The Search for Starlight

by Elyse Salpeter

  Kelsey’s amulet vibrated and she clasped it and held it up to her face. “Do you know? Tell me what is going on, Caim.” When he didn’t respond, Kelsey glanced at Jay. “You have any pets here?”

  He twisted his face in a stupefied expression that said, “do I look like I have any pets?” and shook his head.

  “Fine, then let’s do this the hard way. Guys, see if there is anything in any lore about Jagan and Adra. How did they become aranhats? Do they have the power to get Caim out of the talisman? In the meantime, I’m going to do some research on our end. Benjamin and Margaret Porter were doing something with Armand in Egypt the year I was attacked by the Usthatan. In fact, my father had been doing a lot of things with Armand, and I don’t think it had to do with any digs.”

  Ari spoke up. “You think any of this has something to do with Benjamin Porter?”

  Kelsey nodded. “I think a lot of it does. And Ustha. She was the one that told Caim where to find Jagan and Adra when they’d escaped from his home.”

  “Ustha again?” Ari voiced.

  Desmond piped up. “You know this all revolves around Kenmut, Kelsey. If Ustha is involved, then this all comes back to him.”

  Kelsey nodded, and brought Ari and Julia up to speed on the vision she had received from Caim.

  Ari pursed his lips in thought. “But you got rid of Ustha, or at the very least you ended her reign of destruction toward Kenmut and his family. I thought he would leave you alone now.”

  “He can’t if it has to do with the prophecy,” Desmond said. “She’s been asked to seek starlight.”

  Ari squinted at Desmond, and his voice took on a biting tone. “I’m aware of the prophecy, thank you. It also said she would die as well, if you don’t remember.”

  Desmond returned Ari’s look and tone. “I’m aware of that, also.”

  Before Ari and Desmond could get into it further, Kelsey interjected. “Jay mentioned that Armand took meticulous notes and kept a diary. I want to find his reports and see if anything jumps out at me.”

  “Maybe there’s something in there about Benjamin Porter as well,” Ari suggested. “This can’t all be coincidence.”

  “Who made this prophecy, Kelsey?” Desmond asked. “We find that out, then we’ll find out where this all started.”

  Kelsey pursed her lips. “I wonder if my father knew?”

  “Which of your fathers are you talking about?” Robbie snorted. “Mara, Benjamin Porter, or Armand? Unless there are more you haven’t told me about?”

  Kelsey closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’ve had thousands of fathers, but I’m talking about Benjamin, Robbie.”

  “I think you need to talk to Kenmut directly,” Desmond said.

  Kelsey spread her arms wide. “How? He’s no longer able to come to Earth and I have no way of speaking to him now.” She turned to Jay. “Where are Armand’s notes?”

  Jay tossed back the last of his wine and stood up. “They’re in his study. I’ll show you.”

  * * * * *

  Armand’s office was located on the second floor of the chalet. The only accessible entrance was a narrow staircase nestled between a pair of unused servant’s quarters situated behind the pantry in the back of the kitchen.

  The study was spacious and airy, redolent with the smell of musty books. Kelsey always thought old studies like these smelled a bit like coffee and chocolate.

  A large picture window opened out eastward over the far side of the property and Kelsey imagined the room aglow with light as the morning sun rose. The space was typical Armand, with rich hardwood floors covered with plush Egyptian rugs and shelves overflowing with rare books and pristine artwork. Just like when she’d visited him in Egypt, artifacts from his travels around the globe were displayed on the table as if they were simply knickknacks. The study vaguely reminded her of Raul Salazar’s office in that decrepit building she had visited with Desmond over a year ago. The drug lord had priceless paintings covering the walls, yet it was all kept in a building being used as a meth lab. She pushed thoughts of Raul aside. She didn’t want to think about that animal.

  A large mahogany desk held center court in the room, while floor to ceiling bookcases lined three of the four walls of the study. A mini fridge hid in the corner and softly hummed. On a whim, Kelsey moved over to it and opened it. She glanced at Jay, surprised.

  He shrugged, sheepishly. “I didn’t have the heart to empty it.”

