Forged by Greed (35 page)

“It’s not only that we’re more human than our predecessors
have
ever
been. Somewhere during our
evolution we became non-violent, and so did the Winter Race. This was really a
big step. Besides, we don’t even have to live in hot climates, like our
ancestors had to. In the same respect, the Winter people live outside of cold
places because they, like us, adjusted to different temperatures.” Jousenne
sighed and pursed her lips, considering.

Jasmira looked at her with increased interest.

“Although the world has changed, and both of our
Races have changed, our Goddesses still hold an amazing power, and—even after
all these millennia—they want complete obedience from us. We have no choice but
to do what’s expected of us.”

 
“The
Goddess says ‘jump’ and we do?” Jasmira asked incredulously.

“Pretty much. Or you risk putting yourself
and your loved ones
in danger.”

Jasmira backed to the wall. She bent her legs and
sat on the cool stone floor. Without taking her eyes off of her grandmother,
she quietly asked, “She did it, right? The Goddess. S
he
made that plane crash?”

“I don’t know for sure, dear. Nobody knows,”
Jousenne said, looking at the floor.

“What’s in the box? What did you mean by
the counterpart to the Amulet’s powers, Grandma?”

“In spite of all the precautions the Magicians took, they were still
concerned that one Goddess might eventually find a way to gain power over the
other and her Race.
” Jousenne sat down next to her
granddaughter. She put the velvet box on the floor and took Jasmira’s hand in
hers. “Don’t be afraid, child. I’ll try to help with whatever is expected from
you.”

Jasmira leaned toward her and wrapped her arms around
Jousenne.

“I’m scared, Grannie. I don’t know what to do.
Amber wants me to get back together with Jatred, but for all wrong reasons.”

Jousenne took Jasmira’s face in her hands and said,
“You will make an excellent Summer Queen, child. Just give yourself time to
adjust. Besides, there is not much to it.” She nodded reassuringly. “We have
the Historical Society and the Accords in place. You won’t be expected to do
much. And you are not alone, remember that.”

Jasmira looked at her grandmother. Despite sitting
crossed-legged on the floor, with her hair and clothes dripping wet Jousenne
still looked elegant. She lifted the box off the floor and offered it to
Jasmira.

“Open it, darling. Brace yourself though, you
will experience something new. B
ut don’t be afraid.
This is
Dasht-e Kavir,
the Amulet’s twin.”

Jasmira gingerly took the box but hesitated for a moment. She looked
at her grandmother, waiting for her to say more, but Jousenne remained silent.
Jasmira grasped the domed lid with her fingers and very slowly lifted it up.
Tiny droplets of sweat formed above her upper lip and forehead when a red light
escaped from the box. It illuminated the chamber, bathing it in a soft glow.
Both Shifters’ skin and hair took on a pink-red hue. Their black, almost
iris-free eyes shone with anticipation.

Suddenly Jasmira’s vision went colorless. Everything became black
and gray, and she felt a salty taste in her mouth.

“Are you okay, child?” Jousenne asked.

Jasmira simply nodded, lost for words. A small whimper escaped her
throat, and her lips parted in surprise. She heard a low murmur of far-away
voices: a chant repeated over and over. The inside of the box was layered in
white silk. In the middle lay the source of the light—a small round jewel set
in a wide disk of polished gold. Jasmira lifted it from the box. A long gold
chain of interlacing ovals trailed behind it. She put it in her hand, and the
jewel started slowly spinning inside the disk. Images of the running wolves
came to life on the gold surface surrounding the stone. Mesmerized, she watched
as they chased an invisible prey. She lifted Dasht-e Kavir and turned it around
to look at the back of the gold disk. It was gently vaulted to accommodate the
jewel, enclosing it like in a solid-back showcase. An image of the sun face was
etched in the gold, its twenty four rays stretching out. Twelve wavy rays alternated
with twelve straight, triangular ones. They slowly rotated around the outline
of the sun face, releasing thin golden tendrils of smoke into the air.

