Shadow Play 5

by Vega Lizzie

  Olivia’s screen hand twisted as her fingers began to curl and twist. Both Liam and Marcus mimicked the movement and began to offer ideas. “Turning something…a doorknob or a handle.”

  Issac agreed, “Her hand trembles like it’s tight or its fighting against her. A door or a knob of some sort. Something is stuck.”

  “You’re just guessing,” Tess said as she leaned in, “This is crazy.”

  “Okay, listen to this,” Terra said suddenly, “My phone is crap, but Karly’s version is clearer. The orbs change here.”

  Against Terra’s onscreen warnings, Karly could be seen moving her arm along Olivia’s as it lay outstretched on the island. The red orb slowly drifted close to Karly’s hand.

  “Why is she not scared to death at this point?” Tess asked, “Who is this chick?”

  “Friend from school,” Olivia said quietly, “the one that can see auras. And apparently,” she pointed to the screen, “studies Latin in her spare time. Crank up the volume, Marcus.”

  With a quick adjustment, Marcus boosted the volume, then equalized the resulting sound to focus the result. Each time Olivia would twist her fingers, she would speak. The third twist of her fingertips, the muffled word became clear, “Justa.”

  “Juice ta,” Tess repeated as phones were pulled out, “Joust? What’s the Latin translation?”

  Issac and Liam began googling, “Did Karly know what it meant?”

  “No. She just repeated it. Maybe it’s not Latin.”

  “There’s more,” Terra shushed them, “Let’s get it all and then search. Watch the orbs?”

  In the next frames, the green protective spheres dropped down to join the red one orbiting over Olivia. Again, Karly seemed oblivious to them. “She’s not afraid of them,” Tess whispered, “she’s either dumb or just not seeing them.”

  Olivia quickly defended Karly’s actions, “She knows they are there, Tess. She also knows what they do.”

  Liam spoke for the first time in several minutes, “She’s seen them in action. One went after Ollie by accident.”

  “Here’s the last part,” Terra pointed, “watch the green orb when the words come.”

  Once again, the phone panned down along Olivia’s face, her white eyes almost glowing, the spinning of the nearby orbs caught in reflection.

  “Procure…procure,” Olivia said softly with Karly repeating it in her ear, “Procure o leao.” She pushed her outstretched hand toward the center of the table, the muscles in her arm tense and defined.

  “Wait.” Terra countered softly. She pointed to the orbs on the screen, “look.”

  “Procure o leao,” Olivia repeated one last time, then one last word, “leonis in ovibus” The green orb pulsed and flared, then flashed away just as Olivia opened her eyes.

  Tess gasped and took a step back from the table, “God help us. It’s not Latin.”

  “It’s not Latin.” Liam sighed and put his head in his hands, “It’s Portuguese. Shannon is in real trouble.”

  “Portuguese,” Terra straightened, “That’s Antonia. She can help us.”

  “Stop.” Tess blurted suddenly with an eye to the ceiling. “Nobody says a word.” She pointed to Marcus’s computer, “Turn that damn thing off…now.”

  “And who’s Leon,” Olivia asked, not reacting to the sudden tension in the room.

  “Ollie, quiet.” Tess looked up at Liam, “You too?”

  Liam nodded his head, and with a glance to Terra, pulled back the hair that covered his damaged ear, then he put his finger to his lips. He turned to Eliza, “How can Olivia know this?”

  Eliza shook her head and opened her mouth to speak. “Eliza,” Tess interjected, “choose your wording, carefully,” she advised, “maybe even out of order if you can.”

  Eliza nodded but Issac interrupted, “Procure means find.” He shrugged, “so there’s one.”

  “Warn me next time,” Eliza shot him a glare.

  Liam cleared his throat, “Not Leon…pretty sure it’s lion.” Tess exhaled sharply, “It’s a nickname. Liam’s right. This is really bad. Don’t anyone repeat the last word. Not even as a joke.” She looked at Liam, “You wanna go first?”

  He could only shrug. “Let’s say there’s a bedtime story about a guy from maybe Columbia and he’s um…he’s an advanced wizard.”

  “Hypothetically speaking, of course,” Terra said strongly but the tremor in her voice was obvious.

