Marked: Thoth's Legacy ~ Book One

by S. E. Jackson

  Izzy, concentrating on looking for the gnome, shifted her eyes to Cass. “You can’t tell anyone. You can’t even let Agnes know I told you. I mean it, Cass.”

  “I know,” she whined. “It might kill me next time next time she gets all snippy in my face. But, I know.”

  Cass tossed a blanket, unfolding it to a large square, onto the grass. She kicked off her sneakers then proceeded to lay right in the center. “This is the life. We should come out here every day.”

  “You do know it’s pitch black out?”

  “And?” Cass countered.

  Izzy shook her head. “I’m afraid we might have made the trip for nothing. I don’t see any gnomes about.” She shifted the light’s focus around. There was a scurry of movement in the taller grass. Izzy stepped closer, just in time to see the furry tail of a rabbit as it hurried away.

  “You haven’t tried calling for him.” Cass pointed out.

  Izzy pressed her lips. “I feel like a fool. We’re sitting here talking. If he’s about, surely he can hear us.”

  “I would at least try.”

  Izzy huffed out a breath. “Fine. Hanzbag? It’s Isadora. Are you here?”

  Nothing happened. “Try louder. He might be a distance away.”

  “Hanzbag?” Izzy raised her voice a pitch or so.

  Cass shook her head. “There’s no sense being timid. We’re in the middle of the forest with no one around. HANZBAG!” Cass’ scream made Izzy wince in pain at the volume.

  “If he didn’t hear that, he isn’t here,” Izzy remarked.

  “Ah, Marked, so good of you to come.” Izzy twirled around. Hanzbag stood less than five feet away.

  “Oh, h-hi there,” Izzy stuttered. “You startled me. I was beginning to think you weren’t here.”

  Hanzbag frowned, “You brought your friend.”

  “Yeah, is that a problem?”

  “No, I was going to take you to meet my family. We can do it next time though.” Hanzbag pouted.

  “I can’t go now?” Izzy was confused.

  “We live in the ground, below the surface. She,” he pointed to Cass, “could not come.”

  “Oh, okay. Maybe next time then, that isn’t why it was urgent for me to come though?”

  “No, no. I sent word because of what I saw.”

  Cass spoke up, “He’s here, isn’t he? I told you that would work.”

  “Yeah, he’s here. Thank you for screaming, I guess.”

  Hanzbag watched their exchange, a smile of sorts on his face. “I like your friend.”

  Cass, oblivious to the compliment, kept on, “You two are just chatting away. Ignoring little ol’ me, sitting right here I might add.”

  Izzy switched her gaze back to Cass. “He’s telling me about something he saw. Sorry! Just a sec.”

  Hanzbag appeared thoughtful. “It’s true, what she says. It is rude. Tell her to not be afraid. I am going to attempt something.”

  Izzy’s eyes widened. “What are you going to do?” Then, she darted her gaze back to Cass. “Don’t freak out, okay. Hanz is going to try something, he says. I have no idea what.”

  Izzy watched as he walked over to the blanket where Cass was situated. Carefully he stepped next to her leg, then sat like a child on her lap. Cass’ eyes became as wide as saucers, but she didn’t so much as twitch. “He’s on me?” she asked in a shaky voice.

  Izzy nodded. “Hanzbag, what are you doing?”

  “I have been reading old papers from the town’s vault. Back when we still consorted with humans, we used to be able to make ourselves appear to anyone. It was an ugly time. We were hunted by your kind. Stories of our men, women, even sometimes our children, found beaten and tortured. Our homes were destroyed. So we stopped. We reverted back to where humans couldn’t see us. Took our families deep into the earth where we were safe. It didn’t take long until humans forgot about us.”

  Hanzbag eyed Cass with a thoughtful gaze. “But, your friend, she seems nice. Genuinely so. And she is the friend of the Marked. She is good?”

  Izzy’s smiled warmed. “She’s the best. And you would make her day if you could do it.”

  “Do what?” Cass demanded.

  “Give him a minute,” Izzy urged to her friend. “I promise, if this works, you’ll love it.”

