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“Any insight helps,” Nidev pressed.
“There is a fourteenth quadrascroll.”
All eyes turned to the Swamp’s Seer who moved along the images. “What are you seeing,” Nidev asked, eagerly.
“Each image has an eye and chains.”
“What do you think this means?” Lore asked above the growing curious murmurs.
“I believe the eye represents a Seer. And the chains represent the Syphon King. Every image has this symbol.” He lifted one and pointed to what looked like a snake. Then lifted the next and next, till each was shown.
“What do you think they mean?” Bishop asked.
“A great evil is coming to all.”
“All of the Kings?” Bishop asked.
The Seer turned and eyed his leader. “All of the world.” He faced the Kings. “The Syphon King has more answers that we need. Answers that other ears cannot hear.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Zodak entered his private chambers, reaching down and scratching Jinxx’s fur as he passed her sprawled lazily on her favorite chair. “Our company is here,” he announced. “I will get to see our Seeing friend again.” He stood before his chain wardrobe and began adding extra conductive links to his attire, unsure of what he might encounter with so many gifted in one place. “I hope to see his invisible light again. Will it behave with a mind of its own as before?” He put the full-spectrum gates over his eyes, not wanting anything at all passing through. He glanced at his pup, smiling at the curious look she angled up at him. “You’ve never heard me go on about another human like this, have you.”
He sat on her chair and pulled her face to his, receiving her eager kisses.
“Not the mouth,” he fussed with a chuckle. “Why do youalwaysdisobey this? Because you love me so much? Is that it? Lay,” he ordered softly, getting her immediate obedience. He stroked his chained fingers over her head. “Such a good girl,” he murmured, scratching beneath the silky burnt-amber fur. “My very favorite girl.” He stood and headed for the door. “Stay.”
She answered with a little whimper.
“I’ll take you out later,” he said without turning. “We’ll go check on our friends.”
He entered the glass chamber, returning his thoughts to the Seer’s invisible light. How something could even be, had him salivating. So much to learn about him. He had not ever encountered a human like him or his gift. He closed his eyes, reliving his energy. He took a slow, deep breath and released it just as carefully.Intoxicating.Alluring.Decadent. Flowing through him like a glistening light that he couldnotsee. How very odd. To see and not see. To see only by knowing. Was this the Seer’s gift? Seeing by knowing?
He remembered how there wasnothingin him and yeteverything.The contradiction still held him spellbound. Thisnothingandeverythingasked zero of him. Took zero from him. Unlike all encounters with humans that demandedsomething. How glorious this was. He then recalled with great excitement how itprotectedhim. How did he know this is what it did? He wasn’t sure, but he knew it somehow. Andwhydid it?Whyshould it? Who or what was it that felt the need toprotect him? And that the Seer did not evenseewhat it was doing. A gift that ran itself with a mind of its own. How very remarkable.
And then there was the Bishop with the strange malevolence. He didn’t realize it until after he syphoned and spoke to the Seer one last time. The man’s darkness was not his own, but a prophetic one. For the syphoning demonstration, he’d borrowed a very small portion of the energy while leaving it intact.
Zodak sat atop his stone perch, watching as the familiar heads of his Creole brothers appeared in a single majestic row of unified power. The sight of them never failed to strike awe in him. His noble saviors who treated him as one of their very own Kings. Of sorts. He knew he wasn’t technically among their prophetic thirteen and yet was. Like the light in the Seer that wasn’t and yet was.
He hopped down from his perch and made his way to the side entrance, eager to discuss all that he’d seen since he’d met with the Seer. Hoping one of them would bring clarity to the cryptic visions.
Each of his brothers greeted him as they passed with a single, reverent nod that he returned likewise. The Seer paused before him and gave a nod. “Son,” he muttered, placing his right hand on his shoulder. Zodak regarded his hand then him, the look in the man’s eyes calling to his gift.
“Why do you call meson?” he wondered, feeling like it was important.
“Because he thinks he’s everybody’s daddy,” the one known as Bishop muttered just behind him.
Though his tone was serious, it brought a big smile to the Seer who regarded the man briefly before leaning toward Zodak. “That’s myotherson,” he said, his smile fading a little. “You okay?”
The odd question put Zodak in a mental corner. “I can feel your emotions,” Zodak suddenly realized, astonished. “Without using my gift.”
“Finally,” the Bishop man said, slapping the Seer’s back with a hand. “Somebody who canseeyou. How’s it feel?”
“I never hide anything,” Seer whispered to Zodak.
“Zodak, allow me to introduce you to our Bayou Brothers of the South Swamp,” Nidev called.
Zodak faced the group and nodded at each man upon introduction, mentally logging the information. Then he was staring at her. A woman. “This is Maggie,” Nidev said. “She’s Lore’s very talented student.”
