Twenty minutes after it started, the storm ended. Everyone looked around the cockpit, and the air felt thick with an awkward atmosphere. Though they didn’t look at Camellia, she lowered her eyes, feeling silly for having believed the storm was eternal.
Eva broke the silence. “They can’t control the weather.”
Then, everyone sprang up and checked Faustina for flight readiness. Meladee pronounced the ship ready to fly in less than ten minutes, never affirming whether she had been right or wrong to land.
With Faustina airborne, Cernunnos helped Meladee pinpoint a destination, and two hours later, they arrived in Suen. They ate, slept, and planned to approach the temple the following night – when Camellia’s abilities would be at their strongest.
On deck, Camellia and Cernunnos stood alone.
Cernunnos waited by the gangway. He held his hat, crumpled beneath a tight grip. “I need to locate Cahir and try to distract him. It’d be easy if I just hung around you. But that would defeat the purpose.”
“While we were at the Library of the Occult, I thought he just liked me.” Camellia shrugged. She crossed her arms to ward of the cold and glanced around the crowded shipyard.
Several ships, just like Meladee’s, gave them some sense of anonymity. There was even another blue ship, and many with colorful balloons.
Cernunnos sighed. “Well, he did. He liked you well enough. I can remember exactly when he changed – became more secretive about his research – more open in his admiration of you. Before that, he did comment on your...appearance. Sometimes, he was surprised by a good paper of yours. Camellia, he never was a shining pinnacle of manhood.” Cernunnos put a sympathetic hand on Camellia’s shoulder.
“I know. Sounds like Ah’nee’thit told him to like me anyway. Maybe, I should consider dating the monster instead. It has passion for me.” Camellia put both hands on her head. “What am I saying?”
After a pause, Cernunnos asked, “Ah’nee’thit?”
“Oh, that’s what Cahir called it. I already checked my notes to see if this Ah’nee’thit was worshipped during the Lurrien war.”
“Anything?”
Camellia shook her head. “Ah’nee’thit either changed its name, or didn’t have a cult at the time.”
“Figures.” Cernunnos crumpled his hat. He looked at Camellia and must have thought she looked a little lonely because he returned to their original topic of conversation. “Camellia, Cahir’s affection is no great loss.”
“I know. I didn’t really want his attention. I’d rather…” Camellia’s sentence trailed off. “No, nevermind.”
“What?”
Camellia felt herself warm. She hoped she didn’t blush. “Do any of the other anthropologists talk about me?”
Cernunnos narrowed his eyes, and Camellia could tell that he wanted to ask a question of his own.
Instead, he answered hers. “Plenty. When it’s just the men, we talk about the women a lot. Mostly, it’s stuff you don’t want to know.” Cernunnos rubbed his face and sighed. “I’m not perfect. At least, I can say I never entertained thoughts of you and never answered the personal questions they ask either.”
Camellia paused and thought about how to address a specific anthropologist, without saying his name. “Even the upstanding anthropologists participate?”
“Are you asking about someone specific?”
“No, no. Forget I asked.” Camellia avoided Cernunnos’ eyes but could practically feel his curiosity. I don’t want him to know about this Adalhard thing.
To her relief, Cernunnos remained silent and effectively dropped the subject. Or so, Camellia thought.
Cernunnos bent and tried to meet her eyes.
She resisted, and he gave up.
“You’ll find someone, Camellia. You’re still young. You could wait until you were one-hundred to marry. There’s no biological imperative for Groazans to wed so soon, just our current cultural climate and pressure from the shorter-lived races for us to pair off. Plenty of time for you.”
A few months ago, Camellia would have found his words comforting, but once she set her sights on Adalhard, she realized her time was short. Adalhard had won the AAH chair and bought a house in Presereme. That was exactly the kind of thing an anthropologist did when he wanted to settle down. Adalhard had been her object of affection for a few months only, though she’d known him longer. For all she knew, Adalhard already had someone and was well on his way to a happy married life. She longed to ask Cernunnos.
“I don’t want to wait,” Camellia whispered. She looked over the shipyard and watched sunrise color the balloons. “Cernunnos..?”
Camellia practiced several variations on her question. Is anyone in the AAH getting married soon? Who’s recently paired off? Who isn’t or won’t be available? All her options sounded so desperate, accurately so, she supposed. Does Adalhard have a woman? Just ask him, she begged herself, but Camellia remained silent.
Cernunnos stroked his chin. “Camellia, don’t worry about it. Get the information on the monster, and we can sort out your life later.”
“Right, I should be focused on the monster. It’s a good distraction from all of...this.” Camellia motioned vaguely to her head.
