Aunt Chris certainly had a thing for cats, Lee thought considering the marble statues guarding the entrance to Mafdet. It's a wonder she didn't have a house full of them.
She touched the carving and suddenly thought of the disc she'd found in the dark corner of the room. She considered whether it might be part of this engraving. Lee fetched the sun disc from her jewelry box and was almost shocked when it popped right into place.
I wonder how it got all the way across the room.
Then Lee remembered when she'd first come into the attic. The chest had been laying over on its side like someone had gone through the room in a great hurry. That must have been when the disc fell off.
She looked more closely and finally realized what she was seeing. "It's a lock. How clever."
Lee had always been fascinated with cipher-lock puzzles. Now she just had to determine the correct sequence to position each piece, how to turn them and when to stop. Spinning each disc right side up probably wouldn't be right, because that was too easy. She studied the glyphs carefully and realized that what she had assumed to be branches or brush were actually grooves carved between each circular object. They were tracks to slide the images along. Also, each image seemed to represent north, south, east and west. A glyph rested in each of those positions but she suspected they weren't where they were supposed to be.
"Okay, I know I can do this. Each object has to rest on a direction."
The feline faced right, but sat at north while the raccoon faced left and sat on east. Those two definitely had to be east and west, she figured.
Lee slid the cat piece downward into what had to be a neutral point in the center. That cleared the space to move another object into it, but which one belonged at north? She played with the lock for a while with no luck when inspiration suddenly hit. She put the cat west, so that it was facing in toward the middle and slid the raccoon east so that it was doing the same. As for north and south, she realized how simple it should have been. The sun would be north to represent being overhead during the day and the moon would be south, awaiting its chance to come around again.
As soon as she slid the last object into place, Lee heard a heavy thunk and the trunk lid popped free. She clapped her hands together in glee.
"Yes!"
Lee lifted the top and it rose easily. The wood smelled well-oiled, with just a touch of some kind of perfume. There were books of different sizes and various glass vials, whose contents she could only guess. She got down on her knees and started to pull the books off the stack when she noticed a plain white envelope with her name scrawled across the front. It was sticking out of the top of what looked like a journal.
She picked it up and turned it over curiously. The envelope looked new, but she didn't know how that could be since she hadn't seen Chris in many years. Lee sat down on the attic floor and slipped a finger under the flap. There was only a single sheet of lined paper filled with her aunt's sprawling cursive.
My dearest Lee,
As I pen these words, I fervently hope you're sitting down and that you won't discount these words as the ramblings of a foolish old woman. I assure you, I'm quite sane even though what I'm going to tell you will be difficult to believe.
You're part of a special ancestry of beings. I know every family thinks the same thing, but let me assure you this is very different.
Our people are called the Panthera. We trace our origins directly to ancient Egyptian times when we served as royal bodyguards to the Pharaohs themselves. Over time, our numbers have dwindled but bloodlines remained pure, until your parents joined. The Panthera have retained the ability to become one with nature because of that purity. We still believe in the old ways and give thanks to the Great Mother for all our gifts.
I've served our community as Kadin, or medicine woman, all my life. Those in our direct line before me fulfilled the same role and in the event of my death, you will inherit that mantle. Everything in this chest is designed to assist your transition. I know it's a lot to take in, but you must do so quickly. A dark time is coming; I've seen it and know that I will not be there when it happens. You're the key. I can only hope you come into your power with the full knowledge of your calling, but the realist in me fears this won't be the case.
Your father never agreed with our ways and though I saw so much potential in the child that you were, I'm sure you've been raised in ignorance.
Go through the items in this trunk. Study the medicine book and the pictures. The answers are all here if you have the courage to see what's right in front of you.
Most of all, Lee, believe what you see in your dreams. They are a doorway. All my hopes and love, Chris.
Lee read the letter twice and still couldn't make sense of it. Special abilities and worshiping the old ways? She had a hard time believing Chris was some kind of shaman and her father knew all about it. More importantly, why would he keep it a secret? Did Aunt Chris have some kind of mental problem that her father knew about? And what was all this talk about dreams?
She remembered the terrifying dreams she'd had the night Jamison's friend died; how closely it mirrored what Jamison told her later. For just an instant, Lee was tempted to believe there was something more to this, but then reality grabbed hold of her. No way. Chris had been ill and Lee never knew, that was all there was to it.
Lee glanced over the letter again and then read the date at the top. It was written a month before Chris died. She felt a shiver pass through her.
"Stop it! You're being ridiculous." Lee didn't believe in any kind of enhanced powers, especially in relation to herself.
Regardless of her personal feelings about such nonsense, Lee still loved Chris, and whatever was in the trunk was valuable to her for that reason. She put aside the letter to go through the rest of the items in the chest. A brown, leather journal rested right on top. It would probably contain her aunt's most private thoughts and she sat it off to the side to read later. Lee just hoped it didn't say anything else about the Panthera, whatever that was.
Next was a large book the size of a common hardback. Was that the medicine book mentioned in the letter? She examined it on every side, trying to figure out what it was bound with.
