The Secret of Namana (The Arnaka Saga Book 2)

by Lucia Ashta

  “No amore. Io credo che non possiamo farlo adesso. Non stai bene. Lo possiamo fare dopo,” No, love. I believe that we cannot do it now. You are unwell. We can do it later, Elena said, continuing in Italian for now, her concern mounting.

  But Marco would not need any more convincing. Just then, he turned and vomited. Not even he saw it coming. Elena put down her water bottle, took his from his limp hand, and pulled the strands that had escaped his ponytail out of his face. He vomited again. Elena rubbed his back with her free hand. He continued purging until only empty heaving remained.

  Eventually, that too subsided. Then Elena led him away from the vomit, to the other side of the large rock he was perched on, where he slumped to the ground at her feet.

  “Are you ready for water?” Elena asked while stroking his hair.

  Marco nodded. He did not attempt to speak.

  While he drank small sips, Elena glanced at their parked car. It was barely visible over the hills and the twists in the path they had taken. It would be a very long walk in his state, and there was no way Elena could carry him. They would need to stay out here until he could at least partially recover.

  “Do you think you can walk over to that tree?” Elena asked. The tree provided ample shade in the sparse covering of their surroundings.

  Marco didn’t know if he could make it, but they tried anyway. He leaned most of his weight on Elena, and together they limped the fifty feet or so. There, Marco collapsed. Elena helped him lay down, avoiding rocks and protruding roots. As she crouched low, she was relieved to feel the cooler temperatures at the base of the tree. She said a silent thank you to the juniper for its shade, and she was surprised to feel the tree respond to her. The tree was happy to feel this woman’s appreciation.

  Elena retrieved the water bottles they left behind, and, when she returned, Marco seemed to be almost asleep. Elena leaned against the tree trunk, stretched out her legs, and closed her eyes.

  The woman sat with legs outstretched, hands on the earth to either side of her legs. Her long hair tumbled forward over her eyes and intertwined with upward curling eyelashes. The man lay a few feet away from her. Blessedly, his face looked peaceful. He was healing quickly in the deep recovery state of sleep.

  Juniper went within the man’s body and felt his stomach regaining its usual harmonious functioning. She felt his head cooling, the sweat slowing its evaporation from the crown of his head. His closed eyes lacked clarity, but they would recover it.

  She felt the man’s beating heart, and it brought her comfort. It soothed her to share with other creatures even though she enjoyed her life of stillness, of strength, and of tranquil growth that came with the passage of time.

  She enjoyed the raven that flew by, often coming down to rest on her branches. She liked the tickle of the ants crawling across her roots and up her trunk. The gliding motion of the worm piqued her interest, and the wasps that made their nest high up in her branches made music.

  Just like all divine creatures, Juniper reveled in feeling love. This human being that leaned, sleeping, against her trunk loved her deeply. Juniper had never felt this deep love before. Her breathing intensified and her leaves shook and vibrated. Juniper delved into what the woman was offering her, eager to experience appreciation for the first time.

  The woman thought her bark beautiful, her roots strong, her trunk stoic, and her limbs graceful in their swirling twists. She thought her shade marvelous and her subtle scent calming and filled with wisdom as it clung to the still air.

  Juniper stood taller. Her movements may be small, but she started as a seedling, and look at her now! She beamed. She loved this woman back. She loved so deeply, more deeply than she knew she could, and she felt right then that she had fulfilled her purpose for being. To love another deeply, fully, was the greatest gift of Creator. To love without conditions and without expectations was an even greater gift, and that is how the woman loved her.

  Juniper glowed brighter than she ever had. As if in response, a warm, gentle breeze blew around her, embracing her, tickling her needles. She was happy! The very breeze that had accentuated her joy shook loose a single tear. It trailed downward on the wings of fate and landed squarely on Elena’s tilted forehead.

  Elena woke, but did not open her eyes. She realized then that she had drifted off from herself and connected with this wondrous juniper behind her. She did not break the spell. She could not. She was in love.

