A small pinprick of white light appeared through his closed eyes. Was that the light, the one everyone said you saw right before you died? Curious, James pushed toward it, his thoughts sluggish, feeling like he was floating through the air. Dying’s pretty peaceful, he thought as the light grew brighter. Suddenly, his body convulsed as a fresh wave of pain passed over him, and his eyes flew open. There was a light above him, shimmering through the water, as bright and beautiful as the sun.
With the last of his energy, James kicked up. His head broke the surface.
He sucked in air—clean, beautiful air. It filled his mouth and lungs like life itself. Blindly, he felt a stone ledge and pulled himself out of the water.
He then promptly vomited.
After several minutes of heaving, puking up what seemed like gallons of water (and a bit of breakfast), he spat and lay back on the cave floor, breathing deeply, enjoying the feeling of fresh air entering his lungs. His vision remained a dark tunnel as unconsciousness threatened to overtake him, but he pushed it back. There was more yet to do, and he was the only one who could do it.
He breathed once more and pushed himself into a seated position, his arms shaky. He sat on the edge of an underground lake in a large chamber. Light shone down—sunlight, blessed sunlight—from a hole in a high ceiling nearly a hundred feet up. It shone in at a slant, the beams visible in the dusty cave. They reached across the cavern, illuminating the water to a bright blue, and came to rest on a small, stone platform in the middle of the lake. Something sat on a pedestal there, something small and round. It glittered with a faint light of its own. A green light.
James sat on the ground, staring across the lake at the object that was supposed to be a myth, that carried the power of gods. Men and women throughout history had searched for it, but only a select few had found it. Nicholas Roerich had hidden it here, at the birthplace of the Buddha. Calico would use it to bring the world to its knees.
James fought back tears as he looked upon the Chintamani Stone.
Chapter 36
They were intercepted in the air.
One moment they were flying along through the peaceful, clear sky above Lumbini. Katie was strapped to Ros, and the other Supers flew around them—Derek, Auri, Avus, Lychnus, and Leo, who had Rocky strapped to him. They’d been flying for some time, and Katie’s mind had started to wander. But Ros suddenly banked hard to the left, pulling Katie from her stupor.
Something hot flew past Katie’s face and she blinked. The other Supers had scattered like flies, and she saw three figures floating where they’d been moments before. Her heart sank. Myrcellus, Tonitrus, and Afectrus hung in the air, wearing all black. Tonitrus had his hand raised toward Katie and Ros, and she barely registered a flash of yellow before they were struck by a bolt of electricity.
Katie’s yell of pain was ripped away by the wind. It was the worst shock she’d ever felt, and every hair on her body stood up. Her teeth chattered and her muscles tightened painfully. The pain lasted for several moments, but she was able to shake it off.
Then she realized they were falling.
They plummeted through the air, the ground rushing toward them at a dizzying speed. Katie glanced up and saw that Ros’s eyes were half closed, her mouth slack. No wonder the strike had barely affected Katie; it must have hit Ros dead-on. She was dazed, if not completely unconscious.
“Ros!” Katie yelled. She reached up awkwardly and slapped the Super lightly on the cheek, trying to rouse her. All the while, they fell. Buildings and trees that had seemed tiny moments ago grew quickly in size. They had mere seconds before they hit the ground at full speed.
“Ros!” she yelled again. This time, she pulled back and slapped the Super hard; she was full of too much adrenaline and fear to feel bad. Ros’s eyes flew open. They were dull for a moment, and then her pupils tightened in shock.
They were just above the treetops when Ros pulled up. But it was too late. Their momentum pulled them down horizontally, and though their fall slowed, it wasn’t enough.
At the last moment, Ros twisted, putting her back toward the ground so Katie stared up at the sky. Then they hit.
Katie’s entire body shook, rattling her to the core. The sky rushed past her, then they turned and she saw the ground. They bounced and twisted for several feet, kicking up grass and dirt. Katie closed her eyes, clutching tight to the harness. Finally, they came to a rest.
She opened her eyes, surprised that she seemed okay besides a few scrapes and bruises. Ros, despite taking the brunt of the impact, was somehow already struggling to her feet. Blood ran down the side of her face, but she didn’t seem to care. She reached down and unhooked Katie.
Katie was about to protest when she heard a chatter of gunfire from beyond the hill in front of them. It sounded like an entire war had broken out nearby, the shots like mini explosions booming through the air.
“Stay here,” Ros said.
Before Katie could speak, Ros launched herself into the air, flying over the hill. Katie watched her go, unsure of what to do. Whatever was happening on the other side of the hill, it was real. Gunshots rang through the air, and Supers fought Supers. It was a warzone. The most dangerous thing she had ever done was go whitewater rafting. She wasn’t the kind of person who put herself in danger or got a thrill from precarious situations.
But she thought about James, who must be somewhere nearby. And Rocky, who had been flying with Leo. She had to find them and make sure they were safe.
With a