  “Hypothetically speaking,” Tess whispered, “but in my story, your advanced wizard is a raving lunatic that I thought was from Arizona. He just about killed me once. As a person, he’s not that impressive but after what he did for me, I…” When Liam’s expression didn’t acknowledge the danger, she shrugged, “Well, your mileage may vary.”

  “The pulse of the sentinel orbs is unsettling,” Eliza interrupted suddenly, watching the replay again. “Do they not like that name or because they disappeared, the Dark threat has been eliminated?” Her voice was equally strong, but her eyes gave her away. “Sorry,” she sniffled and turned to Marcus, “Go back to your screen shot. I want to see something.”

  “Just be a sec, uh are we done with the scary words?” he asked, “I want to upload the other view. It might help too.” A moment later, he was ready, “Okay. Here you go.”

  Amid the worried looks around the table, the screenshot of Olivia’s upturned eyes filled the screen only to have both Terra and Tess groan together at the same time.

  “Zoom in,” Eliza directed, “I just thought it looked different when I first saw this.” As the picture enlarged, she leaned in, then jerked back, “Look. When a person’s eyes roll back in your head, some of the iris usually remains visible. At least a change in color. Her eyes are solid white. That, I can work on.”

  “Did the orbs not like the name,” Tess finally answered her earlier question, “or didn’t know how to respond and chose to protect rather than attack?”

  “Sooo,” Olivia wondered, “You know this how?”

  Tess was still for a moment, “I um, I’m actually guessing but since your mother created them.” Eliza looked up, “Her intention is baked in. Look where we are…the centerpiece of the family.” She pointed to Olivia, “the center, if you will, of the whole family.”

  “Terra?” Eliza asked quietly, “Did you feel anything during this? Anything out of the ordinary?”

  Shaking her head, Terra thought back, “I was scared…for Ollie. I wasn’t really paying attention.”

  Eliza looked at Liam and Issac, “Bridging,” she said softly, “wherever she is, Shannon just reached out.”

  “No way,” Tess objected, “It’s been dead for…ever. Oh, sorry, long lost?”

  “How else can you explain it?” Eliza asked. Terra as quick to see a familiar sparkle in her eyes, “You’re on to something. What happened?”

  Eliza nodded but put her finger to her lips, “Not here. Not tonight. We break up this meeting and that breaks the intention. We get back together tomorrow morning,” she looked around the kitchen, “as much as I love this place, anywhere but here.”

  Issac smiled, “Then we come back and-” Eliza swung her hand up to stop him from speaking, but it came at him too fast, accidently slapping him in the mouth. With the crack of her fingers against his lips, Olivia reacted with a growl, swiftly snagged Eliza’s hand, “Enough.”

  Liam reached in to grasp them both, “Perfect,” he blurted, catching them all off guard, “Intention shifted. Everyone quiet.”

  “Sorry,” Oliva whispered hoarsely, “I know you didn’t mean to do that.”

  “I know,” Eliza smiled as Liam slowly released their hands, “it’s okay. We’re all on edge tonight.”

  “Hey,” Issac grimaced, taking his hand down from his mouth, “That hurt.”

  “I’ll make it better,” Eliza said without thinking and blushed bright red in front of the family.

  “Also, perfect,” Tess snickered, “and a new intention entirely.”

  Marcus sat at the island
enjoying the exchange, then he squinted down at his screen, “Guys?” he said calmly, “Actually Terra first…take a look at this.”

  Whispering to her, she stared at the screen until she gasped and smiled, “Eliza, look. Shannon wears that ring with an amber stone on her right hand.”

  Watching the frames slowly advance, Eliza smiled as a faint glimmer of amber appeared on Olivia’s ring finger. It was there for the blink of an eye, then gone. She looked at Liam, “They bridged between each other. It’s confirmed.” She clapped her hands together, “that’s great news but I’ll have to bone up on the history of it. Sleepless night for me, this is awesome.”

  Tess elbowed Issac in the ribs, “Sucks for you,” she grinned, the turned back to Liam, “Back to Silv…sorry. If he’s just entered the picture, in any way at all, Shannon knows way more than she’s telling us.”

