The Amulet

by Alison Pensy

  “Oh,” Faedra said with surprise. “Well, just thought I would give you the option.”

  “Faedra, I am not silent because I am worried. I am silent because I am preparing myself,” Jocelyn explained after she realized why Faedra was giving her an out.

  “Some little sister you’ve got there,” she chuckled to Faen.

  “Yes, she does have her moments,” he agreed with a proud smile.

  The sun was starting to set as Faedra noticed one of the landmarks that Kernunnos had mentioned.

  “Look,” she pointed towards a large mound. “Silbury Hill, ‘a hill that is perfectly round’. It is a man-made hill, built about 4600 years ago, and has a perfectly round base. We are getting close.”

  They drove a little further and she pointed to something up on a hillside. Faen and Jocelyn peered out of the windows, and followed where she was pointing. “ ‘Giant white horses’. There are eight white chalk horses carved into the hillsides around this area,” she explained.

  A little further and the next landmark came into view. “ ‘A spire so high it touches the sky’. Salisbury Cathedral, it has one of the tallest spires in Europe. And just down here a little way we should see it.”

  A little while later she saw it loom eerily into view. It was almost dark now, and the full moon was rising behind it. The magical aura this place exuded was not lost on her.

  “And there it is, Stonehenge, ‘a circle of stone, surrounded by A’s’. The A303 and the A344, to be precise,” she pointed to the road sign up ahead. “The two roads that run either side of it.”

  “Well done, Faedra,” Jocelyn exclaimed. “However did you figure it out?”

  “I’ve been here before. Mum brought me when I was little. I remember her telling me how important this place was.” She sighed at the memory.

  Stonehenge rose up majestically before them as they drove closer and closer to it. Faedra turned off the road into the car park that was purposely built for tourists. It was empty this late at night. Stonehenge was “Closed”. She laughed at the irony of it. How could a mythical ancient monument, thousands of years old, standing in the middle of a field be “Closed”.

  She parked the car and they made their way across the road. Her heart was pounding now. She had no idea what to expect when they actually got to the circle.

  “Oh, no,” she exclaimed as they made it across the road. “It’s been fenced off, it wasn’t fenced off when I came here before.”

  A tall chain link fence now encircled the ancient monolithic stones, allowing only those who would pay, to see it up close.

  “How do we get in now?”

  Faen and Jocelyn looked at her incredulously.

  “What?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at them.

  They each linked an arm around one of hers, lifted themselves and her off the ground, and glided effortlessly over the fence.

  “Oh,” she stated as her cheeks burned with embarrassment.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  They moved towards the standing stones making as little noise as possible. Faedra could feel her ring heating up on her finger and looked down at it. The symbols were glowing in the darkness. Her heart was in her mouth, but they could not yet see anyone or anything. The monoliths grew taller and taller as they approached. Faedra couldn’t help but think how impressive the stones were when they were towering above her.

  Upon reaching the outer circle, they stopped. Faen was scanning all around them, both he and Jocelyn on high alert. He extricated his sword from its sheath and held it in both hands out in front of him. Jocelyn mumbled something that Faedra couldn’t understand, and an exquisitely engraved sword appeared in her hands from nowhere. She took the same stance as her brother. Faedra’s eyes widened with surprise at the way Jocelyn looked so at ease holding her sword.

  They moved with caution between the stones. Faedra was flanked either side by Faen and Jocelyn. They saw nothing, heard nothing, but Faedra knew something was there. Her ring was screaming at her now, and telling her just that. They made it to the center of the circle and looked around them. The moon was high in the sky and bathing the entire area in an unearthly silver glow, causing the monoliths to cast large dark shadows all around them.

  “I wondered how long it would take you,” a female voice, as smooth as silk echoed out of the darkness.

