The Prophecy of Arnaka (The Arnaka Saga Book 1) Read online

  The Prophecy of Arnaka

  Lucía Ashta

  Awaken to Peace Press

  SEDONA, ARIZONA

  The Prophecy of Arnaka is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are either drawn from the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright 2013 Lucía Ashta. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First edition: June 21, 2013

  Grateful acknowledgment is made to John Livingston for permission to use material from his book: Livingston, John G. (2004). Adversaries Walk Among Us: A Guide to the History, Nature, and Removal of Demons and Spirits. Fort Bragg, CA: Lost Coast Press. The script Victor uses to clear the demon and the request for soul retrieval are John Livingston’s material.

  Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data

  Ashta, Lucia Marie.

  The prophecy of Arnaka / Lucia Ashta.

  p. cm.

  ISBN 978-0-9832743-2-2

  Reincarnation—Fiction. 2. Magic—Fiction. 3. Spirituality—Fiction.

  Good and evil—Fiction. 5. Angels—Fiction. 6. Fantasy fiction.

  PS3551.S42 P76 2014

  813.6—dc23 2013907423

  For Elsa and James,

  and for Catia, Nadia, and Sonia,

  with infinite gratitude

  for the unconditional love, support,

  and joy you bring to my life

  Prologue

  Ah-né Ashta. I am Ashta.

  I stand strong, my feet planted on the warm sand beneath. I feel a surge of energy and begin running toward the pyramids before me. I run with laughter echoing in my wake. My body feels caressed by silk and the freeing sensation of the wind that whips around me as I run.

  I feel victory in life’s present moment. All that matters is contained in this moment, in my appreciation of life and its richness. This is how we master time, for time stands still when we experience it to its fullest; this is how we extend life. Ecstatic joy is my secret and through it, I touch eternity.

  I am breathing heavily as I stop myself against the pyramid wall. I rest my back upon it, with one foot propped against it, and I squint into the sun, waiting. The sun is bright, but the looming figure of my twin soon blocks it out as he appears seconds behind me. He presses his sweaty body against mine, and a fiery wave rushes up me, as I know what will come of it. Then, in a burst of giggles, we run together into the pyramid.

  My twin pulls my hand and brings me chest to chest with him in the center of the pyramid. The movement is as fluid as if it were a well-rehearsed dance move. We both know what we have entered the pyramid to do, and we commence without speaking. We look into each other’s eyes, the same amber cat eyes. He pulls me even closer to him and holds me tightly, our chests pressed together as we become one.

  Then, we both pull our heads back. We are perfectly synchronized as a soft blue light emits from our chests straight up through the top of the pyramid that is now open to the sky. The blinding light surges upward in a defined line from our chests and begins to fade only as it reaches the stars above us.

  We perform this ritual regularly as it helps to keep balance on the planet. We spread light for the ultimate use of humanity. This is one of our greatest purposes in this incarnation.

  We are not preoccupied with the complications that can come in life. That would hinder our purpose. We are free spirits, perfectly connected to one another as twins with a single purpose: to balance out the frenetic energy of humanity.

  1 Happy Dance

  The man shook the woman aggressively, her long blonde hair scattering all about her face in protest. She awoke, annoyed at the disruption of her dream. She had been running toward pyramids, and it was very important that she reach them.

  “What is it?” she asked, clinging to the dream world where she ran free of the concerns that ruled her life. Her soon-to-be ex-husband stood over her. She focused on the dark hair that fell over his forehead and on his dark eyes, a mirror of the torment that plagued him internally. The man Elena had once believed she would love for the rest of her life now appeared before her as a symbol of her youthful naïveté. She trusted this man without fully knowing him, without fully knowing herself. She had agreed to marry him before knowing the dark recesses of his soul.

  “Are you okay?” Brandon asked her. Even in her present state of stupor, Elena knew this man didn’t care if she was okay. Her father had passed away from a heart attack the week before. Elena had stood in tears with the phone in her hand, shocked by the news that her father was dead, when Brandon turned up the volume on the television to make sure he didn’t miss a play. In Elena’s mind, he was cruel, but in reality, he did not have the depth of healthy emotion to be caring. Somewhere along the way, he had become a drone of an artificial world.

  So as Brandon asked her “Are you okay?” Elena contemplated what her answer should be. She knew he would think her bizarre if she told him she had been dreaming about pyramids. Elena instinctively knew she was entering a world where he could not follow. It was just as well. The future—her future—had nothing to do with him. And so her answer was simple: “Yes, I’m fine.”

  “Jesus, Elena,” Brandon said in his usual aggressive manner. Though Elena was not particularly religious, Brandon’s reflexive use of “Jesus” to emphasize his annoyance irritated her. He did it often, and it bothered her every time.

  “Why is the water running full blast?” he barked accusingly as he spun the faucet closed. Elena had no idea why the water was running. She looked around. She was on the bathroom floor, leaning against the rim of the bathtub; the edge of the tub pressed uncomfortably into her back.

