by Jaci Miller
“The key,” she whispered, standing up and walking over to her backpack where it lay in the middle of the clearing. Pulling her grandfather’s medallion from the side pocket she opened the back and pulled the small key from its interior.
With Sebastian’s eyes following her, she walked back to the tree, picked up the stone box and inserted the key into the hole. There was a slight resistance and then a loud click. She heard a whirring sound coming from inside the stone box as unseen tumblers spun and clicked into place. The rock face began to rise, revealing five small grey stones laying insignificantly on a black velvet cushion. Engraved on the inside of the lid was an inscription:
The door to destiny will open to those who possess the blood of the ancients.
Each stone had a colored symbol painted on its surface which she recognized immediately for they matched the five glyphs that encircled the double pentacle on the stone box. She guessed by their coloring and her newfound knowledge of the ancient realms that each glyph probably symbolized one of the elements—earth, water, air, fire, and spirit. Picking up the earth stone she held it gently in her palm. Its surface was cool but as it lay there, she could feel a tingling warmth begin to emanate from its surface. A slight vibration kindling within its core.
Suddenly, Sebastian’s voice echoed in the air behind her. “Warlician warriors, like this world’s modern witches, are governed by the earth element. Our powers derive from the energy found in the natural environment. The earth’s energy is within you. Your bloodline is pure, and the stone recognizes it. If there was any doubt as to your true destiny, there lies your answer.”
He pointed at the stone she held in her palm, nodding his approval as the rune began to glow.
She stared, mesmerized by the glowing green stone barely aware of the stinging warmth that sprung from its surface. The other stones lay silent in the box oblivious to her presence, only this stone acknowledged her existence, only this stone would lead her to her families’ true origins.
Carefully she placed the stone back in the box with the others where it immediately stopped glowing and went cold.
“Dywen,” Sebastian said unexpectedly.
“Excuse me?”
A smile appeared briefly on his face. “It is the name of your ancestral realm, my home.”
She nodded, saying the name over and over in her head. It sounded like it was born from the earth, a word that belonged in another time and place.
“You must keep the stones safe until their time has come.” He stared at her with piercing green eyes, the importance of these stones emphasized by his tone.
He shivered slightly, his physical presence weakening. “I am unable to stay in this form much longer and I have given you all I can, for now. You must go home and prepare immediately for your journey to Dywen, for time is no longer on our side. The first portal must be opened under the light of a full moon. You must open the portal to Dywen tomorrow night.”
“Tomorrow!” She exclaimed.
Everything was happening so quickly she barely had time to process one thing before another was revealed. “How long will I be gone? I have a job, people who will miss me, commitments and responsibilities. I can’t just take off indefinitely.”
He looked at her and smiled knowingly. “Time passes more quickly in the realms than it does here on earth. You should have plenty of time to find your way before anyone that matters here misses you.”
“How quickly does time pass?” She asked hesitantly, not sure if she really wanted to know the answer.
Sebastian thought for a minute before answering. “Time is irrelevant in the Thanissia Universe. It happens but its passing does not affect the lives of individuals. Here every aspect of mortal life is affected by time. Mortals feel the passing of time more acutely than immortals, because for us time holds no end, therefore it is of little importance.”
He stopped speaking when he noticed her confused and anxious face.
“To put it proportionately in mortal terms, weeks can pass in Thanissia but only a few days will have expired here.”
“Then, I guess disappearing for a weekend will do,” she said making a mental note to rearrange her schedule to free her up for the next five days.
“Dane, you cannot speak of this to anyone, do you understand?”
“Why?”
“This journey must be taken without any interference from this world,” he said firmly.
“Not even my parents, they are already involved in much of what has been going on. They are both witches. My father is of the Callan, I mean Callathian bloodline. It is his ancestors that I descend from.” She argued, sure that telling her parents would be alright.
“Not even them. I am sorry, but this must be your journey and yours alone. There will be a time when all is revealed, and this world will know of its fate, but for now, your path must be kept secret from everyone. Do you understand?”
She stubbornly nodded in acknowledgment.
“There is one more thing you must be aware of,” he said looking at her with grave concern. “As I mentioned, the people of the Thanissia Universe were immortals, your ancestors were immortals. When you make the journey and claim your birthright the result will be the same. You will be sacrificing your mortality.”
Her eyes widened as the realization of what Sebastian was saying hit her. “I will become immortal?”
“Yes,” he said. “It is the only way. If your destiny is fulfilled and you and the others can achieve victory over the ancient dark, you will outlive all that you love. You must understand and accept the sacrifices. It is a heavy burden for one who was born into a mortal life, but one that you must carry, nonetheless.”
A heavy sadness wrapped around her heart as she thought about living through the loss of her family and friends.
But at least they will have a life, she thought, the images of the dead from Sebastian’s memories once again floated through her mind.
Silently, she walked to her backpack, tucking the stone box into it and turning to face him.
