surrounded them, but Dakar did not
appear. “He’s here somewhere.” Andrew gestured at the open shaft. “Shall we?”
Marcus nodded and he and Roger stepped into the darkness.
“Let’s go.” Tommy nudged Andrew towards the edge. Suddenly, dropping down into
a deep, dark hole didn’t seem nearly as intimidating as the alternative. “I definitely don’t want to be up here with a dead demon!”
Andrew held Tommy tightly against himself as they dropped even farther beneath the
earth. Gods, but now he wished he’d taken stronger steps to prevent Tommy from having to go through all of this. Tommy was brave, but he could sense the uncertainty, the fear of the unknown that niggled at his lover’s mind each time they were faced with yet another obstacle, another plunge into the darkness. Truth be told, it was unsettling for all of them. He could also sense Roger’s unease, and Dakar’s presence brought a more sinister and dangerous element to their search.
The demon had decided to track them, and there could be only one reason for this.
Dakar thought Andrew would give him the Talisman to restore his earthly life. That was not going to happen, and a confrontation with the demon would most likely be inevitable.
Andrew wasn’t sure what kind of powers Dakar would still possess in his ’spirit’ form, but he was sure some part of his devious nature would remain. Dakar had proven himself treacherous in the past—it would be foolish to think that his physical death had changed any of that.
Feet once again on solid ground, Andrew released Tommy from his embrace. “All
right?” he asked.
“Right as rain,” Tommy replied with a shaky chuckle. “But I can’t help hoping we don’t
have to go any deeper.”
“Hey, Tommy,” Roger called out, “shine your flashlight on the walls over here. This
looks interesting.”
The space they had descended into was very different from the previous ruined crypts.
Instead, the walls were lined with shelves on which rested urns of all different sizes and shapes. Some tall and elegantly fashioned of what appeared to be gold and silver, others www.total-e-bound.com
BLOOD TALISMAN J.P. Bowie 68
small and made of plain clay. The orderliness gave the impression that nothing had been
touched, nothing changed in many, many years—the thick layer of dust that coated the
shelves and the urns adding evidence to that.
In the centre of the room stood what appeared to be a large stone sarcophagus, the top
of which was heavily engraved in a language Andrew had no knowledge of.
“What d’you suppose this place is?” Tommy asked quietly.
“Some place even older than anything we have previously seen,” Marcus said, eyeing
the elegantly shaped vessels. “I would hazard a guess that these contain the ashes of some of the wealthier inhabitants, perhaps the ruling hierarchy—the smaller ones that of their servants—those who were chosen to die with their lords. It was a common practice in ancient times. And beneath this engraved stone is, I believe, what Andrew is searching for.”
Andrew stared at the stone, surprised by Marcus’ assumption. “The Scrolls of
Ashelak—what makes you think that?”
“The language is Ancient Hittite. I am not completely familiar with the language, but I
can see the words ‘Prince Ashelak’ engraved in the first line.”
“Hey, let’s move it out of the way then,” Roger said eagerly. “We’ve come this far, why
stall now?”
“No one is stalling, Roger.” Marcus lifted a warning hand as Roger stepped forwards.
“But remember, the men who built these tombs were masters of booby-traps. We might be
impervious to flying shards of rock or a trapdoor in the floor, but Tommy is not. It would be wise if he stood well back when we move the stone.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Tommy said without argument. “Flying shards of rock don’t
exactly turn me on.” He moved back to the far wall and watched as the three
appear. “He’s here somewhere.” Andrew gestured at the open shaft. “Shall we?”
Marcus nodded and he and Roger stepped into the darkness.
“Let’s go.” Tommy nudged Andrew towards the edge. Suddenly, dropping down into
a deep, dark hole didn’t seem nearly as intimidating as the alternative. “I definitely don’t want to be up here with a dead demon!”
Andrew held Tommy tightly against himself as they dropped even farther beneath the
earth. Gods, but now he wished he’d taken stronger steps to prevent Tommy from having to go through all of this. Tommy was brave, but he could sense the uncertainty, the fear of the unknown that niggled at his lover’s mind each time they were faced with yet another obstacle, another plunge into the darkness. Truth be told, it was unsettling for all of them. He could also sense Roger’s unease, and Dakar’s presence brought a more sinister and dangerous element to their search.
The demon had decided to track them, and there could be only one reason for this.
Dakar thought Andrew would give him the Talisman to restore his earthly life. That was not going to happen, and a confrontation with the demon would most likely be inevitable.
Andrew wasn’t sure what kind of powers Dakar would still possess in his ’spirit’ form, but he was sure some part of his devious nature would remain. Dakar had proven himself treacherous in the past—it would be foolish to think that his physical death had changed any of that.
Feet once again on solid ground, Andrew released Tommy from his embrace. “All
right?” he asked.
“Right as rain,” Tommy replied with a shaky chuckle. “But I can’t help hoping we don’t
have to go any deeper.”
“Hey, Tommy,” Roger called out, “shine your flashlight on the walls over here. This
looks interesting.”
The space they had descended into was very different from the previous ruined crypts.
Instead, the walls were lined with shelves on which rested urns of all different sizes and shapes. Some tall and elegantly fashioned of what appeared to be gold and silver, others www.total-e-bound.com
BLOOD TALISMAN J.P. Bowie 68
small and made of plain clay. The orderliness gave the impression that nothing had been
touched, nothing changed in many, many years—the thick layer of dust that coated the
shelves and the urns adding evidence to that.
In the centre of the room stood what appeared to be a large stone sarcophagus, the top
of which was heavily engraved in a language Andrew had no knowledge of.
“What d’you suppose this place is?” Tommy asked quietly.
“Some place even older than anything we have previously seen,” Marcus said, eyeing
the elegantly shaped vessels. “I would hazard a guess that these contain the ashes of some of the wealthier inhabitants, perhaps the ruling hierarchy—the smaller ones that of their servants—those who were chosen to die with their lords. It was a common practice in ancient times. And beneath this engraved stone is, I believe, what Andrew is searching for.”
Andrew stared at the stone, surprised by Marcus’ assumption. “The Scrolls of
Ashelak—what makes you think that?”
“The language is Ancient Hittite. I am not completely familiar with the language, but I
can see the words ‘Prince Ashelak’ engraved in the first line.”
“Hey, let’s move it out of the way then,” Roger said eagerly. “We’ve come this far, why
stall now?”
“No one is stalling, Roger.” Marcus lifted a warning hand as Roger stepped forwards.
“But remember, the men who built these tombs were masters of booby-traps. We might be
impervious to flying shards of rock or a trapdoor in the floor, but Tommy is not. It would be wise if he stood well back when we move the stone.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Tommy said without argument. “Flying shards of rock don’t
exactly turn me on.” He moved back to the far wall and watched as the three
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