'We've met, actually.' I declined, remaining where I was.

'This is great.' Andre was referring to Molier's presence. 'Now there will surely be no delays. Today is the day, Mia.' He winked. 'I make you famous!' He strode off and knocked on Molier's door, before I had the chance to suggest that tomorrow might be better.

Tusca Resi opened the door and invited Andre inside.

How much do Molier's a.s.sociates actually know about him? They all seemed blissfully unaware that he was a centuries-old, shape-shifting, blood-drinking demon. They all seemed blissfully unaware that he was a centuries-old, shape-shifting, blood-drinking demon.

As the secretary waved to me and I returned the gesture, I considered that perhaps I did wish to see Molier again.

There is no point in having psychic ability if you don't use it! I recalled Albray's words of wisdom. I recalled Albray's words of wisdom.

I held up a finger to Tusca to implore her to hold the door as I ran to join the meeting. Time to confirm Molier's ident.i.ty one way or the other. Time to confirm Molier's ident.i.ty one way or the other.

Molier met with us around the same table upon which we'd had dinner the night before, but today it had a boardroom function.

'You have the shipment of powder I ordered?' Molier questioned Andre, as I quietly focused my third eye upon Molier's aura.

'Oui,' Andre confirmed, a little puzzled, 'but if you were coming for the grand opening, then why did you not bring the crate with you?' Andre confirmed, a little puzzled, 'but if you were coming for the grand opening, then why did you not bring the crate with you?'

A very good question. My gaze did not waver from Molier, despite my mind wandering. I was finding it much harder to perceive Molier's aura than I had Akbar's this morning-perhaps my energies were too scattered. My gaze did not waver from Molier, despite my mind wandering. I was finding it much harder to perceive Molier's aura than I had Akbar's this morning-perhaps my energies were too scattered.

'My presence here was a spur-of-the-moment decision...' Molier said '...that I made after arranging the shipment. Clearly, my modes of travel are far speedier than those of your average freighting company,' he joked. 'But the important thing is that the shipment is now here.'

Just what had suddenly inspired Molier to attend the opening? He would have already been aware of my presence on-site when he'd sent the shipment of ORME powder. Had he discovered Albray's presence? That certainly might have inspired him to come to oversee the operation and ensure that his old rival didn't get in the way.

I gave up on trying to scrutinise Molier's aura, as I was far too interested in the conversation. 'How did you manage to get your hands on the hidden cache of ORME that Petrie uncovered in 1904?'

'My family managed to purchase a very small sample of that original cache-' he began.

'But the crate we took possession of is huge!' emphasised Andre.

'That is because ORME production is now a thriving operation among governments and corporate players who control the gold and PGM supplies.' Molier grinned.

'PGMs?' Andre queried.

'Platinum Group Metals...traces of which often exist as silvery deposits in gold and are usually extracted from gold to ensure its purity. When the atoms of these metals are set into a high-spin state you get ORME-an Orbitally Rearranged Monatomic Element that is highly superconductive,' I explained without thinking. It would probably have been better for Molier to believe me ignorant on the subject.

'You have been doing your homework, Dr Montrose,' Molier granted. 'The manufacture is all very hush-hush, of course. ORME was rediscovered in 1996 by a simple farmer, of all people. Once he discovered the superconductivity and other inexplicable, exotic properties of the substance, he planned to go into full-scale public production of the substance and sell it to whoever wanted it. But due to the great potential of this substance for all manner of research into fuel cells, anti-gravity, DNA and nanotechnology, the original rediscoverer of ORME was regulated out of existence by certain government departments. The farmer had been warned that if certain corporations weren't a secret partner in selected ventures the project would never be allowed to go ahead.'

'You wouldn't happen to own one of those said corporations, would you, Mr Molier?' I asked, but the man only smiled in response.

'The small sample of the original substance found by Petrie has served to confirm that we have indeed rediscovered the mysterious miracle substance that made the ancients and their structures so mighty,' Molier concluded.

