Thanksgiving Excerpt (The Prophecy of the Codex)
Did you know that The Prophecy of the Codex takes place over Thanksgiving?
So to celebrate the holiday, I thought I’d drop in an excerpt that references it!
Enjoy!
The Prophecy of the Codex Book Excerpt
Kayla and the rest of the Four, along with Na-um and Holun, met an hour later in the mess tent, early enough that the lunch crowd hadn’t shown up yet. Though there wouldn’t be much of a “crowd” anyway—staffing for the dig was light this late in the fall semester. Most had already gone home for Thanksgiving, which was only a few days away.
“So, Na-um, where do we start? Do you have any idea where the artifacts are?”
Na-um looked up at Kayla’s question, his eyes probing. Kayla immediately averted her eyes, subconsciously rubbing the spot on her arm where he’d touched her before, keenly aware of Grady sitting right next to her. She hoped he hadn’t seen their interaction. “Possibly. The Elders will not be far from them.”
“But the Clan has moved, right?” Justin asked. “So the artifacts will be mobile?”
Na-um nodded. “Perhaps. The Elders wouldn’t like to leave those behind. Unless . . .”
“Unless, what?” Mandy jumped in.
“Unless, they have them so well hidden that they do not fear them being discovered.”
Justin chortled. “Like that worked out so well for them before.”
Na-um actually smiled, and Kayla noticed a kindness there she hadn’t seen before. Stop it, Kayla, she warned herself, adjusting in her seat, sliding slightly closer to Grady despite the midmorning heat. “Yes,” Na-um continued. “I never got a look at many of the artifacts, but I have heard the stories. The Elders have to be keeping a large number of artifacts hidden, and they could be anywhere. But I can almost guarantee that they will have at least some of them with them, probably the ones they consider most valuable.”
“Like the one to block mind control,” Kayla interjected.
Na-um caught her gaze and smiled again. “Yes. I am certain that is one they keep very close. They would never have worked with my sister unless they could be certain of their immunity to her powers. The Elders must exert their control over everything and everyone—and they cannot accept that they might not have complete control over something.” His eyes were still locked with Kayla’s, but she found herself not wanting to look away. She sensed Mandy’s eyes on her and glanced over. She didn’t want to answer the questions she saw in Mandy’s eyes; she hoped her friend wouldn’t remember to ask them later.
No chance of that.
Grady jumped in. “Na-um, you know where the Elders are now, right?”
“Yes. They are not far, in the rainforest at my Clan’s camp.”
“Well, we can assume they at least have the one we need in their possession. So we go to the camp and find it.”
Mandy nodded across the table. “Makes sense to me. But how do we get close to the Elders without them being suspicious?”
The group was silent, but Kayla was looking back at Na-um. “I believe he can.”
Na-um nodded. “Yes, I will be the way in. They will be heavily guarded, but they think I am on their side.” He paused, staring off into the rainforest. “Yes, I should be able to get in.”
“And the artifact?” Justin asked.
Na-um’s eyes shifted quickly across the tabletop, back and forth. “Chac, the leader, always keeps an amulet around his neck. I do not know where it came from, so there is a good chance it is the one we need.”
“Makes sense that a protection artifact would need to be worn,” Kayla surmised.
Na-um smiled at her. “Yes, that does make sense.”
Kayla glanced away and noticed Mandy staring at her again. She winced internally, knowing Mandy was definitely going to ask her about it the first chance she got.
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Hope you have a happy and safe holiday!
<3 Melissa