Most of the contents ranged from quilted blankets and extra frilly pillows. It wasn’t until I opened the last remaining container, that my vigorous search hit pay dirt.
I almost overlooked it amongst all of the other bejeweled and gilded figurines stashed in the ottoman. Some of the more gilded pieces looked like they belonged in a museum. Or they were less expensive knockoffs. Either way, they were unique. It was the same kind of unique that Erika would have appreciated.
The lantern was half wrapped in a shear scarf, like if Serena was in the midst of hiding it before being captured by her assailant. Only one word came to mind as I removed the scarf: magical. A multi-paned metal hexagonal structure made up the central components. Each colorful window was bordered by strips of metal embossed with a dotted line pattern. Little shell shaped ornaments branched out, framing the glass.
The domed top was just as dazzling. Woven braids arced upward towards the spherical finial that crowned the lantern’s apex.
On the dome’s face were two faceted jewels inlaid around lacy die cut lattices.
I so badly wanted to claim the lantern as my own. Its entrancing beauty was unlike anything I had ever seen. Even the base had its own stunning quality. Matching its overall form, metal medallions wrapped around like a collared necklace.
And just like in Serena’s written message, the lantern had a red pane of glass incorporated into its design. This has to be it. The overwhelming awe I felt in its presence couldn’t be a coincidence. Not even the rose windows of the cathedrals back home could move me to this degree. That was putting it mildly. While appreciative, I was never rendered speechless to the point of being enthralled.
I had to alert Jared of my discovery. “Jared, come here!” I hollered, hoping that he could hear me. He was a supernatural being, so I’m sure he could. Shortly thereafter, the sound of footsteps drew closer to my location. They were even and at a casual pace.
“My dear, is anything amiss?” Oh my hero.
“Everything is fine, so stop messing around. I think I found the lantern.” I held it up for him to inspect. Like me, as soon as he held it in his hands, all of his features seemed to freeze in time.
I didn’t know if it was a spell or what not, but I wasn’t going to wait around to see. Standing up, I made my way over to Jared and shook his shoulder just hard enough to snap him out of it. “Hey Jared,” I exclaimed as my shaking grew harder.
The fog that held him lifted as he blinked in confusion. “What happened?” I guess that whatever enchantment was on that lantern affected Stone Walkers way more than it did humans. Well, at least this human whom is currently in possession of powers belonging to royalty.
“When you took the lantern, you became still. All your body wanted to do was stand perfectly still and stare. It was like you were worshipping that damn thing. Put it down.” He cooperated reluctantly.
“I don’t know what came over me.”
“I could be wrong, but I take it that lantern has special meaning if it can cause that kind of disruption.”
“It is, but up until now I had only ever heard stories. I have never actually seen a Visulumina before.” His gaze was fixed on the lantern as he spoke.
“A Visu what?”
“A Visulumina. It literally means vision through light.”
“Okay, what does a Visu-lum-i-na do?” If the translation he gave me meant what I thought it did, then we had the device necessary to find the poem from Serena’s book.
Jared smiled at my butchered attempt at pronunciation. “Well the stories I was told, indicated that they were used to hide and recover hidden messages. The custom was part of several communication protocols known throughout my culture.”
“So, then it’s possible that this lantern could be used to help us locate the Dagger of Lapisera.”
“It could, and it does.” My eyes widened at the admission.
“How?”
“First we need to light a candle and place it inside of the lantern. And if there is text hidden, we should be able to see it.” Jared walked to the kitchen and returned with a pink votive candle and a lighter.
The smell of roses filled the air as the candle began to burn. Doing his best to not spill any wax on the floor, he placed the candle inside of the lantern. I closed the latch.
5
That was highly anticlimactic. I was expecting at least a puff of smoke or a couple sparks. Any form of prophetic illusion would have done the trick. At least I would know if we were on the right track. What do I get? Nada.
