“And the girl?” I asked.
“Oh that little dear,” Lilly sighed.
“She just graduated in May. She turned eighteen on September 21st … She is adorable that’s for sure, she looks as delicate as a flower. Yet, she has so much heart and the strength coming from within this one I can’t find an end to! Very interesting this one is. From what I can tell, her family has inherited gifts coming from the elements. There had been a few here and there with a touch of telekinesis, just a touch, though. The father could weave fire and air. The girl on the other hand…”
Lilly paused for dramatic effect knowing this to be the most important part, knowing this to be one of the pieces to the puzzle Ben had been looking for. The prophecy was beginning to unfold.
“She…” Ben said having waited long enough in his mind. Lilly smiled reaching over giving his arm a pat.
“She wields them all,” Lilly said as she sat back watching them take in the information.
“All? What exactly do you mean by all?” Bethany asked.
“All as in all, she is a full elemental, an ecological empath who has more than a touch of telekinesis. She has all five gifts, and they are the strongest I have ever seen. There is no limit to her gifts as there is to most who wield gifts of that nature… You know, the exhausting kind like you have,” Lilly said giving them all a little laugh.
“No limit…” Ben said jumping up to his desk to grabbing an old leather book.
The book had been passed down from his great-great-great-grandfather who had been a seer like Lilly.
The journal was over two hundred years old; it always amazed him that it held up as if he had bought brand new.
He untied the journal and started flipping through pages as he walked to sit back down.
Bethany and Lilly looked at each other having heard the lines many times as had all in the Sonora Caves. The prophecy that promised war and destruction, the set back of the world by hundreds and hundreds of years, the prophecy went on to explain that many would be lost in the beginning especially those who were untouched or ungifted as we called it now, that the world would know death and famine if not properly prepared.
It spoke of a group of seven who would end the war, but all would be lost without she who was born under the full moon that had been kissed by fire. She who has no beginning and has no end. Without her the seven will fail, the world would fail.
“You said she just turned eighteen,” Ben said “On the 21st…Grab my almanac off the desk will you, Beth. Please,” Ben said.
Bethany jumped up knowing what he wanted to look up. He wanted to see if there had indeed been a full moon on the 21st of June eighteen years ago.
CHAPTER 9
“This is a little much. You do understand Mr. Brewster the past week has been something out of a science fiction novel for me, for us,” Rowan said.
“Miss D’Crey,” Ben looked at her trying to convey the importance of what he had been telling her.
“I know that this is hard for you to understand. I know that you can, due to the fact that not only did you marry a gifted man, you bore his child and you spent time with his family. Who you say never hid what they were from you. We just want you to know what we know. We want to ask you to stay and we hope you decide on this being permanent. We just want you to have the information we have. We want to know if we can train Reighlyn for what’s to come. You said she hasn’t had any training with her gifts other than what she has taught herself.”
“Mr. Brewster,” Rowan began.
“Ben, please.”
“Ben…I love my daughter. She is my world. I don’t care that there’s no electricity. I don’t care that I can’t be in my home. What I do care about is if she can and will be able to efficiently protect herself. I know my daughter and she will more than willingly fight for the rebel cause. Her friend Blaine, the blonde boy that came with us. His entire family was taken. His sixteen year old sister Becca and his parents, Rob and Trish, are gone. They were—are wonderful people. We will do what we can. I know I’m not gifted, but I will do whatever I can wherever I can,” Rowan said.
“Rowan, I just have one more question before we ask Reighlyn to come in. Does your daughter have a birthmark?” Ben asked.
Rowan looked at Ben for a minute before responding. “What kind of birthmark, Ben?” She asked knowing exactly what he was going to say next.
CHAPTER 10
I sat in the dark of the hallway alone. I didn’t know how long I had been there, but it seemed as if it had been forever.
I could hear voices inside the room, but the door muffled them to the point that I couldn’t listen in.
I wondered where Blaine was and hoped that he was okay. I hadn’t seen him since we parted ways earlier that day.
I figured the others would have brought him here by now. Maybe he was meeting with someone else.
I slouched down in my chair, stretching out. I let my thoughts drift again to Garrett and his liquid fire of a kiss. Closing my eyes tight, I tried to remember his face the best I could.
Blaine said he was Militia, which might be true, but I didn’t think that was where he wanted to be. He didn’t seem like the ‘I want to rule the world, I need more power’ type.
His words echoed in my mind, ‘I’ll find you.’ Deep down I hoped those words to be true.
CHAPTER 11
I was momentarily blinded by the light coming from inside the room as the door opened. It had to be the best lit room in this place, I thought, as I shielded my eyes with my arm.
“Reigh, come in and meet these nice folks. They have a story they’d like you hear,” my Mom said before turning and walking back into the room.
I walked in and took the seat at the table that was left open for me.
“Reighlyn, I’m Ben Brewster and this is my wife Bethany,” Ben said as he reached out to shake my hand in greeting.
