‘Hurry’ is a relative term, Amanda thought to herself when she saw the number of people standing in line to get through the checkpoint. Once again she was shown how little she knew about air travel when Riccan steered them to an empty line she had assumed was for airport staff.
She was amazed when they practically walked right through the checkpoint when they used the First Class line. Amanda thought this was definitely the way to travel as they swiftly left the crowd behind them on their way to their assigned terminal.
They waited at their gate for almost an hour before they got the call to board. Naturally, they were able to board the plane first, and Amanda sat down at the window seat in row two in her enormous seat. Riccan sat down next to her and smiled at her obvious joy.
The flight attendant asked them if they would like a drink before take-off and they both ordered a tomato juice. When she returned with their drinks, she offered them both a blanket and pillow.
Amanda felt like a queen as she sipped her drink while the rest of the plane’s occupants filed by to take their seats at the back of the airplane. It seems as though hundreds of people were getting on this flight as the people continued to move by their seats. Finally, the plane was full, and the passenger loading door was sealed. They pushed back from the gate and taxied to the runway. The takeoff was as smooth as the two-hour and twelve-minute flight.
Amanda tried not to act surprised when the stewardess took their breakfast order and served them their food on real plates, with real silverware, and also their very own salt and pepper shakers. The luxury of First Class was definitely a step up from any Coach flight she had ever taken.
Their flight arrived on time in New Orleans. Riccan had made arrangements for a rental car, and they loaded their bags into the back. Amanda wondered how often Riccan traveled to make everything appear so effortless. She imagined with his history, he would be well-traveled.
Riccan drove them to the Royal Sonesta and pulled up to the valet parking. He popped the trunk and did not even seem to notice when a bellboy opened the trunk and removed their two bags. He handed the keys to a waiting attendant, gave him his name, and then handed him a rather large tip.
They walked into the lobby with the bellboy trailing behind them. Riccan spoke with the front desk clerk.
“Welcome to the Royal Sonesta. Do you have a reservation, sir?” asked the attendant brightly with a smile plastered on her face.
“Yes, the Presidential Suite for Riccan Stel,” he answered easily.
Amanda gulped when she heard which room he had reserved. She was slightly concerned when he only mentioned the one room, but she trusted he would take care of their sleeping arrangement. At that moment she realized she would not mind sharing a room with Riccan.
The desk clerk smiled a bit brighter as she handed the two room keys across the desk to Riccan. “Just take the elevator to the fifth floor, Mr. Stel. If you need anything at all, please feel free to contact the concierge. Have a nice stay.”
“Thank you,” Riccan replied as he took the room keys and turned away from the clerk. He grinned down at Amanda and led the way across the lobby to the elevator.
Amanda had so many questions bubbling in her mind, but she refused to ask them in front of the bellhop who stood doggedly behind them. She entered the elevator and stood beside Riccan as the bellhop made room behind them for their bags. The ride up was short as well as the walk down the hall to their room. Amanda watched Riccan tip the bellhop once they were in their suite and then he shut the door.
“Well, what do you think?” Riccan asked as he looked around the gorgeously appointed rooms. He could appreciate the marble floors, crystal chandeliers, oriental rugs, and silk drapes. He walked through the entrance and into the sitting area where a grand piano stood in the corner.
Amanda gave up trying to seem unimpressed. The place was gorgeous and far more opulent than any place she had ever stayed before. She wandered through the rooms and discovered there were actually two bedrooms, each with its own en-suite bathrooms with giant soaking tubs. After coming out of the second bedroom suite, she noticed they had a dining room as well as a living room. This place had to be at least as big as her parents’ house.
“I think it’s a bit much for just the two of us!” she exclaimed.
“I could arrange for us to be moved to a one bedroom unit with two queen beds if that would make you more comfortable,” he teased.
Amanda shook her head and laughed as she said, “Oh, I’ll try my best to make do with these accommodations. And to think, when I asked you what to pack you said ‘nothing fancy.’ Thanks for the offer though!”
Riccan turned serious and announced, “Why don’t you take your bag to whichever room you pick for yourself and get unpacked. We should make the most of the rest of the day to see what we can find out in town.”
Amanda grabbed her bag and returned to the last room she had investigated as she preferred the colors of the room. She put her suitcase on the end of the bed and opened it up. She took out the few clothes and hung them in the walk-in closet. She looked at the few clothes in the giant space and had to laugh at how ridiculous it all seemed. She took her bathroom items and placed them around the sink.
She returned to the living room to find Riccan had also finished unpacking. “Okay, where are we off to now?”
“Do you have on comfortable walking shoes?” he asked as he looked down at her feet.
“Sure, are we going to walk instead of drive?”
“I’ve found it’s easier to get people to answer your questions if you’re more approachable. What better way than to be among the people?” he asked as he walked to the front door.
Chapter Twenty-Three
ONCE ON THE street, Amanda was amazed at the number of people and businesses on Bourbon Street. She had heard of it before, but she had never visited. This was an exciting journey for her.
