by Starr West
Libby demonstrated with the crystals. She held her hand over a bowl filled with small, misshapen beads. She slowly picked one up, dropped it back in the bowl, and selected another.
“Good, this one is perfect, nice and warm in my hand. Now you try, Psyche.”
I waved my hand over the assortment of jars and bowls. Each one held crystal beads or stones of different colours, sizes and shapes. Nothing called out to me. I knew they expected too much.
“Don’t worry, Psyche, you can’t get it wrong,” Navarre offered.
“The intention, Psyche. What do you want the crystals to do?” Libby asked.
“Protect me from… something, everything?”
“Exactly, protection. You should hold that as the intention, see it, feel it, focus on it. Visualise the beast, understand that you need protection from it. Now try again.” Libby realised what I was doing wrong, I merely waved my hand over a few nameless objects and still discovered nothing.
I didn’t want to visualise the beast. But when I closed my eyes, its image appeared as if it were burned into my soul. I held it longer than I wanted. I focused on protection and destroying the beast. I felt a shudder of fear rising from deep within me.
Slowly, I passed my hand over the containers littered across the table. Tiny pins and needles tingled in the tips of my fingers. I paused and selected a small, round stone. It was warm and alive, almost pulsating in my hand. With my eyes closed, I continued. Some of the stones were warm, some vibrated a little and others made my fingers tremble. I selected nine stones in all, tiny misshapen crystals and round beads. I opened my eyes and held them in my hand; some were clear and coloured, while others were opaque.
“Very good, Psyche, you’ve chosen well,” Libby whispered.
“Psyche,” Phoenix spoke to me for the first time, “I have something for you.” Phoenix held a long leather cord with a smooth yellow stone dangling from the end. “It’s amber.”
“Is this a peace offering?” I glared at the object, though I knew I was being unfair. I couldn’t help it.
“No. Amber is good for protection.”
Phoenix was calm, more so than usual and I felt guilty for giving him a hard time. I reached out to accept the gift. The amber was entwined in wisps of fine silver wire that looked more like spun thread. The stone glowed in the candlelight and reminded me of the sun behind filaments of morning mist.
“Phoenix, it’s beautiful! Where did it come from?”
Phoenix shrugged, “I was a silversmith in a past life,” he joked.
“What? You made this yourself?” Phoenix shrugged again, a little embarrassed by my gushy delight. “That’s amazing, it’s beautiful,” and then I realised, “but I can’t really accept it; you should keep it and give it to someone else, someone special.”
“I am giving it to someone special. I’m giving it to you.”
“Thank you, Phoenix. Then I graciously accept.” I felt humbled and foolish as he hung the necklace around my neck. Phoenix didn’t deserve any more angst from me today or ever.
I placed the damp, sweaty crystals I still held in my hand on the table. Phoenix reached out and pushed them around with his finger, “That’s lapis lazuli, quartz and there’s more amber,” he said.
I hadn’t even looked at what I’d picked. “I could help if you like,” Navarre interjected as he walked over and sat beside me. “Let me. I’ll make you something.” Before I could respond, he scooped up the beads.
“Sure, I don’t know what to do with them anyway,” I replied.
Navarre worked away in the dim light of the candle. He reached over, wrapped his warm fingers around my wrist and cut a few lengths of cord. I watched, mesmerised by the way his long fingers coaxed the thread into tiny knots and wove the beads into place. Then he slipped the bracelet over my hand and tugged at the loose ends, the bracelet adjusted and slipped snugly in place.
“Wow, thank you. You boys have many talents,” I said as I admired my new charms. It felt like my birthday again. Warmth rose up my arms and across my chest, a blush; but even as the flush of colour heated my cheeks, I knew it wasn’t from embarrassment.
“How can I thank you? I have nothing I can offer either of you in return.”
“Like I said, the necklace is a gift. But if you want to repay me, promise you won’t go into the forest alone and don’t go anywhere without wearing these,” Phoenix said.