'Then what are we waiting for, let's do it!' Andre rose from his chair, eager to finally bring this excavation to a conclusion.

Molier's phone rang and was answered by Tusca, who, upon discovering the caller, immediately handed the phone to Molier.

'Yes?' He listened intently to what the caller had to say. 'Very good.' He pa.s.sed the phone back to his secretary. 'That was Conally.' Molier's partner had returned to the site with Andre. 'The crate is unloaded, so we should be good to go in half an hour.' He handed Andre a headset equipped with a mini-camera and a microphone. 'Good luck.' Molier took up his remote and switched on the large screen mounted inside a wall cabinet behind him to check that the camera was operational. 'I shall be watching with great antic.i.p.ation.'

Prior to our dismissal, I had again centred my focus on Molier's light-body. I managed to perceive his aura, which emitted a rather lovely silvery light. His chakras I could not perceive at all-they were not bogged with darkness-and nor could I see spinning vortexes of light. They were simply invisible to psychic vision. I turned my focus to Andre, who was the same, and Tusca also. Was my ability failing? From what I had learned, this could only be the case if my love for Albray was fading, and I knew in my heart that this was not the case.

I headed across camp toward my tent, wondering what the h.e.l.l was going on. Ashlee had described Molier's aura as golden, whilst his chakras were bogged with blackness-I saw no such darkness and an aura of silver. Was one of us wrong in our perception, or had the appearance of Molier's light-body changed between Ashlee's time and the present? If so, what could have caused such an alteration?

ORME, I answered myself. I answered myself. Molier had had access to the Fire-Stone prior to his confrontation with Ashlee. It was only more recently that the Highward Fire-Stone had come into his possession. Molier had had access to the Fire-Stone prior to his confrontation with Ashlee. It was only more recently that the Highward Fire-Stone had come into his possession. I recalled Molier mentioning DNA technology among the many applications for ORME's use. I recalled Molier mentioning DNA technology among the many applications for ORME's use. What effect might a few doses of the Star substance have had on Molier's mutated What effect might a few doses of the Star substance have had on Molier's mutated DNA? DNA?

I only had half an hour in which to find a treasure stone and summon Albray back to my side, and I honestly didn't fancy my chances of achieving the goal. I felt more compelled to get on the internet and find out more regarding the healing properties of ORME. I had to know exactly what I was dealing with, if I was to fare any better against Molier than my foremothers had.

When I punched 'ORME' into my search engine I was surprised by the number of references it produced. The website which caught my attention was that of the discoverer of the substance. Having been done out of his patent on the exotic matter, he might have a little more to say about the potential of the substance than any corporations investigating its varied uses. Not to be dispossessed so easily, the said farmer that Molier had mentioned earlier had published a series of lectures on his discoveries. I read down his list of researches: fuel cell technology, anti-gravity, teleportation, parallel dimensions, s.p.a.ce-time manipulation, micro-transistors and nanotechnology, all of which incited my interest. I had no time to pursue any of this, and looked instead for any information on DNA and vampires.

Naturally, I did not find any reference to how this substance might affect the DNA of a vampire. However, the claim that the Highward Fire-Stone could dismantle a short-length helix of DNA and then rebuild it led me to wonder if it could have corrected Molier's melatonin imbalance. If it had, Molier now had immortality without any major side effects, so why was he still so eager to unlock and toy with this deadly Ark? Was the attraction the prestige of going where no modern man had gone before, or was there something else about the Ark that was a factor-what it contained, for example?

Until recently, I had always thought that there had only been one Ark, which had housed the Ten Commandments, but now that I gave this some serious consideration it really made little sense. As Ashlee had observed so early in her tale, the Commandments were very similar to a prayer in the Egyptian Book of the Dead: for instance, 'I have not killed' was changed to read 'Thou shalt not kill', and so on. Why would these Commandments warrant the construction of a supernatural golden coffer? As I was certainly no expert on the subject, I thought I'd best expand upon my knowledge rather quickly.

