Jewel of Inanna (Perils of a Pagan Priestess Book 1)

by Hannah Desmond

  She moved from one painting to the next and stopped. Ah, this was her favorite. A small wooden boat, its sails billowed slightly, moved through turquoise water headed for shore. Above the shoreline the sun shone on yellow stucco houses with bright red tiled roofs. They decorated the mountain side like strands of exquisite golden beads. Lilly spoke a gentle “ahhh” as she looked at the painting.

  Lucky came up beside her and spoke softly, “You like this one?”

  She nodded. “What do you see in it that pleases you?”

  “It’s filled with hope and the promise of pleasure.”

  He reached over and took the painting from the wall, “It’s yours.”

  “No, no I couldn’t possibly take something from you. It must be valuable. It wouldn’t be right.”

  “Lilly, I painted it, I can give it to whomever I please. I would love you to have it. Perhaps you can bring it to life with your magic flute.”

  “You painted this?”

  “Yes, you see my initials on the bottom of each one.” Lilly looked closely and her mouth fell open, “LSD?”

  “Yea,” Lucky laughed as he responded, “Lucky Star Diamond. These are all my paintings. Well, this is not all of them, but these are the most recent.”

  “I thought you worked on boats. You’re a painter?”

  “Where better to paint the sea than on a boat?”

  “Ah, right. But still I couldn’t possibly take your painting.” She went back to the piano stool and sat, picking out a tune with one hand. Lucky came over and sat next to her.

  Keeping eye contact he spoke sincerely, “You can come by anytime. If you want to talk or play music or visit, I’m here. I will be here for a few more weeks.”

  “Your leaving?”

  “Only for a short trip. I’ll be gone a few weeks. This is my home. I always return.”

  Topaz came sauntering into the room and jumped on top of the piano. Lucky laughed and began to run his hand down Topaz’s back, “I would miss my feline friend dropping in for a visit. All the people at Panthea’s are my family. I’ve been here a long time and this is where I want to stay. I belong here.”

  Lilly stood beside him scratching Topaz behind the ears, “I am beginning to feel like my friends at Panthea’s are my family too. I am grateful to be here.”

  “Gratitude is the best attitude,” Lucky said as he put his arm around Lilly’s shoulders and led her to the small alcove off the kitchen. They fell into a pattern of easy banter enjoying a simple meal of gulf shrimp sautéed in butter and garlic served over brown rice and vegetables.

  After dinner, Lucky made her a cup of herbal tea. He swore the hot brew would restore her good vibes. His potion worked. Her body relaxed and she laughed and basked in Lucky’s encouraging attention.

  When she stood to leave, they lingered in the doorway as Lilly said, “Goodnight.”

  Lucky didn’t respond. He stood near her, keeping the intense eye contact she had come to expect. She held his gaze and, for once, his eyes closed.

  Lilly leaned slightly toward him, felt his arms surround her gently pulling her close to his body. She tensed and moved back. Lucky smiled sadly, took her hand and drew her back into his apartment.

  He took her in his arms and led her to the butter soft leather sofa. He kissed her deeply and she responded. He pulled her closer to him as his hands went under her shirt and rubbed her back. She drew away from him and started to cry. “I’m sorry, I can’t.”

  “It’s okay,” Lucky said still holding her in his arms. “For no, we will be friends. You can trust me to be here for you and offer you all the support you need.

  “Oh, Lucky, what have I done to deserve your friendship and support? What have I done to deserve my new family? I am thrilled to be here and terrified it will all go away. I don’t know how it all came to be and I am scared I don’t know how to make it stay.”

  Lucky looked into her eyes, “There is nothing you did or did not do. You are here because you were drawn here. You belong here. We are an ancient coven coming together again to pave the way to the new millennium. You are a vital part of our family. Have no fear of losing what is so intimately and eternally yours.”

  A huge sigh escaped from the depths of her being. She lay her head back on the sofa, all thoughts of running back to her lonely apartment slipped away. She and Lucky played Shaharazad until she became one with the music and once again the vivid desert scene appeared in her mind’s eye. Hours later she dash across the moon frosted flagstones of the courtyard, Lucky’s painting tucked under her arm.