Again, she looked around the shipyard and let the scattering of airships divert her mind. Beautiful works of art graced most hulls. The others were well kept and gleaming. Camellia thought of Meladee’s clean but simple rendition of Faustina’s face. It made her smile.
“Glad to see you smiling. I never expected a Lurrien monster to be the cause, but I guess we can’t be too picky.” Cernunnos smiled back.
“It’s not that. I was just thinking about Meladee’s hull artwork.”
“Ah, yes, that’s something.” Cernunnos looked towards the hatch that led below deck, where Eva and Meladee worked out of sight. “These two you’ve found – they seem like good friends. I’m glad they can be around for you. I know I was away…for all of it.”
Camellia realized he referred to her leave. How much did he know? Camellia decided not to find out. “It’s not your fault. You’re there when I need you.”
“I doubt that’s always the case.” Cernunnos looked at the sky.
Camellia’s eyes followed. The sunrise painted the clouds pink and orange.
Cernunnos pointed up. “The weather will be nice today, probably a bit hot for you. You’ll need to get walking soon if you don’t want to travel when it’s warm. The temple is a few hours away. If you arrive by afternoon, you can wait for the night and shelter the hot midday in the ruins.”
Camellia nodded. Cernunnos spread his arms, and she realized he wanted to hug. Slowly, Camellia walked into it. She kept her arms crossed, but he wrapped his around her. Finally, she hugged him back, snaking her arms free from their place, pinned between their bodies.
“You forget how to hug?” Cernunnos asked.
“Yes,” she said.
His grasp tightened. “Work on that.” Then, he let her go.
His eyes betrayed concern, so Camellia looked away.
Cernunnos put on his hat and waved. “Well, I’m off. Be careful.” He walked down the gangplank and disappeared among the ships.
“All set?” Meladee asked from the ladder. Her eyes searched the deck.
“Yes, he’s left, and I’m ready,” Camellia said.
“Great. Let’s lock up.” Meladee climbed above deck and began the procedures.
Eva joined them. Strapped to her person were her crystal staff and two guns, including the one with a comically large barrel. Eva also possessed a few devices that Camellia could not identify.
Meladee approached the gangway and clapped Camellia on the shoulder. “Cheer up. Before we go monster hunting, we get to have a picnic. In the hot, hot, hot, hot south of Tagtrum.”
Camellia laughed. “Would you rather wait until afternoon to set out? We can hide below deck during midday.”
“No, we don’t want to hike after Iruedim has had a chance to get sweaty in the sun. Besides, this place is a bit remote. We might not make it if we don’t get going now.” Meladee scooped up a pack. “Okay grab the food I packed and your weird archaeology tools. Now, we close up the ship.”
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Camellia picked up the two bags. One was hers, and the other was a small backpack. It seemed to be filled with four days worth of food. Camellia wondered at the sheer amount of sustenance. She glanced a question at Meladee, but Meladee just shooed her off the ship.
When both Eva and Camellia disembarked, Meladee locked it down. She too stepped off the ship and performed an array of spells, more than her usual security.
“Below deck, I drew some magic circles in chalk, so that should extend the protection. The more permanent locks will have to suffice after that.” Meladee took the backpack. “Time to go picnicking girls. Should be fun, and today’s the perfect day to lose half your body weight in sweat.”
Eva scrunched her nose. Camellia smiled and looked at a passing man. His expression announced that he had heard Meladee’s last words. Camellia looked at the ground, fiddled with her hair, and allowed Meladee to lead the way.
A short walk out of the shipyard led them into a tourist trap. Eateries, small shops, little inns, and two large resorts vied for patronage. One resort boasted a garden and swimming pool, and the other laid claim to a natural lake.
Camellia gave most of her attention to the shops as did Meladee. Meladee, who had lived most of her life in the north, seemed to look longingly at the wares. Camellia had enjoyed the craftsmanship of cities all over Iruedim. She noted Meladee’s desire.
Camellia tugged on her companions’ sleeves. They stopped. Satisfied, Camellia left the main path. She approached a stall and bought three gem-studded bracelets. She gave a red one to Eva and a blue to Meladee. Meladee tried not to smile as she accepted the gift, and Eva took hers with some surprise. For herself, Camellia kept the purple jewels.
They walked an hour to the edge of Suen and set on the hiking path Cernunnos had marked on their map.
As they walked through the plains, the sun grew strong. A forest loomed in the distance and, further still, a distant coast. From a high enough perch, they could see the town that had sprung up around that far off beach.
Camellia and Meladee made sure their hats sat firm on their heads, and Eva wore one to blend in. Both Camellia and Meladee wore pants and long shirts that protected their skin. Eva, in contrast, wore shorts and a sleeveless shirt. Camellia noticed that Eva’s golden skin had a glittery undertone in the full sun.
