The Secret of the Keepers

by Elizabeth Isaacs

  Gavin’s protection begged me to find him, and I closed my eyes, following my heart. I was almost to the stalactites fringing the wall before I could make out his silhouette. He put his arms around me, and I leaned into him, tired. He brought my wrist up to his lips. The amulet once again was cool to the touch. Liquid green with a hint of light was all that could be seen.

  Relief washed over me as I looked at the energy field. We dodged a bullet—one that I wouldn’t forget. Energy would always be here. I’d make sure of it.

  “I am amazed at the power one little stone can contain,” Gavin commented as we made our way through the tunnels.

  Malachi smiled. “The amulets of Asteria’s time were the only ones recorded to have this ability. And it is said that the bearer of the stone is responsible for the power it contains.” His diamond irises glittered with relief. “That would explain it, would it not?”

  “I think every amulet can do what mine can. It’s just that when Asteria was here, energy was abundant. Over time, as power became scarce, the people forgot how to use them.”

  “If that’s true, then every female will possess the ability to harness energy,” Gavin said, weaving his fingers with mine.

  Malachi smiled. “What an intriguing idea.”

  Chapter 10

  The Teacher and the Mane

  “WHAT IN THE NAME OF the great King Frey happened?” The Queen stood as soon as we passed through the mountain’s entrance.

  I froze. “What do you mean?”

  “Two new mothers whose lives were fading suddenly healed. Structures, which should take weeks to complete, will be done in just days, the crops have almost doubled in size. And the butterflies are flying out of the garden for the first time ever. What did you do?”

  I glanced at Gavin. Oops.

  His eyes sparkled as he grinned.

  I cleared my throat. “Malachi’s been teaching me how to distribute power to the land.”

  “Was it anything like teaching you to turn on the water?” Tark asked; Rena giggled.

  I blushed remembering my first night in the last pure land on Earth. Rena showed me how to turn on the faucet, and I practically drowned us both.

  “Something like that,” I said with a smile.

  We visited through dinner, just catching up. I laughed as Rena explained Tark’s travels to the sea. He apparently had been trying to communicate with the dark plants past the coral reef and got tangled. Rena had to come and rescue him. Elaine explained that Elias had been working with the younger warriors while she caught up on some errands. Because Mia had slashed all my formal dresses to ribbons, Elaine took it as her personal goal to make sure I had as many as would fit in the closet. Elias and Gavin were the only two that held a quiet conversation. The atmosphere reminded me of our evenings in North Carolina. It was good to be home.

  “I suggest we retire.” Malachi stood. “The hour grows late.” As soon as he spoke, Rune bounded into the room.

  “Lass, what was all that energy whippin’ everywhere; what were ya doin’?”

  I patted the stool next to me, ignoring the question. “I saved you some dinner.”

  He hopped up and pulled the plate towards him. “Tis nice of ya, Lass.” He turned to Malachi. “I’m takin’ it you’ve reminded our Princess here that she’s needin’ t’ be a bit light handed with disbursin’ power. Them energy streams knocked me off ma’ feet, they did.”

  Rena snickered but kept her eyes on her plate.

  I filled Rune’s glass. “Sorry about that. Hey, I’ve meant to ask. If you’d like, we can make you a place to rest in the mountain.”

  Rune shook his head, grabbing a loaf of bread and biting off a chunk.

  “Nay, Princess.” His voice was muffled. “I’ll be headin’ back with you.”

  Rena sat a bit straighter.

  Rune set the half-eaten loaf down and grabbed a few potatoes from a bowl, licking his fingers as he shoved them in his mouth. “The happy one’s not likin’ it, though.” He commented as he swallowed, “but I’d be keepin’ me promise. The darkness’ll not be findin’ ya.”

  Rena startled, her eyes darted to me.

  “He’s not referring to the Dokkalfar. What he means is he’ll make sure I get a good night’s sleep. Rune can keep me from experiencing nightmares.”

  “Be wary of manipulation, Light of Asteria.” Malachi’s voice became gruff.

  “Be on yer guard about thoughts yer not controllin’, Lass,” Rune growled back. Malachi looked at him with new appreciation.

  We watched Rune polish off his plate as the others said goodnight.

  “Lass, I’ve a question,” Rune said as we started toward our suite.

  “Yes?”

  “Why is it yer clan’s not trustin’ I’ve got yer best interest at heart? The way they’re actin’ you’d think I’d be in cahoots with the enemy.”

  “Rune, please understand.” I stopped and waited for Gavin to open the door. “We live in dangerous times. I’m in a strange position right now. I’ve only been here a short time, and some think I’ve been given too much power. Too, even though I look like an Alfar, I’m still human. The Dokkalfar could kill me easily.”

  “That’ll not be happenin’ while I’ve got energy left in these bones.” Rune’s feathers ruffled.

  “I know. But if we go to war, I’m an asset and a weakness all at once.”

  Gavin’s hand reached for mine. His apprehension tumbled through me, and it bothered me that the warrior wailed. I had to learn how to defend myself; he could not shoulder my safety all the time.

  “That discussion is for another day,” Gavin murmured.

