Mission To Mahjundar by Veronica Scott Page A

took a deep breath and walked directly to Mike. Speechless with surprise, he realized she could now see with those great, luminous brown eyes. How is this possible?
    “I refuse to believe this trip has all been for nothing. You'll think of something, I know it.” She focused on his face for a long, aching minute, as if memorizing each detail. Reaching out, she touched his cheek gently. Before he could react, she kissed him lightly on the lips, then walked across the “gazebo.”
    Stopping at the foot of her mother's sarcophagus, Shalira stared into the carved face, so like her own, and yet so different.  
    “I don't know if I can do this,” she said on an in-drawn sob, rubbing her eyes. “My eyes burn.”
    Mike holstered his gun and joined her, taking her in his arms. “Irritated by the smoke from the torches,” he said. “You don't have to go on with this search for the insignia if you don't want to. There—there could be other options—”
    “No.” She laid a finger gently on his lips for a second. “I must carry out my father’s instructions. It’s his dying wish for me to marry Bandarlok, to ally our people more closely again. He's depending on me. I know you’ll think of a way to get us past Vreely, so I’ve no choice but to do my part.”
    Resolute, she dried her eyes and pushed herself free of his embrace. Walking to the foot of the effigy, she took a deep breath and sang the first measures of a chant, a low-pitched, wordless melody. Standing motionless, she extended her hands, palms up in appeal.
    This time there was no shrieking wind to answer her. Only a brilliant spark of fierce red light, dancing above Lindia’s carved fingers. The shadowy illumination from the torches made it appear that the hands of the effigy lifted slightly, casting the red spark toward the wall. A deep feminine sigh, like the sound of a name, echoed in the chamber, but Mike was sure the sound didn’t come from Shalira's lips. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end when the deep whisper repeated again and he retreated an instinctive step.
    Shalira's attention was riveted on the spark, which danced fleetingly above her head before shooting in a direct line across the chamber, striking the wall in an explosion of soundless miniature stars, all of which winked out before touching the floor.
    Eyes burning, Mike blinked. The afterimage danced in front of his closed eyelids. When he risked opening his eyes again, Shalira was standing in front of the spot where the red spark had self-destructed.
    Mike scrutinized the statue. Nothing but cold stone . Rolling his shoulders to break the spell, he walked over to the princess.
    Searching the walls for something, running her fingers lightly over the painted surface, she didn’t even acknowledge his presence. “Saium, bring the torch.”
    As the guardsman brought the light closer for her, Mike could see a tiny glint of red fire in one bird’s jeweled eyes. Shalira pointed excitedly, shaking her finger at the spot. “The key to the niche must be here.”
    Leaving them to their task, Mike crossed to the mouth of the corridor, listening for the sound of shots, which would mean Vreely had abandoned caution and was coming in.
    “All right,” he heard Shalira say with great determination. He swung back to see her standing with her hands on her hips, directly in front of the jeweled bird, which Mike now realized was an actual stuffed creature, with rubies inserted in place of the eyes, not merely one of the skillful wall paintings.
    Shalira lifted the tiny bird off its concealed perch, twisting the small branch clockwise with her free hand. A small door to the left shot open with a snap, revealing a square cavity at chest height. She nodded to Saium, who reached inside gingerly and brought a long, gnarled wooden staff into the light. It was topped with a magnificent, lifesized, painted carving of a bird of prey. “Our clan insignia,” Saium said in a hushed whisper. Carefully