“What’s going on?” Amanda asked as she walked into the living room.
“We thought we’d continue their crystal lessons here since we’re done with our school work. It’s easier here since we don’t have to worry about anyone walking in on us,” Juila stated matter-of-factly.
“Is Dad home yet?” Jena asked.
“Yeah, he’s taking a shower while I create a meal for him.”
Jena looked at the empty kitchen and realized her mother had said creating and not cooking and raised her eyebrows in approval. “Do you need any help?”
“I wish I could take you up on your offer, but I told your father I’d do it. I have to prove it now. Do you recall the special seasoning he likes in his gravy?”
“Won’t that still be cheating if I tell you?”
“No. I still have to create it, after all.” Amanda crossed her arms and tried to look stern.
Jena laughed.
Juila called out from the living room couch, “It’s a dash of cinnamon, Mom. Jena, let’s get started.”
“Thanks, Juila,” Amanda called back and smiled at Jena smugly.
“Yeah, thanks, Juila,” Jena said sarcastically as she turned around and walked back to the living room.
Amanda resumed her seat at the kitchen island and re-visualized the entire recipe, including the cinnamon. Satisfied she would get it right, she turned in the chair and watched the kids practice their own skills. She was amazed at how speedily Behn and Valentina had picked up the crystal lessons.
Remembering her promise to talk to the kids about their mother, she hopped off of the stool and wandered over in their direction. She could still hear the shower running upstairs so she knew she would have a few minutes more before Riccan would be ready to eat. She did not want the kids to feel pressured to make a quick decision so now might be the best time.
She sat down on the edge of the chair across from all of the kids and cleared her throat. Once everyone was looking at her she asked, “Did you mention once that you thought I looked like your mother?”
Valentina frowned slightly and playfully hit her brother on the shoulder. “So much for being subtle, Behn. I knew she’d heard your comment.”
“I couldn’t help it, she caught me off guard when we saw her the first time. You have to agree she does look like Mom.”
Valentina turned her head away from Behn and nodded back at Amanda as she replied, “You do look an awful lot like we remember her looking. I don’t know how to explain it, especially since she lives on a different world.”
“What is her name?”
“Vinia,” Behn piped in. He wondered why Mrs. Stel was suddenly interested in their mother. “Why do you ask?”
Amanda nodded as she confirmed the last piece of information she needed to be certain these were her kids. “I think I found your mom in Tuala. There’s a slight problem, though.”
“What? Really? What problem could there be?” Behn asked as he leaned forward anxiously. Even as he asked the last question, he wondered if their mother did not want to see them or maybe she had died. He almost did not want to hear the answer. He looked over to Valentina to see how she was reacting to Mrs. Stel’s statement.
Valentina’s eyes were fixed on Mrs. Stel’s face. She barely breathed as she waited for her to answer her brother’s questions.
Amanda was not entirely sure how to tell them the news she had to share. “I spoke with a woman named Vinia who told me how she sent her three children to Earth to keep them safe. She said the two boys and one girl were almost eight and their names matched your own.”
“So what’s the problem?” Valentina questioned with a confused expression.
“The problem is that she said it happened just over one year ago. Her children would be nine years old now.”
Valentina looked crestfallen. This could not be their mother after all. Her shoulders sagged and she leaned back against the couch and hugged herself. “So she’s not our mom after all.”
“On the contrary, I believe she is your mother.” Amanda tried to put extra reassurance in her voice.
“But how? We’ve been here for eight years,” Behn reasoned.
Amanda took another breath to organize her answer. “You said your mom had held one of the crystal skulls on your walk through the woods. It stands to reason that she was unable to control the shift across the veil when she sent you to Earth. Because she didn’t know any different and because she was using an unsanctioned gate, she had no idea she would be sending you back in time as well as across the veil.
“From what she shared with me, she had no idea you were even on Earth. Once the three of you disappeared, she was unable to…” Amanda realized she almost shared the secret of the pendants and had to hurriedly say something else. “She had no idea where you went or how to get you back.”
“Get us back? She wants us back now?” Valentina stood up angrily. “What, did she suddenly realize we were important now that we’re almost grown up?”
“It’s not like that, Valentina. Your mother sent you away to keep you safe. She never expected you to stay gone and, remember, it’s only been a year for her. She was shocked to find out so much time had passed for you.”
“You told her about us?” Valentina accused with narrowed eyes.
“Calm down, Val. Let Mrs. Stel tell us what happened,” Behn spoke quietly as he reached up to touch his sister’s arm gently.
“I wouldn’t have mentioned the three of you except you had expressed an interest in finding her one day,” Amanda spoke guiltily. She was beginning to regret even bringing the subject at all.
“It’s true,” Behn spoke to Amanda but kept his face turned to his sister, “we do want to find our mom. Do you think we could meet her?”
“Behn! Are you serious? She abandoned us when she sent us away to another world! Now you suddenly have a burning desire to meet her?”
“She didn’t abandon us, she was trying to save us! Besides, Mrs. Stel said it’s only been a year for her and she had no way of knowing where we’d been sent.”
