We had been hiking for over two hours by now, and it was going on eleven-thirty. I was getting hungry and wondering when we’d be stopping for lunch when I remembered the candy bars in my pocket. I slipped one out and began to munch on the chocolate and coconut as we finally reached a part where the trail evened out.
Herne saw me eating and held up his hand. “Lunch break. We’re over halfway to Cavanaugh Peak, so a break won’t hurt us.”
Grateful, I slipped off my pack and sat it on the ground, sitting on a chair-sized boulder next to it. Yutani was scouting around and he came jogging back to us.
“There’s the remains of an old cabin just through the trees over there. Part of the chimney and fireplace are still there, and you can tell where the foundation of the cabin used to be.”
“People actually lived up here?” While we were only an hour and a half away from the city, it was hard to imagine anybody living out here. They’d have to live sans electricity and running water, that much was for certain.
“Well, the Puma shifters did, until the Aillén Trechenn rousted them from their homes. And I imagine some of the native tribes lived here, too.” Viktor stretched. “But my bet is that Yutani found an old mining cabin. I’ll come with you and take a look at it.” He followed Yutani across the open glade and ducked into the tree cover with him.
Herne sat down beside me. “How are you doing?”
“All right. Sweaty now that the sun is out, but that’s not a problem. You say we have another hour or so to go till we reach Hidden Lake?”
He nodded. “Hopefully we’ll make up some time that we lost due to the rain.” He pulled out a sandwich and offered me half.
“You too cheap to give me my own sandwich, dude?” I laughed as he rolled his eyes and handed me a roast beef sub. “Thank you. Unlike you, I need to eat in order to manage.”
“Yeah, well, never say I didn’t do anything for you.” He pursed his lips and blew me a kiss, then bit into his ham and Swiss.
“What’s the rest of the trail like?”
“We start ascending again in about a quarter mile, and then it’s through a small pass and down into the valley in the center of Cavanaugh Peak, where Hidden Lake is.” He wiped his hands on a paper napkin after polishing off his sandwich.
Yutani and Viktor returned and settled down, immediately plowing through the food.
“So, was it what you thought?” Herne asked.
Viktor nodded. “Pretty sure it’s the remains of an old mining cabin. Found the head of a pickaxe there, rusted to hell. The miners were through these woods like carpenter ants. There’s a lot of ore still up in the hills here.”
“Gold?” I asked.
“Some, yes. There was a rush in the 1850s but it didn’t last long. The main discovery came around 1873 and it never rivaled the gold rushes in California. There’s still gold in the mountains, and other ores, but only the dwarves really have a handle on where it is, and they keep the knowledge secret.” Viktor shrugged. At my questioning look, he added, “You learn a lot when you hang out with the right people.”
“When you’re done eating, we should shove off,” Herne said, dusting his hands on the legs of his jeans as he stood. “Ready?”
Viktor and Yutani finished their sandwiches as I excused myself to use the bushes. I kept one eye on what I was doing, the other on making sure no animals or anybody else meandered up to startle me. When I returned, after washing my hands in a small puddle of water nearby, we set out again.
We came to a ridge leading across to another upward climb. I caught sight of a sign that read cavanaugh’s peak & hidden lake. The slope would turn into a steep climb after the ridge, but thankfully the sun had dried out the dirt so we didn’t have to slog through the mud.
“It’s not that the heights are so terrible,” I said, staring across the narrow ridge, “but there’s nothing to fall onto but rocks.”
“True, but this is the last leg. Once over the ridge, we climb up to the saddle, and then we are in sight of the lake. The descent is tricky, but then we’ll be in the valley.” Herne glanced at the sun. “What time is it?”
“Quarter to one,” Viktor said. “We’re running later than we hoped, but we should be there by one-thirty or two at the latest.”
