The Lost Soul (8 page)

"If that's the case then how did they manage to lure man to them in this darkness deep beneath the earth?" asked December, swigging back the last of her tea before she picked up the teapot to see if there was any-more left.

"I'll make some more," said Rose who stood up and stretched her arms after sitting at the desk for so long.

December smiled and took her place while Millicent looked on in awe.

"I still can't quite believe you have all of this information at your fingertips. It is truly astounding."

Lilly laughed, "This is the 21st century, which reminds me, I keep meaning to ask. How come you don't talk like you've come from the 13th century?"

Millicent laughed, "If I did, you would not understand me. Plus, I've had several hundreds of years in the spirit world to understand the real world has changed somewhat. I learn from watching the world."

"Oh," responded Lilly innocently, "cool."

"When you try and find out where the Nephilim are hidden, there are signs all over the world. They could be anywhere. Look, here it says caves in Malta, here in Romania, Missouri, Scotland..."

"Perhaps there are so many of these beasts in existence that they were cast into lots of different locations?" questioned Millicent.

"That's highly likely, young lady, and a very valid point. Perhaps we should be looking at any suitably deep caves?"

"The Elders caves are pretty deep," pondered Rose, "Sorry, that's just me thinking aloud. I guess the Nephilim caves would need to be a lot deeper than those?"

"Absolutely... I believe we're talking much deeper into the earth," added Walter.

"Can I just point something out here?" asked Lilly as she looked around at all the excited faces as they nodded. "This is just stuff we're reading on the internet. We shouldn't get too carried away... it could all literally be myths and things people have made up."

"Of course, that is possible, but look at the hidden truths about us, Lilly. We are women that can change into cats... you can read up about that on the internet. Walter is a vampire, look at all the articles online about that and then of course you've got werewolves, Yetis, angels, spirits... there might just be some truth in all of this. It's worth looking into, don't you think?" asked Rose matter of factly.

Lilly nodded with a smile, "Actually, I was hoping that's what you were going to say."

CHAPTER ELEVEN

It had been a few days since Jack and Zalea had visited Gwynethea, recovering his memories in the process and now he was even more eager to get started on finding his way home, as well as finding Zalea's sister.

They had left Gwynethea and her warm, cosy home within the willow tree behind. He couldn't thank her enough but he didn't want to put the old lady in any danger so he had insisted she stayed where she was, safe and sound. Although it had been a long time since she'd had an adventure, she knew she would just slow them down so instead, she gave them a small bag containing a couple of items that just might come in handy.

After they had said their goodbyes, Jack and Zalea had returned to Zalea's home where they were met by her father and best friend, Ameleana.

"My dear daughter," said the Chief of the Malean Faeries as he engulfed her in a long tender hug. Did you accomplish what you set out to do?"

"Yes, father. Jack has recovered his memory."

"Then you must tell me what happened. How did you find yourself in Argentumalea amid the forests of Moharth, my lad?"

"Perhaps you ought to sit down, father," suggested Zalea as she led him to the nearest soft spot on the ground where they all sat comfortably.

"Jack was taken from his homeland by the Nephilim."

"Blistering Buzzards!" he yelled loudly. "The Nephilim... the Nephilim. How is that possible? And survived? And, Sheharazalea... you were not to know of the Nephilim. They are not spoken about among the Maleans."

"I know Father but Jack lives. If these beasts have taken my sister, your daughter, then perhaps there is a chance we can rescue her."

"Rescue her? From the Nephilim? It is impossible, absolutely impossible."

"No Father... I do not believe it and I am going. I am going to find Tiffanimelicomelea and if that means going into the lair of these beasts, then so be it."

The Faery Chief looked at his daughter so tenderly, he stroked her cheek softly, "You are so like your mother, you know that, my dearest daughter. But I lost her such a long time ago, and then your sister. I cannot... will not lose you too," he said, turning away and brushing a tear from his eye.

"But Father, please," she pleaded.

"No, and that is my final answer. You are not to leave Moharth. Do you understand?"

