Chapter 11
KAE
Iwake up in the morning to the sound of strange grunting.
Camels, it turns out.
I stare at them through a slip in the curtain, watching as one stoops for Dusk to load our luggage onto its back. How polite of him. The distinguished gentleman!
Not Malak, of course, but the camel.
The angel is still on my shit list after last night.
Turning back to the room, I find a desert-appropriate outfit laid out for me.
It’s long and loose, clearly designed to keep my pale skin from frying to a crisp under the punishing Israeli sun.
I waste no time getting dressed and ready to go, shoving my remaining items into my small leather backpack.
By the time I’m out the door, four camels stand waiting. Two are saddled for Dusk and me to ride, while the other two carry our luggage. I give mine a good scratch on the head when it stoops for me to mount. “What’s this one’s name?”
“Sally,” Dusk calls over his shoulder from his camel, which stands at the front of the line. “Do you need any help?”
“Nope.” Swinging my leg over, I pull myself into the saddle with practiced ease.
In that way, it’s very similar to riding a horse.
But this thing is tall. I’m taken aback by how high I rise when she stands.
And when we begin to move, I’m momentarily thrown off by the strange, jerking rhythm she walks with.
Other than that, though, it’s like riding a bike.
With a chatty Amit walking at the end of the line, we set out for the Abyss’s entrance.
Quite inconveniently, it happens to be located inside an Israeli intelligence base.
The moment Amit takes a brief pause in his idle chatter, I jump in. It takes a bit of shouting to make sure he hears me way back there. “Hey, Amit! How, exactly, are you getting us onto the base?”
“My second cousin has gate duty this morning! Well, second cousin once-removed. He’s a fine young man. Been through a bit of hard times lately. He recently lost his leg, you see, in a horrible accident with a dairy bull…”
I find my thoughts drifting inward as I let the man talk to the air. It was a long shot, but I was hoping he’d let something slip about the 144k. I’m in too much of a foul mood to enjoy Amit’s storytelling, thanks to Dusk and his ridiculous decision to neuter our relationship.
I’d say I’ll be damned if that wasn’t the best kiss I’ve ever had, but I’ve probably already condemned myself to eternal torment for what I’ve done with a holy being.
The least he could have done is let us finish what we started before declaring this godforsaken, half-assed truce of chastity.
Whatever alleged angelic code of ethics he might be obligated to follow, I get the feeling that Dusk has already broken it countless times.
What’s one more time for the human he gave nightmares to for months on end?
However, there was also his insinuation that any relationship with him would doom me to a one-sided, pining romance. Which, I suppose, does sound pretty pathetic and miserable for everyone involved. Now that I think about it.
“…It was not easy to find such beasties on short notice,” Amit prattles on, “But my uncle’s brother-in-law owns a farm on the southern border of the desert—”
“Excuse me, Amit, but how are you so sure that this will work?” I interrupt. “What if someone sees us coming and has questions?”
“Oh, miss, trust me. My guy is expecting us, and he’s never let me down! Plus, he owes me one for helping him get that new prosthetic. It’s a funny story, actually…”
“That doesn’t exactly inspire confidence,” I mutter as he continues talking, so quietly that I’m certain only my camel can hear me.
However, it’s not too quiet for an angel with supernatural hearing to catch as well. Dusk turns over his shoulder, giving me a reassuring smile. “If we encounter any problems, I’ll take care of it.”
I ignore him.
Soon, the large, white domes of intelligence equipment have grown closer, and we’re just upon the base.
Our camels come to a stop, seeming to know exactly where to hang out as Amit walks ahead.
His gait is unnaturally stiff, his expression serious.
He licks his hand and attempts to slick back his hair, as if he has some kind of image to uphold.
I raise an eyebrow, but say nothing as I watch him walk toward the little guard room at the gates. Then, I turn to Dusk, frowning at his hands. “Have you even been holding the reins?”
“Ever the equestrian, I see.” A grin tugs the corners of his lips up. “It’s one of the more difficult skills for us to master, but I’ve had a lot of time to practice.”
“What?” I’m confused. How could he have made the camels stop without a single cue—“Oh, what the fuck. Animal whispering? Seriously?”
“Something like that, yeah.”
“I can imagine how that would be convenient,” I grumble, scowling.
It might be the most enviable of his magical talents. If I had to choose between flying or talking to animals, I’d choose the animals, hands down. Humans suck; I could go live with a pack of wolves or something.
