Rhodes

Chapter 2:

Chapter 2:

Helena had put Doyle off long enough. They cruised over the Mediterranean Sea, and they would try their first attempt at traveling to the land of immortals shortly. She had positioned two pillows on the floor to sit on, much more respectable than sitting on the bed. The oil lamps had been dimmed to help limit visual distractions. Visual distractions were not her concern. She worried… Why should I worry? “I’m sure he isn’t wracking himself over such trivial feelings. There is nothing to be worried about.”

No voices answered back. At one time she had a crush on him, now she did not. This was a professional meeting between two adventurers searching for the truth, one for her parents and one for his fiancée. She needed to drop the schoolgirl feelings and get down to business. He traveled halfway around the world for her help to fix a problem she was responsible for. She owed it to him and Tsang Mei to do everything in her power to fix what she, Helena, started and rejoin them once again.

Doyle stood across from Helena’s door. He glanced down at his pocket watch every few seconds, watching the time fade away. He’d left his Tommyknocker friend, Jack, in his stateroom. There was little he could do on this trip. Doyle wasn’t even sure this trip would work. Helena seemed to think she could take him to see Tsang Mei, but he was a skeptic at heart. He doubted her abilities as much as he doubted his own feelings.

On the pier in Pasaia, he had forced himself to bury old feelings that once stirred for Helena. He was not the kind of man that would lead another on, nor would he betray the woman he had known most of his life. Tsang Mei was more than his fiancée, she was his best longest friend. He would have sooner cut off his arm than bring hurt into her life.

The demon, Lady Bai, had been taken away from him before he could rescue Mei. She was snatched by two women. Doyle hadn’t wanted to learn their identities because of the ramifications to his world… If they were who he thought they were, many things he thought about the world… many things his parents and schooling led him to believe were demonstrably wrong.

He was concerned about what acceptance of these strange new facts might do to his mental state. There were times when he sat calmly conversing with Jack, a legendary creature, that he needed to check reality against what was truly happening. How can a mind understand when it has gone insane? What is the threshold between the sanity of the world and a fantasy?

He looked at his watch, still five minutes. It seemed the second hand barely moved. He knew his feelings for Helena lay buried deep under layers of denial and self-recriminations. That’s where they needed to stay, buried deep. He considered Helena his friend—not a friend like Tsang Mei but still a friend. Why did life need to become so difficult? He shook his head.

“Still time to run away and join a monastery,” he grumbled under his breath.

Helena checked over everything for the umpteenth time. It was all still ready. She surely didn’t need this stress, but no matter how she tried to bury her feelings, they crept back into her thoughts. Was that a noise?

She tiptoed to her door and placed her ear to the wooden surface, listening for any indication of who or what lay beyond.

On the far side, Doyle said, “Still time to run away and join a monastery.”

She chuckled to herself. A nunnery was an option she never considered, but it suddenly held some appeal. Maybe committing her soul to a higher purpose would be the way to go. However, she doubted her ability to give up so much of what she became to dedicate her life to something… She couldn’t think of the word at the moment, but she didn’t care for the idea at all.

She didn’t feel right eavesdropping on her friend, so she called out, “Doyle, is that you?”

At first, the only answer was a shuffle on the far side. Then a voice much more timid than she recalled him having said, “Yes, I was waiting to knock.”

She swung the door wide. “We might as well get the show on the road. I don’t know how long this will take, or if it will even work.”

He pushed off the far wall. He must have been standing there for a while. “Thank you for doing this. You are my only option for finding her now… I don’t know how I will repay you if this works.” He stepped into her cabin. His eyes darted around, taking it all in.

She locked the door behind them. There was no desire for unwanted visitors, and with Ludmila still onboard there was no telling what she might truly be up to.

He pointed to a cushion. “Do we sit here?”

Helena nodded and glanced over at the brandy decanter not far from each but fought the urge to calm her nerves with the warm liquid. “I’ve only tried this a few times… Mostly I take people there by accident… If it doesn’t work this time, I am willing to keep trying until we are successful.”

Doyle kicked his boots off and set them against the wall. Helena noticed his right sock had a hole big enough for his big toe to stick out of. She kept her mouth shut.

“What do we do?” he asked.

“Sit down, cross your legs, and hold out your hands.” She moved across from him and led by example. Once he sat down, she grabbed his hands. “Close your eyes and try to relax… empty your mind.” She felt a slight static charge when their fingertips met.

Helena should have listened to her own directions, but she found it hard to concentrate. Are my hands sweaty? She’d forgotten to run her hands over her pants to dry them before she took his hands. Is it his hands?

She opened her eyes and risked a glimpse at his face, strictly to check to see if his eyes were closed, she told herself. The glow from her pendant cast a shine over his face… like an angel.

She closed her eyes once again. She opened them again when she heard the song of a bird echoing through the room, and she found they sat in a meadow she’d traveled to a number of times. She took them to the land of immortals. “Open your eyes.” She spoke with a soft voice to Doyle.

