Ancient Guardians The Legacy of the Key (7 page)

  Levi stood up.
“Father, I believe it would be best if I escorted Miss Bryant on a short walk.
Fresh air may help her gather her thoughts.”

Navarre nodded in
agreement, as all three men looked toward Reece sympathetically. “Perhaps that
would be best. We can continue this discussion later. My dear, please do not
worry. You will understand soon enough. When that time comes, I believe that
you will come to appreciate the security you have been given.” He smiled
sympathetically.

Harrison approached
her. “This has been a lot for one person from Earth to take in. Not only are
there are other dimensions and worlds out there, but you are forced to live in
one of them. It’s a lot for anyone to absorb. Although, if it helps, once you
are able to accept most of this information, I would be surprised if you
weren’t begging to take up residence in Pemdas.” He smiled and winked playfully
at her.

Reece nodded in
return. Maybe Levi was right, maybe she did need to get outdoors. Although,
given the way she was feeling now, she would rather be alone.

  Levi smiled at
her, as he offered his arm.

She was immediately
entrapped by the way his sapphire blue eyes glistened as they stared down at
her. She had not yet been in a position, where their eyes had locked in such a
way. In fact, she hadn’t really had an opportunity to see just how handsome the
man truly was.

When his full lips
parted, they displayed his perfect teeth, and offered her a brilliant smile.
The tiny cleft in his chin highlighted his strong jaw line. His dark hair was
long enough to display a natural wave, and it lay perfectly in place. His hair
alone would tempt any woman to run her fingers through it and draw his lips
down onto hers…
Ugh, why does this guy have to be so good-looking? How am I
supposed to think straight?
Reece thought as she tried to force herself to
quit gawking at the man. This was not like her, and she wasn’t about to act
like some foolish love-struck girl.
Stay focused, s
he demanded herself.

Levi looked down at
her with concern. “My apologies, Miss Bryant, I feel that all we have done in
the past few hours is force decisions on you. If you do not care to join me on
a walk, I will completely understand.”

Reece looked up
into his eyes and sighed, “Actually, I would really appreciate the walk.
Thanks.” And she took his arm.

Chapter
5

A
s Levi led Reece out of the room, two men wearing cream and gold livery
opened the doors for them. Harrison and Navarre were still in conversation when
the doors closed behind Reece and Levi
.

Levi led them back
down the staircase, remaining silent at her side. Reece was grateful; she was
in no frame of mind for conversation. When they reached the bottom of the
stairs, Levi led them to the back of the room, which displayed only substantial
French-style windows, and exhibited an expansive view of the outdoor gardens.
Two men stood at attention and immediately reached to pull the doors open for
them. Reece watched Levi as he politely nodded, thanking the men for their
service.

She turned her
attention to the steps that led down to the courtyard. At the bottom, a stone
path wandered past an enormous, three-tiered marble fountain. The outdoor
garden was decorated with statues, flowering bushes, and uniquely trimmed
greenery, which appeared to lead to a maze.

Levi led her past
the courtyard to a black iron gate. He unlatched it, and led her out and away
from the grounds of the Palace. They walked downhill until they came to a
swiftly flowing river, and turned to walk along it. It was the same river Reece
noticed on their ride in.

Reece broke the
silence. “This place is so beautiful, but I can hardly believe any of it is
real. I feel like I’m dreaming.” There was no waking explanation for the unique
beauty of this place, for how every color dazzled and glistened.

  “Miss Bryant, I
can appreciate your lack of belief in everything you’ve experienced today. I
suppose, when you find you don’t wake up, you’ll have to acknowledge the
reality of Pemdas.” He led her toward a narrow stone bridge. A waterfall
thundered down from the hillside to their left. The pool of water below it was
crystal blue, and the spray from the splashing water sparkled like diamonds as
it reflected the sun’s light.

Where
did that waterfall come from?
“I
feel like I’m lost in paradise,” said Reece. “As much as I want to believe this
day has been a dream, I don’t think my mind is capable of making up this
place.” She turned to Levi. “I’m having a hard time accepting that I’m here—and
then to be told I am some kind of a special person—it’s just too weird. How can
any of this be possible?”

Levi looked back at
her with concern. “We’re all aware of the distress we’ve caused you. We
couldn’t help it, but that doesn’t make it easier for you. Let’s sit, and I’ll
try my best to explain more.”

Once over the
bridge, Levi led Reece over to a mound of grass. He motioned for her to sit,
and he followed as well. They sat overlooking a large pool of clear water,
surrounded by ferns, and a forest of trees all around them.

Levi stared at the
pool. “To understand why you’re here, you must first be aware of who you are.”
He turned to her. “This will most likely be difficult for you to accept.”

He was right about
that, anyway.
I know who I am,
thought Reece. “Why?” she asked.

“Because who you
are relates to things you’ve never known, or even believed are possible. It
will help that you do keep an open mind.” He seemed to marshal his thoughts for
a moment. “My father spoke earlier of the importance of the manner in which
Earth currently spins on its axis. And about how Earth went through a time of
vulnerability to being altered. The Ciatron took advantage of that, and they
set up a domain on Earth. They were in the beginning stages of a full invasion
of the planet. Have you ever heard of Atlantis?”

Reece frowned.
“Sure…that place was real? It’s the city that’s underwater, isn’t it?”

Unexpectedly, Levi
grinned. “That would be one way to put it. It was completely destroyed, but
before that, it was a land created and ruled by the Ciatron. The people of
Earth believed the Ciatron were a higher being, sent to bring them knowledge
and power. During this time, my ancestors tried to convince those of Earth
about the dangers amongst them. They also battled relentlessly against the
Ciatron, and found themselves losing.”

“And that’s why–?”

