palms, grass shavings all over his back. Get the book, a voice whispered in her ear. Startled, Amanda turned around. But no one was there.
“Get what book?” Amanda muttered, looking around until she spied the book of riddles Bailey had snatched from her under a patch of blossoming tulips.
Amanda was there in seconds, as if she’d flown across the yard. Shaken, and not sure how she’d traveled there so fast, Amanda scooped up the book. The crystal trident accidently came in contact with the golden Eye of Horus on the cover, and like crossing hot wires, sparks flew out. A sudden jolt ran through her body. Her eyes widened. Her mind cleared. She knew what she had to do.
Moving as if she had wings on her feet, Amanda ran to the stone arch. She cast off her sandals, shoved the book of riddles down the bib of her overalls, and stuck her foot into one of the crevices in the arch. With one hand holding the crystal trident tight, she used her other to reach up to the next crevice and pull herself up toward the keystone. She repeated this once more, as if she was a skilled rock climber. Hugging the column tightly, Amanda leaned into the archway and stretched her arm enough to place the crystal trident inside the engraved trident in the keystone, as Melody told Drake and Treena she had done last night. It was a perfect fit. Amanda wiped her forehead and climbed down.
The trident acted like a magnet drawing the sun’s rays into it, absorbing the heat offered. Amanda’s ears started to ring at the high-pitched sound resonating from the crystal. It was an annoying tone—like the shrillness of an activated fire alarm. She winced, preferring the sullen beeps of her alarm clock, and wished she could hit the snore button. Then, a burst of light shot out of the trident and covered Amanda where she stood, baptizing her in a brilliant flash. Amanda fell to her knees and started to shake.
A light appeared from inside the stone arch. Amanda’s mouth opened. The light was dim at first, and then it became brighter and brighter. The arguing behind her stopped. Amanda attempted to stand, but stumbled. Drake caught her elbow in time. Her breathing was uneven, almost over-worked. She felt Drake gently squeeze her arm, and she jumped, as if she’d been jarred out of sleep. Amanda hugged her body and took a deep breath.
“W-What’s going on, Amanda?” Drake asked in a whisper.
Before Amanda could answer Drake, she heard a swoosh , like someone had just opened an elevator door. A warm gentle breeze danced across her bronze skin, and she shivered. So did Drake. A high-pitched sound pulsed through them, and they took a few steps back.
Drake’s eyes widened. “Do…Do you see that, Amanda?”
Amanda didn’t answer Drake. She couldn’t. She was too busy staring at the beautiful, radiant face within the archway. Melody’s angel was back. Only this time, she wasn’t singing.
7. The City of the Golden Gates
A shimmering ball of light from inside the archway shot out at them. Amanda lunged for her sandals, while Drake hauled her out of the light’s path and dragged her back to join the others.
“W-What’s happening?” Ravi asked, releasing his hold on Melody. He winced at the brightness.
“I-I’m not sure,” Treena replied, as she let go of Melody’s arm to hood her eyes.
Amanda looked around. Everyone seemed to be operating at normal speed now. Voices were distinguishable, and she didn’t feel queasy anymore. She noticed Professor Lucas was breathing wildly, as if he had asthma, staring spellbound into the archway.
“Uncle John? Are you okay?” Jordan asked. He smacked his uncle’s back.
Professor Lucas shrugged him off, but remained silent as he continued to stare at the light. Jordan tugged on one of his uncle’s sleeves. When that didn’t work, Jordan did the next best thing. He slapped him across the face.
He flinched. “Ouch! What the hell was that for, Jordan?”
Jordan raked his tawny hair. “Sorry. My
“Get what book?” Amanda muttered, looking around until she spied the book of riddles Bailey had snatched from her under a patch of blossoming tulips.
Amanda was there in seconds, as if she’d flown across the yard. Shaken, and not sure how she’d traveled there so fast, Amanda scooped up the book. The crystal trident accidently came in contact with the golden Eye of Horus on the cover, and like crossing hot wires, sparks flew out. A sudden jolt ran through her body. Her eyes widened. Her mind cleared. She knew what she had to do.
Moving as if she had wings on her feet, Amanda ran to the stone arch. She cast off her sandals, shoved the book of riddles down the bib of her overalls, and stuck her foot into one of the crevices in the arch. With one hand holding the crystal trident tight, she used her other to reach up to the next crevice and pull herself up toward the keystone. She repeated this once more, as if she was a skilled rock climber. Hugging the column tightly, Amanda leaned into the archway and stretched her arm enough to place the crystal trident inside the engraved trident in the keystone, as Melody told Drake and Treena she had done last night. It was a perfect fit. Amanda wiped her forehead and climbed down.
The trident acted like a magnet drawing the sun’s rays into it, absorbing the heat offered. Amanda’s ears started to ring at the high-pitched sound resonating from the crystal. It was an annoying tone—like the shrillness of an activated fire alarm. She winced, preferring the sullen beeps of her alarm clock, and wished she could hit the snore button. Then, a burst of light shot out of the trident and covered Amanda where she stood, baptizing her in a brilliant flash. Amanda fell to her knees and started to shake.
A light appeared from inside the stone arch. Amanda’s mouth opened. The light was dim at first, and then it became brighter and brighter. The arguing behind her stopped. Amanda attempted to stand, but stumbled. Drake caught her elbow in time. Her breathing was uneven, almost over-worked. She felt Drake gently squeeze her arm, and she jumped, as if she’d been jarred out of sleep. Amanda hugged her body and took a deep breath.
“W-What’s going on, Amanda?” Drake asked in a whisper.
Before Amanda could answer Drake, she heard a swoosh , like someone had just opened an elevator door. A warm gentle breeze danced across her bronze skin, and she shivered. So did Drake. A high-pitched sound pulsed through them, and they took a few steps back.
Drake’s eyes widened. “Do…Do you see that, Amanda?”
Amanda didn’t answer Drake. She couldn’t. She was too busy staring at the beautiful, radiant face within the archway. Melody’s angel was back. Only this time, she wasn’t singing.
7. The City of the Golden Gates
A shimmering ball of light from inside the archway shot out at them. Amanda lunged for her sandals, while Drake hauled her out of the light’s path and dragged her back to join the others.
“W-What’s happening?” Ravi asked, releasing his hold on Melody. He winced at the brightness.
“I-I’m not sure,” Treena replied, as she let go of Melody’s arm to hood her eyes.
Amanda looked around. Everyone seemed to be operating at normal speed now. Voices were distinguishable, and she didn’t feel queasy anymore. She noticed Professor Lucas was breathing wildly, as if he had asthma, staring spellbound into the archway.
“Uncle John? Are you okay?” Jordan asked. He smacked his uncle’s back.
Professor Lucas shrugged him off, but remained silent as he continued to stare at the light. Jordan tugged on one of his uncle’s sleeves. When that didn’t work, Jordan did the next best thing. He slapped him across the face.
He flinched. “Ouch! What the hell was that for, Jordan?”
Jordan raked his tawny hair. “Sorry. My
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