“So, are we supposed to dance around it naked while chanting up to the heavens?” I wouldn’t be against it. Hell, whatever it takes. What’s a little ritualistic nudity to lighten up the party?
“If it was your goal to get me undressed, you know that I would happily oblige. There’s no need to conjure up unlikely excuses. Just come right out and ask.” Jared made an attempt at maintaining his admonishing façade, but the passion in his eyes was unmistakable.
“Since you have foiled my diabolical plan Mr. Smarty Pants, how do you suppose we make the lantern work?” I countered in frustration. Oh mighty one, give me an answer.
His forehead scrunched in deep thought. I think a dose of intuition mixed with trial and error couldn’t hurt.
I took the lantern from Jared’s grasp, wanting to look it over. There had to be some kind of switch or other mechanism that we were missing, and I was bound and determined to find it.
Let’s see, the main purpose of a lantern is to illuminate a path when visibility is limited. So I wonder . . .
What if I pretend that’s the case? And we just happen to be in a space that was dimly lit, so my role-playing scenario might work. I held out the lantern in front of me, as if I was searching for a path to safety. The red-tinted pane was facing outward, like a ruby beacon in the night. Well, not quite night, but you get the picture.
“Alex, what are you doing?” I could feel his disapproving stare without even turning around.
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m on the hunt for a clue. So don’t mind me, you can go back to your studious contemplation,” I replied. The urge to skip almost won out.
“I’m being serious,” his tone was firm.
“So am I, and if it doesn’t work, you can scold me later.” And say I told you so. I was only a few feet from the far wall. Jared’s eyes remained trained on my progression.
“Alex. Stop! Look at the wall,” he interjected.
Printed across the plum stained surface, were three lines of text. This must be the lantern poem that Serena discovered. Perfectly spaced and aligned, it was like reading a headline from a newspaper.
Spanish longhorn war
Remember Cottonwood fort
A fight for freedom
“Of course it would be a poem about history and a battle.” I wasn’t particularly well versed in either one of those subjects. And why was the word “cottonwood” blue?
“I take it your school days were better suited learning how to shoot unarmed guys in the woods.” Cheeky, aren’t we? His playful candor was duly noted.
“You know that isn’t true˗˗˗for the most part. My wealth of knowledge stemmed from using my brain cells to crunch numbers, interpret clues, and gaze through microscopes. So sue me.”
“Of course they were.”
Mocking banter aside, I hope Jared knew a thing or two about war, or we would be hitting up Google real quick. Or interrogate a few of my dad’s friends. At least half of them served in some branch of the military, and could probably lend us their expertise.
“You can laugh it up later bright eyes. We have a poem that isn’t going to solve itself.” Bright eyes, I don’t know where that came from. “Any ideas, or should we save time and I’ll pull up a web browser on my phone?” I asked. Linking a series of events˗˗˗no problem, I could do that in my sleep. It was one of my stronger fortes. Word riddles of any kind˗˗˗not so much.
“With words like “war” and “fight”,
I could conclude that the subject of our poem is referring to a battle or a location where one was fought.” His response sounded like it belonged in a lecture.
I take back what I said. Maybe playing word games was growing on me. “Longhorn seems familiar. It has a very southern ring to it, and if I’m not mistaking, that’s what they call cattle down in Texas.” I announced.
“They do indeed. And you know what else is special about that state?” Does having a large population of oil refineries and gun-toting ranch owners suffice?
“Besides your sister having a gallery there˗˗˗no, but I’m sure you’re going to enlighten me.” I feinted annoyance. Like I said before, when he gets all scholarly like that, it’s quite a turn-on.
“Well, there was a battle against the Spanish. This too being a topic mentioned in the poem.” He began.
“Spanish . . . cottonwood fort˗˗˗holy hell on wheels, I think I’ve got it.” Thank you for high school foreign language classes. I had wanted to take German, yet there wasn’t enough interest, so I had to choose an alternative. Spanish was choice number two.
