Riley's Paradox, page 31
part #9 of Hearts of ICARUS Series
“Do you remember the carton I received from the Director after Harlan’s passing on Earth?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Among the contents was a jeweled peacock feather.”
“I remember that,” Jackson said. “You think it’s meant for the Katre-Laus?”
“Not exactly. The object is meant for Riley.” Hope frowned, shaking her head a little. “Actually, I think it would be more accurate to say that it’s meant to help Riley. I’ve never had this happen before so I’m a little confused by it. What I do know is that I’m supposed to give it to them now. Tonight.”
“Why?” Clark asked. “What does it do?”
“I have no idea what it will do,” Hope said. “All I know is that without it, they’ll never find our daughters, or our granddaughters.”
“We will gladly accept any help you can offer us, Lady Hope,” Wilder said.
“I’ll go to the house and get the object from the safe,” Clark said, standing.
“It’s not in the Hidden City?” Win asked in surprise.
“No, it’s not,” Jackson said after Clark vanished. “The jeweled feather is one of several objects passed down generation to generation in Hope’s family over many centuries. We don’t know if it ever belonged to the Klanaren, but even if it did, it now belongs to Hope’s family.”
“A peacock feather,” Rikki murmured, her forehead creased in thought.
“What are you thinking, love?” Kasper asked, leaning over the back of the couch to rub her shoulders gently.
“I’m not sure. When Mom mentioned a peacock feather, it reminded me of something. I think it’s important, but I can’t seem to dredge it up.”
Charley reached over and tapped her mother’s lips with one finger. Rikki’s eyebrows lowered in mild confusion. Charley pointed to Rikki’s eye, then tapped her lips once again.
“Something I told you?” Rikki asked. Charley indicated yes, then pointed to her own eyes, one at a time. “Something I told you about eyes?” Charley tapped her nose to indicate yes again, then touched her own mouth.
“A story?” Another yes. “I don’t remember telling you a story about eyes, Asteri.” Before the words were fully out of her mouth, Rikki remembered. “Oh yeah, Hera and Argus.”
“Who?” several voices asked at once while Charley grinned and clapped her hands.
“It’s from ancient Greek mythology,” Rikki explained. “In short, the goddess Hera had a guardian named Argus who had eyes scattered all over his body which allowed him to watch for danger in all directions at once. When he was killed, she transferred his eyes to the tail feathers of a peacock to honor him.”
“That’s interesting, but how does it apply here?” Rob asked.
“Sorry, Popi, I don’t know.”
“I don’t believe we’ve heard this particular legend, Rikki,” Jackson said thoughtfully. “But it occurs to me that the feather may be used in some way to see things which otherwise may not be seen.” Charley laughed, clapped her hands again, then blew a kiss to her Grand-Ata which made everyone smile.
Clark returned with a black velvet bag in his hand. He gave it to Hope, who thanked him, then loosened the drawstring at the top and peeked inside, careful not to touch it. Seeing the object increased her need to give it to the Katre-Laus. She handed the bag to Wilder, who frowned a little when she didn’t take it out.
“I can read objects by touching them, and it’s not always voluntary,” she explained. “I’ve been warned never to touch objects that are meant for others, so I don’t.”
“I see,” he said, accepting the bag and tipping it over his palm. About an inch and a half across at its widest point, and four inches long, the slightly curved feather was made of what appeared to be platinum, set with jewels in various shades of purple, blue and green, highlighted and bordered with black stones that glittered in the soft lamplight. He expected it to be slightly heavy given its size and the materials it was made of, but found that it was even heavier than he’d thought. It felt solid in his hand. Substantial.
The rich colors and brilliance of the gemstones struck him as unusual, too. Curious, he sent a fine thread of Earth magic into them. “These stones are diamonds,” he said, surprised.
“You’re certain?” Jackson asked doubtfully. “The colors seem too vivid for diamonds, and I’ve never seen diamonds that black, either.”
