Yet these thoughts didn't bother me because they were not me. I'd had them, of course, but that part of me seemed far away. That part concerned a girl named Sara. The rest of me had just sat back and watched.
That was what I felt like right then. Like I was the Watcher.
The Watcher was huge, and I was her, and I could go where I wanted and do what I wanted. These Sara thoughts—I could worry about them later, or never. They sort of bored me anyway.
Bored me to death. Ha! I think the Watcher had just made a joke. I suspected I was dead, and although it was nothing like I had imagined, it was not bad. Where I was and who I was felt pretty perfect. Still, a sublime restlessness swept over me. The Watcher wanted to communicate with another Watcher.
The Watcher thought of Tracy and just like that I flew to her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
THE NEXT THING I KNEW I was sitting in a hospital room beside a patient. The woman was lying on her back in bed with a tube down her throat and another tube attached to her belly. She also had an IV line dripping a clear solution into a shunt in her left arm.
The woman on the bed was Tracy. She had once been beautiful, but years in a coma had eaten away her fat and what was left was the proverbial bag of bones. Still, there was something in the contours of her sunken cheeks, in the color of her hair, and especially in the glow that lit her sleeping face that said her beauty was far from exhausted.
"Do you really think so?" a woman across from me asked. She was sitting on a chair on the other side of the bed. Her shiny blond hair was cut short, her nose was cute, small like my own. She had blue eyes like mine, too, but hers were pure cobalt.
"Tracy!" I said.
"Hi, Sara."
"Are you alive? Did they lie when they said those were your ashes?"
"My sister didn't lie. She thought I had been cremated. Your father lied."
"He's not my father."
Tracy chuckled. "Don't you think I know that?"
I laughed with her. "This is amazing, sitting here, talking to you. It's something I've dreamed about for years." I paused. "It's not a hallucination, is it?"
"Does it feel like a hallucination?"
"It feels real, more real than the life I just came from. You wouldn't believe what I've been through."
"I wouldn't believe it? Sara, I've been watching you."
"How?"
"How do you think? Through the carpet."
"You can see through the Carpet of Ka?"
She nodded solemnly. "I can speak through it as well."
I almost fell off my chair. Honestly, I was the ghost who almost fell.
"Are you saying I've been talking to you this whole time?"
She grinned. "Who else would have taken the time?"
She teased me to keep the mood light. But this new information didn't just fill me with joy. It made me want to explode. The carpet was so dear to me and here we had shared it in such an intimate way. No wonder when I had found it, I had felt like I had found my best friend. I wanted to run around the bed and hug her.
She must have read my mind. She made a gesture for me to remain seated. "I don't know how much time we have. And there are things you must know."
"What sort of things?" I asked.
"The rules have not changed. I can tell you many things but it is still better if you ask the right question. Then I'm free to say more."
"Who gives you permission to answer any of my questions?"
She smiled. "I'm sorry, I can't answer that one."
I considered. "You're acting like I might survive this ordeal."
"You can survive but you must act soon."
"But I'm dying in a pool of freezing water, never mind the fact I'm surrounded on all sides. I've got Lova waiting to change me into a thrall. And I've got the three Anulakai sitting around with their pashupas." I paused. "How am I to escape?"
"What do the temples on the island and the Shar Temple have in common?"
"Cold water?"
"True. What else?"
"They're both djinn temples."
"Excellent. They're connected—the djinn connected them. Your fake father said as much. But what he doesn't know is that at the height of the war with the Anulakai, the djinn created a gateway between the temples."
"But my father said the devices the Anulakai installed in the cavern are there to keep the djinn out."
"This gateway is secret and is not affected by those devices."
"Are you saying I can use the gateway to reach the island?"
"Yes. Lova knows about it, the others don't. But she doesn't imagine for a second that you'll be able to use it to escape."
"How do you know about it?"
"I've used it in the past."
"What do I have to do?"
"Swim."
"Swim where?"
"Down and out. You've seen how the pool deepens as it approaches the rear of the temple. You have to swim to the center and then down. If you swim deep enough, a powerful current will take hold of you and sweep you to the island."
"But the island is a hundred miles out at sea," I protested.
"Time and space are not constants."
"You're saying this gateway is like a dimensional doorway between the Shar Temple and the island?"
"If you like. Humans have yet to invent the right words for these things."
"Hold on. Don't start talking like the carpet again."
"The carpet did not talk to you. I talked through it."
"Why?"
"It's very old, ancient, and it's sacred."
"Sacred? Does that mean it's alive?"
"That's a mystery you must solve for yourself."
"I think I know the answer. It feels ten times more alive than most people I've met." I paused. "Have you owned the carpet before?"
"No one owns the carpet. It chooses a different partner at different times. Right now, it has chosen you. You belong together."
"Who built it? Or made it?"
"That's a great mystery. Many mysteries surround it. Another time, I will tell you stories about it, some so beautiful they'll bring tears to your eyes."
