21. M A L A K H I T E S : Fallen

CHAPTER III

"...still tracking the jaguar by its footprints," Cecelia jabbered, her recorder still close to her mouth. "It keeps stopping to make sure we're following, so I'm like 95 percent sure it's leading us somewhere..."

Zuriel rolled his eyes as he caught an eyelash viper in mid-strike and hurled it away.

"So where are you from, big guy?" Cecelia asked, pausing her recording momentarily.

"Israel," Zuriel responded. "Nazareth, to be more precise."

"Ooh, cool! Home of the one and only Jesus Christ, right?"

"Yeshuah ben-Yosef. And yes, that is correct." Zuriel ducked under a branch. "What about you?"

"L.A.," Cecelia replied with a shrug. "I live in New York, though."

"Really?" Zuriel said, although he already knew that. "I live in New York as well. I actually—"

"Wait!" Cecelia held out her hand behind her, coming to a sudden stop.

Zuriel stumbled, almost running her over. "What?" he asked, irritated.

Cecelia pointed.

The jaguar stood on a rock at the top of an upraised portion of the rainforest, staring directly at the two explorers. Then it turned around and disappeared.

Literally.

The jaguar had vanished into thin air.

Cecelia and Zuriel's jaws both dropped. "No freaking WAY!" Cecelia shouted, smiling widely for some reason.

I have a bad feeling about this, Zuriel thought, frowning.

Cecelia restarted her recorder and said hurriedly, "The, the, the j-jaguar we were following just disappeared. I don't know what the heck's going on, but I'm gonna follow it and find out!"

"I don't think—" Zuriel began to protest.

"Aw, c'mon, big guy!" Cecelia interrupted, running up the hill. "Don't you wanna see where it went? I mean, that's what exploring's all about, right? Adventuring into the unknown! Braving the most dangerous frontiers! Diving into the deepest—"

Cecelia was cut off as she disappeared like the jaguar had.

Zuriel raised an eyebrow. "Cecelia?" He approached the hill and began to walk up it. "Cecelia!"

Cecelia suddenly reappeared, her back to Zuriel as she backed up. "Hey, um... uh... big guy?" she whispered, still staring into the trees.

Zuriel halted his ascension. "Oh. You're alright." He moved over to her side and peered into the darkness ahead. "What's wrong?"

Cecelia swallowed hard and cleared her throat. "You... you might wanna see this."

Zuriel glanced at her and then back at the darkness. "Show me," he instructed.

Then goosebumps suddenly raced up and down his arms as Cecelia took his hand gently, leading him into the darkness.

Zuriel opened his eyes. He had closed them anticipating some sort of shock, jolt, or pain, but had experienced no such thing.

Instead, he was greeted by a positively ridiculous sight.

Before him lay a sprawling city covered in brilliant lights, all of which seemed to be produced by floating orbs. Creatures of myth and legend, prehistoric beasts, and organisms Zuriel couldn't identify filled the scenery, milling about casually.