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

  He nodded as if he understood what I asked and turned toward the trees, responding in a rich, deep voice, “I understand. Please, follow me.”

  Exhaling slowly, I watched his naked behind walk toward the woods. It seemed as if he didn’t know he was supposed to also cover his backside when he covered his front. It was a very nice rear end, and I held my breath to keep from whistling. Perplexed at the reasoning, I wondered why I wasn’t more embarrassed by his nakedness or my blatant perusal of it. At least I could look at a cute guy without blushing now, thanks to Daniel. A wayward groan almost escaped my lips with that thought. Duck chuckled and nudged me forward. Cocking my head to the side to get a better view of the retreating male, I slowly glanced over my shoulder at him. “What? A girl can look.” Duck harrumphed at me and we started off after A’don.

  As we approached an area that had more dense foliage, I could see where the trees grew together at the tops to form a canopy of sorts over what looked to be a building made of stone. It wasn’t visible from the cliffs above. When we entered the opening, we were suddenly surrounded by an amazing array of glittering, shiny, iridescent looking creatures of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Approaching a raised area, there was a table laden with food and a group of various Vardos milled about. They all froze in place as we moved to stand before one of the larger Vardos. A’don leaned over and touched his forehead with the apparition. They seemed to be silently communicating. Soon they separated and A’don announced, “Pretarius, The Great, will now conform for our guests.”

  There was a great commotion from all the Vardos as many seemed to be shocked by the announcement. The wispy beings swirled and gyrated, spinning excitedly. Suddenly, Pretarius shimmered a brilliant green as he began to take the shape of a human. He was actually short and stout to my surprise and wearing what looked like clothing that I would associate with a king of medieval times. He had a full beard and mustache of brown with gray interspersed throughout and a full head of brownish gray hair. A large round belly protruded above his belt line and a robe flowed behind him. A small but simple crown adorned his head and glittering brown eyes met my gaze. I’d assumed that they could take shape in whatever way they chose, but I must’ve been wrong. As his structure finalized itself, he stepped forward and took my hand. Shaking it gently and then releasing it, he smiled, “Daughter of Valor. We have waited long for your arrival.”

  Again, I was surprised by this statement. “Thank you for having us?” Did that come out as a question or was it my imagination. Seeking to cover up my blunder, I bowed my head briefly and slowly rose up to see that he was holding out his hand as if in anticipation of a gift.

  “Please give me your friend.” He motioned to my pack.

  “Oh, of course.” I exclaimed. “It’s actually my brother-in-law.” As I opened my pack to retrieve Jaxon, I couldn’t help but notice that he wasn’t looking any better than the last time. But then again. I wasn’t sure how it was possible for him to have declined more without fading away, and I praised the one that he was still holding on. Handing over the fur-lined box with Jaxon inside to Pretarius, I quietly shared, “His name is Jaxon. Please, can you help?”

  Pretarius made a great deal of looking over the bird while cooing and speaking in an odd language that just sounded like grunting and clicking. A’don had stepped down to stand close by my side. In my peripheral vision, his eyes, like invisible hands, roamed over me as I watched Pretarius. Every time that I would look directly toward him, though, he would look up as if he were not just intently staring at me. It was very odd behavior. Kinda creepy, I took a step away from him to the side.

  Finally, Pretarius looked up and solemnly said, “I can make him comfortable, but he’s beyond my help right now.”

  Stepping forward, “Why? I don’t understand.” Shaking and wringing my hands, I pleaded, “Please, don’t let him go. I was told you could help him like you did for my sister.”

  As I advanced, two of the wispy red colored beings that stood on either side of Pretarius moved in front of me as if to block me somehow. Inwardly, I scoffed, thinking they were only made of glowing steam as I continued forward and was met with a brick wall that I couldn’t penetrate. Shocked, I stepped back. Pushing forward again, more forcefully, my heart pounded in my chest as disappointment rocked my core. Realizing the futility of my efforts, I continued to push toward them hoping my will would break the barrier. My heart breaking with sadness, I stared at him, pleadingly and whispered, “But, I promised.” Tears stood in my eyes, dangling on the edge of my lashes and suspended in space. They refused to spill forth and only managed to blur my vision as I begged for his help, “Please. Isn’t there anything more you can do?”