He blinked. The sun hung over Helena’s right shoulder. She spotted the shadow it cast on his body. It must be blinding him for the time being. He cautiously cleared his throat. “Can we let go of each other’s hands?”

Helena released her grip, which had become much firmer than was needed for the trip. “Yes, of course…” She stood to gain some distance from him.

Free of her death grip, he glanced around the meadow. “That was easier than I thought it would be.”

Helena answered in a soft voice. “Me too.” She did a quick scan, half expecting a snake woman to be nearby. When she found none, she said, “We need to look around. I think I might know where to find… Tsang Mei, but first I want to see if someone else is here.”

Doyle stood. His face was hard to read, a mixture of disappointment and excitement. Helena didn’t know what he expected to happen, but she wanted to see if Green Snake was around to thank her for returning her pendant. She was fairly certain if the woman wanted, she could have kept her prize and never returned it.

From the bamboo forest, she heard a soft voice. “You returned?” She tiptoed cautiously toward the voice. On a rock in the full sunlight lay a green snake and a much larger white snake sunning themselves. She felt Doyle move up beside her. “I didn’t expect to see you here again once your male was freed,” the green snake hissed.

Helena blushed. “I told you he was just a friend.”

The green snake continued, “Yes, of course, I misspoke. He looks different now.”

Doyle stammered, “Do I know you?”

The white one rolled over to better see the pair. “No, we saved you from her. If not for us, you would now be her slave, until she tired of you, then you would be lunch.”

“White Snake?” Helena asked. “We’ve never been properly introduced.” Out of instinct, Helena extended her hand for a shake. Then just as quickly withdrew it.

White Snake hissed a snake giggle. “No, we haven’t. I understand I have you to thank for my freedom.”

“I did little really, it was Green Snake. I don’t think she ever gave up hope till you were freed.” Helena winked at the green snake. “I just loaned her some jewelry for the attack.”

“It worked, the temple collapsed, and I was free.” White Snake nodded.

“Oh no. I hope no one was hurt in the process?” Helena never wanted anyone to get hurt during the rescue, though she should have expected it.

“No, the temple had been abandoned for years. Burnt by pirates that thought it held treasure. I doubt few will miss it. Religion doesn’t seem to hold the same meaning it once did.”

Helena bowed slightly to them both. “Green Snake, thank you for returning the pendant. It might help me find my parents.”

“A deal is a deal. I gave you my word, and you kept your end of the bargain. The green snake’s head pointed toward Doyle. “I’m glad we saved him.”

“You’re the one… You’re the two from the theater,” Doyle stuttered slightly when he spoke. “Where is Tsang Mei?” came out with a cleaner ring to it.

Helena didn’t know… didn’t want to interrupt.

“Who?” White Snake asked.

“The one ready to eat his soul,” Green Snake spoke up.

White Snake rolled back to her belly. “Oh, Su Daji.”

“She should be near the stream. I’m sure you remember the one,” Green Snake hissed at Helena.

Doyle started walking away.

“Thank you both again for all your help.” Helena chased after him. “Wrong way, Doyle!” She motioned to the black pillar of jade in the distance. “We need to travel to the foot of that spire.”

He marched off in the direction she indicated. His jaw was set against talking.

Helena followed close behind, keeping her thoughts to herself. However, her greatest fears were about to come true. She picked up her pace. She needed to tell Doyle the truth before… Daji or Mei told him what she had been hiding.

A sudden burst of speed provided by her fear allowed her to catch Doyle in a few paces. Her powers grew stronger with every trip. She was still learning her capabilities.

“Doyle, please, I need to tell you something.” She grabbed his arm, and with strength she never knew she had, spun him around, nearly knocking him off his feet. “Please stop for a second, things here can be dangerous. This is not the world we are used to.”

“I figured that out when I met the talking snakes.” The veins in Doyle’s neck bulged bright red.

“Please…” Her adrenaline rushed, her pulse ran too fast. “You need to understand. Somehow Daji followed me from this world to ours. She murdered my maid, Gertie, and escaped my house. I don’t know how she found Tsang Mei, but all of this is my fault.” Helena stood her ground, waiting for the worst to happen.

Doyle only heard. “It is all my fault,” slip from Helena’s lips.

His breath caught in his throat. He didn’t know what to say. Anger rushed through his veins, but he wasn’t sure who to aim his fury at. He should have left well enough alone. He should’ve arrested this strange woman months ago on any number of charges. There were so many steps he’d taken in the past few months where he could have stopped this whole charade of an adventure.

Now he discovered his loss of Tsang Mei was his own doing. He was being punished for his vanity, hubris, or even pride. Fighting to control his actions, he nearly struck out at Helena, taking his fight to her. He was so angry even that wouldn’t satisfy his rage.

Now more than anything, he needed to see Tsang Mei. Helena had cleared the air between them. He knew the good thing was to forgive her and move on. Doyle just wasn’t that good of a man.

Without a word, he turned and marched through the jungle to the black jade mountain that lay in the distance.