Levels of Ascension BoxSet

by Amy Proebstel

  Riccan leaned into her chest and found he did not mind consoling her at all. In fact, he was starting to get other ideas the longer she remained so close. His hand began to rub her side and travel upward. He grinned devilishly and began kissing on her neck.

  Amanda wanted to continue, however, dinner was not going to take care of itself. She leaned back and said, “I’ve got to go check on the food. I’m sure the potatoes are probably done.” She stood up and sauntered from the room. She knew Riccan was enjoying the view as she swayed her hips. Amanda looked back over her shoulder and asked, “Are you going to help with dinner?”

  Riccan sighed with disappointment at his failed attempt to be amorous and answered, “We could forget about dinner and go upstairs.”

  “What would my parents say if there weren’t any food for Thanksgiving dinner, Riccan?”

  “I could always whip something up in an instant,” he offered, hoping he might convince her to change her mind.

  “Sorry, Charlie. I’ve put way too much effort into this dinner to let it burn. Besides, don’t they say abstinence makes the heart grow fonder?” Amanda smiled coyly.

  “I don’t think it’s abstinence, my dear,” he said as he crossed the room until he was standing directly behind her. “It’s absence, and I don’t plan on having that, either.”

  “There’ll be time later tonight for your tryst. Come help with dinner. My parents will be here before you know it,” she said as she took his hand in hers and led him from the room.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Just as dinner was ready, Riccan casually announced, “I asked my parents if they’d come to dinner tonight. I hope you don’t mind.”

  Amanda stared at Riccan for a moment before she answered, “I didn’t even think to ask them, Riccan. I’m so sorry. It was terribly thoughtless of me. I was so concerned about everything being perfect for my parents since this is the first Thanksgiving since I came out of my coma. Of course it’s okay for them to come, too. I’ve made enough food for an army. I just hope it tastes as good as it smells.”

  Riccan was relieved to hear his wife was not upset with an addition of two to dinner. He really should have discussed it with her before asking. Besides, Thanksgiving was not a holiday celebrated in Tuala.

  “Where will they park, Riccan?” Amanda suddenly asked.

  “I programmed the third bay into their telepod,” he answered offhandedly.

  “What time are they coming?”

  He looked at his wristwatch and said, “They should be here any minute, actually. I told them to arrive at the same time as your parents, but they are notoriously early.”

  Amanda kissed her husband on the cheek and said, “Good, you can wait downstairs for everyone while I go and freshen up.”

  When Amanda came back downstairs, Daven and Nena had already arrived. She gave both of them a hug and welcomed them to the house. They were moving to the living room to sit down to talk when the front doorbell rang. Amanda started to turn to answer the door when both Jena and Juila rushed down the stairs.

  “We’ll get it, Mom,” Juila called over when she saw her mom turn.

  “Thanks,” Amanda called back.

  Diane and Chris greeted the twins with hugs and the four of them came together through the foyer toward the living room. Amanda’s parents had been so consumed with their conversation with the girls that they had failed to notice the addition of Riccan’s parents until they were fully into the living room.

  “Oh,” Diane exclaimed as she looked away from Juila and saw the other guests.

  “Diane and Chris,” Riccan said as he looked from them to his own parents, “I’d like to introduce you both to my parents, Daven and Nena.”

  Chris was the first to move forward and offer his hand to Daven to shake. “I’m so pleased to finally get to meet the two of you. I have so many questions…”

  “Dad!” Amanda warned. “Please don’t barrage them with questions now.”

  “No, you’re right, Amanda. I’ll wait until after dinner, at least,” he said with a huge grin.

  Everyone in the room laughed and yet Amanda was certain he was not joking. On more than one occasion, her father had wanted her to tell him more about Tuala and its people. Now he had the chance to ask questions under the guise of getting to know Riccan’s parents. She was sure he would find a way to take advantage of the opportunity.