“The sun face,” Jasmira whispered. “The same as in our house.” She
looked at Jousenne, her eyes full of surprise. “There are symbols of
both
Races engraved in here. Why both?”

Jousenne nodded. “The Magicians created
Dasht-e Kavir
simply to offset the powers of the original Amulet, in case one of
the Goddesses tried to misuse what was actually meant to
provide stability in the world. Think of it as a liberator
of sort. You see the symbols of both Races
because
the Magicians made
Dasht-e Kavir
to equally serve and protect both Races.”

“
Dasht-e Kavir? What does it mean?”

“The Magicians made it
in the area that’s now known as the Dasht-e Kavir desert in Iraq,” Jousenne
said.

“How did you get it?” Jasmira’s
words came out in a breathy whisper.

“Your mother inherited it. Remember, she was the direct descendant
of one of the Magicians.
Dasht-e Kavir
has been
handed down from generation to generation and kept a complete secret,
especially from the Goddesses. Can you imagine what Amber or Crystal would do
if they found out?” Jousenne’s face looked calm, but her eyes were troubled.
“You have to swear not to reveal this knowledge to anybody. I mean it.”

Jasmira flinched at her grandmother’s raised voice and whispered, “I
promise not to tell anyone.”

The older woman nodded and, closing her eyes, sat in silence for a
moment, as if listening to her own thoughts. Jasmira looked at the wolves
running around the jewel. The voices, which she heard before, faded away, and
the colors slowly returned to her vision. Everything seemed too bright, so she
deliberately blinked a few times and, when this didn’t help, she squeezed her
eyes shut. When she looked again the brilliance of the colors returned to a
normal range, and the salty taste was gone from her mouth. Jousenne was
watching her with kind eyes.

“Grandma, when I touched
Dasht-e Kavir
all the
colors went black and white, like in an old photo. I tasted salt in my mouth,
and I heard voices.”

“It recognized you. You are the descendant of one of its creators.”

“What’s with the salty taste in my mouth?” Jasmira asked.

Jousenne gave a short laugh. “There is a lot of salt in the Dasht-e
Kavir desert.”

“Oh. Was it like that for Mom too?”

“Yes, that’s what she told me once.”

“How does
Dasht-e Kavir
work?”

“Nobody knows for sure, since the Amulet has never been misused. But
Dasht-e
Kavir
is our only hope to block the powers of the Universe
interlaced in the Amulet, especially when those powers double at the
ten-thousand-year mark. And if they are then abused, Amber will gain the
complete authority over both Races, and maybe even over Crystal. This can only
mean trouble. Big trouble.”

“But for that to happen, Jatred and I would have to be together at
the time of the winter solstice, right?” Jasmira asked quietly.

“Yes. This is the only thing that could set the wheels in motion.
Those powers of the Universe that are normally channeled through the King and
Queen of each Race would open up the opportunity for Amber to tilt the scale of
power to her side.” Jousenne looked away.

“And because the Summer Race has the female monarch. Me. Is that
right?”

“Yes. That’s correct. If the Winter Race had a Queen, and we, the
Summer Race, had a King, only Crystal would have the opportunity to grab those
Universal powers and rule over Amber and her Race.”

Jasmira’s eyes filled with hope. “So if Jatred and I stay away from
each other, at least until the winter solstice is over, nothing bad is going to
happen, right?”

Jousenne was silent. Her jaw was set and her brows drawn together.
She looked at Jasmira slow and hard. “You’ve already developed the Shifter’s
bond. It may get weaker, but it will never go away. The bond is what will
always bring you and Jatred together. Do you really think you two can stay away
from each other?”

Jasmira took a deep breath, held it in her lungs, and exhaled slowly.
“I think so. Now
everything
has
changed. I understand the danger.”

