The Maiden Medallions: Beastkeeper Read online

  I sense your impatience.

  “Well, yes, it’s bloody cold and I’m getting hungry! Did you find what we need?” he asked, taking some steps towards the cave.

  My work here is not yet complete. Go. When you return, I will have answers.

  Shivering, he waved his hand dismissively. “You won’t get any argument from me.”

  Jeremiah made his way to the bottom of the pit. Mounting the platform without breaking stride, he stepped through the portal and left The Wayward behind.

  Back in the small room of his personal chambers, he touched the skull’s forehead, traced an unseen glyph and deactivated the portal. Closing the container housing the skull, he locked the room, swept through his bedroom, then returned to his main office. Using his private elevator, Jeremiah descended to the first floor beneath the mansion.

  The elevator opened and he walked out into a bright lobby. A security guard sat with his back turned watching a bank of television monitors. Situated behind glass in a large booth, the security station was adjacent the main entrance used to enter and exit the science labs.

  Jeremiah placed a hand on the fingerprint scanner, then proceeded through the doors into the science lab corridor. Scanning the long hallway, he found it quiet and deserted. Looking at his Rolex watch, he realized most of his science staff had long since gone home for the night.

  He kept an office at the end of the hall. Strolling down the corridor, he glanced through the large bay windows into the various labs. Most were empty, but there was still some activity in a few of them. Jeremiah stopped and tapped on a window in order to draw the attention of his chief scientist still hard at work.

  A short, East Asian, middle-aged man with glasses, Dr. Steven Lee was in charge of the medallion’s analysis. Turning at the rapping on the window pane, he saw his employer and flashed him a thumbs up.

  Jeremiah poked his head through the door. “You’ve got something for me?”

  “Yes. We’ve made some progress and I’ve got something else to show you,” he responded with enthusiasm.

  “Good. Meet me in my office when you’re done here.”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  After he left the medallion with Dr. Lee, Jeremiah let it be known it was now his number one priority. Because of that he was hardly surprised to find his lead scientist working late into the night. Reaching his office, he opened the door and went inside. Flipping on the lights, Jeremiah sat down at his desk, then called the kitchen to have some food brought to him. Removing his tinted glasses, he rubbed his eyes before sliding them back on.

  While waiting for his meal, Dr. Lee arrived holding a large silver laptop.

  “Come in, come in.” Jeremiah waved him inside.

  Entering the office, the scientist placed the laptop on the desk. Opening it up, he pressed a sequence of keys and the computer hummed to life. Dr. Lee looked up from the screen. “We analyzed the item. It wasn’t easy let me tell you.” He paused, but Jeremiah remained silent. “The item is definitely infused with some kind of energy. We were able to activate it, but only for a few seconds at a time.”

  “Excellent work, doctor. How were you able to activate it?”

  “Well, sir, with details provided by Marcus pertaining to the recovery site, we ran a series of highly successful experiments. We now know the item is somehow linked to turtles, though I suspect it may be connected to the entire reptilian class. We’ll be running additional tests tomorrow to gauge my hypothesis.”

  Jeremiah nodded. “I agree with your suspicion. You’re on the right track. What else have you learned?”

  “As you’ve stated before, communication is a basic function of the medallion. Unfortunately, we were unable to move beyond that level.”

  “For now,” Jeremiah said.

  Dr. Lee smiled. “Yes...for now. My staff and I have concluded that, although only on a rudimentary level, we were successful at establishing communication between the bearer of the medallion and the test subjects, in this case, the turtles.”

  “Fantastic work, Steven. I’m very pleased.”

  “Thank you, sir. I have a theory I’d like to present.”

  “By all means. I’d like to hear it.”

  “I think the reason we were unable to keep the medallion active for more than a few seconds at a time is due to the person activating the item. My assistants weren’t able to tap its abilities with any sort of ease. A high level of focused concentration was needed in order to communicate with the test subjects. And it was a controlled environment. I’m not sure the item would even work in a real world situation. This may be a design flaw, but then why would it be designed in such a way?”