  Dinner was uneventful, much to Amanda’s relief. The food had been served, praised, and then consumed with voracity. Conversation was kept to small talk throughout the meal. As everyone had finished eating, they decided to retire to the living room to be able to chat in comfort.

  Naturally, Chris found a way to corner Daven to ask him all about his life as an Elder. Diane and Nena paired off and decided to walk the garden paths. Jena and Juila opted to tag along with their grandmothers.

  Amanda walked over to Riccan’s side and put her arm around his waist so she could lean against him. “I think the evening has been a success. Wouldn’t you say so, too?”

  “Yes, Amanda,” he said as he kissed the top of her head tenderly. He tipped his head toward their fathers and asked, “He’s going to be a while with this, isn’t he?”

  “You have no idea! Come on,” Amanda chuckled and tugged Riccan along so they could take a seat on the couch. She wanted to be near her father to make sure he did not monopolize too much of Daven’s time. For now, Daven appeared to appreciate the rapt attention. Amanda wanted to be ready to intervene when the time came.

  Eventually the evening came to a close when there was one final surprise. Chris had been in deep discussion with Elder Daven when Chris said, “I wish there were some way we could be of more help with Amanda and Riccan’s quest.”

  “Didn’t Riccan tell you?” Daven asked with amazement. He looked abruptly over at his son who was sitting on the couch with Amanda across the room.

  “Tell me what?” Chris asked with obvious confusion.

  “Riccan has an e-commerce business dedicated to building a bridge between Tuala and Earth.”

  “What’s it called and how does it help?”

  Daven chuckled and said, “It’s called TualaShop.com. The products on the store are for people from Earth to buy and wear so the people of Tuala will know they are safe to approach for help. If you get the tree of life pendant and wear it, then you might be able to assist a Tualan in trouble.”

  “How could wearing a pendant help?”

  “Riccan has used elemy to infuse the pendants with something like a homing beacon for people from Tuala. You wouldn’t notice the signal, but we definitely would,” Daven said as he waved his hand to indicate all of the Tualans in the room. “When we see the tree of life pendant, whether it’s on a necklace, bracelet, earrings, or even a design on a shirt, our attention is drawn first to the design and then to the power. It would be enough of an introduction to allow us to approach you for assistance.”

  Chris turned to Riccan and said, “That’s very clever, Riccan. How long have you been working on this project?”

  “I’ve been selling the items for the last ten years, but the invention of the internet has really increased my scaling across the world,” Riccan replied modestly.

  Amanda stared at her husband. She would have thought this income stream would have come up in the past. She had no idea he was even involved in e-commerce. She wondered what other things she had yet to discover about her husband.

  A moment later, Riccan extended his hand out to Chris. He had used his telepathy to pick up some samples from his office to give to Amanda’s parents.

  Chris accepted the two items with delight. He discovered one was a leather bracelet and the other was a necklace. He handed the bracelet to Diane as she had come over to sit next to him. He watched as she put it on and admired how it looked. She took the necklace from him, opened the clasp, and then put it around his neck.

  Chris looked down on the silver pendant. He lifted his hand and touched the delicate design. Already, he
felt like he was becoming part of the team effort. He smiled up at Riccan and said, “Thank you for giving us these. We’ll do everything we can for anyone who comes to us.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  AMANDA TAPPED IN the location of the Port of Cresdon on the plascreen. She was so thankful her husband was brilliant enough to program the telepod to navigate to the common local areas in Tuala so she would not have to solely rely on her ability to visualize the coordinates. She was still not very confident in her ability to get it right and she had no desire to be lost between the realms forever.

  With the press of another button she was on her way to see Barla, she hoped. This trip was going to be her most difficult yet since Barla had no idea she had a niece who was going to stop by her house. She desperately wished her mother could have come along with her, but it just was not possible with the loss of memory through the veil for people from Earth. Unless, or until, her mother received a birth crystal, this was not going to be an option for her.