Navarre just smiled, “Happy to help, but a kiss from a distressed damsel will keep my heart warm on cold winter nights,” he touched his finger to his cheek.
“Navarre!” Tahinah chastised, but smiled at her cheeky son.
I stretched up on the tips of my toes and kissed him lightly on his cheek. “I thought you were an Apache warrior, not a knight in shining armour.”
“Ahhh, whatever the situation calls for, really.”
I turned to Phoenix, a tiny glint of something familiar caught my attention, and I reached up and kissed his cheek as well. My lips tingled, a spark stabbed my chest and a knot twisted in my stomach. What was that? Navarre’s kiss was warm and sweet, but Phoenix’s was like a jolt of lightning. As if I had been asleep and was now fully awake.
“So you really think they’ll work?” I shook off the bizarre feeling and pretended that nothing had happened, nothing had changed.
“Who cares if they work?” said Navarre. “They look good, and if you need protecting, just call me! Like I said, happy to help.”
Phoenix frowned at his brother, “Well, they should. It’s good to fight magick with magick and the mundane with less magickal means, but we still don’t know who or what we’re dealing with or even if there is a who.”
“So you don’t think those hell beasts are controlled by an evil master?” I laughed at the thought of it. It sounded more like a scene from a dark fairytale.
“Maybe, maybe not.” As usual, Phoenix was way too serious. “But it shouldn’t be happening. The veil shouldn’t be letting through anything like that yet. They really come from a different dimension.” I looked at him, confused.
“It’s like a different time and place; it’s still from earth, but from a time we’ve moved beyond. Remember the energy you felt in your hands? That’s new energy. The world is different now, vibrating faster with lighter energy. That beast is from a time when everything was denser and vibrating much slower. Old energy shouldn’t be able to exist here, even if the veil is failing, they still shouldn’t be here.”
“So you do think it’s some type of hell beast, you just don’t know why.”
“Libby and Tahinah are convinced, but they believe the ancient magick is still in play. The earth is changing, but even if the veil fails completely and the dark magick becomes more accessible, it shouldn’t allow the passage of beasts from a time that really doesn’t exist anymore.”
“You really confuse me sometimes. First, it’s magick, now it’s demon beasts from a different dimension. I’m expecting Merlin to walk in the door any minute,” I said. I couldn’t get my head around any of it.
“That’s why there can be no more delays in your training.” Libby had heard me and now contributed to the conversation. “Tomorrow, there will be no excuses. Immediately after breakfast, we will continue where we left off. And it wouldn’t hurt you to add a few notes in your book some time.”
“I still think we need to take a more active approach,” said Ruben. I had forgotten that Ruben and Tahinah were still here. “You realise that I’m not giving up on this, Libby. We all need to be able to defend ourselves. With all our preparation, we failed to include any defence training. Even basic self defence would be better than nothing.”
“I agree, but we need to avoid turning the valley into a military encampment.” I didn’t expect Libby to agree. Magick was her answer to everything.
“You agree?” Ruben was even more surprised, “Good then, I’ll focus on the skills we have and devise a plan that allows some room for the wishes of everyone. But, like everything else, those wi
th the skills and knowledge will be required to teach everyone else. And I do mean everyone.”
Ruben looked at me and raised his eyebrows. “Ever fired a rifle, Psyche?”
“No.”
“Well then, that’s a good place to start.”
Guns scared me. Perhaps magick was an easier option.
“We should go, unless you’re about to show her how to shoot the moon,” said Tahinah. “Come on, boys.”
“You know I’m going to dream tonight,” I whispered to Phoenix. “You can’t load me up with all this new information and expect pleasant dreams.”
“I know,” his eyes twinkled as he poked me in the ribs, “so don’t start without me.” He was teasing, but at least now, we were joking about it.
Libby and I sat alone in the kitchen, “Well this has been a productive day after all. You have gained a lot more than you realise, even if you don’t understand it yet. You are opening to the fact that not everything is as it seems.”
“I’m a bit overwhelmed, that’s all. I don’t mean to take it out on you and Phoenix. You’ve had your whole life to get used to it; for me it’s only been a few days. On top of all that, I don’t know what to believe.”
