Shadow of Time - Book 1: (Paranormal Romance) (19 page)

“Oh, I think you’re professional enough. And I’m not just saying that because I’m in love with you.”

“No?” Josh arched an eyebrow. They had reached the entrance of the canyon.

“No, I’m not. You just know your stuff. A lot of stuff, in fact.” Hannah
stepped forward, but was stopped by Josh’s arm blocking her way.

“Aren’t we forgetting something?” he mumbled in
to her ear. He pulled her against him, making her heart speed up.

“Oh, uhm, yeah,” she stuttered
with a blush. “I have to pay the professional guide.”

“What do you think he’
d want from you?” Josh said with a mock-pondering look on his face, challenging her with a hint of a smile.

She bit her lip. “
Tough question.”

He grinned boyishly before leaning into her, pushing he
r back against the rocky walls. The stones had heated up in the hot sun, scalding her skin. “Ouch!” she giggled. “It’s burning me.”

Josh laughed out loud, pulling
her into the canyon by her arm. Inside, the rocks were shrouded in shadows. Once again, he slowly pressed her up against the wall, making her shoulders rest against the cold stone.

“That better?” he whispered, his mouth turned up in a teasing smile. Hannah looked up at him, and was struck by the tenderness in his eyes. He didn’t just see her blushing cheeks or her soft lips – he saw
her
.

When he gently
kissed her, a shaky breath escaped her lips and she closed her eyes. His hands roamed her upper body, running down her spine tantalizingly slowly. He opened her mouth with his tongue. Cautiously, but deliberately, and with such obvious desire that it made her knees turn to jelly. She wound her arms around his neck and moved in closer, when she suddenly heard the echoing voice of a real professional guide bouncing off the canyon walls. In the background, she heard the murmuring whispers of a group of tourists.

With a flushed face that undoubtedly made her look like a radiant tomato, Hannah scooted away from Josh. Darting a look over her shoulder, she saw their performance had garnered a few stares of criticism from the elderly people in the group.

Josh let go of her and followed her gaze. “Don’t worry,” he said, kissing her lightly on the tip of her nose. “They’re just jealous they can’t make out with
their
guide.”

Hannah chuckled nervously. “So, has payment been sufficiently settled, then?”

“You bet.” Josh grabbed her hand. “Now that Mr. Benally has received his paycheck, he will show you the nicest spots of the canyon.”

She grinned foolishly, trailing behind him as
they entered Antelope Canyon. Even though she’d been here quite a few times, the place never failed to impress her. The different shades of red and yellow in the rock walls were magnificent. She took one picture after another with the camera she’d brought along, asking the next couple they encountered to take a picture of her and Josh, standing hand in hand close to a spot where the sunlight hit the canyon floor directly. In the picture, their faces were flooded with light from the glow of the sunbeam’s reflection in the sand.

The entire walk through the canyon took them about twenty minutes
including photo stops. When they were at the end, Josh suggested they visit Lower Antelope Canyon as well. “There’ll be fewer people there,” he said. “All the photographers will be coming to the Upper section because of the light. Lower will be practically deserted right now.”

They turned around and ambled along the same way they
came. The next big group of tourists would only get here around three o’clock, according to Josh, so they had the canyon all to themselves on their way back. Sunbeams entered the canyon at regular intervals, illuminating the clouds of dust swirling around in the air, the sand scuffed up by the footsteps of people who had passed here not long ago. The fine dust transformed into mysterious shapes in the air – delicate, white apparitions looking like spirits twirling in the sunlight. Hannah stopped in her tracks to watch the phenomenon. “Look at that,” she whispered in awe. “It’s like an angel is dancing in the light.”

Josh hugged her from behind, looking at the dust
devils in silence. “This is why the Diné think this place is sacred,” he quietly said after a minute. “You can connect with the spirit world – by passing into the veil.”

Hannah turned around in the circle of his arms and looked
up at him curiously. “The veil? That sounds fascinating.”

“It’s the other side – the
deeper level of existence that the white people call the Otherworld, Heaven, the hereafter, the faerie world. All of that wrapped into one. The veil is everywhere around us. It is a link with the past, a way to talk with our ancestors. A world between worlds that you can enter in deep meditation to see what has already happened and what will happen. It is the world we visit when we go on a vision quest.”

“Did you see
things from the Otherworld as well when you did yours?”

Josh nodded, getting the absent look in his eyes Hannah
had come to know so well by now. “Yes,” he replied. “Many things.”

“So have you seen things from the future as well?” Hannah rushed on. She didn’t want to lose Josh, his mind wande
ring to a place where she couldn’t follow.

“You see what happens, but y
ou make your own future. You get wise counsel, and those words of wisdom should be enough.”

“What were they? Your wise words?”

Josh stared into the distance, past the sunbeams and the dancing spirits in the air. For a second, Hannah thought she’d scared him off, before he turned his face toward her again. The light in his eyes was gentle and unafraid. He no longer wanted to shut her out. “I was told to make peace, and to find it for myself.”

Hannah stared at him in awe. “That’s beautiful,” she whispered.

He bent down and kissed her with incredible tenderness. “Yes. Yes, it is.”

Holding hands, they strolled back to the entrance of the gorge, where a new group of visitors had gathered. Josh showed the local guide their tickets, and then they were outside again, blinking against the sunlight.

“It’s boiling out here,” Hannah puffed.