  Liam shook his head, then turned to Terra and Olivia, “Has she said anything about about…” he stopped, wincing as his voice dropped to a whisper, “symbols or maybe animals?”

  “Tomorrow,” Tess hissed, “we need to shut up about this.” Again, she looked up to the kitchen ceiling, “especially here.” She raised her arm and pointed to the thick wooden beams that framed the front door, “Anything look different?”

  Terra walked to the doorway and reached up to trace the carved Egyptian ankh in the frame, “The first day I was here, I saw the carving. I joked about this being bl…” She brought her brightly stained finger from the mark. She turned back to her family, tears spilling down her cheeks, “Please tell me what this means.”

  Eliza jumped to her side, “You need to relax, Terra.” She rubbed her finger across the red stained wood. “If it was blood, dried blood, it would be brown. This is probably red ochre. It’s quite common in magic, easy to find. Try rubbing it off your finger.”

  Terra rubbed her fingers together, but it was clear she was growing increasingly upset. “It’s just smearing….it won’t…it won’t come off.” Eliza softly took her hands, “Let me help,” she said softly as she escorted Terra to the sink. “Let’s call it a night.”

  Liam and Issac were quick to move and Marcus immediately started to put away his laptop. Tess touched Terra lightly on the shoulder as she headed for the door, “We’re out. We’ll catch up in the morning.” With a warm smile, her eyes drifted to the ceiling, “Outside the temple. G’night.”

  Eliza looked at Terra as she ran warm water over her fingers, “Red is good. In Egyptian magic its almost always a sign of strength and good luck. There we go,” she smiled as the stain gradually faded from Terra’s fingers, “All gone. It’s gonna be okay. I should go.”

  “Maybe…” Olivia said softly from the counter, “Maybe it would be okay if you stayed here tonight? Maybe do your work here?”

  Terra looked up, “Please?” she asked, “in case they bridge…again?”

  “Good point. I’ll get as much done as I can.”

  “A sleepover,” Olivia grinned, “Cool.”

  Terra nodded, “Thanks. For all you know and all you do for us. I’m kinda freaked out. especially after this talk about the Li-”.

  Olivia shushed Terra, “Furry beast, maybe?”

  “Not like it’s literal,” Eliza smiled, “but Tess got pretty fired up about him.”

  “Liam was a little more respectful,” Terra remembered.

  “He sounded that way,” Olivia said quietly, “but the look on his face was as freaked out as Tess. She’s hung out with demons and this guy scares her? No thanks.”

  Chapter 27

  The next morning at the coffee shop, they reconvened. As Olivia sat quietly sipping her hot chocolate and out of the inherent influence of the loft kitchen, the questions came fast.

  “Did it happen again?” Liam asked.

  “No,” Terra said sadly, her eyes red and tired, “and Ollie got tired of me staring at her all night.”

  “Creeped me out,” Olivia said as she blew across the steamy cup, “Eliza got some work done though.” She grinned slyly having shifted their attention away from herself.

  “I did and I think we can talk a bit more openly about this issue now that were out of the temple.” Eliza’s inference to their home was too much for Terra.

  “That can’t stick, you guys,” she said soberly, “it’s just not a good time.”

  “Also, creepy. I have to sleep there.” Olivia added, “we all do.”

  “I slept like a rock,” Eliza smiled and stretched, “Some researching, then out like a light.”

  Terra cleared her throat, “Bed hog…just sayin.”

  “Damn,” Tess leered, “Had I known…I would have stayed too.”

  “King size…soft and warm,” Eliza said with a teasing glance to Tess.

  “We’da made room,” Terra smiled brightly, also happy for the diversion, “No problem. More arms and legs intertwined...”

  Olivia was done with them. “God, you guys are annoying. I’m gonna go find some marshmallows.”

  Tess growled a little, “I should just booked rooms for everybody down the street. Not fair. Hang on Ollie, I want some too.”

  As they sat back down, it was Terra with the questions, “Explain bridging to me,” she asked, “was Ollie with Shannon or was Shannon with us?”

  “The early astrologers believed that while souls could revisit the dead in ancient times, the pharaohs believed that their Gods could speak through both human and animal hosts.”

