Chapter 11

“Yes, your birthday is not for another 2 days.” Gran looked up into Amaris’ face. Her dark eyes were in shock and disbelief.

“Why did you let me believe all this time that you knew nothing about me. You told me you did not know who my parents were. That my birthday for the last 17 years has been celebrated on this day. What else have you not told me?”

Gran looked at Lyle who had been quietly leaning in the door way to the bedroom watching them. Lyle gave Gran a brief look and then a quick nod and turned and went into the bedroom closing the door behind him. Gran faced Amaris and took both of her hands in her own. “Amaris, you are right, there is more and when I tell you the rest you will see why we did not tell you until now. “

“Amaris there are a few things that you need to know to start with. The first is that this village is actually one of many villages on this mountain that are all related and have the same belief system. Each village has a family that has provided leadership in the village for centuries. The torch of leadership is passed down from one family member to an heir. Over the years some of these leading families have inter-married and created alliances. The only exception to this ruling power through inheritance, is the universal belief that a child of one of the ruling families will be both conceived and born under a full moon, and that this person will be given untold gifts from the moon goddess and on their 17th birthday at their coming of age it will be a full moon, and they will take their rightful place as leader of all the villages.”

“Wait, if my birthday is not for another 2 days then that will make it on the night of a full moon. Are you trying to tell me that you think that I am this person?”

Amaris stood up and walked to the window. Her mind was spinning. How could Gran, the one that person that has always been rock steady, and the fountain of knowledge for her and so many in their village come up with something so crazy. Has someone brain washed her? Is she loosing her mind?

Amaris turned back to Gran “You said that you had been discussing this with Mr. Bruce? Why?”

Gran continued looking at Amaris keeping her gaze steady on Amaris’ eyes. “Yes, Lyle is the second in command, if you will, of this village. Since the death of his father he has been in charge here. Once he started teaching down the mountain his next in command took over temporarily. He went there to personally take over your protection. We knew that if the other families found out that you were alive, they would come after you. Since we found you there has always been someone guarding you. Grover was your very first guard. Once he realized that he was getting too old to do the job the job was handed down to a new guardian. Grover was very fond of you. He watched you grow up and loved you like his own. He would have given his life for you.”

Amaris had tears running down her face again. “Do you think that is why he is dead? Is it because of me?”

Gran wrapped her arms around Amaris and pulled her close like a child.

“No. From what Lyle tells me, it looks like Grover surprised an intruder.”

“What were they looking for Gran? This can’t be a coincidence that all this is happening at the same time.” Amaris had never felt so confused and hurt. Gran has lied to her for her whole life. Grover whom she had thought had a crush on Gran and just wanted to spend time with her and Gran, had just been no more than a body guard. Her favorite teacher at school who had taken an interest in her turns out to be no more than a body guard either. Then something occurred to her. “Gran are you just a body guard also? Was everyone in my life a guard assigned to take care of me?”

“No dear. I volunteered to take you into my care. It was agreed upon that you would stay with me because I was the most capable and had knowledge of everything that was going on. Also because I was not a member of any of the mountain villages.”

“Amaris There is something that I need to tell you that is very important and unbelievable.”

Just then there were a series of howls in the distance. Lyle suddenly burst out of the bedroom. “They have found us. They are outside closing in from 3 sides.” Lyle grabbed Gran with one hand and Amaris with his other and started pushing them toward the middle of the living room. He reached down and pulled up the rug. There, in the floor, is what looked like a rosette design in the wood floor. Lyle reached down and pressed certain dark sections in the design and the rosette popped open like a submarine hatch.