  The indoor storage compartments and can dispensers were filled with sugary sodas, while the shelves were stacked with gift boxes of chocolates from all different parts of the world. She could see they were packed with caramels, ganaches, pralinés, and truffles. Kelsey remembered how much Armand loved sweets. When she’d stayed with him in Egypt, dessert had been mandatory every evening after dinner.

  Kelsey shut the fridge and moved over to the leather couch facing the fireplace. Desmond had already sat down and was rifling through a coffee table book on Canopic jars. From her vantage point Kelsey could see the designs of the carved pottery etched into the shape of the Egyptian gods that preserved the body parts of the deceased during the mummification process.

  She couldn’t sit still and moved restlessly around the room, picking up one object, then another, and then putting them down. She kept glancing at Jay, who rummaged through Armand’s file cabinet, searching for his father’s diaries for the years he spent time with her family in Egypt. Maybe they would reveal something, anything, to help them understand what was going on.

  I’m missing something crucial. But what is it? Where is the connection to all of this? Her parents had been obsessed with finding the land of Xanadu, and it had been the driving reason they went to Tibet after Robbie’s “death.” But what if that wasn’t really it? What if their stay in Egypt had actually dictated it all?

  Kelsey stopped walking as a sudden thought came in her head. What if Egypt wasn’t where it started, either? What if it started… centuries before that?

  Dad, what did you know?

  “Jay, when was the first time you met my parents?”

  He glanced up. “The first time I remember meeting Benjamin and Margaret was when they brought you to Egypt the year we were attacked by the Usthatan. But your dad used to come and visit with my father before that. Some project they were secretly working on. I believe he knew him from his days in grad school.”

  “That’s true. My parents used to spend summers and breaks working with your father on his expeditions.”

  “I don’t think your mom was here as much,” Jay said. “It was just your dad a lot of times. I only know that because I used to snoop through my father’s notes and his photo albums when he wasn’t around.” At the silence that ensued, he glanced up and furrowed his brow. “Don’t judge. I seldom saw my father, and if I wanted to know what he was doing, I had to read his journals. Otherwise he usually left me in the dark.” He glanced at the bookshelf across the room and moved over to it. He pulled out a photo album and set it on the table. He flipped through the pages and stopped when he found what he sought. “See?” he pointed at a photo. “Benjamin Porter was here. Hold on, there’s more of them together.” He held the page with his hand so he didn’t lose his place, and then flipped to the back of the album. “And here he is as well. I knew I remembered seeing his photo a bunch of different times.”

  Kelsey glanced at the pages. The first set of photos was dedicated to a visit between Armand and Benjamin Porter, with one of the photos dated the year Kelsey was born. Another set had one dated from when she was two years old. It was so odd seeing Benjamin Porter young. She glanced at Robbie and saw the resemblance to his father was striking. She was surprised she hadn’t noticed it before.

  Neither of the entries were photos showcasing the college they attended, the French estate, or an Egyptian dig site. Both appeared to be in a library of some kind. Through a window in one photo, Kelsey could see Big Ben. The clock tower at the Palace of Westminster. They were in London? What possibly had
they needed to do in London? She didn’t remember her father ever discussing anything about Great Britain with her.

  Kelsey tried to make sense of what she was looking at. The men had their arms wrapped around each other and were surrounded by tomes with depictions of Buddhist symbols on them. But that’s not what startled her the most. Benjamin Porter casually held in his hand her opal and jade bracelet. The one he gave her years later after her attack by Ustha’s people.

  Her dad had known all along she would need this. “Jay, you have to find me the journals from when Benjamin was visiting your dad. The ones that coincide with these pictures. Why did my father know about this bracelet before my attack?”

  Desmond spoke up. “I thought Kenmut gave Benjamin the bracelet after your attack by the Usthatan?”

  Kelsey squinted. “Yes, that’s what he said, didn’t he?”

  Desmond blew out a harsh breath. “Kelsey, here’s another link. You’re related to Armand, which relates you to Kenmut. Kenmut went to your father and gave him the bracelet and Kenmut is the one that told you he told your father everything. Why would he do that?”

