“Colin, we must hurry. You said as much just moments ago.” She didn’t bother to look back as she said this. Haughty, cold Bea was in charge once more.
Angry and annoyed, Colin hurried his steps and latched on to her arm. “Look at me.”
She turned, her lips tight with annoyance. “What?”
“You saw him, you saw him regain his feet after I’d shot him.”
She shrugged. “You missed.”
He shook her with just enough force to get her attention. “No, Bea, I never miss.” That was a lie, but really, he’d never met a more stubborn woman.
She jerked her arm away and started picking through the scraggly brush that grew thick along the river. “So you’re saying he’s immune to bullets?”
Colin stomped after her, his boots crushing thick fronds. “He’s immune to death.”
She stopped, but didn’t look back. Sunlight pierced the thick canopy above and highlighted her hair, making it glow. “Impossible.” It was a whispered word, barely audible over the rustle of leaves. One word and it embedded deep in his skin like a burr.
Colin scanned the woods, his heart jumping with each slight snap of a branch. “Is it?”
She turned, and surprisingly, her face was emotionless. He’d been expecting fear, perhaps even anger, but not calm. “Colin, I don’t have time for such nonsense. In fact, I’ve been thinking, and we should go straight to Leo and Ella, forget the statue.”
Colin gripped her arm, just above the elbow. He didn’t give a damn about the statue. “Damn it, Bea. I know this is difficult to understand, but—”
She tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her go. “Difficult? You’re being ridiculous. A man who doesn’t die, astatue that has powers? Do you even hear yourself speaking? It’s mad. Completely and utterly mad.”
“I know.”
He’d let his feelings sway his emotions before, but he wouldn’t now. Bea would hear the truth whether she could handle it or not. She seemed flustered and surprised by his honest response. Her brows snapped together and she shook her head. “Fine, if you wish to find this temple, then we shall. But I won’t believe in this nonsense.”
“Bea, I’m not telling you this so you’ll agree to travel to the temple. You have to believe.”
She sighed, her shoulders sinking. “Why?”
There was an exhaustion, a frustration in her eyes that tugged at his heart. “Because if you don’t believe, you underestimate your enemy.”
She laughed and tucked a wet lock behind her ear. “My enemy? I have no enemies.” She frowned. “At least, I didn’t until I arrived here.”
He started forward, dragging her along. They needed space, space between them and Demyan. “You’ve always had enemies, but until now they were focused on Leo.”
Her face paled as she tripped beside him. “What do you mean?”
Finally, she was listening. Finally, she’d grown serious. “Whether you believe in these strange powers or not, your family has always been deeply involved in the recovery of the statues. That ring around your neck …”
Hesitantly, she reached up, touching the ribbon that held Leo’s ring.
He used her attention to press the subject further. “That ring is supposed to open a map, a map in Ella’s stolen necklace. That ring has been in your family for God knows how long.”
She was silent for one long moment, but in her eyes he could see her mind working, attempting to process a ridiculous situation. “The boat,” she whispered. “It’s what you were discussing at the boat when Leo and Ella left.”
He nodded.
“But you spoke about blood. What did you mean?”
He cupped her elbow and drew her to the left, finding a natural path through the vegetation, made by animals. “Myth says you have to be of a certain family, a certain blood.”
“And Leo is?”
Grimly, he glanced at her. “And you are.”
She shook her head, stumbling beside him. “I … I have no power. I’m just … me.”
“The power’s in your blood, your heritage. Mine and Ella’s powers are on the surface, but yours and Leo’s … its underneath, hidden, silent. You’re more powerful than you realize, Bea.”
“No.” She shook her head, her face growing pinched again. “If you want my help, that’s fine. But enough of this nonsense. I’ll go with you to this temple, I’ll even let you use the ring, but I will not believe that a statue holds power.”
She jerked away from him and started forward on her own. With each step she took, Colin’s frustration mounted. “And what about me?”
