Levels of Ascension BoxSet

by Amy Proebstel

  “I hope you don’t mind,” Nena said as an afterthought.

  “Not at all! I quite prefer serving myself,” Chelesa reassured.

  The next several minutes passed as they poured tea, added sugar, stirred, and served themselves dainty cakes onto their saucers. Just the ritual of it all seemed to calm both women and they grinned at one another over the rims of their cups.

  Both began to speak at once…

  “I’m glad you came,” Nena began.

  “What did you want to discuss…,” Chelesa sputtered to a stop and then took a nervous sip of her tea to cover the awkward moment.

  Nena chuckled and said, “I guess it’s been a while since either of us has been able to entertain on a casual basis! I understand congratulations are in order for your elevation to wise-woman status.”

  “Yes, thank you. It all happened so unexpectedly, but I’m glad nonetheless.”

  Such a perfect opening could not have been better planned as Nena spoke next, “Yes. I had heard you’d had some trouble in your district which led you to leave for a time.”

  “How did you hear about that?” Chelesa asked with alarm.

  Nena shook her head and replied, “Not in the way you’re thinking, I’m sure! Amanda wrote about it in her journal.”

  Now it was Chelesa’s turn to be confused and tipped her head slightly as she asked, “Can you explain? Are you talking about your first-daughter Amanda?”

  “Yes. Remember when we met with Jehoban and He said she would know strange details?”

  “Yes…” Chelesa said slowly. She had no idea her life would be part of the story.

  “Well, Amanda gave a detailed description of you being at the park and in the marketplace where you had altercations with several men. Is this correct?

  “Yes, but how would Amanda know? She wasn’t even there!”

  “I understand your confusion, believe me! The exact details, I’m sure, are not accurate, but the gist of the story fits perfectly. Those altercations were the precursor for you leaving town and going to school, right?”

  “Yes, but I don’t understand what significance it would have for Amanda. Do you have any ideas?”

  “No, not yet. I was hoping we could work on the puzzle together. I can’t help but think that everything Amanda learned about the people from Tuala is important for all of our futures. Does it sound like something with which you’d like to help me?”

  “Absolutely! I think it would be fascinating to see Amanda’s perspective on what I’ve already lived through. Maybe she’ll even have some answers for us like what motivation those men had for terrorizing my family.” Chelesa shuddered as she recalled how shaken she had been by the events in her not-so-distant past. It would be a relief to finally put an end to that chapter of her life.

  “I just thought of the idea so I’m going to have to ask Amanda for permission to share her journal. I’m sure she’ll say it’s fine, but, you know…”

  “Of course! I understand completely. You can find out for sure and then send it to me or I can come over and we can review it together.” Chelesa picked up the dainty cake from her saucer and plopped it into her mouth. “Mmm,” she hummed in appreciation of the wonderful flavors of chocolate, strawberries, and steena melded perfectly together.

  “These are my favorite as well,” Nena agreed as she picked up an identical one to taste for herself. She enjoyed her cake as much as she enjoyed her company. She knew together they would be able to cover much more of Amanda’s memories. Maybe they would even uncover the truth of the dreams.

  As soon as they were done with their tea and pastries, Nena excused herself to send a message to Riccan asking about the use of Amanda’s journal. She hated to leave her guest, but Chelesa had assured her it was no bother. Her message was brief and to the point, she hit send and turned off the screen of the patil. She returned to the great room to find Chelesa standing in front of the floor to ceiling windows admiring the view.

  “Would you like a tour of the grounds?”

  Chelesa turned to her and smiled, “I’d love it!”

  Nena led the way out onto the broad patio and down the stone stairs. Her mind was only half focused on telling Chelesa the details about their Residence. She hoped to have an answer from Riccan before it was time for Chelesa to leave. For some reason, she just knew it was her task to find clues from Amanda’s journal to lead them to find more of the missing samaras.

  Chapter Eight

  RICCAN JUST TOUCHED down in the landing area at the Port of Cresdon and was preparing to shut down his telepod when a red light lit up on the display monitor. Immediately he thought there was a malfunction until he realized it was the indicator for an incoming message on his personal patil. He made a mental note to change the indicator light to an alternate color to minimize any confusion regarding the airworthiness of his aircraft. It would not do to begin to ignore a red light because he thought it was a message he could read later when it could possibly be a malfunction instead.

  He touched the screen and the message opened immediately. It was a little unusual to receive a personal message from his mother and he was at once both alarmed and intrigued. His mom usually had his dad send him a message or waited for him to visit in person. The brevity of the message was also a bit strange, but he figured she had just been in a hurry.

  Without knowing the answer to her request, he was unable to reply. He finished his telepod’s shutdown procedures and palmed the exterior door open. When he exited his craft he grinned at how closely he had landed next to his wife’s telepod. Even though he was coming unannounced, there was no way Amanda could leave the port town without noticing his own bright red telepod. If nothing else, she would wait in the landing field until he returned, should he not find her at Captain Ahn and Barla’s house.