Riccan spoke with a few of the local people and got negative replies to his inquiries. They kept walking until they got to a street vendor. Riccan’s attention was immediately drawn to the items which were displayed for sale on the black velvet-covered table. Riccan was thankful the vendor was busy with another customer and did not see the expression on his face.
Amanda bumped into Riccan as he suddenly stopped. She felt a burst of energy, causing her to look around in confusion. She glanced up at Riccan and asked in a whisper, “What is that? Do you feel it?”
“Good, you feel it, too. I’d like you to pretend to be interested in those necklaces while I check something out, okay?”
Amanda smirked at Riccan’s covert instructions and did as he asked. The vendor immediately believed he would soon have another sale and turned his attention to her.
Riccan reached forward and put his fingers against the smooth crystal of the skull resting off to the side of the wares to be sold. Immediately, he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. One part of his quest had been discovered; now he just had to figure out a way to purchase the item.
Amanda finally shook her head and thanked the vendor for his time. She returned to Riccan’s side when she had seen he was ready to speak to the vendor.
“I’d like to purchase this skull,” Riccan said casually to the vendor.
“Oh, that piece. I’m still not sure if I’m going to sell it. It seems to draw customers to my booth, you see,” he replied. He could tell the man was quite interested in the piece and was planning on making the price double if not triple by seeming to be reluctant to sell.
Riccan instantly caught on as well as Amanda. She plucked the sleeve of his shirt and said loudly enough for the vendor to hear, “Let’s go, honey. You don’t need that thing; it’s kind of creepy anyway.”
“I guess you’re right,” he played along.
They started to walk away when the vendor called them back. He did not want to lose the sale so he said, “I guess I could part with it. What kind of a price were you thinking to offer?”
“Since
my girlfriend isn’t very excited about me getting it, I’d probably only offer about fifty bucks for it,” he hoped the price was not too high.
The vendor’s eyes widened slightly, and he readily agreed, “Done! I’ll just wrap this up for you.” He picked up the skull and put a couple of pieces of tissue paper around it. He opened a plastic bag and gently placed it inside before handing it over to Riccan. He accepted the fifty dollar bill and said, “You two have a great day now.”
Riccan had not trusted the vendor, so he never took his eyes off of the skull. He was sure if he had not been as diligent in his purchase, the vendor might have tried to switch the skull for an inferior copy. As it was, he put his hand in the bag and felt the same electric energy as he had the first time. He grinned at the vendor and said, “You have a great day, too!”
They walked at a leisurely pace until they reached the end of the block. Riccan suddenly hailed a cab, ducking into the vehicle even before it fully stopped. Amanda could not understand what had gotten into Riccan to end their walk so abruptly. She refrained from asking questions until they were alone.
The cab dropped them off at their hotel where they went up to their room immediately.
“What was that all about?” Amanda could not contain her curiosity anymore.
“We were being followed. I think the vendor planned on getting this skull back,” he replied easily.
“How did you know we were being followed? You never looked behind us or even looked around?” Amanda was more than a little curious.
“I created a modified shield around us as soon as the vendor handed me the bag. The shield was created to allow me to know the intent of the people just outside of the shield. There were at least two people who were assigned to get the crystal back. They didn’t have any qualms about using lethal force to retrieve it,” Riccan stated simply.
Amanda held back a shudder of fear and had to sit down on the couch before her legs gave away to her panic. She decided to change the subject and asked, “Can I take a closer look at your purchase?”
He opened the bag and pulled out the wrapped skull. He peeled back the tissue and set it down on the coffee table in the living room. The sun shone down on it and hundreds of rainbows formed on the ceiling and walls around them.
“This is one of the thirteen, isn’t it?” Amanda inquired as she leaned forward to inspect the intricate carving on the solid, flawless piece of clear crystal.
“It is. You felt the energy as well as I did. Heck, maybe your ability to amplify power is the reason we both felt it so strongly,” he suggested as he sat down on the couch next to Amanda so he could also admire the piece of art.
“So this makes two skulls of which you know the location. Are you also searching for the other eleven?”
“Yes.”
“What will you do when you have them all collected?”
“I don’t know. I just have this burning need to gather them together. Can you believe this, Amanda? I’ve been searching for years to locate even one, but as soon as you are with me, we find this one within a matter of minutes. Either you are my lucky charm, or you are the key to locating these,” he pointed to the skull and then looked seriously at Amanda.
“I’ve never had a desire to look for them, Riccan. Let’s just chalk it up to beginner’s luck on my part. I don’t need another title of ‘skull finder’ added to the growing list your father is creating,” Amanda said.
She started to have a sinking feeling Riccan was probably right about her ability to amplify power. The crystal skull contained massive amounts of power which she had felt calling to her even as she walked by the vendor’s booth. She would have discounted the whole feeling had Riccan not stopped right in front of her, forcing her to acknowledge it herself.
“In any event, I think we should avoid walking anywhere near that vendor for the duration of our stay. I’d hate to think what he would do to get this prize back into his possession. I’m going to put it in the room safe, just in case.” He rewrapped the crystal and deposited it in the security box. He used his key to lock the door before coming back to where Amanda stared across the room in deep concentration.