  Pretarius spoke up, “Daughter of Valor. Please listen carefully.” Halting my efforts to push through the impenetrable force that prevented my forward momentum and looking through the two Vardosians who were doing an exemplary job of mimicking a wall, I waited for his words to flow around me. “Your friend is not of our land as you and your sibling are. He is human and earthly in nature. As such, because of his loyalty to your sister and by the grace of the one, he was allowed to take the form of Alkard’s clan and the ways of Opi-Chee.” Tears continued to burn the backs of my eyes, trying to break through my will, but I continued to fight them. “There’s only one way I’ll be able to transform his essence into a spirit sprite and this is if I can obtain the lost staff of Ra.”

  Laughing out of sheer astonishment, I asked, “What? You’re kidding, right?”

  He stared at me without blinking. “The staff was lost many years ago when Serena, the evil sorceress, Ellandra’s grandmother, first sought to gain power by attempting to murder Opi-chee and marry Valoria’s betrothed, Alkard.” Sensing that I was about to speak again, he waved his hand toward me and calmly continued, “You must find the staff so that I can perform the ritual of Amun-Ra. The spirit cleansing and transformation is the only way to save him.” He smiled gently. It reminded me of the type of look an elderly father would give his child when talking to them about the end of his life.

  Gulping back my angst, I asked, “But how,” while I stared at the box longing to find a way, any way, out of this without yet another impossible task. Stammering and flushing, “Where do I even begin? How long do we have? What happens if I fail?” My eyes sought the answers in his golden-brown gaze.

  “You must hurry.” He gently handed the box containing Jaxon off to one of his red glowing guards mumbling something under his breath to the guard who then whisked him away. “A’don will accompany you on your journey and you will start at the shrine of the light.” He stood and walked toward me. “Margaret, I know how weary your heart is, please have faith.” Glancing down, my eyes skimmed over hands that appeared to be chaffed and calloused where before this all, they had been soft and supple. Funny the little things that popped into my head. How did he know my name? He placed his hand on my shoulder. A surge of calm and energy coursed through me. “You will find the answers you seek on your journey.” Lifting my chin to look into my face, he calmly spoke, “There are scrolls that tell of the lost staff and give clues as to where to look for it.” Nodding solemnly, I listened intently as he continued. “There are also scrolls at the shrine that speak of a prophecy of a goddess with fair hair and blue eyes. She is of the house of Valor and her purpose is to cleanse the darkness from the lands.”

  My eyes widened, “I’m not a goddess,” I proclaimed out loud, but my thoughts whirled, Am I?

  Chapter Two

  A’don was excited to get started on our journey. Once he’d shown us to our hut, he excused himself briefly, stating that he needed to deal with a situation. When he returned, he was dressed in what I could only describe as a Robin Hood costume. The way his muscular thighs flexed in the tight pants was quite enjoyable to watch and I found that I was holding my breath as I slowly released a tight sigh of appreciation. His excitement was evident in his continuous, animated chatter. However, it was almost like speaking with a
giddy child going to an amusement park for the first time and since I wasn’t in the best mood, being filled with anxiety over what was possibly happening with Jaxon, it was grating on my nerves. Harrumphing softly, I could feel my eyes making the circuit in their sockets as I glared over my shoulder in his direction. Honestly, even Kelsey didn’t talk that much. He must have sensed my impatience and kept his conversation more to Duck. Duck was happy to answer any questions he could, but his experience was limited to the cave and the minimal time he had with Valoria prior to the deception as he kept glancing toward me, trying to catch my eye for affirmation or help in his responses.

  “How do humans eat? We absorb our nutrients. This is my first time in this form. Do I look alright? What type of things do they wear?” He chattered on excitedly, “We had the garments I’m wearing as they were given from one of the outlying villages many moons ago.” He exclaimed in a rush.

  Looking at Duck from the corner of my eye, I could see him nodding and blinking as he would periodically open his mouth to speak but A’don would interject with another question before he could respond. He just smiled softly with his great catlike eyes glistening. At least his rambling explained where he’d gotten the outfit he now wore. Sighing and turning back to staring at and caressing the amulet, I reflected on my recent discussion with Andrea.

