The Raven and the Staff (The St. James Chronicles Book 2) Read online

  Copyright

  The Raven and the Staff

  Text copyright © 2020 by Kathryn O’Brien

  All Rights Reserved

  Cover Design by Maria Spada Book Cover Design

  Edited by Jessica Gibson

  Interior Design and formatting by Kody Boye Publishing Services

  No part of this book, or any part thereof, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, or by any other means without written permission of Kathryn O’Brien.

  Any reference to books, authors, products, or name brands is in no way an endorsement by Kathryn O’Brien, and she has never received payment for any mention of such.

  Any mention of individual names was purely intentional, and that’s what happens when you are part of my life.

  Special Thanks to:

  To My Aunt Shirley who always believed in me and cheered me on.

  To all of my faithful and supportive friends, even those who choose to remain in Alaska (Even though I’ve begged). There are too many to list, but please know you are all appreciated and loved dearly. Every person I know has inspired me in my writing journey.

  Tatyana, You inspire me with your strength and gracious heart.

  Brandy…you were one of the first to read my ramblings!

  Shauna…You rock! Thank you for being my guide when I get lost.

  Finally, and most importantly,

  Thank you to my son, John, who still listens attentively to all of my kooky ideas, patiently encouraging me to keep going, and to the love of my life, Thank you, David, for all of your love…Forever!

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Looking out from the top of a craggy cliff shaped in the form of a crescent, the view was staggering. The space I stood in was covered in brilliant, iridescent snow, and I shivered against the cold even though I wore a thick cloak of fur. Below me was the most beautiful valley, where all the land was lush and green, glowing vibrantly with various flowers of every color. Still trying to get used to all the unique and fantastical things on the planet Quarantia, I greedily drank in the scenery. The valley looked like a tropical paradise and the contrast between the two spaces was stark. Holding my hand out in front of me as if to warm it by a fire, I could almost feel the heat radiating from below. Barely visible through the dense vegetation below were these creatures that resembled people. Only, they were so small from my viewpoint that they reminded me of ants under a glass. Such unique and beautiful creatures they were, having a look of wispy puffs of glittering, iridescent smoke milling around like villagers foraging in the forest.

  “Look, Mistress!” Duck, my ever-faithful dragon companion, exclaimed excitedly as he jutted his snout toward the creatures. “Spirit sprites. We’ve reached the Valley of the Vardos.”

  A slight sigh escaped my pursed lips, “Duck, I told you to just call me Maggie.”

  Like a petulant child, he hung his head, “I know, it’s just that I was trained to be a servant to the daughters of Valor.” His great eye blinked and he flashed me a toothy grin, “I’ll try to remember.”

  My free hand reached up to stroke his face, “Alright. Thank you.”

  Cocking his head to the side, he continued thoughtfully, concern evident in his voice. “There aren’t many, but as soon as we enter the Valley, they should be attracted to the little bird.” Turning his head slightly so that his right eye was focused on me, he asked, “Don’t you think so?”

  Taking a deep breath, I glanced down at the fur-lined box which held my brother-in-law, Jaxon, in his robin form. Almost as quickly as we’d returned to Quarantia and Valor castle in the land of Doane, he had begun getting weaker and struggling to survive. Shalandria had explained to us that somehow Andrea had been lucky enough to be released into an area where the Vardos were once plentiful. Because we knew that she had bonded with the Tree of Life, Shalandria had guessed that Andrea was purposefully sent to merge with a spirit sprite that resided near the Glen of the Maiden. When I had questioned Andrea prior to my trip to the valley about how she came to be in the field with Ellandra that day, she couldn’t recall. She only remarked once, “It was like one minute, I was looking at the house from the view of the tree and the next, I was waking up from a deep sleep in a field. Then, Ellandra had appeared and took me in.” Her memory of the in-between time was what made me wonder, because it was like her mind had been wiped clean. Sometimes, she would stare off into the distance as if she were in a trance and say strange things that didn’t make sense. We all wondered about how she came to find the only Vardos in such a large area since they had all left, but Andrea had no answers.

  Shalandria shared that since the darkness started creeping across the land, the Vardos had retreated to hide in a secret valley where they felt protected from the world outside. A very minimal amount of them existed now. With the rapid decline of Jaxon’s health, we’d left as quickly as we could to find the valley.

  Kelsey had begged to come along. “Please, Auntie.”

  “I’m sorry, Kelsey.” Seeing her shoulders slump, I saw Peanut out of the corner of my eye and stooping down, I asked, “Hey, kiddo, who’s gonna watch out for Peanut for me?” She perked up slightly, following the direction of my gaze and spying the little dog. Giggling, she had gone to play with Peanut then.

  It had killed me to leave them behind after finally getting them back, but I knew Duck wouldn’t be able to carry all of us and I had to put my foot down. It never ceased to amaze me the arguments that she would come up with as a five-year-old. Looking back now, I laughed at her tenacity.