“Nor have I,” Wilder agreed. “But I have no doubt. Earth is not our strongest magic, but it’s second only to Fire.”
“The brilliant colors are natural,” Win said, after sending a thread of Earth into it himself. “The stones are not enhanced in any way. It’s also very old.”
“And yet it’s bright and shiny, with no sign of wear,” West observed. He looked at Hope. “Since you can’t touch it, I assume you haven’t cleaned it.”
“No, it hasn’t been outside that little pouch since the day we unpacked it. That was well over twenty years ago.”
“It’s not made of platinum as I thought, either,” West said.
“What is it made of?” Jackson asked.
West shook his head. “I have no idea. It’s completely unfamiliar to me.” Wilder and Win both checked, but neither of them recognized it either.
“Do you know how we’re supposed to use it?” Wilder asked Hope.
“I’m sorry, I know only that I’m supposed to give it to you, and that you won’t find them without it. As much as I wish otherwise, I have no more answers for you.”
“I suggest that you speak to the Tigrens about it,” Jackson said. “If anyone can help you understand that thing, or figure out how you can use it to find our girls, it’s them.”
“I agree, Jackson,” Wilder said. “That’s exactly what we’ll do.” He returned the jeweled feather to the bag, and tucked it safely into a pocket. “We thank you, all of you, for all that you’ve shared with us, and for your help. Before tonight we had no idea where to even begin our search. Thanks to all of you, we now know so much more than that.
“Rose, Riley, Layla, and Riley’s baby are your daughters, granddaughters, and sisters. We promise to do everything possible to bring all of them home safe and sound.” Wilder rose to his feet, Win and West at either side.
“It grows late, and we’ve imposed on you enough for one night,” Wilder continued. “It was a special pleasure to meet you, young Charley. We thank you for your help, as well as yours, Rikki.”
“If I learn anything new from my dreams, or from Charley, we’ll send a message to your ship,” Rikki offered.
“Thank you,” Wilder said. He turned to Jackson. “As much as we’d prefer to leave for Rogan at the earliest possible moment, we must see the Tigrens about this object, first. We will speak with you again before we leave, if you like.”
“We’d appreciate that, Wilder,” Jackson said. “We’d be happy to contact the Tigrens for you, and speed travel you to their home.”
“That would help a great deal, Jackson, thank you,” Wilder said. “What time?”
“We’ll vox them in the morning, then let you know. Would you like us to speed travel you somewhere tonight?”
“Thanks, but I believe we prefer to run for a while before retiring.”
Jackson nodded, unsurprised by that. “We’ll come to your cabin in the morning, and go from there.”
Wilder nodded, exchanged looks with his brothers, then the three of them bowed. "Ankh, wedja, seneb," Wilder said, then smiled at Charley’s curious look. When she touched her temple with one finger, he understood what she was asking. “It’s an ancient blessing from the culture we spoke of earlier called Egyptian. It means life, prosperity, health.”
Chapter 18
Kyerion Tigren opened his eyes and waited for the power they’d surrounded the jeweled feather with to dissipate naturally. He and his brothers, Kirk and Cade, stared solemnly at each other for a long moment. Without the need of speech, he knew that they were as worried as he was by what they’d just learned.
He placed the jeweled feather back into its pouch and they all rose to their feet. Leaving their zendo in silence, they rejoined the Katre-Laus in the meeting room of their home.
“This object is extraordinary,” Kyerion said, approaching the long meeting table. “Perhaps the most extraordinary object we’ve ever encountered.”
Win, West, and Wilder all looked at each other in surprise. The Tigrens were more than seven thousand years old, the last full blooded Tigrens in existence before their children were born, and the only Druids. Their knowledge was beyond comprehension. Learning that the peacock feather was extraordinary to them wasn’t the least bit comforting.
“That’s…shocking,” Win said finally.
“It is,” Kyerion agreed.
“In what way is it extraordinary?” Wilder asked.
