“Both Wolf and Sequoia were gone when I got home. I saw their trucks parked at the house, but I figured they went into the woods on foot. It isn’t unusual. The fact that they didn’t leave me a note is out of the ordinary.”
Dylan pulls out his cellphone. “I’ll try Sequoia’s phone. You go on down and get ready to spar with Pax, and I’ll be right there.”
“If you don’t mind, I’ll wait and see if you connect with her.”
Dylan nods and dials. He waits, hangs up and dials again. When he begins to speak I turn to leave. She must have answered and all is well. I stop when I hear Dylan say, “Call me when you get this message.”
“Wait here,” he says and heads downstairs. I wait for what seems like an hour but might have been only a few minutes until he returns. “They’re changing. We’re going back to your place.”
Pax and the girls crowd into the hall with me and I notice anxiety in Sky’s face for a moment. Then she composes herself and I feel a wave of peace. This time it doesn’t help.
The girls pile into Pax’s SUV while Dylan climbs into my truck and we go back to the cabin. It looks deserted, like the life has gone out of it. I remind myself they were here just this morning. Nobody has deserted anything. I hadn’t left a light on when I left earlier, and that’s why it looks so eerie. Sequoia always leaves the porch light burning and a lamp on in the living room until we’re all at home, even if I come home after they’ve gone to bed.
Dylan goes in first and turns on the porch and hall lights. We go from room to room to see if anything is out of place, but Dylan tells us to be sure we don’t touch anything. Pax walks over to a coat-rack where Wolf and Sequoia’s jackets hang and sniffs it.
“I’ll track them, Storm.” He walks out to the porch and scents the air. “They were out here no more than four or five hours ago.” We follow him into the yard, where he stops and turns in circles.
“Why’d you stop?” Sky asks.
“This is where the trail ends,” he says. “Right here, like they just disappeared.”
Jewel looks at the sky. “The Sentinels are up there. Do you think one of them took them?”
“Either the Allarans or the Dracans,” Dylan says. “At this point, I’m not sure which is worse.”
He calls Sheriff Green, who shows up a half hour later with two of his deputies. I’m grateful they didn’t use sirens and flashing lights. My aching soul wants dark and quiet. Has Sky’s gift rubbed off on me? I understand now what she meant when she said she didn’t feel Pax and me. I don’t feel the constant, calming presence of my aunt and uncle, and the emptiness is desolate.
Dylan invites me to spend the night at their house, and I’m happy to have the company. I grab my phone and charger in case they return and call me. If the Allarans have my folks, they could drop them off at any time, like they did with Mom. I pray to the God I’m not on speaking terms with that they aren’t with the Dracans. If they are, I may never see them again.
The twins and I watch the news after their parents go to their room. None of it is good, but it keeps my mind occupied.
*****
Breaking News: “An unseasonal snowstorm swept in from the Great Lakes and dumped twelve inches of snow as far south as Philadelphia this morning. The governor of Pennsylvania has called for a state of emergency and asks folks to stay indoors and off the roads.”
“In other news, another rift in the earth opened up in Abilene, Texas, tearing through a crowded parking lot and breaking across two main roads. At least fifty parked cars fell into the hole, but, thankfully, no injuries were reported. Local businesses have been evacuated.”
“Tonight, winter weather and wind alerts stretch all the way from California to Indiana. Damaging winds and tornadoes are expected all along the front.” – Kyle Johnson reporting for Cherokee Nation News.”
*****
“It’s getting worse,” Pax observes. “A day doesn’t go by without terrible storms, earthquakes, tornadoes, or hurricanes. How long do you think it’ll be before the Watchers call us to fix that artifact?”
“What are they waiting for?” Sky wonders aloud. “And where are Wolf and Sequoia?”
The guest bedroom has its own bathroom. Sky’s question echoes endlessly in my brain as I shower and brush my teeth. It doesn’t take me long to fall asleep on the comfortable bed, but the last thought I recall is ‘Where are they?’
