Annja threw off the robe and brought her sword out as she jumped up on the dais. From the corner of her eye, she saw Godwin collide with Derek, who had started shouting at his followers. Godwin sent a left jab that dropped Derek back and down on the floor.

The two guards readying to pitch Hansen into the fire pit abandoned that notion and drew curved blades that reminded Annja of scimitars. The first came at her with a swinging right-hand stroke aimed at her head. Annja ducked as the blade flashed by and then cut up with her own sword, slicing through the dark robe and spilling blood. The man screeched and then fell into the fire pit.

His comrade backed up after seeing the ease with which Annja dispatched the first cult member. He held the scimitar unsteadily, but Annja saw his resolve strengthen and he rushed in, cutting straight down from overhead.

Annja couldn’t go to her left or she’d fall in the fire pit. She had to pivot to the right and narrowly missed the singing blade as it cleaved downward at her. She stabbed in with her blade, but the swordsman recovered and parried it up and away.

It was a tight space on the dais. Godwin was engaged with Wishman’s guards, fighting them single-handedly. Hansen had tried to scramble away, but Wishman kicked him soundly in the gut and he went down, clutching his groin. Nyaktuk was struggling with his guards, as well, and having a pretty good time of it. Distraction and chaos reigned on the platform while the fire pit sang for more victims.

Annja’s foe came at her with a barrage of slashing cuts aimed at distracting her so he could deal a mortal cut at her midsection. Annja dodged and parried and shot her blade right into his gut. Her blade pierced his robe and then his lower abdomen. She heard a horrible sound, and then he pitched forward and dropped his scimitar.

Annja skirted his body and then slipped in a pool of the blood. She fell back and scrambled for purchase, kicking the corpse into the fire pit at the same time. The flames burned hot as they devoured the body. Blood ran into the pit, dribbling over the edge and cooking in the heat. The acrid smell filled the air along with the scent of charred flesh.

Annja winced at the smell but kept going.

Godwin suddenly shouted and Annja looked over. He had pivoted and then thrown one of Wishman’s guards. The guard crashed down onto the edge of the fire pit and gravity took over. The man screamed and fell into the pit, his hands still scrambling at the smooth walls even as the fires melted his flesh.

Wishman’s second guard came at Godwin, and Annja watched as he moved with minimal effort, evading the small knife the guard sported. They moved as if dancing and then Godwin shot his fist in at the right moment to disarm the attacker. He got control of the knife hand and then reversed the blade and shot it into the guard’s stomach, ripping this way and that as the man grunted. Blood sprayed the dais and Godwin shoved him into the fire pit.

The flames shot even higher and Annja felt their savage heat and hunger. Wishman struggled to free Nyaktuk from his second guard, since the younger Araktak had already managed to knock out his first guard with a well-timed head butt to the bridge of his nose.

Hansen was slow in getting to his feet, but finally managed to get off the ground. He was mumbling something and looked at Annja. “How did you know where to find us?”

Annja held her sword at her side. “I was part of the original team. You only thought there were three.”

“Don’t kill me. I’m no threat to y—”

But as he spoke, Derek rushed at him and shoved him into the fire pit before anyone could stop him. Hansen teetered for just a moment on the edge, trying to reach for Annja to help pull him back from the brink.

Annja was about to stretch out toward him, but Wishman pulled her back.

Hansen fell into the flames, his cries fading quickly in the inferno.

Annja wanted to scream at Wishman, but in that instant, she saw what he had seen already, that the fires were leaping higher. Had she reached for Hansen, Annja would have been caught in a great blast of flame.

Derek stood on the dais looking at them. He smiled as if he had no cares in the world. “So, you’ve managed to alter the schedule of things a bit.”

Godwin eyed him and Annja kept to his other side. “This is over now,” she said.

Derek smiled. “Do you think so?”

“You’ve got no place to flee,” Godwin said. “Give it up.”

“Me? Flee?” Derek smiled. “I wouldn’t dream of it. You, however, have far more pressing problems than I.”

Annja spun around and saw that during the melee on the dais, the robed followers on the floor had sealed off every exit and had armed themselves with all manner of bladed weapons.

Derek held up his hands. “We prefer the bladed weapons to firearms. It hearkens back to a time before such modern tools enabled any fool to be able to kill. These men have all studied their craft well and I would be proud to call any of them a warrior.”

Annja shook her head. “Yeah, well, that’s delightful and all, but if any of them make a step closer, you’re going to die.”

Derek shook his head. “As if such a thing even matters. My followers will kill you before you get two steps from the dais.” His eyes gleamed. “Whether you kill me or not.”

Godwin frowned and spoke to Annja. “Any ideas?”

Wishman stepped forward. “Is this a standoff?”

Derek smiled. “Not at all. If anything, you helped get rid of that pesky Hansen and several useless guards who clearly had not studied their weapons training very much. I should be thanking you for your assistance. However, we do have an agenda to keep to here.”

“You won’t be calling on Onur for help tonight. I’ll die before I let you do such a thing,” Annja said.

Derek laughed. “Even if you were able to stop me, it wouldn’t be like the other day, Annja. It wouldn’t be like that crazy little drug-induced hallucination you suffered through.”

“Explain yourself,” she said.

Derek eyed her. “You didn’t actually think that we were going to unleash a creature from the burial mound, did you? That such a creature would allow itself to be walled up in some grave site? Ridiculous. But Hansen, for all his treachery, was a master chemist and mixed a little something we like to call the Breath of Onur with the explosive charges. When they fired off, the drugs vaporized and turned into a very potent aerosol that was blasted out of the hole and infected you and the old man there.”