“What are you thinking?” he asked as he sat down again.
“I’m not exactly sure. I had a fleeting thought, but it’s gone now. If I remember what it is, I’ll tell you.” She shook her head softly, wishing the thoughts would return. “My mom just called. She wanted to make sure we had arrived safely. She said she’d call back after dinnertime. What are our plans now?”
“Let’s order something from room service for lunch. What sounds good?” Riccan asked.
They did not venture out for the remainder of the day. Riccan was too spooked to risk Amanda on the streets. He would return to New Orleans without her if they were unsuccessful in their search the next day. He was in no real hurry now that he had discovered the second crystal.
They spent the evening talking about their families and friends as they were growing up. Riccan retold some of the stories Amanda had heard before. She did not bother to tell him she already knew them as she just enjoyed hearing him talk. There were a couple of times where the stories they told were so funny Amanda had tears streaming down her face as she could not contain her mirth.
Diane called again as planned. Amanda wandered around the room as she talked. She was still uncomfortable with the convenience of the cell phone. Their conversation covered basically the same as it had before, Amanda assured her mom that she was safe and not to worry. She hung up and smirked at Riccan at her mother’s obvious tactics.
Finally, it was time to go to bed. Riccan leaned forward and kissed her cheek as he had done from her final dream with him. She felt as though history were repeating itself and she smiled up at him. “Good night, Riccan,” she whispered before she turned and walked into her separate room.
The next day Riccan decided on a different plan of action. After Amanda had spoken with her mother, they drove their rental car to the last known location of his great-uncle, Roderick. After driving a few extra blocks to locate a parking spot, they left the vehicle behind and started out on foot.
The houses were all set back from the road and had their yards surrounded by wrought iron gates. The yards were very stately with the magnolia trees in full bloom.
Amanda could see herself living in any one of the houses. She could imagine herself and Riccan sitting on the covered front porch, swinging gently in the afternoon mugginess while sipping on iced tea. She could easily envision the moisture dripping from the sides of the glasses as they were tipped up for a drink.
Her reverie was interrupted when Riccan said, “Let’s ask this lady if she knows of Uncle Roderick.” They crossed the street and leaned on the fence while Riccan tried to get the woman’s attention as she swept her porch steps. “Excuse me, ma’am!”
The woman looked up, slightly startled and then smiled when she saw the handsome couple at her gate. She walked forward while still carrying her broom. “Hallo, how may I help you folks?”
Amanda noticed the woman’s odd accent and wondered from where she had originated.
Riccan asked, “I’m searching for my great uncle. His name is Roderick Rockwood. Have you ever heard of him?”
“Oh, sure, Son. He lives up the block two houses on the left. I’m sure he’s sitting on the front porch smoking his pipe. It’s what he does best,” she chuckled.
“That’s wonderful! Thank you so much for your help,” Riccan spoke kindly.
“It’s no bother. Have a nice visit, you hear!” she said as she turned away to continue her sweeping.
“She seemed awfully nice,” Amanda whispered as they began walking in the direction the woman had told them.
“That’s the way folks are around here. This would be a great place to raise a family,” he replied. As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he wondered what had made him say it. Settling down and starting a family had never been a consideration for him before he had met Amanda. She was de
finitely changing him in a way which would make his mother happy.
Amanda silently agreed with his assessment of the neighborhood as it coincided with her earlier thoughts. They walked in silence until they reached the house for which they had been searching. True to the woman’s words, there was a man sitting on the front porch smoking his pipe.
Riccan yelled, “Hello, sir! Would you mind if we chatted for a bit?”
“Come on up, Son. I’d love to have some company,” he yelled back from the porch.
Riccan opened the gate, waiting for Amanda to walk through before he closed it behind them. From a distance, the old man had reminded him of his grandfather. As they got closer, he could see an even stronger resemblance.
After they went up the stairs, Riccan said, “I’m looking for my great-uncle, Roderick Rockwood. I’m hoping we’ve come to the right place.”
The old man pulled the pipe from his mouth, blew out a mouthful of smoke, and cocked his head. Before he confirmed or denied his identity, he asked, “And who might you be, Son?”
“My name’s Riccan Stel. My parents are Daven and Nena Stel. My father’s parents were Edwin and Murisa Stel. Are you familiar with any of these names?” Riccan asked gently.
“Sit down, boy. You should introduce your lady friend as it’s impolite to leave her out of the conversation,” the old man announced.
“My apologies, this is Amanda Covington. She’s a friend of the family,” he added as he smiled at Amanda. He promptly sat down in the rocking chair next to the man.
Amanda reached forward and took the old man’s leathery, but warm, hand in her own. She felt a spark of kinship as she smiled broadly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.” When the man finally let go of her hand, she sat down in the third chair on the porch next to Riccan.
“I’ve often wondered how long it would take you to find me, Riccan. I’d heard from other family members that you were talking with one person after another. Time is definitely not on your side since we’re all so old now. What is it you’ve traveled so far to ask of me?”
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