"Can I ask about the djinn island?"
"Of course."
"You wanted me to go there."
"You had to go. You had to begin your education."
"My education to be a Kala?"
"Yes."
"What will I do as a Kala?"
"Right now a war between humans, the djinn, and the Anulakai is about to start. You must help stop it or you must help win it."
"Where do the Anulakai come from?"
"Out of the darkness."
I sighed. "What do they want with Earth?"
"They're a race that seeks to enslave other races. But they're not all evil. There are many among them who question the direction they've chosen. It's my hope that you'll be able to contact such beings in the near future. They could be of immense help to us."
"Who is 'us'? What are we trying to do?"
"'Us' are people like you and me, and others who are human beings descended from powerful bloodlines. We are the Order of the Kala. Our purpose is simple: survival. We are fighting for the survival of mankind."
"Could the Anulakai propel us into another realm the way they have the djinn?"
"It's possible. It's possible they could wipe us out altogether."
"Lova says they made us. Is that true?"
Tracy hesitated. "She mixes truth with lies."
"Did you set up what happened to Amesh on the djinn island?"
Tracy looked puzzled. "I didn't set up anyone."
"But the way things turned out, I was forced to remain on the island and learn about the djinn in order to save Amesh. You admit that's what you wanted."
"Last summer, when Amesh heard of the Shar Temple, he became obsessed. He did everything he could to learn about it."
"Was that bad?" I asked, although I knew the answer.
"His interest wasn't innocent. He h
eard it was a djinn temple and he wanted the djinn inside it to grant him wishes. Of course, there were no djinn inside it."
"I guessed as much," I said with a sigh, thinking of his poor behavior on the island.
"I'm sorry," Tracy said.
"Why are you sorry? Is he not cut out for this type of work?"
"He's a nice boy—with faults and strengths like anybody else—who might grow into a great man. I know you care about him but I cannot predict his future."
"Are there Anulakai on Earth?" I asked.
"At present, they work through agents like the man who pretended to be your father."
"Didn't you recognize him when he appeared in my mother's life? I mean, in your sister's life?"
"Not at first. I apologize for that. His disguise was subtle. He has a great deal of knowledge, but it's a different kind of knowledge than what we aspire to."
"How so?" I asked.
"The Kala seek to learn the secrets of nature. There's a place deep inside every Kala that knows the creation is alive. We trust in the creation. We have faith in nature and believe it has a plan for each and every one of us. The Anulakai are the opposite—they're more interested in controlling nature, not working with it. They trust more in machines than in life. They seek to control life through the use of technology."
I frowned. "Does that mean technology is evil?"
"Not at all. But it must be used in harmony with nature."
"Can humans and djinn be allies?" I asked.
"They fought together against the Anulakai in the past."
"Lova acts like we contributed little to that war."
"Lova has her prejudices. But she was a perfect djinn to invoke the first time around." Tracy paused. "You know how to negate your contract with her?"
"Yes."
"Good. Do it as soon as you escape."
"How many djinn have you worked with in the past?"
"Too many. That's one of the reasons I'm stuck here."
"Are you joking?" I asked.
"My road has been complicated. I've probably taken too many risks." Tracy smiled. "But that sounds like someone else I know."
"Hey, no guts, no glory. Where is 'here' by the way?" Out of the corner of my eye I saw a window, and beyond it something tall sparkled. It looked like the Chrysler Building! Was I in New York City?
Tracy was amused. "Don't you know? Right now we're stuck between life and death. We're in what the Tibetans call the Bardos Realm. The world between the living and the dead."
"Interesting. Okay, you've told me how to escape this place. Can you escape?"
"Don't worry about me. I ran up too many debts with too many djinn. At the same time, I'm being chased by your father and his gang. It's a wonder I'm in a coma and not dead."
I stood. "I'm not going to leave you in this condition."
Tracy also stood. "Sara, now is the time to worry about yourself. I'm asleep in a hospital. Let me be."
"We'll see," I said.
"Sara!"
"I'm not going to argue with you."
"Same here. You're to make no rescue attempts."
"All right."
"You have to promise me."
"I promise. Now how do I wake up and find the strength to swim through this gateway you've described?"
Tracy grabbed the plastic tube that fed oxygen down her body's throat. "In a moment we'll remove this. We'll have to both focus our energy to get it to move because we're not in the same dimension as the tube. That will set off an alarm but don't worry. A nurse will come along and fix it. But before she arrives, you must breathe in as much air as possible."
Tracy studied the buttons on the computer monitor above the bed and pressed down on one with two fingers. "I'm adjusting the oxygen concentration and the air temperature. I'm making it as hot and full of oxygen as possible."
"Will that be enough to revive my physical body?" I asked.
"Yes. The air is coming fast and hot now. Grip the tube as tight as possible." Tracy paused. "Are you ready?"
"I have more questions to ask."
Like the biggest question of all.
She was my mother. Why had she let me go?
"Ask them later on the carpet," she said.
