The Beckoning of Bravelicious Things (The Beckoning Series Book 3) Page 13

  Chapter 14

  “Your dog’s a trip,” River says as he watches Sober’s flutter-lope.

  “Yeah, but he’s going to get me into big trouble. He’s into having wings. At first they frightened him. Now he can’t put them away.”

  “I’ll work with him when we get back,” Daniel says, grabbing my hand. “He’ll learn.”

  “If we get back,” I say, pulling my hand free from his. I run my hands along the tops of the budding purple iris lining the walkway.

  “We will,” says Rafe.

  “We’ll see,” I say. I point up ahead. “Do you like our gardens? I had them completely redone.” They’re starting to burst free from their winter slumber. Bright vivid greens and pale pink blossoms are ahead in the cherry trees. A fanciful meandering of shrubs, bushes, and flowers creates a colorful wandering maze.

  “They’re beautiful,” River says. “Again, a perfect blend of you and Daniel.”

  Daniel gives him a curious look. When we arrive in the center of the gardens, he says, “Ready?”

  We all nod, clasp hands, and instantly appear in the ethers.

  The ethers are a white, white world, parallel to the reality we call normal. They’re also parallel to the Shadow Lands, but are completely separate from that realm as well. The ethers can be entered via dreams, the way I used to find them, or by intention, the way I do now. Making physical contact with another magical being makes it a swift, instantaneous journey.

  Once my eyes focus in the drifting fog, I spy Tom, Betty, my magical jeweler Diego, and the Keeper of Time and Records, v5.5.1, standing in a somber circle. Betty’s clutching her ghost dog to her chest.

  “Diego!” I exclaim, giving him a warm hug. I’ve known him since I was a child, sitting at his jeweler’s bench while he designed power pieces for my mother, God rest her soul. Since I just dropped off my dino-stone with a request for a setting, I haven’t expected it to be done so soon, or to see him here.

  “Hermosa chica,” he says, returning the hug. “Or should I say, bella mujer. I have something for you—I’ll give it you before we depart.”

  “Good. Thanks.” I beam at him before asking, “Is this everyone?”

  “Keep your voice down,” Betty cautions.

  “There’s only us,” I say.

  “There could be eyes and ears everywhere,” she says, stroking her see-through Chihuahua’s head.

  I glance around at the white, white world. “Don’t think so.”

  “Shhh,” she says.

  I’ve only ever seen the Keeper of Time and Records, v5.5.1 enter the ether space majestically and slowly. It’s kind of odd to see her, well, just here. Her face is drawn and pinched. Usually she looks placid, calm and unperturbed by the events of mankind and paranormal kind. Usually she carries a huge volume of records. This time, she holds tiny scraps of paper in her cupped hands.

  A murder of crows flap over her head, their eyes bright, staring at each of us in turn.

  Her long skirt undulates around her generous girth as if a wind were blowing. There is no wind. Her silky white hair does the same, as if she’s standing at the edge of a tropical island, gazing at the sea. One of the crows settles on her shoulder, the others flying away. Her pale blue-white eyes land on me, somber and stark. “Light Rebel,” she says, the words rolling from her mouth in a tumble of colorful letters. They pop like tiny bubbles in front of her.

  “Yes, ma’am,” I say, gulping. I reach for Rafe’s hand, squeezing hard. My other hand finds Daniel’s. River stands at my back, resting his hands on my shoulders. I feel safe, loved, and protected…and a little scared by this ancient wisdom woman before me.

  “You have met the challenges before you. Will you meet the challenges ahead?”

  “Th-th-that’s my plan,” I stammer.

  Her head slowly bobs. “Time will tell. The records of what’s to come are unavailable. This,” she says, gesturing to the paper scraps in her hands, “is all we found.”

  “I see.” I bear down on Daniel’s and Rafe’s hands.

  “Marissa, let go,” Daniel hisses. “You’re going to break my bones. Christ, you’re strong,” he says, shaking his fingers free.

  The Record Keeper ignores us and lifts her arms into the air, releasing the bits of vellum. The same wind blowing on her and her alone shapes the paper pieces into a tiny, whirling tornado. The elder woman watches until it coalesces into words. “It’s an arduous path. You’ve been told you’re going to find a piece of your soul, haven’t you, child?”