She paused under a banyan tree, its sprawling roots surrounding her as if she were merely a tiny fairy, easily crushed in the palm of a hand. “What about you?”
He settled his hands on his waist. How badly he’d love to crawl under the shade of one of those roots and rest. “You know, Bea. You’ve seen it, you’ve felt it. You asked me to help the elephant, for God’s sake.”
She swallowed hard.
He jumped over a root and started toward her, annoyance spurring him forward and giving him strength. How long he’d tried to keep his secret, and now that he was admitting his powers, she didn’t believe him. “The way I can heal.”
She climbed over a tree root with an elegance that grudgingly impressed him. She was running away from him and from the truth he was forcing her to deal with.
Before she could escape, he latched on to her arm, tighter than he meant to, feeling the insane need for her to believe. She glanced at him, the surprise evident in her gaze. “I can heal, Bea. You know it as well as I or you wouldn’t have asked me to heal King Henry.”
She jerked away.
He moved forward. She stepped back. “And what about Ella? Have you never noticed how well she can control animals?”
She shrugged, her gaze darting around the area, as if she was frantically looking for an escape. “So? She’s good with animals. Many are.”
He chuckled, a harsh sound. “Right.”
She slipped past him, moving around the tree and finding the path. “We have more important things to discuss.”
“Unbelievable,” Colin snapped. He followed her, hurrying to catch up. “Ella can control animals, sense their emotions.”
She shook her head, but didn’t look back. “That’s … that’s …”
He grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. Her dark locks spread out, flinging water droplets through the air. “It’s the truth. And the truth is, I can heal people. I don’t know how, or why, but there it is. And more importantly, the truth is there is a man hunting us right now who wants nothing more than to see us dead.”
Chapter 14
Heal people? Speak to animals? Utterly and completely ridiculous. Grandmother had taught her to be a rational person. Rationality had saved her many times in the past; why should she start believing in nonsense now? She would not, could not believe that there were actually people with strange, mythical powers. Yet how could she deny the possibility?
Colin held a branch high and Bea ducked underneath, barely aware of the narrow dirt path she followed. Barely aware of the dried vines and limbs that clung to her trousers and scratched at her legs as if they were begging for reprieve from their dreary, horrifyingly hot life. Through her lashes, she watched Colin. His gaze was partially blocked underneath the brim of his hat, but his lips were set into a grim line that spoke of worry and annoyance. Guilt washed through her. He’d wanted her to admit the truth, but she hadn’t been able to. Who was she to question the very man who had saved her life more than once?
He killed my mother.
Those softly spoken words whispered through her mind. She’d had no idea. How could she? A shiver traveled across her skin. Was it possible? Could Demyan truly be such a monster? Could he truly have such powers? And was he hunting them even now?
Bea dropped her gaze as unwanted memories flashed to mind. Ella and her affinity with animals. Why, on the boat from England to Franc
e, the gulls literally perched on her shoulders. When they’d ridden the camels through India, even though she’d never seen one, Ella had seemed at ease on the bizarre creatures while Bea had barely been able to stay atop.
And then there was Demyan. She shivered just thinking about the man and his eerie green eyes. Perhaps it was a trick of dawn? And Colin … surely he must have missed when he’d pulled the trigger. Yes, Ella and Demyan were easy to explain away. But Colin and his abilities to heal … he was a mystery that she wasn’t sure she wanted to solve. How could she possibly explain the situation with Raj? The boy had been covered in blood, yet hadn’t a scratch. And King Henry had a bullet wound, yet miraculously regained his feet. It didn’t make sense.
Colin paused in the middle of the trail, just at the forest’s edge, where the trees met a field. There, still in shade, he placed his hands on his slim hips. “I don’t see it.” Even with a frown marring his face, he was ridiculously handsome. Bea looked away, annoyed with the way her heart fluttered at the mere sight of him.
