So I floated in the shadows; the cheap lighting began to flicker as I surged through on an electrical current. Chasing down the shadows of Charles’s sorrows, I slipped in through his third eye.
There were the usual momentary adjustments. Charles responded immediately; he struggled and tried to free himself from the voltage charging through his entrapped mind. But it didn’t take long for me to dominate in his weakened state. His sadness coursed through me, creating fuel. I was unstoppable. Possessed of a drug I couldn’t get enough of.
Filled with adrenaline, I snapped up Charles’s meager belongings and embarked on my new adventure. First on the agenda was a little visit to see Astrid. No doubt the child Emma would be with her. Another one I was keeping a close eye on.
The magic had actually returned the day Emma was born. Astrid had preeclampsia, a condition which caused her blood pressure to sky rocket and created further complications. During her emergency C section she’d almost bled to death. The near death experience had caused Astrid to levitate again. My heart had leapt in excitement watching these events unfold. Desire for more power consumed me. I had to restrain myself, remember the ultimate goal.
I had waited this long to assure myself a power was present before I even considered returning. As a child, Astrid had not grown into her full potential, and there had been a possibility I wouldn’t have seen or sensed what was needed.
Children tended to be more connected to universal energies and were harder to read. It was better to wait until adulthood and watch how they evolved.
However, in Astrid’s situation, having lost her power at such a young age, I hadn’t bothered to take a body. I knew she blocked me, but still I’d decided to hold back and see what occurred after the birth of her child. And for a few years more I had waited.
Now, it was time to finally see what was there.
I eased the Corvette into the driveway and smiled appreciatively. Nice car, I thought. Too bad good taste didn’t extend to his accommodations. I glanced at the house, a small white bungalow with green shutters. Barely enough room to swing a cat, I thought with distaste. The home was situated a few miles north of the beach. They had wanted to live closer to the school or some such nonsense.
I eyed myself in the rear view mirror. Straightened my tie and smoothed down my hair. I plastered on a smile, back to business.
I found Astrid in the kitchen cooking dinner; she was wearing an old t-shirt and jeans. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail—her usual stay-at-home mom attire. She hadn’t sensed me yet. Little Emma sat in her highchair, snacking on some unidentifiable mush she held in her hand. She looked up; her eyes grew as wide as saucers and I could tell she knew I wasn’t Charles. I gave the little brat points for not screaming. It was strange with Emma, our connection was powerful. But I was still unable to infiltrate the mind of my daughter. I was still learning, but it seemed the barrier was only between parent and child.
Knowing I only had a moment before Astrid became conscious of me, I sucked in my breath and greedily seized the opportunity to lock into her. I focused and tried to connect with her mind to mind. It was like turning a key to unlock a door that had been bolted for centuries. Old and rusted, it would not budge. I pushed harder, finally breaking through.
I groaned inwardly in pain, my fingernails dug deep into my palms, ripping the skin. Blood trickled in droplets to the kitchen floor.
Astrid was marked.
There were no thoughts, no emotions. Just an image that faced me, it scalded my eyes and shook me to my core as it seared through my brain.
It was painted in fire against the dark shadows of her mind, burning icy white—a symbol I had only heard of in legend. My heart spasmed and I recoiled in terror—the symbol!
A dreadful fear enveloped me.
I knew I wasn’t powerful enough to fight off those to whom the symbol belonged. It was unmistakable—a triangle, alchemical in origin with a line going through the top. It was surrounded by a circle, but no ordinary circle, a circle that fanned out into the rays of the sun. The triangle represented earth, the circle the element of spirit, the fifth element, the bridge between the physical and the spiritual.
I used all my strength to sever the connection with Astrid. Finally I was able to block her and was freed from the pain that radiated through my body. I closed my eyes in relief only to find the image seared on the inside of my eyelids.
Astrid startled me, with a hand on my shoulder. I shivered; I needed to get out of this quickly. She was one of them.
“Charles, you’re home early, is everything alright? You’re shaking.”
I hastily pulled myself together and plastered on my best happy husband face. “Of course darling, I came home early to surprise you.” I wrapped my arms around her in a tight embrace.
She drew back. “Charles,” she said, her lips trembling, “I know what happened today. Jerry called me and told me about the budget cuts. I’m sorry sweetheart; I know how upset you must be.” She looked up at me, “Oh Charles, it’s not your fault; you couldn’t have imagined that they’d do this to you.”
Damn it! I had forgotten about Jerry. He taught Algebra and was a good family friend. I should have realized he’d be a gossip.
It didn’t really matter though. Nothing mattered except getting the hell away from Astrid. I quickly recalculated. I took Astrid’s hands into my own, just as I’d seen Charles do so many times. “Listen Astrid, I will find another job. I still have you and Emma. That’s all I need. Let’s get out of the house. It’s a beautiful spring day; we can go for a joy ride just like we used to do.” I winked at her wickedly and she laughed.
I hoped she hadn’t noticed my sweaty palms. I was panicked. I wouldn’t risk getting inside her mind again, not with that symbol there.
What if she wasn’t alone? What if there were more out there like her? No I mustn’t dwell on it, I had to focus. Astrid was talking to me.