“Will you be here when I get back Sebastian?” Dane asked, unsure if his destiny had now been fulfilled.
“I will,” he acknowledged. “My task is far from over and my destiny is not yet complete, but for now I am fading, alas I must return to my other self.”
His voice was growing weak and his form began to ebb. Suddenly, white light sprang from the tree, creeping across the cold ground to encase him in its brilliance.
As the light and Sebastian receded back into the tree, she heard his voice in her mind, “Make haste, there is much to do. We will speak again upon your return.”
As the sound of his voice dissipated the clearing once again fell silent, shadows lengthening as nightfall neared.
Whistling for Tyson she hurried out of the clearing, moving down the trail quickly trying to outrun the sinking sun. As she reached the familiarity of the Wrangler a single thought crossed her mind why was all of this not affecting her more? A man from a tree had appeared and told her of the existence of ancient magical realms and mythical races. He confirmed her destiny as one of the Arcanists—the saviors of mankind and told her she must give up her mortality.
She was a witch in a modern world so normal was not in her vocabulary but to not even question the validity of his claims. Was she willing to give up everything she had ever known for an age-old prophecy that may not even be true? To journey alone into a magical realm, frozen in another time, without forethought.
She stood quietly in the darkening parking lot, a peaceful calm falling over her. She already knew why she was taking such a risky leap of faith—because somewhere deep inside she had always known her destiny was not yet complete.
Dane tossed and turned, sweat beads forming on her upper lip, as she moaned softly in her sleep. Tyson watched her int
ently, his head resting protectively on her stomach as she wrestled with whatever dream was actively engaging her subconscious.
The half-moon hung high in the night sky filtering its ghostly light down across her townhome, encasing it in an eerie silvery glow. There was an unnatural silence that hung over her neighborhood as the late hours ticked by unnoticed. She struggled with the dream that had invaded her mind as the unusual quiet, which hung heavy outside, entered her room in a slithering whisper.
Tyson growled a low guttural sound that escaped the skin surrounding his throat. His body tensed as he detected the change in the room’s atmosphere. He did not move from his protective position determined to guard his master as she continued to be assaulted by her unconscious mind.
The mist was thick, and it left a damp film on her skin as she tried to find her way through the grey dawn. There wasn’t a sound, nothing familiar, nothing to guide her through the fog that clogged her breath and stifled her movement. She stopped walking, as she gasped for breath, but the fog was suffocating, its heaviness pushing down on her, sinking into her skin and saturating her entire being. Exhaustion overtook her senses. She dropped to the ground, her knees sinking into the wet soil. She was tired, she just wanted to lay down, to sleep.
Closing her eyes, she felt a twinge in the back of her mind, as an image began to surface. Through her fatigue, she forced herself not to ignore the vision. She concentrated, willing her mind to focus, blocking out the cold, the damp, and the exhaustion that threatened to take over. It was a Celtic cross; the points of the cross emulated the spearheaded finials of a wrought-iron fence. The ring constructed of elaborate knotwork had ends that curved out in arced points. The surface of the cross was cracked in places and the black lines resembled faded ink.
The cross hung in her mind, willing her to notice it, as the fog surrounded her in its cold, damp, embrace, pulling her down until only blackness prevailed.
She woke suddenly, the feel of the clammy fog still covering her skin. Sweat trickled down her face and chest as she struggled to adjust her eyesight to the soft moonlight that filtered through the dark room.
Tyson lay quietly staring at her, his brow furrowed in worry. She smiled, reassuring him she was ok, his tail thumping in response. Gingerly he crawled up toward the top part of the bed, nudging her chin gently and laying his large head on her chest. She kissed his nose, turning slightly so she could see the bedside clock, its glowing red numbers telling her it was almost three in the morning. Cuddling back under the warm duvet, she thought about the dream.
It was different from the others, she had felt lost in the fog, alone, directionless until the cross had appeared. Seeing it had made her feel safe, secure, no longer afraid of the suffocating fog that held her in its grip. The cross had been a comforting sight, but she had no idea why. As her mind tried to decipher the strange dream she finally drifted into a deep, exhausted and undisturbed sleep.
Chapter 17
Dane woke feeling tired and anxious—probably not a good way to start off her new life as the savior of mankind, she thought, squinting against the glare of the bulbs above her vanity.
Showering quickly, she dried her hair and packed a few essentials into her small make-up bag. Since she had no idea what to expect on Dywen she didn’t know how to dress. Did it have seasons? Would it be cold or warm? Deciding to be optimistic but cautious, she dressed in jeans, knee-high black boots, a beige long sleeve scoop neck t-shirt, and a light brown canvas safari jacket. She packed an extra pair of jeans, some underwear and socks, a few more long and short-sleeve t-shirts, a light sweater, and a light waterproof jacket.