“It doesn’t matter if you believe or not. You don’t have to believe in something for it to be true. If something exists, then the truth of it will eventually be discovered.” Like demon beasts, I thought.
“What’s more important is why you believe the things you do. Knowing is different and far more important. Belief is wishy-washy and limiting. When you base your life around that without questioning why, you never become truly grounded. On the other hand, if you know something to be true, whether you can see it or not, then knowledge becomes your grounding. Faith based on knowing is a far greater way to live your life.” Libby spoke with such authority I wouldn’t dare question her reasoning; but I was still confused.
"You should always question why you believe something." She did have a point, no matter how strongly I believed that the moon was made of cream cheese, or even if I wished it to be, it didn’t mean it was true. And it didn’t matter if I believed in magick or not, it certainly didn’t matter if I believed in demon beasts. My beliefs were irrelevant and indifferent to the truth.
“You know your mother has a Book of Shadows; Do you know where it might be? I’m sure it would help. If you had her book, you might be more willing to accept the magick and your role.”
“I’ve never seen it. Is it the same as the one you gave me?” I should have seen it in the confined space of the bus where there had been no room for secrets. “Maybe she left it here or threw it away.”
“She might have taken you away from the magick, but she never turned her back on her duty to respect it.”
“I guess I could have a look in the bus. She must have hidden it well or I would remember,” I said, but the book would have to wait until tomorrow. The last remaining candle spluttered and flicked us into darkness… Tonight was at an end.
I was right about the dreaming, it came to me faster than ever before. The beast stood, larger and more menacing than I remembered, probing me with his fiery eyes. The heat from the fire was blazing and harsh, I stood too close to the flames. Fear swelled and crashed over me like a wave in a storm. It tasted salty and dry in my throat. I looked for the children, but they were gone… and so was everyone else… I was alone.
The beast growled low and ominous, while beneath my bare feet, the ground trembled. Phoenix wasn’t here. Where was he? The beast lunged back like a coiled spring, preparing to attack… sweat and fear trickled down my face. I braced myself for what was about to come… and felt a thump on my shoulder. Then the full force of earth rose up to meet me. I opened my eyes as I hit the ground and saw the beast dissolve into the mist of my dream. “I told you not to start without me.” It was Phoenix. He had shoved me out of harm’s way. There was no doubt now… he truly was in my dreams.
Chapter 11 ~ THE NINTH DAUGHTER
Autumn mornings were unusually frosty. Some days, the mist was so thick it was like living in a cloud, but we were high in the mountains so it could have been clouds. Tree limbs hung low under the weight of the frozen dew and glistened gently in the early morning light. On days when the sun was able to break through the mist, it sparkled like diamonds and dazzled until the sun melted the frost.
I loved autumn even more than I loved spring. The change made it exciting. In winter, we had the cold, in summer we had the heat; but in autumn and spring, we had change. The crisp mornings reminded me I was alive and sane.
I had trouble sleeping the previous night and it was more of an effort to stay in bed than get up and start my day. Libby was still sleeping and Phoenix wouldn’t arrive for hours. I padded across the wet grass, letting the chill soak into my bare feet. My pyjama bottoms were soaked through and coated with little green knobs of weed. “Sticky-beak,” Libby called it. It didn’t stick to denim so much, but flannelette was like a magnet to the tiny seeds, and hand-washing was a bitch.
But I wasn’t out here to enjoy the morning. There was no water in the bathroom. If the tank was dry, I’d have to go to the creek and turn on the pump. The pump was supposed to be automatic, so I wasn’t even sure if I could turn it on. But my hair was a crazy mess and my eyes were gritty, so I had to try.
The path to the pump was well formed and easily defined from the forest; but walking to the pump meant walking into the forest. As shoddy as my inner compass was, I couldn’t get lost if I stayed on the path.
