Chapter 8

Early morning after the wedding
Nexus Ranch
Harborton, Washington

Maria felt herself drop into a deep delicious sleep safe in Ben’s arms. Just as consciousness drained from her a sudden chill swept over her and she was fully awake and not in bed anymore. It was dark, almost black and she felt she was standing barefoot on cool rough cobblestones. She stood in some sort of room. Dimly she sensed an opening a few feet in front of her and another slightly behind her. Strangely she felt no fear, just curiosity, she’d never had a dream like this before.

Suddenly there was a silvery chime and then a cool pale blue light began filtering down through the opening in front of her allowing her to see it was a stone staircase leading down to where she stood. As she looked up the staircase she could see a nearly full moon and some stars lighting a midnight sky.

The silvery chime was repeated and the starry sky was briefly occluded as a feminine figure entered the stairwell. Maria could hear the click of heels on the stone as the figure descended. On the last step, the woman lifted her hand and torches flared in wall sconces placed about the room.

The figure was revealed in the flickering torchlight to be a beautiful woman in a long, flowing, black dress with a blood-red rose pinned to the low bodice. Her glorious hair was piled up high on her head in glimmering obsidian ringlets with a silver and tortoiseshell comb holding it in place.

“Madre de Dios!” exclaimed Maria as she crossed herself. No- it couldn’t be her time yet! She was not ready! Ben! But then she felt a serene wave of calm and warmth touch her as the dark woman spoke.

“Peace to you child, I am not here to guide you home. But we do need to talk,” said the mysterious figure with a smile. Her voice was a soft, pleasing dulcet but to Maria, it didn’t sound quite human and had a slight, odd, echo-like reverberation.

“Lady of the Dead, I am honored,” said Maria, respectfully with a slight bow.

To Maria, the woman didn’t appear to be more than a few years older than herself, but you could see the weight of millennia carried in her ebony eyes. Maria’s hands flew to her mouth as she suddenly realized that this woman could easily be her sister!

“Ah, I see you picked up on the resemblance!” said the figure with a very un-supernatural chuckle. “I can’t tell you much at the moment, but yes, we are related and the universe works in some very interesting ways.”

“Yes, Lady- but how-why...?”

“Let’s just say that you, your family, and your origins have been of interest to me and others since before you were born. It was no accident how you met Sarah and Ben in that schoolyard so long ago.”

“So you brought us together?”

“Beings like myself don’t have that kind of power, and if we did, we would not use it. You of your world must have free will to serve the light, we cannot require it of you. But I do have some small ability to read a spreading web of events and we were able to juggle a few minor elements to bring you into contact with each other. From that point though, your own nature’s set your path.”

“Sarah and I did feel right as friends from the very beginning, and even as a girl I could see where she and Ben were heading!”

“Yes, it was like watching a spark start a bonfire!”

“You were there?”

“Yes my child, I have always been with you. I have to say watching your soul sister thrash that bully was pretty entertaining. But even more enlightening was what happened before he cornered you against the building.”

“What do you mean?”

“I saw you taunt that bully to draw him away from a younger child. Even though you were terrified and alone- you were willing to sacrifice for another. It was then that I knew that the bravery of your father and the fortitude of your mother had passed to you and that I had chosen well.”

“Thank you, Lady, but anyone would have done the same.”

“Sadly, not true child, sometimes I despair of your world.” the Lady said with a sad smile and paused in thought. “One thing I didn’t foresee is that you and the hero would bond so tightly.” she continued, brightening slightly.

Maria was astonished to see the dignified Lady blushing slightly.

“Please pardon me, but any major event in your life draws me in and I ... uh couldn’t help but see what happened with you and Ben tonight. Wow!”