Jack Staples and the Poet's Storm

by Mark Batterson

  “We should have been there,” he said quietly. “We could have helped her. We could have done something!”

  “Maybe,” Alexia agreed. “But Jack went back in time and warned her. And even though she knew what was going to happen, she didn’t run. She was very courageous.”

  Parker wiped his eyes. “It’s going to destroy Father. We’ve been on the run since the day we left. We can’t stay in the same place more than a day or two, or the enemy shows up. So we’ve had very little news. We know nothing of how the war is going or when the coffer will be needed. Mrs. Dumphry’s note just said we must keep it safe at all costs.”

  “It’s been really bad,” Alexia said. “The Last Battle has begun and …” She stopped and stared at the stars. If she were in the present, the Assassin’s Shadow would have blotted out the sky. “I might be wrong actually,” she said. “The Last Battle might not have begun just yet. I think maybe I’m still in the past somewhere.”

  “You may be in the past,” Parker said, “but the rest of us are in the present.”

  Alexia nodded. Time travel was a dizzying subject.

  “Will you tell me?” Parker asked. “About what’s been happening?”

  “Yes, but there is much to tell.” Alexia leaned against the cavern wall. “A few days ago, we were in the City of Shadows, surrounded by a hundred thousand Shadow Souled.”

  “What were you doing there?” Parker said. “Was Jack with you?”

  “Yes. Jack and Mrs. Dumphry, Aias, Andreal, Wild, and Arthur had come to rescue me from the Assassin.”

  “Wait, Arthur … Greaves was with you?”

  “Yes.” Alexia grinned. “It was Arthur who saved us the first time around.”

  “He still had scales on his eyes last I saw him.”

  “Arthur saved us all. Elion said he might one day become the most powerful Awakened to walk the earth.”

  Parker let out a low whistle. “Now that’s something I never would have believed.”

  “Me, either”—Alexia giggled—“especially with his annoying habit of sicking up all the time.”

  Parker chortled. “Now that sounds like the Arthur I know!”

  “But my parents may still be there! What if they’ve been taken prisoner or are hurt or something?” Arthur stalked toward the entrance of the tent. “We have to go! We can’t wait another minute.”

  “I am afraid Ballylesson is lost,” Honi said. “There is nothing that can be done. Your hometown has become a stronghold of the Assassin and has been transformed into a place of monsters and nightmares.”

  Arthur looked to his friend. “We have to go find them, Jack. I don’t care what he says.” Arthur turned back to Honi. “Didn’t you say there’s a World Portal here?”

  “The only humans left in Ballylesson are those who have chosen to follow the Assassin,” King Edward said. “I’m sure your parents escaped before the evil grew too strong.”

  “I don’t care. I have to go see. They’re my parents!”

  “But how did it happen?” Jack asked.

  “Until today, we had no idea,” Honi said. “We received reports over the past months that confirmed Ballylesson was changing, but nobody knew how or why. After hearing your story, I’d venture a guess. You said you stabbed the Assassin when you fought him on the street; is that correct?”

  “I wouldn’t say I fought him,” Jack said, “but, yes, I did stab him.”

  “And what happened when you took the sword from his belly?”

  Arthur knew his best friend didn’t like talking about that day. Jack had fought the Assassin just minutes after his mother died.

  Jack stabbed at the fire with a stick. “A dark wind exploded from the wound,” he said, “though it only lasted a moment. And when his blood landed on the ground, it sizzled.”

  “Yes …” Honi scratched his chin through his thick beard. “It would be my guess that Ballylesson has been transmutated by the blood of the Assassin.”

  “What does that mean?” Arthur paced near the entry of the tent.

  “Blood has power,” Honi continued. “The streets and buildings of your hometown are covered in shadowed webs that grow thicker by the day. We know the poet’s blood transforms whatever it touches, and I would guess the Assassin’s blood has done the same. I’m sorry, boys, but your hometown has become a fortress of darkness that rivals the City of Shadows.”

  “We have to do something.” Jack stood. “It’s our home!”

  “From what we understand, there is little we can do,” Sage said. “The evil has spread too far.”