  Elena stood, still unsure how she had gotten there, but without another glance at Brandon, she walked into the bedroom. Brandon went in the other direction, out to the living room, where the seemingly endless sound of the television continued its hypnotic drone. Elena pulled a worn duffel bag from the far reaches of the closet. She methodically pulled her favorite clothes out of the closet and laid them on the bed.

  She grabbed her toothbrush, a warm jacket, and an extra pair of sneakers. She put them in the bag, looked around the room she had shared with Brandon for the last six years, and zipped up the bag with a delicious sense of finality. She placed her wedding rings next to the bathroom sink. She felt a huge weight lift from her that was disproportionate to the size of the rings.

  Elena looked around the room one last time. She would not step foot in it again. She scanned the art that adorned the walls, all pieces she had chosen with great care; half of them were her own creations. She wanted to keep them, but a friend could get them for her later. She would also need to salvage her books, which Elena loved like dear friends. There were a few personal photos and writings that she wanted as well. But that was it.

  She was exhilarated at the thought of leaving everything else behind, all of those material items that meant nothing to her that were tainted by her marital history. Brandon could have all of it. Her chest expanded with the relief of shedding that layer of her life. The thought of a new beginning was empowering after all the suffering she had endured during her time with Brandon. Somehow, their dream had gone very wrong.

  Elena walked into the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror, admiring the strength that graced her reflection. She had grown weary of the worn woman that had looked back at her from the glass lately. Now, she saw a young woman ready to take on the world. Elen
a stood tall at five feet seven inches, or at least she felt tall that day. She was agile, though she had lost the gleam in her eyes over the last few years. She coiled her muscles, as she imagined the predators of the forest and jungle did. She looked fiercely into the mirror and pictured herself as a lioness; her bright amber eyes were a perfect match.

  She marched out of the bathroom, placed the strap of the duffel bag across her body, and walked straight to the front door of the apartment. From there, she looked to Brandon who was sitting on the leather couch, feet up, engrossed in whatever he was watching. He didn’t look up. Elena called to him from the door. “Brandon,” she said, “it’s been…”

  But then she didn’t really know what it had been. She wanted to say that it had been nice, or that it had been special, but it hadn’t. It had been intense with strife. It had been memorable, but not in a good way, and she hoped those memories would soon fade.

  Elena realized Brandon was staring at her, obviously surprised she was standing by the door with a bag strapped across her chest. He was used to her complacency, to her efforts to make the marriage work no matter what the consequences. But Elena was leaving that woman behind along with everything else.

  Finally, she settled upon, “Well, Brandon, it’s been.” She opened the front door and said, “I will ask someone to come by and pack up the rest of my stuff while you are at work. And I will see you in seven days at the courthouse to sign the final papers for our divorce.” Elena had been counting down the days and knew exactly when she would be free of this man.

  Elena began to step through the door but hesitated. She looked at Brandon and decided to speak from her heart. “I’m sorry things worked out the way they did between us. I loved you dearly and had much hope that we would share a happy life together. I will continue to hope that you heal and find happiness in this life. Now, I will go find mine.”

  She smiled one last smile at him, a true smile that shone with the hope that another human being could experience beauty in life, even if that human being had been the cause of much unhappiness in her own. Everyone deserved to be happy. Everyone deserved love and compassion. Elena would no longer sacrifice her happiness for another who was unwilling to see himself for who he had become.

  Elena left Brandon with a stunned look on his face, stepped through the door, and closed it behind her. She had finally chosen freedom! She felt the impulse to do a happy dance, but automatically dismissed it as a childish desire. Then she realized she had to change. She could not start her new life as the repressed person she had been in danger of becoming.

  Elena threw her duffel bag to the side and did a jig. It was glorious! She grinned and shook her hips. She spun and jumped in the air doing leprechaun kicks. Then she zipped up her jacket, grabbed her bag, and took the stairs two at a time. She opened the outer door of the apartment building, and the greatest rush of fresh air she had ever experienced greeted her. Her new life had officially begun!

  She didn’t know where she was going. She didn’t know what she was doing. It was the first time in her life that she did not have concrete plans. It was unsettling and disconcerting. She had been an overachiever her entire life, always the perfectionist. First, she had been the perfect daughter and perfect student, then the perfect professional and perfect wife.

  On the path of seeming excellence, she had followed convention and family tradition. Her family was one of attorneys, judges, and politicians. She had followed in the family trade and found herself in a career she didn’t even like. Then, she had married a man that was right for her family, but not for her.

  Now she lay on a bed, lost and confused, in a motel room outside of Ann Arbor that had seen better days. She knew neither where to go nor what to do with her life. Elena’s family was from Argentina, and she could always flee there for refuge as she had done many times before in her life. But it was time for Elena to stand her own ground. It was time for her to make those choices that were best for her. It was time for her to be herself, even though she didn’t know who that was yet.