In these early hours, the forest was alive with birdsong. Spider webs stretched between the trees and blocked the path. I was hesitant to remove them, especially since many were still inhabited by their eight-legged owners. I ducked under the first and swerved passed the second. Most were at head height and I was careful not to come face-to-face with these residents of the night-time forest.
The pump hummed, but the lack of water made it obvious that something was wrong. The pipe hanging in the water was smothered with leaves and debris. While I didn’t know much about pumps, I figured this was probably causing the water stoppage.
I skidded down the bank on my bum and watched the flow of dirt and leaves precede me, making the crystal water murky and dark. Bracing myself for the cold, I skidded into the water, which was deeper than I thought. I shook the pipe, but the leaves were stuck and my arms were too short to clear away the muck. I sucked in a breath and dunked myself into the murky depth.
The icy water forced the air from my lungs. I rose to the surface, took another breath and dived down, swimming to the bottom. Wrapping an arm around the pipe, I anchored myself beneath the water and cleared away the rotting leaves. Finally, I felt a twist of water curl through my fingers as the pump sucked up the dirty water. I might have fixed the problem, but I was about to fill the tank with muddy water.
Scrambling up the bank sent another avalanche of dirt and leaves into the stream. I shuddered against the cold; and as I turned to leave, a flash of light caught my eye. There wasn’t much sunlight filtering through the canopy, and for a minute, I thought I had imagined it; but there it was again.
I spun around, knowing that the spark of light didn’t belong here and headed toward it, away from the path. The light flashed again. As I got closer, my heart beat faster. I wasn’t afraid, I was excited. Then there was nothing, I searched the area where I was sure I’d seen the tiny flash of light, but found nothing.
I leaned against a giant tree and slid down the trunk until I sat on the forest floor. Water pooled around me and I scrunched my toes in the earth, creating mud with my bare feet. I held my hand against the amber heart. It was warm against my bare skin, while the rest of me was frozen. I must remember to take it off when I sleep; I couldn’t bear losing it.
“Eek!”
What was that? The sound was close.
“Eek!” The noise was very close. I looked behind me and beside me and could see nothing, then I heard the noise again. I flipped over and rested on
my knees, the sound was beneath me.
I brushed aside the first layer of leaves and saw a small reptile, a lizard of some sort, looking pale and half-alive or half-dead. A feeble sound gurgled and the creature moved, but the sounds were weak and sad, the last breath of life perhaps. So now, I was a murderer, another thing to add to the list of crappy things I’d recently become.
I carefully wrapped the creature in my shirt and held it close to my chest. Though my shirt was soaked, it was better than nothing. The creature looked so vulnerable and lifeless, but it was still a wild animal and likely to have teeth. The little lizard was covered in a soft fine skin, tiny scales that reflected the colours around it. Its body was no bigger than my hand, but its tail was twice as long. Bulgy eyes were hidden behind closed lids and I wondered what secrets its eyes concealed. Like the secrets that were contained in my eyes. The secrets that both Libby and Phoenix searched for as often as they could.
The tiny creature moved. He was still alive. Libby could help save its life or maybe Phoenix knew something about forest lizards. I stood up to leave and looked for the path. I looked for something familiar, something recognisable, something, anything that would lead me home, but it was too late. I was lost. So much for promises.
What did Phoenix tell me to do when I was lost? Phoenix said “when” not “if”. He always said when I got lost, I should stay put and someone would find me. It seemed logical at the time, but what if nobody realised I was in the rainforest? I promised never to go in the forest alone. What if they trusted me? What if they didn’t even look for me? What if they didn’t find me? I had no idea how far I’d wandered. It didn’t seem like far, but the canopy was thick overhead and I couldn’t see the sky, which would mean that I wasn’t close to the edge of the forest where the trees grew further apart and the canopy was thinner.
If I could see the sun, perhaps I could find my way out. It was still early and I knew where the sun rose in the sky. The sun would give me some bearing, something recognisable that I could follow, if only the mist weren’t so thick. I wondered if people were born with a sense of direction. Is it a natural part of a person’s DNA? Or something I could learn? I had to try.