Closing her eyes, she thought about her parents and how much she loved them. She pictured their smiles and heard their laughter. Gripping her parent’s rings in her hand she filled her body up with all the love she had for them. She hoped it was going to be enough to find them on the map.
“Gordon,” she said, “I’m going to need you to watch the map and see if anything happens.”
“Of course, Miss Alix,” he said.
When she was ready, she closed her eyes and sent her magic out, concentrating on only her parents. It took a minute, but she finally got a glimpse of them. They were tied up and seemed to be unconscious. She thought harder about them and was able to see more. They were in a small building surrounded by Grynn. Just as she was about to pull back, she noticed François and Victor were there as well. She pulled back as fast as she could, so they didn’t detect her. Opening her eyes, she saw that Gordon was pointing at a spot on the map.
“Miss Alix, for a brief moment, there was a bright spot right here,” Gordon told her.
She went over to look at the map. Gordon was pointing to a spot in Venezuela.
“That’s actually not too far from where they were holding Sonya,” Alix said.
“You are correct Miss Alix. I would say only a few hundred miles.”
“I wonder what it is about that area that attracts the Grynn,” she said.
“It’s the location,” Major General Reid said. “It’s heavily forested and hard to access. The perfect place to be if you want to stay hidden.”
“Can you figure out exactly where that place is?” she asked them.
“Yes,” Major General Reid said. “What did you have in mind?”
“I’m not sure yet, but I just need to know where they are keeping my parents.”
“Consider it done,” he said, taking his phone out and making a quick call. “We will have the exact location within the hour. I’ll have you escorted back to the Officer’s Club while we wait. I’m sure you want to share the good news with your friends.”
“Yes, and I need to check on them. Thank you, Owen,” she told him.
“It’s my pleasure to be of service to the Kaelneth,” he said, with a small bow.
Gordon stayed to help, and Alix was driven back to the Officer’s Club. A few people were awake when she got back. Ben and Shay were still asleep, so she let them be. She made her way over to Natalie. She needed to tell someone about her parents, so she filled Natalie in on what she learned.
“That’s great news,” Natalie said, hugging her. “So, are we going to go rescue them?”
“I don’t know. I need to figure out what the best plan is. The last thing I want to do is be the reason that something happens to them.”
“I understand that,” Natalie said. “If anyone can figure out what the right move, it’s you.”
Alix could hear the confidence in Natalie’s voice. She just hoped she was right.
Chapter 38
Within the next hour, Alix made sure everyone was awake. She wanted the entire group to know what happened and what the Commander found out.
Right on time Major General Reid walked into the Officer’s Club accompanied by several fellow officers.
“Alix,” he said, addressing her personally, “I have the information we discussed. Do we need to do this in private?”
“No Owen, everyone here needs to know everything I do,” she told him.
“Very well. We figured out the building where your parents are being held is right in the middle of one of the countries National Forests. It’s extremely hard to get to and surrounded by a minimum of fifty Grynn. It would take a carefully planned mission to retrieve your parents unharmed.”
Alix took in the information but didn’t say anything at first. There were about a million thoughts swirling around her head. She just needed to pick the one that was going to keep everyone safe. A few minutes later, she could only think of one thing that might work.
“We need to bring them to us,” she told the room. “I don’t know how but it’s the only thing that makes sense to me right now.”
“Do you think François will go for it?” Shay asked.
“Yes, I do. He wants me above anything, and I think he’ll do whatever he has to in order to make that happen.”
“Where would you meet him?” Ben asked her.
“I don’t know. That’s going to be the key. Owen, would it be possible to get a message to the location in Venezuela?”
“We could definitely make that happen,” the Commander said. “What would be the time frame?”
“As soon as I figure out a place to meet, we will have about a day and a half left on François’s deadline so if I have an answer for you in the next few hours will that work?”
“Yes, we can work with that.”
“Great. Thank you.”
“Anything to serve the Kaelneth and her cause,” Major General Reid said. “We have beds available for everyone for the night. Feel free to stay at the Officer’s Club as long as you like. When you are ready to turn in let one of my men know and they can escort you to the bunkhouse.”
“How can I get in touch with you when I have an answer?” Alix asked him.
“Just tell one of the guards that you need to see me. They will bring you right to me.”
“Thank you,” she said.
The Commander left and Alix looked at the time. It was around 7:00 in the evening.
“Everyone,” she said, getting their attention, “like the Commander said, feel free to stay here as long as you like and get one of the guards to take you to the bunkhouse when you’re ready. I’m not sure what happens from here. I need to come up with a plan that will ensure François will come to us. From there I’m sure it will be a fight like we’ve never seen. I have a feeling we’ll need as many reinforcements as we can get. I’d greatly appreciate it if you could reach out to anyone you think will be able to help us. I’ll have an answer to where the location will be in the morning. Thank you.”