“Oh really?”
“Si Señor. I do believe the answer we seek lies with a trip to The Alamo, don’t you think?” Alamo translates to “Poplar Tree,” and to tie back in with the poem, a Cottonwood Tree happens to also be referred to as a Poplar Tree.
6
I was actually pretty impressed with my brilliant deduction. While Jared did help, I had figured that he would run the show as I looked on from the sidelines. Word play seemed to come easy to him. I had just beaten him to the punch. Instead, I was the one doing most of the heavy lifting. And out of my element too. Hidden messages, HA! Keep them coming.
“What makes you so sure?”
I gave him the run down that I had worked out. “Because for one, Cottonwood in Spanish is El Alamo or The Alamo as we call it, and that is the only place in Texas that I can think of where a monument from a battle is still standing. I do believe that it fits with the poem’s narrative.
“Before heading off anywhere based on a hunch, I think that we need to verify your claims first.” He was always so practical. I wanted to be offended that Jared doubted my assessment. Knowing me, it would be a logical counter response on my part, but he was right. We couldn’t have his ego bursting through the roof, so I kept that bit to myself.
“I’m not trying to sound arrogant, because I may very well be wrong. The fact of the matter is that our only reliable sources capable of such a feat are both dead. So, unless you know of a reputable psychic or want to conduct a séance, we are out of luck.” I warned him. Serena or Erika could have verified my conclusion in a heartbeat.
There wasn’t a step by step guide on Stone Walker literary communication tactics lying around. Without Serena or Erika to justify my statements, it was up to our combined intuition to steer us in the right direction.
“Running off blindly is not going to do either one of us any favors, so please stop.” He reinforced.
“Okay, I promise not to do anything rash. How about this? I’ll ask my mom and see if Erika was in contact with anyone else out of the ordinary.” I offered, thinking that I should have come up with the idea sooner.
“That could put her life at risk if she becomes involved. Are you willing to ask that of her?” His apprehension was evident.
“I’ll call her and she can decide if the consequences are worth helping us or not.” Perhaps my inquiry would be a waste of time. If she didn’t have any additional contacts that could be of use, then Jared’s concern could be absolved.
The nutty aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted through the air, rousing my senses. Power level˗˗˗half charged. Need health bars˗˗˗stat. I had tossed and turned all night. Visions of my mother ending up like Erika or Serena sabotaged my feeble attempt at getting any restful shuteye. It simply wasn’t in my cards.
After the night we had, neither one of us wanted to further our discussion prior to leaving his sister’s house. Once arriving back at my place, it was get inside before we passed out from exhaustion. The emotional conflict was enough to drain us dry.
I hadn’t even bothered with a robe. He had already seen me wearing a lot less than I had on now, which covered the essentials and then some. My tank top and panties ensemble would have to suffice. Anyway, Jared would appreciate the show.
He was bent over rummaging around my fridge when I stepped into the kitchen. “That coffee smells delicious,” I complimented. The hints of vanilla were making my mouth water. His shoulders jerked at my appraising announcement. Whoops˗˗˗I didn’t mean to startle him.
“Ah, there you are. I was just look˗˗˗.” His body turned in my direction. His mouth parted, words tapering off into silence. Icy blue eyes roamed my scantily clad form.
“You were looking for what?” I asked with a sly little smirk gracing my lips.
“I uh . . . was looking for a stick of butter.”
I reached past where he stood, the soft fabric of his shirt brushing my arm. A twinge of heat began to rise. Standing so close to Jared made my heart race with a deep longing.
“Here you go.” I said, my voice edged with a sultry rasp.
“Forget it,” he replied. The stick of butter flew across the floor as he tossed it aside. “I need you more.” His hand traced a delicate path along the silky barrier that blocked my flesh from his heady gaze.