Herne set foot onto the ridge. The top had been worn relatively flat over the years, but was only about two feet wide. He quickly passed over the surface, light on his feet. I was slower, trying not to look down, but afraid that if I stared up at the clouds I’d get dizzy. About two-thirds of the way there, I took a deep breath and raced forward, leaping off onto the other side beside Herne. Yutani and Viktor followed, neither one looking particularly nervous.
We crossed to the bottom of the ascent, and I stared at the steep rock wall. Hand-and-footholds had been gouged into the side of the rock, and I nervously glanced around at the field of sharp rocks that were scattered everywhere.
“I don’t know if I can make that. I’m good at climbing, but that looks daunting.”
“You’ll be fine. You won’t fall,” Herne said, trying to encourage me.
“I’m not afraid of falling. It’s the landing I don’t look forward to.”
“I’ll tell you what,” Herne said. He unwrapped a coil of rope from around his waist. “Here, keep hold of the end. Once I get up there, I’ll secure myself and then you can tie the rope around your waist and that way, if you fall, I’ll be able to catch you.”
Grateful, I did as he said. When he reached the top—the man’s agility seriously rivaled that of a monkey—he straddled the saddle, bracing himself back against the rock. He motioned for me to start up.
“Let me strap you into that,” Yutani said. “We should probably work up a quick, makeshift harness to avoid hurting your ribs if you fall.”
“How do I do that?”
He quickly began threading the rope around me, between my legs, around my waist, in a complicated pattern that I couldn’t follow. But a moment later, I was firmly wedged into a rope harness that reminded me of the ropes holding a hot air balloon.
“Thanks,” I said. “When did you get so proficient with tying knots?”
He stared at me, then a slow smile crossed his face. “I’m a student of kinbaku.”
I blinked, about to say something but then Herne tugged on the rope. I quickly turned around so that Yutani wouldn’t see how flustered I was, and began my ascent, using the hand- and footholds as best as I could. On the way up, though, it gave me something to think about rather than focusing on how steep the slope was.
I knew that kinbaku was also known in some circles as shibari—though I wasn’t clear on the difference. Japanese rope bondage was an erotic art that was also a discipline, and I hadn’t had a clue that Yutani was into that. I decided that I wouldn’t pursue the questions running through my mind, unless he brought it up again.
By the time I neared the top, I was having trouble managing the handholds. My fingers were aching, and I dreaded trying to manage the last few feet.
“Herne? Can you help me? I’m having trouble holding on.” I didn’t try to look up, but stayed where I was, desperately trying to hold on.
“I’m here.” His voice echoed down, and I suddenly felt the rope go taut. “Let go of the handholds, but keep your feet against the rock and use them to brace yourself as I pull you up.”
I was sweating by now, and the thought of letting go terrified me, but I put my trust in him. I had seen his strength before and logically, I knew he could easily pull me up. I braced my feet against the rock, and took hold of the rope. My feet almost slipped, but Herne was keeping a tight grip and I was able to walk my way up the side of the rock as he leveraged me up. Another minute and I was at the top and he pulled me onto the saddle.
Scooting away from the edge, I scrambled out of the harness, shaking. “I’m not afraid of heights, but damn, that was scary. And damn it, I forgot my walking stick down there.” I didn’t want to think
about the return trip.
“The descent to Hidden Lake is pretty steep, but it’s not quite the same pitch and it’s not as far down,” Herne said. He scooted to the edge, and waved for Yutani to come next. I lay down on my stomach to watch over the side because sitting there, looking down, made me dizzy.
Yutani, apparently, had noticed my stick on the ground and fastened it to his back, then began to climb the wall like a spider. As I watched him, I wondered what other secrets he had tucked away. He was an enigma to me, silent and with a bare sense of humor, and apparently into some hard-core fetishes. He scrambled up, as though he were immune to the effects of gravity. After he joined us, Viktor started up. The half-ogre was slower but sure-footed, like a mountain goat. He, too, had no problem, and within minutes, we were all sitting on the saddle of the pass.
The other side of the saddle was, indeed, a steep descent, but there were trees and bushes along the way to help. Yutani handed me my stick, and unknotted the rope, coiling it and returning it to Herne, who accepted it without a word.