“We’re gonna die out here,” Meladee said. Sweat ran from her forehead and dampened her hair. “Or we’ll be rescued by cultists and have no choice but to serve...what’s it’s name.”
“Ah’nee’thit,” Camellia said.
“Yeah, that fucker.” Meladee took a deep breath. “But, hey, if it’s got water and some shade, how bad can it be? Right now, I want to be you, Eva.”
Eva performed a double take. “Me? Why?”
“Cause you don’t have to worry about sunburn, or sweat, or being hot.” Meladee narrowed her eyes and gazed at Eva.
Eva shot Meladee a narrow-eyed glance. “Machines can overheat. Heat is just as dangerous to me as you.” Eva looked at her arm. “I wouldn’t be surprised if I need a shot of fresh nanites after this excursion.”
“Nanites?” Camellia asked.
“Tiny robots that ensure I’m well kept. They remove old materials and replace them with new. They also heal minor tears and injuries.” Eva gestured to her person.
Camellia narrowed her eyes. She tried to imagine the tiny robots and where they would hide on Eva’s already small frame.
“They’re too small to see,” Eva said.
“Oh.” Camellia lowered her gaze. “Do all synthetics have nanites?”
“No. I’m one of the only ones. When other synthetics are damaged, they have to replace their parts. I can consume materials instead. It makes my design more robust and resistant to the creature’s infection.” As she walked, Eva looked at the ground.
Camellia wanted to ask more, but they started up an incline. She saved her breath for the walk.
One ninety-minute hike later, they approached the temple. It sat on a high, flat piece of land. Tall grass grew behind, but the approach had been mowed. The marble temple possessed columns and ornate slab doors, over twelve feet tall. The domed top once gleamed gold but sat peeling and dingy in the sun. The temple, while mostly intact, did have a few small holes as if missing a piece of a puzzle. The outer structures were rubble. What had once been statues and large columns lay in ruin.
“It’s so freaking far off,” Meladee whined. “We walk and walk but always it looms in the distance.”
Camellia laughed.
“That’s dramatic,” Eva said with a small smile. “We make steady progress with each step.”
“It’s just an illusion, Meladee,” Camellia promised. “Why don’t you drink some water?”
She offered a canteen, and Meladee accepted.
The mid-morning sun beamed down. Camellia would have welcomed it after a long winter, but walking for two hours in the almost eighty degree heat had sapped her appreciation. The weather would only get hotter, and they would have to take shelter in the shade, until night fell. Come evening, they would secure a rope to the temple and climb in, through one of the high holes.
As soon as they reached the ruin, Camellia sighed and sat down in a shadow. “I’ll look it over in a bit. First, I’m going to rest.”
Meladee found her own shadow and laid in it.
“An excellent idea not to hike that distance in the afternoon. My inner workings are hotter than I expected.” Eva did not sit down, but she did stand in the shade.
They spent a quiet day amid the shadows. As midday approached, the shadows grew short, and for a couple hellish hours, there was barely a shadow to hide in. They spent noontime huddled against the temple doors. The stone felt cold, and the overhang provided some shelter. Before and after noon, Camellia investigated the temple. As evening approached, she regaled her companions with information about the temple and its markings.
“It’s at least six thousand years old,” Camellia said. “Built early in Iruedim’s history and repurposed when the first Tagtrumians arrived. Not your direct ancestors, but people from the same ship. They had a polytheistic religion, and this temple is for the goddess of love.”
“Oooooo, sacrilege,” Meladee purred. “That monster doesn’t belong in there one bit.” Meladee shook her head. “Do you guys feel okay? My head aches a bit.”
Eva looked at the temple. “It’s that thing. It knows we’re here. I can’t feel it. Can you?”
Camellia allowed her eyes to unfocus. She stared at nothing and listened with her mind. She felt a mild pressure. “I feel something. It’s like my father is across the farm and wondering where I am.”
“Vampires can communicate telepathically,” Meladee said to Eva. “Camellia ought to have a bit of that.”
“I do.” Camellia nodded. She could communicate well enough through telepathy – better at night of course. She also sent better than she received, but she doubted she would have difficulty catching the creature’s meaning. “Meladee, you should move away from the temple. We don’t want you to end up like Cahir.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice. I’m going to that rock on the side of the mowed path. I think I’ll feel better there. I’m also going to cast a shield spell – if you don’t mind.” Meladee hopped to her feet and walked into the fading light.
Camellia watched her go.
Thirty minutes later, Meladee sat on the rock. She crossed her legs and an eerie blue light wove a ring around her. It glowed from the grass. The shield shimmered into a bubble around Meladee, one that peaked above her head and hugged the underside of the rock. The bubble was visible only when the wind blew. It wriggled and shined, like the surface of water. Safe in her bubble, Meladee waved to them, and they waved back.