  “Des, if Benjamin Porter knew all along about who and what I was, why didn’t he just leave my mom when she cheated on him? Why did he agree to go through with this whole charade?”

  “There had to be an overriding reason. Maybe a promise or reward was made to him if he complied?”

  “Or perhaps our father was never who he appeared to be, Kelsey,” Robbie interjected.

  “What, like not human?” she asked, sarcastically. “I saw him die at the hands of Raul Salazar. I saw his blood pool on the floor. My entire life growing up, he didn’t have any special powers. I’m certain he was human.”

  Desmond cocked his head. “You bleed, Kelsey. Who’s to say he wasn’t simply human in this lifetime but came from somewhere else, just like you.”

  “And he complied because he remembered his past life or past promise?” she asked. “That’s a stretch.”

  “Is it?” Desmond asked.

  There was so much meaning in that comment. It changed everything if it were true. She thought of something and crinkled her brow in thought. “Supposedly my dad was ill the night Margaret had an affair with Armand. I wonder something.” She moved over to her laptop, moved aside the coffee table book on canopic jars and opened up her computer. “I need to talk to my mother.” She dialed her adoptive mother Claire, who’d taken Kelsey in after her attack in Tibet. A few seconds later her mother’s face appeared on the screen. Kelsey steeled herself. She needed to ask Claire about her best friend, Margaret Porter, and Claire always found it such a sensitive topic.

  “Well, hello Kelsey, what a nice surprise.” She saw Desmond sitting next to Kelsey and gave him a warm smile. “So, where are you both on this lovely day?”

  “Mom, you’re not going to like this. I’m in France with Jay at Armand’s estate.”

  Claire closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Kelsey knew how much she had despised Armand. When Claire had taken Kelsey in after their attack in Tibet, Claire had called Armand to tell him what had happened to his daughter. Margaret had told her years before about her indiscretions, so Claire had been aware of Kelsey’s true lineage. Armand had responded that he wouldn’t get involved, and it had disgusted Claire that he had so little regard for his own daughter. “So, what can I do for you?”

  “Well, Mom, I know this might be uncomfortable, but do you remember exactly what happened the night my mother and Armand got together? Did she talk to you about it at all?”

  Claire raised her brows. “She did, Kelsey. Are you sure you want to hear? I don’t want you to think poorly of your mother.”

  “I’m okay, Mom. I’ve come to terms with it. I’d just really like to know what happened. It just seems so out of character for her to do this.”

  Claire nodded. “It was. Your mom was not a drinker. But apparently Benjamin had gone out that evening and purchased two bottles of Abarka wine for them that night. Margaret had thought it so odd because neither of them were drinkers, but your father had been adamant.”

  “You know,” Jay interjected. “Abarka wine has a much stronger alcohol content than most other wines. It’s like 16% alcohol. It’s quite strong.”

  Kelsey frowned. “Why did he buy the wine? Were they celebrating something? Was it for Armand?”

  Claire shrugged. “That is the hundred dollar question. He, Margaret, and Armand supposedly spent the evening on the patio, and Benjamin opened both bottles and placed them on the table. Then, Margaret said he suddenly didn’t feel well and went off to bed. He claimed it was his allergies because of some cat that had suddenly started hanging around them.”

  Jay piped up again. “My father had a cat? That makes no sense. He hated cats.”

  Claire shrugged. “Well, there was one there that night. A stray that came that evening and refused to leave. It kept to the sides and just watched them. Margaret was such a sap for animals, and she begged Armand to let it stay. She gave it some water and food, and supposedly it sat quietly in the corner.

  “Since the bottles were already opened, your mother and Armand drank the wine, not wanting it to go to waste.”

  Kelsey frowned. “It’s like my father set up my mother to get drunk.”

  Claire bit her lip. “I never told you this, but I sort of felt the same way. She had no tolerance for alcohol, and Benjamin knew Margaret adored Armand. Not to mention Armand always complimented your mother on her intelligence and beauty. To be honest, I always thought he was a bit too personal with her. It just made me wonder why your father would ever leave her alone drinking with the man she idolized and who flirted with her constantly.”