  All three turned in the direction of the voice and scanned the shadows. Faedra’s heart was beating so hard she thought it would punch itself right out of her chest. They could still see no one. A second later a scraping noise, like someone running nails along a chalkboard, resonated high in front of them, and they looked up. A woman was walking across one of the lintel stones, dragging a sword on the stone behind her that was sending sparks flying into the air. She was also holding a book, The book.

  The woman was tall and slender. Under the silvery light it looked like her hair was raven black and fell half way down her back in a tumble of luscious sleek waves. Her skin was pale and held the same luminescent quality that Faen’s and Jocelyn’s did. She wore a long opulent blue dress of pure silk that shimmered in the moonlight, and her spectacular wings of snow white were outstretched to either side of her. She was beautiful, regally beautiful.

  “Your Highness?” Faen questioned with a puzzled expression.

  “Very observant, Guardian.” her voice remained smooth as silk, but her expression wrinkled into a sneer.

  An awkward silence hovered around them as they all, one by one, digested the scene unfolding before their eyes.

  “Vivianna?” Faen questioned in disbelief. “You took the book? You tortured Elvelynn? But she was your friend.”

  Vivianna laughed, a cold heartless laugh. “I do not get my hands dirty on such mundane tasks, Guardian,” she sneered, “I have my… little helpers to do that for me.”

  Movement among the stones below Vivianna distracted Faedra, and a dozen pairs of glowing yellow eyes appeared in the shadows. She sucked in a breath, and Faen and Jocelyn moved in closer to her until they were almost touching.

  “But why?” Faen continued his line of questioning. “Why would you want to destroy our world and this one?”

  “I have my reasons,” she replied, her voice still silken, but she shot an icy glare towards Faedra.

  Faedra looked up into the dark night sky, for what, she didn’t know. Maybe some kind of sign that they would get through this, some kind of inspiration. Although, from where she was standing, the odds looked pretty well stacked against them. Her attention was caught by a streak of luminescent light that wavered ethereally across the sky above her. It was mesmerizing in its beauty and shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow. Then there was another and another until it looked like she was watching the Aurora Borealis. She nudged Faen.

  “What is it, Faedra?” he asked. His eyes still fixated on Vivianna.

  “Look,” she said, still looking at the sky above her.

  He turned his gaze to her and followed her line of sight. A blank expression superceded the one of concern that was previously there.

  “What is it?” she whispered when she noticed that his look was one of recognition. He had seen this before.

  He said nothing.

  “Faen?” she urged.

  “Valkyries,” he responded stoically.

  More movement on the opposite side of the circle to where the redcaps were hiding in the shadows made them turn and look. Faedra’s jaw dropped as she watched seven enormous winged horses maneuver with stealth through the stones and came to a stop just beyond the shadows. Each horse was black as midnight with shining, flame-red eyes that glowed ominously in the darkness. They were snorting fiercely as they furled their outstretched wings to nestle them along their flanks.

  Sitting astride each horse was a beautiful maiden. Each of them wearing a silken white dress but their torsos were protected by armor, and they each wore a helmet and were carrying a spear in an outstretched arm. Faedra could see now where the lights in the sky were coming from
. Each plate of armor sparkled under the moonlight like the facets of a diamond caught under the halogen lights in a jewelry store.

  “Valkyries?” Faedra choked. “What are Valkyries doing here?”

  “I do not know,” Faen responded, regarding them with interest and not taking his eyes from them.

  “But don’t Valkyries come to watch over a battle?”

  “Yes.”

  “And then take the slain back to Valhalla to become warriors?”

  Faen took his eyes off the Valkyries for a second and regarded Faedra with the same interest. “You have done your homework,” he said with a raise of his eyebrow.

  She shrugged. “What can I say, mythology fascinates me, and it’s amazing what you can find on the Internet,” she gave him a weak smile, which he returned before reverting his gaze back to the armored maidens.

  “Oh, God,” Faedra whispered under her breath after being given a moment to think about it. Her body started to tremble, it was involuntary on her part, but, nevertheless, seemed to be out of her control. She wasn’t ready to die and fight for Odin for all eternity.