  She was uncomfortable in an oversized T-shirt that had twisted around her body as she tossed and turned throughout the night. She groaned. She didn’t want to get up and confront a day that might define the rest of her life. She needed to choose where to go and start down the path of her new life. Or maybe she didn’t. Her thoughts were scattered. She thought one thing one minute and an entirely different thing the next. How was she supposed to make such an important decision?

  You don’t have to. Let us guide you, she heard inside her head.

  “Oh my God!” she yelled to the empty room. “Now I am starting to lose my mind! Uuuuugh!”

  Elena got to her feet and started pacing like a wild cat in a cage. She was ready to climb out of her skin. Her body needed to release some of the energy coiling inside her. She strapped on running shoes, bundled up as much as possible, and braved the Michigan cold. She hit the sidewalk at a run and slipped on a patch of black ice. She caught herself and was able to avoid the worst of the fall. She needed to go somewhere with better weather.

  And just like that, there it was: an idea. She had never liked the cold, and she was in Michigan only because of Brandon. Their divorce would be final the next day; she could leave immediately after. She would leave Michigan, her soon-to-be ex-husband, and his family behind. She would start over.

  Renewed by the thought of transplanting herself somewhere where the memories would not follow, Elena ran, easing into a comfortable stride. She breathed in the cold air, pretending that it was warm and didn’t hurt her lungs. The blood pumped through her veins. Her muscles celebrated movement. She ran harder and faster, farther and longer, until she found her independence at last.

  She was a caged animal no longer. She was free of her past, free of her family’s traditions, free of her husband’s addictions, and free of the pain she had learned to live with for the last several years of her marriage. By the time her muscles were ready to give out, she knew what she needed to do. She would book a flight to get out of Ann Arbor immediately. But to where?

  Her mind was still muddled. All she knew was that she would not seek refuge in her home of Argentina. There, her family would make everything easy for her, but it was important that she carve out her own path. She needed to be sure that she was honoring her true nature this time. She had ignored her true desires all of her life; she could not make that mistake again. She would go somewhere else. She would go anywhere else. The only requirement was that it be nice and sunny. She shivered and circled back to her motel room.

  She jiggled the key in the creaky lock, kicked off her sneakers, and let her clothes fall where she stood. Elena had told herself she would not cry anymore. She had cried for most of her marriage; she didn’t want to shed another tear. Still, she couldn’t stop the tears from pouring out of her.

  She sobbed, huddled on the shower floor with the water beating on her back. She pulled her legs in close to her chest. In that unexpected breakdown, alone in a shabby motel, Elena let go. She didn’t know what else to do. She closed her eyes, the sobs wracking her body until the hot water ran cold.

  And it was in that very moment in time that it happened. It was then, as she rested her forehead on the stained shower floor, that she begged God for mercy. It was only then that things changed for her. They would never again be the same. It was in that moment that she glimpsed her connection to the Divine. It was then that she took the first step on the path to finding herself. It was then that she began to learn about Elena—not daughter, not wife, not professional, but a child of the Creator. And so the story begins.

  2 Spin a Globe

  The judge had declared the divorce final in a hollow voice. As they left the courtroom, Brandon shook Elena’s hand as if they had just concluded a business transaction. Elena studied Brandon’s face, hoping to find a trace of affection there. But there was nothing to show that there had ever been any tenderness between them, and Elena wondered what she had been doing all that
time.

  Elena walked aimlessly through the streets around the courthouse in downtown Ann Arbor. She turned up the collar of her overcoat against the piercing wind that whipped up between the tall office buildings. Elena was resolved not to cower. She didn’t know what to do next, but she would find her way. She would laugh and play again. She would find the joy and value in her life. And her heart would eventually heal.

  This time, Elena would succeed in life. She would discover why she had come to this planet. She would walk in those footsteps meant only for her. Her dreams would come true. She thought back to the dreams she had as a young girl, and they were not of sitting in a business suit behind a big desk in a boring office.

  She pulled off her business overcoat and her suit jacket and looked around, her silk blouse rippling in the wind. She spotted someone in need of a new coat, huddled in a doorway, and she handed her overcoat and suit jacket to the man. He stared back at her, eyes bright. Elena smiled at the man and felt bizarrely liberated. She refused to question her sanity, but walked with purpose, head down against the wind, clutching her arms to protect herself from the bitter cold.

  Elena spoke aloud as she walked, “God, it’s been a very long time since I’ve talked to you. I’m ready to become the person that I was meant to be. Please give me reason to live again. Give me laughter. Help me. Please. Please, help me. I pray that you help me. Because if you don’t, I am lost.”

  Elena looked up and saw a bookstore. Always a bookworm, she could not pass up a bookstore, especially in the freezing cold. She stepped into its warmth.

  The same types of books as always—the books of intrigue, excitement, and adventure—drew Elena. That was what she would love in her life. She loved to travel and explore different cultures, experiencing foreign languages, unique sights, and new wonders. It would be thrilling to travel for a few years, to lead the life of a wanderer. But she had only saved enough for a year of living expenses. She would eat into that money much more quickly if she set off traveling. She wanted to buy herself as much time as possible to figure out what to do next.