“Let’s go to Lower Antelope quickly.” Josh opened the c
ar, a wave of heat hitting them in the face. “You want some boiled water?” he asked, tossing her a bottle from the back seat.

“Oh, I don’t mind. Anything but boiled
soda. Now
that
’s gross!”

“If you were really thirsty, you wouldn’t say no,” Josh pointed out with a wink.

“Spoke the strict guide,” she added, diving away when Josh punched her playfully.

Lower Antelope Canyon was a lot narrower than the upper part, and the bottom was more uneven. They had to scramble over rocks and av
oid fissures every now and then. When they reached the end of the canyon, sweat was dripping from Hannah’s brow and her feet were aching, though. Her worn-out Converse sneakers weren’t the best choice for rock-climbing. Josh was having an easier time with his cowboy boots.

“Do we have to go back the
same way we came?” she asked, trying not to sound too desperate or tired.

Josh shook his head. “No, there are stairs leading to the surface further up ahead. We can walk back to the parking lot from there.”

Once they’d reached them, Hannah slouched against the staircase railing.“I wouldn’t mind sitting down for a minute. Catch my breath.” She demonstratively plonked down on the lower steps.

Josh sat down next to her. “
Well, okay then. As long as my professional guided tour isn’t going to suffer.”

“All-
righty, Mr. Benally,” Hannah drawled. “Whatever
you
say.”

“
Hmm. Sucking up to the guide?” Josh put an arm around his shoulders, cocking an eyebrow.

“Yeah, of course. It’s always good to have friends in high places
, they say.” Hannah felt her heart skip a beat when he scooted closer and caressed her back.

“Oh, really?” he said in a husky voice. “You’re one of those girls? You want me to take you to a special place where no regular tourists are allowed? Just you and me and whatever else pops up?” Josh smiled seductively, waggling his eyebrows, and burst out laughing when Hannah turned beet red.

“You’re crazy,” she mumbled.

“
And I’m crazy about you,
she’at’eed
.” He pulled her close and kissed her warmly. Hannah grabbed at the back of his neck as Josh’s hands slid up from her waist to her upper body, palming her breasts. His right hand trailed upward past her breasts to her neckline, accidentally touching the medicine pouch underneath her shirt.

His hand stopped, lingering on the spot. Hannah’s heart sped up,
but this time with apprehension. The last thing she wanted was to explain her medicine bundle to Josh. She had no idea how he would respond. After all, she’d deliberately been keeping things from him, and she’d promised she’d tell him if something was bothering her.

There was only one way to stop him from asking more questions – she had to distract him. Groaning in fake pain, she doubled up and gasped for breath, pulling herself from his arms.

“Hey! What’s wrong?” he exclaimed, sounding panicked.

“I have this sudden stab of pain in my stomach,” she
squeaked.

Josh
rubbed her back in consolation and supported her when she got up. “You feeling sick?”

“No, not really.
But maybe I should lie down for a while.”

“Let’s get out of the canyon first. Lean on me, okay?”

“How far it is to the car?” she panted feebly, once they’d reached the top of the stairs.

“Let’s find you a place to lie down first.” Josh pointed at a shady spot underneath a bush. “Come on. Here’s some shade.”

Hannah crumpled down with a sigh, rolling onto her back. Her head and upper body were in the shade. Josh sat down next to her, gently stroking her forehead.

Now that she was lying down, Hannah felt how tired she was. She didn’t even have to feign feeling nauseous
and worn-out anymore. The warmth radiating off the rocks underneath her back made her slip into a slumber. Josh’s presence next to her made her feel calm. Everything was so peaceful.

She
didn’t know how long she’d been asleep, but she jolted awake with a dry mouth and an anxious feeling in the pit of her stomach. Somehow, something had changed. Hannah opened her eyes, shifting them from left to right. She was still lying on her back, her heartbeat hammering in her chest. When she tried to sit up, she noticed her right hand had convulsively balled into a fist against her chest. Propping herself up with the other hand, she stared at her fingers clutching Emily’s medicine bundle, sweat pooled up in her palm.

Oh, no. Apparently she’d had a bad dream when she dozed off. She’d
pulled the pouch from underneath her shirt, holding it in plain sight.

Now she truly felt nauseous. Josh had
probably seen the
jish
. There was no way to avoid questions anymore. Out of habit, she hid the bag under her shirt again and looked around. Where was he, anyway?

Josh had moved to the other side of the bushes, staring out over the
dry, endless landscape, his hand shielding his eyes from the setting sun.

“Josh?” she called out
uncertainly. Her breath hitched. Dimly, she felt something in his attitude had changed, and it scared her. He looked lonely, distant and defensive, standing there ramrod straight.

When h
e turned around and their gazes collided, Hannah felt her heart sink. Something was wrong – horribly wrong.

“Feeling better?”
Josh kneeled in front of her and gave her a smile that didn’t touch his eyes.

“I’m okay,” she said in a small voice. “My stomach feels fine now.”

“Good,” he said crisply. “Let me take you home then.”

Hannah let herself be pulled up and taken to the car. It was a short walk, but the distance seemed to triple in
the oppressive silence between them. Sheer panic surged through Hannah’s body. Josh’s hand in hers felt like it was hewn out of stone. He’d clammed up, and she didn’t understand why. If he’d seen the medicine bag, maybe he was angry she had kept things from him, but why didn’t he just say so? Or ask for an explanation? His metamorphosis was absolute and unfathomable.