The Rings of Hesaurun Page 5

  up the high school ѕtерѕ together. Darcy couldn’t help

  but notice the hopelessness in her friend’s voice and felt

  sorry for her.

  What seemed like a tidal wave of students flоwеd out of buses and cars and into the building. Inside, the school’s common area was awash with students streaming in every possible direction. A multitude of voices echoed off the high-peaked ceiling as the students be

  gan their school day.

  Darcy called to friends and waved at more people

  than Valerie could count. It seemed Darcy knew everyone, and everyone seemed to know her. Though they

  were best friends, Valerie felt invisible walking next to

  her.

  “I dо not undеrѕtаnd how уоu dо it,” ѕighеd Valerie. “Do what?” Darcy said, raising her voice to be heard

  over the commotion.

  “You’re a social butterfly. You like everyone, and

  everyone likes you. I wish I were more like you that

  way.” But Valerie’s was just one small voice lost in a hall

  Ammong hundreds of others talking all at once. “Got to go, see you at lunch!” Darcy called, waved,

  then rushed off to class, leaving Valerie standing in front

  of their shared locker feeling glum.

  She hung her head against the locker door for a moment, staring dejected at the floor. Valerie wanted to be

  more sociable but just didn’t know how to do it. She was

  a loner at heart and knew it, which frustrated her to no

  end.

  As she slowly closed the locker door, she noticed

  Jack Dylan, a boy she was friendly with, talking to a girl

  she didn’t know. Valerie couldn’t help but stare as they

  laughed and joked together. She also couldn’t quell the

  jealousy welling in her chest. She and Jack were about as

  close as friends could be without being a couple. I wish Jack would talk to me that way, Valerie thought, straightening her glasses. I’ve known Jack Dylan since kindergarten, she reminded herself, eyeing the new girl. You

  don’t even know him! Who are you anyway?

  Valerie spun the dial on the lock then turned toward

  class, which took her past Jack and the girl he was talking

  to. But when Jack noticed her eyeing him, he abruptly

  excused himself from the conversation and fell in beside

  her. Valerie smiled at the fact that he had dropped the

  other girl like a hot potato, which improved her self-esteem a notch.

  “Hi Val, have a good weekend?”

  “Yeah, but I worked through most of it.”

  “You work too much!” Jack exclaimed, flashing a

  bright smile. “Finn had a party on Saturday. You were

  invited, weren’t you?”

  “Yeah, but I don’t care for him much, so I stayed

  home.”

  “Finn can be a jerk, but you should have come anyway. I was watching for you,” Jack said with one eye on

  Valerie, hoping for a reaction. Valerie felt it and smiled

  but kept her eyes off him for fear that her true feelings

  would show.

  “School’s out in two weeks, you should get out

  more,” Jack persisted. “What are you going to do this

  summer?”

  “Probably work in my dad’s office.”

  “More work, huh? See what I mean? You work too

  much!” Jack laughed.

  Valerie grinned. Jack’s laugh always dazzled her.

  He stopped in front of the Athletic Department door. “I

  have PE first period, so I have to go. You have my number, call me sometime, okay? I don’t want to lose track of

  you after graduation.”

  “I will, I mean, I won’t—“ Valerie stuttered. “ I won’t

  lose track of you after graduation, I mean. And call

  you.” Valerie blushed. Then she added, “We get our

  yearbooks today. Find me at lunchtime, and we’ll look

  at them together.”

  Jack scratched his head and smiled with amusement

  at her awkwardness but left it at that. “Sounds good.

  Bye,” he said as he pulled open the door.

  That was nice, Valerie thought as she watched him

  go. Right when I needed to feel good about myself, too. Was

  he asking me out? I hope so because if he does, I will definitely

  say yes. Heck, maybe I should ask him out myself! ________________________

  Lunchtime was a beehive of excitement as the students had received their yearbooks that morning. Few were actually eating; most were huddled in groups pouring over the pictures and talking. Others were up and down out of their seats as they eagerly swapped yearbooks signing them for one another.