  “Yes, Betty told me.” I smile at Betty and turn back to the ancient one. “Which piece?”

  “Your allies have been chosen,” the ancient one says, ignoring my question.

  “Well…you chose a couple of them,” I say, indicating Rafe and Daniel. “I chose this last one,” I add, pointing at River.

  “It is all predestined. It has been foretold, revealed to me this morning. Look.” She claps her hands forcefully on the twirling words and they morph into a transparent hologram scene shimmering before us. Small figures, looking like Daniel, Rafe, River, Sober, and me, climb a hill. I’m in the lead. The tiny apparition of me scrambles up to the pinnacle and disappears.

  “Where’d I go?”

  “Keep watching.”

  The scene disappears, like sand blown from the desert floor. A new scene appears before us. In this image, a misshapen Armando, his right arm crumpled by his side, sits before a bloody body. The right side of his face sags, paralyzed. Three indistinct men stand behind him, hands clasped behind their backs.

  Vacant eyes stare up from the body’s lifeless face.

  Armando’s holding a sword that looks like mine at the dead woman’s throat, laughing. He makes several slices with the sword tip, carving the neck like a Thanksgiving turkey. The flesh peels back in a ghastly, bloody array. He moves the blade down and snags an emerald necklace that looks like mine. A quick tug and the necklace snaps apart, like thread. “See this, son? Recognize this piece?”

  I don’t know if he’s referring to the emerald or the body.

  “Destroyed. As will you be. You have nothing to live for.” His nasty brown eyes focus in Daniel’s direction. He slides the deadly metal under the emerald and hefts it. “This will bring me a pretty penny.” His face pulls into a sneer.

  “Oh, God,” I exclaim. “That’s me. I’m dead!” My knees give.

  River—the real guy, not the miniature one—drops in a crouch by my side, offering comfort.

  Daniel’s hands ball into fists. “I’ll kill you with my bare hands this time! Feed you in pieces to my demons!” Daniel lunges at the hologram.

  Rafe catches his arm, preventing him from crashing into the elderly woman.

  “It’s only a message, son,” the Keeper of Time and Records says. Her words drift to the ground like a slow motion waterfall, spilling on the whiteness below. “He’s not really here. But he meant for you to see it.” She lets out a long, deep breath. “Your father’s a bitter, bitter man.”

  Daniel’s jaw works furiously from side to side. He shakes free from Rafe’s grip with a violent twist. “Get your hands off of me.”

  “So much for the truce,” Rafe snarls. “A ‘thank you’ would have sufficed.”

  “Stop it, you two!” I yell. “I’m sick of your testosterone squabbles!”

  “Cease!” the ancient crone commands.

  “You guys are a couple of goddamned fools,” Tom says, letting loose a stream of spittle as he eyes the way Rafe and Daniel are glaring at one another. His spit lands on the vapory surface and evaporates.

  River whispers in my ear. “I won’t fight over you, sweetheart. Only love you.”

  I roll my eyes, shake my head, and frown. It is a tempting offer, though. I quickly erase that thought from my head before Daniel catches it.

  Hands on hips, I give each male a fiery glare. “You have got to stop this. This behavior is all your doing, Daniel.”

  “What? And you have no part to play? He sur
e does.” Daniel points a finger at Rafe, breathing heavily, sweating visibly.

  “All of you, cease!” The elder Record Keeper speaks in a low, menacing voice. Her words flatten any and all protest, rolling through us like an avalanche. “You’ve got to declare a truce on this behavior or you’ll all be dead.”

  For several long, stretched out moments, no one speaks. The crow on the elder’s shoulder ruffles his feathers, letting out a caw.

  “So what can we do about the devils? What are our options?” Daniel finally asks, folding his arms over his chest.

  “Sorcerer,” the elder says, inclining her head in Tom’s direction. “What have you learned?”

