Ketuah, an alien inventor from the planet Arezone, creates a shard capable of opening spatial gateways. It seems he has the key to his planet’s salvation, but he discovers that his lover, who is the emperor’s queen, carries his child. The emperor uses the shard to banish Ketuah to Earth.
On ancient Earth, Ketuah is surrounded by primitives. All seems lost until he realizes he does not age. He becomes a living God, builds hidden temples across the world to harness the Earth’s power, and searches for the shard, which was separated from him during his banishment.
A vacationing skier named Frey finds the shard by accident. Together with his girlfriend and a young snowboarder, Frey travels through portals stalked by Ketuah. Frey and his companions are forced into the deadly situation by the shard’s earthly guardians, who travel in search of Ketu’s ultimate temple creation. Man-eating bears, Viking descendants, paranormal assassins, and more await the heroes.
The unlikely adventurers face off with Ketuah in his Tower Temple that lies within the heart of Mt. Everest.
Excerpt
Prologue
16,000 Years Ago on Planet Arezone
Ketuah touched his lover’s soft shoulder sliding her lavender dress to the floor. Her naked flesh glowed in the dim chamber. He paused gazing at her curves—her form was so perfect. Her wrists were delicate and her legs and arms were slender. Flaming hair cascaded around her face, shoulders, and back. He watched eagerly. Sophie prowled across the sheets like a predator of old. He leapt beside her, kissing her body, feeling her silky skin across his lips. Sophie cried out with pleasure holding him tightly, kissing his neck gently. He rolled his tongue over her firming nipples. She grasped him—his eyes widened. Their eyes then lips met. He tenderly pushed into her inviting hips. Their tongues caressed and they were one. She let out a gasp. He held and kissed her head, touching her glossy hair.
Sophie caressed her fingertips against his smooth chin. She gazed into his eyes and gently whispered in his ear, “I carry your child—my love.”
The words came with a warm tickle. His heart jumped. She was everything he ever wanted, a love like no other. But was it too soon? Zahain was still emperor. No, things would work out the way they had planned. The shard assured that Ketuah’s family would rule Arezone.
“I love you, Sophie, and always will.”
“Even after time has taken you?”
“My love for you goes beyond time and science.” Ketuah responded. He saw her smile and her eyes lighten. He slowly kissed her neck, moving his lips along her skin. The scent of wild orchids filled his nostrils. He pressed his cheek against her breasts. She made musical sounds of pleasure. He was close to climax, and then an alarm sounded. Startled he withdrew from her and glanced at the display.
Sophie looked up. “No—you’re being summoned to the laboratory by Emperor Zahain.”
“Not now!” His face grew hot.
“No, don’t leave,” She pleaded, enticing him with her posture.
“You know I have no choice. He’ll suspect something.” He quickly put on his clothing.
“What if he suspects something already?” She flipped over on the extravagant bed sheets.
“What makes you say that?”
“Oh, nothing, I just don’t want you to leave. We’re not finished yet.”
“But I must go.”
“Don’t be too long, or I’ll have to come looking for you.”
“I’ll be back to finish what we started.” Ketuah smiled at her, hearing her sweet laughter.
He left the bedchamber and rushed down the hallway to meet the emperor. He approached the hall and a tingle shot down his spine. Did Zahain know the shard was the key to his new invention? Had he found out about the affair? Did he know his queen was with child? When Ketuah entered the laboratory, he saw imperial sentinels surrounding his machine. His stomach sank. His heart pounded. He fought the growing nausea as the emperor eyed him. A bitter taste formed in Ketuah’s mouth as he tried to control his body language.
“The flowery smell which emanates from you is very familiar—Ketuah,” Zahain said and searched Ketuah’s pockets finding the stone shard. “Ketuah, you’re caught. What do you have to say for yourself?”
Ketuah knew there was nothing he could say or do. “The shard is my masterpiece. What will you do without its creator?”
“Don’t patronize me. The surveillance here is the best. Who do you think manufactured the parts for your implant? It records your experiences vividly. I know about the shard and your plans with my queen.”
Ketuah was naïve for trusting the emperor. “Just what did you see?” Ketuah asked.
“Thanks to the implant, I’ve experienced your actions first hand.”
Zahain grimaced narrowing his eyes. He took the shard to the machine and plugged the device into its receptacle. A hum sounded and a thin membrane of energy rippled across the oval terminal.
“I see my invention was a success,” Ketuah remarked, gazing at the working portal. The geometry of the terminal was perfectly aligned for a stable doorway, and the machine was processing energy at a phenomenal rate.
“Yes—and you will be the first test subject,” Zahain said.
Ketuah tried to remember his programmed settings. Where would the portal send him? As if alive, the gateway surged with energetic bolts, forming a frame. The door was fully spawned and pitch-black. Where the mass met reality, it was fractured like the shards of a broken mirror.
“Ketuah, you’re hereby banished from Arezone! If you can make it back, you’ll be a citizen once more.” Zahain made eye contact with the guards. “Throw him in!”
Spit flew from Zahain’s lips landing on Ketuah’s nose. Ketuah knew fighting was useless. The shard was lost. He would never see Sophie again. The soldiers hurled him towards the gateway.
“No!” Sophie ran into the room.
Ketuah’s feet entered the portal first. He looked up one last time. His eyes met Sophie’s, and then he disappeared into the unknown.
* * *
Sophie looked away from the blackness. Ketuah was lost. She saw Zahain’s face turn scarlet. He removed the shard from the elegant machine and threw it into the collapsing portal.
“No,” she shrieked.
Zahain kicked the complex invention. The outer casing cracked and splintered. With more vengeful stomping, sparks flew and it lay in a pile of twisted wires, transistors, and sprockets.
“You’ve destroyed our planet’s greatest creation! We could’ve been free of this place!”
“I don’t care, my Queen. I’d rather have your young scientist gone.” He said, clenching both fists and leaving the laboratory.
Sophie put her hands over her face and sobbed. Her heart was heavy. Numbness took over her limbs. She felt her face burn as the tears rolled down. The savior of Arezone—the love of her life, the father of her unborn child was lost forever.
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