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

  His full lips, so much like hers, awakened passion within Ashta and roused her out of sleep. Anak felt her against him and sensed her energy shift. They both knew the time was coming. The excitement had been building for so long. Since the first time they kissed in the pyramid, when they were only thirteen, they had known the time would come when they would merge as man and woman in divine sexual communion.

  Ashta felt her heart beat excitedly as she realized that this would be the moment when they would allow it to happen. Finally, after waiting for the right moment to make love for so long, it had arrived. She knew it, she could feel it in the core of her being, and her entire body softened and surrendered in response. The love that she had longed to share with Anak would reach its culmination. The pulsing sound of her rapidly beating heart drowned out every thought.

  Ashta turned her body fully up against Anak and, through closed eyelids, knew he was ready for her. Ashta tugged at her tunic, wriggling it up the length of her body, and whipped it off her head. She flung the tunic without care and did not look to see it land amongst the tangled limbs of an outstretched bush, purple and green intermingling.

  Anak moved even more quickly than she had, and he lay naked, waiting for her. Anak could also feel what was coming. His excitement was palpable. Then, with her eyes exploring the depths of his, Ashta ended their agonizing wait. Ashta directed Anak inside her, and their breath escaped their bodies in a united gasp.

  They made love and Ashta knew it was exactly that. They were creating love of such an intense energy that it actually became a source of power, a very real and tangible energy that contributed to the world with its high vibration. Ashta was surprised at the feel of Anak within her, at how much he filled her, at how much she felt the need for him in that moment. It was a need she had not even known she had until she felt him within her and knew what she had been missing, yearning for, all the many years since she had known this would happen.

  Anak gave Ashta back every breath that had ever escaped her body. She knew then, with an overwhelming certainty, that only he was for her. There could only ever have been him for her. Their connection was divine, the perfect balance of male and female. She could lose herself in him, in the being that was already her in so many ways. In that moment, they were the only two on this earth.

  Anak was the final component, the final piece of Ashta. Their lovemaking was the final connection that led them to human completion. They both knew that there could have been no other way for them. They needed to connect in every way possible. They needed to feel each other in every way that Creator had made for man and woman to experience each other. They allowed their souls to live the human experience fully, to see how much they could know another human, to know how much they could feel another person within them.

  They were twin souls. Both Ashta and Anak knew it. Ashta could feel it in Anak’s loss of breath when he entered her. Ashta could feel it in the way Anak looked at her, as if he were unable to grasp the beauty of what they shared. Anak loved Ashta with every part of his being. The man filling the woman and the woman enveloping the man—it was perfected balance, just as Creator intended it to be.

  Anak began to move inside Ashta. There was ecstasy in every movement. There was rapture in every breath and every emotion that passed between their eyes until a culmination of sensations and blinding light brought them to rest. Then there was complete silence and stillness, just the rising and falling of chests in heavy breath. There were no words to express the beauty of what they had shared there that day, at the bank of the River Haakal.

  Ashta and Anak collapsed in each other’s embrace, each of them the match and perfect counterpart to the other. Ah-né Ashta. Ah-né Anak. I am Ashta. I am Anak. They were one and the same.

  * * *

  The moment the airplane touched down on the tarmac in Phoenix, Marco took out his cell phone and turned it on. He waited impatiently as the device searched for a service provider. Since he had turned his phone off for the entire flight, he would not be able to tell if Elena had tried to call, but he would be able to see any voicemails she had left him. He waited for the minute it took for voicemails to come in after he powered the phone on—nothing. Elena still had not called him. He dialed her again, and this time her phone didn’t even ring. Her recorded voice prompted him to leave a message right away. He didn’t want to leave another message! Where was she?

  Marco was almost frantic and uncustomarily rude as he edged his way to the front of the plane to disembark first. He mumbled apologies to everyone as he went, explaining that he had an emergency. The other passengers looked at him dubiously but moved out of the way.

  Marco had remembered Elena’s difficulty in renting a car at the Phoenix Airport and had called the car rental agencies while he waited for his plane to take off in Rome. He was in luck as he reserved the last available car without even asking what kind it was. Anything would be fine. Marco hadn’t checked baggage. He carried all of his belongings with him and was the first to run down the jet bridge once the flight attendant opened the plane’s doors. If any of the doubting passengers had seen him run, they would have been convinced of his emergency. Marco ran as if his life depended on it.

  Marco cleared Customs as quickly as possible and twenty-five minutes later was merging onto the I-17 heading toward Sedona. The rental clerk had explained that the only car left was a subcompact. Marco had nodded, taken the keys, and run. Once Marco cleared the Phoenix city boundary and began to climb mountains, he pushed the little car to its limits. Its engine roared in exertion but kept on going. Marco continued to call Elena each time his phone picked up reception through the winding mountains. There still was no answer. Marco left Elena one final, panicked message. Call right away. I am worried sick about you. I need to know that you are okay.

  * * *

  Times were becoming more intense and charged. There was something crackling in the air—a sense of urgency. The twins knew that something would happen soon though they did not know exactly what. Even Kaanra could feel it. It was time for the twins to learn all they could to prepare themselves for what loomed ahead.