  Hanzbag sat still as a statue on Cass’ lap, eyes closed. He began mumbling in an ancient tongue, head bobbing as he spoke.

  Cass emitted a low squeal. Izzy wasn’t sure if it was delight or terror.

  “You can see him?”

  Cass nodded vigorously.

  Hanzbag’s chant stopped and he opened his eyes to Cass’ wide grin.

  “Hello, friend of the Marked.”

  “Hi,” Cass stuck out her hand to the smaller man. “This is so cool. You are a-mazing!” Her voice was as low and subdued as his, but her infectious joy vibrated in every word.

  He stuck his own hand out, shaking hers. “You are a-amazing too?”

  Cass laughed.

  “This is correct?” At Cass’ puzzled look, Hanzbag glanced down at their clasped hands.

  “Oh! Yes, you’re a natural. Cass,” she offered. “That’s my name. You can call me Cass. You don’t have to do the formal thing.”

  “Cass, it is.” He nodded. “I need to go back to my family soon. But first, I need to share the reason I sent for the Marked.” His gaze returned to Izzy, but he kept his seat on Cass’ legs.

  “You said you saw something?” Izzy reminded him.

  “Yes, I saw the man again. He was with a woman this time.”

  “The man from that night? The night my friend died?” Izzy gasped.

  Hanzbag nodded.

  “Can you describe them?”

  “I will try. He is tall, dark headed but with some white or gray in it. She was much shorter and fully gray-headed. They spoke in fast hushed tones as if they tried to conceal their meeting.”

  “Hanzbag, that description covers hundreds of people, just in this town alone.”

  “They were far,” Hanzbag hung his head. “I didn’t want to get too close.”

  Cass narrowed her eyes at her friend then cut her gaze to the gnome, her expression clearing. “You did great! Don’t pay any attention to ungrateful over there. Anything is better than nothing, and we both appreciate you letting her know.”

  “I didn’t say anything!” Izzy argued.

  Hanzbag interrupted, “There is more.”

  They stopped arguing, the solemnness of his words demanding their attention.

  “They spoke of old knowledge and a page.”

  “A page?” Izzy felt fear skitter down her back.

  “Yes. He said he had the page but not the Key. Soon though, he promised the woman. Soon, they would have the power that was rightfully his.” Izzy saw the fear in Hanzbag’s eyes as he related what he saw. They all but pleaded as he continued, “He must not get this power, Marked. All of us - the Others - we feel something horrible coming. This is why we help. He must be stopped.”

  “Page? From one of the books? And you’re the Key, Izzy. Mama said so.”

  “Yes, the Marked is the Key. And the page must be from the book. I don’t know which one but it matters not. They all wield unheard of power,” Hanzbag nodded solemnly.

  “Why me?” Isadora dropped her head back.

  “Suck it up, buttercup,” Cass instructed. “You just got promoted to the big leagues. The game’s in extra innings, it’s your turn at bat, and we’re winning this game if I have to kill you to do it.”

  Izzy sneered at Cass. “You’re all that now, huh?

  “Sure am,” Cass jeered back. “My best friend will kick your ass. Don’t mess with me.”

  “All right. Let’s say I do this. Anyone have any ideas how?”

  “Call for the Guardian. He will know what to do.”

  “He?” Cass asked. “Agnes is her guardian.”

  Hanzbag gave a forceful shake of his head. “No, not a human guardian. The Guardian of the Marked
.”

  “I have a Guardian?”

  “Yes! You must call for him. He will come.” Hanzbag insisted.

  Izzy started to ask how to call for him and then she remembered the man from the other night. “Do you happen to know if I’ve already met this guy?”

  “My friends say you saw him before. So you know how to reach him.”

  “No, he came to me,” Izzy shook her head. “Not vice versa. But there was that one time…” Her voice trailed off as she contemplated the only other time she had come in contact with the jerk.

  “There must be another way,” Izzy insisted. The last thing she wanted to do was rely on him for assistance.

  “It is the only way. We have no clue when your ascension will be. And without knowing when, it is imperative we act now!”

  Izzy’s head dropped back in surrender. Her shoulders slouched, the defeat she felt was self-evident. “I’ll try. But I’ll wait until I get home. Just in case.”

