Quintessence (Statera Saga Book 2)

by Amy Marie

  Lilly and Dylan exchange a few pleasantries. I sit, trying not to interrupt as my hands interlock and fingers fidget. After a few minutes, I can’t hold my questions in any longer. I interrupt their casual flirting and ask, “Lilly, why did you run?”

  Black eyes level their gaze at me. “I didn’t run. I tried to create a diversion to lure the destructor away from you.”

  “It didn’t work,” I reply.

  “You doubt me?” she asks, her haughty tone getting under my skin.

  “I’m here. I want to believe you. But I need some questions answered,” I plead.

  “By all means, ask away, bearer of light.”

  I flinch at that. It reminds me of Lucifer.

  You are not like him.

  My internal comfort comes in the memory of Darcy’s voice. I push forward.

  “Do you have any information on the other elemental souls?” I ask.

  “I’ve spent a longer amount of time than normal tracking this one. There’s something quite striking about him, isn’t there?” She croons at Dylan, and he blushes under her spell.

  “Yeah, he’s great. We’re lucky we found him in time. Which makes me think we should be concentrating on the next soul. Do you have any leads?” I ask, impatient.

  “Can I offer either of you something to drink?” she asks, ignoring my questions.

  I look to the window. Daylight is dwindling – we don’t have much time.

  Dylan takes a seat at the breakfast bar as Lilly enters the kitchen. His eyes stayed glued to her.

  “It’s near sunset. But I hope you both will stay. You are protected here, and we have much work to do,” she calls from the kitchen.

  Dylan gives me a shrug in question and I shake my head negatively.

  “What about our powers?” I ask.

  This question lures her back into the room with a feline smile.

  “Dylan is the water elemental. His powers revolve around the water. To what extent, we’re not sure.” I nod in Dylan’s direction. “We’ve witnessed water manipulation, and temperature immunity–”

  “Not to mention superhuman swimming skills,” Dylan interjects, wiggling his eyebrows.

  I smile at his attempt to break the tension.

  “Yes, that too. Is there anything else?” I ask her.

  “The element magic is different each time. The magic is called depending on the person who wields the soul and their needs. Some souls are weak and refuse to embrace the potential of their power.” Her eyes bore into mine, a silent accusation.

  This woman is insufferable. I begin to wonder why I keep defending her.

  “What kind of power does the light soul possess then?” I ask, rising to the challenge.

  “Ah, your true purpose for coming.” She smiles, and moves to go look out the window. “The sun will be setting. This explanation will take time. You will have to stay here in my protection if you want this knowledge. I will offer it to you, but the responsibility is great. Are you sure you want to know?”

  Her words slither through me, producing goose bumps along my entire body.

  My mind jumps to a vision of Lilly holding out the fruit of knowledge, offering it to me in temptation.

  No. I don’t want this.

  I shake my head. “Let’s get back to concentrating on the element souls instead. We need to go before sunset.”

  “Fear of power?” she sneers.

  “Control,” I retaliate, standing just a bit taller.

  She looks at me a long moment before continuing.

  “Dylan was easy to find. He had already been drawn to you. The others have not yet. They’re still far away. You must wait for them to be called to you,” she says, taking on her eerie voice of authority.

  “We don’t have time to wait,” I argue.

  “Then you must track them,” she says. “Now your true journey begins. Will you leave the comfort of your sanctuary?”

  “I suppose we have no choice. Will you be joining us?” I ask her, not sure which answer I’m hoping for.

  “We will do better to split up. I must keep seeking. Unless you have another lead?”

  Something makes me decide to keep the development with the air elemental from her. Instead, I distract her. “We tried to find a lead with the soul of fire. There was an accident.” I swallow a lump in my throat. “Do you have anything to go on?” I ask, trying to distract myself from the guilt of the tribe’s loss.

  “Leave it to me, Nora. I’ll be in touch.”

  “You’ll go alone?” Dylan asks Lilly in concern.

  Funny, I didn’t even think twice about it.

  “I do better alone,” she responds.