Some kind of animal skin. Yuck!
It joined the ledger and Lee dipped back into the chest pulling out other items. She found a bunch of old furs, some bird feathers and several white candles. Some of the candles had been burned, but others were new. Lee found a bundle of letters held together with twine and added those to the growing pile with the books. Near the bottom of the trunk, she found a large photo album. It was so big that it covered two thirds of the length and width of the chest and was about three inches thick. The album was also added to the heap.
Little remained after she removed the album except a smattering of loose photos, some glass vials and a brown cloth. Lee held the material up with both hands and saw that it was a hooded robe. She frowned, thinking it looked familiar, but she couldn't think where she might have seen it. With a shrug, she dropped the robe back into the hope chest. She glanced at the labels of some of the vials to discover they contained spices and a few rather unique ingredients that she'd expect to find on a witch's kitchen shelf. She pulled a cork out of one of the small bottles and sniffed the dried ingredient. It smelled a little like fish and Lee wrinkled her nose before re-corking the vial.
A flash of white caught her attention and Lee reached in and lifted out some rocks. She studied them closer in the low attic light and then quickly tossed them back into the chest. They were bones.
Lee thought they were some kind of animal remains, but why would her aunt keep such disgusting items locked away like precious treasures?
She put everything back into the chest except for the things she had saved to look through. Maybe these items would give her some insight into their previous owner and answer a few pertinent questions; like whether Chris was crazy or a member of some kind of outlandish cult.
Lee froze and then dug hurried
ly back through the contents until she reached the robe. She held it up under the dim lighting and knew where she'd seen it before. The trespassers had been wearing the same garment. Things were starting to add up and they didn't look good.
She was right; Chris had definitely been a little mentally off and part of some kind of religious sect. From the items in the trunk and what she'd said in the letter, these Panthera worshiped nature. The glass vials had contained things like myrrh, cassia, toe of frog and mugwort. What could someone do with a frog's toe and what the hell was a mugwort?
Lee had a lot to think about. They were probably pagans.
She closed the lid and watched the circular discs slide around to settle into a random pattern. They weren't even in the same spots they'd been when Lee started trying to decipher the combination. Whoever Chris' people were, they were certainly talented when it came to creating such intricate locking mechanisms.
Chris' people? Does that make them my people, too? Are they actual blood relatives or just a bunch of people with the same beliefs?
Distracted, Lee picked up the items she wanted to examine and left the attic. She barely remembered to turn off the light switch and walked down the stairs into the living room. She planned to leave everything on the coffee table while she took a shower and then she'd spend some time discovering exactly who her aunt had been. She was halfway across the living room when she realized she wasn't alone, and it wasn't Cleo.
Lee came to a dead stop and stared at the creature resting on her sofa. It didn't show any signs of fear. The raccoon lay in the corner against the armrest on its back and seemed to be waiting to see what she'd do. When she only stood there, silently gaping, the raccoon rolled onto its stomach and slid off the couch. Then Lee watched in amazement when it stood up on its hind legs and started walking toward her. The little guy was only a few feet away when it held up its front paws like a small child wanting to be held.
She swallowed against a dry throat. "You're kidding me, right?"
Lee quickly realized it was the same animal she and Jamison had seen standing at the back of the house a few days ago. Jamison had said it probably wasn't afraid of people because it had been exposed to them before, possibly even raised by one. That thought gave her the courage to squat down and put everything she was holding on the floor. Then she reached out toward the small creature to see what happened. Lee never blinked. If the raccoon showed any signs of lunging at her with bared teeth, she'd dodge out of the way and get something to shoo it out of the house.
The raccoon walked into her arms and Lee picked him up off the floor. When she lifted him, the raccoon wrapped his lower legs around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. Lee finally swallowed and took a shaky breath. She stroked her fingertips over the coarse hair and smiled. She closed her eyes and hugged him, noting his weight and warmth. He smelled clean and a bit musky, like the forest. In fact, she could see the forest. The clouds overhead were full and fluffy, the sun bright through the trees. Lee could feel the roughness of the bark against her paw pads and hear the birds singing overhead. She felt her muscles flex as she walked down to the stream. When she looked into the water, she saw her pointed chin and the black mask on her face.
She opened her eyes with a start and looked down at the raccoon. He lifted sable eyes to meet her gaze and his nose twitched.
What was that?
Lee bent over and put the animal on the floor. He stood looking at her for a moment and then waddled off toward the kitchen on all fours. She followed quietly and watched him leave the house through the dog door. Whatever kind of spell she'd been in wore off and Lee strode across the floor to jerk open the back door. There was no sign of the raccoon.
Had she imagined the whole thing? Was Chris' illness passed genetically? Maybe something in one of those vials was a hallucinogen.
Yeah, that's it. It's probably that mugwort stuff.
Lee rubbed a hand over her face. From now on, no smelling chemicals when I don't know what they are or why they're used.
