Chapter 39

'Then tell him." Laura urged me. I really didn't want to have this discussion here because Thorne might have been listening so I agreed to tell Thorne. 'Let's go back. It's getting late." I dragged Laura back. The rest of our journey was a smooth one and I was grateful to the horses. When we got to the clan, I had to take Laura and Thorne so they could meet Diane. Chad cane running to me to greet me. 'Naomi. Where's Mascot? You brought another big Uncle today?" He was referring to Thorne. I bent down to hug him and ask him how he was doing. I didn't know what I was going to tell him happened to Mascot but this wasn't the time for that. 'Where's Mama Diane?" I asked him and he pointed to the sacred place. That was where Diane went for her incantations and meditations. 'Sacred place? Is that safe?" Laura asked. 'Yes. Come on, she'll be delighted to meet you." We walked some miles away from the village to get to the secluded forest, as we went Laura never left my hands even for a moment. Diane sat, wrapped in tattered clothes, eyes shut in the sand. She moved with her hands, effortlessly. Her presence was elusive and I wasn't sure it was her I saw. She moved her lips so fast that I couldn't understand what she was saying or trying to say. Suddenly, she stopped. 'Come my children. Sit." She requested, pointing at us even with her eyes shut. 'How can she see us? Her eyes are closed." Thorne must have wondered out loud. I gave them an assuring nod as I sat in front of Diane, taking her position. 'What's wrong?" She asked. 'You're troubled?" She asked no one in particular. 'I think someone.." 'Shh.. not you. I mean you." She pointed at Laura and then smiled. ‘You!" Laura was confused about what to say. 'Talk!" 'I'm worried about the love of my life. I'm afraid he'll never come back to me." 'Huh?" Diane responded. 'You!" She then pointed at me. 'You have a gift. Something that has never existed in all time. You are meant to build or destroy lands just without doing anything. Do not give up!" 'You!" She then pointed at Thorne. 'Your ego will be the end of you, if you're not careful." I looked at Thorne but he didn't have an expression on his face, I hoped he wasn't upset. 'Go wait outside." She ordered us. We didn't say much to each other as we waited. Everyone must have been thinking about what Diane had said. 'Naomi." Diane came out and gave me a hug. This was the Diane that I knew, not the one we encountered inside the sacred place. 'These are my friends. Laura and Thorne." I introduced them to Diane. 'I know that whatever you saw in there must have been scary but I promise you, I'm not always like this." She laughed even though no one found it amusing. 'What was that?" I asked as I led Diane taking her by the hands to her chambers. 'I don't know what came over me but I think the moon goddess has a message for you." 'You mean the message about me having a gift?" I asked. 'Yes but that's not all. We need to find out what type of gift it is that you possess." Diane said to me. 'That is the reason why Lucas is after you." 'Who's Lucas?" Disne asked. 'You need to sit first and regain your strength, then we'll talk." I told her, not letting her go. When we got to her chambers, she called one of her maids to prepare another chamber for us. 'Prepare a chamber for our guests." 'Go with her, I'll come later." I urged Laura and Thorne. 'Are you sure?" I nodded in affirmation. 'Em.. I see you got yourself another man." Diane mumbled and I laughed. 'Stop it." 'I see that this one cares about you. That's nice." She replied, washing her very dirty hands in a bowl. 'You said something about his ego." 'Yh. His ego could ruin him." 'What do you mean?" I asked, quite interested. 'That revelation is meant for his ears alone." Diane explained to me. 'Tell me about Lucas." 'Well, he is my uncle, not related tho. While I was still at the Palace he gave me the option of getting married to him, serving him as a maid or getting banished from the land. Here I am." I spread my arms. 'So he's coming after you?" 'Yes and I want to know why. He just kept saying that no matter where I run to he'll find me and I don't doubt that." I paused. 'Diane, this man is very dangerous and I don't want him coming here to disrupt the peace this clan has." 'No one has the right to take what the moon goddess has given to us." 'Diane, you don't understand. This man can even do it. He is simply unstoppable at doing evil." I watched Diane smile at me. 'Then we must find out what your gift is." 'Yes, we should but how? Will you be going to the sacred place tomorrow?" 'I won't be the one to do that. I'll take you to a soul shifter, Orion." 'A soul shifter? Do those still exist?" I was shocked to hear that from Diane. 'Of course, they do. You just don't know." 'Wow." I answered and yarned. 'You should join me for dinner. I'll call my maids to serve you." 'I'll eat with my friends. I wouldn't like to be a bother to you." Diane stared at me for a few seconds. 'If only you knew the power you have and the family you have here, you wouldn't ever think that you're a bother." She replied and went to her chambers. She came out a few seconds later. 'Prepare for tomorrow, I'll take you to Orion. You need to meet him. It's time for you to discover what you're made for." I sat there for a few minutes. A sense of fulfillment washed over me and I felt content with where I was. This was the right place for me. I didn't have to pretend or avoid people, I was just free. As I went back to the chambers, everything felt okay. A moment where everything aligned perfectly, when all my life goals seemed to be coming to pass. I felt a sudden calmness that shook my body, it freed me from the restlessness that I had felt all this while.