“That sounds wonderful. Now don’t you worry Charles, everything is going to work out. Just give us five minutes to get cleaned up.” She lifted Emma out of the high chair and carried her off to the bathroom. She called out over her shoulder—“We’ll meet you outside, honey.”
I smiled warmly but inside I prayed for an easy termination. Things needed to end now. I had to get away.
By the time Astrid had returned with Emma I’d worked myself into a violent rage. I did not want to feel this fear that clawed at my very being. It made me want to spew. I would kill her quickly; hopefully that would be enough. I never wanted to see that symbol, Astrid, or any of her kind again.
The soul seekers hadn’t even thought this was a possibility. There was no plan.
This would remain my secret. The circle would remain in the dark.
I was taking a great risk, killing off Astrid without knowing if she was the Soul of the Sun. There was a chance I could be banished to the infernal realm forever. However there was a greater issue at hand. I had to protect myself. I pushed aside my personal anguish and looked over at Astrid, riding shotgun. She smiled lovingly at me. Three year old Emma sat in the back seat singing softly to herself.
I started up Charles Diamond’s red Corvette and put the top down.
I eased out of the driveway and headed down the open road towards the highway.
I pressed my foot down hard on the accelerator. The wind whipped through my hair. This was the perfect moment to unload Astrid and her dimwitted husband. The speedometer needle gyrated wildly—one hundred…one hundred twenty…one hundred forty…
“Charles!” I heard Astrid’s terrified scream as the car made a high-pitched screeching sound and spun out of control before flipping over.
I gave a merciless laugh of relief as I was released from the entity that was Charles. His body remained trapped in the wreckage of the vehicle.
“Free from the dullard!” I whooped as I flew into the atmosphere. I turned and looked down. Emma Diamond lay face-up on the side of the road partially hidden by brush. She was
lying next to her dead Mother, completely unharmed. A glowing blue light emanated from her neck, surrounding her in a hazy fog.
I breathed a sigh of relief. Astrid was not the healer. The amulet was still protecting the family line.
The Soul of the Sun lived on.
50
Emma, May 2006
“I don’t know if you remember Emma, but I’ve kept that Greek letter that you found in my desk. I had it translated for us and I think now is the time to find out what it says.”
“Oh I don’t know Granna; it’s been a hard enough day…” I trailed off, emotionally spent.
“This is important, Diamond; I think you need to understand what is happening to you, and this may be the key. There are too many signs we can’t ignore. I feel we may have already waited too long.” She handed over the letter. “Read it, Emma.”
“Have you read it?” I asked, sitting down at the kitchen table.
“No. I thought it would be best if we read it together.”
“Okay,” I sighed.
Taking the letter from her, I gazed down at the crisp white translated pages and began to read aloud. “The Prayer of the Chosen One: To the Moon or Sun: I call on you Lady Isis. Protect Me. For I am the one, the Soul of the Sun. I plead with you and your son Horus to give refuge. Patroness of Nature and Magic bring all my power and your power together to glorify what is right and true in this world. Honor your name and those we safeguard from harm. Let time be taken from no man. Amen.”
I paused at Granna’s gasp.
“Oh Goodness, that’s it! That’s the prayer Aunt Bette spoke of the day she died. The prayer she said was lost forever,” Granna said.
“What are you talking about Granna?” I asked, exasperated.
“Just keep reading my child, keep reading!”
I choked back the protest on my tongue once I saw Granna’s determined look, and continued reading.
“What you have just read is the secret prayer of the highest Greek dynasty, The Argos. To hold this document in your hand means that you are one of us, that you are one of the gifted. Any darkness that tries to open this letter will ultimately fail, as the paper is bound by powerful magic. We have done this to ensure the safety of those that will come after us, for it is better for our secret to die with us than to fall into evil hands. We were forced to separate the prayer and amulet as they were too powerful together. But now is the time they must reunite and save us all. We have saved this prayer for you and only you.
If you are reading this letter that means that humanity has survived a natural disaster, a volcanic eruption so powerful it plunged our world into cold and darkness. Earthquakes followed that besieged the earth and changed the land. If our premonitions are correct, entire civilizations will have been destroyed.
Yet there is a blessing in all disasters. It is what keeps us going, what makes our path bright in a darkened storm. The sun shines through the clouds, because you, my dear reader, are the Soul of the Sun. Only you will have the dream that leads to this letter and only you can rid this earth of the Watcher and his circle of soul seekers.
We have foreseen a period with neither good nor evil magic. It will give all a chance to heal and become stronger. However, it will not be long before the wickedness returns. It will be even more determined to seek out and destroy the healer. That healer my child, is you. We wish to remind you of your destiny, the legacy you must fulfill. Whatever lineage of power you come from; multiply it by thousands. You have within you generation upon generations of magic. Imbedded within your soul, good and evil have united to form one. The magic is waiting to be released. You are one of us. When the time is right, it will awaken, don’t resist it. The fate of humanity is depending on you.
The hands of time are turning on the face of the sun and only you can move them. If the watcher controls the hands of the clock he can go anywhere, past or future, and destroy our planet.