They were surrounded by brush. Scraggly brush that pulled and caught her clothing and tore her hair from the twine she’d used to tie her damp locks back. Yes, she’d focus on her discomfort instead of the man before her. The heat, so incredibly hot that it actually felt heavy.
Bea’s clothing had dried, but the material was becoming damp all over again. Sweat slipped down her back, between her shoulder blades until it soaked her shirt and made the material cling to her torso. With a long sigh, she swiped her forehead with the back of her hand. Never, in her entire life, had she ever experienced such intensity. Everything about India was intense. The food, the weather, the colors. Compared to Britain, where everything was gray, it was overwhelming.
“A needle in a haystack,” Colin grumbled. “We need to find shelter, find somewhere to hide and rest.”
His shirt was as dirty as hers. His hair, damp with sweat, curled at the ends. Yet with his hands on his hips, he looked like a warlord. There, even under the protection of the trees, the sun beat down relentlessly, the heat almost visible, shimmering up from the dry ground. But he didn’t seem affected by the weather. Certainly not as affected as she.
Bea’s stomach growled, clenching with hunger. She cringed, pressing her hands to her midsection. Frankly, she wanted to do nothing more than sit for a good hour or two … or three. She shifted, the boots Anish had given her rubbing against the raw skin on her heels, stinging. How she wished for the soft slippers she’d first worn.
“Colin, please, I can’t take another step.”
He sighed and turned toward her. “I know. Come, get out of the brush before you’re eaten by fire ants.”
She didn’t bother to check, but scurried through the leaves until she burst into the open field. Cool air swept across the plain, a sweet and welcome relief from the humidity that seemed to hover in the jungle, trapped by the foliage. Bea closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.
“Are you all right?”
She nodded, focusing on him. “I suppose I will be when we find shade and water.” At least, she hoped she’d be all right. But as the trees wavered before her and her head pounded with each thump of her heart, she began to wonder.
Colin took off his hat and placed it atop her head. The brim blocked the mid afternoon sun, but it wasn’t enough.
“Good, because we …” His gaze focused over her shoulder, his voice trailing off.
Fear tingled along her spine, and for a moment she wondered if the fire ants had found her. What was he looking at?
A jackal? A tiger? Dear Lord, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know what was behind her. “Colin, what is it?”
He didn’t respond.
Slowly, she turned, her gaze quickly scanning the wavering wheat. She was so intent on finding a threat that she almost missed the massive stone temple that jutted from the field and rose into the blue sky.
“Heavens,” she whispered. “We found it. Anish was right.”
A heady sense of relief and shock swept through her, as heavy as the heat in the air. Her mind spun, unable to process the structure before her. It was the most amazing thing she’d ever seen. A piece of Heaven in the midst of a dirt field. The castles in Scotland were nothing compared to the artistic splendor before her.
Yellow sandstone spires inlaid with brilliant white marble reached for the sky. A few columns had fallen and crumbled to their demise, pulled down by time and the brown vines that twisted and curled, snaking around the temple. Still, it was a beautiful building, fit for a king.
“Am I imagining it?”
Colin didn’t laugh as she’d expected. “No.”
Just as quickly as the awe came, it was replaced with a sense of overwhelming despair. “It’s … it’s massive. It’ll take days to search. How will we find anything?”
“I don’t know, but I suppose we should start.” Colin didn’t wait for her, but moved through the field, sending grasshoppers flittering into the sky.
Bea sighed loud and long. With no other choice, she trudged after him. Who knew what beastly animals would be lurking inside the shadows of the building. It’d take days to go through the entire place. They didn’t have days. Still, perhaps the stone walls would keep them cool. It certainly couldn’t be hotter in there than out here. But really, what did Colin expect to find? She feared he’d once again be gravely disappointed.