  “We have to go,” I say looking at the time on my phone. “Let me know if something comes up.” I nod my thanks to Lilly on the way out, still not sure about our guide.

  Back at Andover Hall, we meet Char in the parking lot.

  “Hey guys,” she calls from under her umbrella. “Can you help me carry some things inside?”

  Dylan and I move to Char’s SUV and we each load our arms up with plastic grocery bags.

  Char slams down the back door of her SUV and her Ohio license plate wobbles on its hinges.

  “You really ought to secure that better. You don’t want to lose it on the road. I can help you with it,” Dylan offers.

  “Sure, but maybe later. Let’s get out of this rain. Don’t want to catch a cold… well those of us who aren’t immune anyway,” Char says with a laugh.

  Back down into the sanctuary we’re greeted by Uncle Mike and Rafe.

  “Where’s Darcy?” I ask.

  Uncle Mike speaks with a twinkle in his eye. “He’s taking care of some last-minute arrangements.”

  My forehead wrinkles in confusion. I fully expected Darcy to be here to berate me for crafting a way to see Lilly without his approval. Even Uncle Mike seems suspicious in his happy-go-lucky response to our arrival.

  “Did you get my message?” I ask him.

  “Oh yes, my dear. How did your visit with Lilly go?” he asks, as if it slipped his mind.

  I look to Dylan and his expression of surprise mirrors my own.

  “You’re not upset that we went to see her?” I try to sound casual.

  “I was at first. And you wouldn’t have liked to see Darcy’s fit of anger. But we both realized that you took every precaution that we asked you to. And after calming him down, we recognized that we must trust your judgment. You made it back before nightfall. No harm done.”

  I glance at Rafe and Char. They both give a shrug.

  Uncle Mike interrupts my befuddlement. “Charity, did you get everything?”

  “Yep! All ready for the party.” Char’s voice is high with excitement.

  “Party?” Dylan beats me to the question.

  “We’re celebrating finding our first element,” says Rafe. “And narrowing down the air soul. I’m still working on cross-referencing pilot records with meanings of names in a database, but we’re one step closer, it seems.”

  “Shouldn’t we be concentrating on our mission?” I ask.

  “Our supporters want to meet you all,” Uncle Mike says to us. “I think we’re all in great need of this break tonight.”

  “I know I am!” says Char, wrapping her arms around Rafe.

  “It’s Friday, and with spring break next week, we’re able to set up upstairs.” He turns to me. “Now, Dylan can tell me about Lilly. You best get ready, young lady.”

  I blink in surprise. Ready? The girl in me instantly worries what I might wear. My teeth take my bottom lip hostage.

  “Don’t bite that lip. I’ve got you covered,” Char says with a smile. “C’mon.”

  Later, as Char braids my hair into an attractive knot at my nape, she pins the final piece into place and stands back to look at her creation. Her smile encourages me to turn into the mirror and see for myself.

  As I take in my breath, the sequined golden-yellow cocktail dress twinkles like starlight. The sleev
eless dress hugs my frame perfectly down to my feet in a curtain of shimmering light. I turn to see the open back, and the matching yellow flower Char placed in my hair.

  “It’s great, but I feel so overdressed,” I say, beginning to fidget.

  “It’s beautiful and so are you. It’s a formal party, you won’t be overdressed,” she responds, changing into her own wine-colored gown.

  My green eyes shine in the dancing light of the sequined dress. “Why yellow?” I ask.

  She smiles and says, “You’ll see.”

  Chapter 14

  Char and I walk upstairs into the hall to join the party that has already begun.

  We find Uncle Mike and Rafe talking with a group of elderly gentlemen that look like they’ve escaped from the nearby senior living facility.

  Rafe moves to greet Char. “You look beautiful!” His admiration is evident in his glow when he looks at her.

  Uncle Mike smiles at us both.

  “You ladies look quite lovely,” he bows his head in compliment. He then pulls me aside, “Eleanor, please enjoy yourself tonight. I fear you’ve been so wrapped up with everything lately, I’d like you to have a little fun.” He pats my hand with affection.