  “I take it we’re talking about the jerk now?” Cass watched Izzy’s reaction with interest. Her scowl was immediate and full of emotion. Cass made a note to ask lots of questions later.

  “Yes. Whatever,” Izzy admitted.

  “The Guardian is not a jerk. He is a powerful entity that has guarded the Marked for centuries. You must show him respect.”

  Izzy took a deep breath. “You’re kidding me, right? Show the biggest creep I’ve ever met respect?”

  Hanzbag looked at Izzy in horror. “We will hope he did not hear your words.”

  Izzy rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t frighten me.” Secretly, she hoped her bravado didn’t get her killed. But that guy? He was way too full of himself.

  “Please try not to rile him if you can. Without you, mankind and Others will have to deal with the fallout. Magic requires balance and right now, you are the only one left to manage the scale.” Hanzbag waved a sorrowful goodbye. “I enjoyed meeting you, friend of the Marked.”

  “Cass, my name is Cass.”

  “Yes, I know. I must go now. Safe travels to you both,” Hanzbag pushed up and off Cass’ leg and walked back toward the forest. At the tree where she’d first met him, he paused to turn back and wave.

  Izzy and Cass watched as his small figure faded off into the night.

  “That was so cool,” Cass murmured.

  “Oh, Goddess! I have to summon the jerk. I don’t even remember how I did it last time. It was a mistake. I have no clue how to do this.”

  “Are you talking to yourself or asking for help?”

  “Talking to myself I guess,” Izzy stuck her tongue out at Cass.

  “Oh, that’s mature.”

  “Whatever. Deep breaths, Isadora. It can’t be that hard.”

  “Let’s get you home,” Cass instructed. “Then we can go over what happened last time and maybe figure this out.”

  Izzy’s nose scrunched. “I don’t know if you can be there. He will be pissed if he’s not dressed again.”

  “Not dressed? I think someone left out a few details last time.”

  “Maybe a smidge…” Izzy grinned. “Race you back to the car.”

  “Not fair!” Cass called out. “I need to get the blanket. Wait!”

  Izzy laughed as she ran in place. “On the count of three, one, two…”

  “I’m hurrying,” Cass grabbed the blanket, pine straw, leaves and all and bundled it into a ball.

  “Three!” Izzy took off.

  “Wait for me!” Cass yelled.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Izzy

  Books stacked all around her, Izzy’s head was bent to her work. The library’s database had unearthed a plethora of works and articles on Egyptian mythology. To make the task less cumbersome, Izzy had only selected items that mentioned the Book of Thoth. Even narrowing those down, she was still surrounded by more reading material than she could ever expect to get through.

  Izzy made notes as she read. She flipped through the notations about how Thoth came to power, what roles he provided in Egyptian life, and the many attributes he possessed. The ancient Egyptians revered him. Even for a God, Izzy couldn’t believe all he was accredited for - writing, magic, wisdom, and the moon. Overachiever much? Izzy thought. Some of the texts even suggested he was the Egyptian God of Creation.

  The Book of Thoth was something separate, different. Per everything she read, several compendium claimed the name and no one knew which was real if any. All were purported to have power beyond the imagination. Most research on the topic agreed the sacred tome included every spell known to man or God. One single page could give a witch control over the universe. Power so great, you could rule the world. And these books were written by non-believers. Witches had a better understanding of what the books might contain. Knew the seduction of power unchecked and how deadly it could be if in the wrong hands.

  She was supposed to protect this? It seemed an impossible task. Worse, it appeared that several of the pages, delicate papyrus that couldn’t be replaced, were no longer tucked inside the book’s vault. Images from museums, galleries, and even private collections revealed the material cracked and tattered. And this is what people were willing to share. It didn’t include others secreted away and kept hidden from the world.

  If any of what she read was true, her family had failed their duty. Sebastian had said no one in her line had actually guarded the book in more than one hundred years. Her family was to blame for many of the stolen pages if not all.