  Rune’s eyes narrowed as his gaze darted between us, finally resting on Gavin. “Yer not wantin’ t’ be hearin’ it, but the Lass is right.” He walked to the corner where he had left his tartan bundle and pulled out his flute. Music followed us up the stairs.

  I changed into my pajamas trying to not dwell on Rune’s last statement. From the masculine determination running through me, I could tell Gavin was doing the same. Sighing, I grabbed the brush and took down my hair. Even though I had taken care that morning to plait it to the end, the long strands tangled as I unraveled the braids. Frustration grew, and Gavin took the brush from my hand, easing the knots from my hair.

  “I’ve got to get this cut,” I grumbled.

  “I’m pretty sure I can trim it.”

  “I’d appreciate it if you’d try. This mess is now down to the top of my thighs. It’s just getting ridiculous.”

  He’d just gotten out all the knots when someone knocked at the door.

  “Gavin, please tell me you didn’t summon someone. It’s late.”

  He kissed my neck. “It’s just Elaine. I’ll give it a go, and if I mess it up, she can fix it.”

  “I’m in my pajamas.”

  “She’s seen you in less, even before I did.” His eyes glinted with mischief.

  “Thanks for reminding me.” Blushing, I sat in a chair he had placed in the middle of the room.

  Elaine stood at the door with a pair of scissors and a smile. “I have longed for this day since you came back. Would you like some help?”

  “I need all the help I can get.” Gavin stepped back, allowing her entrance into the room. They stood behind me, Gavin tugging my hair out from the back of the chair.

  “Feel free to cut away. It’ll probably be back down to my waist by tomorrow night.” I sighed, thinking how it grew so quickly after our first night together.

  “Don’t distract me.” Gavin murmured. The scissors snipped through the silence. I held my breath, ignoring the wild child screaming that we’d never seen a hat in this realm, and I wouldn’t be able to hide if it looked like I stuck my head in a blender.

  “Thank the wild child for the compliment.” Gavin worked for a few minutes more and then the snipping stopped. “Take a look.” He smiled, and my heart picked up speed as I looked at the mirror across the way. My hair fell just to my shoulders in a swing l
ength. Twisting my head left then right, I loved the weightlessness of the shorter cut.

  “You know, if you didn’t have this job as Prince and you grew tired of being a chef, you could always go into hair styling.”

  Elaine laughed. “I’m sure the guard would love to get a trim from the Prince.”

  “I wish they had locks of love here.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “Well, on second thought, not really, but I wish I could give it to locks of love on Earth.”

  Two sets of arched eyebrows shot up, and I smiled.

  “It’s an organization that takes donated hair and creates wigs for children who have cancer. The treatment causes the children’s hair to fall out and giving them a wig makes them feel better.” I tried to explain.

  “It’s disturbing how your physicians heal,” Gavin murmured.

  “Not everyone has shiny palms.” I smiled.

  Elaine gathered up the strands scattered on the floor and shook it out to straighten the ends, reminding me of a horse swishing its tail.

  “I will keep this until you decide, my lady.” She placed it in the basket she’d brought along with the scissors. She dipped her head in a bow and then left, closing the door behind her.

  “I had no idea how freeing it would be to get rid of that mess.” I shook my head as Gavin opened the curtains, and I crawled into bed.

  “It’ll take some getting used to.” The mattress dipped as he scooted beside me.

  I grabbed Lera’s journal. Our day ran at a hectic pace, and it was nice to finally have a chance to read.

  The first page held a single passage, written in the ancient language. I thumbed through the rest, relieved to see English sprawled across the pages.

  “Can you read this to me?” I yawned.

  He put his arm around my shoulder as he took the book from me. His velvet voice tickled the top of my ear.

  “For you, my child.

  I have yet to touch you, and already I love you more than my own life. I know not whether I am blessed with a son or daughter (although instinct whispers I carry a Prince), but in honor of my mother, Queen Naomi, I have decided to document your story. It is meant as a gift to the future Queen, for in this journal lies your heritage.”

  Gavin started to read on but closed the book instead when I yawned for the second time.

  “You’re tired, and it’s late. We’ll read tomorrow.”

  He was right. The thought of a peaceful night’s sleep had all six streams happy in my head. Gavin rested his hand on my hip, his chest warming my back. I rubbed my feet in between his appreciating their smooth soles.

  Night, I sighed, basking in the love humming through every cell in my body. Gavin’s fingertips traced the contour of my side, and I relaxed under his soft touch, slipping into sweet oblivion.

  Sunlight brightened the room. Images of children sitting in front of me, learning, became hazy, slipping away, forever locked in my subconscious. My eyes fluttered open as my mind tried to hold on to the dream.

  “Morning, teacher.” Gavin’s amusement tickled my insides.

  I rubbed my eyes. “I always wanted to teach. At least, that’s what I wanted to do before I came to Kailmeyra.”

  “I know. I hope this is the future. The Princess teaching our children means they can handle power.”

  “Of course they can,” I muttered, kissing his chest and nestling back down, my eyes not ready to open. “They can handle it now. No one has taught them to fear.”

  Gavin jolted, startling me. “Please explain.”

