“So what was up with those ninja-style playing cards Tarbush used?” Ravi asked.
Lilith’s face stiffened. This made her look grim. “Every dreg possesses an evil device or ability, Ravi Sharma. Since Max Tarbush was a corrupt gambler when he was living, he carries a cursed deck of cards for all eternity.”
Amanda scratched her chin. Something bothered her. “But, Lilith, how do you expect us to fight against some douche-bag with an evil thingamajig or dark power?”
Lilith crinkled the corners of her eyes. “Real power comes from your intentions, Amanda Sault, and by using intention, integrity, and trust anything is possible.” Then she smiled fully, releasing the tension held in her face a moment ago. “And knowing that dregs abhor anything made of silver will help in some situations.”
Treena gasped. “Robyn’s silver arrow! That explains Tarbush’s freaky allergic reaction!”
Lilith nodded. “Silver is one of the purest metals, Treena Mui. It has the ability to repel anything impure.”
“Meeting Sir George was a bonus too,” Amanda added. “Without him, we’d be stuck in time forever.”
“Sir George is an el, Amanda Sault,” Lilith said. “He is the extreme opposite of a dreg in every way. Els are the shining ones, those who live by the sacred laws and serve others. They are compassionate beings who give the very best of themselves in life, and as each dreg is different, the same goes for an el.”
Treena grinned. “So an el is kind of like meeting our fairy godmother, or in this case, fairy godfather.”
“Something like that, Treena Mui,” Lilith replied.
“What about Marcus Crowley?” Professor Lucas asked. “There wasn’t any black slime oozing from him.”
The professor was still dressed in Sir Gavin’s armor.
Lilith bent her head sadly. “Marcus Crowley is not a dreg, Professor Lucas. He is something much worse—Belial’s chosen Initiate. I am sorry to say that he is now an instrument of evil.”
“Don’t be sorry, Lilith,” Drake said, gritting his teeth. “That loser’s a rotten apple.”
Jordan nudged Ravi. “Hey, Sharma, now’s a good time to ask Lilith about that new super power you’ve acquired.”
Professor Lucas perked up. “Super power? What super power?”
Ravi shrugged. “I…I don’t really know how to explain it. My myoelectric hand…it…does things…things by itself.”
“Not by itself, Ravi Sharma,” Lilith corrected. “You evoke it through your thoughts.”
“Evoke? Thoughts?” Drake said. “What’s Lilith talking about, Sharma?”
Ravi stared at his right hand for a moment. His face twitched. “I…I think she means that if I’m in an intense situation, then whatever I’m thinking about in that moment triggers my hand to respond to help me solve the problem, like when I was trying to stop Jordan or figuring a way to reach Professor Lucas’s hat.”
Lilith smiled. “Well done, Ravi Sharma. As I have said, you have what you need with you, as well as—”
“—the unseen power inside me,” Ravi finished for Lilith. He touched his hand and smiled. “Thanks for the crystal battery, Lilith, even if I can only use it during Timekeeper missions.”
Lilith placed her hands together and bowed. “Thank you for trusting, Ravi Sharma.”
Amanda sighed, thinking what the future held for them. Crowley. Belial. Dregs. Evil instruments. It was so anti-Disneyland. She stuffed her hands in both pockets and felt a thick elastic band. She cringed, now knowing what it was, and pulled it out.
She tossed it at Jordan. “Hey, Jockstrap, thanks for the use of—”
“My jockstrap!” His face flashed to crimson as he quickly stuffed it into his backpack. Then he winced, shaking a finger. “Oww! Geez, Uncle John, one of the lures on your stupid fishing hat cut my—” Jordan stopped. He did a double take inside his backpack. “Hey, who put this knife in here?”
“Wil Scathlocke did,” Lilith answered.
“Why would he do that?” Ravi asked.
“Wil Scathlocke finally found the justice and peace he was longing for and no longer needed to carry it,” Lilith explained. “Both the dagger and Sir Gavin’s armor are gifts from time. It is time’s way of repaying all of you for what you have accomplished. After all, good deeds deserve good rewards.”
“Well, they’re wicked-awesome gifts, Lilith,” Drake said, grinning. “But I still could have used a golden skateboard.”
“Hey, wait a minute,” Professor Lucas said strumming his fingers against the breastplate of his armor. “I know of a couple of antiquity dealers who would love to get their hands on these artifacts. They’d pay big bucks for sure.”
Melody snapped her fingers. “That’s a brilliant idea, John. Once you’ve acquired a buyer, we could use the money you receive to invest toward the children’s future.”
“Excellent! Like a college or university fund?” Professor Lucas probed.
Melody grinned and then winked at the professor. “Precisely, Sir Galahad.”
Amanda felt her heart gush; it beat differently than it had before. Her entire body tingled. Everything seemed perfect in her life now, as if she was connected, plugged into something bigger and better than she could ever imagine. No one had considered her future before. Now it somehow looked brighter and clearer. Amanda hugged herself and smiled. Things were going to be different now. Much different.
“Before you go, there is something I wish to share,” Lilith said, as she raised both her arms. “I was one of the First Timekeepers.”
Then Lilith clapped her hands together seven times. The whirling rainbow instantly appeared and Amanda was gently drawn into it. Her last thought was that they were all going home—their Timekeeper journey was over, their mission complete.
The End
Acknowledgments
Life is a team effort. Period. Nothing is done without the help and support of others. The following people are in some way connected to the fabric of this work, to which I am eternally grateful:
Thank you to the staff at Musa Publishing, who have made this debut as painless as possible and have given me a chance to shine. Special thanks to my editor Kathy Teel, who through her patience and prodding, helped whipped my words into shape and substance. To my book designer Coreen Montagna, and my cover artist Kelly Shorten, whose creative visualization gave my book a presence in this the world.
Thank you to my family: my hubby Mike, my mother Margaret, my children Michelle, Jennifer, and Brandon. And to my brothers Gregg and Ian, who’ve given me lots of writer-fodder throughout our informative years.
Thank you to my prodders and teachers: Mrs. Greer, my seventh grade teacher, Jackie Hart, my BFF, Leslie Colwell, who got me into this mess in the first place, Tom Arnett, my first writing teacher, Barbara White and Sheila Nollert, my writing circle cohorts, Brian Henry, my writer workshop teacher, my first beta-reader Kelsey Bolt and my last beta-reader Kristian Gallant, and all the authors who I have connected with and have supported me in this wonderful venture—you know who you are.
And to my countless relatives and friends who kept asking when they were going to see ‘that’ book. To them, I say, it’s here, it’s finally here!
About the Author
After twenty-one years in the graphic trade biz, Sharon Ledwith swapped her drafting table for a computer, and entered the wonderful and whacky world of writing. She started pounding the keys until her fingers bled and skin hardened. Ten years, and many drafts later, her Young Adult time travel series, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis was born.
Sharon lives in the wilds of Muskoka in Central Ontario, with her hubby, a water-logged yellow Labrador and moody calico cat. She survives harsh Canadian winters on caffeine, comfort food, and the occasional dram of scotch.
www.sharonledwith.com
The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis Page 19