  Fortunately, Duck had grown so much during our search for the Vardosian city that he was eventually able to hold Jaxon and I on his back for extended periods if he took breaks between flights to rejuvenate.

  Duck sat by my side while nestled in the small, fur-lined box, huddled into a corner, looking pitiful and near death, was my beloved brother-in-law.

  Looking up at Duck, I responded to his question, “I certainly hope so.” Shrugging my shoulders, I sent a prayer out to the Great Spirit. “Well, we’d best hurry.” Glancing down to poor Jaxon, “He isn’t doing well.”

  “Yes, Mistress.” He instantly cringed but continued speaking as if to hide that he’d just called me by the name I despised and asked, “Is he still able to speak with you?”

  “No, when I reach out my thoughts to him, I only hear a faint mumble. He’s very weak.”

  Duck leaned closer to the ground to allow me to climb onto his back.

  “Are you sure? It’s only been a short time since we last rode.” Skeptically, I appraised him from beneath my lashes.

  “Yes, I’m feeling much stronger and I think I’ve figured out a way to get us down without much work.” He winked a
great catlike eye at me.

  “I’m not sure I like the sounds of that.”

  He chuckled. “Don’t worry, I won’t drop you again.”

  The comment made my spine tingle as I recalled our first venture when he hadn’t figured out that he needed to stay upright in order to keep me from falling. The sudden lurch to the side with a flip of his wing had sent me sprawling through the air followed by a plummet downward about two hundred feet before he caught me in his talons and then set me on the ground. I’d scolded him sternly but seeing that he was truly sorry about the mistake, I took pity and forgave him. The trick for me was to hold onto his horns, which had grown immensely, and grip him with my thighs. It reminded me of horseback riding when I was a kid. Shalandria had said that she’d read in one of the ancient scrolls about a special harness and saddle for battle dragons. It turned out that when she’d created Duck from an ancient egg and spell she’d found hidden in a cave, her only intention was to create a companion for her daughter and not a battle dragon such as the ones from the ancient times that had disappeared after the last war of the clans. Either way, she’d stated she’d set the small castle servants to work on attempting something for us when we returned.

  Duck pulled me out of my thoughts. “We should go.”

  “Yes, Duck.” Placing Jaxon securely within my pack, I swiftly climbed onto his back to begin our descent into the valley of the Vardos. Sucking air through my teeth in preparation of the lift off, I stated firmly, “Alright, I’m ready.”

  He stood to his full height and taking a couple of lunging steps toward the edge of the cliff, he spread his great wings to begin the flight. With great swooping flaps of his mighty appendages, we began to lift off the ground only to rapidly plummet toward the valley below us. My skin felt like it was being peeled away from my face, and my eyes watered as we descended rapidly toward our destination. Struggling to exhale and take in more breath was even more difficult due to the rate of our descent. We were falling so fast I thought we would surely crash into the earth below us and be smashed to tiny pieces. Heart thudding wildly in my chest in fear and a hint of exhilaration, my mind reached out toward Duck. He responded with a calm reassurance which served to slow my racing heart. With the mind link in place, our thoughts were almost one, except that I knew how to block him out. Well, sometimes I could. It was easier in concept and I was still practicing the art of closing. I’d found out from Shalandria during my training that most people roam around with no clue their minds are open to the world of seers to peruse.

  Just before we reached the bottom and certain death, he flapped his great wings again and pivoted in mid-air to an upright position which stopped our forward and downward momentum in a manner similar to a roller coaster pumping the brakes. The abrupt stop almost sent me flying from his back as the force from the downward velocity gained in the dive was so great. He landed steadily on his feet, though, and we were suddenly engulfed in a hot mist that felt like a sauna. With my extra thick coat on, I went from freezing cold to sweating profusely. Droplets of sweat puckered on my brow and threatened to drip into my eyes. Swiping my sleeved arm across my forehead, I thought briefly, This must be what it feels like to go through menopause. Laughter spewed out before I had a chance to stop it and then I giggled as I wondered briefly if virgins have menopause, but then that was a silly thought, also. Just because I haven’t been with a man doesn’t mean my body doesn’t go through the same things any other woman would. The heat must be cooking my brain. Duck looked at me quizzically and I responded with a wave of my hand, certain that he couldn’t understand my thoughts. Chuckling, “It’s a human thing.” He cocked his head to the side but decided to let it go. As I gasped in a couple of deep breaths in an effort to cool myself, I quickly removed my excess layers of clothing. Reaching into my pack, the fragile box holding Jaxon balanced in my hands as I opened the lid to check in on him. He was still alive, but he seemed to barely be breathing.

