The Amulet (Custodian Novel # 1)

CHAPTER FIVE

  The sun peeking through the curtains awoke Faedra on the morning of her eighteenth birthday. She stretched and rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she turned over to look at the time on the clock that was sitting on her nightstand. It told her that it was six thirty in the morning.

  “Urgh, it’s still early,” she moaned.

  Faen was lying on the rug next to her bed and stirred when he heard her move. He sat up and looked at her, wagging his tail as he always did when he greeted her in the morning.

  “Hey, boy, it’s still early. I’m going back to sleep again for a while.” She moved to turn back over, but something caught her eye as she did. Pushing herself up on her elbows, she looked straight ahead at her doll’s house. There resting up against the wall of the house was an envelope that simply read, ‘Faedra’.

  She looked around the room, not quite sure what she expected to see, maybe her dad peeking through her door. Had he put it there as a surprise for her when she woke up? She got out of bed and wandered over to the doll’s house, picked up the envelope and went back to sit under the covers. The envelope had an old-fashioned wax seal as a closure on the back.

  “That’s odd,” she said, pulling her eyebrows together. “Who on earth seals an envelope like that anymore?” She had seen plenty of examples of them in the museum, but had never seen it on a modern day letter.

  She opened the envelope with care and pulled out a letter. She could feel something else in the envelope and tipped it up. A ring fell out onto her comforter. She picked it up so she could examine it.

  “Wow, that’s unusual,” she whispered as she held the ring between her thumb and forefinger, inspecting it from all angles. It looked very old. She didn’t recognize the metal it was made from. It didn’t look like gold or silver, although, it did look gold in color; maybe some type of copper mix. There was no stone in the ring; it was solid metal throughout. The main part of the ring was square and had what looked like a Celtic design engraved on it. There was a different symbol in each of the four corners of the ring and they looked like little swirls going in different directions. The band came down from the square and they, too, were engraved with several rows of etched lines. The band itself was thick. It was a ring of substance but didn’t look too oversized for a female to wear.

  Faedra slid it on the ring finger of her right hand and it fit perfectly. As soon as the ring was in place, a warm sensation emanated up her finger and throughout her hand. She stared at it, then brought her hand nearer to her face so she could inspect it more closely. Her eyes widened as she watched the symbols glow for a few seconds and then fade back to normal again.

  She picked up the letter and watched as goose bumps flashed up her arms; an involuntary shiver was sent hurtling down her back. For some inexplicable reason, she had a feeling that she was not going to like what this letter had to say, but, after taking a deep steadying breath, she opened up the papers. She noticed that Faen was staring intently at her now as she scanned the top of the first page, which made her gasp.

  “This is Mum’s writing, I recognize it from my old birthday cards that I kept,” she said to him and then turned her attention back to the letter and started to read.

  My Dearest Faedra,

  If you are reading this letter, something prevented me from being with you on your 18th birthday. I have probably been taken from you and your father. There are things you need to know and it is best that you hear them from me. For that reason, I wrote this letter to be given to you in the event that I could not be there in person. Before you read any further, make sure that you have Faen sitting beside you.

  Faedra looked quizzically at her dog. “Mum says before I read this I need to have you beside me.”

  Faen pricked up his ears, jumped on the bed, laid his head on Faedra’s leg, and looked at her. His beautiful amber eyes were burning with understanding.

  “You do understand everything I say, don’t you? And how does Mum know your name, you turned up after she had died?” She drew in a breath as the incomprehensible happenings of the recent past started to make the tiniest bit of sense, and continued to read the letter.

  By now you may have been experiencing things that you cannot understand. I wish I were there to tell you myself and answer all your questions, of which I’m sure there will be plenty. I shall start at the very beginning and hope that I can answer most.

  Faedra, you are a direct descendant of an ancient Celtic bloodline. Thousands of years ago there was a family and they were fae. Yes, faeries do exist. This family desperately wanted to become human and live in the World of Men. The fae king at the time could see their desire, although, he could not understand it. They were so desperate that the king eventually granted them their wish, on one condition. Should he ever need their help in the World of Men, they would consent. The fae family agreed to his condition. In addition, the king allowed them each to keep one of their distinct powers. More concerned for their well-being than they seemed to be themselves, he also allowed them to keep their ability to heal much faster than normal humans.

  The family lived happily among men for many years. Living among the fae had become a distant memory until one day the king visited them. He was seeking a place to secure a very precious element of fae heritage and asked the family if they would look after it for him. Remembering the king’s generosity and their previous agreement, they agreed to his request; the king handed them the Amulet of Azran.