  He stepped off of the ramp and palmed the door closed using the exterior control. After glancing around the area and not seeing anybody, he turned down the path he knew would take him to his destination. Walking swiftly, Riccan could feel his mood improving with every step closer to his life mate.

  He turned into the garden lane and up the stairs to the grand house of the Harbor Master. After three brisk knocks on the front door, Riccan waited in anticipation of surprising his wife. He did not count on Amanda actually answering the knock and could not refrain from grinning like a fool when he saw how happy she was to see him.

  Amanda almost knocked Riccan over when she enthusiastically hugged him and then abruptly pulled him over the threshold and immediately shut the door behind him. “I’m glad you’re here,” she said in a whisper and her expression turned serious.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Vinia just got home from the market and told Barla that Petre MacVeen saw her and called out for her. She’s terrified, but I haven’t found out why just yet. She’s been crying the whole time and I don’t think she’s even noticed my being here yet.” Amanda grabbed his hand and pulled him down the hallway and into the family room.

  Barla looked up from where she was sitting with Vinia and then smiled with relief when she recognized Riccan. She felt better knowing there was a man in the house since her husband was still stuck at work. “Your timing is impeccable, Riccan. Please take a seat. Can I get you anything?”

  “No, please don’t worry about me. Amanda just told me Vinia was confronted by Petre. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Maybe,” Barla answered noncommittally. She turned her focus back to Vinia whose hands she still held in her own. “You’re safe with us, Vinia. Please don’t be afraid.”

  “If it’s any help, I didn’t see Petre anywhere around here while I was walking from the landing field,” Riccan added helpfully. “I can take a walk and look some more if it would make you feel better.”

  Vinia would not even look up from her lap as she slowly shook her head. She spoke quietly as she answered, “I’ll be fine in a few minutes. I just never thought I’d have to see him again after what he put me throug
h. I overreacted and now I’ve caused all of this fuss. I’m sorry, Barla. Please forgive me.”

  “There now, there’s nothing to forgive. It’s completely understandable that you’d be shaken after…” Barla’s voice faltered and left her sentence unfinished.

  While Riccan had briefly seen Vinia at Neal’s house, he never really had a chance to get more than a glance at her. When she raised her head and looked Riccan full in the face, he gasped as he realized just how much she looked like Amanda. The resemblance was remarkable. They could almost be twin sisters except Vinia was at least ten anons older than Amanda.

  Amanda had the exact realization at the same time. She was ashamed to not have seen it before when they had asked for her assistance in getting Neal home. Their sole focus had been on Neal and they had utterly ignored her. If they would have taken even a moment of time to talk with her, they may have seen the resemblance before.

  Barla recognized their expressions and interjected, “There is a strong resemblance, you must admit.”

  “I’ll say,” Amanda agreed readily.

  Vinia shifted her gaze to Amanda for the first time since she had come in from the market. When she had initially arrived at the house she had been too upset to even notice there was someone else visiting with Barla. Her eyes got wide as she saw Amanda. When she had come to her house to get Neal, she had been behind Riccan and she had never seen her face. Now she could do nothing but stare unashamedly at her doppelganger.

  “Who are you?” Vinia managed to ask Amanda.

  “I’m sorry, Vinia. I should have spoken to you when we brought Neal home. My name is Amanda Stel. This is my husband, Riccan. I really want to thank you for assisting us in getting Neal home to his parents. They have been sick with worry for him all of these anons.”

  “Neal? Did he do something dishonorable? Why isn’t he called Nealan anymore?”

  “It has nothing to do with honor, Vinia. We don’t use the same naming convention on Earth as they do here on Tuala. His real name is Nealand, but everyone calls him Neal.”

  “Oh,” Vinia said plainly. She was glad to hear he had not been shamed for being gone for so long. “How is he doing?”

  “He’s over his addiction to resh, which is a blessing. However, he’s not doing so well mentally since he doesn’t recall anything from the time he spent on Tuala,” Amanda answered quietly. Another wave of guilt washed over her for not trying to help Neal more since dropping him off at his parents’ house. The sheer number of unanswered phone calls told her more than enough about how he was faring.

  “He doesn’t remember me?”

  Amanda could not help but see the pain in Vinia’s eyes. She leaned forward and touched Vinia’s arm and said, “Give him time. It’s only been a couple of days.”

  Vinia closed her eyes and nodded sharply. Her fantasies of going and being with Nealan and having him keep her safe from Petre evaporated. She felt more isolated and alone than ever. “Do you think he’ll ever come back here?”

  “I really don’t know, Vinia. I’m sorry.”

  Vinia nodded dejectedly and looked down at her hands in her lap as she processed this new information. She was feeling as though everything she loved she ended up losing to Earth. Another thought struck her mind and she asked, “Do you think you could take me to see him on Earth?”

  Amanda looked swiftly at Riccan, asking his opinion with her eyes rather than speaking it out loud. She saw him lift his shoulder and eyebrow at the same time. She looked back over to Vinia and said, “It’s commonly discouraged to allow people from Tuala to go to Earth, but I think we could probably arrange something as long as you agreed to not talk about it here in Tuala.”