  Consequently it was no surprise to Ashta when the day for her to learn how to harness the universe’s energy through the movements of her body arrived. She knew where she needed to go. She lay on the ground by the river, the haven to which she always returned. The earth was damp beneath her, and she closed her eyes to hear the soothing melody of the water’s current.

  Abruptly, everything in her mind went blank. Nothing remained but a view of the night sky within her consciousness. There was no Ashta. There was no blade of grass or gentle breeze. There was just one—one existence, one consciousness, one energy, one collective breath—one single moment that held everyone and everything for all time.

  Behind her closed eyes, Ashta could see the entire universe stretching out before her. It was as if she were lying in the grasses staring up at the night sky. All she could see were stars blinking at her, though she held her eyes shut tight. She was suspended in time, in that moment of beingness, of perfect nothingness.

  Her body no longer felt real. There was just her soul in perfect connection to all creation. There were only stars in the dark night sky. There was only one second in time—the present one. Ashta felt herself expand beyond the limits she had thought her consciousness able to reach. She merged with the night, with infinite space, and held the stars within her heart as she would a treasured memory.

  Slowly, deliberately, her body began to move. Ashta surrendered to her instincts. Her body wanted to arch, to curve, to shift. She found herself pushing up off from her back. She folded her arms and placed her hands by her shoulders. She bent her knees and planted her bare feet. Then she arched her stomach forward and pulled up into a bridge posture.

  She felt the muscles in her stomach lengthen. Her legs and arms were strong and firm beneath her, holding her body up. She pushed into the stretch even further. She brought her forearms down to the floor; now
her hands and forearms both pressed against the ground. She twisted her head back and pushed her forehead against the grass. She kept her eyes closed. The positioning of her body allowed for the experience within her inner consciousness to grow even deeper.

  A different kind of force started streaming in through her forehead. Pressing her brow into the ground allowed her to absorb the earth’s energy directly. The mother’s power entered her head and supported the vision that Ashta held within her mind of the expansive universe.

  Her legs stayed strong, holding her body in an arch, stretching it to its limits. Ashta felt vibrant, connected to one and all. Prompted to raise her legs up into the air, she was able to hold herself on her forearms and forehead. It was invigorating to feel her body move into positions that challenged her to such extremes.

  Then, she gently lowered herself to the ground. Her body rested for only a moment before wanting to rise up again. This time, Ashta kept her upper body on the ground and propped her hands against her waist. She used her shoulders as support as she raised her legs into the air. She lay with her legs straight above her, her toes pointed at the culmination of strong, firm limbs. She breathed in and out, enjoying the moment, delighting in the feel of her body.

  Next, Ashta brought her legs down over her body. They floated down until they touched the ground on either side of her head. Her pointed toes rested against the earth. Ashta’s body moved with fluidity, grace, and strength, synchronized with the universe’s flow.

  The vision of the night sky seemed to explode within her head in a blast. It was as if a star had burst. Then her vision reverted to the black, night sky, dotted with bright, shimmering stars. Ashta had found the fullest sense of one consciousness. She understood the universal oneness of all beings. In gratitude, she accepted this wholeheartedly as her truth.

  When her body tired, Ashta swung her legs up from either side of her head and put them down gently. She moved her arms from her hips to the ground and adjusted her shoulders so that she reclined comfortably. She shook out her body and then lay there, completely still.

  Before long, she drifted off to sleep. She allowed herself the time to rest and assimilate the energy she had generated and the wisdom she had received. The rise and fall of her chest grew deeper as the birds chirped on the tree branches above her. She would sleep undisturbed for several hours and wake wondering if her experience had been just a dream.

  25 All Is Well

  When Marco finally pulled up to the Javelina Inn two hours later, his panic turned into hysteria. The door to their room was ajar. Elena’s clothes were strewn everywhere as if someone had rifled through her suitcase searching for something. What the intruder had been looking for, Marco couldn’t imagine, but it was clear that he had looked. Things were a mess.

  He walked through the room. In the bathroom, he found the tub full of cold water. His heart sank. Had Elena been yanked out of the tub naked? Marco leaned against the cold tile wall of the bathroom, the breath gone from his body. What had they done to her? Where was she? He was having trouble breathing.

  Marco turned back toward the bed and saw what he had missed before when distracted by the mess of clothing around Elena’s suitcase. Elena’s phone lay on the floor broken, the battery next to it. Had Elena struggled against her attackers to call for help? Marco looked around the room for other signs of what might have happened.

  Elena’s running shoes were kicked over, her sweaty running clothes on top of them. A pair of sandals lay upturned next to the running shoes. Marco sank onto the bed where they had made love. Was the woman of his dreams gone already? Was he too late? Where could he begin to look for her? Marco had no idea what to do. Should he call the police? He sat on the bed and put his head in his hands. He forced himself to breathe deeply and slowly so he could think clearly.