Another search on the net revealed that the two-Ark theory was not as obscure or unpopular as I had imagined. There were many biblical references that could be read to imply that more than one Ark had been fashioned on this mount. One, the Ark of the Covenant, housed the Tables of Testimony-this Ark had allegedly come into the possession of St Bernard during the first crusade. These Tables of Testimony were said to have contained the sacred geometry that became the foundation of the Masonic movement, and the Order of the Children of Solomon used this geometry in creating the great Gothic cathedrals of France. It was certainly true that this order of Solomon did acquire unique knowledge after the return of the Templars from their excavation of the Temple of Solomon. So, what became of this Ark? The legend was that in order to protect the sacred knowledge from falling into the hands of the Inquisition, the Ark containing the Tables of Testimony was sent back to the Plane of Shar-on, utilising specific aspects of the geometry which had been incorporated into Chartres Cathedral at that time. This cosmic architecture was then dismantled, so that the retrieval of the Ark of the Covenant was impossible.

The second Ark was said to contain the Ring of Testimony. This ancient treasure was a ring of supernatural power, which King Solomon had pa.s.sed down through many generations of his line. The ring was said to take the form of a ruby coil and it granted the wearer knowledge of all that man had ever known and would ever know. One theory was that the ring had been given to Moses by El Shaddai-which in modern Bibles was wrongly translated to 'G.o.d Almighty' or 'Yahweh'. Still, I knew El Shaddai was a Semitic term that related to the Great Mountain Lord and Mesopotamian G.o.d, Enlil. Genesis says that Melchizedek, King of Salem, was a priest of this G.o.d, and his warriors were still guarding sacred treasures in his name. 'Interesting reading, Miss Montrose?'

My shock caused me to swivel around quickly in my chair, and I found myself staring into Molier's eyes. 'So, it is true then...you have taken the ORME substance?' A safe a.s.sumption considering that he had just walked across the complex in broad daylight.

'Indeed I have, and it has proven most beneficial,' he granted politely.

'So why the need to lie to me?' I asked.

'An invalid is always less threatening than an able-bodied man, I find. People always tend to underestimate, and even pity, you.' He smiled winningly. 'How long did you grant me the benefit of the doubt, over your beloved Albray?'

A pang of fear reverberated through my body in that instant. Any doubt I might have had about this man was s.n.a.t.c.hed from me, leaving me mentally naked before the truth. 'My beloved who?' I stalled, afraid to attack the threat head-on. Perhaps I could bluff my way back into my safety zone of sceptical disbelief.

Molier only smiled. 'Come with me, please.' He beckoned me with one finger.

'I just need to-'

Molier pulled a gun, ending any hope of thinking through the situation. I was in serious danger, just as Albray had always claimed.

I rose to accompany Molier to the gateway and, in a moment of divine clarity, I took up my bottle of drinking water and took it with me.

'What are your employees going to think when they see you escorting me at gunpoint?'

Molier chuckled. 'And I credited you with being intelligent.'

I wanted to hit myself. 'They have all taken the Fire-Stone substance.' I concluded that this was why all their auras had appeared the same. 'And Conally too, I suppose?'

'You begin to see much,' he said.

'What about Marty?' Our chopper pilot was just your average bloke and I couldn't imagine him being involved.

'Marty has just eaten lunch and he's taking a little nap right now.'

'You drugged him.' It seemed Molier had thought of everything. Still, there was at least one member of this expedition that I knew wasn't a superhuman vampire. I looked about for Akbar, only to note how quiet and deserted the camp was-no sounds of camels moaning, or the clattering of pans and dishes in the mess tent. Had Molier drugged them, too, or were the hired help a.s.sembled at the gateway to a.s.sist with the opening?

When we arrived at the entrance to the mount and there was only Conally, Andre and Tusca Resi present, I became alarmed. 'Where are the Bedouins?'