  Valerie, Darcy, and their friends sat together at a long table, comparing pictures from the yearbook, talking and laughing together. Jack, Finn, and their friends gathered around the girls’ table and began sharing their yearbooks.

  Jack sat down directly across from Valerie while Finn slid next to her on the bench, which irritated Jack. Finn was close—too close, intentionally invading her personal space in an obvious attempt to be a nuisance. It wasn’t long before Finn, who loved to tease Valerie, found her yearbook photo then made a show of laughing loudly, slapping his forehead, and pointing at it as if it were insanely funny.

  “Dat girl so ugly. Oh lemme see dat again!” bellowed Finn, loud enough to be sure everyone within hearing distance saw and heard, then resumed laughing obnoxiously.

  Angry and embarrassed, Valerie’s eyes welled up and she slammed her book shut. She stood and slugged Finn’s shoulder, then left the table without a word. All eyes followed Valerie as she rushed from the lunchroom.

  “Not funny, Finn!” Darcy cried then ran after her friend, who was already out of sight. Everyone left at the table felt embarrassed by association. Finn, however, seemed very pleased with himself and continued laughing.

  Jack held his head in his hands for a long moment, struggling to control his anger, resisting the urge to hit Finn.

  “We’re done, Finn,” said Jack pushing himself up. “Stay away from Valerie and me—or I will explain it to you with this,” Jack growled, holding his fist under Finn’s nose. Then Jack left the room, and a moment later the table was empty.

  ________________________ After the last period, the girls met at their shared locker and walked home together, but they stayed off the subject of what happened during lunch. Instead, they gossiped about their girlfriends and how their lives would change after graduation day, well aware their care-free days as high school students were about to end. Would they stay in touch or drift apart? How different would their lives be in a year? Both girls hated the thought of losing touch with their friends.

  Valerie entered the house through the kitchen, feeling blue. Her mood was lifted immediately by Angie’s warm greeting. The little woman tended to dote on everyone, lavishing praise and love on them, Valerie more so than anyone.

  “Sit down, honey,” Angie said after a warm hug. Then she took Valerie’s pack. When Angie reappeared instantly with cookies and milk, Valerie immediately became suspicious. Angie seemed worried; Valerie knew something was afoot. She could feel it. The little woman didn’t appear to be angry, just nervous. Valerie doubted anyone they knew had died. Whatever’s bothering Aunt Angie must not be too serious, she decided.

  “How was your day?” Angie asked sweetly, clutching a hand towel to her chest.

  “Good, now that finals are over. Most classes are pretty much a waste of time now,” Valerie mumbled through a mouthful of cookies, petting her cat Orson under the table. She ate fast, thanked Angie for the snack, then carried the cat upstairs to her room.

  Dinner that night was one of Valerie’s favorites, homemade deep dish pizza, topped off with spu
moni ice cream. After doing the dishes, she wasn’t surprised when Jim called the family together to meet at the dinner table.

  “Val, we need to talk,” Jim said with a hint of gravity to his voice. “There’s something we need to tell you.”

  Valerie removed her eyeglasses and cleaned them with a heavy sigh. “I knew something was up, deepdish pizza, spumoni ice cream—I’m adopted, right?” she joked. But it didn’t help; the folks looked unusually ill-at-ease.

  “This involves your parents and the dreams you’ve been having,” Jim said. Aware he had her undivided attention, he allowed a moment for her to prepare for what came next. Valerie knew something disturbing was about to be disclosed but waited for it wordlessly, her hands clasped tightly on the tabletop. Angie covered Valerie’s hands with hers for support. Stress hung in the room like a dark cloud.

  “There’s something about your father’s family you need to know,” Angie said.

  “Alright, what is it?” Now Valerie was worried. This subject of her parents had been seldom addressed. Even after fourteen years it was still too sensitive, still too soon.