  She turned, scooted forward, and wrapped her arms around Juniper. She rested her right cheek against her striated trunk. Another drop of sap landed on Elena’s outstretched leg.

  Dusk was approaching when Elena finally tore herself away from a great love. The day began with her merging with Coyote and culminated in her connection with Juniper. A deep sense of beauty, calm, and wisdom filled Elena. Marco blinked repeatedly when Elena gently motioned him awake. She was glowing, and Marco rubbed his eyes with a weak hand until he convinced himself that her glow was real. Even in his groggy state, he thanked Creator for sending him an angel.

  Slowly, carefully, Elena helped Marco stand. He leaned his arm around her shoulder; she carried the bottles in her other hand. Like that, they made their way down the gradual slope of the mountain, as if they had all the time in the world.

  Elena glowed a soft yellow that was barely discernible to the naked eye, but as faint as it was, it was also undeniable. As they walked, the light that encircled Elena spread to Marco. By the time they finally reached the car, it was dark, and they were tired, but they felt a depth of peace and love in their hearts that no one could take away from them.

  After Elena helped Marco into the passenger seat, she brought her hand to her heart center. There, tucked in her bosom, was the berry Juniper had gifted her as Elena turned to leave. The berry dropped from Juniper’s branches, but it may as well have fallen from the heavens for the importance Elena gave this gift of love.

  Touching the berry between her breasts, Elena turned to look at Juniper once more. Juniper was out there still, of course, beaming her love for Elena. Elena sent a surge of love back, and the berry grew warm above her heart. Then, Elena buckled in and pulled away, leaving the pyramid behind for now.

  11 An Unexpected Visit on an Engulfing Night

  Elena drove through small towns that had mostly shut down for the night. The town residents were farmers who slept with the sun and rose early. There was no nightlife as existed in other cities Elena had lived in. She had lived in cities that never slept. When the nighttime festivities ended and the revelers finally headed home to rest, a completely different crowd was waking for morning work.

  But not here, not in rural Utah. The quiet of the exterior mirrored the inner stillness of the car passengers. Elena was in bliss from her connection with Juniper, and Marco was exhausted and preserving his energy for healing.

  Elena put her hand on Marco’s leg. “How are you feeling now?” she asked quietly.

  He looked at her. “I am better,” he said, but Elena could see that he was still unwell. She wondered what had happened to him, but she didn’t want to engage him in conversation now. He needed to rest. She was grateful they left their campsite set up. It was a welcome convenience to be able to help Marco to bed as soon as they arrived.

  The landscapes were serene. Rows and rows of fields were silver lit by the moon. Farmhouses and dwellings interrupted the fields here and there, but their numbers were insufficient to disrupt the monotonous feeling of farmland. Elena liked it very much.

  Before long, Elena turned down the dirt road that led to the campsite. Just a few minutes later, they would arrive at their tent to find yet another great surprise in a day that had already been full of astonishing surprises.

  The fire crackled in a show of light and sound. Elena loved staring into fires, and after the magical day she had lived, she appreciated this one especially. Of course, she had not expected to have a fire that night. But then, nothing had been as she anticipated that day, and the night would be
no different.

  They pulled up to yet another unknown man within their camping area. Just as the native man seemingly appeared out of nowhere, so did this man. He had no car, and he had no backpack. He carried nothing but a light jacket to guard against the oncoming chill that nights in the desert brought. He dug into the ground to create a fire pit, surrounded the pit with stones to prevent the fire from spreading, and collected fallen branches as firewood.

  When Elena pulled up, the unknown man stood in front of the blazing fire as if he belonged there. After talking with him into the night, Elena would begin to think that perhaps he did.

  Although isolated out in the desert with no other campers around, both Elena and Marco instantly felt at ease with their surprise visitor. Elena and Marco instantly recognized the man as a fellow light warrior. Their encounter could be no coincidence.