  Let me explain a little more about the amulet. There is a book the fae use to help control nature, in all realms, not just ours. It is a very powerful book called the Book of Anohs. The amulet was created to be utilized in conjunction with the book and it has the power to control weather when the two elements are put together. On its own, it is nothing more than a pretty trinket. The king realized that if the book and the amulet got into the wrong hands, the results could be devastating in all realms, and he was not willing to take that risk anymore.

  You see, there are two types of fae in Azran. There are the Light Fae, also known as the Seelie, who are good, and the Dark Fae, known as the Unseelie, who are evil. The king had reason to believe that the Unseelie were plotting to try and take control of the two elements. He bound the book with powerful magic to protect it and hid the amulet in another realm… ours.

  The amulet has been passed down throughout our descendants since it was given to them all those centuries ago. I was Custodian, but if you are reading this letter I have probably died and will have made sure that it was passed to you at the time of my death. You are now the Custodian of the Amulet of Azran.

  Faedra looked up from the letter in disbelief, all kinds of crazy thoughts swimming around in her head.

  “This is ridiculous. I’m a receptionist. The only thing I’m custodian of is the key to the coffee machine so I can refill the cups,” she muttered to Faen then continued on with the letter.

  First, we must get the amulet around your neck. Once you turn eighteen you must wear it always and never, ever take it off. I cannot stress how important that is. It is warded so that only the Custodian can touch it. You will find the amulet in Arianne, the fairy I gave you. If you push her wings together they will unlock a secret compartment in the horse’s body.

  Faedra looked over to her fairies, eased herself out of bed, and crept over to her collection. She opened the glass door and plucked Arianne from the center of the shelf. She carried her back to bed and got back under the covers. Faedra sat and looked at Arianne for the longest time, staring at her in disbelief. Her heart was racing, and her hands started to tremble. She took a deep steadying breath and held the two outstretched wings between her thumb and forefinger, held her breath, and squeezed them together. The wings were stiff and she was terrified of breaking them, but with a little more pressure they closed together, and Faedra heard a tiny click. She held Arianne around the waist and lifted her from the position she had, sitting astride t
he majestic black horse.

  She peeked into the body of the horse. It was hollow and inside was a small bundle of soft golden cloth. Reaching in with her fingers, she took hold of the small golden pouch and extracted it from its hiding place. She lay the horse down on the bed beside Arianne and turned her attention to the pouch once more. Her fingers trembled again as she undid the thin gold braid that was tied around the top and tipped it upside down allowing the contents to drop into the open palm of her other hand. She sucked in a deep breath.

  The amulet was her mother’s necklace. She had often wondered what happened to it, as she could not remember ever seeing her mother without it. But neither Faedra nor her father had ever been able to find it after she died. Now she knew why, it had been hiding in her collection, in plain sight, for over a decade.

  Faedra had always loved this necklace. She stared down at it, not quite comprehending that she was holding it in her hand after all this time. The amulet triggered memories she thought were forgotten, and they came flooding back to the forefront of her mind. Wonderful memories of the times she spent with her mother.

  The amulet was a pendant about an inch and a half in size and triangular in shape. It looked like it was made of silver and there were swirls covering the face of the piece. Celtic no doubt, she thought. In the center was a beautiful yellow stone, which looked like a topaz. The facets of which sparkled in the sunlight that was spilling through the window.

  Faedra gazed at the amulet for a few more moments, soaking up the memories it was provoking in her mind. She got up from the bed and walked over to her dresser, opened the clasp, and put the chain around her neck. As soon as the metal touched her skin, the stone glowed, for just a second; she definitely saw it glow in the reflection in the mirror. She wasn’t sure of what she’d seen when the ring had glowed. Faedra thought it was just a trick of the light. But this time she almost expected it… she was waiting for it to do something. After a moment more of gazing at the amulet, she got back on the bed, sat cross-legged on top of the comforter, and continued on with the letter.

  The ring you found in the envelope is a Celtic battle ring. It is over two thousand years old, and was crafted by our ancestors. Wear it, also, and never take it off. It will warn you if danger is near.

  Now, here comes the tricky part.

  Faedra raised her eyebrows at that comment. Her mother had thought that everything else she had explained so far in the letter was easy? She sighed, and continued reading.

  Remember I said that we are descendants of an ancient fae family, and the members of this family were each allowed to keep one of their powers? You will have one; although no one knows which power they will inherit until they become of age. You are now of age, Faedra, and your power will grow to full strength shortly. You have probably also noticed by now that you heal incredibly quickly. This does not mean that you can’t die or be killed. You can, so be very very careful.

  Until you turned of age, powerful wards that were put on you when you were born protected you. Nothing evil could have penetrated those wards. Unfortunately, they dissipated the moment you turned eighteen and no longer protect you. Make it your duty to learn how to defend yourself. Hopefully, you will not have a need to use defensive measures, as only three people know the whereabouts of the amulet. Faen will be able to teach you all you need to know.