  “Well,” Jim began, pausing as he gathered his nerve. “Several things, actually. First—your parents didn’t die in an automobile accident; we told you that to protect you when you were little. Back then, we felt it was something you couldn’t understand because the truth is—“ He paused, swallowing hard.

  “What? Just say it!” Valerie insisted, now visibly upset.

  “It’s a lot different than what we told you,” continued Jim. “You need to understand what I am about to tell you is a secret. You cannot divulge. You must not share this information with anyone. Do you understand? It’s going to sound crazy, but it’s all true.”

  “Alright—I do, and I won’t,” Valerie agreed uneasily.

  “Val,” Jim croaked, then took a deep breath, “your parents never died in a car crash. They were murdered—a sorcerer killed Colin and Janet.” Then Jim added, “I refer to him as a sorcerer only because there is no other word for what he is.”

  Ridiculous as they sounded, Jim’s words made Valerie nervous. “You’re kidding, right?” she said, looking from one face to the other for any sign they were joking.

  “I wouldn’t lie to you, Valerie,” Jim assured the girl. “And this is something no one in their right mind would joke about.”

  Right mind? Valerie thought, focusing on those two words. Her mind flashed on the scene at lunch. Finn sure didn’t hold back from making her the subject of his jokes. Did that mean he wasn’t in his right mind when he purposely embarrassed her in front of everyone today?

  “How can you expect me to believe in sorcerers?”

  Jim drew in a deep breath, cringing. “His name is Stone,” Jim continued.” Call him what you like—magician, sorcerer, whatever— but I assure you he is real and he is dangerous. Stone has magic rings with tremendous power. He used that power to kill your parents. He nearly killed you, too. That is the real reason you have that scar.”

  Jim leaned forward now, searching Valerie’s eyes. “There’s more. We believe Stone will come for you. And that is why we are having this discussion.”

  “Me! Why?” cried Valerie, her face now a pale mask.

  “Take it easy, Jim! You’re scaring the poor girl!” scolded Angie.

  “You’re right. Sorry,” Jim said, leaning back in the chair. “Why don’t you tell her about Corell Paris.”

  Jim smiled at Valerie. She looked up and returned it, although weakly.

  Enough! Her mind thundered. This is enough! No one had to tell her it was all true; she sensed it. The memories of her parents’ deaths were like shadows that ran away from her whenever she searched for them. She didn’t know why, but suddenly those shadows were dragged into the light where they could no longer hide.

  “I know,” Valerie admitted shaking her long black hair, which now concealed her face entirely. When she raised her head, tears streamed on her cheeks.

  “I know it was murder; I can see it,” she blubbered, her head pounding. She felt as if she was coming apart at the seams. “How could I have not known this until now?”

  The hurt in Jim and Angie’s eyes said more than a thousand words ever could. A long pause passed between them as each made personal reminiscences of what happened that fateful day.

  “Repressed memories,” Jim said, breaking the silence, “which is not unusual among trauma victims.

  A trauma victim? Is that what I am? Valerie wondered. Once the wall collapsed, the truth came raging in upon her like a storm tide, uncovering long-buried memories. For the first time in fourteen years, Valerie recalled in detail the horrifying murders and resulting devastation wrought upon her family that tragic day. The man in black. He murdered them. Then something set him on fire! Heartbreak weighed heavy on her chest as she recalled searching for her mother and father but finding only carnage where she had last seen them.

  I remember, Valerie thought. I can see it now. I felt something strange, so I turned and looked—a giant of a man dressed in black appeared out of the shadows. He saw me and stopped because I knew him—felt him. I knew what he was and what he wanted to do. But he paid no attention to me because I was just a kid. Then there was a splash of light, and everything went dark all at once.

  When I awoke, my family was gone. I knew what happened and why, and that I would be forever alone. That monster took everything I loved away from me! Then laughed at me! I wanted to cry, but when he laughed at me, I was too angry to cry. I wanted to hurt him more than I wanted to cry. But I don’t remember anything more than that. But how could I ever forget the pain! The horrible pain!

