Eric held up one hand to stop her and then gestured for her to enter. “I think you had better come inside.”
She followed them as they moved toward the table where leftover food remained, the unknown guy locking the door. Being in a hotel room with four young men she didn’t know might have given many women pause, but Andier had taught her a thing or two about self-defense long ago, and enough of her healing power had returned in the last month that she knew a quick word would render all of them unconscious. Well, normally it would. In her weakened state, it might only weaken them, but it would be enough to escape.
As Eric gestured to an upholstered chair, the guy she didn’t recognize said, “I’m Jack, by the way. You seem to know everyone else.”
“Yes,” Eric began as they sat, “how is that? News reports?”
“Yes,” she admitted, deciding not to admit that her investigator had turned up everything he could find on them. It would cause distrust, and she had to gain their trust first. As if reading her mind, Eric spoke again.
“Well, we’ve exchanged some names, and Matt thinks he recognizes you, but is there anything you can do to prove you are Eriana?” After a moment, he asked a similar question in elvish.
She smiled at that, thinking he was clever and quick. Eric picked up a sharp knife, holding it over his hand. She sensed his intent and replied in elvish, “My healing powers have begun to return, but you needn’t do it to yourself, and don’t do too much.”
He returned to English. “A small demonstration is fine with me, and I can’t let a lady cut herself for my sake.”
He sliced the top of his hand, a line of blood rising but not dripping. It wasn’t deep and would hardly need a band aid, but it was enough for her to get the point across. She placed two fingers on either side of the wound. “Please heal this man, Almighty One.”
A soft light filled the wound, which closed, though it wasn’t apparent until Eric used a white napkin to wipe away the blood, leaving smooth skin. His eyes met hers then.
“I also have this,” Eriana began, reaching into her bag. She pulled out something in a soft jewelry bag, laid it on the table, and unwrapped the item. It was a gold amulet depicting one figure kneeling beside another that was rising from a supine position. From their expressions, she saw they recognized it. She had been wondering if they would and asked, “Do you know what this is?”
“The Amulet of Corethian,” Ryan replied, looking a little confused. “It belongs to Eriana of Coreth.”
So they did recognize it. She wasn’t sure how that could be, given that she’d had it since arriving in New Zealand two decades ago. She had never let it be captured on film. The technology for photos or video didn’t exist on the other planets she had worn it to before that, so if they were journeying to them, they wouldn’t see images of it there unless someone had drawn it. But she had shown it on a hunch. And while it seemed to confirm her identity to them, it only raised more questions for her. How could they know what it looked like?
Eric had been smiling since she revealed it and laughed. “Well, it’s extremely nice to meet you, my lady. We have tons of questions for you, and I think I speak for everyone when I say we are elated that you’re here.”
“Wow,” said Jack, still looking at Eric’s hand. “That’s the first time I’ve seen any of you do something like that, the healing or magic.”
Eriana raised an eyebrow at the others. “You’ve been trying?”
“Yes,” admitted Matt, fingering an uneaten spring roll. “I have gotten little to work. Neither has Anna. In my case, it’s partly difficulty remembering the spells, and maybe having none of the ingredients if those are needed. But for Anna and the healing, well, she’s an atheist, so calling on God is a stretch for her. It’s a bit of a sore point, really.” He hesitated. “You know, you’re already a legend to us. Sorry if we’re all staring a bit. Part of me can’t believe you’re here.”
It had been a long time since anyone knew the truth of her identity, or that anyone looked at her with awe, though their gazes weren’t quite that fascinated. They had likely seen amazing things already. She saw respect and maybe some intimidation, though not from Eric. He seemed pragmatic and less impressed. She reassured the techie, “It’s okay.”
Matt continued, “You should know that when we get summoned, everyone thinks we are the four of you.”
She had been wondering about this, even though she did not know how it could have happened. She had seen the surprise on Matt’s face when being summoned. They had clearly been taken more than once, just like her and the others. She knew they had returned the pendant to Stonehenge, unlocking the Earth. But she also knew something had gone wrong long ago and the side effects might be unpredictable. Now she had to confirm the details.
“So you are arriving in a Quest Ring?” she asked, seeing them nod. “The ring is lit up with magic words that fade? And someone has cast the summoning spell. They