Alix saw most of the group pull out their cell phones and start making phone calls. It made her smile inside to know that she had so much support.
“So,” Shay said,” now all you have to do is find the perfect place, figure out how to get everyone there, lure François there and then have an epic battle. Oh, and don’t forget we have to get your parents back. Sounds about normal for you.”
Alix looked at the smile on Shay’s face and had to smile back. “Yep, just another day for me.”
Shay hugged her. “I don’t know how you do it. Somehow you manage to deal with all of this like a pro. But how are you really doing?”
“I don’t know,” Alix told her. “I think if I stopped to really think about my parents being taken, I might lose it, and I need to be strong right now. I’m not going to fail my parents.”
“Your determination always amazes me,” Ben said, putting his arm around her.
“I just do what needs to be done,” she told him.
“And that’s what makes you special,” he said.
“I agree,” Shay said. “So, what do we do now?”
“You two need to eat,” Alix told them. “Then we’ll go from there.”
“What are you going to do?” Ben asked.
“Think,” she said. “I know there’s a perfect answer, I just have to find it.”
Alix made sure everyone was taken care of then found a quiet spot to sit down. Her mind was racing with so many thoughts that she couldn’t focus on just one thing. She needed to stop and calm her mind. After a few minutes it was clear what she was trying wasn’t working. She needed to be outside.
“Excuse me,” she said, to one of the soldiers at the door, “would it be alright if I sat outside for a while? I really need some fresh air.”
“Um, sure, I guess,” he said, looking slightly confused. “Follow me.”
Alix followed him out of the Officer’s Club and around to the side of the building. There were several picnic tables on a patio.
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“Will this work Miss?” he asked her.
“Yes, this is perfect. Thank you.”
“If you need anything else just come get one of us.”
“I will,” Alix told him.
He went back to his post and Alix took a seat at one of the picnic tables. It was now fully dark out, but there was enough light around her that she still felt safe in an unknown place. Closing her eyes, she took several deep breaths and let the wind blow her hair. She immediately felt better. Her mind wasn’t such a chaotic place now, so she was able to focus on one thing at a time.
She felt all of the natural energy around her, from the ground and the air to the trees she could feel but couldn’t see. She felt like she was recharging her internal battery. When she felt as close to normal as she could, she turned her mind to everything she’d learned since becoming a Nykara. She hoped that going back to the beginning might help her right now.
Alix smiled when she thought about waking up with her tattoo for the first time, then finding out she was actually a magical being. That wasn’t even six months ago, but it felt like a lifetime since that day. She’d learned and seen so much that it amazed her most of the time. She let her thoughts drift in and out, hoping a solution would come to her.
“There you are,” Ben said.
“Hey,” she said smiling.
“Come up with anything?” he asked, returning her smile.
“Nope.”
“I think you need to stop thinking,” he told her.
“Huh?”
“I think you’re trying too hard. I know you have to find a solution, but sometimes when you try too hard the answer never comes.”
Alix knew he was right, but it was hard to just let go and not think when her parents were depending on her.
“What do you suggest?” she asked him.
“Sleep.”
“Just sleep?”
“Yes. None of us have had very much sleep in the last two days. You’re not going to be able to accomplish anything if you are too tired to stand. Come on, let’s go find that bed the Commander promised.” Ben stood up and held out his hand for her.
Alix finally gave in, got up from the table and took his hand. They found one of the soldiers and she showed them to the building they were going to be sleeping in. They were both surprised when they got there and found their backpacks waiting for them. Alix was so glad to be able to change her clothes.
After brushing her teeth and washing her face she felt so much better. When she was done, she found Ben and crawled into bed with him. He put his arms around her and pulled her close. Alix relaxed immediately and it wasn’t long before she was asleep.
Chapter 39
Alix was standing in the middle of a lush forest. She could hardly see a few feet in front of her. She heard a sound to her right and started walking in that direction. It was hard to walk through the dense trees, so she was really glad when she got to a clearing. She looked up and was confused as to what she was seeing. It was an old, round, wooden table with six chairs around it. She took a few steps toward it when Melodie was suddenly standing beside her.
“Alix, it is nice to see you again,” she said. “Please come sit with me.”
Not knowing what else to do Alix went to the table and sat down. Melodie sat across from her.
“What’s going on?” Alix asked.
“We are just waiting for everyone else to get here.”
“Who is everyone else?”
“You’ll see soon enough,” Melodie said with a smile.
Alix had no choice but to wait. She’d already figured out this was a vision dream, so that meant she had to wait to learn what she needed to know. The only thing that kept her calm was she knew she was there for a very important reason.
While they waited Alix looked around the clearing. It took her a few minutes, but she smiled when she realized where they were. It was the meadow from her very first vision dreams. At the time she thought she was just having crazy dreams but now she knew better.
