When they were almost to Dublin, Gordon woke them all up and they prepared to land. Alix was really glad that when they got off the plane and Gordon came with them. There was a black town car waiting for them.
Alix took in the city as they drove through it. It had a lot of old buildings like London did. It was a relatively short trip to the Dublin safe house even though it was outside the city. They were shown to their rooms and told that breakfast would be served in the main dining room.
The Dublin safe house was roughly the same size as theirs back in Sunset Creek. From what Alix had seen so far only London’s safe house was a castle. She guessed it was because it was the main meeting place for the Council.
“Miss Alix,” Gordon said as they finished eating, “would you care to see Newgrange today? I know you said you needed to be there at dawn tomorrow, but I thought you might want to have a look at it first in the daylight.”
“That’s a great idea. When are we going to leave?” Alix asked.
“In a couple of hours, if that’s alright with you. It will be a bit warmer in the afternoon. Please feel free to catch up on some sleep or look around here. There are no permanent residents here like Fox Hollow so feel free to make yourself at home.”
“That’s fine. Thank you.”
Alix was feeling groggy from the late flight, so she opted for a nap. She slept for an hour then had a nice hot shower. By the time Ben came and got her she was ready. She grabbed her camera and met Gordon at the door.
The drive to Newgrange was only about twenty minutes. Today they were just there as tourists, but Gordon had arranged for them to be there before dawn the following morning, allowing them full access to the site.
They went to the visitor center, paid their entrance fee, and took the shuttle to the monument. Alix made sure she had her camera so that her parents and Shay could see what she was seeing. It was just as amazing as seeing Stonehenge, just on a slightly smaller scale. The carvings on the large outer rocks were fascinating to Alix. She wondered if they had meaning or they were simply decorative. They listened to the tour guide tell them about it. Much of what he said Alix had already learned in her research. She was most excited when they got to enter the monument. It was a stone passageway with several carvings on the walls. She walked slowly looking for any hint of what she was supposed to be finding in the morning. She didn’t see anything that looked like it was hiding a special artifact or something sacred, but tomorrow was going to be completely different.
They finished the tour, took a million pictures, and went back to the visitor center. Alix made sure to get a few souvenirs to take to everyone back in Sunset Creek. They had a few hours of daylight left so they drove to Dublin on a bit of a sightseeing tour. Alix loved everything she saw. Gordon took them to a local restaurant. It served authentic Irish food and Alix was really excited to try it since it was going to be new for her.
They really enjoyed the meal. Alix loved trying new foods. By the time they were done eating it was dark outside. She thought that Dublin was just as beautiful at night as it was during the day. It wasn’t exactly late by the time they got back to the safe house, but it had been a long day, especially with the time difference. They had to be up before dawn so she, Ben and Natalie went to bed early.
* * *
Gordon woke them up when it was still dark. Alix got dressed. Just before she left the room, she got the little cloth bag that they’d found at the cabin. She had a feeling she was going to need it. She met everyone downstairs and they drove to Newgrange. They were met at the gate by a fellow Nykara. She let them in and followed them to the monument.
When they got out Alix looked at the sky. It was just starting to get light, but she could still see the stars. That was good because it meant when the sun came up there would be no clouds to interfere. She was really excited to see what the sun was going to show her.
They made their way to the entrance of the passageway and waited. Alix knew she would be the only one to go inside this morning. She could feel that the time was getting closer. She watched the first hint of true sunlight peeked over the horizon and then as the light made its way to the tomb entrance. The moment the light hit the passageway she knew what she had to do.
Seeing the inside lit up by the natural light was amazing. Alix followed the light to the very end of the passageway. When she’d gone as far as she could go there was suddenly a brilliant flash of light, but only for a split second. She pressed her tattoo to the exact place where the bright spot had been.
As Alix held her hand there, she could feel something moving inside the rock. It was similar to the feeling when the box had risen out of the ground in Stonehenge. Whatever the object was it was almost there. It must have come from deep inside the stone. She felt something cool touch her palm and the moment she closed her hand around it she was sucked into a vision.
Once again Alix found herself standing in the middle of a field, but this time she knew she was in a special place. The energy surrounding her was amazing. She watched as a woman in a long billowy dress approached her. Alix tried to speak with her but there was no response. She tried to touch her, but her hand went right through her. As with the Stonehenge vision, she appeared to be a spectator and not an active participant, but she was still able to hear the thoughts of the woman. Alix took that to mean she had something to learn here.
The woman sat on the ground and touched her palms to the grass. When she did Alix saw that she had a colored tattoo on her palm. That meant this woman was like her and Candar. When the woman’s hands touched the grass Alix could feel a tremendous energy that surrounded the woman now. She had been drawn to this exact spot and was nowhere to find the object that had been plaguing her dreams.
The woman then placed both of her hands on the ground in front of her. She’d finally found the mysterious object. It was deep, deep underground. She gathered some energy from around her and started pulling the object from where it lay hidden. Even with this woman’s power, it was a struggle for her. The object was not just underground but deep in the Earth.