“I don’t want any part of this. I think it’s time we went home, Behn.” Valentina stood up and refused to look at anyone in the room as she marched into the foyer and out the front door.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Stel. She doesn’t mean what she just said. When she cools down and thinks it over, she’ll change her mind. Please don’t tell this Vinia of yours anything yet.”
“No. I won’t. I told her I’d talk it over with you before any meeting would be arranged. She knows you’ve had a happy life with your family and she doesn’t want to interfere in your lives. She loves you and misses you, please know that much.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Stel.” He stood up and turned to Juila and said, “I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” He began to leave when Juila spoke.
“Can you call me tonight and let me know what Jon found out about Sofia? He was still talking on the phone with her when we left your house.”
“Sure. I gotta go.” He rushed to catch up with his sister before she could get any angrier. He knew her temper and the sooner he could calm her down, the better his position would be in getting her to agree to meet this woman. Besides, if she were not their mother then they would have lost nothing.
Amanda looked over at her daughters and said in a rueful tone, “That went great, huh?”
“It’ll be fine, Mom. I read Valentina’s mind and she was just scared.” Seeing her mother about to take her to task for invading the girl’s privacy Juila rapidly added, “I think Dad’s going to be ready for dinner in a minute.”
“We’re going to talk about this again, Juila,” Amanda warned even as she realized the shower could no longer be heard. She walked into the kitchen and held onto the countertop to focus her thoughts of controlling the elemy to create the requested dinner. To her satisfaction, a plate of exactly what she had wanted appeared on the counter in front of her.
“Very nicely done, Amanda,” Riccan said with pride.
Amanda jumped in surprise. She had not heard him come down the stairs; however, she was pleased to know he had seen her achieve what she had desired. She smiled at him smugly and said, “Bon appétit!”
Chapter Eighteen
WILLIAN SAT STRAPPED to the pilot’s seat in the telepod and realized he was scared to take the next step. Sure, he had practiced flying on short trips to visit friends. He had always felt so important when anyone saw him arrive at his destination. Today was different. He was flying to an unfamiliar location on a different continent. Not only that, he was going to be a guest of an Elder he barely knew for an undisclosed amount of time.
One thing for which he was thankful was that his mother had been called away on an errand, preventing her from witnessing his disgraceful display of weakness. He had studied the maps and he had the coordinates memorized. He even had the packet of papers splayed out on his lap just in case he needed to refresh his memory. He had no idea why he was getting himself so worked up over such a simple task.
With a disgusted sigh, Willian activated the telepod and began the well-known start-up procedures. He carefully checked all of the lights to verify they were all green indicating the aircraft was working properly and safe to fly. Wishing his father had purchased the latest technology which practically rendered the pilot unnecessary, Willian grabbed the manual navigation control, concentrated single-mindedly on the desired coordinates, and hit the activation button with his thumb.
Everything went black around him as he kept the coordinates in his mind. Several seconds passed and he felt his heartrate increase. This point in air travel was where most pilot’s made their fatal error so he renewed the destination entry points in his mind. With a gasp of relief the light shone in the window with a remarkable suddenness.
He had to pay close attention now to the manual controls in order to land the craft in a vacant space. Where he was used to empty fields in which to land, he now had to worry about finding a location large enough to accommodate his telepod. Never in his wildest thoughts had he imagined this location would be so crowded. If this were any indication for coming events, maybe he was smart to be nervous.
Finally, he found an open area near the edge of the field where he could set down his telepod and follow the landing procedures. Once the telepod was landed, Willian took several deep breaths after unfastening his seatbelt. He remained in his seat until his heartrate returned to a normal pace.
On his way out of the telepod, Willian picked up his travel bag from the back seat. He walked down the ramp and onto the spongy grass. He turned around to palm the door closed and noticed just how closely the crafts were situated.
Once the door was fully sealed shut, he began weaving his way around the other telepods on his way to the entry he had noted when he was still hovering. The distance was deceptive from the air and, more than once, he began to think he had picked the wrong direction. Just when he was doubting himself the most, he would catch a glimpse of either the Residence on the hill beyond or of the entrance gate itself.
Knowing he was expected did little to alleviate the butterflies in his stomach. He was unsure if he were to walk to the Residence itself or if someone were going to be waiting for him. Just as he reached the entrance gate, he saw Rasa leaning against the low fence. She turned her head and saw him moving toward her, she smiled and raised her hand in a small wave. Grateful to see a familiar face, he forgot all of his previous ill feelings toward her and greeted her in turn.
“How was your flight? Did you have a good time finding a landing spot?” Rasa said as she matched her pace with his and began leading the way to the Residence.
“My flight was wonderfully uneventful. Is it always this busy here?” He could not keep his tone of dismay from his voice.
Rasa chuckled and nodded. “Always. Let’s hurry so we can the transport before someone else takes it.”
