Tayler cringed trying to remember. "She said I had no choice."

"No choice in what?"

"She wanted me to kiss her. She said if I kissed her the world would be mine." Tayler shut her eyes. "But then she said she would destroy me." She leaned against Erica's shoulder and hoa.r.s.ely pleaded, "Please don't leave me alone tonight."

The waxing moon lit the bedroom and cast shadows on the walls. Tayler laid on her side studying Erica's long dark eyelashes, listening to her breathing, soft and steady. The impulse to touch the velvety skin was strong. Instead, Tayler resigned herself to a visual caress of Erica's body.

Her eyes wandered over Erica's face. Dark half-moons attached themselves below the sleeping woman's eyes. Tayler could see the lines of worry stretched across the surface of Erica's face. Tayler gently lifted her hand to touch Erica, but stopped. She didn't want to disturb the sleeping woman.

"Why the hesitation?" Erica's voice was as soft and lush as the sheets that enclosed them.

Tayler looked into two black pools. "Did I wake you?"

"I wasn't asleep," Erica took Tayler's hand and guided it to her face.

The feeling of her dry hand on the smooth, moist skin pierced Tayler's composure.

"You've fallen in love with a woman who could kill you." Ana's earlier warning stopped Tayler's hand. She looked away.

Erica brought Tayler's head up so she could look into the younger woman's eyes. "I frighten you."

"No -well, maybe a little," Tayler confessed.

"Why?" Erica leaned on her elbow so she could look into Tayler's eyes.

Tayler looked away. "I'm not sure how long I can be near you without making a fool of myself."

Erica again lifted Tayler's face. "I can't imagine that happening," Erica's voice was soothing.

Tayler laughed. "I come from a long line of fools. Look at my mother."

"Your mother's not a fool."

"She let you go," Tayler countered. "I think that was pretty foolish."

Erica sighed. "No, it wasn't foolish. I was too young to understand what was happening. Christina wanted an explorer, an adventurer. I was still learning how to put one foot in front of the other."

"You've done very well for yourself," Tayler felt her cheeks grow warm.

The room was quiet. "Professionally, yes, I have. My personal affairs, however, have been far from ideal."

In the moonlight, Tayler saw Erica frown. "Because of Raven?"

"Yes."

"How long has she been affecting your life?" Tayler ran her fingers along the blanket's satin border.

"It seems like an eternity," Erica closed her eyes. "Twelve years."

"Why haven't you stopped her?"

"I've been trying to find a way. I've traveled everywhere for help, but it's not so simple. The pieces are only now falling into place."

"And I'm one of those pieces?"

"Yes," Erica's reply came in a whisper, "you're the key."

"The key?" Tayler asked surprised. "But I also could get killed?"

"Only if we make love," Erica sat up.

"Is it just with me or with anyone?" Tayler propped her pillows and faced Erica.

"Anyone."

"Including Ana?" Tayler held her breath.

"Yes."

Tayler grew quiet, weighing this new information. "I don't mean any disrespect, but this sounds like some gothic tale -an evil sorceress, a beautiful lady in distress, an uneducated key person."

"I wouldn't describe you as uneducated," Erica tried to smile.

"But I have no idea what's going on or how I'm involved."

"You will after Ana explains everything."

"Why can't you tell me?" Tayler asked reaching for Erica's hand.

Tears fell down Erica's face and dropped on the blanket. "Because she's the reason I'm in this predicament." She leaned into Tayler's shoulder and breathed deeply.

Tayler wrapped her arms securely around Erica. Her mind flew from one question to the next. From fatigue and the late hour, she simply asked, "Does another piece of this puzzle happen to be that this key person falls madly in love with the beautiful lady in distress?"

Erica chuckled and rubbed her eyes with her fingers. For a long moment, she peered at Tayler. "It would appear so, but I just don't know if they'll live happily ever after."

Their eyes met.

Tayler pulled Erica down on to the bed. "I want to make love to you, Erica, so they better." Silence blew in through the open balcony doors. "Good night, beautiful lady in distress."

"Good night," Erica whispered.

A willowy shadow with green eyes stood on the balcony and watched the sleeping women. The crystal in the room began to spin furiously, but when the sun peeked over the horizon the shadow vanished. The crystal stopped its spinning.

Fourteen.

When Tayler awoke the next morning she found herself alone in the queen-size bed. Her thoughts were muddled, she could not tell fact from fiction, and her fantasies and nightmares were becoming more and more mixed. All of this greatly unnerved her. The only thing clear was the need to learn why she would die if she and Erica made love.

She showered and threw on a pair of white shorts and a sleeveless denim shirt. As she picked up her watch from the nightstand, she noticed a long stem red rose in a porcelain vase. Surprised, Tayler bent down and smelled its sweet fragrance. A light sleeper, she was amazed that she hadn't heard Erica get up or bring in the rose. She shook her head in an attempt to dislodge her mixed emotions. She needed some physical exercise to control her thoughts and calm her fears.

When Tayler walked through the library doors she found Ana and Erica hunched over a table. They were intensely studying some papers. Unnoticed, Tayler coughed.

