Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Luke cursed as he teleported to the top of Mount Aconcagua. Of course, the friggin Chthonian would choose a freezing place in the Andes to call home.
Manifesting a parka, he still felt the cold all the way to his soul.
“I hate this fucking world.” Why did it have to get this cold?
Every part of his body shivered. He doubted if he’d ever be warm again.
Think of Sorcha.
Naked.
He was so cold, even that didn’t help.
As one of the seven natural wonders of South America, this mountain was impressive. The tiny ledge where he stood was on the steepest face of the mountain. It was an incredible view, and he’d appreciate it a lot more if he wasn’t freezing his balls off.
Damn it!
At first, he didn’t see anything other than rock and snow. It wasn’t until the faint rays of dawn touched the mountain’s face that he saw the glimmering doorway.
Hopefully, it was warmer inside than it was out here in the wind.
Ducking in, Luke cursed again. Of course, it was colder than a witch’s tit in here.
Why?
He held his hands up to his mouth and blew into them. Yeah, he was wearing thermal gloves and what he did was pointless. Didn’t matter. He just wanted to be warm again.
“Who are you?” The voice rumbled through the glassy walls.
“Xynzara, son of Samael.” Normally, he hid his name from strangers. But there was no need to do so here. Not when he needed the ancient being’s help.
“Why have you come?” This time it was an eerie whisper that rushed up and down the chilly walk and echoed all around him.
“I’ve come to speak to the Chthonian Ecanus.”
More whispering, only this he couldn’t make out. It was as if a thousand voices spoke at once.
He half expected to be thrown back through the opening and off the mountainside.
Instead, a glimmering light appeared in front of him. “Follow, son of darkness.”
With no choice, Luke did so.
The light led him through painted corridors. Murals of ancient kings and their battles decorated every inch of the cave walls. It was as if Ecanus had created a living history book. Especially since the murals moved and continued to fight.
Impressive.
After what seemed like eternity, the narrow corridor widened.
The light transformed into a beautiful naked woman. She wore an elaborate feathered headdress that matched the feathered cuffs on her ankles and biceps. Bowing low before Luke, she moved her arm through the air and pulled back an invisible curtain. He stepped through.
On the other side was a perfect paradise. Lush and green, it was a lot warmer in here than the cold mountainside.
Even so, Luke kept his parka on. Heat he could stand.
Cold…
Just the word itself froze him to the core of his soul.
Flowering plants fell from the top of the cave and shimmered all around him like some fey garden.
The red flowers from ceibo trees dangled all around. It was beautiful here.
But he saw no sign of a Chthonian.
“Ecanus?” he called.
Something that felt like two hands grabbed hold of Luke and pulled him forward until he stood before a large earthen dais.
Atop the mound was a massive throne that fanned out from the creature seated in it. It was so gold and shiny that Luke had a hard time looking at the man seated there.
Ecanus was decked out from head to toe in turquoise. An elaborate gold-and-turquoise triangle diadem rested on top of his head. Huge turquoise and red feathers fanned out from the diadem to frame the face of an exceptionally handsome man.
A long piece of turquoise ran through his septum, parallel to his lips.
Long, beaded gold-and-turquoise earrings fell all the way to his broad, muscled shoulders.
His turquoise cape was trimmed with red-and-black embroidery.
Tied to one side, it showed off his elaborate breastplate and exposed a gold feathered armband.
Beneath the cape, he was naked except for a matching loincloth that was tied at his waist.
That mode of dress was impressive, but Luke was grateful he wasn’t required to wear it. Just the thought of it made him even colder.
“How dare you come here. This is my domain, and you don’t belong in it.”
Luke held his hands up to show the Chthonian that he meant him no harm. “I’m not here to challenge you.”
“Then why come?”
“I have a puzzle involving the god Xolotl.”
Ecanus scowled. “What are you, working on a term paper? There’s no puzzle. Xolotl’s dead.”
“How sure are you about that?”
Ecanus cocked his head. “What do you mean?”
Luke conjured an image of Sorcha and cast it to show in front of Ecanus’s face. “That’s my partner. She smacks of his pantheon. One of Xolotl’s priests tried to kill her earlier. When I went after him, he shot himself. I need to know why she’s so important.”
Ecanus took a few heartbeats to digest the news. “What year is this?”
“Twenty twenty-six, why?”
“It’s begun.”
That sent another chill down Luke’s spine. “What’s begun?”
“The rebirth of the twins. Xolotl and Quetzalcoatl.”
“And that’s important, why?”
Ecanus stared at him as if he were daft and to be honest, he was feeling rather stupid at the moment. “They are the balance for the world. Mankind is destructive. The twins saved humanity last time. If it’s to be saved one more time, they’ll have to sacrifice themselves again.”
“That’s all well and good, but what has that to do with my partner?”
Ecanus shrugged. “How would I know? I haven’t been in the human world in centuries, and I have no intention of returning there.”
Luke could understand the sentiment. Had he not been tossed out on his ass, he might have felt the same way. But none of this was helping the matter at hand. “Then I wasted a trip here.”
“No. If the priest was taking shots at someone, she must be important to the prophecy.”
“What prophecy?”
“That the twins will be born again to save the world.”
Luke was getting a headache from trying to unravel this. “Could you speak a little more plainly?”
Ecanus’s black eyes turned a stormy gray. “I am speaking plainly. I don’t understand why you can’t follow.”
“Because my partner has no ties to your pantheon.”
Ecanus curled his lip. “You’re wasting our time, aren’t you?”
Apparently so. “Then forgive my intrusion.” Luke inclined his head to the ancient being, then returned home.
Aggravated over the wasted trip, Luke was desperate to understand what was going on.
Why this was happening.
Luke had never been one to admit defeat, but he was getting there with this.
Damn. He’d never been more frustrated. He didn’t like mysteries and he hated being in the dark.
Now he had three of them he couldn’t solve. Who’d killed Sorcha’s sister? Who was after Sorcha and why? And what idiocy was going on with the werewolves?
Three annoying mysteries and no clue about any of them.