“The sun will set in an hour. We should make our way inside.” Eva extracted their rope and rose to her feet.
Eva secured the rope, and with a final wave to Meladee, started up. Camellia followed. She climbed easily in the evening light and reached the hole in the temple dome. Perched on the lip of the hole, Eva set another rope and slid into the interior. Camellia also slipped inside, but before she came down the rope, she looked around.
Hanging high above, Camellia could see that the temple had no windows, and the inside lay in darkness. Still, Camellia’s dhampiric eyes caught some details in the scant light. In scenes around the inner dome, the ancient love goddess and her followers frolicked.
Not frolick, Camellia corrected. Copulated would be a better word.
Below, Eva set lights on the temple floor. Camellia slid down the rope and landed near a statue of two rather tame lovers.
“There are three doorways to a basement level.” Eva pointed to each, one at the back and two on the sides.
The doorways marked the cardinal directions in conjunction with the main entrance: north, south, east, and west. A compass declared it so. Each doorway also sat behind a statue of lovers. One pair embraced, another relaxed in each others’ arms, and the last pair shared a passionate kiss.
“The stone in the center might be moveable.” Again, Eva pointed. She aimed the gesture at a large floor relief.
Camellia knelt and examined the center stone. The goddess of love lay across it, passionately beset by men and women both.
Camellia stroked a hand over its edges. A gap parted the stone from the rest of the floor. “It might have been moved here and placed in a depression as a design element. Over time, the edges wore away from the rest of the stonework. Or, it moves, like you suggested.”
“Do you want me to open it up?” Eva asked.
Camellia shook her head. She stood and looked at the side passage, marked by the passionate kiss. She rubbed her temple and pointed at the door. “I think we should use that path.”
Eva looked at the lovers and nodded. She left one of her lights by the rope and one by the statue. Everything else, she took. Camellia carried food and her special bag. Then, she led the way down, and Eva shined a flashlight ahead.
Stone made up the temple basement, not the beautiful marble that they saw above ground, but a simple slate. Camellia reached the bottom of the staircase and waited for Eva’s light to illuminate a circular sub-room. In a relief that circled the wall, lovers danced hand in hand. There were no passages, except for stairs in the center of the floor.
From that gaping darkness, Camellia heard a faint call, Come.
“Did you hear that?” Camellia asked. She stared at the darkness and puzzled over the fluttering thoughts.
They just barely reached her mind in pairs and clusters, images and a few words. Camellia suddenly became aware that history touched her mind – a creature from long ago.
Eva shook her head. “I don’t hear anything.”
“I thought as much.” Camellia walked to the staircase. “It’s telepathic. Feels a little like a vampire’s mind, but...different somehow.”
“Can you be more descriptive?” Eva wore the hint of a smile, but it faded fast.
Camellia struggled for words. “When I communicate with my father and other vampires, they usually convey a series of thoughts – an image, a feeling, a word – in succession. Sometimes two at once. Perhaps, a word and an image. Or, an image and a feeling. It’s work to speak telepathically. Not like thinking inside your own head.”
Camellia started down the steps, and Eva walked beside her, listening intently.
Camellia listened too. “This creature sends me several thoughts at once: the word ‘come,’ a slideshow of the path forward, and something like a promise – images and feelings mostly.”
“What kinds of images?” Eva asked.
“Things I’d rather not say. Many of which involve Cahir and the creature being places I don’t want them,” Camellia whispered.
She didn’t say it, but she saw Cahir atop her in a darkened room. Flesh crawled over the bed.
“Should we go forward?” Eva hung back.
“We have to get proof. And, I’m curious.” Camellia stepped ahead.
The two women traveled in silence. The stairs became a winding hall that spiraled lower and lower. Camellia led them. Three paths branched from the main hall, but they passed them. Eva shone the light inside to reveal endless darkness. Finally, the path’s slope grew steeper, and Camellia stopped at a set of stairs.
“It’s right down there.” She pointed.
Beyond the stairs, the hall opened into a cavern. A wet sucking sound wafted up the corridor.
“That’s it,” Eva agreed.
Camellia knew that Eva recognized the sound. Camellia recognized the place. The creature showed her, again and again, its small home.
Don’t be shy. The image of a smile greeted Camellia as well as a feeling of warmth. And finally, she saw herself on an outcropping, overlooking a chasm.
We won’t stand there, Camellia thought. She aimed to keep it to herself.
She felt an insistent probe, almost like a ringing in her ears, but the creature did not succeed. It conveyed its pleasure with several exciting images: popping balloons, confetti, and fireworks.
Eva watched and waited for Camellia to continue.
“Let’s go,” Camellia said. Together they walked down the stairs.