  “True. It would prove utterly useless if this was the case.”

  Someone knocked on the door bearing Jeremiah’s food. He eyed the meal consisting of lasagna and a beer left on his desk. Picking up a fork, he cut a piece off and began to eat.

  “What else, doctor?” he asked between mouthfuls.

  “I believe there are people capable of activating and sustaining the medallion for prolonged periods.”

  “That would make sense.”

  “I may have a lead on just this type of individual.”

  Jeremiah placed his fork down. Folding his hands together, he rested them against his chin.

  “The data we collected on the medallion’s energy readings was uploaded into the W.A.R. room’s computers,” Dr. Lee said. “On a whim, I searched for any analogous energy signatures picked up by satellite.”

  “You found a match,” Jeremiah said.

  “Not only a match but a powerful and sustained burst.

  “Get to the point, doctor.”

  “What I’m saying is, there’s another of these items, another medallion out there...and someone has the ability to tap into its power far more efficiently than we have.”

  “Where did this reading originate from?” Jeremiah inquired. He knew of the existence of other medallions. He just didn’t know where to search.

  “Up in Canada...a little north of Vancouver.”

  That is, until now.

  10

  James picked up his backpack, set the security alarm and then hurried out the front door. Locking it behind him, he walked quickly to the Mustang idling in the driveway. Danny had been waiting for over ten minutes and surely wasn’t going to be thrilled about it.

  But Danny failed to react at all. In the past when James had made him wait, he would honk the horn and scold him each step of the way from front door to car door. This time Danny just looked at him as James climbed into the front seat.

  “Morning.” James thought his friend looked weary. His eyes were red and haggard. “You look bagged, pal. Didn’t get much sleep last night?”

  “I don’t think I slept at all,” Danny said, backing the car out of the driveway.

  “Yeah, I hear ya. Don’t think I slept either, not a lot anyway.”

  They pulled into the school parking lot with just minutes to spare before first period began. Sprinting across the lot to the main building, they worked their way through the hordes of teenagers all rushing to get somewhere.

  As they passed the cafeteria, James remembered something that had completely slipped his mind. But it was already too late. He spotted Cooper and his friends loitering nearby.

  James couldn’t believe his misfortune. The instant he steps back onto school property, he immediately has Cooper to deal with. Seeing no way to avoid him, he put on a brave face and glanced over at Danny.

  To his surprise, Danny was walking away and mumbling something he couldn’t quite make out. That’s just great, he fumed. James knew he only had seconds before Cooper would be in his face giving him the tough guy routine. So when Cooper smiled at him in his toothy, wicked way, then turned and walked with his entourage in the opposite direction, he didn’t know how to react.

  He stood rooted in place as everyone around him hurried to class. The tension coiled in his stomach started unwinding and his pound
ing heart eased up. Cooper’s behavior baffled him, but he gladly accepted the reprieve.

  Watching Cooper wander down the hall, James waited for him to turn back and run towards him or at least flash a dirty look in his direction. But he just kept walking and laughing with his friends. When James lost sight of him, he turned in the opposite direction and headed for some stairs to the second floor.

  James felt as if he moved through a waking dream. Being here at school, seeing Cooper in the hall, none of it seemed as important as it once did. Arriving at his locker, he fumbled with the lock before tossing his pack inside. Putting the lock back in place, a hand suddenly slapped him on the back. James yelled as he spun around and braced himself for the inevitable showdown with Cooper.

  To his great relief, it wasn’t Cooper and his cronies. Murph and Kyle stood there grinning at his reaction.

  “Hey, sorry about that,” Murph said, his smile fading. “How’ve you been? I haven’t seen you since Sunday.”

  “It’s only Tuesday. It hasn’t been that long.”

  “I know, but after what happened the other day...I’m just asking. You are okay, right?”

  “I’m fine.”

  Murph and Kyle stayed silent.