  “Okay,” Tom says, stepping forward. “I contacted someone who knows someone so this could all be hearsay, but I don’t think so. Dude’s never steered me wrong to date.” He chews on a blade of grass between his teeth, then spreads his hands and a strange looking transparent map appears before us. Tom stabs a location with his finger, causing shapes and markers to swirl and undulate. “Right here. This is the place in the Shadow Lands where one of ‘em resides. Guy named Morton. He’s a wizard and a bastard to boot. Never liked him.”

  “Yeah, I know him,” says Rafe, looking every bit the assassin. “Had a run in with him a time or two.”

  “You can’t get to here,” Tom says, poking the map. “Without passing his place. Deep canyon on one side, dead space on the other.”

  “I thought Warplandia was a shifting environment—each time you enter, it’s different,” I say.

  “Only in some places, darlin’,” Rafe says. “There are places which are consistently the same.”

  “So what’s here that we need to get to?” I tap the spot Tom indicated.

  “Well, now.” He pulls his ball cap from his head, scratches his stringy hair, and replaces the hat. “That point, right there…” He taps the map. “That’s that last known doorway to the three sisters. They move a lot. And they don’t let us know what they’re up to now, do they?” He gives me a penetrating look.

  “How should I know?” I ask in return. “I’ve never met them.”

  “Not yet, you haven’t,” Tom says. “Make sure you get us their forwarding address when you do.”

  I stare at him, puzzled.

  “I’m kidding, girly girl.” Tom guffaws.

  He turns to Daniel. “She still don’t have a sense of humor now, do she?”

  “And you still can’t tell a joke, old man,” I counter.

  He gestures to Betty. “Fill in the pieces that you dug up, woman.”

  Betty shuffles to the map. “I sent Buddy on a recon mission. He traversed the Shadow Lands up to here.” She stabs the map with a brightly manicured nail. “Right here could be a secret entrance to their domain, assuming they still live there. This one, the one that Tom pointed out…” She pokes the map vigorously. “This spot will be the most obvious entry point. But you need to be stealthy and look for alternate routes. This one over here could be your only option.”

  “How will we find any of this?”

  “We’ll send this map with you, plus, you’ll have the Stealth Numen, who knows this terrain like the back of his hand.”

  Rafe steps forward. “No one I know has gone any further than this spot. Too dangerous. You’re right, Betty, that this place might be an alternate route.” He swipes the map with his fingertip. “But look here…” His finger twirls along another area. “Right here, there’s an even better alternate. It heads through the dark realm that dickwad over here commands.” He points his thumb at Daniel.

  Daniel’s jaw clenches.

  Oh, boy, I think. Here we go again.

  “It’s a sort of detour.” Rafe glares at Daniel. “If you have the right escort. Otherwise…” He makes a slashing gesture along his throat.

  “But that’s assuming we get that far,” River says, stepping up beside Rafe. “Guerreros del diablo are likely to ambush us here.” His finger lands on a shimmery space on the far right of the map. “There are two bodies of water—one to the right, one to the left. One is poison. The other is not. They shift often so you never know which one is poison. That seems like the obvious place for them to launch an attack. If they’re positioned here…” He points to a location between the two bodies of water. “We’d likely retreat. They could drop down from here…” He taps another spot. “And bam! We’re trapped. We could try to fight them, but it’s a narrow passageway. We could fall into the poison lake, not knowing which one it is.”

  Daniel’s jaw works from side to side, arms clasped along his chest. “My father doesn’t believe in obvious attacks. Sure, he’d likely position someone there as backup, but I’ll bet he’s got more devious things in mind. First, he’ll try to prevent us from even entering the Shadow Lands. We’ll keep our guard up. Then, if we make it in at the appointed place, we definitely shouldn’t expect the expected.”

  “Is there any way you can reach him? Contact him before we begin?” Tom asks.

  “I don’t have a clue where he is. I thought he was in an infirmary in southern California but my contact checked on that, and he’s had a shill in there with an illusory façade in place. Guy looks like him, mumbles like him, but isn’t him.”

  “Damn!” Rafe blurts.

  “Double damn!” River adds.

  “The thing I don’t get,” Daniel continues, “is how he can even function. Last I heard, he’s paralyzed on the right side, has to be fed, clothed, even get his ass wiped.” He grimaces in disgust. “Can you imagine what that’s like, to minister to my rageaholic father?”

