by Lucia Ashta
Kaanra emitted a long and resounding “Noooooo!” as he flung his legs out of bed and ran down the hall. He wanted to find her body to see if there was anything he could do for her, but within his heart, he already realized there wasn’t. When he found her on the ground, illuminated by a waning moon, he wept.
Kaanra cradled her body as the life evaporated from it until finally, he accepted her passing. He understood that the hawk had come so as to transmit her medicine to him before leaving the earth plane. That night, Kaanra performed a ceremony of gratitude and received the gift of hawk wisdom.
In the tradition of his elders, Kaanra had taken the hawk’s tail feathers as a reminder of the hawk medicine that he now carried within him. With some of these feathers, he created a fan for ceremony. It was this fan that he used to bless Asara and Anak. The golden children of the prophecy were bestowed with hawk wisdom that brought with it the ability to see the bigger picture, to see things unfolding as part of a greater plan.
Kaanra methodically fanned the sacred herb smoke around Asara, beginning at her head, moving down the front of her body, and then repeating the same along her back. Next, Kaanra blew the smoke into Asara’s heart center, sealing it with his own breath, his own life force energy. He stood on his toes and Asara bowed her head so that Kaanra could reach her forehead. He kissed her there and said, “May Creator bless you and protect you always. Remember that you are here under the divine protection of prophecy. I love you as if you were the child born from my own seed. Go now with my love and blessing. I will await your return.”
Kaanra repeated the same ritual with Anak, and, as the twins turned to go, they all knew that there was a chance they might never see each other again. With that heaviness threatening to enter their hearts, the twins quickly walked out the door and left behind the man who had been as much a parent to them as their blood parents.
Chapter 59
Lena and Paolo walked to the reception desk of the inn to ask about the phone message that a member of their staff gave Paolo and the note that someone delivered to Lena in Paolo’s absence. The innkeeper told them that neither the phone message nor the note came through the front desk. He was sure of it, he said, as he looked up over the rim of his round glasses. The innkeeper had been on duty during both times, and he’d have been the one to answer the phone and to arrange for the delivery of any note to a guest.
The man who called their room to give Paolo the message about his sister identified himself as part of the inn’s staff, but didn’t give his name. The man sounded middle-aged, with nothing remarkable about his voice. The innkeeper told them that he, his wife, and their two unmarried daughters were the only staff. The unknown caller wasn’t associated with the inn.
Lena showed the innkeeper the envelope the note was delivered in, with its logo suggesting it came from the Linden Harris Detective Agency. He said he’d never heard of the agency before, but looked up its contact information on the computer. The agency was based in Phoenix. The man slid them a piece of paper with a phone number and address on it, but everyone there was sure it’d be another dead end.
Paolo asked him if any of the staff might have witnessed anything, perhaps a security camera captured the person delivering the note. At the mention of security cameras, the innkeeper became alarmed. “Would you like me to call the police, sir?”
Paolo assured him that was unnecessary, and the innkeeper visibly relaxed. Besides, there were only security cameras in the lobby and the front parking lot. This was the same view the innkeeper had, and he was certain nothing unusual had happened over the last few days. There would be no point in reviewing any of the footage.
Paolo and Lena walked away from the lobby with the innkeeper’s assurance that he would ask the staff if anyone had noticed anything unusual around their room. Thanking him, Lena and Paolo left feeling as if they hadn’t accomplished much. Lena exited in a huff. She put her hands on her hips and looked up and down the street in front of the lobby. “Now what?”
Paolo shrugged and smiled. “Dinner?”
Chapter 60
Lena and Paolo popped back into the lobby to ask for a restaurant recommendation. They settled on a high-end Mexican restaurant because of its ‘spectacular views of the mountains’ and now sat on its rooftop deck watching the glowing sun set over the red rocks, painting the sky a wild array of colors. They were in a corner behind a potted tree, shielded from the eyes of the other patrons. Lena was grateful for the privacy.
She looked around, her eyes out of focus, and took in the magic of the world, seeing with newborn eyes. Everywhere around her colors flickered; she was in an enchanted world. This time, she didn’t question if she was going crazy. If this was crazy, she embraced it. It was phenomenal!
She looked around in awe as Paolo patiently waited. She’d eaten hallucinogenic mushrooms once while in college, and this seemed remarkably similar to that experience. Her reality was different. It was as if she’d stepped into another dimension.
She turned her unfocused eyes to Paolo. “I don’t understand what’s happening to me.”
“What do you mean? Are you okay?”
Lena found that she couldn’t answer him. She was in awe at the fantastical world she’d lived in all this time without realizing it.
“Amore, are you okay?” This time he was more insistent.
“Yes, I’m okay. I’m more than okay, I think. I’m seeing all sorts of dazzling colors and lights. It’s so brilliant. I never knew the world could be so beautiful.”