  “I have news from Mrs. Dumphry.”

  Arthur turned to see a young girl in a pretty dress standing just outside the tent. She nodded, then walked in and handed a rolled parchment to Sage.

  “A pigeon arrived a few minutes ago.” The girl looked to be two or three years younger than Arthur and had whimsical brown eyes and a mischievous smile.

  “Thank you,” Sage said as she unrolled the parchment. “This is my sister Aliyah. Aliyah, this is Jack and Arthur.”

  Aliyah curtsied.

  “What does it say?” Jack demanded. “Is she alive?”

  “Patience. I know as much as you.” Sage thumbed the wax seal, then unfurled the scroll. As the scroll stretched out, Mrs. Dumphry’s voice sounded inside the tent. Arthur shared an incredulous look with Jack.

  There are three things you must always remember; three things that will guide you—forgiveness, mercy, and most of all, love. No matter the offense. No matter the pain that was caused. No matter how evil the action. If we do not offer mercy, if we are unable to forgive, we will never know love. You see, we do not forgive for the sake of our enemy; we forgive for the sake of our hearts.

  In the midst of the Last Battle, you must remember these three truths. Choose love—always. Do not waste a moment worrying. Each moment spent in worry is a self-inflicted wound.

  While traveling through time with young Jack Staples, the circle was broken, and I was sent through time. I have had the most wonderful adventure over these past years—

  “Did she say ‘years’?” Arthur asked.

  Sage wore an astonished look as she unfurled the scroll a little more and Mrs. Dumphry’s voice sprang up once again.

  Though I send my greetings to all who are inside the Council Tent, I have instructions for Jack, Arthur, and Honi. So please listen carefully.

  “How did she know we would be here?” Jack asked. Sage shook her head. Somehow, Mrs. Dumphry waited for their exchange before continuing.

  It is imperative that we all meet in the Valley of Elah exactly two days after the Assassin’s Shadow has swallowed the sky. The Assassin will be waiting for us there. Though the entire world will be locked in battle, our true fight is with the Father of Lies.

  Many years ago I hid something of the utmost importance under the floorboards beneath my desk in the schoolhouse in Ballylesson. Young Jack Staples must take Honi and go to his hometown to retrieve it. Jack must lead the way and take no one else with him, or it will be sure death for everyone involved. And he must be careful, for I fear Ballylesson may have changed since last he was there.

  Remember, fear is an imagined mountain. Believe it is real and climb the mountain if you wish, or you can step through it and lay hold of your destiny.

  Sincerely,

  Mrs. Dumphry

  Sage shook her head at the abrupt ending. She unfurled the scroll a little more, then sighed. “Oh good, there’s more.” For one last time Mrs. Dumphry’s voice sounded.

  PS: Since I am far too busy at the moment, I offer my seat on the Council of Seven to young Arthur Greaves. He is strong and courageous, humble and wise. May the Author be with you in these final days.

  “Wait!” Arthur blinked. “What did you say?”

  Chapter 7

  The Eye of the Lion<
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  James Staples hadn’t taken the news well. When he woke to take his turn on watch, Parker and Alexia had told him about the death of his wife. Mr. Staples hadn’t said a word. He’d merely nodded and said they should get some sleep. That had been four nights ago, and he’d barely spoken since.

  Alexia had decided to stay with Parker and Mr. Staples for a while because she wanted answers and she didn’t know what else to do. She needed to find her mother and save her friends. But she had no idea how. I’ll go soon enough, she thought, but first I want to know a little more of what my birth father is really like.

  It was well past midnight when Alexia woke for her shift on watch. The enemy could sense the Poet’s Coffer, so they had to be vigilant.

  “I’ll take watch now,” Alexia said.

  Mr. Staples didn’t move. A few minutes passed, and Alexia began to wonder if he was sleeping.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry I’ve been moping. Your news wasn’t something I expected.” He turned and met Alexia’s eyes. “I didn’t think anything could kill that woman. She was twice as fierce as any lion and infinitely more stubborn.”