TWENTY-NINE
I’m up before dawn and hurry to get dressed. The cellphone is fully charged on the nightstand, so I disconnect it from the charger and put it in my pocket. It feels odd to carry it, but what if Wolf or Sequoia calls? I can’t risk missing it.
Coral Fletcher is already in the kitchen preparing breakfast. “Good morning, Storm. I thought you’d want to get home early and check on your folks, but you’re not leaving without eating.” She sets a plate of scrambled eggs and sausage on the counter, pours coffee, and sits across from me. Her eyes are nearly as blue as her daughter’s and shine with a kindness that wells up from a loving heart.
I hesitate to ask, but her face invites candor. “Coral, what do you remember from your abduction?”
She isn’t surprised by the question. “I don’t recall much, Storm. They did a pretty good job of wiping our memories, but flashes do come back to me now and then.” She sips her coffee and the expression in her eyes grows distant.
“There were two of them in the room where I lay on what felt like an operating table. Tall, shiny silver skin, white hair, big eyes; they didn’t speak. A lamp over the table shone a bright light on me but didn’t hurt my eyes. I thought that was odd. Isn’t it irrational that nothing else felt strange to me? I don’t recall feeling any pain or fear.
“When we woke up at our camp, we didn’t know I’d been taken. Our guide Anik remembered everything, but didn’t share that information with us until much later. Other than his being abnormally quiet, there was no indication that anything unusual had happened. I felt a little sick and dizzy, but attributed it to the pregnancy, which I found out about at the doctor’s later that day.”
“Thanks, Coral. I just hope the Allarans took my folks rather than the reptilian creatures that killed my parents.”
“I’m so sorry, Storm. This must be terrible for you. Please stay with us until they’re found.”
I appreciate her offer and will probably take her up on it, but for now, I have to get back to the cabin in case they’ve returned. I quickly finish my breakfast and treat her to my dish-clearing skills. She gives me a quick hug and sends me on my way.
The sun is rising over the mountains as I drive the winding road to the cabin. Morning mist covers the valley like a soft blue blanket, leaving mountaintops gleaming in the orange rays of the sun. When the Cherokee arrived in the area over a thousand years ago, they called the mountains the ‘Land of the Blue Smoke,’ and that’s exactly what the morning fog looks like. It swirls and rises as the day heats up.
We’d left the porch light on last night. I go inside and turn it off. There’s no life in the house. I collect a few clothes in a duffle bag and throw it in the truck for tomorrow. If Wolf and Sequoia don’t return today, I’ll stay at the Fletchers’ again. Meanwhile, I plan to skip school and find some answers.
This time I take the road to the stomping grounds and park the truck outside of the gathering place. The equipment we used yesterday is still in the back, and I take one of the miner’s caps and webbed belts with flashlight, extra batteries, canteen and rope. I strap on my hunting knife and head to the cave. I have no plan other than to contact the Watchers somehow and ask what, if anything, they know of my family’s disappearance. Maybe they can help.
My cellphone ring startles me. When I answer, Sky is hysterical on the other line.
“Why did you run off?” she yells. “You should have woken us up!”
Pax must have grabbed the phone from her. His voice is much calmer. “Where are you, Storm?”
I left without waking them because I didn’t w
ant them to feel obligated to come with me. I’m used to doing everything on my own, but frankly, it’s good to hear from them. I don’t relish going into the cave alone. I tell him where I am and assure him I’ll wait until they get here. After we hang up, it dawns on me that they’ll be skipping school too.
It’s no surprise to see Jewel with them when they drive up in Pax’s car. I had a feeling Sky would contact her as soon as she found me. Sky and Pax get out and come to the truck. Jewel drags a heavy-looking backpack out of the backseat.
“What do you have in there,” I ask her. “Rocks?”
“I brought water and snacks, Storm, or maybe you didn’t plan to eat or drink anything during your spelunking adventure?” She sounds annoyed, and I don’t blame her. It’s still early in the morning.
