by Wilson, Maer
“Kang?” Thulu looked at Jones questioningly. “He'd like the panel returned to the rightful owner.”
Jones gave us a big smile. “That one I can help with easily. You see, I am the original owner.”
Chapter 18
According to Jones, in the Tang Dynasty, the early reign of the Emperor Xuanzong was one of the most stable and effective. This prosperous time is sometimes overlooked when compared to his later years and a tragic love affair. Yet, with his massive reforms, he established a period of peace, prosperity and contentment in China that caught the attention of the Light Ones.
“I do not recall the exact year anymore, in the early 720s, I believe,” said Jones. “I lived in the capital of Chang’an at the time, and I was a popular sorceress.”
I raised my eyebrows at this.
“I have lived as many different humans, both male and female. I do admit that I prefer being male, but at that time, I was female. Anyway, Empress Wang was deeply disturbed because she had not given her Emperor a son. Fearing to be deposed and lose power, her brother quietly sought out those of us who were acclaimed as the best in ancient magic and arts. Naturally, his footsteps soon brought him to my door, amongst others.
“It was after this,” Jones continued, “that the portal linking the Light Ones' world to Earth was starting to reopen – and far earlier than I expected. It was located on a large, sparsely populated continent, far from China.” He smiled at us. “The area would later become San Francisco.” That explained why Jones chose to live here.
He went on, “I first become aware that Light Ones had come through and were spreading out when a few of them appeared in China. This alarmed me, and I enlisted the aid of two other daemons, including the one who would become Sara Grant. We traveled to the portal and performed the ritual.
“Now, the ritual not only closes a portal, it recalls most of those who come through to this world. In effect, it banishes them. We knew we had trapped a few Light Ones in this dimension, the few who resisted the summons. It was an acceptable amount in my opinion, and I considered the closure a success.
“I returned to my home in Chang'an with the four relics. Please understand, the relics have also been mine for millennia. I had them commissioned over eight thousand years ago, when I first designed the ritual to send the Light Ones back to their realm and seal their portal.”
“What did the Light Ones create to get rid of your people?” Thulu asked.
“Nothing. They create very little. You may be surprised to know that daemons and humans are closer than angels are to either of us, especially in terms of thought patterns. Light Ones prefer to let others create and find joy that they can feed on. They did little before our great war and have done next to nothing since. At least of note. They rarely have come to this world because there is often war here. Sometimes a few do, just for – call it a change of pace.”
Thulu and I exchanged a glance. Information filed away for a later discussion.
“So, how did they get rid of you guys?” Thulu asked.
Jones looked at us with an expression I couldn't quite put a tag on. “They stole and used my relics and ceremony against us. That was not something I had foreseen. It took me a very long time to recover them. That, however, is another story.”
Jones sat thinking for a minute, then he continued. “For various reasons, I decided there needed to be a record of the banishing and closing ritual left on Earth. I was concerned I might not be available or might even forget parts of the ritual, if enough time passed between performances. Other dimensions were turning to me to close the Light Ones' portals on their worlds, but hundreds of years could go by without actually performing the ritual.
“I sought out a talented artist who was using some new methods of color and lacquer. I gave him sketches and the materials for the panels. When he gave the finished panels to me, I reinforced them with my own abilities, both magical and non-magical.
“For the scroll, I used a heavy, durable silk material and the best inks and paints I could find. Again reinforcing their durability, I painted the instructions.
“I packed the four relics, the panels and the scroll into nine heavily lacquered wooden boxes, padding the contents with thick layers of silk. I only planned to keep them in the house until it was time to move to my next incarnation.
“Unfortunately, history was to play out slightly different. The Empress Wang's brother was exposed for trafficking in magic. The amulets provided for the Empress were discovered, and the sorcerers who had provided them were named. It was not only the end of the Empress and her brother, it was the end of an era. And the end of the sorceress I had possessed.
“There was only enough warning to hide each of the boxes. I was on my way home after securing the last box, when I saw the Emperor's guards outside my home. Deciding I had been in that body long enough, I simply fled. Of course, with no guiding force, the body collapsed. The guards found the sorceress dead in the road, with no mark to show how she had died.”
“You just left her there?” I was no longer shocked by his actions.
“Well, of course. The original personalities usually give up after a while. They basically disappear, so there was no one home, so to speak, once I left.
“However, as you can see, the relics, panels and scroll are all mine. Therefore, Mr. Kang can rest easy knowing that the panel I took was, in fact, mine to take.”
“I'm sure that will be a great comfort to him.” I rolled my eyes and sighed. “I'll pass the info along and get back to you with his response.” I wasn't at all sure that Mr. Kang would consider Jones the owner. “Don't expect a whole lot, though. You did murder him, you know.”
“He was being stubborn.”
I looked at him. “Why not just go in and take it when no one was there?”
He shrugged. “Why should I? I was recovering my own property. When would you like to try to communicate with Mason?” he asked, changing the subject. I don't think I'd ever understand his ease in killing, but let it go. We were not going to agree on this one.