As I looked at the land spreading out below, I realized that Hidden Lake was cradled in what look like a bowl.
“Was this a volcano? I thought there were only about seven volcanoes in the area?”
Viktor shook his head. “Perhaps active, but as far as I remember my geology, there were over twenty major volcanoes in the Cascades, and thousands of vents, fissures, and so forth. This looks like it was a small caldera, and the lake seems to have formed at the lowest point.”
The rock fields leading down through the trees were rough and sharp, and the footing was treacherous, but after the initial start, we came to a path that had been smoothed out. The compacted soil meant easier walking, though the pitch of the grade was steep enough to cause its own issues. But another twenty minutes saw us to the bottom, where we were able to drop our packs and sit on the boulders near the lake.
Hidden Lake was a deep blue, and the forest covered the sides of the rounded lake, their brilliant greens providing a striking color contrast. It was gorgeous, but now I understood why Herne had been adamant about bringing camping gear. My legs ached from the climb, and we wouldn’t have time to search and still safely get back to the trailhead before dark.
“I suppose we should start hunting for the bones,” I said, reluctant to stand. I just wanted to sit and listen to the gentle lapping of the waves. They were singing to me and I wanted to tune into them, to let them whisper to me.
“Not quite yet. First, we make camp. We set up the tents, get a fire going—safely—and sort out what we have. That way, we can search until dark and not have to worry about trying to set up our gear.” Herne motioned to Viktor. “Go ahead and get started. I’ll put up the tent Ember and I’ll be using.”
Viktor and Yutani began to erect their tent, while I helped Herne with ours. They were easy enough—pop-up tents that were extremely lightweight. The tents were generously sized, and tall enough so that Viktor barely had to duck to get inside. After rolling out our bedrolls, I helped Yutani sort through the food, and then we rigged it in a backpack, hanging over a tree limb away from the tents to avoid bears tearing up the campground. Meanwhile, Viktor gathered rocks to build a fire ring and Herne started the fire with a quick spell. When the blaze was tidily burning, we were ready to head out to look for the bones.
“Do you think I should see if there are any water elementals in the lake that might help us?” I asked, not certain of where to look first.
“I guess it can’t hurt,” Herne said.
We wandered down to the edge of the lake. A flurry of wings caught my attention as a gray jay bird whisked away from a nearby bush, scolding us for intruding. I let out a long breath, relaxing as we came to the edge of the lake. Overhead, a hawk soared by, hunting prey among the debris, and then I saw another—albeit smaller—following closely behind. The parents must be teaching the young to hunt.
Hidden Lake was small. It could have been mistaken for a pond, but I could feel how deep it was, through my entire body. The depths of the lake resonated in my bones, and it occurred to me that I was becoming more and more attuned to the water.
“It’s beautiful.” Yutani shaded his eyes, looking across the lake. “What’s on the other side?”
“More rocks, leading up to bigger and more dangerous foothills. And from there, the Cascades just take over in a massive sprawl of jagged peaks and high timber.” Herne shook his head. “I’ve lived a long time, and I’ve visited a number of places in my life, but I’ve never seen anything quite so beautiful and yet as treacherous as the Cascade Range. There are places in these mountains that have never been touched by human hands.”
I knelt by the water’s edge and lowered my hand into the lake. It was surprisingly cold, considering it was summer, and I paused for a moment to let the shock wear off. As the chill from the water faded, I began to feel the energies running through the lake. There were several elementals here, playing, and then, in the depths of the lake, something else. I sent out a call, asking for guidance, and shortly, I felt something licking my hand. I looked down and saw that the water was swirling around my fingers. I recognized the shape—it was an elemental.
I formed a question surrounding the image of bones. Metal bones. There wasn’t a way to stipulate iron—and I doubted the water elementals would make much of a distinction—but visualizing metal should do the trick. I waited for a moment, and then a flurry of images began to flood into my head, so fast I couldn’t take them all in.