  Chapter 31

  Crystal Skull Portals

  Lilly climbed between the cool clean sheets of her bed and drifted to sleep. Misty dawn light began to tease the window sill of her bedroom as she entered a dreamscape.

  She was in Jackson Square, under an indigo sky. A new moon was rising over the Cathedral on the edge of Jackson Square and the planet Venus shown in all her glory.

  A loud dissonant cawing, within her dream, broke the celestial spell. The source of the racket, a huge black bird, was perched atop the gate to Jackson Square. As soon as she saw it, the dark form took flight down Decatur Street. Lilly ran through the square following the huge black bird. She stumbled for a moment as music surrounded her. The lilting strumming of a mandolin rang in her ears as a Celtic tune filled the air.

  Shutting her ears to the music, she turned to follow the bird. She stopped, the sidewalk was deserted. She had lost sight of the bird. She walked down Decatur Street and caught sight of it perched atop the metal sign of the Raven Moon. With no conscious thought or movement, she was standing beneath the creaking metal sign. Frozen in place, she stared into the darkened window of the occult magick shop.

  Her eyes picked out a glimmer. A glowing crystal skull rested on a bed of red velvet on the other side of the window. She stared at the pulsing light within the skull. As she watched, empty crystal eye sockets morphed, expanded and swirled. A spiraling portal opened and drew her into a smooth crystal cave.

  Purple light illuminated the walls leading into the crystal cavern. The light slowly faded and Lilly found herself standing still in the darkness. She placed a hand on the smooth wall of the crystal cave, and waited for her eyes to adjust. A dim green light began to glow, painting her face as she watched a tableau unfold before her. A thin, young woman, her face hidden by a bonnet, collected herbs in an ancient wood. A group of horsemen approached, jumped from their mounts and lassoed the young woman. They pulled her by the rope and threw her over a horse’s back, touching her as little as possible. Tying her hands and feet, they secured her to the horse, mounted their steeds and galloped into the dark woods, pulling her horse behind them.

  The cruelty of the abduction sent shivers through Lilly’s astral body. She turned, wanting to return to the sidewalk and back to the Square. A dim orange light bloomed in the corner of her eye, and drew her deeper into the crystal cave. Slowly, she approached the fiery glow and recoiled at the scene illuminated before her. The same young woman, abducted in the woods, was bound to a post atop a pile of sap filled logs and kindling. A filthy hand tossed a burning torch into the wood at her feet. The flames grew bold, moving through the wood pile scorching the hem of the young woman’s dress.

  A crowd chanted, “Burn witch, burn.” The young woman tied to the post, paid no attention to the chant or the men surrounding her pier. Lilly watched as the woman’s eyes rolled in her head and focused on the sky. Surely, she was entreating the Lord and the Lady to remove her quickly from her reddening body. As the flames rose, a cry escaped her lips and her search of the sky grew more desperate. Lilly’s eyes searched with her and caught sight of what the woman was seeking. A dark shadow became a pitch black raven plunging from the sky. He flew around the head of the woman. Lilly yelled, “Quickly, quickly!” Valiantly the bird attempted to cut the bindings with his razor sharp beak. The smell of burning flesh and singed feathers filled the air. The fire roared as flame
s crackled rising high, almost obliterating the site of the woman tied in its center. Lilly stepped back in horror expecting fire and smoke to engulf the scene.

  A loud caw of triumph split the air. Sooty hands grabbed the raven’s back. The huge bird lifted the young woman from the fire, flew through the billowing smoke and disappeared into the night sky.

  Lilly turned to run, but a solid glass wall restricted her escape. She could only go forward. Visibly shaken, she continued through the dark corridor lined with grottos, each offering a haunting tableau.

  A pulsing purple light drew her to the next scene, a sacred temple, three marble steps leading to a center altar covered in royal purple cloth. On the altar, an ornate silver bowl glowed with an otherworldly light. Eight tapers in tall candelabras created light and shadows around the altar.