Zalea looked down at her feet, her wings fluttering in the breeze behind her and nodded. "Yes Father."

"I promise I will find her, Zalea. I can do it alone. Don't worry."

"You are a brave soul, Jack. And I thank you. If you would like, I can send some of my best faeries with you?"

"No, I think I should do this alone. I don't want to endanger any of your kind. But thank you for your offer. I will leave at nightfall."

When the golden orange skies turned a deeper shade, Jack decided it was time to say goodbye to the Malean Faeries, thanking them for saving his life and taking care of him. He was saddened everybody turned up to wave him off, except for the one faery he wanted to see the most. He had grown fond of Zalea during the time they'd spent together. Considering the way their friendship had blossomed, he found it hard to believe she couldn't say goodbye. But he understood. Saying goodbye was such a difficult thing to do.

The community of faeries all stood and waved farewell to the strange man who had appeared out of nowhere. They stood watching him walk away, with the large leather bag on his back and his temporary walking stick. He turned one last time and waved just before he walked out of sight, gone.

Jack had been walking for several hours before the feeling he was being watched overcame him. He jumped to the side and hid behind a nearby silver tree, carefully looking around to see if he was being followed. He could see no-one behind him, so he stepped out from the tree and continued on his way, but the sense remained with him.

His stomach soon began to rumble so he eventually sat down beside a softly flowing stream. The faeries had told him all the water in the kingdom was safe for consumption, so he dropped his bag to the ground and leaned in, cupping his hands so he could take a sip. As his thirst was quenched, he sat down and took a small piece of bread from his bag. Biting into it, he heard a gentle thud behind him and then a splash.

"Oh!"

Turning, Jack found the culprit. The person who had been following him was none other than Zalea. She had been carrying a small bag herself which she had accidentally dropped and it had rolled into the water.

"You'll never make a spy," he chuckled, standing and retrieving the bag from the stream. "Your father won't be very happy."

Looking down at the ground, Zalea lifted her eyes to look into his, batting her eyelashes in time with the movement of her lilac wings. "I know, but I had to do it. I couldn't just sit back and let you go alone. I need to find her, Jack."

"I know, I know," he said as he took her into his arms in a soft hug. "And we will. We will find her. But why didn't you just tell me you were coming with me."

"You would not have let me. You would have told my father."

He smiled, "No, Zalea. I wouldn't have told him. But I would have tried to stop you from coming. This is going to be dangerous."

Zalea shrugged her shoulders, "I know."

"Do you know these forests?"

"Yes, but I have never left them. I have only ever been to the edge of the forests of Moharth. I have never ventured further."

"Well, tomorrow you will. But for now, let's get you some food and then we will continue walking. It's going to take us quite a while to walk to the edge of the forest, then we can rest for a few hours before we go beyond your borders," he said, looking across at the miles of silver trees in the distance. Eyeing a few small mountains beyond the forest, he wondered what lay in wait.

That night as they lay side by side beneath a thin cotton blanket, Jack's head began to ache. It was a familiar sensation he'd had before. It was the headache that came before the girl had communicated with him.

As he sat upright upright, Zalea stirred and opened her eyes, "What is it?"

"I think someone is trying to talk to me?" he whispered, rubbing his forehead.

"What do you mean, Jack?"

Explaining what had happened while he was in captivity, Jack stood up and paced up and down, waiting for the girl's voice in his head, but nothing came.

"Try speaking to her?" suggested Zalea.

"I'm not really sure how, to be honest."

"Try focussing on nothing but her and say a few words. Ask her if she's there."

Jack did as she suggested and sat down next to her, "Okay, I'll try."

He sat motionless for a few moments before he closed his eyes and spoke, "Hello, are you there? Can you hear me?"

After a minute of waiting, Jack dropped his hands to his side.

"No, nothing. Maybe it's just a regular head-ache."

"Keep trying. Focus on her, on nothing else. Pretend I'm not here, Jack," she said, laying back down and pulling the cover over her body.