  Now, that brings me to the subject of Faen.

  Faedra looked at her dog, who was still sitting on the bed watching her intently.

  I have explained about as much as I can in a letter and I will leave the rest to Faen. I asked the day you were born that he be assigned as your Guardian if anything should happen to me. It is probably easier if Faen shows you, rather than me try to explain it. Please do not be afraid, he will look after you. Now, if I could ask you to say out loud the phrase at the bottom of this letter.

  I love you, my darling. Take care and learn all you can.

  Forever, Mum

  Faedra’s goose bumps returned with a vengeance. She looked up from the letter to stare at her dog who was now sitting up attentively, watching and waiting. She looked down at the letter again, and back at Faen. She did this several times, her mind whirling, confusion splashed all over her face. Finally, she took a deep breath, looked down at the letter, and read with a quiver in her voice.

  “Faen, please, show yourself?” It came out more like a question than a statement.

  Faen jumped off the bed and stood in front of her on the floor. What happened next was a bit of a blur; actually, that’s exactly what happened. Her dog blurred, and a split second later, in its place, stood a man.

  She threw her hand up to cover her mouth as a scream broke free from her vocal chords. She knew if her dad heard he would be up the stairs and through her door in a flash. She backed herself up against the headboard and stared with wide, frightened eyes at the stranger standing just a few feet away. Her heart pounded so hard all she could hear was the pulse in her ears. Her hands went clammy and her breathing quickened.

  “Do not be alarmed, Ms. Bennett,” Faen’s voice was calm and steady. “I will not harm you.”

  Faedra couldn’t speak, her throat had closed up. She could see the concern spreading across the man’s face. He started to move towards her with his hand outstretched. She edged herself along the bed, pushing the bed covers away with her feet as they scrambled to push her back further until she was nearly at the other edge of the bed. The man acknowledged her fear and stepped back. She stopped moving when he did and took a breath. He took another step back and stood quietly, sensing that he would have to let Faedra try and get her head around what was happening before he could continue. It wasn’t an every day occurrence to have a strange man materialize in her bedroom. He should know, he had been there every day for the past eleven years.

  A few moments passed in silence. Faedra did not take her eyes off the man who was now standing motionless in the corner of her room. He returned her gaze, not taking his eyes from hers either. As the sudden shock slowly abated, her heartbeat calmed and her breathing returned to normal. She regained some composure and sat up straighter on her bed, instead of embedding herself into the headboard. Cautiously, she released the hand from her mouth, and for the first time, took in the features of the man who was standing in the exact same spot where her dog had been just a couple of minutes before.

  He was beautiful. From head to toe everything about him was perfect, fairy-tale perfect. He didn’t look much older than her, maybe twenty. He had blonde hair that looked like pure silk, and she watched as he ran his hand through it. Was he nervous too, perhaps? His aqua blue eyes shone with a brightness that held her captive. He had a strong jaw and chiseled cheekbones and stood about six feet tall. To be honest, he looked like he’d stepped straight out of an animated Disney movie, especially dressed as he was.

  He wore knee high brown leather boots that turned over with a cuff at the top and light brown leather breeches that hugged the contours of his legs to perfection. A cream loose-fitting tunic-style shirt with long puffy sleeves made of thin cotton, edged with gold trim skimmed the top of his thighs. The tunic had a v-shaped neckline that showed a hint of his muscular chest. There was also an ancient looking Celtic talisman that hung from a black leather thong around his neck. An impressive sword hung from a leather belt at his waist, prompting Faedra to fleetingly wonder if the artists at Disney were, in fact, fairies themselves.

  She blinked several times and shook the thought away to return to the matter at hand.

  “Wh-who are you?” Faedra stuttered.

  “My name is Faen, Ms. Bennett.”

  “But that’s my dog’s name. Faen is your real name?”

  “It is. Pray tell me, you could have called me anything, where did you think of the name Faen?”

  Faedra narrowed her eyes at him, searching in her mind for the memory.

  “I-I, my mother,” she remembe
red. “I overheard my mum mention your name once and it stuck with me. You knew her, too?”

  “I did.”

  “You turned up the day of my mum’s funeral. I was sitting on my swing crying. I wrapped my arms around your neck, and you let me hug you for ages. I remember my dad didn’t have the heart to shoo you away. He let me keep you as a pet. But all this time you were sent here to do what? Protect me?”

  “Yes.”

  “What are you?”

  “I am Fae, Ms. Bennett.”

  “That’s a fairy, right?”

  “You are correct, Ms. Bennett,” he replied with an incline of his head.