  A door clicked quietly and Lilly watched a priestess walk across the marble floor. Lilly’s heart lurched. She gasped and fell to her knees in shock. The priestess embodied an energy she knew well. It was Lilly’s own divine spark, the light of spirit burning within her, the energy she had come to know through her meditations and rituals. “Oh Great Goddess, can it be? Do I look upon myself in a different life?”

  The priestess leaned over the silver bowl and spoke a slow incantation. She lifted her hands and moved them gently, as a column of smoke curled from the silver vessel. A sickening green light exploded from the bowl accompanied by a putrid odor. The priestess fell back, the shadow of a raven shot from the bowl and began to circle inside the temple. The priestess watched in horror as the unnatural creature found a high window and flew out into the night.

  The priestess fell to her knees in front of the altar. A sigh, a sob and a cry of anguish escaped her throat. ‘She must be awakened. The evil in her heart must be transformed. Somehow she must turn to the light. No one is safe as she sleep walks through the world, using her ensorcelled raven to do her blind and evil bidding.’

  Turning her head slowly from side to side, she placed her hands on the edge of the altar and pulled herself up. Standing at the altar, she lifted her hands, forming them into a triangle, she voiced a long incantation which ended with the proclamation, “May her body be captured, her soul cleansed. May the darkness within her be transmuted, may her quest for power and disregard for all living things come to an end, may she be shorn of her magic, cleansed of her misdeeds, may she choose peace over power.” As the priestess finished her incantation, disembodied laughter echoed in the high vaulted ceiling of the sacred temple.

  The tableau faded as Lilly fell and jolted awake in her bed. The dawn light filled the window of her bedroom as she reached for the fluffy pink robe at the end of her bed.

  The day crawled past while Lilly moved numbly through meaningless tasks. She tried to block the disturbing scenes from her dream, but they would not be ignored. Her nocturnal journey and all it had revealed churned through her being. Visions of the young woman lassoed and placed on the stake to burn clawed at her heart. The cawing of the huge raven who rescued her echoed through her mind.

  She sighed heavily, wishing Jolene was home! Placing the priestess crystal around her neck, she sat before her altar and took centering breaths. The dream, really a nightmare, had affected her more than she wanted to admit. She called upon her guides, guardians, ancestors and allies to protect and guide her. She felt nothing. No smiling goddess appeared. No ancestors whispered, no angels comforted her. She received no solace. After an hour, she stood and walked away from the one place of solace she thought she could always depend on. Her vibration would have to change before she could contact the higher realms.

  Chapter 32

  The Fool

  Roland sat alone on the beach in Coconut Grove. He rubbed his hand over his weary eyes. He had come to the beach desperately seeking some time to himself. He needed the energy of the earth to renew him. He needed the earth mother’s powerful healing, to soothe his emotional turmoil.

  Traveling on the bus with the band members was fraying his nerves. His lifelong dream of being in a band, traveling across the states in a bus was wearing thin. He was no longer the carefree musician who had left San Francisco a few months ago, nor was he the self assured young Druid exploring his magickal path. Living in a big tin box, rolling along on asphalt roads left him drained of energy and inspiration.

  He missed Lilly and New Orleans. He thought he might be in love with both of them. The realization confused and bewildered him. I’ve never gotten this hung up on a lady before, he thought.

  Lying back on the sand, he put his hand over the crystal on his chest, the piece of magick Lilly had gifted him. He closed his eyes to the bright sun and found a vision waiting for him. Jewel toned butterflies fluttered, dancing to faint flute music. Lilly appeared in a mist, but faded too soon. Roland’s hands clenched, as he opened his eyes. He sat up slowly, blaming the blazing sun for the tears filling his eyes.

  Thoughts of Lilly overwhelmed him. He remembered her delicate features, her laughing green eyes and the look of ecstasy on her face as she lifted the flute to her lips. Flopping back onto the sand, he berated himself for being a fool.

