Gene of Isis

upper arm in a comforting, sincere gesture. ‘He has fallen deeply in love with you, and has confessed as much to me. So, don’t make the same mistake I did and forsake true love for the sake of mortal reasoning…until you know all about life you cannot judge any situation. You can only learn from it. Unconditional human love is the greatest mystery and gift of the divine. If only I had possessed the capacity to understand, trust and care for another more than myself, Albray may have survived Mt Serabit. I strongly suspect that our love for each other may have enabled us to overcome our foe, and my true destiny—to join with Albray for life and bear his children—may have been fulfilled. But without compassion, there can be no love and thus, no wisdom…this is the basis of the sacred trinity, the all-encompassing force of the universe. Had I come to understand this in life, I could have reached my fullest potential, and I would have been a far more constructive force for the divine in the world. But as it was…I failed my god, my foremothers and my one true love to live a long, lonely life of regret.’

‘Lillet, I’m so sorry.’ I really felt for her. Normally I would have felt threatened and jealous of my lover’s ex-love, but here I was, filled with the very quality that it had been Lillet’s life lesson to learn—compassion. ‘You are too hard on yourself—’

She shook her head and would not hear any consolation. ‘I failed so many tests. My only comfort is that my desire to counter my shortcomings keeps me here on the astral plane, where it is possible for us to make contact. Since death, I have only wished to pass on my knowledge and experience to another daughter of the blood, in the hope it might be of some use to her. You are the first daughter to face my quest who possesses the ability of astral projection as well,’ she concluded.

‘Astral projection was not one of Ashlee’s talents,’ I realised, and for a moment I felt honoured and elated. I wanted to make Lillet feel as empowered as I suddenly did. ‘You realise that the very quality you claim to have lacked in life is the quality you now possess precisely because you are advising me? For without such compassion, no woman could advise another on how to steal her beloved away from her.’

‘I want Albray freed from that accursed vow he made to save my life.’ Lillet was not ready to accept any credit. ‘He deserves the love I denied him, because I could not see beyond my earthly beliefs to accept what I truly felt.’

‘Can love free Albray from the vow he made to the female Elohim?’ I queried, eager to help Albray —especially considering how badly I had treated him at our last meeting.

‘I don’t know,’ Lillet conceded, desperate. ‘During my life I studied every Egyptian mythological and occult text I could lay my hands on, trying to find a way to break Albray’s self-imposed curse. Apparently it was unprecedented, as I came up with nothing. But perhaps, in your modern technological world, you might have more success in finding a solution.’

‘Say no more.’ I assured her that I would think of something. ‘Thank you for setting me straight, Lillet.’ The priestess had done me a huge favour and I really felt I owed her the same. ‘It seems that I too have been a fool, but I promise you,’ I placed my right hand on hers and my left over my heart, ‘I shall do everything within my power to save our knight, just as he has saved us, the daughters of Isis, time and time again. Do you know where Albray is now?’ I felt the first thing I needed to do was to find him and apologise.

‘This realm is infinite, so finding him when he does not want to be found might prove a little difficult.’ Lillet shrugged. ‘It would be your will versus his, and Albray’s will is as strong as ever it was, I’m afraid.’

‘I can use the stone to find him. Albray can’t ignore that!’ I resolved. There was only one problem, however. ‘I can’t summon him to my service through the stone if I am asleep.’

‘Beware of Molier,’ Lillet warned. ‘He still possesses knowledge that I never did discover.’ The priestess kissed my cheek and then smiled to wish me well. ‘Awake now.’

LESSON 20

ABANDONMENT

As I returned to consciousness, I became aware of being cold and uneasy before I’d opened my eyes.

When my eyelids did part, I was so startled by an oppressive white mist floating over my bed that I didn’t notice my charm being drawn from its hiding place and into the apparition. I realised the purpose of the phenomenon too late, and though I grabbed to retrieve my treasured item, the mist quickly withdrew under my tent flap, taking the stone with it. ‘NO!’ I scampered off the bed, across the floor and under the exit flap after my treasure—without it, I’d never see Albray again!

The mist rose high above my grasp and, gathering its sparse substance to itself, it increased in density and transformed into a black bird which flew away over the ruins.

‘Molier.’ I recognised this bird from Ashlee’s safebreaking incident. ‘Goddamn it!’ I ran up the road that led to the ruins. I wasn’t going to let anyone take Albray away, not even a shape-shifting, death-defying abomination! I did not consider the danger to my own person, or how ludicrous it was that I would risk my neck for a ghost!

The black bird flew past the ruins and over the embankment on the other side, and across another plateau.

The sharp rocks were cutting my feet to pieces, but I couldn’t feel the pain of my flesh for the pain in my heart, nor could I see where the hell I was going. The moon hung low on the horizon, shedding light on the bird, but casting shadows over the mountainous landscape.

Then my perception of events slipped into slow motion. The bird let go of the charm. I raced toward the dark, shadowy area where my treasure was sure to land, and as I entered the shadows I felt the ground drop out from beneath me.

Have you seen the cliffs on the far side of this mountain? I recalled Akbar asking. There is no recovering a body that has fallen down there.

My heart was gripped by fear. I looked down into the great, vast depths of a chasm and then my body jerked to a halt as my shirt was caught up behind me and my body crashed against the jagged rock wall.

‘I have you, Dr Montrose.’

I knew that voice. ‘Akbar?’ I could feel the stitching of my shirt giving way. ‘I’m slip—’

I was abruptly jerked upwards, where a strong arm gripped my waist and I was swung back around to stand on solid ground.

‘Oh, my god!’ I gaped at the abyss I’d nearly fallen into and hugged tight my saviour to thank him and reassure myself that I was now safe.