harder to break away than he’d expected.

He finally ended the kiss and ran his tongue over his lips, tasting Ginny. “Actually, it’s not,” he said. “I just did it, and so will you.” He held her palm against the wall. “Imagine a tunnel. It’s dark and cool with light glowing at the other end.”

She rolled her eyes in his direction with a look that let him know exactly what she thought of his instructions. Then she stared at the wall, closed her eyes a moment, and her hand disappeared all the way to her elbow. Immediately she jerked it back out.

“Shit! I did not see that.”

He laughed. “Well, you would have if you’d opened your eyes.”

“I did open my eyes, about the time my arm disappeared.” She twisted and turned her arm, as if she needed to make sure her parts were still where they belonged. “That is just wrong.”

“I hope not, because we’re walking through before we get soaked.” The storm was moving quickly across the desert. It looked like a dark gray wall coming closer by the second. Raindrops splattered all around them, faster now. Harder. “Hold my hand and follow me.”

“I really don’t want to…oh, crap.”

He grabbed her hand and stepped through the portal. Ginny followed close behind and within seconds they’d cleared the gate. Alton turned her hand loose and pulled HellFire out of his scabbard. The glow from the crystal sword lit the dark cavern.

Ginny’s eyes were tightly shut.

“You can open your eyes now. We’re inside.” He laughed and held HellFire overhead. Shadows danced off the shimmering walls. Thankfully, there was no sulfuric stench, no sign of demons having recently passed.

He turned and smiled at Ginny. She was staring at the shimmering walls, her eyes wide, lips parted in absolute astonishment. “What is this? What am I looking at? How can we be inside a solid chunk of rock?”

“We’re not actually inside Bell Rock. It’s merely a portal. It led us into another dimension using the power of the energy vortex in the rock.” He pointed out the various gateways. “That will take you to Atlantis, the one next to it goes to Eden, though if you try to pass through uninvited, you will die. That melted splotch on the wall was a portal directly to Abyss, but I sealed it when I was here yesterday.”

“Un-frickin-believable.”

Laughing, he dragged her down the tunnel a short way. “If you pass through that one, you’ll end up in Mount Shasta. Takes just a couple of minutes to cover the distance. That’s how we’ll go home when it’s time.”

Ginny shook her head so hard her frizzy ponytail slapped the sides of her face. “This is absolutely unreal. Where’s the one to Lemuria?”

“This way.” He tugged her back to the main part of the cavern. The gateway to Lemuria beckoned with a golden glow. Alton tightened his grasp on Ginny and held his sword in front of them. “HellFire? You’re sure this is safe? I don’t want to expose Ginny to any danger.”

“Every war is fraught with danger, but no one in Lemuria would dare cross a sentient crystal sword. Nor would they harm a daughter of Lemuria. Go.”

Alton raised his eyebrows and glanced at Ginny. She looked like she was trying not to laugh. “If you say so,” he said. Holding the sword high, he and Ginny crossed through the swirling gold portal and stepped onto the pathway that would take him home.

 

“What’s that noise?” Ginny grabbed Alton’s arm and planted both feet. She wasn’t going to take another step until he explained the deep roaring sound that echoed throughout the tunnel they’d popped into once they passed through the portal. Gold light shimmered on the walls around them, but the sound seemed to pulse within her skull, so powerful, so all consuming that she was certain her heart had taken up its beat, that her breathing was locked to its cadence.

“It’s energy—nothing more than visual and audio effects set up to protect Lemuria from invaders.” Alton slipped his pack higher on his shoulder, grabbed her hand, and tugged her forward. “You’ll see. It’s pretty cool, actually.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it.” Grumbling, Ginny wrapped her fingers around Alton’s. They followed the pathway for a short distance. The roar grew louder with each step they took, until Ginny felt as if she’d become part of the noise, as if her own heartbeat contributed to the din. The tunnel ahead seemed to glow and shimmer in time with the echoing sound.

Alton stopped. His fingers tightened around hers and he turned to look directly into her eyes. “This is it, Ginny. Once we go through the veil, I’m a wanted man. I don’t know what’s happened since I left, what’s waiting on the other side.”

“You said your friend stayed behind. Is there any way to reach him?” She wriggled her fingers in the air between them. “You know, like telepathy?”

He shook his head. “Not until we pass through the energy veil. I’m going to try as soon as we’re on the other side.”

She stared at the pulsing golden wall in front of them. It reminded her of a waterfall, but it could have been molten metal. The air was cool, though. Melted gold would have to be really hot, wouldn’t it?

Still, when Alton stepped through, she just about freaked, but he tugged on her hand and gave her no choice. She shut her eyes and followed him through the flowing wall of gold.

There was absolutely no sensation at all as they passed through. Within seconds they’d popped out on the other side into a long, wide tunnel that wound deep into the earth. Ginny planted her feet once again and stared around her, at the tunnel leading forward, at the flowing wall of gold at their backs. Not in her wildest dreams could she have imagined anything even remotely as unbelievable as all of this.

“C’mon. We might as well just go for it.” Alton tugged her hand once again.

Ginny shook the tension out of her shoulders, squeezed his fingers tightly, and walked beside him down the wide tunnel. So this was Lemuria? She almost giggled as she thought of her friend, Eddy, and all the years they’d teased Eddy’s father about his fervent belief that Lemuria existed. Eddy’d definitely had to eat some crow over this.

They passed a few smaller tunnels that led off to the right or left, but Alton kept to the main route. Suddenly he stopped.

“Nine hells,” he cursed. He dropped his pack and his fingers flew as he unbuckled his scabbard and shoved the sword and scabbard into Ginny’s hands. “They’re coming for me. I reached Taron, but it’s too late. He said there are armed guards on the way. Here’s my pack. Take HellFire and find Taron. Use the sword. It should be able to lead you.”

Ginny slung his pack over her shoulder and clutched the leather scabbard. “But, I don’t—”

“Hide. They’re almost here.” Alton leaned over, kissed her hard on the lips, and shoved her into a narrow passage.

Ginny stumbled and almost fell, but she managed to slip back into the shadows as a group of soldiers dressed in weird blue robes descended on Alton. Heart thundering in her chest, she bit down on her fingers to keep from crying out as two men even bigger than Alton grabbed him roughly and twisted his arms behind his back.

He didn’t look her way. Did nothing to betray her. He didn’t fight his captors, either, even when they lashed his hands behind his back and tied his arms tightly all the way to his elbows. He never made a sound, though the pain had to be excruciating.

The one who appeared to be the commander of the small force shoved Alton forward with a muttered curse. Then they marched him quickly back the way they’d come.

It had taken less than a minute from the time the soldiers had arrived until Alton disappeared from sight. Ginny stayed behind, hiding in the shadows with Alton’s sword clasped to her chest, praying that no one would hear the staccato pounding of her heart.

The sound of the men’s heavy footsteps grew distant as the soldiers marched away with Alton. Ginny waited, paralyzed as much by fear as indecision. Should she try and find Taron? Or should she go back and try to contact Eddy and Dax?

No. She had to stay here. She couldn’t leave Alton alone.

Trembling, alone in the dark passage in a strange, unfamiliar world, she tried to figure out how she could possibly rescue her Lemurian.