“For one thing, it’s ancient beyond our abilities to determine its true age,” Kirk replied as he took a seat opposite the Katre-Laus at the meeting table. “We’ve successfully dated objects in excess of fifteen thousand years, so we can only assume it’s older than that.
“You’re correct that the stones are diamonds. We’ve never encountered any with such intense natural coloring before, nor can we identify the metal the stones are set into. That isn’t particularly significant since they could have come from anywhere in the Thousand Worlds, and we’re not experts on such things by any means. What surprises us is that we’re unable to identify the beings who created the object, or its origin.”
Wilder drew in a shaky breath. “This is not encouraging.”
Kyerion nodded, knowing that what he was about to say would be difficult for the Katre-Laus to process. “We were able to discern why it was created. And how it’s meant to be used.” He paused, placed the velvet pouch on the table in front of Wilder and took a seat beside Kirk. “We got that information from it only because we were intended to.”
“Intended?” Wilder asked, shocked.
“Definitely.”
“There’s more, isn’t there?” Win asked quietly.
Kyerion sat forward in his chair, a line of worry creasing his forehead, his metallic gold eyes a shade darker than usual. “This object, called máti by its creators, was made specifically to aid you three in the search for your berezi, and to help you succeed in your endeavor. That’s the message we received from it. The wording is strangely ambiguous. It implies two reasons, but achieving one may be the same as achieving the other.”
Wilder, Win, and West stared at him in surprise. “How is such a thing possible?” Wilder asked.
“We can’t begin to answer that question,” Cade said. “All we can tell you about those who created the máti is that their power is unfathomable to us.”
“What does máti mean?” West asked. “Do you know?”
“It means eye,” Cade replied. The Katre-Laus pondered that for a few moments, remembering Rikki’s legend concerning the eyes on peacock feathers.
“We’re grateful for whatever help we can get, please do not mistake us,” Wilder said. “But I have to admit, this troubles me. I can’t imagine why, or even how, ancient and powerful beings would go to such lengths to aid us.”
“Yes, that concerns us, as well,” Kirk admitted. “We understand how important it is to you, and to all Klanaren, to find Riley and Rose. But for people of such power to go to such extreme efforts is…worrisome.” He shrugged. “In the end, whatever the reason behind the creation of this object, its purpose is to help you do what you’re seeking to do, which is find Riley. That’s all you truly need to concern yourselves with at this time.”
Wilder sensed that there was more that they weren’t saying, but he didn’t ask. He trusted the Tigrens to tell them what they needed to know. At present, that was enough. “Can you tell us how to use it, and what it will do?”
“The máti creates a conduit designed to draw the consciousness of one specific person, and that person is your berezi,” Kyerion answered. “Without it, you will never find Riley. If you do not find her, you will not find Rose, or the two infants, which is why it was created in the first place.”
West gasped softly, drawing all eyes to him, though he barely noticed. “Are you saying this object was created to alter destiny itself?”
“We believe that to be a strong possibility, yes,” Kyerion replied.
Everyone fell silent as they struggled to process that. Win was the first to recover. He sat up a little straighter in his chair and locked eyes with Kyerion. “If this máti helps us to find Riley and the others, I don’t think I care.”
Wilder and West nodded their agreement, and Kyerion smiled approvingly. “Earth magic is required to open the conduit, and draw Riley’s spirit through it. You’ll have to maintain a constant thread of Earth into the máti to hold the conduit open for as long as she remains with you.
“One of Riley’s psychic abilities is astral projection, so this will be familiar to her, which should help her to remain calm. The more relaxed she is, the easier it will be for you to maintain the conduit, and the longer your magic will last.”
“It’s our understanding that Riley uses a small cat figure in a spirit form when she uses astral projection,” Win said. “How will we understand her or even see her, for that matter?”
“She will not be using astral projection when she travels through the conduit,” Cade said. “The experience will simply be familiar to her. The máti itself will allow her to appear in her humanoid form, and it will allow you to communicate with her.