  “The Alfar are taught to mind their thoughts, to avoid negativity at all costs. Children do this automatically. I think if we walked up to a classroom of kindergartners right now, they would accept the power around them because they haven’t been taught to resist.”

  “That’s a fascinating idea.” Gavin’s eyes blanked. He hopped off the bed and headed toward the closet.

  “Who are you talking to?”

  “Malachi and Elias.” His muffled voice became clearer as he came back into the room. “We’re meeting at Malachi’s in a few minutes.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “Can I fill you in when we get there?” he tossed me an outfit. My stomach growled.

  “Breakfast will be waiting,” he responded, obviously wanting me to hurry. I threw the nightgown on the bed. Blonde hair swung freely as I pulled the shirt over my head. We made our way downstairs.

  “Princess!” Rune barked, making me jump. “Who did this to ya?” He stood on the couch and sniffed.

  “Rune, are you talking about the haircut?” I tugged him off the couch. “It’s all right. I didn’t like my hair long, it was hard to care for, and so I asked the Prince to trim it for me. Don’t you like it this way?”

  “What in thunder did ya do with the rest of your mane?”

  I smiled at his wording. “Well, I thought about donating it to a special program on Earth that helps sick children.”

  Rune’s eyes widened. “You’d be givin’ away such power freely?”

  “What are you talking about?” I asked as we walked out the door.

  “Yer mane holds yer ability to contain energy, Lass.”

  I looked at him in disbelief.

  “If yer not believin’ me, bring it into the mountain. You’ll see. Tis like the spiders’ web, it is. The spiders be containin’ the energy, not the webs. Tis the same in all livin’ creatures, but Urisk feathers are more powerful than most. I’m believin’ Jayril’s clan used this knowledge in that God forsaken cave.”

  I shuddered, remembering the unicorn’s hair encrusted with dried blood.

  We entered Malachi’s quarters with the Queen at the head of the table. Hair as long as a horse’s tail was draped in a neat plait over the back of an empty chair. The strands danced with silver as the room brightened.

  “I see you’ve told them about my mane,” I glanced at Gavin.

  “I hope you don’t mind, but Malachi has requested the use of a few strands.” Gavin held my chair out and waited until I was seated.

  “Not at all” —although I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why he would need it. Anticipation ran through the room. “What in the Sam Hill is everyone so excited about?”

  “You’ve given us a path,” said the Queen.

  Confused, I looked around the room hoping for a hint.

  “We’ve been working on ways to strengthen the kinsman of Kailmeyra.” Malachi folded his hands together. “If the Dokkalfar appear on our doorstep, we do not have enough warriors to defend, and the ones we do have now struggle to be around the captain. To complicate matters further, the Prince and Princess have not been seen in the courtyard. The kinsmen fear your union is not good for the monarchy, and even though the Queen assures them all is well, they grow restless. We’ve been searching for a solution that would expose the population to the energy without leading to despair, for surely some will not be able to accept, but we’ve had no path until now.”

  Gavin’s arm settled across the back of my chair as my mind darted off in a thousand directions.

  “Why didn’t you tell me this?” I searched his gaze.

  Gavin’s voice gentled. “I was waiting to find a solution. You have enough on your plate.”

  I sighed. “So, I take it my dream may actually become a reality?”

  “It’s a brilliant idea,” the Queen lit up. “The Princess will strengthen the children, who will then, in turn, go home and do the same for their parents.”

  Malachi’s aged features almost looked youthful. “Exactly. They look forward to getting to know the Princess, and the parents would be honored.”

  “But where could they meet? The teachers aren’t strong enough to be around Nora.” Gavin sat back, thinking.

  “Have the children meet me in the butterfly garden. The Queen can explain that I want to show them the butterflies, which is true. I would love for them to play together. The teachers wouldn’t find the request to stay on the other side of the yard odd
because the butterflies rarely come out when adults are present. If it works, we could meet there until all of the children accept.”

  Rena smiled, liking the idea, but Elias grew tense.

  “Please, voice your concern.” Malachi held his hand out as if to give Elias the floor.

  “What if the children go home and their parents resist? Will that not cause despair?”

  Everyone looked at Malachi.

  “Search your heart.” His voice became gentle. “If your son came home from school and his love was so strong you were drowning in it, would you struggle?”

  Elias grinned and took Elaine’s hand. “Point well taken. But I would like to suggest we start with the Elite guard first.”

  “Won’t the parents of the other children get mad?” I asked.

  Malachi thought. “Possibly, but the guard has already been through rigorous character training. They understand the power of intent more so than say the elves gifted with textiles and stonework.”

  I couldn’t help but note that he purposefully pointed out Ester’s gifts.

  The Queen stood. “I will request the children of the guard be brought to the butterfly garden tomorrow morning to meet the Princess.” Her eyes blanked. “The King of the butterflies has assured me such an occurrence would be an appropriate action, and he asks the Prince and Princess stay afterward so they may bestow upon the Princess her mating gift.”

  I blushed, a bit embarrassed. Before Gavin and I married the butterflies requested that I see them after our honeymoon, but their King wouldn’t say why. “We’ve been so busy since we’ve been back, I’d forgotten about that.”