She turned to look at the tree tunnel when she saw two people emerge from it. It was James and Jessica, her ancestors that she discovered in the library behind the white door.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again,” Jessica said, as they sat at the table beside her.
“Yes, it is,” Alix agreed.
A minute or so later, her other ancestor William joined them and sat on the other side of Alix. Finally, the last person arrived. It was Candar. Alix was very surprised to see him.
“It is an honor to sit down with the Kaelneth,” Candar said.
“Um, thanks,” Alix said. If she was being honest, she was still a little intimidated by him. “So, what’s brought us all together?”
“I think you know the answer to that,” Melodie said.
“François?” Alix asked.
“Yes. We know all about the current situation,” she said.
“It was very smart thinking to decide to bring the fight to him. You would not have stood a chance against him in the jungle,” Candar told her.
“But how can I be sure he will take the bait and come to me?” she wanted to know.
“He desires your power above anything else. He will come to you,” Candar said.
That made Alix feel slightly better, but François still scared her to death.
“You still find yourself with more questions,” William stated.
“Yes,” she admitted. “Where is the best place to bring him to? And how do I make sure he won’t hurt my parents?”
“You must ensure the message you send him will bring him to your location,” James said.
“And how do I do that?”
“Promise him you will be there alone if he brings your parents unharmed,” Melodie said. “Tell him that if your parents are hurt in any way, you will send an army after him.”
“But I can’t show up alone. I’m not strong enough to fight off all the Grynn,” Alix said.
“No, that is correct,” Melodie said. “So, you find a location where your army can be hidden until it’s time for action.”
“There’s no way we could hide that many people from the Grynn without them knowing,” Alix said.
“Yes, there is a way,” Candar said. “And you already know this place. I have shown you the way.”
Alix hoped he would say more but when he didn’t, she thought about his words. Then suddenly it dawned on her.
“Stonehenge,” she said excitedly.
“Yes,” Candar said. “No one, not even the Grynn can detect Nykara within the protective rings of the Stone Monument.”
“Rings,” Alix said quietly. “François said the secret is in the rings. Could he know about what Stonehenge really is?”
“No,” Candar said. “He was referring to the rings of your parents. He knew you could locate him using them. He was arrogant enough to think that you would face him there.”
“Will this really work?” Alix asked.
“This is the best chance you have of defeating the Grynn. It will be up to you and your people to make it happen,” Melodie said.
“You must go now,” Jessica said.
“There is much to do and little time to do it in,” James said.
“Best of luck,” William told her. “Make us proud.”
****
Alix woke up and hurried to find some shoes.
“What’s going on?” Ben asked sleepily.
“I know what to do and I have to go see the Commander,” she said urgently. “I have to find Gordon. He needs to go with me.”
“I’ll go with you too,” Ben said, getting out of bed while Alix went to find where Gordon was sleeping.
A minute later they were at the door and asking one of the guards to take them to see Major General Reid. They were shown to a car and driven across the base. Another guard escorted them to a door that Alix knew was his office.
The guard knocked. “Permission to enter sir,” he said.
“Come in
,” they heard the Major General say.
They were shown into the office and the soldier left.
“Alix, you have a location for me,” Major General Reid stated.
“Yes. Stonehenge.”
“I’m assuming you mean the one in England and not the fake ones here in the US.”
“Right. That’s where the fight is going to take place,” she told him. “We can use the blue door to go to Fox Hollow and shuttle people to Stonehenge.”
“Will that work?” Major General Reid said to Gordon.
“It is the closest safe house to the site. So, other than flying people to the airport it’s the best bet.”
“Alright. I’m going to ask that you handle that part of it,” Major General Reid said. “Alix, do you have a message and when do you want it delivered to François?”
“I have a message, but first we need to get everyone we possibly can to Stonehenge undetected. If the Grynn get any word of this, it won’t work. I want everyone there as soon as possible. How long will it take to get a message to François?”
“A minimum of twelve hours if the messenger is to stay out of sight.”
Alix thought about the time frame she had left. “If I have this figured out correctly, we have approximately forty-eight hours left on François’s deadline. I think it’s best if we don’t wait until the last minute to get him the message, so I think it should be delivered to him about thirty-six hours from now. That gives us until then to get as many Nykara who can fight to Stonehenge.”
Both Gordon and Major General Reid nodded.
“What is the plan when we get to Stonehenge?” Ben asked.
“The Nykara hide until I give the signal to fight. That won’t happen until I know my parents are safe,” she said.
“If I may,” Major General Reid said, “Why Stonehenge?”
“Have you been there before?” He shook his head. “The short version is that the Nykara built it thousands of years ago and we still own it. It’s a place of power for the Nykara people and we can hide inside it without being detected.”
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