“Once you cease feeding Earth into it, or are unable to channel further, the connection will close. When that occurs, she will instantly return to her physical body, wherever that may be. You’ll need to wait until you’ve rested enough to restore your power before trying again.”
“Then it will work more than once,” West said, his shoulders slumping with relief.
“Yes, it will work more than once,” Kyerion said. “You should be careful, however, not to drain your own energy completely. It’s easier to replenish low energy than it is to replenish energy that has been completely exhausted.” The Katre-Laus nodded their understanding.
“This sounds like a male-set feeding power to their berezi,” Wilder said slowly. The Tigrens nodded. “But that can’t be done unless she is physically with us.”
“True, but it’s her spirit that you are connecting with in this case,” Cade said.
Wilder frowned, then opened his mouth to argue further, but this time Kyerion raised one hand. “We understand that this is not the way these things work for Klanaren. But the máti wasn’t created by Klanaren. It was created by beings we do not know, using magic of a sort we can only imagine. We know only that it will work, and that’s all we need to know.”
“You’re right, of course, Kyerion,” Wilder said apologetically. “There is just so much we don’t understand that I can’t help trying to make sense of something.”
“That’s understandable,” Kyerion replied. “In your place, we’d be doing the same thing.”
“Do you know where it is you must go?” Kirk asked.
“Yes,” Wilder replied. “Rikki Bearen’s instincts tell her we must go to Rogan. Our instincts tell us to trust Rikki.”
“Excellent,” Kirk said, nodding.
“I think we should attempt to reach Riley now, while we’re here with you,” Wilder said.
“We agree it would be good to test it,” Kyerion said. “Unfortunately, it won’t work. It will work only after you’ve taken the first step upon your fated journey. Nor will it work with others present.”
“Which reminds me,” Kirk said. “Percy, will you be accompanying the Katre-Laus on their search?”
“Absolutely,” Percy replied calmly. Then his ears folded and his voice became uncertain. “Unless you think I shouldn’t.”
“On the contrary, you are intended to go with them,” Kirk said. “The message we received from the máti indicated that if you were present, you should join the Katre-Laus when they attempt to summon Riley.”
“If?” West asked.
“There appeared to be some uncertainty regarding Percy’s willingness to join you.” Kyerion turned to Percy again. “You have a very strong and multilayered bond with Riley. Your presence will help her to remain more relaxed as she’s brought through the conduit.”
“I will do whatever is within my power to help Riley,” Percy said quietly. “But how can I be there if the máti is made specifically for them alone?”
“The máti will work either with all three of the Katre-Laus alone, or with the three of them and you present,” Kirk answered. “If anyone else is present, the máti will not function.”
Wilder smiled at the Lonyx who’d stiffened in surprise. “I told you that you were meant to be with us, and that Riley would need you.”
“You did, Wilder, and I am grateful for it.”
“Is there anything else we should know about this?” Wilder asked as he picked up the máti and put it safely in his belt pouch.
“Nothing we’re aware of, no,” Kyerion replied.
“If you have a few more minutes, we would like to take this opportunity to talk about Riley,” Win said.
“Of course,” Kyerion said.
“She told us about the problems she has with self-healing, how it’s affected by shifting, and her reduced life span.” Win paused at the expressions of surprise on the Tigrens’ faces, then nodded. “Yes, she told us everything. She agreed to link with us, too. We planned to wait until we reached Jasan so that you and the Dracons could be present if anything goes wrong.”
“We are very happy to know this,” Kyerion said, smiling. He tilted his head, narrowing his eyes slightly as he studied them. “You have a much stronger bond with her than is usual short of linking.” He frowned a moment. “You performed a claiming bond? We’ve not seen one of those since before our return.”
“We developed a strong interest in the histories of ancient cultures at an early age,” Wilder said. “That included the history of the Klanaren from before the Dark Time. With all of the concerns regarding linking with Riley, we wanted to create the closest bond possible between us, so we decided to perform a claiming.”