  Kelsey shook her head. “Wait, you also said my dad had allergies to cats? Since when?”

  Claire pursed her lips in a thin line. “Since never. Your mom took in a stray the year you were born. It was an outdoor cat, but Benjamin would come out regularly to feed it and pet it. It was very docile. In fact, your mom caught him letting it inside all the time. It never seemed to bother your father in the least.”

  “I remember that cat. It stayed with us until I was six and then it disappeared.”

  Claire nodded. “That’s right. Martin and I would come over to feed the cat while your family was in Egypt, and the night before you came home, it disappeared. We felt absolutely terrible, but there was nothing we could do.” She paused for a moment. “Kelsey, honey, this is hard for me to say, but you’re an adult now and I believe you should know everything. You may have been shocked that your mother slept with Armand, but I’m not. She got drunk, she adored this man, he had feelings for her for years and they were alone. I bet things got quickly out of control.”

  So Benjamin Porter set up my mother to sleep with Armand. And the cat? Why was it there? What did that mean?

  “Thanks, Mom. I really appreciate you confiding in me. I know how difficult this is for you to talk about.”

  At that moment Robbie sat down on one of the chairs behind Kelsey, his face to the screen. Claire’s gaze moved towards him and she gasped.

  “Mom, what is it?” Kelsey asked, worriedly.

  “Who is that behind you?” Her voice trembled.

  Kelsey realized she’d just seen Robbie. She bit her lip trying to decide what to say.

  Claire leaned in until her face loomed in the screen and she was so pale Kelsey became concerned. “Kelsey, who is that? I feel like I’m staring at a ghost. He’s the spitting image of Benjamin Porter when I first met him in college.”

  “Mom, please take a deep breath. I don’t quite know how to tell you this, but you should know. You remember my brother Robbie, right?”

  “Of course. I loved that little boy as if he were my own.” Suddenly she sucked in a sickened breath. “Kelsey, what are you saying?” She stared at Robbie horrified, and her eyes suddenly welled up. “Oh my God, don’t tell me this. It can’t possibly be true.”

  “He didn’t die, Mom.”
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  Claire shook her head vehemently. “No, he did, Kelsey. He had leukemia and was a very sick little boy. I was there with your mother for all the hospital visits. For all the procedures. I was there when we buried him. He died, Kelsey.”

  Kelsey bit her lip. “He didn’t die,” she repeated.

  “How?” It was all Claire could utter.

  “Mom, it’s a long story, but I believe Benjamin Porter sent him away to get treatment before he died. That the funeral was just a set up to make all of us think he didn’t live.”

  Claire was dumbstruck. “There’s no way he would have done that to your mother! She was devastated when Robbie died. Absolutely devastated. Please, you have to explain. Where did he send him?”

  While Kelsey had complete transparency with Ari and all her friends about who and what she was, her adoptive parents just knew that she’d escaped to “a place in her mind” when she was ten that she called Xanadu. The Goldman’s didn’t actually believe it was a real place. Even with Kelsey waking up knowing a strange language, they didn’t know anything about Kelsey’s true physical and spiritual lineage.

  “I promise when I come home I’ll tell you everything. Would you like to talk to him?” Kelsey turned and beckoned Robbie over and he peered into the screen.

  He stared for a few moments at Claire and finally smiled. “I don’t know why, but I’m thinking of peppermint candy all of a sudden.”

  Claire’s lips trembled. “That’s because I kept a secret stash of peppermint bark at my house for Robbie whenever he came over. He loved it so much and his mother didn’t want him eating too much chocolate. I used to sneak it to him.” She took in his face in wonder. “Is it really you?”

  Robbie nodded. “It is.”

  Claire closed her eyes and shuddered. When she opened them again she just stared at him and took him in. “You look wonderful. And so much like your father. Will you… visit me?”

  Kelsey chimed in. “Mom. I promise I’ll bring him to visit you and we’ll explain everything when I see you next, okay?”