The Bloodstone Prophecy - Book 2 (complete)

Chapter 32 - The Prisoners

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"This is taking too long," Haji complained, pulling another blob of waxy gunk from Yasmin's hand and looking up warily, as if he expected more guards to show up any second. Much to Kami's relief, he and Gedo had removed the wax from the women's faces first. Supposedly they were able to breathe through the wax, but it was unnerving to see their faces covered like that. Now they were working on their arms and hands.

She leaned over her grandmother and whined. Her grandmother's face was still. Pieces of wax were tangled in her hair, but she was still beautiful. This woman had risked so much to get her to Egypt, and now when she'd finally met her, she was still separated from her. Kami wished she could help remove the wax, but her giant paws, not to mention claws, would be useless. Both Yasmin and her grandmother were breathing shallowly now, but she wished they would open their eyes. Then maybe that gnawing feeling in her stomach would go away.

The cave shook as a stone slab hit the cave floor. Dust flew into the air, and from the soot emerged an enormous dark shape of ... something. The slab had apparently been a door that had been ripped off its hinges. As the thing stepped through the doorway, it stood up straight.

It towered over them. Kami trembled as she stared up at it, unable to contain the fear that swept through her. Compared to her friends, she had felt big inside the shadow cat. Now she felt tiny compared to this thing. It dwarfed her.

She could see now the thing was shaped like a human—a giant. It treaded forward in heavy steps that reverberated through the cave floor. She looked at her friends. Gedo covered his wife's body defiantly. Haji stood and pulled out his shadow blade. Kami padded over to protect Yasmin.

"What is that thing?" Gedo whispered.

"I think that is what Liam was speaking about," Haji replied.

They watched tensely as the giant stepped closer and closer, then unexpectedly, it turned and walked up the ramp. It was almost as if it didn't see them. Kami wondered if it could, or if it was under the queen's orders and that's why it didn't attack them. She breathed a shuddering sigh of relief, but even as she did, she thought of Liam, rushing into battle prepared with nothing more than a little whip and the giant hot on his heels. She wondered how Samuel and Chris would fare fighting this monster.

Haji, probably thinking the same thing, looked down at the wax sealing his legs together and began rapidly pulling it off.

"Gedo?" a weak voice said, and she turned to see her cousin's dark eyes staring up at him. Kami's grandfather crouched by Yasmin and took her hand, helping her sit up. "Is Neina ...?"

"She's breathing," he said.

Kami moved forward eagerly, forgetting for a moment that she was in the shadow cat's body. She saw the terror in Yasmin's eyes and shrank back. If her grandmother woke now, she would probably react the same. Her heart throbbed with the realization.

"Change of plans," Haji said as he continued to work on his legs. "They cannot fight the giant alone. They need my blade. Gedo, go release the prisoners. Take the whip and have Kami help you overpower the guards. I'm following the giant."

"Kami's here?" Yasmin asked, looking around the cave. "Where is she?"

Haji pointed to the shadow creature.

Yasmin wrinkled her forehead and stared for a long moment at the shadow creature, then back at Haji.

"I don't understand."

"She found a way to get inside the creatures. I don't know how, only that she can. Yasmin, try holding your hand over the wax and peeling it off."

She did so and successfully removed a glob of wax, then looked over at Kami with a thoughtful but wary expression. It was obvious she was having a hard time believing Haji.