Seek out the amulet; it will protect you from harm. The prayer and amulet must be put together. Do whatever it takes to make this happen.
Finally, there are some things that you must know about the amulet.
If it senses danger to itself or the Soul of the Sun it will split into two equal parts, scattering its molecules between each piece, sharing equal energy and magic. One half of the amulet will remain in the physical world, the other will disappear, its molecules scattering into the ether until it’s needed. It will only stay in the physical world long enough to protect and serve. And then it will disappear again. The half that stays here on earth will not have this ability and will remain wherever it is kept. Wherever you keep it, make sure it is safeguarded.
Once the amulet has been split, only the Soul of the Sun can put the amulet back together.
If one half of the amulet senses imminent destruction, energy will transfer and condense into the amulet that is not in danger. The amulet is at its strongest if it can remain whole, as some energy is lost in transfer.
In the presence of the healer, this energy can be restored when the two pieces are locked together once more.
If for some reason only one half of the amulet exists it will immediately go into protective mode and disappear from the physical world, only to appear again if needed by the lineal descendants of the Soul of the Sun. Once the healer is born it will no longer protect her descendants, only her. Animals may be used as a conduit for the amulet if necessary, as they understand the magic, and never lose the connection between worlds.
This protection is necessary because of the incredible power of this evil entity.
Let the magic lead you. Restore love and faith to the world.
Soul of the Sun, may Providence guide you in undertaking this great challenge.
Blessings,
Athena”
I sat back in the chair, dumbfounded, “Well what do you think of that, Granna? That is just about as confusing as the Greek.”
When I lifted my eyes from the letter, Granna looked as though she’d seen a ghost. “What is it Granna, are you all right?” I leapt out of my chair and rushed to her side. What was I thinking, letting an old lady stand there like that? I guided her to a chair. She was shaken, but managed to compose herself quickly.
“Oh Emma, I should have told you sooner,” Granna said, her voice quavering; “It’s really you. My God it’s you.”
51
“Granna stop! You’re scaring me. Do you know what this Athena person is rambling on about? What aren’t you telling me? Why do you think Aunt Bette knew about this? Give me the whole story,” I demanded.
Granna evaded my look of consternation and gazed down at her hands. She paused a moment, choosing her words with care. “There are some secrets, Diamond, that are worth keeping; some secrets that unless revealed at the right moment, do more harm than good. But you are twenty-one now. It’s time I told you what I do know. As for this letter, I had no knowledge of it, as it says, it could only be found by the dreamer. That was you. Perhaps there is a bigger connection and we don’t yet have all the pieces of this puzzle.”
I stared at her. “Why would you keep a secret from me Granna? I thought we told each other everything, that you trusted me.” I could hear the whine in my own voice, I was so pathetic sometimes. But still, Granna had hurt me.
She pressed on, ignoring my obvious shortcomings. “Oh Emma, the word trust means more than sharing secrets. Trust is a feeling. But secrets live entirely of their own volition. They can create or destroy trust, but only if we let them,” she smiled fondly at me. “The reason why I haven’t told you our family history before now is because you just weren’t ready. I didn’t know you were the healer.” She slid me a quick look out of the corner of her eye. “Besides, we must always try to live in the present.”
“Nice try Granna,” I said. “But I think it’s time you came clean about the skeletons in our family closet.” I shuddered in spite of myself. Did I really want to know? I shook off my doubts. “Tell me everything,” I insisted.
“All right. Let’s see now where shall I start? You’re twenty-one which means, as you well know, that your dreams have begun and...”
I interrupted. “What’s so special about being twenty-one?”
“It was a feeling I had. I just knew. I can see you’re confused so why don’t I go back to your birth, perhaps then what I am trying to say will make more sense,” Granna said, patting my hand comfortingly. “The day you were born was when I first felt it. It was a stressful day. As I remember, Astrid’s heart rate had dropped and then it all went chaotic and they were pushing me out of the hospital room. They were discussing an emergency C section, they said there was too much blood. I remember thinking, my God, am I going to lose my daughter? On my last glimpse of her before she was wheeled into surgery, I noticed she had a necklace around her neck, and it was emanating a small blue light. It was of course the amulet. I hadn’t seen it since it had been on Aunt Bette’s cat Fred. I was very confused by its appearance at the time but I didn’t think much of it because your life was in jeopardy right along with your Mother’s, and my mind was elsewhere. The necklace must have disappeared the moment you were born, just as it had disappeared on Fred. I always wondered if the nurses and doctors noticed it. But I suppose they were too busy trying to save your lives. With your mother’s condition they were very concerned.
“That day was the first day I held you in my arms and sensed you were special. I somehow knew that when you came of age, it would mark the moment of your awakening.”
“Awakening?” I snorted scornfully. “So that’s it? I’m a freak and I’ve come from a long line of freaks?” I angrily pushed away from the table. I was about to walk away, but I hesitated as something dawned on me.
“Granna? What do you mean dreams?”
She frowned. “You’re not a freak; you’re an extraordinary young lady. You and I both know your dreams have been different recently. Not to mention the healing power you’ve experienced. Let’s not lie to one another.”
The Soul of the Sun (The Argos Dynasty) Page 15