  I’d taken a moment before A’don returned to send out my thoughts to her. It seemed to be more and more of a struggle to connect with her these days. Almost as if something was blocking us. Usually, I could see her as if she were standing in front of me, but this time, I could only see her face and it was like getting a bad connection through an old antenna because she looked fuzzy. That was definitely odd, but I thought it might have something to do with the valley. Somewhat groggily, but in a concerned rush, she asked, “Magpie? Did you find it? How’s Jaxon?”

  “Yes, we’re here. But they need me to perform a special ceremony or something so they can transfer him into a sprite.”

  “Why? Is he going to be ok? I don’t think I could stand to lose him.” Her voice broke with the barely hidden anxiety.

  “Calm down.” My voice was soft but firm as I tried to sooth her. Honestly, I could understand her fear, but it was as if it was making the communication fuzzy and more staticky somehow. “Andrea, are you sleeping ok and feeling ok?”

  “Yes, I feel a little tired, but everything is fine here.” She paused... “But, well,”—she looked down.

  “What’s wrong?” Concern etched my brow and my heart suddenly raced with fear.

  Returning her eyes to mine, she spoke so soft I could barely hear her, “I’ve started to put on weight, and I’ve been having these weird dreams about”—She shook her head, laughing nervously— “It’s really silly.”

  “No, it’s not.” Taking a deep breath and bracing myself for her response, “‘Drea, what is it?”

  “I’ve been dreaming about Dylon.” She looked around as if to spy someone listening in on her.

  Wondering at her odd behavior, I softly coaxed, “Is everything okay? What do you mean? Like dreams of what happened?”

  She stammered a bit and looked down again. Looking up she said, “No, like dreams of holding him and rocking him and nursing him.” Her face scrunched up and she shook her head slightly as she continued, “And, well, I thought I felt him kick me.”

  “You mean like, he walked up and kicked you in the shin?” In an effort to get her to elaborate and explore what she was talking about, I purposefully acted like I didn’t understand her. My obtuse line of questioning served its purpose.

  “No, like I’m pregnant again.” She giggled. “I feel like I’m going crazy. I mean, there’s no way I could have sex with a bird, right?” She sighed, “It’s probably just that my soul remembers that I was pregnant before…” her voice trailed off as she blushed. “Well, you know.”

  Nodding softly, I reassured her and in as calm a voice as I could muster, “I’m sure it’s something simple. Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out when I get home. Okay?”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” She tried to laugh, but it came out sounding like a scared whimper instead, “It’s probably nothing.” Inhaling deeply and turning on her most nonchalant smile, she cleared her throat, “What’s happening with Jaxon?”

  “They took him to a special place to protect him until the ceremony.” Not sure what kept me from telling her about the staff, but a little tickle in the back of my brain kept my tongue still on the subject. As I watched her face for any signs of whatever it was that seemed off, she started to get even more fuzzy looking. My gut twisted. Something definitely strange was happening but I couldn’t figure it out. “Hey, ‘Drea, Is Kelsey alright?”

  “Yeah, she’s fine.” Scrunching up her face as if she were trying to remember something important, her eyes widened and she asked excitedly, “Oh, she wanted to know if you remembered to pack the vest she made for you?”

  A wave of tenderness drifted through me. Chuckling softly, “It’s in my pack. Tell her I adore it.” A winsome smile crossed my face as I dreamt of a time when things were simpler. Realizing I had been silent for a bit, I looked up and said, “Give her a hug from me. I love you guys.”

  A’don had returned at that point and was talking to Duck outside of the doorway. It sounded as if it were a muffled conversation in the distance even though they were close by. I spoke softly to her to keep her calm, “Andrea, take care of yourselves. I’ll let you know as soon as I know more, okay?”

  “Okay.” Her smile was fleeting. “Please bring him home safe.”

  “Everything will be fine,” I lied. Not certain what would happen, but I hoped it would be. “I have to go.” A twinge crawled up my spine, but shaking it off, I smiled reassuringly, “Please be careful.”