  Upon first meeting, the light warriors embraced. Elena pulled away from hugging the man with a distracted chuckle. She had completely forgotten about the juniper sap on her forehead and leg, and the sap from her leg rubbed onto his. Now, the man smelled wonderful, but he would have quite a time removing the sticky sap from his leg hair.

  Elena pulled back, still smiling. She felt too joyful to see the situation in any other light.

  “I’m sorry. I totally forgot I had sap on me.” She would have continued explaining, but the man was already waving her explanation away. He didn’t need to know.

  “Nah. It’s no problem. Just a little sticky tree love. I think I’m gonna like it. For sure it’s gonna be stuck on me for a while.

  “I’m Willem,” he told them, hands stuffed in his short pockets. He was from the east coast of the United States, that much was clear from his accent. “I’m glad you guys are here. I’ve been looking for you.”

  “You have?” Marco asked from where he sat on the ground. He was too weak to remain standing.

  “Yup. I have.” Willem rolled back and forth on his heels. He looked happy with himself under a mop of red hair, the fire throwing color onto his normally pale skin.

  “Well, I guess we are happy to have you then. My name is Marco.”

  “And mine is Elena.”

  “Awesome to meet you both. Now why don’t you take care of him while I put up protection?” Willem said, turning to Elena for the last part.

  Elena smiled. She didn’t question how Willem knew what he did about them. It was nice to have someone look out for them. In fact, it was a relief.

  “Thank you. That would be good.”

  She turned to Marco. “What do you want to do? Do you want me to help you into the tent so you can sleep?”

  At the promise of rest and healing, Marco let it all go. He nodded eagerly with sad, puppy-dog eyes. He really didn’t feel well. They hobbled into the tent, with Marco leaning his weight on Elena. She helped him get comfortable and drink water. Then, she lay next to him for a while. Her comfort and companionship were just the sedative he needed and, before long, he was sleeping soundly.

  While Marco slept, Elena talked with Willem. They talked for hours. And when the fire finally died down, Willem said goodnight, stood up from the rock he was sitting on, and walked off into the engulfing night.

  When Marco awakened the next morning, he was back to himself. Whatever had taken hold of him left during the healing night sleep. He felt weaker than usual from the intensity of his illness the day before, but he was otherwise well once more. Marco held Elena close as they stood watching the sun rise above the mountains that surrounded them.

  “Where did our new friend go?” Marco asked.

  “I don’t know. We talked for a while, and then he just got up and walked off into the desert.”

  “Did he tell you what he was doing here?”

  “Not really. He didn’t tell me much about why he was here, or how he came to be here. And I have no idea where he went last night. I hope he had somewhere safe and warm to sleep. I would have offered him to stay with us, but he surprised me when he just walked off. So, I let him go. He seemed to know what he was doing.

  “He did tell me some interesting things about himself though. He said that when he was eleven he got really sick—physically ill. And that he knew then it was up to him to heal himself. He said he knew doctors wouldn’t be able to help him and if he didn’t work on healing himself on his own, he would die.

  “So, he healed himself. He said he ‘went out there.’ That’s how he put it. He said he learned to connect with the angels and his other spirit guides, and he would leave his body all the time. And while he was away from his body, it could heal without interference. He said he ate little, letting his body focus on healing instead of digestion.

  “He said he changed. He started feeling things he hadn’t felt before. He started seeing things he couldn’t see before. He could see angels.” She paused. “And demons.”

  An involuntary shiver ran down the length of her body. “I don’t know if I could handle that. It must be intense to see demons all the time. They must be everywhere.”

  When she asked Willem the night before how it was for him to see demons, he just shrugged. It wasn’t his choice whether he saw them or not, so he made the best of it.

  “I did ask him if he had seen something that made him believe we needed protection, and he told me he could see demons and spirits swarming around the periphery of the campsite once we arrived. He said they were watching us, monitoring us. I suppose that’s a good reminder of how important it is to keep our vibration high.” Elena trailed off in thought.

  “Anyway, he put up protection around the area. The demons and spirits were forced to retreat to the outer edge of the protective bubble of light. They can’t enter it.”