“It’s just unfortunate that animal transportation seems to be falling out of style. Vehicles don’t have the same personal touch, you know?” His eyes flash to the guard tower. “Amit’s coming back now.”
“That was quick.”
“Are you ready?”
I sigh, rolling my tight shoulders. That mattress last night felt like I was sleeping directly on metal springs. “As ready as I’ll ever be, angel.”
We trudge on forward, bidding our farewell to Amit.
Our walk into the base is strangely, eerily devoid of other people.
It’s like a ghost town. Tents and metal buildings sit abandoned, all unlabeled and discreet.
A stray Humvee is left unguarded, kept company by an old tabby cat curled up under its shade.
The only sign of occupation is some rhythmic shouting in the distance.
If I’m not mistaken, it’s a large group of soldiers performing some kind of military drill.
I don’t know how Dusk, Amit, and Amit’s third half-cousin-brother-uncle managed to pull it off, but we make it all the way to our destination undisturbed.
Or, at least, the place where Dusk stops our camels.
This cannot be it. I eye the unassuming, old metal building. It’s an airplane hangar, or maybe even a large warehouse, hanging on the outskirts of the base. There’s no way it’s hiding the entrance to a mythical underground place once written about in the Bible.
“Stay here,” Dusk commands, dismounting with a leap. He leaves the camels and me by a side door, walking around the corner of the building.
I wait, peering over the side of my camel. My God, these things are so tall. I just can’t get over it. I have to be sitting over a foot higher than the average horse saddle. It’d be quite a leap down, and I’m not even a particularly short woman—
Sally looks over her shoulder at me, making me realize I’m bouncing my leg in the stirrups in anxious impatience. I smile sheepishly and pat her neck. “Sorry, girl.”
An eternity later, Dusk finally comes around the other side of the building, muttering to himself. “If the camels could just duck their heads, and Kae gets off too, they should fit through the side door. I should have gone with the mules...”
I stifle a laugh, giving him a pitying look as he walks over to me. “All good?”
He sighs, shaking his head. “Time to dismount for a bit. Swing your leg over the side, and I’ll help you down.”
“Can’t you make her lie down again?” I frown at him, but he only waves his hand toward my leg expectantly. Unamused, I huff, rolling my eyes. “Fine. Stand back. I can get down by myself.”
I shift my position to one side of the camel, bracing myself for the shock on my knees—but strong hands wrap around my hips, gently floating me to the ground before I have time to complain.
I shoot him a glare. “I said I had it, angel.”
“I’m sure you did, darling, but I live to serve,” he answers sarcastically, a smirk lying on his lips, and walks away before I have the chance to give him a piece of my mind.
With a huff, I reluctantly follow him to the industrial metal door.
Peering around his shoulder, I see his attention is fixed on the lock—a panel with a shrunken qwerty keyboard and some sort of biometric lock.
A fingerprint scanner, perhaps, glowing with an ominous red.
Given the obscurity of everything else around it, the sophisticated technology looks out of place.
“I don’t suppose you have the password?”
Dusk looks at me, deadpan, as he wiggles his fingers in the direction of the door. “Abracadabra.”
The lock makes a clicking, whirring noise, and the panel changes from red to green. Because, of course, he can just unlock it with his angel magic.
I sigh inwardly at my own stupidity.
The door opens with a rusty squeal. Dusk holds it for me, beckoning me forward into the dark warehouse. “Ladies first.”
Staring at the darkness, I bite my lip. Even after all we’ve been through, I find myself struggling to trust the angel. My feet feel glued to the ground, and I shift my weight to relieve some of the tension. “Uh… You sure?”
“Yes, Kae. It’s perfectly safe.” He sighs, seeming annoyed by my completely natural reluctance. “I need to lock the door behind you. There’s a light switch on the right side.”
He could definitely turn the lights on for me with his magic, at least, but I’m wounding my pride here. Reluctantly, I comply. I force myself forward with fake bravado, my hands fumbling along the wall for the light switch until, finally, they find purchase.
Fluorescent lights flicker on high above me, one by one, revealing—
Absolutely nothing.
It’s completely empty! Confused as can be, I stare around the barren warehouse. Concrete floors, metal walls, roll-up airplane doors, and the overhead shop lights... That’s it. There’s not so much as a stray broom in here.
It might be the most anti-climactic moment of my entire life.