Pax and I decide the girls should each have a miner’s cap, and he would carry an extra flashlight. I grab my backpack, empty the schoolbooks out of it, and we divide the load from Jewel’s between us. I take the lead along the trail to the cave entrance.
“How do you propose we contact the Watchers?” Jewel snaps, clearly not in a good mood.
“You’ve had practice communicating telepathically with your parents,” Sky says, and then she makes a choking sound. “Oh, sorry, Jewel. I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”
Pax and I stop in our tracks. “What are you talking about?” he asks. “Is that an ability we don’t know about?”
She glares at Sky and then turns to us. “I didn’t want to tell you until I knew for sure that Dad can do it.”
“Do what?” I’m confused. What does her dad have to do with her ability to communicate mentally? She taps on her wristband and turns away from us. She’s silent for a few long minutes.
Pax looks at me, shrugs and asks “What are you doing, Jewel?”
“I just talked with Dad, if you must know. He’s making progress and thinks the bands will be ready to test in a couple of days.” Now she’s lost me. Bands? Then she presses on the face of her fitness monitor and I get it. That’s how they connect, through wristbands.
“What, exactly, is he developing?” Pax hasn’t figured it out yet.
“These,” she says, holding up her wrist and pointing to the fitness monitor. “He’s developing one for each of us so we can link to each other telepathically. We’ll also be able to connect with our parents, and with your aunt and uncle, Storm.”
“Do you mean we’ll be able to read each other’s minds?” I ask, hoping it isn’t so. She explains how they work and it seems like a great idea, as long as we can maintain our privacy.
“It’s too bad we don’t already have them,” the thought saddens me. “We’d know if Wolf and Sequoia are safe.”
Jewel smacks Sky on the shoulder. “I wish you hadn’t said anything.”
“Me, too,” Sky says. “Sorry. I wish I could take it back.”
We start walking again and I ask, “Do you think your telepathic conversations with your parents will help you call the Watchers?”
“Maybe,” she answers. “I can at least try.”
When we get to the clearing in front of the entrance, Pax gingerly walks toward it with his hand out. I remember how we bounced off an invisible wall the last time the Watchers retreated into the cave. He assures us the barrier is no longer there. I take the lead again and we turn our headlamps and flashlights on and go in one at a time. Once inside, we gather in the large chamber where the others gawk at the massive stalactites and stalagmites decorating the cavern.
“We’re going to the crystal grotto,” I tell them. “We’ll have to go single file and you’ll need to walk carefully. It twists and dips in places, but the passage isn’t long. Once we’re in the larger cavern, Jewel, you try to link with the Watchers.”
She nods and I look for the broken stalagmite. The entrance is there in the ground and I drop in. I float Sky down behind me and feel her pleasure at the sensation of flying for a brief moment. I want to take her outside and let her soar over the treetops, but for now, I have to concentrate on getting Jewel and then Pax safely to the underground passage.
The last time I came this way, I stopped at the entrance to the cavern and turned back. This time, we carefully make our way to the center of the grotto.
“It’s magical,” breathes Sky. Waves of wonder come off her and make my heart speed up. I feel the magic, but it’s hers, not the grotto’s. I have a strong urge to gather her in my arms and kiss her. Pax breaks the spell.
“Impressive,” he says. “Was this a quartz mine at one time?” He goes to a wall and examines it. “May I borrow your knife, Storm?” he asks and reaches toward me.
That’s when the buzzing in my head starts and I hear, Star Child, do not remove any part of this cavern. Pax and I freeze with my knife suspended between us. I call it back to its sheath.
“I guess I didn’t need telepathy after all,” Jewel whispers.
Three small figures seem to float through an opening at the far side of the cavern. It becomes clear that they know what we’re here for when one of them says, Sequoia and her mate have been taken by the Dracans.
My heart drops and I have a sick feeling in my stomach. Have I lost them, too? “Where?” I manage to choke out.
They have them in one of their underground bases, far from here.
I can’t speak, so Pax asks, “Why did they take them? What do they want?”