  “Like lions?” Olivia asked, now reengaged in the conversation.

  “Not like lions,” Eliza smiled with a nod toward Liam. “I’ll leave that part up to these two. The Latin word is spatium, it became span or bridge in Britain during the times of the Druids. I am now convinced that the continuing English and Egyptian references are at the heart of this.”

  As the discussion continued and despite the increasingly gruesome stories about their run ins with the mysterious Silva, at the end the result was the same. Tess said it first, “I didn’t find him, he found me.”

  “Yep,” Liam nodded, “Same with me, but my experience was so different. It was as instructional as it was…um, brutal.”

  “Wouldn’t a simple conversation with him be easier?” Terra wondered aloud. Her question was met with a chorus of disagreement from Tess and Liam with Eliza piling on for good measure.

  “Well, excuse me,” she snapped back, glaring at them. After looking at Olivia she backed down, “So…how would one go about finding him.” This time their glares were enough to silence her.

  That night Terra began pacing the floor of the living room as Eliza again worked at the coffee table and Olivia did homework on the sofa. She sighed as Terra went through the living room for the fourth time. “Read a book,” she suggested, “study with Eliza or something, you’re making me crazy.”

  Terra stopped in her tracks, “Sorry. I know I’m distracting both of you.” She looked up the stairwell to the upstairs loft, “Gotta pee. Be right back.” She dashed up the steps without another word.

  Eliza just shook her head, watching her go up the steps, “Thanks for sharing. I’ll find something for you to study.” Turning back to Olivia, she checked in, “Ollie, you feeling okay? Your eyes feeling tight or weird in any way?”

  “All good thanks. I’m almost finished with my homework. Can I draw you while you work?” Eliza’s face lit up, “That’d be cool.” She’d also watched as Terra sprinted up the steps, “She really needs to blow off some steam.”

  A few quiet minutes later, Olivia set her workbook aside and pulled out her sketch pad. Seconds later she pulled out her phone. Moving to join Eliza, she set her pad down on the table and set her pencils out in a fan at the top of the blank page. After a moment, seemingly pleased with her preparation, she propped her phone against one of Eliza’s larger books, “That’s okay, right?”

  Eliza grinned, “I’m excited,” she winked, “I’m sitting for le artiste. Terra’s taking her sweet time, maybe she’s watching a movie.”


  As Oliva began scuffing the edge of a grease pencil into a sharp point, she smirked, “You weren’t actually serious, right?” she asked calmly, looking over her pencils to begin the drawing, “I’d say she’s been gone for about fifteen minutes or so. You should probably get ahold of Liam.”

  “Shit, she’s gonna go find Silva.”

  “Shhh, but probably. You should…you should call Tess now…t-too.” Her voice began to faulter, “Quick…I…I can…it’s…”

  “Ollie?” Eliza looked up from her phone only to see Olivia picking up a thick charcoal pencil. She turned her head as she stretched out across the low table. Her eyes were solid white. Once she was laying still on the table, her hand began to scribble across her drawing pad.

  “Get here, get here now,” Eliza whispered roughly into her phone as Liam picked up, “Get Tess and Robbie. It’s already started...she’s bridging again. I’ll record it.”

  A minute later, Robbie burst through the loft doors already pulling his phone from his pocket. He quickly chose an angle and hovered to catch anything that Olivia might say during the event. It was then he saw Olivia’s phone already recording. “She knew it was coming,” he exclaimed then ducked toward the floor as the first orbs flared from the ceiling.

  “Rob, hold still,” Eliza cautioned, “They’re not after you. Keep your phone going.” She heard commotion at the door, “Go easy Tess. Sentries are on the move.”

  Tess came through the doorway almost crawling as a red orb shot through from the kitchen and spiraled around the living room ceiling as Olivia continued scribbling.

  “God,” she sputtered, clearly flustered, “we’re the good guys.” Eliza glanced at her with a short-lived smile, “Keep that thought in mind. I think that’s part of what is happening here. Terra took off about a half hour ago. Probably not a good thing.”

  Tess looked down at Olivia, “Has she said anything yet? Did she know that Terra was gonna do this?”

  “Nothing yet, but her hand is starting to move. I think she somehow provoked this.”