  “Who would I talk to who doesn’t already know about it? I don’t have any other friends other than Captain Ahn, Barla, Bryon, and Alena. I’m fairly certain they all know about Earth since they seem to know you and Riccan so well.”

  “You do have a point. I had to make sure you understand how much trouble you could get in with the Elders if they knew you were planning to go through an Ascension Gate. What would happen with your daughter if something were to happen to you?”

  Vinia glanced over to Barla and asked, “Would you take care of Danika for me?”

  “You don’t even have to ask, Vinia. Of course I’d raise her as though she were my own child. Good grief, I’ve already raised more children than I can count. I would be honored to have Danika.” Barla patted Vinia’s hand for reassurance.

  “When can we go?” Vinia pressed.

  Amanda sputtered for an answer.

  Riccan decided to take over the conversation by saying, “We’d have many details to take care of before you could come. It might be a couple of weeks. First we’d have to make sure Neal is stable enough to have you visit. We don’t want to give him too many shocks too fast.”

  “No, of course not. Just knowing you’re willing to take me to him will be enough for now. At least I know there will be an opportunity to see him again; unlike with my other children.”

  “What other children?” Riccan asked.

  “Last anon my three children were in danger and I had to send them away to keep them safe.”

  “You’re not in danger anymore, are you? Your children could come and live here with you,” Amanda said reasonably.

  “Not with Petre hanging around here. Besides, I have no idea how to find them.”

  Amanda shook her head in confusion and said, “I don’t understand. Where did you send them?”

  Barla leaned forward to hear what Vinia would say. She had been dying to ask her about where her other children were, but it never seemed the right time.

  Vinia seemed to falter and then looked up sadly at Barla, “I went back to the Roanoke Colony and lived in my childhood home. Everything was peaceful for about seven anons and then everything seemed to fall apart. You remember how sickly Jon always was, right Barla?”

  “Yes, he was the last one born and the birth cord was around his neck. We were all afraid he wouldn’t make it. I thought he was getting stronger.”

  “Alena was great with her healing skills. He was doing fine until fall and winter came around. The weather where we were was much more severe and he was sick a lot of the time. Grobin, the leader of the colony, did not trust the wise-women so it was really hard for me to get help for him when he needed it. Then spring would arrive and he would get better so I thought I was overreacting.

  “Anyway, like I said, life was pretty good other than Jon’s reoccurring sickness. I only wished the children could have had some friends. Again, Grobin was responsible for their lack. He always spoke against my children because of my father being an outsider from the community. He also held against them the fact that he didn’t know who their father was either.

  “We kept to ourselves and I loved the time I got to spend with my children. Everything changed one day when two things happened. First, the weather had changed and Jon fell ill again. He was way worse than he had ever been before and I begged Grobin to get him some help from a wise-woman. Grobin came over to our house and said Jon was too far gone to waste the wise-woman’s time. He said it would be better for the whole colony if Jon were to die and he said there were too many men in the colony as it was.”

  Barla hissed in anger. She could well imagine what she would have done to Grobin if he made the mistake of saying the same thing in front of her about her children.

  Amanda was speechless. She looked over at Riccan to see how he was reacting. She could see his eyes narrow in anger, but he also shook his head slightly as though he were not surprised.

  Vinia continued, “The second terrible thing happened later the same day. I overheard Grobin telling one of his cronies about him planning on taking my seven anon old daughter to be his wife. His friend told him she was too young, but Grobin just laughed and said it would be more exciting that way. Obviously, I had to send them all away. I didn’t dare separate them since they were all they had and they needed to work toge
ther to keep Jon safe.

  “Wise-woman Copa had seen Jon the anon before and she had had a vision of this time coming. She left me a special object and gave me instructions on how to use it. She said when the time was right, I was to take the children to a particular place in the woods, say a special phrase, and then the children would go somewhere safe.” Her shoulders began to shake and tears were cascading down her cheeks as she forced herself to finish the tale. “I watched my children disappear right in front of me. I have no idea where they are or how to get them back.”

  Amanda was starting to have an odd feeling overcome her as she asked, “What are your children’s names?”

  “Behn, Valentina, and Jon,” she whispered.

  Amanda gasped and turned to Riccan. “It can’t be a coincidence, can it?”

  “What is it, Amanda?” Barla asked immediately.

  “Our daughters are friends with a set of triplets by those names. We went to a small village in the Roanoke Colony where the kids found the home they remembered living in. What doesn’t make sense, though, is that you said you sent them away last anon and they were only seven anons old. The triplets, however, are sixteen anons old.”

  Vinia looked alarmed at this turn of events. She had always carried the idea of getting her children back once she got her life back on track, but she never really believed she would miss all of their growing up.

  Riccan spoke into the silence, “Did the special object Copa gave you look like a crystal skull?”

  “Yes. Have you seen it then?”

  “Yes.” Riccan hastily thought about what could have happened and could only come up with one conclusion, “I think I know what happened.”

  “What?” Vinia, Barla, and Amanda spoke in unison.