A tall stack of rocks high on the opposite hill…a hole behind them, leading into a shallow cave…an explosion and the rocks began to fall, tumbling down into the lake…screams from behind the cloud of dust and debris…and then…silence.
I was about to break off contact when the elemental abruptly cut ties and something else grabbed my hand and pulled me into the lake. Startled, I found myself struggling to keep afloat as something wrapped around me, attempting to drag me down. I swallowed a mouthful of water, coughing, and then, everything began to waver.
Hungry…the hunger raced through my veins like an icy fire, burning…yearning to feed. I ached. How long had it been since I last fed? I gazed at the three men on the shore. I wanted someone I could feed from, whom I could drain dry.
As I rose, standing hip-deep in the lake, the men were watching me. One was staring at me with narrowed eyes, and I realized I’d have no chance with him. He was too powerful. The half-ogre tugged on his collar, looking uncomfortable. But the third—the shifter…I could feel his arousal. I held out my hands and began to sing. He started in my direction as I wove my charm around him, summoning the glamour that would transfix him to me.
“Yutani, stop!” the strong one called, and my prey froze.
Damn it. I pushed all my will into my charm.
“I have come for you,” I whispered. “Come to me.” I began to sing again, trying to lure him forward. The hunger was ricocheting through my body, coloring my thoughts, coloring everything as it exploded through me.
“I can’t let you take him.” The other man waded into the water, grabbing my wrist as he shook me and the half-ogre restrained my quarry. “Ember, snap out of it.”
Furious, I struggled, but he was stronger than I was. I tried to drag him down into the water, and he caught hold of my other wrist. I leaned down and bit his hand. Startled, he let go, cursing, and I dove into the icy water, swimming toward the middle of the lake. But he was right behind me, and he caught me again, dragging me toward the shore. I fought, thrashing, but he tossed me on the ground, landing beside me to grab my wrists. As he held them together, the half-ogre bound them with a rope. I kicked at both of them, but they tied my feet as well, and I began to shriek, calling for help. There were those who would come to me, who would help me escape.
“Shut up!” The gorgeous man clapped a hand over my mouth. “She’s calling for reinforcements and I don’t want to see who shows up!”
The half-ogre bro
ught over a strip of cloth and they gagged me. I tried to break away but I was trussed like a fish in a net.
“What’s going on?” A fourth man stepped out from behind a large boulder. He looked familiar but I couldn’t place him through the haze of hunger that swirled in mists through my thoughts.
“Kipa! What the hell are you doing here?” The man who had bound me stood, hands on his hips, staring at the wild one who had emerged from behind the boulder.
I immediately realized that I’d never be able to charm either one. They were of a kind, the pair, though as different as day and night.
“I followed you—I have my reasons, but leave them for now. It’s a good thing I did because you need my help.”
“This is probably one of the only times I’m glad to see you,” his lighter counterpart said. “I think Ember’s possessed by something and we need help freeing her.”
The feral man looked down at me, and I found myself transfixed. I couldn’t look away as he leaned down and brushed my hair away from my face. His hand felt smooth, and he felt ancient, and I fell into the lull as he began to whisper in a language I couldn’t understand.
“Kuule minua, Ember. Palatkaa minulle.” And then, he pressed his hand on my forehead, and the world exploded.
Chapter 16
A WHITE HEAT as brilliant as sunrise blinded me as his fingers brushed my forehead. I could feel him pressing his hands to either side of my head and I tried to shake him off but I couldn’t move, couldn’t think, couldn’t see. The world began to grow dark.
Ember…
The voice was seductive and rich, deep and earthy, and it reached through the fog that was swallowing me up. I started, looking around. I was lying in a pool surrounded by tall reeds, curled in a fetal position, and I realized that I had been sleeping. Or maybe not sleeping, but…drifting. I had a moment of panic when I realized that I wasn’t in my body. I sat up, wondering how the hell I was able to breathe when I was clearly underwater, but then logic soothed me.