“Tomorrow, possibly. I want to talk to my friend first. Besides, I'm a bit overloaded with food and information at the moment.” I looked at Thulu.
“Would you like to see the original panels and the plate before you go?” Jones asked.
“Yes, please,” Thulu said, pleased and surprised.
Jones led the way through the house and down a back stairway. The stairs let out into a finished basement. There were some scattered sofas, chairs and two doorways. The nearest door looked very heavy. Jones said it led to his wine cellar.
The other was an elevator door, which Jones unlocked by entering a digital code on a keypad on the wall. We stepped into a small elevator that went down several stories, as far as I could tell. The elevator opened into a small alcove with another digital key-coded door. Jones opened this door and stood aside for us to precede him into the room.
My mouth dropped open. The room was cavernous. Over thirty-five feet high, it stretched far beyond the span of the house. Soft lights came on as we entered, dimly lighting up the area to the end of the room.
Before us were some of the most fabulous artifacts, sculptures and paintings I'd ever seen. Each was displayed in its own area and contained a placard in front of it, like those in a museum. As we moved into the room, the displays nearest us lit up with their own individual lights, motion sensors controlled the lighting. After we passed, the lights dimmed again. The term “private collection” didn't begin to cover what we were seeing.
“This is truly amazing!” Did he steal all this? I didn't dare ask.
Jones bent his head in gracious acknowledgment. “I have had some of these items since they were new. As I said before, I have been able to successfully pass on most of my wealth to myself for a good long while.” He gazed around with pride. “And no, La Fi, I did not steal but a small portion of it. Most of it I actually purchased, albeit not always legally.”
I saw items from ancien
t Egypt, Europe, Greece, China and Africa. Native American, Mayan – more cultures than I could identify shared space. As we moved along aisles toward the back, I saw an intact primitive cave painting, cave wall and all.
Gold, silver, and gems sparkled and gleamed in all directions. A tall obelisk that was probably Egyptian was displayed at the far end and stood over twenty-five feet high.
Just before the room opened into the back section, the one containing the obelisk, Jones stopped. A beautiful medieval tapestry was displayed on one wall. Jones moved it aside and draped it around a hooked fixture to the side of yet another digitally locked door.
This one was a very thick metal vault door. There was a hiss of air as Jones unlocked it. He gave a slight pull, and it opened smoothly into another room that was about ten by ten.
There were the panels and a single relic, each placed and displayed in glass enclosures. We moved slowly into the room, which felt like a vault in spite of the thick carpet and displayed artifacts.
The power emanating from the plate was much as the one from the cup. We could feel it even behind the thick glass that separated it from us.
The two panels were beautiful, but they did not have that indefinable energy I felt coming from the plate. We moved closer to inspect the plate. It really did match the cup. My fingers itched to possess the set, my dragon fixation nice and strong. Thulu stood with his head to one side, eyes closed. I moved over to the panel that had the dragon pitcher.
“Would you like to see that closer, La Fi?”
I smiled and quietly said, “No, thank you. I just have a thing for dragons. So, it caught my attention. Your close-ups had excellent detail. These really are gorgeous.”
“Ah, then I shall have to show you some pieces that I think you will appreciate. That will give Thulu some time in here alone.”
Thulu stood very still in front of the plate. Jones did something that opened all three cases. Thulu turned around.
“How long were the pieces separated?”
“Comparatively speaking, they have been together far longer than they were apart. That is why I felt you might be able to pick up something.”
Thulu nodded and turned once more to the plate.
“Please take your time, Thulu, and feel free to pick up the objects. We will be elsewhere in the collection.”
Thulu gave us a brief nod of acknowledgment, but he was frowning. Not a good sign. We left to give him space.
“This way, if you please, La Fi.”
“With all of this security, why wouldn't this be a safe place?” I asked.
“Safe enough against humans. I have taken every precaution I can think of against the supernatural, but there are no guarantees if someone has thought of something I have overlooked.”
“What about earthquakes?”
“I have made wards against any damage here, as well. The entire structure would survive a nuclear hit.”
I blinked my surprise, but didn't say anything.
We spent the next twenty minutes wandering around the displays. As promised, Jones showed me several dragon-themed artifacts that simply took my breath away.
One was a small dragon about a foot high in gold, silver and gems. Jones explained that he'd had it commissioned about thirty years ago. The dragon stood on hind legs with wings spread, as if ready to take flight. It was so stunning I wanted to touch it, so I carefully put my hands behind my back.
Jones laughed. “Go ahead, La Fi, but you may not take it home.”
I gave him a mock wounded look and gently stroked a finger along the cool metal. It was the epitome of dragon art, in my opinion. I wondered how to get a copy of it, but didn't dare ask.
Thulu joined us, and we made our way back to the room. We waited outside, while Jones went in and secured the cases once more. He came back into the main room, shutting and keying the door behind him.
Thulu seemed distracted, thoughtful, a bit strange. I asked if he was all right. He smiled and said he was, but I could tell he was unhappy.
“Still nothing?” I asked. He shook his head.
Jones looked at him thoughtfully. “This is unusual, is it not?”
