by R G Peterson
The Minoan Legacy
The Minoan Legacy
By
R.G. Peterson
The Minoan Legacy
On their sixteenth birthday, twins, Nick Jensen and Terry Warrington, each receive one last gift from their dead mother. Sixteen years earlier on the night she was murdered, she had two items in her possession, a bracelet engraved with twenty-three random, unevenly spaced Minoan letters and a ring with five symbols representing the elements of Water, Wind, Fire, Earth and Aether, the one Element impervious to all others.
Terry, who possesses all four Elements, appears to be the One spoken of in the 8th Mayan Prophecy. Due to Nick’s influence, however, he rejects Alastor Thanatos’ offer to serve as his mentor. But does his choice have repercussions, not only for his brother, but for the rest of the clan as well?
Nick has lost all of his powers and is helpless to do anything when Terry’s old posse is sent to attack him. He ends up badly burned and near death. In order to save him, the Clan returns to Greece to enlist the aid of Ligeia, Thanatos’ Minoan translator. When they are caught, they lose the precious time they need to save Nick. Only after Terry consents to allow Thanatos to mentor him are they allowed to leave. But is it too late?
As the teens solve the mystery of the bracelet and ring, strange events begin to occur. Clues left by the twins’ mother lead them back to the sacred Mayan temple at Cholula near Puebla, Mexico. There they find still more cryptic messages that they will need to unravel before their final show down with the person who possesses Aether.
Thanatos and the Inner Sanctum are determined to break the influence the Clan has on Terry, even if it means eliminating them. But unbeknownst to the World Council leader, Terry has kept secrets from him, as well as, from members of the Clan. The key questions are on which side will Terry choose to fight, and which person close to the twins will commit the ultimate betrayal predicted in the final Mayan prophecy?
For Sloan
GNM Books
Copyright© 2015 by R G Peterson
Smashwords Edition
The Minoan Legacy is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual event, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved
Cover Illustration by James A. Peterson
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R. G. Peterson
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Also by R. G. Peterson
(The 8th Mayan Prophecy series)
Wind Walkers
Fire Keepers
The Minoan Legacy
Short Stories Available as E-Books:
Dreamcatcher
AJ
The Tepal
Other Novels:
Hoop Dweebs
Contact: [email protected]
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The 8th Mayan Prophecy
December 21, 2012 marked the end of the Mayan Calendar – some believed it marked the end of the World. However, Nick Jensen, a nerdy and adventurous teenager learns there’s more to an ancient Mayan Prophecy that has yet to be uncovered. the remarkable story behind the ancient Mayan prophecies before it’s too late?
On his thirteenth birthday, Nick Jensen finds his world has changed. He is inexplicably able to see into the near future and when the new girl, from down the street, life is threatened, he discovers he can change his form when he attempts to rescue her.
Nick and the girl, Grace Walker, bond over a shared interest in her Mayan heritage. Spurred by Nick’s ability to translate one of Grace’s Mayan tablets, Nick, Grace and Nick’s best friend, AJ, embark on a quest to uncover the reasons behind his mysterious gifts. Their journey takes them to the ancient Mayan World and the Sacred World Tree -- the gateway that leads them to Minoan Crete and the First Civilization.
They discover there are eight Mayan prophecies, seven of which have come to pass. The teenagers learn they must decipher the 8th before it leads to their death. The World Council—and its ruthless leader, the Tepal, believe they alone have unlocked the secret of the new prophecy, and send their henchman to shadow Nick to determine if the teen is the one spoken of in The 8th Mayan Prophecy. Or does it speak of another?
Wind Walkers
As the 8th Mayan Prophecy unfolds, Nick Jensen and his best friends, Grace Walker and AJ Janikowski, are asked to find a potion to control Nick’s twin brother Terry’s bipolar disorder. But when they succeed, will it come with a price?
Alerted to their accomplishment, Tristan Warrington, the Tepal, coerces them to take on a second, much more dangerous mission – one that has led to dire consequences over thousands of years for anyone who has sought what Warrington desires.
An unexpected ally – Alastor Thanatos, the head of the World Council and Warrington’s sworn enemy – comes to their aid. Nick, Grace and AJ suddenly find themselves caught in the middle of an international power struggle as Warrington and Thanatos try to determine who is “The One” spoken of in the ancient Mayan prophecy.
With encouragement from Thanatos and a seer named Blind Sal, Grace embarks on her own quest to uncover her family’s long lost, mysterious legacy. Her pursuit leads her back to the last days of the ancient Mayan civilization where she learns much more than she ever cared to know.
As they unravel the clues and events converge in their most dangerous mission to date, will what they find lead them to the same unfortunate end as those who traveled this road before them?
Fire Keepers
In the third book of in The 8th Mayan Prophecy series, brothers Nick Jensen and Terry Warrington – twins separated at birth – find themselves clashing with one another in an embittered rivalry. As their teenage pranks escalate they turn potentially deadly, much to the delight of Alastor Thanatos, the diabolical leader of the World Council and the man who set the twins conflict in motion. But did he go too far?