  * * *

  The seven masters of the Temple of Laresu’u Kal had begun discussing the possibility of Ashta and Anak marrying. At the age of twenty-two, the twins were past the age that people usually entered into marriage. By then, all the temple masters were aware of the strong bond between Ashta and Anak and of the importance of their mission on earth. When the issue was decided, the temple masters called the twins to them.

  Neither Ashta nor Anak knew why the temple master council had summoned them. They were somewhat anxious, wondering what the masters could possibly want them for. They had never been asked to appear for the entire master council of the Temple of Laresu’u Kal before. It seemed that everyone was happy to leave the supervision of the twins to Kaanra.

  However, that morning, when the young messenger had arrived, she had announced that they were to meet all the masters. Anak had asked, “Why are we to meet with the entire council?” The young girl was shy and hid behind unruly red hair, begging that she did not know anything but that they were to go to the small hall immediately to meet with the council of masters. The girl bowed slightly to them and turned to leave. The twins sat in stunned silence as they heard the girl’s retreating footsteps break into a run. Then the twins stood and walked hurriedly to the small hall where all the temple masters waited for them.

  As they neared the doorway to the room, the twins stopped to look at each other apprehensively. The masters held the power to decide much about their lives. Their parents had transferred the power of decision-making over the fate of their children to the masters when they had turned Ashta and Anak over to the temples.

  Ashta asked Anak, “Do you think they want to separate us? To send one of us away?”

  That was Anak’s fear too. He could not bear the thought of being separated from Ashta.

  “I pray not,” he answered. “But either way, we will stand united and strong. Together, we can accomplish anything.

  “I love you, Ashta,” Anak continued, “and I will not allow anything to come between us.”

  Ashta closed the space between them. She laid her head on his chest and allowed herself to find refuge in him, even if for a brief moment.

  “Thank you, Anak. Now that I have found you, I could not bear to live without you.”

  Their stolen interlude came to an abrupt halt when Kaanra peeked his head out of the doorway. He saw his two special pupils, so much like his own children, in a tender moment of love. That kind of love had not been meant for him in this life, but he still appreciated its value and beauty. Kaanra cleared his throat so that the twins would know he was there.

  Slightly embarrassed that Kaanra had witnessed their private display of affection, Ashta and Anak separated quickly. The look of concern returned to their faces. Kaanra recognized it and smiled to assure them that all was well. Still, the twins were not fully convinced as Kaanra ushered them into the hall where the other six masters waited. Ashta and Anak took in each of the seven faces that looked back at them, trying to gauge the reason for their summons.

  The temple masters sat on one side of a long, wooden table. Kaanra sat in the middle seat; three masters sat to his left and three to his right. Kaanra signaled to the twins that they should take the two seats set out for them across the table from the masters. When the twins sat, Kaanra told them, “We have called you here today to discuss your futures.”

  Anak reached over, grabbed Ashta’s hand, and squeezed it. It was his way of reassuring her that everything would be okay, no matter what the masters said there that day.

  Kaanra continued. “As you know, you are both well past marrying age.”

  Ashta worked hard at pushing away her first thought. Were they going to separate them and marry them to other people? To strangers? The thought was so ghastly to her that she focused on pushing it out of her consciousness. She knew her thoughts were energy and that, if she put her focus on the fear that had just swooped through her mind, she could contribute to making it happen. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she released the negative fear and focused on trusting that everything would be well in the divine plan.

  She was so inwardly focused, repeating to herself all is well in my
world to keep her thoughts from causing problems, that she missed what Kaanra said next. She realized something had happened though because Anak was squeezing her hand so tightly that it was beginning to hurt. What had happened? What had she missed? She turned to Anak. All she found in his expression was shock.

  Anak’s look and the loop of disciplined affirmations she had been running through her head disoriented her so that she spoke with an uncharacteristic lack of eloquence.

  She looked at Kaanra and asked, “What?”

  Kaanra smiled tenderly at his stunned pupils and looked Ashta in the eyes. “I asked if you would like to marry each other,” he said.

  Ashta just stared back at Kaanra until her eyes began to glaze over, and she could no longer see anything in particular. The idea had never occurred to her. She had never thought that the temple masters would allow such a thing. Never, that she knew of, had they allowed two pupils to marry each other. One from within the temple was always married to an outsider. That was how it was done, with the purpose of spreading wisdom and spiritual support outside of the temple walls to the people.

  Anak turned to Ashta with a glistening of tears in his eyes. Still holding her hand, he looked her directly in the eyes and answered Kaanra. “There is nothing that I would like better. I am honored.”

  Ashta could not find her voice. Instead, she nodded fervently, with tears streaming down her cheeks.

  Kaanra continued speaking for the council. “It is settled then. You will marry when the moon completes its third cycle. That is a most fortuitous time. It will bring blessings and protection to your marriage. You will marry when the moon is full, representing the completion and maturity of your union.”

  Like all of those trained at the temples, Ashta knew the lunar cycles with precision. The waxing and waning of the moon were powerful times of magic. But never had she watched the moon as closely as she would over the next few months, anticipating the time when she would marry her beloved.