Annja glanced at Wishman, who had his eyes set on Derek.

Derek kept talking. “The old man simply fainted as soon as he took a deep breath of the stuff. But you—” he smiled “—you gave us a great show, running this way and that, hacking up the field and doing all manner of battle with a figment of your imagination.”

Annja shook her head. It wasn’t possible that her battle had been nothing more than some bizarre acid trip. Or was it? She hadn’t been able to see the creature except in her mind’s eye. If her mind was clouded by the drugs, then anything was possible.

“All it took was little bit of suggestion to imply the creature would be invisible to the human eye.”

Annja pointed at Wishman. “But he said that the Araktak did have a creature like the one you said was walled up there.”

Derek shrugged. “Oh that’s just some silly old legend. There’s no truth in any of those things. But there is truth in the great god Onur. Now throw down your weapons.”

Annja shook her head. “You know I can’t do that. It’s impossible for me.”

Derek nodded. “Yes, yes, good point. I had indeed forgotten that that very real sword is somehow mystical in nature. That will be a bit of a problem.” His voice trailed off and then he snapped his fingers. “Ah, I’ve got it.”

Godwin was still staring at him, and Annja wondered what he had in mind. She turned her attention back to Derek. “Yes?”

“You will simply throw yourself into the flames.”

“Excuse me?”

Derek nodded. “Yes. You will voluntarily give yourself over to the fires. Onur will be most pleased with your sacrifice. He craves it. You are a bastion of good and he will feed a long time on your soul.”

Annja cocked an eyebrow. “Just like that?”

“Is there another way you’d prefer to go out?”

“Yeah, with your head on a stick.”

Derek shook his head. “No, no, that won’t do at all. Here’s the deal. You sacrifice yourself and I will let your friends go.”

“I’m not falling for that.”

Derek frowned. “I give you my word.”

“What good is your word?” snarled Godwin then.

Derek ignored him. “You can choose to die here, Annja, or you will all die at the merest flick of my hand to my followers.”

Annja looked out across the massive room. Derek’s followers had them surrounded and there would be no way they could move.

Godwin looked at Annja. “Don’t be foolish. We can grab him and use him as a hostage.”

Derek shook his head. “My men would kill me just to get to you. It is part of our oath never to allow one to be greater than the others. Strike me down and five more will spring up to replace me.”

Wishman stepped forward. “Take me instead.”

Derek regarded him. “You are old and worthless to me. Onur would rather have the young one and her vibrancy. You are old and feeble by comparison and Onur would find you an appetizer and little more. But Annja, she would be a feast.”

Annja smiled at Wishman. “Thanks. I appreciate the offer to go in my stead.”

Godwin frowned. “You can’t seriously be thinking about this.”

She looked at him. “That’s long odds out there. Forty of them against us? I’m armed and you are, too, but what about Wishman and Nyaktuk?”

“We’ll be all right.”

“You’d die and then that would just be a waste.” She looked at Derek. “I want free passage for them out of the mountain. I want your word that none of your men will harm them in any way. Let them get out of here.”

Derek smiled. “Of course.”

“They leave now.”

Derek shook his head. “What promise do I have that you will honor your word to us?”

“You have the same assurances as I. If I renege, then you can go outside the mountain and hunt down the three of them. Most likely they’ll be easy pickings for your men. The weather is horrible outside and they’d be easy enough to follow. You’ve got nothing to lose by letting them go.”

“Perhaps.” Derek mulled it over for a moment. “Very well. If we have your word on it.”

“You do.”

He nodded. “Then your friends are free to go. There have already been plenty of bodies thrown into the flames tonight. They are no longer needed.” He turned to Godwin. “Take the old man and Nyaktuk and leave. Now.”

Godwin looked at Annja. “I’m not leaving you.”

Annja shook her head. “We can’t make it out of this together. You take Wishman and Nyaktuk and go.”

Godwin gritted his teeth. Annja could see the hesitation in him. This wasn’t like him to leave someone behind. She put a hand on his arm. “Tell me one thing before you go.”

“Anything.”

She tried to smile. “Who are you?”

“Canadian Intelligence.”

Annja’s eyed widened. “Really?”

He nodded, his voice a whisper. “We’ve been wondering about this mining company for about a year now. I was sent in to find out what they were up to.” He sighed. “Unfortunately, it took me too long to figure it out.”

Annja smiled. “It’s not your fault.”

“It is.”

“Don’t live a life of regret,” Annja said. “It’s not worth it. There’s far too much to do in this lifetime without being burdened by it all.”

He looked into her eyes and then bent forward to kiss her on her lips. Annja tasted his desperation and pressed herself to him. Then just as quickly, she pushed him away.

“Go,” she said. “Before I change my mind.”

Godwin backed away and looked at Derek. “We aren’t finished yet. Not by a long shot.”

Derek grinned. “I have no doubt.” He ushered over a guard. “Show them the fastest route out of here. The exit by the base of the mountain should suffice. Then get back here. We have unfinished business with the woman.”

The guard nodded and waved for Godwin to follow him. He held a flickering torch aloft and then, as Annja watched, Godwin, Wishman and Nyaktuk left the dais. The sea of followers parted for them, and Annja watched them walk back down the tunnel. Soon enough, the flickering torchlight died and they were gone.

Leaving Annja all alone with the cult and its hungry fire pit.