  “Alright,” Angie said, trying to pick up where Jim left off.

  “Val, do you remember Corell Paris? He drops in on us occasionally. Jim and Corell have a history. Without him we would never have been able to understand what happened and why. He has been a Godsend. Without him, we could be totally in the dark about all of this.”

  Angie continued. “Corell is a relative. You knew that—right? According to him, Stone thought your father had a magic ring. He wanted it. He killed your parents for it. But the fool was mistaken; there never was any ring. Here’s the problem; Stone thinks you still have it, so it’s only a matter of time before he comes looking for you. And if he does,” Jim sighed, “he would not hesitate to kill you for it.”

  Valerie paled noticeably.

  “Honey,” Angie assured her, “we’re trying to protect you by sharing what we know with you.”

  Valerie continued with downcast eyes, sniffed, then nodded a silent reply. Angie handed her a napkin as she began to pull herself together.

  “What makes him think I have this—this magic ring he wants?”

  Angie turned to Jim expectantly, knowing he was best-suited to answer the question.

  “We Dunnes come from an ancient family,” Jim began. “Five magic rings have been handed down through our family line for thousands of years. Paris says power-hungry Hesauranaki, such as Stone, are continually at each other’s throats trying to steal one another’s rings. The family has lost control of most of them long ago.”

  “Paris said your father Colin was next in line to inherit his ring, but Stone jumped the gun and killed him before he ever got it. Colin never said a word to me about any of this, so everything I know has come from Paris. But I believe every word of it. The story is just too fantastic not to be true.”

  “Hesuranaki?” Now Valerie felt like her brain was going to burst. “What’s that?”

  “It’s what the people with the magic rings call themselves,” Jim replied.

  “I still don’t understand why he thinks I have a ring,” Valerie cried.

  “Don’t you see?” Angie exclaimed. “You are Colin’s only descendant, which makes you next in line to inherit Paris’ ring.”

  Next in line? Me? “Oh!” Valerie gasped, realizing she had missed the obvious.

  “Yes,” Jim added, “and that makes you a target. Yo
u’ve recently turned eighteen, so you are of age now. It’s only a matter of time before Stone shows up again looking for the ring you will inherit from Paris.”

  All was quiet at the table as each contemplated the impact of Jim’s warning.

  “I know,” Valerie admitted, breathing deeply, her heart pounding in her chest. “I dreamed of it just last night. Recently my dreams have been insane! I didn’t know why, but now it’s all beginning to make sense.”

  “You will have your ring soon, dear,” Angie cooed. “We expect Corell to come to you soon. You can trust him.”

  “What if I don’t want it? What then?”

  “I asked Paris the same question,” Jim conceded. “He said that you have no choice; it’s your ring, it wants you, and it will seek you out. I asked him to explain that, but he said you would tell us soon enough. That sounded pretty cryptic to me, but I couldn’t get him to say any more about it.”

  “He said I would tell you? What does that mean?” Valerie asked, exasperated, throwing her hands up.

  “I don’t know. Paris was planning to turn his ring over to Colin the day after the attack. Stone was waiting for them, which also means he was watching them.

  “Here’s another thing,” Jim added, “Paris said he saw him—Stone, I mean—after the funeral. That’s bad because that means he knows who we are and probably watches us, too.”

  Subdued now, Valerie nodded, picking nervously at the tablecloth.

  “Angie and I were close to your family, we visited regularly. One day, as Colin and I left the Blue Bird Café, we ran into Stone—literally. He was going in while we were leaving. Colin told me he had seen Stone following him. This guy must be close to seven feet tall—I’m six feet, and I was looking straight into his chest. I can tell you first-hand he is an intimidating character.”

  “Can you tell me more about this ring? I think it’s part of what I have been dreaming about.”

  “According to Paris,” said Jim, “it’s the fifth ring. He made it sound like there is something special about it, but never told me what makes this ring different from the others. You can ask him yourself; we expect to see him again any day. He said he would be back when you are eighteen.”