As the countdown to the revelation of the one spoken of in the prophecy approaches, Nick and his friends – Grace, AJ, Maddy and Anthony, embark on another quest. This time they are searching for the long lost Templar treasure buried somewhere in North America by Templar Knight and explorer Sir Henry Sinclair and his men in 1398 – a treasure that is said to be the source of the Templar’s rise to unrestrained power and enormous wealth.
When Terry eventually joins their group the teenagers have to determine if he is there to help or is he in it for personal gain? Their search takes them from Minnesota to the east coast of America and on to Scotland as they follow clues left by Sinclair that were passed down by his relatives for centuries, including the cryptic message: It is buried in new ground, not found, on an island, not an island, in a place where things grow but shouldn’t.
But they soon find that someone else has been searching for the Templar treasure for decades – Alastor Thanatos. A treasure he is so desperate to obtain he’s willing to kill anyone who gets in his way. As they race against time – and each other – the teenagers and Thanatos’ goons cross paths and face off in a fatal encounter. Can the teenagers unravel Sinclair’s message and find where the treasure is buried and retrieve it before Thanatos does? And if they find it, what dark, powerful secrets might it hold? And who will be the person spoken of in the 8th Mayan Prophecy?
The Minoan Legacy
By
R.G. Peterson
Prologue
The smoke and dust clouded Nick’s vision. Twice he caught himself before he went down as he stumbled on the rubble and debris scattered around the great hall in his frantic search for Grace.
A metallic sound caught his attention
. It echoed off the walls and debris masking its origin. Could that be her? He spun in an attempt to find the source and caught his foot on a piece of clothing. He staggered but then righted himself. He looked down and saw the scorched and bloody face of Police Chief Bourbon staring up at him, her eyes vacant and unblinking. Next to her lay the lifeless body of Calvin Robinson, Anthony’s father, his open mouth twisted in agony as if capturing his long, last scream.
As Nick moved forward the smoke and dust began to settle allowing him to survey the battlefield. Bodies of friend and foe alike were scattered everywhere. He spied members of the Inner Sanctum and the minions of Alastor Thanatos, as well. His eyes found Ligeia, Thanatos’ trusted translator of the Minoan script, and lingered. Ligeia’s face appeared tranquil and serene as if she knew she had died for a worthy cause.
He came to an abrupt stop and drew in a sharp breath. Lying before him were AJ and Maddy locked in a last embrace, her head resting on AJ’s still chest. Tears rolled down Nick’s cheeks as he gazed lovingly on his best friend. His mind flashed back to how their friendship had started out as one of necessity, but had grown so strong it had become unbreakable.
No longer able to handle the sight or the pain, Nick spun away and saw Grace’s good friend Anthony lying face down. His right arm stretched out as if reaching for an unseen prize. His eyes revealed the despair he must have felt in those final moments failing to achieve his goal.
His goal. The thought made Nick even more determined to find Grace. He picked up his pace and came upon Grandpa Red slumped against a wall, his head lolled to one side, as if he had fallen asleep watching late-night TV. Next to him was Terry’s chauffer, Thomas Wade. Parts of his exposed body had burst open as if his blood had boiled and erupted through his skin, like miniature volcanoes. A few yards farther on, Nick came across Terry’s old posse cowered in a corner of the hall, fear etched on their faces, as if they had anticipated what was about to happen, yet knowing they were powerless to do anything to stop it.
He stumbled on in a daze. The realization of what had happened weighed heavily on him. After all, wasn’t it his plan to confront Thanatos? Hadn’t he talked his friends into this?
The guilt made it nearly impossible for him to lift his feet. He slid forward, certain what he would find next – a sight he had foreseen and dreaded most. There, before him, at the foot of the staircase, lay Grandpa Henry and Grandma Gayle. He took in the all too familiar sight of Grandpa Henry holding GG in his arms, attempting to protect her from danger. That time, however, his efforts failed. Nick dropped to his knees, buried his head in his hands and began to cry.
He took hold of GG’s hand and whispered, “I love you, GG. I’ll always remember.”
He gazed at his grandfather with fondness and recalled how he had always been stern with Nick, knowing behind the sternness, Grandpa Henry’s lone concern was that Nick grow up to be a good and honorable man.
“I’ll never forget those lessons, Grandpa,” Nick whispered.
He lost track of time.
A cold, unnerving voice, one he had come to dread over the last three years, interrupted his grief. Filled with rage and fury, Nick slowly raised his eyes only to behold a sight that sent a greater shock through him than anything else that had happened that night. His insides constricted and all the breath left him, along with every last bit of hope.
Standing before him were Terry and Grace. Their arms wrapped around one another. Their triumphant smirks broke Nick’s heart.
“Why?” the only thing he could think of to say.