Lena continued to look around her, delighted with everything she saw.
“Come. Let’s go.” Paolo took her arm and led her toward the restaurant’s entrance. He stopped briefly to explain to the hostess that they had to leave.
Lena didn’t question their hasty departure. Paolo wanted her to be able to have her experience without interruption or distraction. He wanted her to be able to grow and expand into the delight of the world as she was seeing it. He was right, a restaurant wasn’t the place for her altered state.
Lena was silent as they walked to the parking lot. She allowed Paolo to protectively usher her into the car, buckle her seatbelt, and close the door. The imagery continued to wow her as he drove. Even in the darkness of the night, there was color—bright, brilliant color everywhere. Color fluttered though Lena couldn’t make out many specific, distinct shapes.
Little by little, the self-doubt that had plagued Lena released its hold on her. Paolo’s support was invaluable. He was a believer and, because people who accepted the world as a mundane place had surrounded Lena for so long, he was the breath of fresh air that’d give her new life.
Paolo drove while Lena marveled. He put his hand on her leg, and Lena could see a surge of love pass through it, a vibrant green and pink swirled together and glowed around his hand.
Lena didn’t ask where he was taking her. She would’ve allowed him to take her anywhere without question, so deep was her trust in him now. As it turned out, he took her to the moon. He parked at the base of Cathedral Rock where the almost-full moon lit up the mountain. Paolo guided her on unsteady feet up the mountain path.
Lena was so absorbed by the world of spirit that it was a challenge for her to orchestrate the basic functioning of her body, even walking was difficult. She stumbled and almost fell several times. It was as if Paolo were leading a drunkard up the mountain.
Though the walk wasn’t long, it took them time to navigate the trail in her state. Finally, Paolo guided Lena to a ledge where she lay down on the rock face of the mountain. She felt supported by the earth that still held the warmth from the day’s sun. Paolo, her champion, lowered himself on the rock beside her, covered her with his light coat, and lay close to share his body heat. In the desert, it chilled considerably in the nighttime.
Lena nestled closer and kept her eyes open, taking in the fluttering change of colors. She felt her heart’s warmth and looked down toward her chest. She gasped as she witnessed the faint glow of her heart
.
The moon looked so much larger from their high perch than it had from the parking lot, even though Lena knew there was no logical reason for the discrepancy in size. She felt that she could almost touch the moon if she reached out to it. Lena turned to look at Paolo. Under the glowing orb of the silver moon, she could see color all around him. It flew in sparks from him as a circuitry of color ran through his body.
Safe against her beloved and supported by the earth, Lena gave herself over to the sensations that had been waiting to overpower her. She gave into them, and the breath left her body in a sudden rush, so powerful was the experience that claimed her then. This had been inside of her all of her life, waiting, just waiting for her to be ready. She’d said yes to life’s mystery, and now it had come.
Before Lena knew what was happening, her eyes closed, and the visions that waited at the edge of her consciousness settled over her. This time, something different happened. Paolo went with her on her visionary journey. He was right there with her all the way, seeing the times of Arnaka through the amber eyes of a lion.
Chapter 61
Asara and Anak walked in silence as they left the grounds of the Temple of Laresu’u Kal and the river shore where they’d spent so much of their young lives. Each was in a state of stupor at the sudden turn of events. They walked inland, skirting the desert, looking for the narrowest strait between their island and the foreign land where they would cross the water.
The twins put one foot in front of the other numbly. They stopped only to enter each pyramid they passed, reluctant to abandon their duty of light emission. It was important to lift the people’s spirits. Now they had no choice but to postpone that duty until their return, but they’d fill the area with as much light as possible before leaving it. The golden light that each pyramid emitted swirled and pulsed through the night as the twins of the prophecy left Laresu’u Kal behind.
It was together that Asara and Anak embarked on the journey that marked a new stage in their lives. They had never before crossed the borders of Arnaka, leaving the sweet waters of their river that merged into the sea. They’d never left the soft grains of their sands or the breezy shade of their palm trees.
But on that night, they steeled themselves to cross the threshold into the complete unknown. Anak reached out, grabbed Asara’s hand, and squeezed it. Then, under the cloak of night, they stepped into a small boat they found at the shore. It was barely big enough to accommodate the two of them and their satchels.
The little boat rocked as they grew accustomed to rowing in unison. But before long, their rowing improved and the boat glided along seamlessly, allowing the twins to enjoy the soothing repetitive motion. They had distance to cover and were soon in a meditative trance. Time passed quickly.
As they rowed, they shifted into a space of complete trust in Creator’s plan. They were stepping into their destined roles as light warriors. There could be nothing more powerful within human life than alignment with Creator.
