Kelsey stared at the woman’s pink, healthy skin, square jawline and long brown hair that fanned out in the water like a halo around her. Her eyes were closed and she had long, dark lashes.
Desmond stood there in shock, his jaw working furiously. “I don’t understand. It’s a girl.”
Kelsey leaned in. “She looks just like you, Desmond.”
Desmond swallowed hard and nodded. “But, who is she?” He suddenly gasped and took a step back.
Kelsey grabbed his arm. “What is it?”
His eyes wide, he stared at a faraway spot over Kelsey’s shoulder as if watching a movie. “I see her now. We’re running in a field. Her braids had just been cut short by my mother who was tired of taming her long hair. She’s racing me and winning.” Desmond turned to Kelsey, understanding in his eyes. “I had a twin sister, Kelsey. Not a twin brother. It was always a sister.” He stared at the woman in the tub. “All this time, we’d thought we’d found him, but it was never him to begin with. How unbelievably presumptuous of us.”
Kelsey scoffed. “Well, it’s not like you can blame us. The empty tombs, the number thirty-three? Coming to the world of desert sand and blazing yellow sun?”
“I can’t believe this. A sister.” Desmond reached out his hand and placed it gently on the girl’s cheek. “She’s warm.” He leaned in and whispered. “Finn?”
The woman didn’t respond.
Kelsey stared at a collection of objects which rested on a lone stone table next to the altar. It held a stone bowl filled with animal totems, crystals, and golden charms. Next to it was a small statue of a deity, a quiver of bows and arrows, and a large book. Desmond touched the cover reverently.
“Open it up,” Kelsey coaxed. “Though I’m pretty sure we know what this is.”
Desmond turned the cover and then dropped to his knees, overcome.
Kelsey leaned over him and peered onto the page. She exhaled loudly. This was it. This book contained the same texts and illustrations from Desmond’s dreams. She turned page after page. Each held the same squiggly whirls and curls from his doodles. The same images and lettering filling the infamous Voynich manuscript.
“Another Voynich Manuscript, Desmond. And this one is brilliant.” The first manuscript looked as if someone had drawn it in a hurry. Someone who had very little artistic talent or ability. This manuscript by contrast was filled with details, clear lettering, understandable drawings, and easily readable maps and charts.
“My mother had said there’d be clues, and here they are. I found my sister.”
Kelsey fingered the gold trinkets and crystals and picked up a chunk of clear quartz. “I wonder what she needed these for?” she mused. She replaced them and turned to Desmond. “So what do we do now?”
On impulse, Desmond reached towards the wall and turned the small valve counterclockwise. The water ceased dripping into the tub.
Kelsey stared at him in horror. “What are you doing? What if that’s what’s keeping her alive?”
“I don’t think that’s it. She’s in some sort of stasis, just like you and I were in Xanadu. The water is what… facilitates the stasis. Trust me.”
They watched as the water slowly drained out of the other end of the tub, through the tube in the far wall.
Minutes went by and still Finley slept.
“What should we do?
“Let’s wait.” Desmond stood watch over his sister.
They stayed still and silent for the next half hour while the last of the water dried up. And when the final drops disappeared, Desmond turned to the woman expectantly.
And Finley opened her blue-green eyes and took a deep, shaky breath.
Desmond leaned over and peered into her face.
Finley’s eyebrows arched in surprise. “Garrett? Talita Ka?” Her voice was hoarse and hesitant.
“I don’t understand,” Desmond said.
“She said, ‘is it really you,’” Kelsey said softly. “She spoke in Tedanaleese.”
Finley sighed. “Ah, so you know English.”
“Yes, but I’m starting to remember a little bit of Tedanaleese,” Desmond said.
Finley stared at him questioningly. “Tedanaleese? You mean Aihikian? Don’t worry, it will take a while, but I promise, you will eventually remember.” She raised her hand out to Desmond and he reached over and clasped it in his own. “I’ve been waiting so long for you to find me.” Her voice choked up.
Watching their tearful reunion stirred something deep in Kelsey’s core. She realized how very much she loved Desmond. How the problems they had been having over the past few months were superficial ones. They both had come through so much emotional stress and they both had finally started healing. Yes, this was how it should be. Her heart felt suddenly so full of love that it might burst with joy at all the possibilities before them. They would start over. All of them together as a family.
Desmond turned to Kelsey, his eyes bright with a contentment she’d never seen in them before. She understood that look. It bespoke of love, happiness, and finally, peace.