  “I don’t want to consider it,” River says.

  “So where does that leave us?” I ask, pushing to stand between Daniel and Rafe. They seem to have forgotten I’m here.

  “It leaves us with very little. We have to leave in three days. That portal in eastern Washington opens and shuts in a small window of time,” Daniel says, draping his arm around me.

  “Why can’t we use one of the portals Rafe uses? He seems to come and go freely.”

  “Nuh uh,” Rafe says. “No can do. The place where we’re headed is off the beaten trail. That’s why we have to use one of the seasonal portals. They open and close with the equinox and solstices. Our window of opportunity is on the spring equinox. And it has the most direct route to the sisters…if they still live there, that is.”

  “And if they don’t?” I undrape Daniel’s heavy arm from my shoulders, stepping away from him.

  “Let’s deal with that when time comes,” he says, reaching for me and pulling me back.

  “Aren’t contingency plans usually in order?” I ask.

  “Usually. In this case, if they aren’t living there, no one on this side will be able to help us, so any contingency plan would just be guesswork. We’ll have to wait until we get inside.”

  “I see.” I look at Tom. “Anything else to report?”

  “That’s about it, girl,” he says, chewing on a new blade of grass.

  Where does he get those in this white world? I shake my head.

  “Diego has your dino-ring, dearie,” Betty says. “Check it out.”

  Diego steps toward me and retrieves a jeweler’s ring box from his coat pocket. He extends it to me and opens the box. “Do you like the setting? I added the diamond for balance.” He looks at me with eager anticipation, hoping I approve of his artistry. He pushes the box closer. In it lies an exquisite gold ring shaped like a calla lily. A diamond stamen rests on top of the red dino-stone nestled in the cup of the flower.

  “Oh!” I gasp. “It’s beautiful.”

  “Looks pretty suggestive to me,” River says, his eyebrows rising. “Reminds me of a clit I once knew.” His eyes bore into me.

  Daniel stiffens.

  “It’s meant to invoke courage combined with potent sexuality, both of which you have in abundance,” Diego says.

  I pluck the ring free from its velvety surroundings.

  “Let me,” Daniel says.

  “
It’s to be worn on her left index finger. That’s the finger of self-confidence, ambition, leadership, executive ability, and spiritual leadership. It won’t interfere with her sword hand and should help focus those qualities inside,” Diego says.

  Daniel picks up my left hand and slips the ring on my finger. Combined with my other power jewels, I’m immediately immersed in a powerful, seductive sensation. I swear if I were a guy I’d have a hard-on right now. I feel like a super badass babe.

  Daniel looks at me, a sexy smile forming on his face. His eyes grow dark and hooded.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see River swallow and lick his lips like a hungry dog. Rafe adjusts his pants.

  “Do you like the effect of that piece?” Daniel asks. “I sure do.” His nostrils flare.

  I know he’s scenting me and he likes what he smells.

  I kiss Diego’s weathered face. “You’re amazing, you know that, right?”

  “I only create the tools for those who wield the power.”

  “But you do it so well!” I say. “You did it for my mom and now you honor me by doing it for me. Thank you.”

  “Your mama would be so proud of you, mija. I am pleased to serve you in a manner in which I served her.” He beams at me like a proud papa.

  My eyes glisten as I regard him. I wrap my arms around him and squeeze tight. “You’re the best,” I whisper in his ear.

  “As are you,” he says.

  We break apart and I turn to face the group. “Are we done? Any last business to attend to?”

  “That is all for now,” the Keeper of Records says. Her face has lost some of its stress lines. Maybe she senses room for hope?

  “I believe our dinner will be served soon,” Daniel says. And I have plans for you later tonight.

  I can hardly wait.

  Chapter 15

  Completely sated from juicy, grass fed beef steaks from the isles of Hawaii for the boys and pecan crusted halibut for me, plus roasted potatoes, wild greens salad, delicious homemade bread, apple tart and organic vanilla ice cream for dessert, and free-flowing wine, we all push back from the dining table with slow sighs and groans all around. The lights from the homes and buildings far below wink like tiny stars through the wall of windows lining the dining room.