  “Thank you, Uncle Mike,” I say distracted. My eyes search the room, which is surprisingly full of people. Do this many people know about the Statera?

  One person is noticeably missing.

  “He’ll be here shortly,” Uncle Mike says with a knowing grin.

  “Oh. I wasn’t–” I start to deny, but Dylan steps in to interrupt.

  “Hey! Talk about a glimmer of light!” he says. “You look great!”

  My eyes cast down with a smile. “Thank you, Dylan. You all look dashing in your tuxedos.”

  “Let me sneak you some champagne,” he whispers, chasing off to the makeshift bar.

  “While I have you here, my dear, may I introduce you to a few colleagues working behind the scenes?” Uncle Mike pulls my attention.

  “Of course,” I say, eyes sweeping the hall.

  “Eleanor, this is Professor Higgins. He’s a language expert here at Harvard. He has aided me greatly in the interpretations of the Statera.”

  I look up to the tall, scarecrow of a man. “Pleasure to meet you, sir,” I smile in greeting.

  “The pleasure is all mine. My word, what a true example of light,” the graying scarecrow says to the top of my head.

  “Am I right in remembering that you were the language expert that identified the name of the tribesman from the Potawatomie?” I ask.

  He lights up himself at the recognition. “Yes, Miss Hutchinson. I have been working with Professor Augustine and recently have been trying to get in touch with some other tribes that are closely connected with the Potawatomie. I’ve reached out to some contacts from the Ottawa and Chippewa tribes, but have yet to hear back. Things have been… difficult since the casino tragedy.”

  I’m excited to hear the progress, but the mention of the Potawatomie disaster weighs on my heart. I still carry quite a bit of confusion and guilt over the massacre. I’ve done my best to distract myself with other tasks, but there’s no full escape from the awful reality of what happened.

  Seeing the pain on my face, Dr. Higgins quickly speaks again. “Don’t despair, sweet girl. This misfortune will not be in vain. Remember, we’re on the side of good.”

  I nod to him in thanks before Uncle Mike lines up another colleague to introduce me to.

  “And this,” Uncle Mike states, “is Professor Besim. He’s been my closest confidant in regards to Darcy and our sanctuary.”

  The dark-skinned man smiles with all his gleaming white teeth, then bows over my hand in greeting. “My greatest pleasure in this world is to behold the power of such beautiful light.” His accent is polished, but I can’t place its origin.

  “A pleasure, Professor. Mr. Augustine lives for the meaning of names. Please, tell me, what does Besim mean?” I ask.

  His smile, if possible, widens. “It means faith, my dear bright one.”

  I instantly warm up to the man, and return his toothy smile.

  “Ah, yes, shining light indeed!” he says, and the men around salute their glasses in a toast. My cheeks burn at the attention, but I feel oddly comfortable among Uncle Mike’s trusted companions.

  Dylan delivers my flute of champagne, and I’m introduced to a parade of elderly scholars and doctors. Without my noticing at first, the music of a string quartet has been added to the sound of the party over the hall’s speakers.

  I take a sip of champagne and circle around, taking in the party. I feel myself relax for perhaps the first time in months. The champagne is probably helping with that. I can feel my smile getting bigger, and my voice getting just a pitch higher.

  In just an instant, my eyes are drawn to the doorway of the hall, and it’s as if time has stopped to allow me this moment of admiration.

  This is not a dream, or a memory – this is my life.

  Darcy is there, in his most regal black tie attire. His long, dark hair has been slicked back, and his chiseled jaw is freshly shaved. The hazel glow of his eyes call to me from across the room. There’s some sort of magic in this dark song.

  I halt in my place, and he bows in my direction. In reaction, I automatically curtsy like I’m living in some fairytale. In this moment, I feel like I could be.

  Our eyes have been locked from the moment he entered the room, and the charge in the air is felt by everyone around us. As he nears, he holds out his hand in invitation and I take it without hesitation. There’s no choice, we belong to each other.

  “Nora, you look radiant. Never have I seen a more perfect shine.” He kisses my hand, Darcy-style.