  Bright sunlight poured in the windows of the telepod as she reappeared over the landing area some distance from the town proper. As she looked down, she was again impressed by how accurate her dreams had been when it came to Tuala. The landing area was identical to the one Bryon had landed at in her vision.

  She set the telepod on the grass and powered down. She pressed the button to open the side door and felt the rush of sea air enter the cabin. Unconsciously, she took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves at what she was about to embark upon.

  Not only was she going to introduce herself to her aunt, she was going to evaluate whether or not Barla was willing to be an owner of a samara. She also had the unpleasant task of letting Barla know she was not going to be able to see her daughter confirmed as Elder Wilken’s successor. Now she wished she had told Rasa to break the news herself.

  Without any further excuses for delay, Amanda left the telepod and cloaked it with the touch of a button on her remote. She followed the same path she had taken with Barla in her dream. Nothing was any different. She walked slowly and enjoyed the scenery and the grand houses which were coming closer with each step she took.

  Only a few minutes had passed until Amanda found herself outside the picket fence surrounding the house of her aunt. She stepped along the path and went up the main staircase leading to the front door. As she raised her hand to knock, she noticed her hand was shaking. Her knuckles rapped on the painted wood surface and then she waited. Amanda was about to turn to leave when the door opened.

  “May I help you,” Barla asked the pretty stranger at the doorstep. She could not help but stare at the girl who looked so much like another person she had once known. The resemblance was uncanny. Her thoughts so distracted her that she almost missed the woman’s introduction of herself.

  “You don’t know me, but my name is Amanda Stel. If you have a few minutes, I’d like to speak with you.” Amanda wanted to say so much more, yet forced herself to close her mouth and allow Barla to decide what she would do.

  “Amanda! Dear me! I’d hoped to see you and yet I never imagined it would be so soon. Please, come in!” Barla stood to the side as she held the door open and gestured for Amanda to enter the house.

  Amanda stepped across the threshold and waited for Barla to close the door. She followed the older woman down the hall and into the grand living room. Again, it looked the same as she remembered. She smiled at Barla, took the offered seat, and dropped her handbag to the floor beside the chair. When she looked up at Barla, she noticed for the first time, the birth crystal swinging from its ornate chain around her neck. Just as she had seen on the samara, the crystals were a vibrant blue color.

  “Can I get you anything? Water? Tea? Java?” Barla asked with a flustered tone.

  “No, Barla, I don’t need anything. Please sit so we can talk.”

  “Okay,” Barla said as she sat in the chair across from Amanda. As she looked at the young woman, she was surprised to notice she looked very similar to her own daughter. She waited for Amanda to speak.

  “Like I said, you don’t know me. I have something to discuss with you. First, however, I have a message for you from Rasa. She wanted me to tell you no family will be allowed at the succession meeting with the Elders. She was very sorry you’d not be included.”

  “Oh, that is too bad. Ahn and I really wanted to be able to attend. How do you know Rasa?”

  “It’s complicated. Are we alone in the house?” Amanda suddenly realized their upcoming conversation was not one which should be overheard by anyone.

  “Yes, actually, we are,” Barla answered. She was not sure she liked having just admitted such a thing to a stranger. Granted, Jehoban had instructed them all to help Amanda. She trusted His judgment more than her own.

  “Good because what I have to talk to you about is a very delicate subject. I have a message for you from your family on Earth.”

  Barla was more stunned than she would have thought possible. This was the last thing she had ever expected to hear, least of all from Amanda. She was supposed to be on a mission for Jehoban and yet here she was talking about her past on Earth.

  “I know this seems to be coming out of the blue. Jehoban has assured me of the truth of what I’m going to share with you. Will you trust Him as a credible source in this?”

  Barla hurriedly answered, “Of course. Please tell me what you know. I will believe you.”

  Amanda nodded and stared at Barla for a moment before she said, “You are my aunt. My mother, Diane Silnack, is your sister.”