“Very. The three relics together should have led me to a fourth. It's as if something or someone is blocking them. I caught flashes, but not a location.” He looked at Jones. “I'm sorry, but it's not coming clear for me.”
Jones seemed unperturbed. “We shall try Mason.”
We agreed and followed Jones back to the elevator and up to the main house.
Jones walked us outside to his car. Stuart stood holding the back door open for us. Before getting in, Thulu turned to Jones and said, “Thank you very much for letting me see the relics.” Thulu held his hand out to me. I moved to take it.
Jones was obviously pleased. “You are quite welcome.”
“Yes and thank you also for that fabulous lunch and showing me parts of your collection. It was awesome beyond words,” I said with a smile. Nana would be proud I remembered my manners.
“The pleasure was all mine. Please, let me know when you would like to visit Mason.”
“I will.” I got into the back seat, followed by Thulu.
The drive back to the city was quiet. Thulu was lost in thought, and I watched the scenery flow by. We'd need to contact our friend when we got home.
Chapter 19
One night three years ago, Nana Fae had dropped by unannounced. Not something she usually did. We'd just finished the tediously touchy job of refinishing the front stair case and replacing four of the damaged balusters of the handrail. Matching them to the originals had required painstaking detail. Thulu and I sat on the floor admiring our work when the doorbell rang.
Nana Fae came in, with hugs, kisses, some deli sandwiches and potato salad. And tickets to a show the next night. She said it was an early anniversary present, which was only a week away.
“Who is Brandy Malone?”
“You'll love the show. Magic, some music, very elegant, very exclusive. People would kill to get these tickets. The show is sold out for months. I think you both deserve something special, and I think that you will enjoy this show like no other.” She twinkled at us.
I don't trust Nana when she twinkles. It usually means she's up to no good. Sad to say that about one's own grandmother, but it tends to be true.
“Oh and kiddies, evening dress please. It really is elegant.” With that she breezed back out the door, blowing kisses as she went.
Thulu and I looked at each other, shrugged and just went with it. That's the best course of action when dealing with the Nanas anyway. After downing the lunch Nana had brought, we went upstairs to check the closet.
We quickly decided that elegant was not something we'd done very often. I doubted my wedding gown and Thulu's tux would be appropriate, so we went out for a quick shopping trip.
Lies. There's no such thing as a quick shopping trip for clothing. Just because I like comfort doesn't mean I'm a pushover when it comes to dressing up. I like to strike just the right note.
Thulu and I wandered through shops. He found several suits and went with one in charcoal gray. He stood patiently while the tailor did his thing, and I brought shirts for his approval. He chose a pale blue silk shirt, and then I was off for ties. Finding a nice one with grays, blues and some red, I presented it with a flourish and received a grateful nod from Thulu.
Next it was my turn. It was over three hours and a zillion dresses later before I went with a floor length, dark red gown. It was long sleeved, cut in a low V in front and hugged my slender figure to flair out below my hips. I had black dressy heels and a purse at home, and Thulu found a beautiful black and gold silk shawl that was perfect.
We were set for the next night and went home, exhausted, but triumphant.
We were between cases, so the next day was a primp day for us. We spent the day watching movies and relaxing. Manicures and pedicures are wonderful pampering activities, and we took our time. I gave Thulu his manicure and pedi
cure first. He always kept his hands and nails meticulously clean.
I'd found a polish that matched my dress, and Thulu obligingly polished my fingernails and toenails. He was very good at this and a lot less messy than I was. My method was to slap it on and clean it up after it dried.
We decided to eat an early dinner at home and ordered Italian in. The show served drinks, but not food.
My long hair easily went up in a twist. I had a beautiful comb set with crystals that I slipped into place.
We spent a few minutes admiring each other in the full length mirrors in the dressing area, turning this way and that. We checked to make sure that tags were removed and agreed that we looked ready to go. If I do say so myself: we clean up pretty good, my Thulu and I.
My hair had stayed blonde, which surprised me. As I got older, I didn't have Nana Fae's elegance, but my features were refined like hers. I told myself the small bump on my nose added character. My eyes were green, more jade than Nana's emerald, and my eyebrows were a darker blonde and arched nicely. My skin was smooth and still dusted faintly with freckles, which had faded as I got older. The dress showed off some cleavage and accented my slim hips.
Thulu looked very GQ in his suit. His brown eyes were almost gold that night, the tawny flecks picking up the light. I could look at Thulu's eyes for hours, their color changing depending on his mood and lighting. Most women would say (and had) that he had bedroom eyes, big, framed with long, dark lashes. Add in the dimples, strong hands and clear skin and yep, he was pretty damn good looking.
We nodded at each other in the mirror and made our way downstairs. Because we planned to drink, we had arranged for a taxi to take us to the hotel.
The Brandy Malone show was located in a club in one of the five star hotels. It was located on one of the tall building’s top floors, reached only by an express elevator. We presented our tickets to the guard at a podium next to the elevator. He looked at them, asked our name and checked it off against a list. He pressed the button, and the elevator doors opened.