On the outside of her right boot, she strapped a leather sheath containing a hunting knife her grandfather had given her for her eighteenth birthday. A compass was in one of her jacket pockets along with a book of waterproof matches and her cell phone and in her back jeans pocket, she put a small utility knife.
Grabbing her backpack, she walked to the front door, hesitating briefly to pull on a slouchy thin wool hat and wrap a gauzy scarf around her neck. Checking for the third time that her grandfather’s medallion was around her neck she grabbed her leather gloves and headed out the door.
Other than the medallion the only jewelry she wore was a watch, and the wood and leather bracelet that Kai’s father had made for her birthday—to remind her of home. She rechecked the essentials in her backpack before putting it in the back of the Jeep—water, food, a few toiletries, a flashlight, extra batteries, and some magical items. Everything a girl might need on a trip to a distant realm.
The early morning sun lit up the tips of the ice-covered trees that hung low over Stevie’s driveway as she pulled in fifteen minutes later. Snow-heavy branches grazed the top of her Jeep as she pulled up and parked beside Stevie’s old Land Rover. More snow had fallen last night, and it coated the town with a beautiful white blanket.
She felt a twinge of uncertainty as she exited the Wrangler and climbed the steps, knocking on Stevie’s front door. She hoped Stevie would not ask too many questions about her plans because the lies were now getting bigger and harder to keep track of. Getting no response, she used her key and entered the house.
Tyson scampered around the living room and kitchen before she could even announce their arrival, finally disappearing down the hallway determined to find Diego. An excited commotion alerted her that he had found what he was looking for. A few minutes later Stevie stumbled out of her bedroom and down the hallway her red-rimmed eyes begging for quiet.
“Rough night?” Dane asked heading into the kitchen to start the coffee.
“Not rough, just long,” she responded heading into the bathroom to splash cold water on her face and brush her teeth.
“What happened?”
“Gabby had another rough night.”
“More dreams?”
She took two mugs out of the cupboard placing Stevie’s under the coffee machine spout as she pressed the brew button, watching as the brown liquid poured into the cup, its steam rising lazily into the air. The kitchen filled with the enticing aroma.
Stevie shivered as she took a sip from the cup Dane handed her.
“It was the same as the others, visions of landscapes and then you and I walking through a foggy forest, a shadow surrounding us.”
Dane thought about the dream she had last night, the fog, the feeling of familiarity and comfort she felt at seeing the Celtic cross. It was all so strange. “Thanks for looking after Tyson while I am gone.”
“Of course, where did you say you are going again.”
“Catskills,” she lied.
She had concocted a story about meeting a prospective client in the Catskills, a remote location photographing wildlife. She wanted to make sure her friends understood she could not be contacted as she was sure her cell phone would not work in a distant universe. She had also sent her parents a quick text this morning telling them the same thing. She hated lying to them and texting instead of calling made it a little easier. Her mother had sent back a long response, saying they were still looking into the situation and reiterating that they needed to talk about her second awakening and new powers when she got home. If they only knew how different she was going to be when she got back. Her new telepathic ability may seem insignificant compared to her pending immortality.
Her mom had also asked about the redhead, but Dane hadn’t seen her since the night of her birthday dinner. Although she had wanted to return to the old flour mill, she hadn’t had the time and now, with things getting extremely complicated, it would have to wait until she returned.
After a few more minutes chatting with Stevie, she said goodbye and headed toward the train station. She had arranged for a rental car, a Chevrolet Trax so that her Jeep would stay in the station parking lot where it belonged. Leaving her vehicle at the trailhead was too much of a risk; the Trax would go unnoticed i
f any of her friends decided to hike while she was away.
After filling out the rental car paperwork, and doing a few last-minute errands, it was after three when she pulled into the trailhead parking lot. Sunset was approximately 4:45, which should give her enough time to hike to the clearing before then. Grabbing her backpack and locking the car she headed into the woods stopping suddenly when the irony of the journey she was about to take hit her—more secrets and lies in a life filled with secrets and lies, and now more alone than ever. She felt a slight constriction in her chest as the walls that she had erected so many years ago, closed even tighter around her heart.
Hiking toward the clearing, she thought about her friends and how often over the years she had yearned to be normal like them. They would never know the truth, especially now as her new destiny would most likely take her further away from them, her pending immortality making it impossible to stay with anyone for very long. Tears stung her eyes as she felt that familiar hollow ache wrap itself around her heart. Her truth was a world full of hidden magic, her friend’s truth was ignorant bliss. The small gap that existed between those truths was about to expand, possibly destroying the relationships she had with her mortal friends.
She felt the magic pulsing through her veins as she entered the clearing. The sun was sinking below the horizon casting shadows across the forest floor, but a pale white glow seeped warmly from the trunk of the Elder Oak. Sebastian stood waiting by the tree, his black cape sweeping the forest floor as he came toward her. “Are you ready to begin your journey?”