“Lift me onto the counter.” He complied. The tile was cool against my skin, despite the warmth that was already spreading to every nerve ending in my body.
Ribbons of pleasure wrapped me in their tight coils, as Jared trailed a line of fiery kisses down my neck. I shivered in response.
“I need you Alex.”
“Then have me.”
He slid my underwear down my legs, making sure to graze me with his fingernails as he descended lower. Only backing up far enough to allow for ample maneuvering room, the fabric was left to dangle from one ankle. My legs pulled Jared closer, wrapping around him in a possessive embrace. His body surged forward, drawing a shrill moan from my lips.
I could feel his ragged breathes near my ear as we rocked together in our sensuous dance. Demanding lips trapped mine in a hungry grip. It was a sinful battle that I was more than eager to fight.
Strands of teal fell around me with each thrust, their presence light as a feather. Wait, teal? Jared hadn’t released his concealment, or at least I don’t think he had. Aware of it or not, he didn’t seem to be bothered by it, so I wouldn’t either. I actually kind of wished he would drop it more often. It was a selfish whim.
It wasn’t from a lack of trust, just too many painful memories. They were preventing him from showing his true colors, so he kept them locked away under the guise of a human persona.
Our beautiful music spiraled into a crescendo, hitting a peak with a chorus of satisfied voices filling the room. My forehead rested against his as we both tried to catch our breath.
I didn’t want to spoil the peace from our coupling, but I needed to ask. Damn my curiosity. “Jared. Why did your hair turn blue just now?” I thought the illusion could only be broken with a chant.
“Noticed that, did you?”
“I did.”
“Remember what I said about how strong emotions can bring out our more bestial aspects, well that includes revealing our natural physical traits as well.” Desire was certainly an intense emotion.
“So your body was reacting to your lusty behavior that I was thoroughly enjoying,” I said with a smug grin.
“Yes and no. While extreme amorous activities can yield that type of result, I don’t think that was the full reason.” There was a bitter sadness touching his eyes. I think I got it now.
“The whole ordeal with your sister is weighing heavily on your mind. I get it, you know I do. Your anger and frustration just decided to manifest all at once, and I got a show and tell out of the deal.”
“I guess it did. When I saw you standing there, a part of me snapped. With a v
eil of death hanging over us, I needed to feel alive. I needed to know that we were still real.” His turmoil fueled the beast, who relished in the physical affection.
“We are real.” I spoke with care. My arms wrapped around Jared’s shoulders, my faith in our quest cemented even further.
7
That forgotten stick of butter did end up getting used. Add a splash of cream and Jared had whipped up a culinary masterpiece. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. Scrambled eggs with a hint of red pepper and a side of toast˗˗˗my mouth watered at the sight.
“You do know after a treat like that, I’m going to become spoiled by your generosity,” I remarked with a sly wink.
“Any time you wish for a home cooked meal, all you have to do is ask,” he replied with a confident puff of his chest.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” While a decent cook in my own right, long days working left little time to indulge in the act of preparing most of my own meals. When I did, it was usually shoveling down a boxed dinner or ordering takeout. The sushi place around the corner knew me by name.
“Are you still planning on calling your mother?”
“I will after I’m done eating. Don’t rush me. Besides, weren’t you the voice of reason cautioning me against involving her in the first place?” We didn’t want another death on our watch.
“I may have come to a new conclusion on the matter. The plan has merit, and could prove to be useful.” He better not change his mind again. My mother could still say no. I would do my best to convince her otherwise.
“Good. Now let me finish my eggs in peace.”
I waited as the dial tone buzzed in my ear. Not bothering with the house phone, I had decided to dial my mom’s cell instead. Since my dad and I were still trying to resolve the tension brought on by my last visit, I didn’t want to risk him picking up.
“Hello, this is Melina.” She must have been preoccupied or she would have checked the caller id.
Threads of Blood and Silk: The stone Wielder's Legacy Trilogy Book 2 Page 2