"The carpet no longer belongs to me."
"Nonsense. The carpet decides who it belongs to." Tracy smiled. "Now pull out the tube and breathe in as much air as possible."
Tracy did not give me a chance to say goodbye. Our hands met over the center of the bed, where the tube hung from a wire, and I was given a jolt of her power just by touching her. It made me realize how advanced she was. Together we pulled the tube free but I'm convinced she did most of the work. The tube hissed loudly. Tracy nodded and I stuck it in my mouth and breathed.
Ah, the feel of that artificial air in my lungs. For some reason it tasted like the fresh air of a jungle. It was wonderfully warm. I did not realize how cold I was until I began to suck on it. It was like a miracle; the hospital air in New York was making my freezing corpse in Turkey come alive. The harder I sucked on the tube, the warmer I felt but the less clear the room became. Soon I could see only the tube and my mother's smiling face. I remembered that look from long ago, and knew she was proud of me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
I GASPED AS I SUCKED in a deep breath and raised my head above the shallow end of the pool. A quick glance showed me that Lova was still sitting by the side of the water, her eyes shut. In the background I could hear several of the boys crying in pain. I didn't see my fake father or his cronies but I didn't search for them either.
I was in no condition to go anywhere. My limbs were almost frozen. Yet there was life left in them, in the deep muscles of my legs and arms, even if my toes and fingers were numb. Leaning forward, I pushed off the side of the pool and waded around to the deep end. When I could no longer feel the bottom, I floated on my back and tried to relax. Then I took a series of deep breaths and let myself sink.
It was dark down below. I could not see where I was going. All I could do was trust and swim into that darkness. It took courage; it went against every instinct in my body. I trusted Tracy but I could have sworn I was swimming toward my death.
Then I felt the grip of a current. It was not subtle. It grabbed me and pulled me deeper. The pain from the pressure in my ears was intense. I kept trying to pop them by holding my nose and blowing, but the current was too fast for my feeble efforts.
I was pulled down far when I suddenly noticed warm sky above. It made no sense. The roof of the cavern that held the Shar Temple was dark. Yet the water above me was now a beautiful blue, pierced with rays of yellow sunlight.
I swam upward. As I neared the surface I got my first clear view of my surroundings.
I was back on the island! It worked!
I swam to the edge of the central pool with arms that weighed tons. I had to rest at the side before I finally pulled myself out of the water and lay panting on the walkway that led to the triangular temple. I had no idea if my pot was where I had left it, but there was something wrong with the entire basin.
The walkway was covered in dust. Not the type of dust that gathered overnight, or even the sort that built up with a recent storm. This dust was old—it had caked over the marble floor like a dozen separate coats of paint.
Staggering to my feet, I saw a layer of dirt covered the walkways that separated the six temples. Yet the pools that shone beside them were clean. The only explanation was that the water was being constantly replaced.
Where was Hara? He would never have let the basin get so dirty. Plus he was supposed to have been guarding my pot. I worried something had happened to him and Aleena since I had left. But I didn't know how long ago that had been. The word since scared me. I had to keep reminding myself that time was not a constant when one traveled to and from the island.
Walking like a drunk, I headed for the triangular temple.
Thankfully the door was still cracked open with the stones, although they were
now worn down to a third of their original size.
Inside was unchanged. It was clean and cool. The candles lit at my entry and I saw Trakur's artifact resting on the altar. The emerald snake and its fangs, the gold hilt, and most of all, the hidden sword—hidden inside the hilt. I was not likely to forget that blade and its hunger for blood.
I saw my pot as well. It looked the same as the night I had left it, although I was beginning to fear that had been centuries ago.
Picking up the pot, I raised it over my head.
There was a reason I had added conditions to my last two wishes.
"It is binding in so far as all wishes between humans and djinn are binding—as specified in the ancient laws governing such contracts."
The carpet had taught me it was only the most ancient laws between humans and the djinn that allowed for contracts to be negated by the destruction of the artifacts. But I had not bothered to add the extra language to my first wish because that wish was not binding.
It was just another tactic I had used to throw Lova off.
"Trakur Analova La!" I shouted. "I, Sara, now negate our contract!"
Goodbye, Lova, I thought. And good riddance.
Bringing the pot down hard, I shattered it on the altar. A scream emanated from every wall inside the temple. There was no mistake; the sound was feminine. I had to smile.
I picked up the hilt. Since I wasn't going to be invoking its boss, I did not have to grip the handle and risk the piercing fangs. Still, we were connected, that artifact and I, and its djinn. Bound together in blood. I had already made one wish using Lova's mate. I hoped I would not have to make a second.
I shoved it in my pocket and returned to the pond.
Sitting on my knees beside the water, I drew in several deep breaths and let my body relax. This time, when I focused on the white light flowing into the top of my head, it was much stronger. I knew why. I had died and been reborn. Indeed, I had entered the realm where that white light shone eternally, and from now on I would always be a part of it.