  “Alright. Talk to you soon.” No sooner had the words left her mouth than I was faced with the view of A’don entering the room.

  He had tried to pester me with questions about the customs of Earth, but I was concerned with the conversation I’d just had with Andrea and not knowing where Jaxon was or what was taking place. Pinning him in with my eyes, I’d asked firmly, “What is happening?”

  A’don had responded quietly, his kind eyes swirling with a mystical silver light, “Everything in its time.” His smile was soft as he said, “Patience.” Something in his look said I wouldn’t get any more from him right then, so I turned away and sat quietly to brood. He wisely chose to leave me be and that’s when he started pestering Duck.

  He was currently rambling on to Duck about something, but I couldn’t focus on what he was saying. Turning to him, I squinted my eyes as I studied him and pursed my lips before I let loose with a string of curse words. He stopped mid-sentence and looked at me slightly surprised by my sudden outburst. His gaze softened and I sensed a calm-gentle force from across the room. “I know you’re frustrated, but I have nothing to tell you,” he replied quietly.

  “But where did they take Jaxon?” I asked, for what seemed like the hundredth time since he had been whisked away in the great hall. Something had shifted in his facial expression, was it fear or concern? Slowly, I crossed the room toward him as if I thought he would bolt like a frightened kitten.

  “He’s safe and being cared for by our healers. They’ll provide him the best chance while we complete our quest.” His voice was calm, but his eyes danced with a sudden flare. Pausing to gather my wits, I watched him warily.

  “I know that, but where? I want to see him.” Placing my hand on A’don’s arm, I noticed the skin was cold but firm, muscles flexing under my touch. He sighed softly and looked down at where my hand rested on his arm. As his eyes drifted along my arm, following it up to my face, he pierced me with his beautiful gaze. The light within them danced like a flame and then shot back toward his pupils, sucking me in like a whirlpool. For a moment, I was startled by the depth in his eyes.

  “He’s in Heru-ur, the Temple of the Elders. You won't be able to see him until we complete our jo
urney.” He looked down as if he was afraid to keep eye contact with me. Suspecting he was hiding something; I snatched my hand away and turned away from him as I tried to control my fear and anxiety.

  My frustration wouldn’t be subdued. As I stood there, I felt an overwhelming need to lash out, so I stomped my foot. “Dammit!” The small room barely contained my restlessness as I began to pace. “How much longer do we have to wait to leave?” Spinning around and confronting him, I implored him softly, “Can’t you take me to the shrine or the temple or whatever?” Ragged breaths escaped my lips as I tried to reign myself in. Guilt was eating me up along with the fear of letting my family down. I knew I should probably reach out my thoughts to Andrea to let her know the truth of what was happening, but honestly, I didn’t want to upset her any more than I already had. Besides, what else could I say to her? Hey, ‘Drea, just wanted to let you know that I have to find a staff that no one knows how to find, or your husband will die. Okay, bye? Yeah, probably not a good idea. She was already fragile as it was. Staring at a hole in the wall, I focused on deep breathing to calm myself.

  “I’m not a high priest.” He said matter-of-factly as he walked across the room to me. Placing his hands on my shoulders and looking deeply into my eyes, I was instantly calmed by him. A surge of peaceful energy entered me, and it was like I had breathed in the smell of the sea after a storm. Salty, sweet, tangy, and soothing. Cocking my head to the side, I briefly wondered how he’d done that before my thoughts were interrupted by his words.

  “Maggie, I know you’re anxious. I wish there was something I could do to help you, but we must wait for the high priest to retrieve us before we can look through the scrolls.” He continued to hold my gaze, which caused me to feel like I was swimming in a sea of silvery blue. I wondered briefly if he knew they did that or if he did it on purpose. His eyes reflected the light and seemed to be swirling again only the silvery substance appeared to form into various shapes and creatures. The effect was hypnotic. He pulled me close and hugged me. The mystical connection was broken the minute our eye contact was broken. Even though the hug was meant to be comforting and I could feel his strength as he embraced me, which was very nice, my treacherous heart ached for another to hold me. Why can’t my mind let go and allow me to have one moment of peace?