  “I am. It’ll just be a while before I go hiking again,” James said with a slight grin.

  “Be a while before any of us go again,” Kyle said.

  “You wanna come over and hang out for a bit after school?” asked Murph. “I got a new video game we can try.”

  “Sure, I guess. I gotta go guys. Gonna be late for class.” Securing his locker, James went to his first class of the day.

  The morning dragged by. James kept looking at the clock which didn’t help the day go any faster. Eventually, noon arrived and he went by Danny’s locker to meet up for lunch.

  But Danny didn’t show up.

  After waiting around for ten minutes, James headed for the cafeteria. He thought he might find him there because for some strange reason, Danny liked the food they served. But he wasn’t there. Cooper, however, stared at him from across the cafeteria.

  Not wanting a confrontation, James immediately left. Risking a quick glance back, he was relieved to find Cooper talking with a couple of girls instead of coming after him. But it left him wondering if Cooper was playing games. He acted as if everything was right between them.

  Exiting the school through the rear doors, James walked across the field towards the baseball diamond. He called Danny along the way but hung up after a few rings. Reaching the stands, he climbed to the back row and watched some guys taking batting practice. Moments later, his phone started buzzing.

  “Hey, Danny.” James heard his friend’s tone. Danny was in one of his moods. “Yeah, I called you,” he said. “Didn’t see you around at lunch so...yeah, anyway, where you at?” He listened to the answer. “Right. Working on those anger issues I bet,” James said jokingly after Danny informed him he was at the gym.

  But Danny didn’t seem to have a sense of humor today. “Okay, later then.” After hanging up, James mulled over his friend’s attitude. He thought he knew what might be troubling Danny. It was likely the same thing that was bothering him.

  This time last week they understood their place in the world. They went to school and had friends and did homework like other kids. Today, they knew their world intersected with one filled with ancient magic and mysterious shaman, where nightmarish creatures were considered a mode of transport and expectations were heaped upon slender shoulders. That world touched their lives now, and he knew they had little hope of keeping it at bay.

  ***

  Evelynn gazed out the main floor bedroom window, the morning sky signifying another beautiful day. She intended to take advantage of the weather because the opportunity to enjoy the sun could be gone in a little while; the assignment Jeremiah mentioned was bound to start soon.

  Her phone vibrated indicating a received text. Jeremiah requested she join him for a mission briefing over breakfast in the Gardens Cafe, an outdoor gathering place on the grounds behind the mansion. Putting on white shorts and t-shirt over her undergarments, Evelynn exited the room disregarding the mess left behind knowing housekeeping would clean up after her.

  Passing the fountain on her way to the glass doors, she heard voices from above. Glancing at the upper offices, a courier was delivering office supplies as security stood nearby talking about sports.

  The glass doors slid open granting her access to the sprawling outdoors at the back of the estate. Walking out onto the marble courtyard, the day invigorated her body and mind. A warm breeze brushed against her skin as she stretched for a few minutes off to the side of the courtyard. Evelynn felt the guards eying her from the security booth. They turned their attention back on work after realizing she noticed them. Jogging down the courtyard steps with a smile on her face, Evelynn understood that boys will be boys no matter where in the world she might be.

  Following one of the cobblestone paths crisscrossing the grounds, she approached an expansive array of colorful flowers set on top of a circular wall. Surrounding the café, the rounded, concrete barrier was split in two, the large gaps serving as unobstructed entranceways into the self-contained eatery.

  Evelynn reached an opening. The place looked deserted but she couldn’t see all of it yet. Entering the cafe, she spotted Jeremiah sitting at a table off to one side. And he wasn’t alone. Sandra was with him, the two of them sharing an intimate conversation that ended abruptly at the sight of her.

  Jeremiah smiled warmly. “Good morning, Evey. Come, join us.” He motioned for her to sit in the empty chair beside him. “We have coffee, some orange juice. Breakfast will arrive shortly.”