  He has a kind face, she thought. “I spent a few days with her before … She was amazing. I’ve never met anyone like her.”

  “I have no doubt they were some of the best days of her life,” Mr. Staples said. “Giving you up was the hardest thing we ever had to do. We love Parker.” He glanced at his sleeping son. “I couldn’t imagine life without him. But you were always in our thoughts.”

  “Why did you send me away?” Alexia asked. She didn’t feel sad about it. She loved her parents very much. But she did want to know. “You sent me away, but you kept Jack. Why?”

  “I wasn’t there the night you were born,” he said. “Until four days ago, I’d never laid eyes on my daughter. I wasn’t even sure you were still alive. We heard about your parents and feared the worst.”

  Alexia was glad for the night. It hid the wetness on her cheeks.

  Mr. Staples glanced at the sky. “Did Megan ever show you your star?”

  “No,” Alexia said. “What do you mean?”

  “There.” He pointed toward a circle of seven stars.

  “You mean the Lion’s Eye?” she asked.

  “You know the constellations?”

  “Yes, my father taught them to me.” It felt a little funny talking to her birth father about her father. “The Lion’s Eye.” She pointed. “The Serpent’s Tongue.” She moved her arm again. “The Dreamer’s Tree. Father and I spent many nights looking at the stars.” Alexia squinted at the sky. “But the Lion’s Eye looks brighter than I remember it. Is that possible?”

  “It is indeed. In the very center of the eye, there are two stars. Most people think there is only one because they are so close together. But if you look closely, you’ll see it.”

  Alexia nodded. She’d never noticed the second star before, but now she could see it.

  “The center of the Lion’s Eye was dark; it was just a ring of seven stars. At the moment of your birth, your star was born, and it blazed so bright, it outshone the moon.” He shook his head wonderingly. “I knew you’d been born, and I was desperate to get back to Ballylesson to meet you. As I journeyed home, the star faded. And by the time I returned, it was gone.”

  “What do you mean it was gone? It’s right there.” Alexia’s eyes strayed to the star.

  “The star was a sign of your coming. The Child of Prophecy had been born, and anyone who knew the signs could see it. But I was with Mrs. Dumphry on a mission of great importance. We’d traveled to the Forbidden Garden to meet with Time. When we saw the star, we were still weeks from home. I knew Megan was the Chosen One, but when your star faded, my heart was gripped with fear. What did it mean? Had you really been born? Had something terrible happened?”

  Alexia was mesmerized. Hearing about the night of her birth, learning that a star was born to herald her coming—there was something magical about it.

  “When I arrived at the house, I was relieved to find that everything seemed normal. I held Parker in my arms, and when Mrs. Dumphry and I looked into his eyes, it was obvious he was not the Child of Prophecy. It was only after Mrs. Dumphry left that Megan told me what happened.”

  Mr. Staples pulled a chain from around his neck. At the end of the chain was a small black stone streaked with blue veins. “Do you know what this is?” He held it up to the moonlight. The veins flickered as the stone caught the light.

  Alexia nodded. “It’s a Memory Stone. I’ve used them twice before.”

  “This was Megan’s. She gave it to me the morning Parker and I left with the Poet’s Coffer. It contains her favorite memories and has made the days away more bearable.” Pain passed over him again. “I’m sorry,” he said. “It still doesn’t feel real.”

  Alexia waited. After a moment he shook his head and handed her the stone. “If you want to see what truly happened on the night you were born, hold the stone and think on the memory.”

  Alexia’s hands shook as her fingers closed around the small stone. Mr. Staples offered a warm smile and nodded encouragingly. She took a deep breath and formed the thought in her mind as the world shifted.

  Alexia was in Jack’s bedroom back in Ballylesson. Megan Staples lay on a small bed. She was soaked in sweat and screaming as Elion knelt beside her. The Sephari’s eyes sparkled like diamonds as she patted Megan’s forehead with a wet towel.

  “You’re nearly there,” Elion said. “Once more, and your baby will be here.”