“We were hoping to tell you a story. A prophecy of our kind. Gifted as you are and your family have been since the beginning of time,” Ben said.
“A prophecy?” I asked with skepticism dripping from my words and most likely plastered all across my face.
“A prophecy, that details seven gifted souls who will rise above all others in means of core power and heart. Seven who would be the only hope for the survival of not only our kind but for those untouched gifts,” Ben said.
“But one of the seven is detrimental to the cause, for without her there is no hope, she is above the others,” Bethany added in.
My mom reached over and grabbed my hand giving me a reassuring smile.
I squeezed her hand and looked back to these strangers. Something about them seemed so familiar and it set warning bells off in my head.
“What does this have to do with us? Do you think we know who the seven are? Mom tell them we don’t know anything about their prophecy.”
“Reighlyn, don’t be rude, listen to them they’re not finished,” my mom said.
I turned my focus back to the couple before me, but this time it was Lilly who spoke.
“Your father comes from a strong family of true gifts; pure, if you would. As do some others even some of the families that have relocated here to the caves. Even so, it is rare and there are not many families left who are close to pure. You see, these caves have a magical property, that’s why they’ve always called to us. That’s why they brought us all here. Why they have chosen to protect us all. We are here so that we may join the prophesied seven; to rise up against those who would oppose us. These times are hard for all,” Lilly said.
“Reighlyn, I know this may be difficult for you to take in. We understand from your Mom that you both have had a lot of readjusting to do in the past week. We don’t want to add more to that, but we want to keep you informed. We believe that you are the one who is above the six,” Ben said pausing, either waiting for a response of some kind or down right denial. I offered the latter.
“Reigh, listen to what the prophecy says,” Mom said n
odding to Bethany who now held the book.
“A group of seven will champion those in need. They will be the new beginning, and the end to war, without them, all will be lost. To the one who is above all, none are more important than her. She who is born under the full moon and who has been kissed by fire, she who has no beginning and has no end, she who wields five will lead the Seven. She who is marked with the seven stars upon her skin. Without the one, the six will fail. The world would fail and all will have been for naught,” Bethany finished looking at me.
Everyone was looking at me.
“Marked by the seven stars upon her skin,” I mumbled to myself. I stood up quickly moving from the table.
“Reighlyn, it’s okay, oh my sweet girl it will be okay,” My Mom tried to soothe me.
“I just don’t understand…How?” I asked looking at Lilly, Bethany and Ben.
“Me? Why me?” I asked everyone and no one.
Mom moved me back to my seat where she sat me back in my chair, picking up my left arm and placing it on the table for everyone to see. My forearm faced the rock ceiling to show my birthmark… Seven eight pointed stars sat in a circle the largest of the seven sat twice as large in the center.
I looked up at those sitting across from me and then at my mom. Every face held a multitude of emotion from praise, awe, and fear, but most of all hope.
“So does this mean someone is going to train with me, because I don’t know how to fight?” I blew out a breath.
“I took karate when I was a kid and I really don’t know how to use my gifts on a large scale,” I said staring at Ben who smiled, you know the type of smile you would give a toddler who was clueless.
“Time to meet with the boy,” he said standing up showing his full height.
It hit me then who he reminded of…Garrett.
I stood up quickly backing up putting my hands in front of me grabbing for my mom.
Eyes went wide shocked by my reaction. “Who are you really, Ben? Because I’m thinking you look a little familiar, if you know what I mean.”
Bethany and Lilly and my Mom gasped.
“What are you talking about?” Ben asked, surprised and confused.
“The boy, well the man and the girl in Texarkana. You put them there, didn’t you? This is a set up by the Militia,” I accused them as I began channeling my core.
Bethany broke down, shrinking to her knees. Lilly rushed to her side hugging her there on the floor while her entire body was racked with sobs. Ben just stood there as if I had leapt up and punched him in his face.
“You…you have seen my son and daughter?” Ben asked, taking a hesitant step toward me.
“When? Were they okay? Why didn’t they come with you? What were they doing?” Ben demanded.
“They didn’t come because they were working for the Militia!” I screamed.
Wind coming from nowhere swirled around me, blowing my hair in every direction as my temper rose and my need to protect my mom became almost desperate.
“Get back,” I told my Mom as Ben approached.
Bethany began sobbing harder into Lilly’s shoulder and my mom grabbed me begging me to calm down. “How do you know they were his children, Reighlyn? You don’t, now please calm down and we can talk about this…please. Ben, please sit down so my daughter doesn’t feel threatened. We’re all uneasy these days, please… Please.” I could hear the desperation in her voice, and something more.
She reached out her hand toward me; I could see it from the corner of my eye. She was trembling. Was she afraid of me?
I wondered. I took a deep calming breath; trying to push back my fears that like so many others who had been captured by the Militia we would be ‘put down’ or forced to do unspeakable acts of evil.
“I’m calm…I’m calm,” I said more to myself than anyone else.
My ghost wind disappeared with each deep breath I took.