  “Thank you, Darcy. You look… dangerous,” I say without thinking.

  “Dangerous?” he asks, caught off guard.

  “Oh yes,” I say, breathless. “The too good to be true kind.”

  Alright, that might be the champagne talking.

  He responds with a throaty laugh. “Have you met all of our ancient friends?” he asks.

  I giggle at his question. Apart from Char, Rafe, Dylan, and I, almost everyone in the room qualifies for Medicare. Sadly, Darcy is the oldest of them all.

  I catch a glimpse of Mrs. Spacey wandering aimlessly in the crowd. She makes her way over to the bar to monitor the gathering with a severe scowl on her face.

  After just a moment’s privacy with Darcy, we’re launched back into a conversation with Professor Besim and Uncle Mike.

  “Faith, is a very powerful thing,” Uncle Mike says to Besim, nose red after a few glasses of champagne himself.

  “Yes, indeed,” Besim agrees. “It is the only thing that can connect us with the world that which cannot be seen.”

  “It is also part of the divine trilogy,” says Uncle Mike.

  “Isn’t that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit?” I ask.

  “No, my lady. What you’re speaking of is religious. The true divine trilogy transcends all religion. It consists of Love, Faith, and Hope,” Professor Besim extends his arm in an arc, as if explaining all of life’s questions in this one simple sentence.

  Uncle Mike’s cheeks are getting merrier by the minute. “Isn’t that true in all our lives? But there is something that can top even those three. You could perhaps even say it is made up of all three. It takes true unconditional love, pure uninfluenced faith, and perfect unwavering hope to be able to sacrifice. Great sacrifice can restore any balance.”

  That’s the second time I’ve heard Uncle Mike say something like that. It’s also the second time his statement has given me pause. A slight chill drifts over my arms and I rub them uncomfortably.

  “Alright, my friends,” Darcy says to Uncle Mike. “I think coffee is in order this next round.”

  “Quite right, quite right, we must listen to our elders,” Uncle Mike responds, sheepishly as the rest of the men laugh at his joke.

  Darcy smiles in affection at the elderly gentleman. H
e has seen Michael Augustine age since he was in his early twenties. As I observe the connection between the two men, my heart is filled even more for the cursed man I’ve come to admire.

  Rafe and Char begin a formal dance in the center of the hall. Darcy turns to me after supplying Uncle Mike with a steaming mug of coffee. “Shall we?” he asks, with one raised eyebrow.

  “I don’t really know how…” I start to say, but am whirled into his embrace with the movement of the music.

  “You will remember. Just follow me,” he whispers and his lips touch my ear. Shivers prompt me to look up into his eyes, and I’m trapped in the dance, moving along with his lead.

  “Your sister did well,” Darcy says, smiling as he spins me around the floor.

  “What d’you mean?” I ask, breathlessly.

  “I asked her to find you a yellow gown, the color of sunshine.”

  “You picked this?” I ask. Immediately my mind conjures images of my favorite Disney movie, and the yellow ball gown of my favorite heroine. “Beast,” I say, smiling up at him.

  “My beauty,” he beams back.

  As I turn in his arms, I find the knowledge in our movements. How many times have we danced? How many times have I known this man? How many times have I loved him? I can feel each movement of his body affecting my own. For all the supposed power within me, I wonder if I’m glowing.

  After a time, the party dies down and the older men and women take their leave. Uncle Mike has been safely deposited into the sanctuary to sleep. Rafe and Char sit at the bar holding each other, while Dylan clutches a bottle of rum. We all sit and laugh for a time, but then Darcy excuses the two of us.

  He takes my hand and leads me away from our friends. Curious to know his intentions, I follow him down below into the tunnels under the Harvard campus.

  “Where are we going?” I ask him.

  “This is the reason I was late to the party. I meant for it to be a surprise,” he says, leading me through the dark corridor. We’ve been walking for a few minutes when Darcy says, “This next turn is our stop.”

  Sure enough, our path leads to an opening below some sort of trapdoor. The space below holds the four protective elements on each wall, diligently protecting whatever lies above.