  Megan squeezed Elion’s hand as she screamed again and gasped. Alexia stood by her side, watching. It was surreal, being there at the moment of her birth. A moment later, Elion lifted the baby, cradling it in a thick blanket.

  “It’s a girl,” she said. “And there is no doubt. She is the Child of Prophecy.” White light exploded through the window as Alexia’s star was birthed; neither Elion nor Megan seemed to notice.

  Elion’s eyes turned sunset orange as she handed the baby to Megan.

  “I have entered this memory a thousand times.”

  Alexia turned to see Mr. Staples. She hadn’t realized he’d come with her. All of his attention was given to his wife and newborn daughter. “It is my greatest regret that I wasn’t there the night you were born. I only wanted to hold you.” Tears shone in his eyes.

  Megan Staples held baby Alexia close. Elion sat beside her and smiled happily.

  “But why? Why was I taken away?” Alexia asked.

  Mr. Staples waved his hand, and the world shifted once again. They were in the same room, but Megan was standing by the window cradling baby Alexia. “This is only a few hours later,” he said.

  Baby Alexia had a full head of raven-black hair and a small dimple in her cheek.

  “Alexia,” Megan said through teary eyes. “Her name is Alexia Staples.”

  “It is a beautiful name,” Elion said. The Sephari had donned her Atherial Cloak. She was almost impossible to see.

  A look of anguish crossed Megan’s face. “It’s not fair. She’s less than a day old!” she said. “She needs her mother! I can’t give my daughter away before her father has a chance to meet her.” Megan sighed. “How can you ask this of me, Elion?”

  “And you think you can keep her safe from what’s coming? You think you can stop him?”

  For a moment Megan looked as if she was going to argue; then she began to cry. “But this is my child. She is mine!”

  “This is the Child of Prophecy, and you know as well as I do that he is coming. If I don’t take her now, all will be lost.” She turned her gaze to the cloudless sky. “We are not the only ones who can read the stars.”

  Alexia stood beside Megan and Elion, and all three women looked up at the sky. At the center of the Lion’s Eye was a mammoth star that was indeed brighter than the moon. Though it should not have been
possible, the star looked to be directly above the Stapleses’ house.

  “Mother, what’s going on?”

  Elion spun as Megan shielded baby Alexia with her body.

  In less than a heartbeat, Elion had drawn her sword as colored mist rose from the floorboards. “Who are you, boy?” she demanded. “Speak now or die!”

  “What?” Alexia breathed. Jack Staples was standing in the doorway.

  Elion’s eyes blazed. Jack stood with his mouth agape, staring.

  “Mother, it’s me, Jack! What’s going on?”

  “Look at his eyes!” Elion stepped closer.

  “What do you mean?” Megan took a cautious step forward.

  “Come here, boy.” Elion lowered her sword and offered Jack her hand. He took it, looking as if he were trying to wake from a bad dream.

  Jack must have time traveled here, Alexia thought. But not on purpose, or he wouldn’t look so confused. Megan stepped closer, gazing into Jack’s eyes. “What does it mean?” she whispered. And then an impossibly bright light exploded through the room. Jack disappeared in a burst of wind.

  For a long moment, neither Megan nor Elion spoke. Alexia and Mr. Staples also stood silent, watching the memory.

  “This changes everything,” Elion whispered.

  “I don’t … I don’t understand,” Megan said. “He called me ‘Mother’!”

  “The only explanation is that you are his mother. And by his eyes it is clear. He is the Child of Prophecy.”

  “What?” Megan sat in the rocking chair next to the window. “Look at her eyes, Elion! Alexia was born without scales.”

  Elion’s eyes became a swirl of color. “It does make sense,” she said. She gazed toward the sky once again as a small smile crept onto her lips. “Look at Alexia’s star.”

  Megan stood and looked up. The impossibly bright star at the center of the Lion’s Eye was already fading.

  “There are two children,” Elion said excitedly. “Male and female, brother and sister. I have told you before that you humans are unlike anything the Author has created. In all the worlds, of all the creatures, beasts and beings, you are special. You are like the Author himself. He has woven himself into your very souls, and his blood runs in your veins.”