Ben moved slowly backward toward his chair helping up his wife and setting her back into her chair as he went. Lilly coming up with her. My mom moved to pick up my chair and we all sat back down at the table.
“I’m sorry,” I said. I knew after I had calmed down that I had let my paranoia get the best of me.
“Reighlyn” Bethany said in almost a whisper her voice thick from crying. “Did you see my children?” She asked. “I seen—we saw a boy who is the spitting image of you and your husband the girl too.”
“If you see a photo do you think you could pick them out?” Ben asked me quietly.
“Yeah, I had a very good look at Garrett,” I said.
Bethany began to sob uncontrollably again. “Did you say Garrett?” Ben asked leaning forward.
“Yeah. He told me his name was Garrett after he assaulted me,” I said.
Ben winced. “What do you mean he assaulted you?” he asked, leaning forward in his chair.
I froze, embarrassed as heat stung my face. I looked down staring at the table trying to find a way to tell the parents of the strange, mysterious, and sexy Garrett that his assault was carnal in nature.
“Well it started out as an assault…” I began to explain.
“Girl, did my boy hit you?” Ben demanded to know.
“Well no, he didn’t hit me…” I stuttered over my words.
“The boy grabbed her and kissed her,” my mom said interrupting me.
Oh lord it had gotten really hot in here all of a sudden, my palms were beyond the clammy they had been a few minutes ago. They were downright soaked now.
“He kissed you?” Ben said looking at Bethany their mouths open in shock.
Bethany started laughing “He kissed her,” she said in-between laughing and crying.
“We stopped to use the bathroom and refuel on our way here in Texarkana,” I began to explain.
“When Mom and I came out of the bathroom they had Blain cornered. I don’t know how it happened but within a matter of minutes I shoved them out and I attempted to shove Garrett and the girl down with my wind. Except the girl shielded herself from the most of the blast and only slipped a few steps back. Garrett used a food rack to propel himself over my blast to get to me…and when he did him…he kissed me,” I said to the table more than anyone in particular. “Why did they let you go if they were with the no one else in the room?”
“Militia,” Ben said as if he were speaking a curse—who knows maybe he was.
“What I do know is that he specifically asked me if we were heading south. Precisely Texas…he asked if we were heading south to Texas. He’s going to come here and when he does he will find me again.”
I felt so confused by everything I planted my face in my hands. I didn’t want to look at anyone right now. This was all too much, the world ending, my dad alive somewhere held captive, finding out these abilities that I have along with a long blood line have marked me—physically marked me—as the leader of ‘The Seven’ in their prophecy to save the new world.
Bethany came over drying her face, or attempting to, patting placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.
“The girl you said she was a shield?” Bethany asked in a soft voice.
“Garrett said as much. I’ve seen her shield but I didn’t see her other gifts if she has others.” I said into my hands.
“Was this them?” Bethany asked standing up she walked to a bookshelf returning she handed me a family photo.
“Yes. I would know him anywhere,” I said a little breathlessly.
Bethany and Ben gave each other a knowing look and then looked to my mom and I. Bethany smiled at me as did Lilly who had sat quietly throughout the whole exchange.
Ben sat in disbelief that his children were still alive, even more so that they were both serving in the Militia.
“We thought they were dead. We’ve been grieving for them for two months now. When others began disappearing and the Militia rose up so many died and so many disappeared. We came here right away, we told them to come here to this place of strength if anything were to ever happen,”
Ben said.
“I don’t know what happened but he said they were heading south. Maybe they were forced into serving. Maybe the Militia told them they held you two captive, I know if anything ever happened to my mom I would do anything within my grasp to ensure her safety,” I told Ben and Bethany, my crappy attempt at trying to make them feel better. I guess I had decided that this wasn’t a Militia trap after all.
Ben reached over and patted my hand. “Thank you. You have not only given us the hope we’ve been searching for, for our family, but you have given us hope that the seven will be brought together here, in this time and age to defeat the Militia and set right the many wrongs that have been done to all,” he said as he sat back in his chair. You could almost visibly see a weight lifting off his shoulders.
I knew I couldn’t let innocent people get hurt, so many people had already been affected and Blaine was counting on me to help him find his family. I knew that with Ben’s resources I could possibly find the answers I needed and I would get the training I wanted and desperately needed if I wanted to do something about what was going on in this world.
If I was the leader of The Seven, the leader that was prophesied I would need to prepare and plan. It was time to get busy.
“How do we know who the others are, I mean the other six of The Seven?” I asked Ben.
“They will be drawn to you like a moth to flame, and they too will be marked like you. Only with them they will only have outlines if you will, of the six other stars. The only star on their arms that will have any color, or filled in will be their corresponding position.
Each person has their own responsibilities as well as The Seven as a whole, the book outlines some but this doesn’t give us all of the answers. Most of the prophecy pertains to you Reighlyn. The Seven are merely a part of this in some important way that we must figure out,” Ben said as he flattened his hands over the leather bound book.
The Genesis Project Prophecy of the Seven Page 5