  And then it hit her. Willem had done almost exactly what Area and Arien did in Elena’s visions of Arnaka. Area and Arien created protective bubbles of light, first around the campsite and then around Ashta and Anak individually.

  At times, the parallels were unnerving to Elena. How could she be seeing another lifetime so vividly and have aspects of it overlap with her present lifetime? It was truly mind-boggling. She could barely compare the life she led now to the one she had in Michigan only a few months earlier. She had been born anew.

  Then Elena realized she hadn’t told Marco about her incredible experience with the juniper tree near the pyramid. Once she had, Marco turned to look at her. To him, Elena was magnificent. She was childlike in her way of wonder, and that allowed her to touch the magical world with greater ease than he could, even though he had been awake to the spiritual world much longer.

  Marco pulled Elena closer. Everything about their coming together was truly magical. He nestled his nose under her hair and kissed her neck just once.

  “So Willem just got up and left?” Marco asked.

  Elena nodded. “Yes. He walked off into the distance, a mysterious man, just like the native man this morning. They both headed in the same direction, carrying nothing, and disappeared into the mountains.

  “That’s quite a way to begin and end a day, wouldn’t you say? I wonder what today holds.” Elena was excited.

  “I don’t know what today will bring, but I have an excellent idea of where it could start,” Marco said, already letting his mind race ahead of him. “Why don’t I take you into the tent and show you my idea?”

  The mischievous smile Elena loved played across his face. He nudged her along, kissing her neckline, pressing his body against hers, until he had backed her up against the tent. They fumbled with the tent zipper and crouched inside. Within moments, Marco was inside Elena, and all thoughts of mysterious men coming and going were gone. There was only he, and there was only she, all over again.

  12 A Tempestuous Power

  The sun was low in the sky when Ashta and Anak finally reached the point where they would cross the River Haakal. They had chosen this spot because here the river was narrowest between their island and the neighboring mainland. Just like last time, before leaving Arnaka, the twins sat cr
oss-legged on the earth as if they had nowhere to go.

  They did not rush. Instead, they closed their eyes and stilled themselves. They focused on the beauty of the breath and how it nourished their bodies. They felt the calm of the earth; she was in no hurry. Perfection was already everywhere.

  The twins had known they would need to leave the tranquility of the island to help their friends and to find Kaanra. Now, connected to the All of Everything, their spirit guides confirmed their decision and urged the twins to cross to the other land mass. This was all the twins needed; the rest would come later. As it often happened with them, Ashta and Anak felt fulfilled in their guidance and connection to creation at the same time. Their eyes popped open in unison, and they stood.

  Just as before, aligned with the ease of the universe, the twins spotted a small canoe to carry them across the water. It looked as if it were waiting for them, tied to a tree, bobbing in the water’s current. Without pause, Anak jumped in and moved to the rope, ready to untie it.

  But Ashta delayed. She turned to look, once more, at the land she loved deeply. Last time they left Arnaka, they had been called to participate in an undefined etheric battle. They had known they might not be able to return for a long time. To their happy surprise, they came back in weeks. Now, after just days of being home, they had to leave again. Ashta wondered how long it would be until they could return.

  Ashta looked longingly at the palm trees and the vibrant grasses that lined the riverbank. Gahla, Arnaka. Gahla. Goodbye, Arnaka. Goodbye. A slight breeze kicked up, causing the trees and reeds to sway melodically. It was the land’s gesture of farewell.

  Ashta breathed in hungrily. She took in her beloved Arnaka’s scent. The breeze indulged her, blowing the aromas of water, dirt, and blooming flowers toward her all at once. It was a combination unlike any other, and Ashta loved the unique fragrance that marked her home.

  Reluctantly, she prepared to depart. She felt for the ruby she always wore at her neck. It too was a reminder of home. It carried the essence of Arnaka and of its waters. The sweet waters of the Hosuul Sea gifted Ashta the ruby. It was an inescapable conclusion when the water orchestrated to place it exactly in her hand.