  He fell asleep on the beach and woke to the soft cadence of Lilly’s voice. “I miss you, I love you, return….” Feeling a visceral connection to the young woman he had known so briefly, remembering his vision of the butterflies and her music, Roland tried to convince himself he had been dreaming. ‘Am I going mad? I swear I saw her face and heard her speak to me.’ Brushing the sand off his clothes, he walked to a nearby convenience store and dialed Panthea’s Pantry. The phone rang and finally the answering machine picked up, “You have reached Panthea’s Pantry, we are closed for the two weeks following Carnival. Please leave a message and we will return your call when we reopen. Blessed Be.” Putting the phone down, Roland shook his head. I don’t know what to say. I have never been this hung up on a chic before. Leave it to me to fall for a Faery witch with no home phone.

  Chapter 33

  Desperate Measures

  Days passed and Lilly was unable to calm her nerves or meditate. She paced through her apartment, the the Priestess Crystal weighing heavy over her heart. Her need for Roland’s touch was physically painful.

  Deciding on a course of action she pulled a knit cap over her curls, threw on her jean jacket and a pair of sneakers and headed out the door. She walked fast, trying to contain her nerves. She was going to ask Jason if he knew the bands schedule. “Oh, jeez, this is so lame! I can’t stand it,” she muttered to herself as she crossed Esplanade Avenue, entered the Marigny and walked down Frenchman Street.

  She stood in front of Valentine’s, hands stuck in her jeans pockets, head bowed, kicking at the sidewalk with the toe of her shoe. Jason came out to grab his morning paper and Lilly stepped up to say hello. “Well, hi there Lilly. It’s good to see you. Hey, why don’t you come in and join me for a cup of coffee?

  “Add an almond croissant and I’m in,” Lilly said sounding much more casual and relaxed than she was.

  “Of course, come on in,” Jason said as he held the door open.

  Seated in a booth in the back of the restaurant, Lilly and Jason exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes. The conversation began to dwindle. Lilly was determined to get the information she had come to gain.

  “Oh, by the way, Jason, have you heard from the band. Do you know where they are?”

  “I don’t have any idea, Lilly. I knew when they were arriving here and approximately how long they would stay. Once they left, it wasn’t my concern. Trey mentioned Gainsville Florida and a trip to Coconut Grove. At some point, they are going up the East coast to New York.”

  Lilly finished her coffee and licked the sugary croissant crumbs from her fingers, “Thanks Jason. I am not going to be chasing after the band, don’t concern yourself. If any members of the band contact you for any reason, please tell them it is of utmost importance Roland contact me immediately.”

  Jason leaned back and put his h
ands behind his head. “Lilly, are you in trouble?”

  A furrow appeared between Lilly’s eyes, “Trouble? What do you mean?”

  “You know, pregnant?”

  Lilly let out a whoosh of air, “No, I don’t have that problem, thank the Goddess.”

  Jason looked relieved as he stood up and grabbed his newspaper. “I’ve got to get into my office, Lilly. I will pass on your message if I hear from them.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate it,” Lilly stood crimson cheeked as she watched Jason walk down the hall to his office.

  ~

  She walked up the block slowly, said hello to a group of beefy young firemen in front of the fire station and crossed Esplanade Avenue into the French Quarter. Walking up Decatur Street toward the Square, she passed Raven Moon. As she approached a hand flipped the open sign over on the front door. Lilly walked in and found Claude and Regina standing amid unpacked boxes of incense and candles.

  They looked up and smiled. Regina came over and hugged her. “How are you doing?” Lilly assured her she was feeling better.

  Claude, however, gave her a hard look and voiced his concern, “Are you sure? I sense there is something bothering you?”

  Lilly looked at him in surprise. “I guess having a psychic for a friend means I will never be able to keep a secret.”

  Claude smiled, “I would never pry into your personal business. I was merely picking up a sense of unrest.”

  Lilly released a frustrated sigh, “I miss Roland. I mean, I more than miss him. I am in physical pain like a vital organ is missing. I’m having weird nightmares. I don’t know what to do about it. I need to speak with Roland. I have no idea where he is or how I can get in touch with him. Maybe you or Regina have an idea.”