Even though Alix knew this had happened thousands of years ago she wanted to jump in and help this woman. She was using so much energy Alix was afraid the woman would pass out. She watched as the woman continued to bring the object closer to the surface. It was now just a few miles from the surface as opposed to the many hundreds of miles it had been before.
A great energy burst forth from the ground as the woman lifted her hands from the spot they had been. Sitting on top of the grass was a small oval stone. It was very smooth and appeared to be constantly changing color. The moment the woman picked it up her power increased by a hundred times. The power jolt almost sent Alix to her knees and it wasn’t even happening to her but being inside this woman’s thoughts at the moment was incredible. She set the stone back down and her power went back to normal but all of the energy she’d depleted to get the stone had been renewed. The woman tore a piece off her dress and wrapped the stone in it. This time when she touched it the stone stayed neutral and the woman’s power was normal.
As the woman stood, the scene changed. Alix was now watching the construction of the Newgrange monument. The woman was directing other Nykara on how and where to place the stones to create the large structure. Alix wondered why the woman didn’t just use the stone and do it herself, it would have only taken a few hours rather than the weeks these Nykara had worked. She got in the woman’s thoughts and saw the answer. The stone was to be kept a secret and would only appear when the need was the greatest. The woman didn’t know what or who it was meant for, but it was her job to find it and keep it safe until the one who was meant for it would find it.
The woman chose the monument to appear like a grave of a great leader of the area, so future generations wouldn’t know the true reason it was built. Only the one who was meant to find the stone would be able to figure out the true meaning and obtain the stone.
It had been created in such a manner that at
dawn on the day the cold season started the light would point to the direction of the stone. But only the special one could retrieve it. On the first one of these days after the construction was finished the woman entered the monument and waited for the light to hit the exact spot she needed. She removed it from its cloth wrapping and placed it in her palm. Once again, her power increased to incredible levels. When the light flashed on the correct spot, she touched the stone to the rock and held her palm against it. Alix could feel the stone moving through the rock and back down into the earth. It finally settled in the place it needed to be until it was to be found again.
Alix’s eyes snapped open. She looked in her hand and saw the same stone from the vision. She could also feel the amazing amount of power flowing through her. She quickly took the small bag out, now knowing what its purpose was. She took the stone and put it in the bag. Immediately her power went back to normal.
Alix put the stone in her pocket and went back to join everyone waiting for her. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been in there, but the sun was stronger suggesting that she had been a while.
“Did everything go okay in there?” Ben asked. “You were in there for over thirty minutes.”
“Yes, everything is perfect. Let’s go back to the safe house and I can explain everything. I don’t want to do it here.”
They thanked the lady who had given them private access to the monument and drove back to the safe house. When they got back, they followed Alix to the dining room. Everyone sat down, and she took the small bag out of her pocket. She opened it and let the stone fall out onto the table. She didn’t want to touch it until she needed to.
“Tell me what you see?” she asked them.
“A black stone,” Ben said.
“Natalie, do you see the same thing?” she asked.
“Yes,” she answered.
“Gordon?”
“Yes, Miss Alix, I also see a black stone.”
“Interesting. Can each of you please put the stone in your hand and see if you feel different.”
They did but the stone just felt like a stone to them.
“Okay Alix,” Ben said, “tell us what’s up.”
“This is a Power Stone. When I look at this, I see a small, smooth, oval stone that shifts colors in the light as I move it. And when I touch it increases my power by a hundred times.”
“Holy crap,” Ben said. “That’s incredible. But how do you know that?”
Alix then told them about her vision and how the woman got the stone and what it could do. She told them about the woman creating Newgrange as the place to contain the stone until it was time for her to find it.
“I think I know what I’m going to need this for,” Alix said. “You know I’ve been wondering how I was going to remove the Grynn magic from the captured Nykara, well this is how I’ll be able to do it. I won’t have to worry about where the energy will come from. This is the key to saving those Nykara.”
The four of them sat there looking at the Power Stone. Some of Alix’s worry was gone now. This was going to help her save the Nykara that were taken. But first, they had to get them back.
“Has there been any word from Lucie?” she asked.
Everyone shook their heads.
“I think we should call her,” Alix said taking out her phone. It went to voicemail. She left a message to call her back.
“What do we do now?” Ben asked.
“I think it would be a good idea to go to the Map room and check if the captured Nykara are still in the same place.”
Alix concentrated for a moment and located the room of rooms. She quickly put the stone back in the bag and put it in her pocket. They followed her to a room that looked like a bedroom. The entrance to the room of rooms was in the closet. They entered and when down the long staircase. She went straight to the brown door and entered the Map room. She zoomed in on the last place she saw the purple dots. They were no longer there.
After looking at the surrounding area she expanded the search. She finally found them. They were almost back in Paris.
“We need to get a hold of someone right now,” Alix said. “Gordon, you try Lucie, Ben you try Aleck, and I’ll try Shelley. Somehow we need to tell them that the Grynn have moved them again.”