"Good morning," Ana looked up and smiled. She walked over and kissed Tayler on the cheek. "You look wonderful."

Tayler blushed. She avoided looking at Erica and spoke directly to Ana. "You look like you've been out riding already this morning."

"I went to the cave to see if I could find the knife," Ana picked up a rock that easily weighed ten pounds and handed it to Tayler. The blade of the knife was deeply embedded in the rock.

"From lady in distress to Excaliber," Tayler mumbled. She caught a glimpse of a grin on Erica's lips.

Tayler peered at the knife. Its handle was made of black onyx and she could see a partial image of a snake etched in the blade just above the rock. She wrinkled her nose. Knives, fires, snakes and G.o.d knows what else, Tayler thought.

"This piece of paper was attached to the knife." Ana handed Tayler the note.

She immediately recognized the paper. It was the same as the note she had received at her office. She held her breath, opened it and read the contents.

"Erica told me you received a similar note a month ago. Do you have it?"

Tayler nodded. "I was going to throw it away, but didn't. The way things were disappearing, I thought I'd hang on to it. If anything, I thought it might offer some clues."

"Did you bring it with you?" Ana raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, it's upstairs."

"Would you get it for me?" Ana asked.

Tayler looked briefly at Erica and then left the room.

When she returned, Ana placed the two notes together along with a doc.u.ment Tayler had never seen before. The paper was yellowed, its edges were torn and the corners were curled. As Tayler read the doc.u.ment her hands began to shake. The written images began to take on a realistic, visual significance.

"A Lover's touch, a soft Caress - the Dance of l.u.s.t becomes possessed.

Sighs fuel pa.s.sion, a deep Embrace - Twelve hours lost, a Life erased.

A crown of Light, a sea of Blue - a Lightning mark, a darker Hue; A brush of Air, lips of Fire - a fragile heart, flame Desire.

The Mist betrays, and hides the Fool - the Curse begins, adhere the Rule; Beware the Kiss, Beware the Time - on Hallow's Eve, your Soul is Mine.

The Flames are hot, and fuel the Fear - a Storm at bay, clouds disappear; A gift of Black, to kill the Fool - a frightened Soul, a Game so cruel.

The Cave is dark, the Air is thin - the Night is long, your Life will Dim; Beware the Kiss, Beware the Time - on Hallow's Eve, your Love is Mine."

The last note read, "The Time has come, for You to die - my Hunger burns, for your goodbye.

You cannot run, no longer free - surrender now, come honor Me.

The Raven calls, you must obey - Flames lick your Lips, your Bones decay.

Beware the Kiss, Beware the Time - On Hallow's Eve, your Life is Mine."

"What does it mean?" Tayler sat down, her knees too weak to support her body.

"It's referred to as the 'Curse of Five Elements.'" Ana stated.

"Five attempts, of which three have already taken place," Erica peered at Tayler.

"Si. We can expect two more before Hallow's Eve. This is one of the few clues we have that relates directly to Raven's plan," Ana said absorbed in the doc.u.ments.

"We do know that if she succeeds in either of these attempts, she may not need to do anything on Hallow's Eve except - " Erica's words drifted across the room and sank at the door.

"Si, but we have five days to figure out what she's going to do. The others will be arriving tomorrow." Ana's tone was strained. She gathered the papers and placed them in a file. She turned to Tayler. "I need to discuss these stanzas with Luis again. We can talk tomorrow."

Tayler's impatience spilled over. "No, Ana, I can't wait until tomorrow. There are only five days left. If I'm such a key person in all of this, don't you think it's crucial we talk right now?"

Ana and Tayler locked eyes. After several tense seconds, Ana looked away. She tied a string around the doc.u.ments and placed them under her arm. "Ricah, I want you to take Tayler to Luis Joseito. Explain to him what we know about the stanzas." Ana looked at Tayler. "First thing tomorrow morning, I'll tell you how the curse began. I give you my word. I ask only for your patience, Tayler. It's not a story that is easy to tell."

Tayler watched the color drain from Ana's face.

"Before this is over," Ana hesitated, "Raven will see to it that we all walk through the flames of h.e.l.l."

Fifteen.

Luis Joseito's house was small and cramped. Located in the center of the small town of Puerto Arista, his wife and four children lived in simple accommodations with a one-eyed dog named Gus.

"Buenas tardes! Senoritas," Luis greeted Erica and Tayler. He was a short man with large brown eyes, jet black hair and a crooked smile. His mustache was dusted with gray, making him seem older than his fifty years. Tayler noticed the clean, but faded and patched, shirt and pants he wore.

"Hola! Luis," Erica embraced the man accepting his kisses and welcome. She introduced Tayler.

"Come in, come in," he ushered them through the house to the back patio. "Habla espanol?"

Tayler shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't."

He waved his hand. "No problem. Ana taught me Ingles, she's bien, no?"

Erica chuckled. "Luis is Ana's brother-in-law."

The patio was covered by a trellis filled with pink and white flowers. From where they sat, they could look out onto the mountains. In the shade of the afternoon, Luis and Erica talked about the weather and his health, Tayler ran her gaze over Luis's features. He smiled frequently revealing a large gap between his front teeth.