Finley spoke. “Garrett, are we thirty-three yet?”
He stared at her questioningly. “Yes, we turned thirty-three just over a month ago.”
She nodded and closed her eyes. “That’s good. Please turn the water back on.”
Desmond stared at his sister questioningly, but did as she asked and the water began to trickle back into the tub again.
Finley sighed as the water hit her and began to refill the tub. “Yes, that’s better.”
Desmond took Finley’s hand back in his and turned to Kelsey. “Kelsey, I’d like to officially introduce you to my sister.”
Kelsey turned towards the woman who looked like the spitting image of her love.
But instead of smiling back, Finley grasped the plug under her hand and pulled. Water poured out of the bottom and fell onto Desmond’s shoes and quickly spread out beneath him. She gave Kelsey a look of the purest sorrow. “I’m so sorry.”
And Kelsey’s joy turned to horror as Finley and Desmond vanished before her eyes.
THE END
Epilogue
After Desmond and Finley disappeared, Kelsey spent a week in Egypt trying desperately to find out where they’d gone. She felt sure the Emperor and Empress knew more than they were telling. She took herself to Xanadu and confronted them in the receiving room of the monastery.
“You know where he is. How do I find him?”
“They are where they need to be,” the Emperor said. “Their path and journey are on their homeworld now and they are needed there.”
“Show me how to get there. I can help. Where is the portal?”
“It is not our place, Kelsey. If it is your journey to find them in this lifetime, then you will.”
Kelsey’s eyes flashed. “I don’t accept that, Emperor. Now tell me where they are.”
But no amount of begging or threatening would get them to help her, so she came home, disappointed, devastated and absolutely livid. By the time she hit the streets of New York City her mood had grown so dark that the thunder clouds brewing above her head couldn't match her fury.
Ari had no idea what he was in for.
Want to read more from Kelsey Porter? Check out Book #3, The Call of Mount Sumeru here: https://amzn.to/2MTCfKm
THE CALL OF MOUNT SUMERU
By Elyse Salpeter
Chapter 1
Kelsey charged past Clarice before the elderly secretary could stop her and slammed open the door to Ari’s office. Her brother jumped up from his chair and skirted around the desk to greet her, his arms outstretched in apology. Instead of embracing him, Kelsey reared back and punched him in his jaw. He stumbled backwards and fell to the floor. In seconds she jumped on him. Ari never even raised his hands in self-defense. Clarice ran out of the office, shrieking for help.
Kelsey hit Ari and bloodied his nose. She grasped his lapels, pulled him towards her, and screamed into his face. “How dare you? How dare you try to
kill Desmond? After everything we’ve been through?” She socked him again and split his lip.
He spat out blood and tried to apologize. “I was tricked. It was Ustha. She came to me and told me you were in trouble. I had to help. She took me to Xanadu, pretended she was a monk and told me if I didn’t end Desmond’s life, he would get you killed.”
Kelsey released him and he fell back to the concrete slab floor. “You were never in Xanadu, Ari,” she snarled, leaning in towards him. “You were dreaming and she conjured everything. Were you so blinded by the perfection of the land she fabricated that you lost all thought and believed it was real? What did she promise you? Power? Your own steed? A place in the land at the feet of the Emperor and Empress if you did her bidding? How stupid could you be, you narcissistic, self-absorbed, egotistical pig?”
Julia and Dennis burst into the office and tried to pull Kelsey off, but she pushed them roughly aside. “Stay out of this, both of you. This is between me and my brother.”
“Kelsey, I’m so sorry.” It was all Ari could say before Kelsey continued to pummel him until he was a bloody, shaken mess. At that point, Josh finally came into the room, tore her away from Ari, and dragged her out into the hallway.
“Let go of me!” She shook Josh off and stormed out of the building.
Other Books by Elyse Salpeter
The Kelsey Porter Series – Adult thrillers
The Hunt for Xanadu – Book 1
The Quest of the Empty Tomb – Book 2
The Call of Mount Sumeru – Book 3
The Haunting of Cragg Hill House – Book 4
The Search for Starlight – Book 5
The Mannequins – Horror
Ricket Row Anthology - Horror
The Flying Series – Young Adult Thrillers
Flying to the Light – Book 1
Flying to the Fire – Book 2
The Children of Demilee Series – Dark Fantasy – New Adult
The World of Karov – Book 1
The Ruby Amulet – Book 2
To learn more about Elyse Salpeter, please check out her website at www.elysesalpeter.com or her blog at www.elysesalpeter.wordpress.com
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