Page 92 of Stealing the Star Stone
“Is it me or can you smell fresh air?”she asked, increasing her pace.
She glanced at him, then behind them, jerking to a halt.“Run!”
Squeezing past him, she headed back to the cavern, hollering and waving her arms.Then she was chasing him, urging him to sprint with his shorter legs.The rifle smacked his ass, driving him onward.
The entire time, she screamed like someone was trying to kill her.
When he exploded out of the tunnel, it took him by surprise.He swiveled, blaster in hand to face whatever was chasing them.She skidded across the ground, rolling onto her back as she fought for air.He waited, his ears filled with her ragged breathing while he focused on sound or movement coming from the darkness.
White eyes watched him but didn’t approach.
For the longest time, he held its gaze until it slowly retreated.
Only then did he lower his weapon and collapse beside her.“We made it,” he said.
She sat up and studied their surroundings.The swish of distant waves and the salty tang of the ocean registered.And there, on a slight rise, stood a gazebo-like temple—a black construction without a roof.Stalwart pillars circled an empty altar.
“Shit,” she said, staggering to her feet and jogging the final distance.
He followed, disbelieving that Senmut would send them to a stoneless temple.There had to be a catch.Nova stroked every inch of the altar, probably searching for a trigger switch or a clue.He swept his gaze out across the peninsula and beyond to the moonlight-kissed ocean the color of old blood.The flying whales on the horizon seemed closer and yet remained surreal.
He rested his temple on a pillar, squeezed his eyes shut, and drew in calming breaths.When he pulled back, his gaze snagged on glowing blue letters.
His heart skipped a beat.A quick scan confirmed he wasn’t imagining it.Each of the eight pillars had a few words.
That is creation.
one another
To understand
That is union.
to be known.
one another.
is to become
To be seen,
“Oh,” he gasped.“It’s a puzzle.”
She gaped at him.Her cheeks flushed red.Unshed tears glistened, and she pursed her lips.“I…can’t even deal with this.”
“Just write it all down and shuffle them until they make sense.”He held out his hand for the bag which she happily tossed to him.“We can do this.”
A poor journal sacrificed a few pages which he tore into eight strips.On them, she scrawled the words, handing each one to him as soon as she was done.
The waves, squeaks and cries of nature, and his steady heartbeat filled him with a sense of peace.
“‘To understand’ is pillar one; put the bag there and grab a few items.”
She did as asked, then with machete and books in hand, she waited.
He hummed and switched the strips, undecided between ‘is to become’ and ‘one another.’“I’m going to guess here.Mark number two as ‘is to become.’And ‘one another’ as three.”
“Mm, to understand is to become one another…” She palmed another book to place at the next pillar.