"Hello... it's me. We spoke before. Are you there? Can you hear me? Please, please hear me."

CHAPTER TWELVE

It happened during the last class of the day. December and Lilly were in the middle of World History when December suddenly yelped in pain.

The rest of the class turned and the spotlight was on her.

"December, are you okay?" whispered Lilly as Mr Motley rushed over to see what all the fuss was about.

"Is everything all right over there, girls?"

December winced and held her head tightly.

"It's these really bad head-aches. She's been getting them a lot lately."

"Well, the class is almost over, you'd better take her home, Lilly."

"Yes, Sir."

Their classmates watched in silence as Lilly helped her friend stagger out of the room. They walked slowly out of the high school until they were in the fresh air when December asked to sit down for a while.

"Some fresh air will help, I think," she stuttered.

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure... but it felt a lot like the last few head-aches."

"Remember what Millicent said, she said you need to focus on the vision."

"No, I don't think it's a vision this time, Lilly. I think he might be trying to communicate with me again."

"I don't understand this at all. You never used to get headaches before. I thought the headaches only came with the visions? said Lilly.

"Yes they did but something's changed. I don't know what though. But I need to get home, I need to speak to Millicent."

Lilly thought for a moment. "Can you orb?"

"I don't think so... not with this pain, I wouldn't be able to concentrate."

"Well, either we call someone for a lift and wait for them to turn up or we walk."

"Let's do both... can you call my Mom and we'll start walking too."

"If you're sure?"

December nodded as they both stood, but the second Lilly started dialling her cell phone, a car drew up in front of them.

"Monty! How did you know?" asked a relieved Lilly.

"Millicent told me you needed a ride so I came down as fast as I could."

"Monty, you're a star," muttered December as the pain came back again and she winced. Monty hopped out of the driver's seat and helped her into the back of the car.

Millicent was waiting outside the front door as the car drove up the driveway. Her blue jeans were covered in paint splatters of all different colours and her white T-shirt was no longer white but more of a tie-dye effect.

Lilly chuckled at the sight of her.

"Thank you Millicent."

"That's quite all right, Lilly. I felt it straight away... I think he's trying to communicate with her again. This is good," she said, following Monty into the house, who held December in his arms.

"Oh darling, darling. Are you all right? Whatever happened?" asked a concerned Ruby as she was placed carefully on the daybed in the newly decorated living room.

"She got one of the bad headaches again, right in the middle of World History," relayed Lilly, stumbling in, carrying both of their school bags. As she dropped them on the floor, she sighed and plopped herself down onto the new fluffy cream carpet as Moira came rushing in, drying her hands on a towel.

"Millicent believes he's trying to reach you, honey. Did you hear him?"

December shook her head but the pain prevented her and she cried, holding on tightly to the green quartz stone she now kept with her at all times.

"Focus on that pain, December. Remember you can control it. Don't let it control you. Focus on the pain.... on the pain, nothing else. Moira, perhaps a cup of sweet tea might help?"

Moira scuffled out of the room into the hallway, almost falling over the boxes that still hadn't been unpacked from the move and into their new kitchen which was twice the size of their old one.

"Tea... tea, where did I put the tea?" she yelled to no-one in particular.

"Moira, why don't you go and sit down with your daughter and I'll make the tea. It's all right, I'll find it," said Monty, carefully turning her around so she faced the kitchen doorway, gently pushing her out of the room.

Absent mindedly, she wandered back into the living room and sat down, watching as Millicent tried to make her daughter focus on the pain.

Colour returned to December's face and her grimace turned to a smile.

"I can hear you. Can you hear me? Where are you? But more importantly... Who are you? she asked as the others waited with baited breath to finally discover the identity of The Lost Soul.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Jack laid down beneath the soft blanket smiling. He couldn't quite believe it. He'd finally managed to get through to the girl, which had enabled him to recall another missing memory. The memory of when his daughter had been trapped within a falling cave. He had somehow managed to speak to her, keeping her awake until help had arrived.