  Stunned, Barla sat back in her chair and simply stared at Amanda. It made sense now for Amanda to look so much like Rasa. They were first cousins. As the realization of Amanda’s statement dawned in her mind she could not help but smile. Tears of joy began to fall from her eyes as she leaned forward and held out her arms to embrace her niece for the first time.

  Amanda smiled as she slipped out of her chair and onto her knees in front of her aunt. Her own tears were falling as she put her arms around her aunt’s waist. She felt the woman’s arms wrap around her shoulders and draw her close into the hug. Amanda had to smile as she realized how much more satisfying this hug was to the one she remembered from her dream while in the coma. This meeting had gone so much better than anything she could have imagined.

  After a few minutes, Amanda pulled back and felt Barla’s arms release her. She backed up and reclaimed her seat. “Rasa told me you finally received your birth crystal. It looks beautiful on you.”

  Barla’s hand went up and touched the prized pendant and she said, “Rasa told me you asked Jehoban to give it to me. At the time, I could not imagine what would possess you to do such a thing. Now it seems to make more sense.”

  Amanda smiled at Barla’s admission. She was so glad she had thought to ask for it to be done. She asked, “How far have you progressed with your crystal lessons?”

  With a bit of pride, Barla replied, “I’ve become proficient through level seventeen.”

  Amanda’s eyes widened at Barla’s progress. She could see a newfound confidence in her aunt from what she recalled from her dream. “You do realize now you are able to travel to Earth without fear of losing your memory of here?”

  “What? No, I hadn’t even considered that aspect. I can’t even imagine going back now. I had made my life here in Tuala with Ahn and I resolved myself to never seeing Earth again. I’ll have to put some thought into it. I must admit, the idea of it scares me.”

  “I know the feeling!” Amanda chuckled with understanding.

  Barla wanted to turn the conversation back to Amanda and asked, “What can you tell me about my family? Are they all well? Did Mom remarry? How about Dad? Saul?”

  “In order: no, Grandma Silnack has never remarried and she lives in Oregon now. Grandpa Silnack died at the age of sixty-six in California. Uncle Saul lives with Grandma Silnack and has never married. My mom married Chris Covington, moved to Florida, and had three daughters. My sisters are named Car
rie and Deanna. They are both married and have two daughters of their own. I have two daughters whom you have already met named Jena and Juila.”

  “I still can’t believe those two girls are your children. I always felt a close kinship to them and now I know it’s because they were my great-nieces. This is just so coincidental. It’s hard to even imagine, don’t you think?” Barla sat in her chair shaking her head at how everything had worked out.

  Barla had a moment of sadness to hear of her father’s passing and yet she was also relieved for her mother’s sake to have him be gone. He had not been a pleasant man, nor was he easy to get along with. She was grateful for her brother living with their mother. Now she would not have to worry about either of them anymore.

  “I somehow doubt coincidence has played any part in this. Jehoban seems to have His hands quite a bit in this whole matter.”

  Barla nodded in agreement.

  “Would you mind if I called you Aunt Barla?”

  “It would be my pleasure.”

  “I’d love to talk about our family more, but I’ve actually come for another matter entirely.”

  “What is it, Amanda?” Barla leaned forward in anticipation.

  “Think carefully about when you came to the front door. Did you notice anything different or slightly strange?”

  Barla scratched the back of her neck as she considered Amanda’s question. Since she thought about it more, there was something. “Yes, I felt a tingling sensation almost like when I pull elemy from the earth. Is that what you mean?”

  “Yes, exactly what I mean.” She leaned over and picked up her handbag. “I’d like to show you something. I can’t leave it with you, but I want to find out if it ultimately will belong to you. Will you promise to let me take it back with me when I leave?”

  With a furrowed brow, Barla could not imagine not allowing her to take back whatever she had brought with her. “Of course you can take it back. It’s yours, after all.”