  Faen took hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze in an attempt to calm her. He could sense her getting frayed around the edges and they all needed to focus if they were going to make it through this.

  “We do not know why they are here, Faedra. Do not trouble yourself, just yet. Asgard and Valhalla are probably just as much affected as Azran and The World of Men. If Vivianna is trying to destroy all realms, she certainly has it within her grasp to do so. The book controls nature in every realm not just ours.”

  The winged horses stepped forward until they were lined up in front of them. The center horse then broke ranks and moved closer to the three that were huddled back to back in a protective triangle in the center of the circle. Restless murmuring came from where the redcaps were lurking in the shadows, but they did not move forward themselves.

  Vivianna stood on the lintel above them, watching with amusement as the scene played out below her. A vindictive smile curved her lips. This was more than she could have hoped for, that the Valkyries would take them to fight for eternity after she had slaughtered them. They would never have the chance to rest in peace, after all, and this thought made her intensely happy.

  The solo winged horse came to a stop just feet away from Faen, and Faedra assumed it must be carrying the leader of the group. She had not been able to take her eyes from the maiden who exuded grace and valor, but there was an underlying presence that was unmistakable. These maidens were not here to take sides, they were here to take the losers. Faedra’s heart sank once more. For a second she had allowed herself a glimmer of hope that they would help because their world may be suffering, too, but, without words, it was still as clear as crystal that the Valkyries would not be breaking any rules that night.

  The maiden and Faen exchanged pointed glances at each other in silence for a moment.

  “Freja,” Faen broke the silence first.

  Freja inclined her head in acknowledgement. “Guardian,” she responded, and Faen did the same. They fell silent again but neither one broke eye contact with the other.

  “I think that we have had quite enough of the pleasantries,” Vivianna’s silken voice cut through the silence like a knife.

  The Valkyries looked up at her and Freja nodded her head in agreement. She looked to the maidens on one side of her and then the other, and their horses all simultaneously backed up until they were lined against the inner wall of the circle.

  “They’re not going to help us are they?” Faedra whispered to Faen.

  “They cannot be seen aiding us, no,” he replied.

  That at least gave Faedra a glimmer of hope. He hadn’t just said ‘no, end of story’.

  As soon as the Valkyries had retreated, Vivianna flew down and landed on the altar stone towards the center of the circle.

  “Let us have some fun, shall we?” she said as she lay the Book of Anohs down on the altar stone. “I will give you the chance to win back the book, Custodian,” she taunted, mumbling something under her breath. Another sword appeared in Vivianna’s other hand. She swiveled them around her body in a spectacular display of sword skills. Even Faedra had to admit she looked impressive, which certainly didn’t help with the knots that were tying themselves in her stomach.

  “Vivianna,” Faen reprimanded, “Faedra does not know the way of the sword. You dishonor our race by what you ask.”

  “Do you think I care of honor or dishonor after I found out about her!” Vivianna spat her words that were full of anger and contempt. She threw one of the swords hilt first for Faedra to catch.

  To Faedra’s surprise she caught the sword gracefully, and the feeling of holding it in her hands was an oddly familiar one. She couldn’t understand why; she had never held a sword before this moment.

  She looked up at Vivianna. “I don’t even know you. What could I have possibly done to offend you?” she asked, trying in vain to hide the quiver in her voice.

  Vivianna looked at her intently, carefully measuring Faedra’s expression. “You do not know, do you?” Vivianna narrowed her eyes, but her voice was smooth as silk again.

  “Know what?” Faedra questioned.

  “Oh, this makes things even better,” Vivianna laughed, a cold hard cackle that made Faedra shudder. “After I kill you and retrieve the amulet, I will send you to your grave forever ignorant of who you are.”

  “What is she talking about, Faen?” Faedra whispered.

  “I do not know.”