  “Yes.
Fortunately, there was an extremely intelligent man on Earth who saw the
Ciatron for what they were–foreign invaders. He worked closely with the Pemdai
people, and with his knowledge, and our help, a peculiar stone was created.
This stone had tremendous power. It was used only once—to destroy the city, and
the Ciatron there as well. Then it was hidden.”

“Probably a good
thing,” Reece said. “It doesn’t sound like anything you’d want to fool with.”

“More than you
know. The stone not only destroyed Atlantis, but held the power to stabilize
Earth on its axis. When hidden, it does its job quietly. But anyone who should
find, possess, and control the stone, would have power over Earth. All
dimensions and worlds are safe, as long as the stone remains undiscovered.”

“This man…who was
he?” Reece asked, unsure about why she wanted to know. Aristotle? Euclid?

Levi
arched his brow sharply. “His name was Paul Xylander. He was your ancestor,
Reece. He is the reason you are an extremely vital person.”

Reece exhaled, “Are
you serious? He must have thousands—millions!—of descendants. I can’t be the
only one, there is no possible way.”

“Miss Bryant, you
can try to calculate the odds and complicate things more, if you desire.
However, none of it matters; you are his last surviving heir.”

Reece cocked her
head to the side, trying to follow him. “Okay, fine. So if this is true, and I
am, then I’m significant because I’m related to the man?”

Levi nodded. “For
the most part, yes. You see, after the powers of the stone were known to every
world and dimension, your ancestor hid it away, never to be found or discovered
again. But he genetically imprinted a map to its location within his mind. He
also fashioned it to pass down through all of his direct descendants.”

You’ve got to be
kidding me.
She thought.
“I
have a map in my mind?” Reece’s voice rose. “That’s what these people want?”

Levi chuckled. “In
a manner of speaking, yes. As my father said earlier, you are known throughout
all the dimensions as, ‘The Key’; the special one, who holds the knowledge
within their mind to the location of the stone. The map is not so easily
accessed, though. When your ancestor created this unique way of passing down
information, he also protected any mind that carries it. Your ancestor
considered this, and designed a defensive barrier around the information you
carry; this way, no one, not even one who possesses the talent to read and
alter minds, can access the information within yours.”

Reece swallowed
hard. “Well, should I know where this stone is then? I mean, it’s in my mind
right?”

“Yes, it is in your
mind; but no, you don’t have free access to it. Frankly, we’re not sure you’ll
ever be able to see the information locked inside your mind.”

“Oh.” She thought a
minute. “Well, how do you know these Ciatron people haven’t already taken the
information from me? Maybe it’s not even there anymore.”

Levi exhaled
softly. “Miss Bryant, the Ciatron are not the only individuals who can see into
people’s minds.” He stared intently at her.

It took her a
moment to understand what he was saying. “You’re telepathic. You’ve been
reading my mind all this time?” She edged away a little.

Levi laughed, but
he looked concerned, too. “It’s not as you imagine, Reece. Yes, we have that
capability, but we have control over it. We would never intrude into anyone’s
thoughts, unless their safety demands it.”

Reece lowered her
head. “And just when I was starting to appreciate your stories.”

“You have nothing
to fear, your mind is protected. Your thoughts are constantly rewriting
themselves; they are scrambled to those with the ability to read them. Trying
to read your mind is disorienting, to say the least.”

Reece turned back
to him. “So—you’ve tried?”

  Levi
stared at her intently. “As I said, only for protection. We had to see if the
Ciatron had found a way into your mind, and discovered you were the one they
were searching for. The one disguised as your father—we saw the effect he had
on you. We had to make sure your mind hadn’t let down its defenses.”

“The thought of
having my mind read—ugh. Well, at least good old Granddad thought ahead and
protected me from that.” She gave a small, bitter laugh. “So the Ciatron guy
didn’t get his information from me, then?”

“No, and that’s
what was happening in the park. They planned to take you into their world, and
retrieve the information through other methods.”

“Other methods? Um,
what other methods?”

Levi’s countenance
grew dark, “Methods that don’t include consideration for your well-being,
Reece. They would find a way to scrape the information out of your mind. The
Ciatron don’t care if they leave a brain intact when they’re done, either. This
is why our ancestors swore to yours, and all other worlds, that we would
protect the Key. Since you are the last of your ancestor’s bloodline, the map
is within only you now. You are the Key. We couldn’t take chances with your
welfare. It is why we brought you into our world. No other being, including the
Ciatron, can pass through the defensive barriers of Pemdas; you are perfectly
protected here. I hope you can see why we felt it necessary to bring you here.”

“Defensive
barriers? Was that the bright light that flashed in the car earlier, when we
should have crashed into the mountainside?”

Levi grinned, “No.
That was the vortex we drove through from Earth into the dimension of Pemdas.
We use our cars to pass through vortices; our horses are the only way to pass
over the protective barriers of Pemdas.”

She remembered the
horses jumping into the air, “The gray mist was the protective barrier?”

Levi nodded. “Yes.
And with that knowledge, I hope you will feel that you are safe here. Nothing
can cross over those barriers without our horses.”

  “Uh, yeah, I
guess. So, why do the Ciatron want to destroy all the dimensions anyway?”

  “It is not
destruction they seek, but control… destruction is merely a by-product of this
control.”

Reece stared at
Levi quizzically, “Control? Control of what?”

“Control over all
of the dimensions out there. The need for total power has always consumed the
Ciatron. If the stone was in their possession, they would have the power they
need to destroy any dimension that refused to serve under them. Right now, with
the stone hidden away, the Ciatron cannot achieve their greatest desire.”

“Unless, of course,
they find it…with the map that’s in my head? Well, isn’t that just fantastic
for me?” Reece returned sarcastically.