Though imbalance could exist between the light and the dark, just as it did in these times, light held power over darkness—always. That power tipped the scales as light inevitably broke through the dark. Sometimes slowly, but more often, light broke the darkness by shattering it to pieces.
With their connection to Creator as strong as ever, Asara and Anak sat in the little boat, rowing in rhythm.
They trusted in the path that was opening up before them.
Their journey had begun.
Chapter 62
Lena left the world of Arnaka and returned to attend to her body. The cold of the earth had chilled her, and she lay trembling beneath Paolo’s thin spring coat. Lena turned and looked at Paolo groggily. He lay next to her with goose bumps covering his bare arms. He’d given her the coat he needed. He looked so beautiful to Lena in this life, just as he had in the last. His light hair tumbled across his forehead in contrast to dark lashes; his nose and cheeks were pink from the cold of the dry night.
A breeze whistled across the mountain ledge, and Paolo stirred. He reached out to her, pulling her into him once more. Lena didn’t resist him, but relaxed into the safety of his embrace.
Paolo opened his eyes and looked into hers. “Hello, amore. It’s nice to see you in this body once again. You look very much like you used to.” His face spread into a warm smile. “You have those same eyes that I’ve loved so very much before, and now I can love them again.” He kissed her on the nose. “Did you see what I saw? Did you see what we can do?”
Lena nodded. She was finally seeing the truth.
“You know,” Paolo said, “if we’re being shown this wisdom now it’s likely that we can do the same things in this lifetime too.”
“Yes, I feel that. I’ve begun to sense how powerful we are, God’s perfect children. Maybe we’re being shown all of this to remind us of what we’re here to do now.
Paolo looked at her resolutely. Lena saw he was a powerful man.
“Yes, amore, finally we’ve come together to create the reality that will change the world. We’ve come together to do our part.”
Lena knew with every fiber of her being that what Paolo said was true. Within her, she heard reverberate: The time is now. The war between light and dark is ongoing. The time is now.
This message intimidated her, just as it had the first time. She still didn’t know what she could possibly contribute in such a war. Then, she heard it. You are a light warrior. You are here to show that love and light are more powerful than any other weapon before the threat of darkness. Light will always prevail. You will show the world that.
Lena felt the weight of the task requested of her. It concerned her that she was expected to do great things. But if this was being asked of her, then she must trust that she’d be given the ability to do it. It was then that she agreed to do whatever it was that she’d come to earth to do. She’d never doubt again.
She sat up on her perch on the mountain, feeling so close to the iridescent moon, and tilted her head toward the heavens. She outstretched her hands and talked with God. I accept my responsibilities here on earth. Help me to accomplish what I’ve come here to do. From that moment on, she’d always know the meaning of her life.
When Lena was finished, she lay back down on the red earth next to Paolo. The surge of energy that rushed through her warmed her. She curled her leg around Paolo and closed her eyes once more. You are God’s angel. You can do anything. She smiled in gratitude at the voice that encouraged her on her path.
Chapter 63
Lena had no idea then that her life was about to change in a very real way. She was still dazed from her out-of-body mountain experience, and she kept her eyes closed. She never saw it coming. Paolo would later tell her he didn’t notice anything unusual until seconds before impact, too late to do anything about it. He couldn’t have avoided the accident. Their car was an intentional target.
He was driving the empty streets of Sedona, where it was quiet after dark, catching occasional glimpses of coyotes and javelinas at the periphery of his headlights. He drove down Highway 179, circling through the multiple roundabouts. He didn’t think anything of the car that appeared from a side road and entered after him. He swung through the roundabout where another car waited, idling, at one of the streets that fed into it.
Still, Paolo suspected nothing.
Then, panic seized him.
In an instant, he realized what was happening. The car that had been idling entered the roundabout against the current of traffic and headed directly toward them, accelerating in the short space between them.
The car was an oversized four-wheel drive vehicle. The small sports car was no match for it. Paolo had only a second to register that the car behind them, also accelerating and closing in, was the same kind of vehicle.
It was then that Paolo realized that he and Lena were under attack. As bizarre as it seemed that someone was trying to hurt them, Paolo knew it was true. In the last second of breath before impact, he yelled out, �
�Archangel Michael, protect us!”
Lena’s eyes snapped open at the urgency in Paolo’s voice. She threw her arms up to shield her face while Paolo jerked the car to the right in an attempt to protect her from the brunt of the crash while exposing himself to the worst. It was an ultimate act of self-sacrifice.
However, it didn’t work. As chance would have it, Lena would receive the more grievous injuries in the accident.
The massive four-wheel drive vehicles converged on the sports car and flattened it like an accordion.
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ABOUT SPIRIT OF THE SPELL, a Witching World story:
Some things are worth dying for. Others are worth living for again.