  Greeting them both, Evelynn sat down and poured herself some coffee. Leaning back, she bathed in the warmth of the day.

  “Ahh, good,” Jeremiah said. “Here comes Therese with some breakfast. I hope you’re both hungry.”

  “Therese is here?” Evelynn stood up and grinned at the girl carrying a tray laden with croissants, an assortment of fruit and cheese, and some jam. Setting the tray on the table, she barely had time to move before Evelynn swept her up in a tight embrace.

  “Therese! It’s so good to see you! How long have you been back?”

  “Not long,” said the smaller girl with a long dark ponytail. “I work in the kitchen now.”

  “I can tell,” Evelynn said, still smiling. “But what happened to you and–”

  Jeremiah cleared his throat. “Thank you, Therese. That will be all for now. Thank you.”

  The demure girl nodded, then glanced at Evelynn before turning to leave.

  “We’ll talk later,” Evelynn said.

  “Okay.” Therese walked over to another group of people waiting to be served.

  “Wow, that was unexpected,” Evelynn said, her face beaming joy. “I haven’t seen her since...” She caught sight of Jeremiah’s face. It was obvious he didn’t share in her happiness at seeing her childhood friend once again.

  “Evelynn, please, we have things to discuss.” Jeremiah reached for a croissant. “Your mission is a go. Tell me,” he said before taking his first bite, “have either of you been to Canada?”

  Evelynn glared at him. “You know I have–and you know I work alone.” She looked across the table at Sandra. “No offense.”

  Sandra shrugged but had nothing to say.

  “I understand that,” Jeremiah said. “But not in this case. This is not your usual kind of assignment.”

  Evelynn sipped her coffee, then scooped up a handful of strawberries from a bowl. “What’s different about it? I’m sure you want me to steal something, right?” She bit down on a strawberry.

  Jeremiah laughed. “Yes, you’re right about that. The truth is I don’t know exactly where the object is. I just have a general idea.”

  “Canada is a big place,” Evelynn said, a smirk creasing her lips.

  “The item I want is in a town called Charmington. It’s an hour north of Vancou
ver. That’s all we have to go on.”

  “What? Do you expect us to search the entire town?” Evelynn paused. “I guess that’s why you’re coming along...to help me search,” she said to Sandra.

  “No. I’ll be driving, you’ll be searching,” Sandra answered.

  “Of course I don’t expect that,” Jeremiah said, ignoring their banter. “Our satellite recorded the initial energy reading. I’ll have it repositioned to focus on the town. When another reading is picked up, you’ll be onsite to track it down.”

  “Energy reading? What is this item you want so badly?” Evelynn asked.

  “It’s a medallion.”

  “Is it special?”

  “I believe it is,” Jeremiah said.

  Evelynn reached for a croissant. “So, what are you proposing? We just hang around in...what’s it called?”

  “Charmington.”

  “Right. We just hang out there and hope this medallion thingee goes off? What if it doesn’t? What then?”

  “I’m looking at bringing in some outside help,” Jeremiah said.

  “Other than Sandra, you mean.”

  Jeremiah glanced at his personal assistant. “Yes, other than her.”

  “Fine. It’s your call. When do we leave?”

  “Within twenty-four hours. In the meantime, get prepared, the both of you,” Jeremiah said. “And Evey, I suggest you consider all contingencies. This assignment may prove unpredictable.”

  Evelynn nodded, then took a bite of her croissant.

  “Now, if you lovely ladies will excuse me.” Jeremiah wiped his mouth with a napkin. Getting up from the table, he left the women staring at one another.

  11

  Jeremiah thought the meeting went well, all things considered. He wasn’t surprised Evelynn fussed over having to work with a partner, but in the end, she did as he asked. He was closing in on a second medallion, and even though Evelynn was more than capable of dealing with most situations, he couldn’t risk the chance of failure; he doubted there would be a second opportunity to acquire it if she did. Sending Sandra along increased the odds of finding the medallion and bringing it back to him.