'We dispensed with their services this morning,' Tusca informed me. 'Our work at this site will be done by nightfall.'

'They left camp this morning?' After all we'd discussed I couldn't imagine that Akbar would have just up and left without saying a word.

'In a manner of speaking,' Molier granted, 'yes.'

When the other people present smirked at the response, I was chilled to the core. It seemed all my guardians had been disposed of, and I alone had been left to defend the ancient mysteries and defeat, not one, but four superhuman creatures.

I am not immortal, only a little more resilient than most mortals, Ashlee had observed about herself. And I recalled how my great-great-grandmother's psychic talents had been enhanced by the consumption of the Star substance. Ashlee had observed about herself. And I recalled how my great-great-grandmother's psychic talents had been enhanced by the consumption of the Star substance.

I eyed the spraying device in which the sample of ORME had been stored for easy application to the gateway. I scanned over all I had learned in the last few days, trusting that the right advice to aid my current predicament would be forthcoming.

Your ancestors are very powerful spirits, Ashlee's old gypsy spirit guide had told her the first time they'd met. Ashlee's old gypsy spirit guide had told her the first time they'd met. You shouldn't be afraid to summon them to your aid. They will come, you will see. You shouldn't be afraid to summon them to your aid. They will come, you will see.

Could I do it? And Ashlee was one of those mighty foremothers now. She'd know what to do-not only that, but she had the psychic apt.i.tude to execute such a plan.

I call upon Ashlee Devere whose wisdom has served me true.Enter my being in this time of need, That I should accomplish all that you would have me do.

So, I was not as eloquent at summoning the powers-that-be as Ashlee had been. I felt no great presence overcome me and immediately the cynic in me began to wonder whether I was deluding myself about my ancestry.

Meanwhile, Andre had taken the nozzle of the ORME spraygun in hand. 'Here goes everything,' he advised, and aiming it at the gateway he squeezed the trigger.

Light-filled particles squirted forth and due to the heat emanating off the round gateway, the luminous specks stuck to the supermetal. It began to erode the previously unscratchable substance. 'Fantastic!' 'Fantastic!' Andre cheered the unbelievable occurrence. Andre cheered the unbelievable occurrence.

When he was just about done with the coating, a gust of wind erupted from nowhere and dusted me with a thick dose of the exotic matter, which I inhaled deeply.

'You idiot!' Molier scolded. 'I told you to keep it away from her!'

'It's not my fault!' Andre protested. 'I don't control the winds.'

For a moment I was blinded by a great burst of internal light. I staggered about, trying to see beyond the illumination. My heart welled to overflowing with love, which could not compare to any earthly feeling I had ever had-not even for Albray. I was touching heaven, for surely only in the celestial realm could one find such pure peace, contentment and fearlessness.

When my vision returned I was entirely focused within my third eye. Now I could see straight through to the dark souls of those in my company, and wrapped around every one of their light-bodies were hideous unearthly creatures. Albray had expressed to Ashlee his fear that Molier might have been calling upon lower-world intelligences to enhance his psychic skill. This was how he'd managed to block their chakras from my sight; the creatures were performing the function of a psychic shield.

Then I saw her. A woman with wild auburn hair that was bound back in a braid. Her eyes glistened like emerald jewels, enhanced by the deep green velvet garments she wore. The sword and pistol that hung from the belt at her waist made her look very much the warrior. All the time I had been reading her tale, I had never realised how much I wanted to be like her, until now.

Ashlee?

You called? She smiled at me. She smiled at me.

I'm in trouble, I bethought her as, in a flash of light, the gateway into the mountain opened. I bethought her as, in a flash of light, the gateway into the mountain opened.

No, Ashlee a.s.sured me, sporting a confident grin. Ashlee a.s.sured me, sporting a confident grin. It is your captors who are in trouble. May I? It is your captors who are in trouble. May I? She referred to my body, requesting permission to enter it. She referred to my body, requesting permission to enter it.