A grasshopper landed on her shirt. Bea took off Colin’s hat and swatted at the tiny beast. The air practically vibrated with their buzzing cry. Unfortunately, she’d seen few butterflies since she’d arrived. Most likely it was too bloody hot for the delicate beauties. But the grasshoppers were everywhere.
“Colin, we must be reasonable about this,” she shouted over the cry of insects.
He chuckled, but didn’t look back. “Of course. Reasonable Bea. A person can’t possibly have powers.”
She rolled her eyes heavenward and replaced the hat. “I thought we were no longer discussing that subject?”
He held his arms wide. “You were sick, I made you better.”
She hastened her steps, attempting to catch up to him. “You’re saying you can cure people? Bring them back from death? You realize how mad that sounds?” It was ridiculous, so why then was she actually eager to hear his answer?
“No, I can’t bring people back to life. Once they’re dead, they’re dead.” He finally stopped and faced her. His gaze pierced hers, stealing her breath with its intensity. “Come, Bea. Surely you’ve noticed.”
She brushed past him, ignoring the unease that tingled up her spine. “I don’t want to discuss it.”
“Why? Why does it frighten you?”
She forced herself to laugh. “It doesn’t frighten me.”
She could hear his hurried steps crunching the weeds as he came after her. “I think it does.”
She had to resist the urge to run, to cover her ears with her hands like a child not wishing to hear that fairies weren’t real. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Bea.” Colin’s fingers bit into her arm, drawing her to a stop. “Why does it scare you?”
Why? Why did it scare her? Because he was right, it did. Hesitating only a moment, she turned and looked into his eyes, truly looked for signs of madness. Could it be true? Could Ella and Colin have powers? Could Demyan? She couldn’t … she wouldn’t believe he could …
Colin’s thumb rubbed the sensitive skin of her wrist. “Why, Bea? Why are you so afraid?”
She pulled away, unable to think when he touched her like that. “Demyan, my grandfather, my cousin Henry, men so evil they’d kill their own families. If I believe you have powers, then I have to believe they do as well. I can’t believe that. I can’t. It’s too much, Colin.”
He sighed and pulled her close and blast it all if she didn’t sink into his hard body. She needed his comfort, if only for a moment, and even the stifling heat couldn’t keep her away from his warm embrace.
“My own grandfather, my own cousin …
they tried to kill Leo. Would they have come for me next?”
He didn’t respond, but he didn’t need to. She knew the answer. Bea turned her head, pressing her face beneath his chin, the place that held his scent. “And all for a statue that has supposed powers.”
He rubbed her back in slow, circular motions as if they had all the time in the world. As if they weren’t standing out in the open, in the middle of a field, being chased by demons.
“All right,” he said, his voice rumbling through his chest. “We won’t speak of it again.”
She sniffed, feeling the sting of tears, but grateful for his understanding. “Thank you.”
All too soon, he clasped her upper arms and drew back. “Now, shall we search that temple, or would you rather just leave?”
She looked up into his tanned face, trying to read the truth behind his question. Did he want to stay? Would he resent her if she said no? Her gaze slid to the temple, sitting there like a diamond amid a mound of coal, just waiting to be plucked.
Blast, if a thrill of adventure didn’t sweep through her. The same sensation that had propelled her into saying yes to the trip to India and look where that had gotten her. Whatwas wrong with her? Why couldn’t she be happy with what she had instead of always wanting more?
Still, she couldn’t seem to stop herself from responding, “No, of course not. We’re already here, we should at least look.”
“You’re sure?”
No. She wasn’t. Yet she nodded.
He released his hold. “All right. Let’s get this over with.”
They started through the weeds once more, but this time together. For the few minutes it took to reach the temple, Colin didn’t say a word. Bea slid him a glance under the brim of her hat. Was he eager to reach the temple? To find answers? Would he put her safety on the line in order to find the treasure? Why not, everyone else had. Her grandfather, her cousin Henry, even Leo and Ella. If Demyan found them once more, would Colin forget his revenge for the good of their safety?