Tomorrow she was going to pour all those spices in the trash. Hopefully the effect wouldn't last long.
She walked back into the living room and placed the books and photos on the coffee table before she left to take her shower. Lee found Cleo lying on the bed when she went in for a change of clothes.
"Napping in the middle of the day? Not a bad idea, girl."
Cleo opened one eye and then went back to sleep.
"Nice to see you, too," Lee grumbled. "Good to know I'm wanted. Jamison won't answer my calls, you ignore me and even an imaginary raccoon walks out on me. What's next?"
Lee took a long hot shower and changed into a pair of jeans and t-shirt. She put on some sneakers and took a quick look out the bedroom window. The sun was already starting to set, but there was still time to take a short walk in the woods beside the house. She didn't plan on getting any more exercise, but she might get lucky and grab some nice pictures.
She picked up her night set-up and draped the camera strap around her neck. Lee whistled for Cleo and set off in the direction of Meacham Lake from the back of the manor with the dog leading the way.
Why do I always walk down this path, she wondered. Is it because Jamison might be waiting at the end of it?
Lee had never been to her home, but knew Jamison lived in this direction. She wondered what Jamison was doing. At first Lee hadn't tried to call because she knew Jamison would be busy with her friend's funeral, but that was four days ago. Didn't Jamison miss her at all? Lee had thought something really special was developing between them, especially when Jamison tried to make love with her. Apparently she had only been reaching for comfort, a normal reaction considering how close they had become during their date and the subsequent sorrow. Lee was just so glad she had stopped everything before it went too far.
Then again, maybe she should have allowed it. At least she would have the memories of that time together since it seemed Jamison didn't want anything else to do with her.
Cleo growled low and Lee saw that she was staring off to the side of the darkening woods. The sun had almost set and the wind had picked up slightly. A branch cracked not far away and Cleo's growling intensified. Lee sighted in through the camera and zoomed the lens all the way out. She didn't see anything, but thought it might be some woodland creatures out foraging for dinner. Lee started snapping pictures at random. Maybe she'd pick up something. The camera was digital and the flash might startle the animals, but it wouldn't hurt anything.
Lee had taken several pictures when Cleo's hackles went up and she started to bark.
This is how it goes in horror movies, Lee suddenly thought. The goofy woman takes a bunch of pictures thinking she's being cute and she's really being stalked by the monster the whole time. Listen to Cleo!
"Uh, okay, Cleo. You win. Let's go."
Lee started back toward the house, but Cleo stayed in place. Her barking grew more furious and Lee felt goose bumps break out.
"Cleo, now!" The dog spun around and ran toward her and Lee started walking briskly down the trail.
"I will not run. I will not run," she repeated silently even though every instinct urged her to do exactly that. They reached the house in half the time it had taken them to walk out onto the trail. Lee watched Cleo lope across the side yard and disappear into the manor before she finally gave in to her fear and tore after her.
JAMISON LAY ACROSS the tree branch and watched Lee snapping pictures all around the woods, but then the flash went off in her sensitive jaguar eyes. She slipped a little and dug into the bark with her razor sharp claws. Powerful haunches bunched and muscles rippled. Jamison snarled in anger and the small dog started barking.
Now Lee had a picture of the elders in ritual and Jamison in her pelt form.
Chapter Nineteen
"NO WAY."
LEE leaned over the desk and stared at the image on the computer once again. She'd been doing that repeatedly since plugging in the digital camera from the ni
ght before. Initially, she hadn't expected to find anything but a lot of photos of trees and brush. That's exactly what most of the shots were, but one picture near the end of the session stood out far above the rest. A large, dark animal crouched in the boughs of an oak tree, blue-green eyes glittering as the flash fired.
At first her mind refused to acknowledge what she was seeing, but finally she had to admit it. She raked her fingers through her blonde hair again, adding to its disheveled appearance.
"A black panther."
Lee picked up the phone and dialed the non-emergency number for the Sheriff's Department. It was apparently a slow day at the local law enforcement agency since she was put through fairly quickly to Sheriff Samantha Macke herself. Lee quickly outlined what she'd discovered in the woods outside Mafdet Manor the night before, but the sheriff wasn't as excited as anticipated.
"Ma'am, I'm sure what you thought you saw was very exciting."
"Don't patronize me, Sheriff. I've photographed jungle cats on location in Central America and Africa. I know what I'm talking about and I'm not prone to flights of fancy."
"I'm sure you're not, Miss Grayson, however the Adirondacks are considered wilderness and there are all manner of animals in the forest. That includes wild cats of different varieties."
"Sheriff, black panthers aren't indigenous to New York!" Lee couldn't temper her response, even though her ire wouldn't earn any points with the law official. "I'd think you would take this more seriously. I'm not calling about a stray dog."
"If you were, I'd tell you the same thing I'm going to tell you now, Miss Grayson. I recommend you call the proper authority regarding your complaint, Park Services. Unless you can tell me exactly where the animal is now, there's nothing my people can do for you."
Under the Midnight Cloak Page 17