I was hardly going to protest. Be my guest. Be my guest.

This woman was far more self-confident than I was-far more comfortable with her psychic gifts. She looked at Tusca Resi first and immediately tuned into her subject's inner thought, searching for that which Tusca did not want known. To me this process sounded like dialling up and down a radio bandwidth-yet not only sound but also images flashed through my mind. Ashlee honed in on a vision of Akbar and his two young companions being held at gunpoint at the edge of the mountain's sheer cliff-they had all been badly beaten.

Tusca alone did this? But of course, taking the Star-Fire substance would have enhanced her strength tenfold. But of course, taking the Star-Fire substance would have enhanced her strength tenfold.

She had made the mistake of firing upon the boys first, and Akbar had seized the opportunity to jump from the cliff. Tusca had looked down into the rocky canyon below but failed to see where the body had fallen.

She fears that she did not properly complete the task Molier gave her. Ashlee knew and so did I. Ashlee knew and so did I.

I was shoved forward to the round gateway to descend the path of red gold, just as Lillet, Lord and Lady Hamilton and Ashlee had done before me.

'I can't believe you would betray me like this, Andre,' I said. He was just behind me, to my right.

'It seems we all have our little secrets, Mia,' he replied coolly, 'but some of us are better at hiding them.'

'What is the sack for?' I queried, having noted the item that he had tossed over one shoulder.

He may have replied, but the shock of seeing the pile of bones at the bottom of the pathway numbed all my senses for a moment. Albray! Albray! My heart centre jumped into my throat to choke me, and tears began to well. My heart centre jumped into my throat to choke me, and tears began to well.

Do not mourn for him, Ashlee advised. Ashlee advised. Today we will set him free. Today we will set him free. She sounded very confident about that. She sounded very confident about that.

'My dear? Who?' Molier reminded me that I had denied any knowledge of the knight, which served to hurry me past the pile of bones.

By the time we reached the central platform beneath the dome of gold, Conally had flipped the switch that flooded the ca.n.a.ls, and I glanced back to note that Andre was bagging Albray's bones. 'What is Andre doing?'

'Just a little insurance in case you decide to be difficult.' Molier shoved me in the direction of the white-pillared annexe.

'I have every intention of opening the second gateway for you,' I advised him. Akbar had made it very clear that it was the only way to be rid of Molier. 'You have no need to disturb the dead.'

'Ah...dead but not buried,' Molier commented. 'Albe-Ra has proven more problematic dead than he was alive! But I happen to be acquainted with a few djinn who would be quite happy to help me in d.a.m.ning this hindrance to density for all eternity. He shall never again come back to haunt me.'

Djinn was the Arab name for lower-world intelligences and I was not the only one who was alarmed by the threat; even Ashlee hadn't expected this foul move. 'I would have thought that Albray was the last soul you'd be wanting to spend all eternity with,' I chided, knowing Molier's soul was probably destined for the same fate.

'I would have to die first,' Molier retorted as we entered the annexe and the glowing white presence of the Star vial. 'Once I have possession of both vials, and the Ark and Ring of Testimony therein, death will be of little concern to me.'

'The ladies of the Elohim will never allow you to claim whatever lies within their Ark.' I retrieved the vial and held it out to Molier cooperatively.

'You hang on to it,' he insisted, seemingly unfazed by my comment. He gestured with his gun for me to exit the annexe.

After I had taken possession of the Fire vial I was escorted to the large oval door that stood opposite the entrance door. Not one of those who had gone before me since the time of Lilith del Aquae had stood upon this precipice.

On either side of the oval door, which appeared to be solid gold, were two hollows, each designed to house one of the vials. Each of these hollows was clearly marked: one with the sign for Fire and the other with the sign for Star, so that no mistake could be made.

'Wait.' Molier demanded I refrain from placing the keys in their locks just yet. Andre delivered the sack containing Albray's bones to Molier, who placed a scroll into the sack before taking possession of it with his free hand.