From behind the two of them came Thanatos’ voice. “I told you it was futile. You and your friends should have joined me and none of this would have happened. Now look what you have wrought. And to what end? You have lost everything – your family, your friends and now your one true love.
“You would not accept the obvious. Terry has always been the One Spoken of in the Prophecy. Being the first born, he was destined for this moment. You and your foolish ideals never stood a chance of succeeding. In the end, only those who are willing to completely grasp the situation and do whatever is necessary ever triumph in life. You were always too weak. Too idealistic. Too noble. So now you have paid the ultimate price.”
Thanatos pointed at the ground and Nick’s grandparents. “You have lost everyone dear to you and what have you gained? Absolutely nothing.”
Nick stared at Henry and Gayle a long moment before he raised his head and answered Thanatos. “You had better kill me now, because as long as I live I will find a way to fight you and your plan every at every turn.”
“So be it.” Thanatos raised his hands toward the ceiling and pulled his arms down, causing the concrete to crack and break, sending it cascading toward Nick.
GG sat up in bed. Her pajamas and sheets soaked with sweat, her hair matted flat against her head. Perspiration dripped down her nose and off her face. Her heart felt like it might explode through her chest and she gasped for air as if she had been underwater the entire dream.
“It’s just a dream. It’s just a dream,” she repeated over and over again. But no matter how often she said it, she couldn’t convince herself.
She glanced at Henry sound asleep and was overcome with a sense of dread. She suspected everything in their world was about to come to an end.
Chapter 1
“She had them with her on the night that you were born”
As she pulled apart the dining room table to add a couple more leafs to make room for the twelve people invited for Nick and Terry’s sixteenth birthday party, Grandma Gayle Ericson reflected on her dream from the night before. Despite telling herself over and over that it was just a dream, she couldn’t shake the feeling that it foreshadowed some ominous outcome of the events of the last sixteen years.
Her growing fear and apprehension was set aside when Grandpa Henry walked through the backdoor and apologized, “Sorry, I’m late, but we ran into a snag down at the factory.”
Seeing Gayle struggle with the table, he hurried over and grabbed the leafs from her. “Here, let me do that. Why isn’t Nick helping you with this?”
“He’s upstairs cleaning his room.”
“Ha. There’s no way he gets it cleaned up in time. Maybe by New Year’s Eve, but not by tonight.”
Gayle reached over and patted Henry’s arm, “Well at least I didn’t have to tell him this time. Small steps, Henry, small steps.”
The doorbell rang, but before Gayle could answer it AJ stepped into the room.
“Hi, GG. Hi, Grandpa H. Am I late?”
“No dear, you’re actually a half hour early.”
AJ ignored GG’s reprimand and reached for some of the potato chips. He grabbed a large paper plate, threw some onion and chive dip on the plate and stuffed a half dozen chips into his mouth.
“Where’s Nick?” he asked spraying bits of food from his mouth as he spoke. “Sorry,” he said as his hand flew up to cover his mouth.
Grandma Gayle flinched to avoid the spray and pointed upstairs.
“Thanks,” AJ said, his hand still covering his mouth.
He took the stairs two at a time, threw open Nick’s door and froze. “Whoa, whose room is this? You actually have a floor and a desk and a chair.”
“Funny. Now don’t go messing anything up,” Nick said, as AJ headed for Nick’s freshly made bed, jumped in the air and sat down hard, bouncing on the bed.
“So who’s all coming?”
“Well, you of course and Maddy. By the way where is she?”
“She’s at school. The school choral group is having its final practice for tomorrow’s All School Holiday Concert. And then they have the concert tomorrow for the parents.”
“That’s right, I forgot. Last day before our holiday break. Anyway, Grace and her parents are coming. Terry and Grandpa Red. Then there’s…”
“Grandpa Red’ll be here?”
“Yeah, I know they’re not on the best of terms, but at least the three of them are talking...kind
a.”
At one time, GG, Grandpa Henry and Grandpa Red were best of friends. That was until eighteen years ago, when Nick and Terry’s mother, Val, had left home, married Red’s son, Andy, and moved in with them. A year later Andy was stabbed to death when he confronted a man named Slate, who had been sent to keep close tabs on Val, the suspected mother of the twins spoken of in an ancient Mayan prophecy. A few months later, on the night of December 22, 1999, Slate attacked Val in her apartment. When she managed to escape from him and scampered from her apartment, he chased after her and ran her down with his car. She died later that night, minutes after giving birth to twins, Terry, at 11:29 p.m. and Nick a half hour later.
“How about Anthony and Miriam?”
“Yeah, they’ll be here, too.”
Anthony and Miriam were part of the Clan the seven of them had formed to better ward off the unwelcome attentions of Alastor Thanatos, the diabolical leader of the World Council. The “Clan” – the term Maddy Caldwell had coined for their small group – had several run-ins with Thanatos and his henchmen over the last year while searching for a long lost Templar treasure.
“So eleven of us?”
“Twelve.”