Jousenne saw a flicker of doubt in Jasmira’s eyes and pressed on.
“The bond between two Shifters, especially of the opposite Races, can be very
strong and hard to overcome. You and Jatred are the Queen and the King-to-be.
This only adds to the strength of the bond.”

“Then why has nobody ever stopped us? Nobody said anything about the
Amulet, the ten-thousand-year mark, or about the powers of the Universe before
it was too late.” Jasmira stood, her voice reverberating in the small chamber.

“Because nobody knew you and Jatred were together at first. You kept
it from me and everyone else for a long time, remember? And then you wouldn’t
leave him anyway. There was no talking to you. And it was too late anyway. The
bond had been established.”

Jasmira sat down slowly,
Dasht-e Kavir
clenched in
her fist. The red light leaked from between her fingers, outlining them in a
bloody glow.
 
“I know.” Her head hung low,
and she didn’t sound as if she wanted to elaborate.

Jousenne lifted the velvet box off the floor and opened the domed
lid. She nodded at Jasmira to return the jewel to its case. Jasmira gently
deposited
Dasht-e Kavir
inside the box, watching as the
running wolves came to a sudden halt and, turning their heads, looked at her
with their bright-red eyes. She gasped and quickly closed the lid.

CHAPTER 40

Human World, November 18,
late morning and afternoon.

“Jasmira’s grandma returned this morning from Hawaii. It was a
surprise, since she came back a few days early. I don’t think we can meet up
there like we’d planned. Besides, I have a feeling she had something super urgent
to discuss with Jasmira.” Penelope talked into her cell phone. She walked
briskly to her car parked in front of the mansion.

“Meet me up at that new bakery in Fremont
for lunch
in a couple
of hours. I have a lot to tell you. But first I’m gonna go for a walk to clear
my mind. And then I want to check out some of those funky stores there.”
 

Penelope got in the car, turned the key in the ignition, and flipped
the windshield wiper switch on. A mist of tiny droplets covered the windshield.
The wipers moved across it in an arc, pushing aside two red-and-yellow leaves
that were stuck to the glass. Penelope pressed the CD player button, and loud
music filled the car, its deep bass emphasizing the rhythm. She bobbed her
head, stretching her neck to look in the rear view mirror.

 
“I look like crap,” she
muttered, frowning. She reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a
large hair clip. Twisting her hair at the back of her head, she secured it with
the clip, pulling a few thin strands around her ears. “Much better,” Penelope
smiled. She turned her head from side to side to get a better look in the
mirror.

Fifteen minutes later she parked her Audi in front of a small
bakery. She got out, shuddered, and looked around. Late Sunday morning was a
perfect time for Seattle residents to walk their dogs, to jog, or stroll with
friends and family members, coffee cups in hand. Penelope put her jacket on and
zipped it all the way to her chin. She stuffed her hands in the pockets and
felt the furry gloves with her fingers. She set out in a slow stride, peering
in the stores’ windows.

Almost two hours later Penelope walked inside the small bakery,
where she parked her car earlier on. She sat at the table closest to the door.
 
Her cell phone rang, and she pulled it out of
her purse. She looked at the screen, tapped it with her fingernail, and pressed
the phone to her ear.

“Hi, Mom. I’m fine, in case that’s what you’re going to ask,” she huffed,
rolling her eyes. “No, I just left Jasmira’s house. I’m gonna have lunch at a
bakery.”

The door opened, and Erik walked in, his blond surfer-style hair tousled.
Penelope smiled at him and mouthed silently, “Mom,” pointing to the phone. He
nodded and kissed the top of Penelope’s head.

“Mom, why are you so upset?” Penelope said in a hushed voice. “I’ll
be home soon. That earthquake yesterday really got to you. Don’t worry. We aren’t
due another one for a long time.”

Erik took a few steps to the counter and bent over to look in the
pastry case. A young heavy-set woman smiled broadly at him. She nodded her head
toward the scones. “I just got those out of the oven. They are my favorite.”