Amber, though, noticeably scowled, which I’d never seen her do. She didn’t approve, but didn’t go to stop us, either.
“Danny won’t be joining us today,” Professor Wykoff said. This time, Amber’s orangutan was carrying a small leather drum.
“Great, is he slacking off again?” Kallie asked sarcastically.
“I believe he is ill,” Wykoff replied.
“Didn’t know vampires could get sick,” Charlie said.
“They can, with magical afflictions and other things. We’ve checked on him, and we think it’s best to let him rest,” Wykoff said.
Well, at least they’d double-checked that Danny was telling the truth, and not just blowing the lesson off so he could get laidsomewhere. Though I had to wonder what was so bad it could make a vampire miss practice.
“It is nothing to worry over, for tonight, we descend into the past!” Amber stated triumphantly. “We shall guide you into the depths of the unknown, revealing what has previously been hidden from spiritual sight.”
“What does that mean?” Kallie asked tiredly.
“Before he went missing, Professor Takahashi told us that you four believe you’ve been chasing after the Divinity Keys in your past lives, and have been hiding them throughout the centuries for your current selves to find now,” Wykoff stated. “Professor Amber and I can put you into a trance, so you can insert yourself into a past life meditation and remember where one of you might’ve stored either the vampire or the Astromancer key.”
“We should be careful with this,” I said. The last time we’d put Kallie into a trance so she could remember her past life as Amalie, and recall where she’d hid the merfolk key, she’d almost gotten hurt. The practice had summoned a lot of dark spirits who were looking to hurt us.
“This is a safe place, and many precautions have been taken,” Wykoff assured us. “I taught Meditation and Inner Magic at Miriam College of Witchcraft, so I am trained and experienced to guide you here. The meditation you’re about to undergo is simple. Professor Amber will be leading the practice, using Elementai magic to induce the meditation. It is an ancestral technique, aided by the spirits of Hawkei who have passed on. I will be monitoring the situation. If any of you show any signs of distress, I’ll pull you out of the meditation right away.”
I trusted Hawkei magic more than any other kind, so I was ready to go in. Wykoff instructed us to lie down. Kallie conjured yoga mats for us, and Charlie helped me down to the floor as we sprawled out and got comfortable.
The orangutan began playing the leather drum, making a steady beat. Oberi lay between Charlie and me. He had already fallen asleep, giving loud snores— not exactly what we were supposed to be doing.
Amber began uttering a low chant, singing words in Hawkei as she cried out to the ancestors. I understood what she was saying, and allowed the words to wash over me as I closed my eyes.
“Ancestors, make what is unknown clear,
Ancestors, show us the guided path,
Ignite the things forgotten,
And bring us to the past.”
The beat of the drum lulled me into a state where I felt my presence was no longer attached to my mortal form, but floating outside of my body. My soul hovered forward through a tunnel, racing forward to a stream of light.
“This iswhat must be done, Illari.”
Red smoke filled the sky, blazing against the murky sunset. My husband and I stood at the edge of a pool, connected to a shimmering waterfall. Redwood trees grew around us. The forest was quiet, waiting for an impending doom to swallow us all whole.
Both of us were dressed in the respective Elder regalia of our tribes— he, Koigni, and I, Toaqua. A monstrous brown wyvern flew overhead, keeping watch as to warn us if someone was coming.
In my hand I felt the cool metal of a key. And the heavy burden of what would come if I threw that key away.
“Soleil, you don’t understand,” I insisted harshly in Hawkei. “This key— it can be used to cure the tribe of our problems. The Houses are already becoming divided. We can use the key to unite them again.”
“Our ancestors have made it clear. The key must be hidden within the depths of this waterfall, so that a new Toaqua chief may find it, and bring it to the ones who will use it for good,” he insisted.
“This is a risk. There is already talk of separating the Houses. If sides are taken and lines are drawn, our marriage is at stake, Soleil! Fire and Water will not be permitted to be together!”
“We are responsible for this. We’reminai, ones who share a soul, and we are connected through one Familiar. This key has been given to us because of that gift, and it is our responsibility. We have to give up our lives, if we must, to keep it hidden from our enemies.”
“The prophet has seen what will happen to the tribe if we don’t use the key’s power to bring them together. The Houses will go to war, and our future Elders will sacrifice our children in a trial, so they can prove themselves worthy. We can’t allow that to happen!” I hissed.
“What will happen if that key isn’t hidden is even worse,” he insisted. “Trust me, Illari.”
