The storm seemed to be growing stronger.
Wind shrieked. Trees bent. Rain rattled leaves everywhere. As we trekked north, I couldn't help but think that Kingsley and Allison might be onto something. I was technically a carrier of one of the medallions, and my son...well, my son had consumed another medallion in a sort of potion concocted by one Archibald Maximus, who, as it turned out, was also quite the alchemist.
The medallion is in my son, too, I realized. In his blood, perhaps.
But what did the entity intend to do with my son? Was he going to drink from my boy? I shuddered and nearly worked myself into a panic. Jesus, and what did he intend to do with me? The medallion, as far as I was aware, was now eternally a part of me.
There were four such medallions, and if one of them was indeed hidden on the island, that would be three. The whereabouts of the fourth were unknown to me...and yet, even as I thought about that, the fleeting hint of a memory came to me. And then left just as quickly.
Good God, did I actually know where the fourth medallion was?
I didn't know, but I figured it was best to approach this one medallion at a time.
More importantly: what did the bastard want with all four medallions?
Allison, who'd been casting me sidelong glances in between cautiously stepping over exposed tree roots, also had been following my train of thought. Her words came clearly to me now as we stepped into an open area of the forest: He mentioned releasing his sister, Sam.
A sister who was presently trapped within me. A blessing and a curse, surely.
A blessing because her dark power fueled my now-dead body, and, in turn, gave me superhuman abilities. A curse because I was now being used by her. I was, in effect, serving as her host.
I shuddered.
But how could the medallions help his sister break free? I asked.
Lordy, Sam, how would I know?
Heck, just a few days ago I was a hair stylist/personal trainer/photographer/actor in Los Angeles.
That's a lot of slashes, I thought.
It's called "multiple streams of income." Oh, and you can add another slash.