  She dropped her head back to ease the tension in her neck and sighed. Not a single book nor article had mentioned a Guardian though. How was she supposed to get in touch with this guy? She’d spent over an hour the previous night after returning from the woods trying to contact him again. Meditation, grasping the chain and calling for the Goddess, anything and everything she could think of, but nothing had worked.

  “What are you studying so diligently on?”

  The unexpected voice made Izzy jump. Heart racing, she pressed her hand over her chest to calm it, “I didn’t expect to see you here!”

  Agnes arched a brow, “I work here.” She raked her eyes over Izzy, then over the books, “What’s with all the interest in Egyptian stuff?”

  “Uh, just caught my eye, that’s all.”

  “Right.” It was apparent that Agnes didn’t believe a single word Izzy uttered.

  Agnes bent down and read over her shoulder. “Thoth,” Agnes lips pursed. Her eyes cut to Izzy, “Please tell me you are not trying to study his magic.”

  Izzy sighed again. “It’s not like that. You wouldn’t understand.”

  “Then, help me to understand.”

  Izzy stared at Agnes. She was torn. “Not yet, okay. Soon, but not yet.”

  Izzy could see the lines of frustration and worry lining Agnes’ face but didn’t give in. Something held her back. For once, she wanted to handle a problem on her own.

  Agnes nodded, “Don’t wait until it’s too late, Isadora. I can only help you if you let me in.”

  “I won’t. I promise.”

  “The library is closing soon,” Agnes changed subjects. “How about we take these to the desk. I can get any of them you want to take with you checked out. Then, you can come to my house, and I’ll make dinner. How does that sound?”

  With the knowledge her refusal to explain had hurt Agnes, Izzy jumped at the chance to make amends. “Sure! That sounds great actually. I haven’t had a home-cooked meal in too long.”

  “You girls eat out too much,” Agnes frowned while she gathered a stack of books.

  “It’s just hard, juggling work and everything else, and still having time to cook dinner too.”

  “I understand,” Agnes agreed. “So, which of these are you taking with you?”

  Izzy winced. “I think I’m done with them now.”

  “All of them?”

  “’Fraid so.”

  Agnes laughed and shook her head. “No worries.”

  “I can help you put them back. I dragged the
m all out.”

  “Nonsense. I’ll just put these on the shelf for now. It will give me something to do in the morning.” Not letting Agnes deal with the lot, Izzy grabbed an armful of books herself. With both of them loaded down, they managed to carry them all to the front in just one load.

  “We’re the only ones here,” Agnes called over her shoulder. “Give me five minutes to lock up, and you can follow me over to the house.”

  Izzy dumped her lot on the rolling cart next to where Agnes had placed the others. “I’ll wait on the bench outside for you.”

  ◆◆◆

  After dinner, both of them fell into casual talk about the coven and work. “I hate that half of the coven is just cut off from us.”

  “That’s the way Sebastian says it has to be,” Agnes blew out a breath. “I try to stay in touch. Leave an opening, so they know they can come back. Most have embraced Gideon’s teachings though. The goddess and her teaching be damned, I guess.”

  “Power affects people differently,” Izzy squirmed as she remembered her own powers. For the first time ever, it felt awkward to talk to Agnes. If she’d shared at the beginning, it would be so much easier now. But, she’d kept the secrets too long. It had ballooned into a larger than life elephant in the room.

  Worse, Izzy still was uncertain what to share. She was having a hard time separating folklore from fact to know what to believe.

  “Well enough of their nonsense. It feels like we’ve haven’t spoken in ages,” Agnes poured a glass of wine and showed Izzy the bottle. “Want some?”

  “Just one glass, I have to drive home later.”

  “I think you can handle one or two sips without worry,” Agnes finished pouring each of them some wine and walked over to Izzy. She placed their glasses on the table then casually mentioned. “We need to plan for Edith’s memorial.”

  Thoughts of Edith was still like a kick in the gut to Izzy. “What are you thinking?”

  “A ceremony in the woods. I think we should use her candles.”

  “How many did she have? Do you think that will be enough?”

  Agnes counted who she knew would come. “Probably not. Can you bring some from the store, just in case?”

  “Yeah, sure. Where are we making the circle?”