Free Beneath the Hallowed Hill by Theresa Crater Page B

on her elbow and looked around, startled by the unfamiliar surroundings. Morning sun brightened the curtains covering the window. Suddenly she remembered where she was. The knock came again. “Yes?”
    Instead of answering, Thuya bustled in. “You missed dinner last night.” She deposited a tray with fruit and yogurt on the table in the sitting room and put a hand on Megan’s forehead. “No fever. I suspect all the excitement finally caught up with you.”
    Megan nodded.
    “I’ll see you tonight, though?”
    “I’ll be prompt.”
    “Good. Just leave the tray in the hallway,” Thuya said, and left as quickly as she came.
    Megan washed up in a small basin, deciding to visit the bathhouse before the evening meal, and quickly ate her small breakfast. She reached into the armoire and pulled out the unfamiliar robe of her new guild. The fabric felt substantial between her fingers, but the shifting white-violet still gave Megan the uneasy feeling that something hovered just out of the range of her vision. She slipped the robe over her head, gave her hair a shake so her brown curls bounced back into place, and went in search of her instructor.
    * * * *
    The office of the head of the Crystal Matrix Chamber overlooked the dome of the temple, now gleaming in the early sunlight. Govannan sat reading through the morning message crystals. A proposal from the New Knowledge Guild snagged his attention, something to slow down the mysterious new illnesses cropping up. It sounded reasonable enough, but something about it bothered him.
    A soft knock on his door pulled his attention away. “Megan is waiting,” his assistant announced.
    “Please tell her I’ll be there in a minute.”
    The man nodded and left the room. He would have to speak with them later, and when he did, handle it delicately. Eager to meet their new addition, Govannan took the message crystal out of the reader and placed it in the proper tray, then got to his feet. He hadn’t seen Megan since she was a child of six running around in her mother’s garden. He started to tug at his robe and run a hand through his hair, but stopped himself and moved to the door.
    He found her sitting bolt upright on one of the chaise lounges arranged around the antechamber where he received visitors. She rose when he entered, her face flushed. She was short for a central Atlantean, with lustrous brown hair, pale skin, and startling blue eyes. She took after the branch of her mother’s family coming from the northern island. He did not find her beautiful, but this was trivial compared to the bond they shared: as guild members, they were family at the very least.
    “Megan.” He put his hand on her shoulder and felt a slight tremor. “An Alban name?” he asked to put her at ease.
    “Yes. I’m named after my great aunt.”
    He introduced himself and then said, “I know your parents, of course.”
    Megan’s shoulders relaxed a notch.
    “Welcome to our guild.” He gestured toward a seat. “You’re not just joining the Crystal Guild, you were chosen to work in the Matrix Chamber itself. It’s a high and rare honor.”
    She blushed a deeper red. “Yes, sir.”
    “Please call me Govannan. I imagine you have many questions; our work is not well known outside the temple.”
    “Good. I mean, I thought I wasn’t well informed.”
    “Not at all. Let me give you a brief introduction. Afterwards, you can watch the crystal in action. You’re in luck; a delegation from Sirius is beaming in.”
    “Thank you.” Megan sat forward, fire in her pale blue eyes.
    “Our temple complex,” he waved his hand in a circle, “sits on one of the major energy vortexes of the Earth. The main task of the crystal in the Matrix Chamber is to keep this vortex clear and balanced. Only the most experienced and gifted work on this task. The crystal not only keeps the planet in equilibrium, it harmonizes the Earth with the higher dimensions and other star systems. This allows us to use the crystal