The three of them got on the phone and made their calls. There was no answer on all three phones.
“Gordon, how easy would it be to get us to Paris?” Alix asked.
“Easy, the plane is already on standby waiting for your departure tomorrow.”
“How long would it take us to get to Paris?”
“We could be there in just over two hours if we left now,” he told her.
“Alright, let’s go. We need to see if we can get to the Nykara. We have the Stone now and they’ve been with the Grynn for almost two weeks now. That’s simply too long. I’m worried about what is happening to them. Let’s go get our bags and head to the airport. Gordon, can you call the pilot and have him make the arrangements?”
“Most certainly Miss Alix.”
They made their way back up the long staircase. They got their things together and met at the car. Gordon drove as quickly as possible to the airport. Someone would be by to get the car later. They went to the correct gate and were on the plane in no time. In less than two hours they would be in Paris and hopefully would be able to find the missing Nykara. Then it was going to be up to Alix to save them.
Chapter 13
They touched down in Paris and were met by a local Warrior. Gordon showed him on a map where they needed to be and expressed the urgency of the situation. The Warrior drove as fast as he could while talking to someone in French on the phone. Alix was wishing she’d taken French in school now instead of Spanish.
Paris whipped by them and again Alix wished she was here on vacation and not because of some emergency. They eventually left the city and headed southwest. The Warrior was familiar with the area, so he knew exactly where to go. They had been driving for about an hour when they finally took an exit that said Saint-Mesmes. The Warrior told them they were close to the area Gordon had pointed out on the map. Alix asked him to stop the car so she could get out.
She stood there feeling the sun on her face and the wind in her hair. She centered herself and took the Stone out of her pocket. She held it in her hand and could feel the power wash over her. She sent a tiny tendril of magic out to see if she could find the Nykara they were looking for. With hardly any effort she was able to sense them, and they weren’t that far away. Alix turned back to the car and motioned for everyone to join her.
“They’re close,” she told them. “They’re still all together and are being held by eight Grynn.” Then she addressed the Warrior directly. “We are going to need another vehicle to get them back to Paris. Can you contact someone and have them get here quickly?”
“Yes, Kaelneth,” he said and got back on the phone.
When he was done, she told them her plan.
“This is what we’re going to do. I’m going to give you all as much energy as you can handle and then we’re all going to cloak ourselves. As long as we are all touching, we’ll be able to see each other. We’re going to walk to the house that they’re keeping our people in. Once we get there, I need all of you to stay outside and wait for me.”
Ben started to protest but Alix silenced him.
“One person going in will have a much easier time than all of us and with the Stone, I’ll be able to take them all down before they even know what’s happening. When the Grynn are out of the picture I’ll come to get you and we’ll take care of the Nykara.”
Alix knew none of them liked her plan but in her head, she knew it was the best one. If she went in alone, she wouldn’t have to worry about any of them getting hurt like Ben did last time. She knew that the Power Stone would protect her. With the Stone in her possession, nothing was going to get passed her shield.
She touched each one of them in turn and gave them some of her energy. She wasn’
t worried about her own energy, with the Stone she would have an endless supply. They all shielded and cloaked themselves.
Alix started walking in the direction of the house in question. It was quite a walk, but she didn’t want to risk the Grynn noticing a vehicle approach. She had her magic set to alert her if she came across any magical Grynn traps. By the time they were close enough to see the house, she hadn’t found anything Grynn related. She figured they were too arrogant to think that anyone could find them much less sneak up on them.
“Okay,” Alix whispered, “I’m going to go closer and assess the situation. Once I know where everyone is, I’ll enter and take care of the Grynn. When you see me come back out that’s your signal to come in.”
She started to walk away when Ben stopped her.
“You know I don’t like you going off by yourself. I’m supposed to be there with you,” he told her.
“I know, but I can’t stand the thought of anything happening to you. Last time was enough, I’m not going to let you get hurt if I can stop it. Besides, I have the Power Stone this time, I’ll be just fine.”
Ben grabbed her and hugged her. “You come back to me,” he whispered in her ear.
Alix nodded and started walking toward the house. When she got within touching distance, she used her magic to ‘see’ inside. The Nykara appeared to be on the floor in the living room and the Grynn were scattered throughout the house. That was good because it meant she didn’t have to attack all of them at once.
She figured surprise was the best option, so she gently tried the front door. It was locked but it only took seconds for her to move the inner locking mechanism to make it open. She turned the handle and threw the door open. She was still cloaked so all the three Grynn in the living room could see was that the door opened.
The first thing she did was create a protective shield over the four Nykara laying on the floor. Then she hit each of the Grynn with an energy ball that rendered them unconscious. The noise attracted the other Grynn, but since they were all in different parts of the house, they came one at a time and Alix got them all. She quickly bound them with magic but knew they would be out for hours. She dropped her cloak and went back to the door to signal the others that it was safe to come inside.
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