We believe they want to draw the four of you away from the artifact.
Pax points out, “They’re digging for the artifact right now. If the three of you are here, who is protecting it?”
My head throbs. Pax and Jewel are rubbing their temples and Sky has her hands pressed to the top of her skull. Their mind-speak is getting to all of us. Does Jewel experience this buzzing when she and her parents speak this way?
We are four. I’m not surprised. There are four of them, four of us, four Sentinels and four sides to a tetrahedron. Four is a significant number in the Cherokee culture, too, and I wonder exactly what the number signifies to the aliens.
Pax continues, “How close are they to finding it?”
Not close. It is deeper than they know. Creator hid it well. However, the time rapidly approaches when you will be summoned to its aid. Until then, we will protect it.
“How can we rescue Sequoia and Wolf?” Sky asks the question that’s been burning inside me. How can we find them, much less get them away from those monsters?
We have told you that you will have help. It is time that you meet the ones you, Jewel, rightly call the Sentinels. They have the answers you seek.
They turn to leave and Pax says, “Wait, why don’t you want us to take anything from this cave? It’s just quartz.”
It is more than quartz. The artifact needs minerals and crystals for sustenance. The crystals in this cavern provide energy. As long as they are not disturbed, they are helping to keep the artifact from deteriorating more rapidly. You need the time, young Star Children.
At that, they leave the grotto.
“Let’s get out of here,” I lead the way back and we’re soon in the main cavern.
“We need a drink,” Sky and Jewel say at the same time. They look at each other and giggle. I think their brains must feel as fried as mine. The cave is cool and dry and we find a place to sit on the floor where we can remain close together. It feels good to take the heavy backpack off.
Jewel rummages in the pack and hands out granola bars and water. We’re each caught up in our own thoughts and no one speaks until I say it’s time to go. We gather our things and make our way to the narrow entrance.
“Hold up,” I see a shadow over the opening. Déjà vu. “We have company.” I mentally prepare myself for a fight with another Dracan ship. Pax moves close to me and the girls line up behind us. I take the first step outside.
THIRTY
JEWEL
I crouch behind Storm as he approaches the cave entrance. Rocks lift into the air on both sides of us. I hear Pax sniffing. He grab
s Storm’s shirt and pulls him back.
“It’s not them,” he whispers. “Someone is out there waiting, but it isn’t a Dracan.”
“All I saw the last time was the ship,” Storm retorts. “Can you scent the difference between a Dracan and Allaran ship?”
“There might not be a ship out there,” Pax replies. “We can’t see anything from here. I smell something alive and I don’t recognize the scent, but it’s much more bearable than Dracan stink.”
“Okay. I won’t throw anything until I get a visual. Fair enough?”
Pax nods and follows Storm to the opening with Sky and me trailing close behind.
“It’s a Sentinel,” I call out as soon as I see the craft floating just above the treetops. Storm and Pax glance up and then at each other and shake their heads.
Sky takes a longer look and says, “Sorry, Jewel. Can’t see it. Are you sure you’re not imagining things?” She’s teasing, of course. I know she believes me.
“It’s there, but more importantly, so is he,” I nod toward a tall person standing by the trees at the edge of the clearing. He’s dressed in shiny metallic-looking coveralls, similar to the clothing the Watchers wear, but this is no little bald guy. He towers over the boys. His skin throws off prisms where sunlight hits it, and blends in various shades of electric blue in shadow. Long, loose hair, so white it reflects the colors of the woods, blows in the wind. His eyes, the same size and shape as ours, glow in swirls of colors I cannot name. He has no aura, but his entire form is encased in a soft light. His beauty stuns me. The creature smiles and reveals two rows of perfectly pearlescent teeth.
Waves of joy come from Sky and I feel her exultation. Perhaps she’s reflecting mine back to me. I steal a glance at the boys. Pax is frowning so deeply his eyebrows meet over his wrinkled nose. Storm scowls and I hear a low growl coming from his throat.
Terra's Call (TetraSphere Book 1) Page 11