  “Silence!” Vivianna bellowed as she swooped down from the altar and was standing a few feet in front of Faedra. “Kill them, leave the samtero kruwos for me,” she commanded in the direction of the redcaps.

  Faedra saw Jocelyn and Faen exchange surprised glances at the foreign sounding words Vivianna had just spoken. But a second later, the redcaps had surrounded them and they were busy defending themselves.

  “Fight!” Vivianna instructed Faedra, and slammed hard with her sword. It clashed forcefully with Faedra’s, knocking her off balance and sending her crashing to the ground. Vivianna hovered above her, horizontal to the ground, holding her sword point to Faedra’s throat. “Don’t bore me, Custodian, get up,” she demanded as she landed back on the ground and stepped back, allowing Faedra to get to her feet.

  Faedra picked up the sword, her heart pounding. She didn’t know how to fight with a sword. She looked over to where Faen and Jocelyn were expertly wielding theirs. She could hear their swords clashing with the redcap’s axe-like weapons, and so far, could see two of the evil beings dead on the ground. She gulped, she wouldn’t last five seconds if she were expected to know how to use a sword to that proficiency.

  Vivianna came at her once more with a force that Faedra could see was going to knock her off her feet again. She braced herself and held her sword out in front of her tightly in both hands, trying hard not to close her eyes as Vivianna’s made contact with hers, sending sparks flying. The swords connected with such intensity Faedra could feel the vibration fly up her arms and into her head. Vivianna came at her low the next time, and Faedra angled her sword to meet the blow and defend her legs.

  The redcaps were fast; they were coming at Faen and Jocelyn from all angles. Jocelyn hovered above the ground to dodge the axe that was being wielded towards her. Another redcap grabbed her neck with his invisible hold and threw her violently against one of the stones. She lay stunned for a few seconds, but regained her senses just in time to move to the side, narrowly missing the spear part of the weapon as it came at her head but made contact with the stone instead. She got up and spun round to the back of the stone, and leaned against it for a few seconds to catch her breath before moving around to enter the battle again.

  Faen’s sword was flying in all directions, clashing fiercely with his enemies’ weapons. Four redcaps surrounded him, and before they had had a chance to respond, he had raised himself from the ground and flew over one of them, stabbing it wi
thout mercy in the back. It fell to the ground with a thud. Another then grabbed him with the same invisible force and held him up above the ground. Faen struggled in mid air, but the stranglehold the redcap had on him was so strong it forced Faen to drop his sword, which landed point down and was standing up in the earth below him. Jocelyn saw what was happening, and with lightening speed, crossed to the redcap holding her brother and slashed it through the chest. It slumped to the ground, and Faen caught himself just before he hit the ground and was able to land softly. Faen grabbed his sword and wielded it around as he spun towards yet another redcap, taking it out with a fatal blow to the head.

  With a move that Faedra didn’t even know her body knew existed, she spun around wielding her sword over her head, and brought it crashing to meet Vivianna’s. They hit so hard that sparks flew on contact.

  Vivianna had a satisfied glint to her eye. “That is more like it, Custodian. This will be so much more fun than when I killed your mother. I didn’t have any time to play with her, and I find poison such a boring way to kill.”

  Faedra stepped back, reeling from what she had just heard, and Vivianna caught her off guard again with a swing to her upper body, slicing through her shirt and into her arm.

  Faedra gritted her teeth as the pain shot up her arm. Managing to bite back the tears that stung behind her eyes. She looked down at her arm just as she caught sight of Vivianna’s blade coming at her again. Somehow she ducked under it and was now standing behind her. She could feel the blood pouring down her arm, but now that there was revenge flowing through it, it didn’t seem to hurt as much. Vivianna spun around so she was facing her opponent, ready to wield another blow at Faedra. Pure fury flowed through Faedra. She charged at Vivianna, wielding her sword around her head. It clashed so hard with her opponent’s that it was nearly knocked out of her hands.

  “Your sword skills are very rudimentary,” Vivianna said with an undeniable pleasure.