  Faedra let out a sigh. “Stop calling me that. You make me sound like a character out of a Jane Austin novel.”

  Faen frowned. “I do not understand, that is your name, is it not?”

  “No. I mean, yes, it is, but it sounds so… formal.”

  “Ms. Bennett, as a Guardian I am taught to treat my charge with the utmost respect.”

  “Please, Faen,” she pleaded. “Call me Faedra.”

  “Very well, as you wish, Ms. Faedra.”

  Faedra raised her eyes heavenward, she could sense he was not going to compromise any more than that.

  “Great, now you make me sound like a school teacher,” she whispered under her breath.

  She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, something having just occurred to her. She was sensing no danger from the stranger in her room, so she eased herself off the bed and moved towards him. He did not move, but just continued to watch her.

  “May I ask you a personal question?” she asked as she meandered around him, looking intently at his back. Faen followed her with his eyes as far as he could, but continued to stand very still.

  “Of course.”

  “Aren’t fairies supposed to have wings? You don’t have any wings.”

  “I have wings, Ms. Faedra. I choose not to show them,” he replied with what Faedra thought was a look of discomfort, embarrassment even.

  “Why?”

  “I have my reasons,” he responded with just a hint of sharpness that cut through his otherwise silken voice.

  Again Faedra sensed that was as much as he was going to say on the subject.

  “So, let me get this straight. You can change from a fairy into a dog?”

  “Most fae have the ability to shape-shift into an animal, though not necessarily one of our choosing, and as you can see,” he waved a hand down the length of his body, “we tend to stick with the same coloring in both our forms.”

  Faedra walked around to face him and studied his beautiful features. They were very hard not to stare at. Then something else occurred to her. Her eyes widened with horror as what she was thinking sank in. She ran over to her bed, sat on the end of it, and buried her head in her hands to hide her crimson cheeks.

  “Oh, NO!” she groaned.

  Faen moved then, too quickly to track with the naked eye, and was kneeling in front of her at the foot of the bed, unable to hide his look of concern.

  “Ms. Faedra, what is wrong?” he asked softly.

  “This can’t be happening,” she repeated into her hands.

  “Ms. Faedra, please tell me. I can help.”

  “All these years,” she continued.

  “All these years what, Ms. Faedra? Please, talk to me,” Faen was almost pleading with her. Faedra kept her face buried securely in her hands.

  “Ms. Faedra, please look at me,” he whispered. “Tell me what is wrong.”

  A moment passed, and Faedra didn’t move. Faen reached up tentatively to touch her hands. He took hold of them and pulled them away from her face. Her eyes were tightly closed, her cheeks still beet red.

  “Please, look at me,” he asked again. She opened her eyes and looked into his. He could see embarrassment and confusion warring in her expression. “Whatever is the matter?”

  Faedra swallowed hard. “All this time, I thought you were a dog.”

  “Yes,” he said, willing her to go on.

  “I can’t even begin to imagine how many times,” she paused, “I got undressed in front of you,” her voice quivered.

  Faen looked at her with a confused expression at first, then slowly the realization of what she had just told him started to sink in. “Oh, Ms. Faedra, I assure you that I always looked away any time that you were, um, how shall I say, not decent.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  Faedra exhaled, she hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath all this time. She smiled down at Faen and he smiled back at her. It almost took her breath away how his smile lit up his face. It was the first time he had smiled at her in this form. When she thought about it a bit more she could remember noticing that her dog always turned away from her when she was getting undressed. She’d never paid it much attention before, but it made perfect sense now.

  “Are you sure you never peeked, not even once?”

  Faen’s eyes widened with alarm at her question. “No, Ms. Faedra, never. I swear to you.”

  She studied his face and decided she believed him. She let out a giggle. “Phew.”

  “Although, the impromptu hairbrush concerts were always entertaining,” he said, his lips curling into a wry smile.

  Her shoulders slumped and her cheeks flushed again as she recalled the endless times she had danced around her room. Singing at the top of her lungs into her hairbrush to whatever was playing in the CD player at the time. She bopped him on the arm; it was a spontaneous reaction.

  “Faedra,” her dad called from the top of her stairs a split second before he knocked on her door. She turned her head sharply in the direction of the door then turned back to Faen. He was sitting in front of her wagging his tail.

  “That was quick,” she whispered to him then narrowed her eyes. “Where on earth do you put that sword?”

  “Faedra?” her dad asked again.

  She looked behind her and threw the bed covers over the letter and her dismantled figurine.

  “Come in, Dad,” she answered.

  The door opened and her dad walked in carrying a tray with a cup of tea and a present on it.

  “Happy birthday, darling,” he announced, beaming a big grin at her. She got up and walked over to give him a kiss.

  “Thanks, Dad.”