Willian was relieved to hear they had transportation as he could see now just how far away the Residence still stood. Before seeing the building itself, he had believed all District Residences had been relatively small like his father’s. This trip might prove to be quite the education for him. He could almost be grateful for Jena’s unscheduled trip which provided him with this opportunity.
As they sat in the small transport, Willian asked, “My father had said you’d be instructing me while I’m here. What he didn’t mention was why you are here. Are you tired of Acaim?” He smiled at his little joke.
Rasa cocked her head to the side and wondered if he could really be oblivious to her new position. Suddenly she realized an important detail, her new position was not being announced as it would be had she been a man. Sure, the people of Manzanit knew what had happened, but the world at large had no idea. She replied simply, “I have been made Elder Wilken’s successor.”
Willian looked at her for several seconds before he suddenly laughed. “That’s a good one, Rasa. Why are you really here?”
Rasa frowned at his easy dismissal and restated more firmly, “Like I said, I was just voted in as Elder Wilken’s successor. If you don’t believe me, then I suggest you ask Elder Wilken yourself.”
“Rasa, women don’t become Elders. It just isn’t done. There’s no way the Elders would have agreed to what you’re suggesting. If you don’t want to tell my why you’re here, that’s fine, but you’ll get into big trouble if people hear you speaking so brashly.” Willian shook his head pityingly and then turned to look out the window to see the buildings, people, and markets they passed along the way.
Feeling her skin turn hot, she knew her face had turned red with anger. She should have expected nothing less from Willian as he had always been quite chauvinistic, it was the reason they had often disagreed. His treatment of Jena had always bothered her and she had often taken him to task for how he talked down to her.
Willian would learn soon enough about speaking out of turn. She felt a small amount of smugness thinking about Willian telling Elder Wilken what Rasa had said in hopes of getting her in trouble. The joke would be on him when he was finally set straight. She was now his equal in every way and he was going to have to get used to it. His dismay would be the first of many, she now realized which sobered her at once.
She decided to change the subject and asked, “What else did your father tell you about your stay here?”
Without turning his head away from the window he answered, “Only that I was to help Elder Wilken with mediation duties. Something you would probably know about, or handle yourself, if you really were his successor.”
Rasa sighed with disgust and gave up on trying to be nice to him. He would find out soon enough. She decided right then that Willian would have a lot more work to do before she would give her permission for him to go to Earth.
They passed through the entry of the Residence. The light inside the transport went dim as they traveled through the long, low tunnel. Bright light returned as they entered the huge courtyard and Willian got his first view of the public side of the building.
Willian was reticent to even step out of the transport since the massive building loomed over him. He had never realized what a small town he had come from until he faced the crowded city of Manzanit. He opened the door, expecting as much noise as there had been near the landing field, and was relieved at the relative quiet. At least he could be comforted by the serenity of the place, if not the size.
Willian had to hurry to catch up with Rasa since she had already gotten out of the transport and was heading toward the side entrance of the Residence. With bag in hand, he rushed over to match his pace with hers. He was about to ask her a question until he looked at the closed expression on her face and thought better of it. They entered the building in stony silence.
Rasa led him through a maze of doorways and corridors until he was certain they must have purposely gone in circles. He would not put it past her to try to confuse him on his first day. She opened a door and said, “This will be your room while you are staying here. Go
ahead and leave your bag here. We need to get downstairs because Elder Wilken is waiting to meet you before going to his next meeting.”
Without much time to investigate, Willian glanced around the lavish furnishings in the room. He placed his bag in a chair between the window and the chifforobe. When he got back later, he would unpack and explore further. The butterflies in his stomach fluttered anew as he thought about meeting Elder Wilken. It was so important to make a good impression since this man was going to be responsible for getting him to Earth.
“I’m ready,” he said as he met Rasa back at the doorway.
“Good. Keep track of the directions since you’ll need to know your way around.” Rasa set a brisk pace down several flights of stairs and through a large reception room. She turned left down another wide hallway before stopping at a double set of doors on the left. She opened the right leaf and gestured for him to precede her into the room.
Willian pulled his shoulder back and walked confidently ahead into a cozy, well-lit room. There were stained glass windows high up on the walls allowing the light to filter down. There were four oversized chairs and one plush couch covered in tanned foxl hide which was where an old man had stretched himself out with a blanket covering his legs.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Elder Wilken,” Willian said as he stopped near the couch and executed a small bow of respect.
“Ah, Willian, I’m pleased to see you have arrived. Your timing is perfect as I’ve just finished my nap.” He slowly sat up and gestured for both Willian and Rasa to seat themselves in the chairs across from him.
Rasa hesitated by the door and cleared her throat before saying, “If you don’t mind, I’ve another matter to tend to while you and Willian get acquainted. I can be back in about ten minutes.”
“Thank you, Rasa that will be just fine.” He smiled fondly at her and waited for the door to shut before he turned his attention back to the young man.
“Elder, I feel I must share something rather important which will probably anger you about Rasa. I don’t think you should put too much trust in her after the things I heard her say.”
Levels of Ascension BoxSet Page 66