  As I turned around and looked at my surroundings, I couldn’t help but notice that the Vardos had not approached us yet. Duck’s quick response meant I’d just projected my thoughts outward as he responded, “I was wondering the same thing.”

  Just then, a wisp of sparkling smoke rounded a corner and popped what I assumed to be its head out from behind a large tree.

  Squatting close to the ground to make myself seem less threatening, I spoke softly, “I mean you no harm. I come in peace.” Wincing inwardly at the whole sci-fi movie cliche’, I realized the absurdity of what I’d just said out loud, but it was too late to change it now. Besides, would this being even understand what I said was ludicrous? The creature slowly approached. Bowing my head and observing it from beneath my lashes, I stuttered, “We come seeking help.” It continued its approach. Finally, it hovered before me. Duck stood still by my side, mimicking my movements.

  A soft and sensual male voice filled my ears, “Daughter of Valor, we know who you are and why you seek us.”

  Inhaling sharply, I looked up. “How do you know me?”

  It shimmered like glitter in the sunshine, but I could see the forest through it, like an iridescent veil.

  “Come, I must take you to Pretarius, our leader. He has been waiting for you to come to us on your great dragon.” He turned toward Duck, “Although, he is not as great as I assumed he would be. Only a child, really,” he mused. Duck bristled at the comment. With a gentle stroke of my hand against his muzzle, I was able to calm him. Turning and twisting in my direction, the wispy form extended a tendril outward and thinly wrapped itself around my hand. It felt like a hand, but it was soft like a pillow or a mass of the softest feathers. A surge of energy coursed through my hand which made me feel lightheaded and giddy, but also solemn and sad. A slow ache built in my heart and I suddenly felt like someone was trying to pull me in two different directions only it was like nothing I’d ever felt before. What an odd sensation. Rapidly, it released my hand, sensing that it was hurting me in some way.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn't mean to harm you.” It shimmered again and the glittering iridescent silver turned a sparkly pale blue. It truly was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

  It was so strange to talk with a creature that had no facial features and I was left to guess at its intentions.

  Gently, I asked, “What’s your name,” as I sought to find some semblance of a facial expression within the blank canvas in front of me.

  It swirled and shifted as if it could read my mind and suddenly a face of glittering mist converged into something more solid looking as it replied in a now deep male voice, “My name is A’don.” The smile that suddenly appeared before me was magical as it formed a very attractive male specimen. The glittering mass whirled together, it was like watching a master sculptor take every attractive feature I’d ever seen and mix them together into one being. What took shape before me was what could only be described as a godlike creature with soft golden hair and silvery blue eyes, and a body of strong muscle that stood in at a firm six-foot at least. He had a strong jaw and a thin but mysterious smile. He was mostly naked excluding a small piece of cloth that barely covered his lower body parts which bulged outward. My virgin eyes blinked at the vision that suddenly appeared before me. Realizing its eyes watched me intently, I began to flush and looked away. However, curiosity ruled, and I found myself looking back to watch the transformation as if I were possessed. For a moment, the fluctuating smoke looked like Daniel causing me to gasp softly. Swirling again, it shifted back to the former blonde hair with silver-blue eyes. It was almost as if it sensed that the memory of Daniel was still painful to me. The fluctuations stopped and standing before me was a much firmer, more distinct vision of an olive-skinned slightly-glittering man. Honestly, I was surprised by his handsomeness. Inhaling sharply, I stared at him in awe.

  “Hello, A’don!” Stepping forward, my hand extended to shake his, I introduced myself. “I’m Maggie.” Motioning to my side, I added, “And this is Duck.”

&nbsp
; He looked down at my hand and then smiled jubilantly. Grasping my hand firmly in his, he chimed, “I am so pleased to meet you.” As he continued to shake my hand vigorously, I noticed there was no odd sensation like before. He laughed, “I always knew that one day I would meet an Earther and get to try this greeting I’ve heard about, but it seems like I’ve been waiting a very long time to try it.” The words spilled out of him like water from an overflowing fountain. Glancing at him sideways, slightly squinting my eyes at his remark, I then remembered that this was not a typical greeting in Quarantia.

  Laughing, I replied as quietly as I could while attempting to pull my hand away, as he was firmly and excitedly still pumping my hand up and down while fixing me with an almost manic looking smile. “A’don, I appreciate your enthusiasm. But you really must stop, or I won’t have any teeth left.”

  He frowned slightly and stopped mid-shake, “I’m so sorry. Am I doing it wrong?”

  As I pulled my hand away, rubbing it lightly to regain the circulation that had been cut off by his firm grip, I smiled gently at him while trying to reassure him, “It’s alright. Next time, just remember, firm but gentle. One or two shakes is good and then releases the other person’s hand.” Grinning again, the lighthearted moment was soon replaced with a sense of urgency which was reflected in my voice as I spoke rapidly. “I must insist that we go talk to Pretarius now, please.”